Autoline Daily - Video

In a bombshell of an announcement this morning, General Motors said that its Chief Financial Officer, Chris Liddell, is leaving the company. The espionage case at Renault just keeps getting more and more fun to watch and now the company is going to exonerate and rehire the three execs it fired. Going against the grain, one industry analyst is urging car buyers to NOT worry about gas prices. All th...

Fiat held the top spot in sales in Brazil for the last 11 years but for the first two months of this year Volkswagen is number one. Chrysler will sell a couple of Fiat’s small commercial vehicles in the U.S. but they're not here yet, in the meantime the company will offer a utility version of its popular minivan, called the Ram Cargo Van. Pixar just released a new trailer for the upcoming Cars 2 m...

There's a gold rush in Dearborn! Ford CEO Alan Mulally earned $56 million in stock last year while Chairman Bill Ford made off with more than $42 million. The internal-combustion engine is under attack in Europe where the EC wants to ban them from cities by 2050. Sergio Marchionne wants to build more Fiat models at Chrysler's plant in Toluca, Mexico. All that and more, plus we take a look at the 2...

Chinese automaker Brilliance is coming out with two new vehicles that are blatant rip-offs of the BMW 5-series and Nissan NV 200. Speaking of China, car sales fell last month for the first time that we can remember. Even though there are more cars sitting on dealer lots, the day’s supply has gone down because the daily selling rate is so much stronger. All that and more, plus a look at how Ford's...

An Acura executive hints that the curiously-styled ZDX may not be for this world much longer. Raw material prices have been going up, up, up, but only now are automakers feeling the pain. The Renault espionage saga only gets more complicated. All that and more, plus the first-ever automotive recall to be caused by a spider.

Curiously, French automaker Renault is backpedaling from its claims that it was a victim of industrial espionage. Something fishy is going on here. Autoline Daily has learned how much the battery packs in the Chevy Volt and the Nissan LEAF cost. Hint: a lot. COBO Hall, home of the Detroit Auto Show, is getting some significant upgrades over the next three years as part of a $211 million investment...

New car sales shot up by more than 27% in the American market last month, falling just shy of one million units. General Motors and Toyota put in a blistering sales performance in February amongst the major manufacturers. Cadillac had the most shocking sales performance with sales up 70%. All that and more, plus John test drives the new Mazda5 which is in showrooms right now.

We’ve got a full report on the latest news coming from the Geneva Motor Show including Ford’s new subcompact MPV, the B-Max, Volkswagen’s latest Microbus concept and a Saab model that points at the brand’s future design direction. Consumer Reports just released its latest . . . report; the magazine pans a surprising number of luxury automakers for quality. Ford is the master of PR spin. All that a...

Jaguar along with Italian design firm Bertone are pulling the covers off two concept cars at this week's Geneva Auto Show. Diesels are making a comeback in the European market where they had been losing market share. Researchers say safety systems in cars need to be specifically engineered to protect obese and older people in crashes. All that and more, plus John compares a Chevy Silverado with a...

Toyota is recalling another 2.2 million vehicles in the U.S. because of floor mat issues. Volkswagen and Russian automaker GAZ will partner to build more than 100,000 VW and Skoda cars annually in Russia. Despite the Supreme Court's unanimous ruling, Mazda Vice President Jay Amestoy told Autoline Daily that it was what the Court didn't say that's also important. All that and more, plus a preview o...

General Motors reported its earnings for 2010 and overall the numbers look pretty good. In a sign that the global industry is turning around Daimler announced it plans to hire over 10,000 workers this year. Tiny Dutch automaker Spyker is selling its sports car unit to a Russian businessman in an effort to reduce its debt and allow it to focus more resources on saving Saab. All that and more, plus...

Analysts are saying don’t be surprised if GM's fourth quarter earnings are not that good because it had to spend money on developing and introducing new vehicles. MINI will debut a concept in Geneva called the Rocketman which is smaller than any car it builds now. Aston Martin just introduced its latest sportscar, called the Virage which is powered by a hand-built 6.0-liter V-12 that cranks out 49...

Anti-government protests in Libya have shut down oil production in the North-African country causing the price per barrel to spike overnight. EcoMotors teamed with Navistar to deliver a production-version of its opposed-piston engine. The U.S. embassy has rated the air quality in Beijing WORSE than hazardous. All that and more, plus John gives us his instant impression of the brand-new, 2011 Chrys...

