by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 16, 2015
Infiniti’s new President Roland Kruger will be facing a tough decision in the coming weeks: whether to pull the plug on the high-performance Eau Rouge project launched by his predecessor. The 550-horsepower Q50 Eau Rouge was meant to serve as the halo car for a brand...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 15, 2015
At 435 horsepower, the 2015 remake of the Mustang GT is an impressive piece of work. But in today’s new Golden Age of muscle cars, the number is almost middle-of-the-road. So, Ford is rolling out a series of pony car variants that go from hot to hotter to hottest. It...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 15, 2015
With his roots in Hollywood, General Motors’ first styling director, Harley Earl, loved a bit of showmanship, introducing what is today seen as the first true concept car, the Buick Y-Job. It introduced such revolutionary features as hidden headlamps, wraparound...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 15, 2015
Google is on a mission to change the world with its autonomous vehicle technology. But it doesn’t plan to launch its own carmaking division, instead hoping to find partners to work with, the tech giant’s automotive guru said. There’ve been a lot of questions raised...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 15, 2015
The big drop in oil prices isn’t prompting General Motors to change its plans or strategy, GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said this week. Barra was asked about the drop in oil and gasoline prices, which are down 55% in the past six months, during a...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 15, 2015
Though Ford Motor Co. has ballyhooed the benefits of the aluminum used to build its 2015 F-150 pickup, don’t expect to see the automaker start building passenger cars out of the lightweight metal, cautioned a top executive. The benefits just aren’t as competitive when...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 14, 2015
Enjoy cheap gas while you can, says Bob Carter, the head of U.S. automotive operations for Toyota. Like all good things, it “eventually” will come to an end. The collapse of gas prices was the talk of the North American International Auto Show during this week’s media...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 14, 2015
After watching General Motors get hammered for its safety lapses last year, investors have gotten some good news from the Detroit automotive giant. GM’s senior management team, led by CEO Mary Barra, predicted earnings should bounce back in 2015. While they didn’t...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 14, 2015
Forget the rocks and trees, or SUVs trampling across the meadows, and ignore the fast-talking salesman pitching a deal too good to be true. Occasionally, just occasionally, an automaker’s creative team really does come up with an ad so compelling that you might want...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 14, 2015
FCA Chief Sergio Marchionne is at it again. After Jeep met Marchionne’s goal of selling 1 million vehicles in 2014, he’s thrown out another sales target: 1.9 million Jeeps. Fortunately, he’s given the rugged off-road brand until 2018 to hit the mark. “This is...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 14, 2015
Don’t expect to see a profit from Tesla Motors – at least not using generally accepted accounting rules – until at least 2020, CEO Elon Musk cautioned during an appearance in Detroit on Tuesday. That’s despite a big jump in sales the company founder is predicting. By...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 13, 2015
Domestic automakers dominated the annual Eyes on Design Awards capping two days of product previews at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Ford’s GT and the Buick Avenir concept were the big winners, though Audi also took home honors for its...
