Autoline After Hours

This week we’ll be getting a first-hand report from the Paris Motor Show as John McElroy joins us via Skype to offer his impressions. We’ll talk about how supercar EVs are taking over the show floor as well as the spectacular gas turbine hybrid concept revealed by Jaguar. Plus, McElroy has an exciting scoop from VW about its plan for diesels in the U.S. Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, will be...

This week we welcome Chris Preuss, the CEO of OnStar, and we'll be asking him what his company will be doing to catch up to the likes of Ford's SYNC. As usual, you can count on us to take a deep dive into the latest automotive news. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist and Chrissie Thompson who covers GM for the Detroit Free Press.

After Hours is back and well rested after its Labor Day break, and this week we welcome Neil De Koker the founding President and CEO of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA). The oft-ignored supplier side of the automotive business develops more technology, jobs and innovation than you probably realize. It will be interesting to see how OESA's members are coping during these economic...

This week our guest is Lonnie Miller the VP of Marketing and Industry Analysis for Polk. One of the questions we'll be asking him: just how bad is the Detroit Three's addiction to fleet sales? Of course, we'll be exploring other hot subjects as well including John's recent drives in the Kia Optima and the 5.0 Mustang. Also, August sales numbers are out and Chrysler-Fiat has revealed its dealership...

This week we invite Joe Serra on the AAH stage to talk dealerships. As a dealer principal, Joe has seen a lot in the past couple of years, and we'll be asking him how business is and what kinds of cars are moving out of the lots these days. As usual, we'll review some of the most interesting news of the week including the possibility of VW buying Alfa Romeo. Also, Chris Perry, formerly of Hyundai,...

This week we bring you a very-special episode of Autoline After Hours from Woodward Avenue, home of the annual Dream Cruise, the biggest one-day automotive event in the world. Joining host John McElroy is the Autoextremist himself, Peter De Lorenzo. Together they check out some of the coolest classic cars on the street as well as some of the hottest performance machines available today . . . plus...

This week we invite Chris de Boer, head of Research and Development at Transonic Combustion to join us in the AAH studio. We'll be asking him if his technology is really the big breakthrough we've been waiting for, and how he can get 30% better fuel economy just by changing the fuel injection. As always we'll get into the big news of the week including GM's announcement that Big Ed Whitacre will b...

This week we invite Tom Kowaleski into the AAH studio. Tom's the VP of Corporate Communications at BMW, and we'll be asking him what's up with this whole "Joy" thing anyway? And, what will it take for BMW to overtake Lexus in the luxury segment? As always we'll be tackling the latest news as well including Hyundai's goal of a 50 MPG fleet average by 2025, GM's investment into Bright Automotive and...

This week the gang is all back together and they invite Amy Marentic, the marketing manager for the newly-revealed Ford Explorer, onto the show. We'll be asking Amy just how many people she thinks Ford can bring back to the SUV segment. Of course, the panel will also get into the news of the week like the positive earnings several companies have been seeing in the second quarter. We'll also discus...

This week our dear leader is on the road, so Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, grabs the wheel and takes over. We'll discuss the news of the week and other pressing topics: Is Ford running a risk having too many similar vehicles (Explorer, Edge, Flex) on the road? Can we ever realistically expect subsidy-free electric vehicles to be viable in the marketplace? Honda has lost its mojo -- can it g...

This week we welcome Peter Hofbauer, a former diesel-engine designer at Volkswagen who’s now the Founder, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of EcoMotors, the company developing a revolutionary new opposed-piston engine. Beyond that, host John McElroy, David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek and Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics talk about some of the top news stories from the past week, like Ford's re...

This week we bring you a special all Q and A show. Our Rapid Fire segment has proven to be so popular that we never have enough time to make it through all our viewers' questions. In this episode we're going to do the best we can to rectify that. Our good friend Jason Vines is even coming in to help us get through all your mail and phone calls, so get ready for some answers to come your way! John...

This week we welcome Kathleen Ligocki, an auto industry consultant who is a former Ford VP, supplier company CEO and an expert in emerging markets such as China. We'll be asking her if she thinks Detroit has really recovered yet from the economic meltdown. As usual, we'll also get into the news of the week like Edmund's prediction that sales will be down this month. Also we'll discuss Ferrari's de...