Mazda is considering pulling out of its manufacturing plant in Flat Rock, Michigan which it shares with Ford. The U.S. House of Representatives voted to block E-15, gasoline that has 15% ethanol mixed with it. BMW just introduced a new performance exhaust system which reduces back pressure and allows the engine to produce an even more powerful sound. All that and more, plus John shares his impress...

Yesterday Nissan Americas appointed Carla Bailo as the senior VP of Research and Development, the first American to hold the position. Chevy just introduced its own hands free voice control infotainment system called MyLink. Honda quietly revealed its brand-new Civic which offers some mechanical changes but not much else. All that and more, plus a big argument between what liberals and conservativ...

For the first time in what must be 80 years Ford has more dealerships than Chevrolet in the American market. We’re really starting to see car culture develop in China, in fact, the Chinese love the American lifestyle and are really getting into motorhomes. Over in Japan Nissan just introduced the third generation of its Moco minicar. All that and more, plus a walk around the brand-new 2011 Mini Co...

New car sales have been falling in Europe for 10 months now due to the weak economy and governments ending incentive programs. Bob Lutz and General Motors are in talks about bringing him back as a paid consultant. Rinspeed will debut a wild looking vehicle at this year's Geneva Motor Show called the BamBoo. All that and more, plus John answers your questions about smart and covetic aluminum in the...

Mercedes-Benz USA is taking over the distribution of smart from the Penske Automotive Group. President Obama wants to "pull the plug" on funding for clean-diesel and fuel-cell technologies, diverting it toward electric vehicles instead. Bentley set a new world-speed record, topping 330 kilometers per hour . . . on ice! All that and more, plus a look at the brand-new 2011 Nissan Quest minivan.

Inventory levels are increasing in the American market, a sure sign that automakers are making too many cars. Lamborghini will unveil a new flagship supercar at the Geneva Motor Show, called the Aventador, which is expected to cost more than $370,000! The average fuel economy of new light-vehicles sold in the U.S. fell last year. All that and more, plus a look at the new Ford Focus.

Yesterday we reported that Ford was suing Ferrari for using the F-150 name for its Formula One racecar, now the Italian automaker has agreed to not use the name. We've got more sneak peeks of what we'll see at this year's Geneva Motor Show. Chrysler will offer a special version of its Cummins turbo-diesel engine in the Ram with 800 pound-feet of torque! All that and more, plus a preview of this we...

Bringing to mind their rivalry in the 1960s, Ford and Ferrari are at it again, this time they’re bickering about the use of the F-150 name. Chevy revealed its red-hot, 550-plus horsepower Camaro ZL1 at the Chicago Auto Show yesterday. Opel just introduced its brand-new 2011 Corsa. All that and more, plus McElroy responds to your questions and comments in the popular "You Said It!" segment.

Yesterday the FBI raided the Michigan offices of Japanese seat belt supplier Takata. China's problems with traffic congestion is becoming much worse. Dodge unveiled the new 2012 Charger SRT-8 at the Chicago Auto Show which features a completely new look. All that and more, plus John calls out Ray LaHood, the Secretary of Transportation for not having the guts to call it like it is.

Credit increased by more than $6 billion a month ago; economists expected it to rise by only $2.4 billion. General Motors will likely pay its hourly workers in the U.S. a bonus of more than $1,800, the highest profit-sharing checks they’ve ever received. More and more cars come with keyless ignition systems these days but now the technology is under scrutiny because several people have died from l...

The government's proposal to raise the fleet average of vehicles to 62 MPG was a hot topic at the annual National Auto Dealers Association convention. One analyst says that used cars will outsell new ones by a three to one margin this year. Indian automaker Mahindra receives a shockingly poor rating from the U.S. EPA for its diesel pick-up truck. All that and more, plus a look at the new Hyundai E...

Thousands of taxpayers in the U.S. have filed for an electric vehicle credit even though they don't own one. A company based in Denmark says the global market for cellulosic ethanol will start to take off in 2013. Honda is avoiding advanced technology to improve fuel economy because it says it can get the same results or better with less expensive parts. All that and more, plus a preview of this w...