by Paul A. Eisenstein | Sep 25, 2012
Hyundai has pulled off some intriguing surprises with the super-tuner Ark, including last year’s turbocharged Veloster – which offered a hint of what was to come to the Korean maker’s showrooms just a few months later. And so, even with the Paris Motor Show still days...
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 25, 2012
Just days after saying that the company would miss its profit forecast for the third and fourth quarters, Daimler AG said it would trim production at its largest plant to help contain costs. After Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said that the company would look for $1.3...
by Joseph Szczesny | Sep 25, 2012
Chrysler Group LLC has suspended the testing of advanced plugin hybrid-electric vehicles to conduct a battery-pack upgrade after fires broke out in three of the experimental pickup trucks. “This action is being taken to build upon the lessons from the initial...
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 25, 2012
Just when many carmakers are downsizing their engines, it came as quite a shock when Acura announced at the Detroit auto show earlier this year that it was replacing the turbocharged four cylinder in the RDX compact luxury ute with its venerable 3.5-liter V-6. But...
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 25, 2012
Automotive dreamers have coveted the notion of an amphibious car almost since the first autos started showing up on the world’s dusty streets. Several have tried, most notably Hanns Trippel, who designed several amphibious vehicle, including the most well-known, the...
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 24, 2012
Volvo President and CEO Stefan Jacoby will take a leave of absence for about a month after suffering a mild stroke. Jacoby, 54, said in a statement that he was fortunate that the stroke he suffered last week wasn’t more serious. “I was lucky that it was a mild...
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 24, 2012
Consumer Reports said it could not recommend the Fisker Karma following its test, which began with the car’s battery pack failing within the car’s first 200 miles. “Overall, the Karma scored too low in our tests to recommend,” the magazine reported in its review of...
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 24, 2012
A new report from an automotive industry newsletter says nearly a quarter of all potential car buyers are concerned that General Motors will file for bankruptcy again within the next few years. CNW Research’s Auto Industry Summary reports that just 3½ years after...
by Joseph Szczesny | Sep 24, 2012
Daimler AG expects its earnings to fall in the third and fourth quarter as the economic conditions in Europe in general and in the car business in particular continue to deteriorate. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said at a Stuttgart press conference that Mercedes-Benz...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Sep 24, 2012
A small but enthusiastic group of advocates marked national “Plug In Day,” over the weekend, hoping to draw more attention to fuel-efficient – if slow-selling – battery-based vehicles as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. But a new study by the nonpartisan...
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 24, 2012
In their 2010 song “Dead or Alive on the 405,” the Gin Blossoms sang: Friday nights are red brake lights, Stuck in here like cargo Dead or alive on the 405 Traffic’s moving like a slug Dead or alive on the 405 Stuck behind a ’68 bug Los Angeles County...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Sep 21, 2012
The last time Ford dominated the midsize American passenger car market it was selling the original Taurus. Despite that success, the maker quickly seemed to lose focus, shifting its attention to the more profitable SUVs that would soon dominate the U.S. market. It...