This week we welcome Charlie Hughes, the author of "Branding Iron" and an expert in automotive brands. In the past couple of years we've had a major culling of automotive marques--especially in Detroit. In this episode, we'll talk about what else can go: Acura? Infiniti? As usual, we'll also get into the news of the week. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David...

This we took the show on the road to The Henry Ford for a "Racing in America" event. We had a lot of great discussion about racing, which you can catch in Part One of this week's show, but here is Part Two, and it's all about the news of the week. We discussed the outcry over the "Chevrolet not Chevy" memo, as well as GM's quiet management shake up. We also talked about Ford's new restoration part...

It's a very special After Hours this week as we take the show on the road to The Henry Ford for a "Racing in America" event being held to raise funds for a new permanent exhibit in the museum. We're bringing you a two-parter this week, and Part One is all about racing as we sit down with some of the most influential movers and shakers in the business including Jack Roush, Leonard Wood and John For...

This week we get green as we welcome John DeCicco, Ph. D, an environmentalist who is a senior lecturer at the University of Michigan. We'll be asking Mr. DeCicco how the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico will affect our consumption of petroleum--if at all. And, what does he think of alternative fuels like ethanol and electricity? You might just be surprised at the answer. Of course, we'll also ge...

This week we welcome Sheila Ronis, a defense and automotive expert who will discuss the role the car companies play in military matters. In particular we'll ask why the Pentagon was staunchly against letting GM and Chrysler fold, and why it believes that would have placed the United States at a strategic disadvantage. And, we'll definitely be getting into the news of the week as Ford finally looks...

This week it's the man, the myth, the legend: Jason Vines, our old AAH friend and colleague. Mr. Vines joins the panel to discuss the news of the week including GM's big marketing switcheroo back to the formally-ousted Campbell-Ewald. Also, Bob Lutz gets his send-off from GM as he finally retires and gets ready to become a CNBC correspondent. Plus, Porsche raced it's flywheel hybrid at the Nurburg...

This week we welcome the author of the book Car Wreck, Mark Ragsdale, a former dealership owner and operator that says the U.S. auto industry took the American public for a ride. By the way, he wonders, why has there never been a dealer on an auto company’s board of directors? And, according to Ragsdale, you should never buy a new car again–only lease, and he’ll tell us why. Of course, we’ll get i...

This week we welcome Chantel Lenard, Ford's Group Marketing Manager for Global Small and Midsize Cars. We'll be asking her about the challenges ahead as the Ford Fiesta launches this summer. For instance, what will the company be doing to train its dealers, and how can it prevent the Focus from cannibalizing Fiesta sales? Of course we'll also get into the news of the week including the ousting of...

This week we welcome Nina Beckhardt, President of The Naming Group, a company that specializes in branding. She’ll be joining us to offer her expertise in how car names are created–what works and what is a total disaster? Of course we’ll also get into the news of the week including Chevy’s decision to dump Campbell-Ewald, its advertising agency since 1919. Plus, we’ll talk money: do recent earning...

This week we welcome Doug Fehan, the man who’s the “heart and soul” of Corvette racing as the GM Racing Program Manager for the American Le Mans Series. He’ll be joining us to discuss what effect the GM Racing team had on the design of the latest Corvette and whether racing on cellulosic ethanol gives the team an advantage. Of course we’ll also get into the news of the week including a study that...

This week we welcome Walter McManus, an economist at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and Director of the Automotive Analysis Group. He'll be joining us to discuss the news as well as talk about CAFE standards and some recent studies his organization has been performing. John McElroy's in studio with David Welch from BusinessWeek and Bloomberg News as well as Scott Burg...

This week we hit a milestone: 50 episodes of "unscripted, unapproved, unusually frank discussion" from Autoline After Hours. We, and the auto industry, have come a long way in the last year, and tonight we'll spend just a little time looking back--at the good and the bad. But, we'll also be looking forward as we welcome our guest, Larry Erickson, the Chair of Transportation Design for the College...