by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 6, 2011
It’s been a tough couple years for Toyota, the maker being slammed by safety issues as well as production shortages caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan last March. But just as the maker was hoping to get things back to normal — with factories pouring...
by Jim McCraw | Dec 6, 2011
Is there a place in tomorrow’s world for the automobile? Perhaps no place is the answer more uncertain than crowded, smog-choked Mexico City, which is precisely the challenge faced by student designers participating in the 2011 Michelin Challenge Design competition....
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 6, 2011
A name once familiar to Baby Boomers will be making its return in time for the new crop of Millennial motorists, the Dodge Dart staging its revival at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. A fixture of the ‘60s, the Dart was one of the more popular small cars in the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 6, 2011
Ford Motor Co. terms “false” a report that it has begun the search for a successor to well-regarded CEO Alan Mulally. A report in today’s Wall Street Journal claimed the maker was looking at four potential candidates to assume the helm for the 66-year-old executive,...
by Joseph Szczesny | Dec 6, 2011
General Motors is getting ready to roll out an all-new version of its small block V-8 and the maker promises to deliver a mix of both better performance and improved mileage. The fifth-generation V-8 is due out within 24 months and GM engineers are confirming the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 5, 2011
It’s happened to just about everyone. The light turns green, you step on the throttle and just as you pull into the intersection a car races across your path. If you’re lucky, you hit the brakes in time, mutter a curse under your breath and then drive on. But many...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 5, 2011
Struggling Swedish automaker Saab has lined up yet another White Knight in an effort to forestall bankruptcy. With several earlier deals now stalled, Saab officials revealed they are talking with an undisclosed Chinese bank hoping it will partner with China’s Zhejiang...
by Joseph Szczesny | Dec 5, 2011
For the first time ever, two German camakers, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, are dueling for the honor of being the top luxury brand in the United States. Lexus, Toyota’s high-line marque, has held the title for the past several years. But it is expected to surrender the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 5, 2011
Toyota will begin shipping the Camry sedan from its Georgetown, Kentucky assembly plant to South Korea – part of its continuing effort to offset a painful shift in exchange rates making it increasingly difficult to export from Japan. The maker also will be shipping...
by Joseph Szczesny | Dec 5, 2011
General Motors Co. is vowing to make a splash at the North American International Auto Show next month with at least four new products set to make their debut. Mary Barra, GM senior vice president of global development, said that one of the vehicles scheduled for...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 3, 2011
After raising only a fraction of the money it needed to put its aircraft-like 2e battery-car into production, California start-up Aptera has had to pull the plug on its ambitious goal of becoming a major player in the coming market for electric vehicles. The Southern...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 2, 2011
Normally one of the darlings of the automotive world, Honda has taken a number of missteps in recent months while also being slammed by a series of challenges ranging from lopsided exchange rates to earthquakes in Japan and flooding in Thailand. CEO Takanobu Ito is...
