- UK: JLR eyes US southern states ‘transplant’ – paper – Just-auto: Tata Motors’ Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) reportedly is talking to local governments in several southern states about setting up a factory in the US which would be a first for a British carmaker in the world’s second-largest vehicle market.
- Hyundai plans new sports car – Autocar: Korean firm says there’s an appetite for a new sports car in Europe, with Hyundai’s new N performance division creating “opportunities” for the brand. Hyundai is considering a small sports car. European MD Allan Rushforth told Autocar that discussions about a sports car have taken place and that there is an appetite for one. If the car makes production, it will not be a relaunch of the Coupé. The market for such a car is difficult to sustain, according to Rushforth, who also revealed he is…
- GERMANY: VW recalls 1.1m cars in North America and China – Just-auto: Volkswagen is recalling over 1.1m cars in North America and China to correct a potential problem with rear suspension parts.
- INDIA: New Volkswagen boss reckons on steady growth – Just-auto: Volkswagen is sketching out a 10-year strategy for India, a market it sees as having one of the most promising growth prospects in the world.
- Toyota cuts GT86 price by £2500 – Autocar: New entry-level GT86 model is available to order now, priced from £22,495, while Toyota also introduces a new range-topping Aero model. Toyota has cut the price of its GT86 sports car by £2500 with the introduction of a new entry-level model. The new GT86 Primo, which has already opened for orders with first deliveries scheduled for January, costs £22,495. Available with a six-speed manual transmission only, the Primo keeps the standard car’s 2.0-litre naturally aspirated boxer engine, which produces…
- Automated Driving Piques Chinese Consumers’ Interest – Wards: Joseph R. Szczesny The prevailing view that automated systems first will be used in Europe and North America is being challenged by Chinese interest in what Magna International executive Frank O’Brien calls the digital lifestyle.
- CHINA: Merc S-class buyers 15 years younger than elsewhere – Just-auto: It is not only the largest car market in the world, China can also be the most confusing for marketing departments as age profiles go out of the window.
- CarMax’s U-turn: A return to Web leads – Automotive News: Used-car powerhouse CarMax has begun posting vehicle inventory again on AutoTrader.com and Cars.com after a 16-month hiatus.
- AutoNation won’t up and quit 3rd parties – Automotive News: Mike Maroone, COO of AutoNation Inc., said the dealership group intends to proceed cautiously in reducing its reliance on third-party online shopping sites.
- Late-model vehicles stretch GM’s recall rolls – Automotive News: An Automotive News analysis of documents filed with federal regulators shows that GM is moving faster to identify and fix problems but that many defects, especially in newer vehicles, are still reaching customers.
- Hyundai on a quest for capacity – Automotive News: Hyundai needs a new assembly plant to keep up with crossover demand, says U.S. boss Dave Zuchowski. Until then, Hyundai will likely get production from sibling brand Kia’s factories in Mexico and Georgia.
- Falling gasoline prices make alternative-fuel vehicles a tougher sell – Automotive News: For a sign of the challenges in selling fuel efficiency as a virtue, Tanner Hulette need only look at the signs near his dealership advertising gasoline for $2.70 a gallon. Hulette, general manager of Mechanicsville Toyota near Richmond, Va.
- Cadillac dealers feel the heat – Automotive News: Many Cadillac retailers say they’ve bought into the vision of Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen, who along with other top General Motors executives sold that vision during a dealer meeting last month in Las Vegas.
- Ford steers C-Max ads away from mpg – Automotive News: Since Ford was forced to restate the estimated fuel economy of its C-Max Hybrid — first in August 2013 and again in June — the brand’s marketers have rethought how to sell their hybrid-only nameplate.
- China Plays Critical Role in GM’s Intelligent Vehicle Development – thedetroitbureau.com: General Motors plans to bring its latest technology to China and use its technical resources in there to develop vehicles that can fit into the country’s growing megacities that continue to expand, GM top executive in China said this week. The country is an ideal testbed for the vehicles.
- 100 Greatest Japanese Cars of All Time – Via Google News: By the 1990s, they were building many of their cars here in the United ….. this Civic built and defined what a Honda automobile is and should be. 14.
- Tesla Motors Sales May Be Banned in Michigan – Via Google News: The state, which use to be the thriving example for the automobile industry, … According to sources most of the owners of a Tesla auto have driven to …
- The challenge for the global auto industry – Via Google News: Although electric vehicles were popular at the start of the 20th century, they … As well as carbon dioxide emissions, cars also produce dangerous … are clear, and the automobile industry needs to drastically curb the amount of …
- SUVs dominate NZ Car of the Year top 10 line up – Via Google News: The New Zealand Automobile Association and New Zealand Motoring Writers’ Guild (NZMWG) will announce the Car of the Year at the Viaduct Events …
- Rolls-Royce still undecided on SUV plans – Autocar: Plans to launch the first ever Rolls-Royce SUV in 2017 are put on ice as the company struggles to commit to production. Rolls-Royce continues to work on proposals for an SUV but has still not signed off the project.
- Tesla Motors (TSLA) counters Michigan’s car dealership bill – Via Google News: That was a statement released by Tesla, a car manufacturer, accusing the Michigan Automobile Dealers Association of pushing for a bill that prevents …
- UK: Ford announces new engine investment for Dagenham – Just-auto: Ford is to invest an additional GBP190m at its Dagenham London site to produce a new advanced technology 2.0-litre diesel engine for cars and commercial vehicles.
- Corolla rules the best seller list – Via Google News: On the road since 1966, Corolla champions the top production numbers of any global automobile in history eclipsing 40 million units in 2013.
- Ford Wants To Connect Plug-In Cars To The Cloud – Via Google News: The rise of plug-in vehicles brings with it many benefits and opportunities to improve industries beyond the automobile. Ford has joined an effort with …
- Companies target $15tn silver economy – FT: Ford develops seat to detect heart attacks as pharma and biotech sectors boost investment
- Tesla’s sales model could get it banned in Michigan – Via Google News: Vehicles are then purchased using a computer connected to the Tesla … A spokesperson for the Michigan Automobile Dealers Association, which had …
- Healthier and wealthier – the changing face of growing old – FT: By 2050 those aged over 65 will outnumber children under five. The first part of a series on ageing populations looks at how that demographic shift is creating a new and powerful consumer class
- Revolution in recycling scrapped cars – FT: Cleantech allows almost 100% to be reused or turned into energy
- Japan eyes commercial jet renaissance – FT: Aviation touted to again become an engine of country’s industry alongside electronics and cars
- Infiniti QX60 Is a Beast of Suburban Burden – WSJ: The Infiniti QX60 has nearly the utility of a minivan, and competes with the likes of the BMW X5, Volvo XC90, Acura MDX, Buick Enclave and Audi Q7.
- BMW finance chief sees further growth in 2015: paper – Reuters: BMW expects sales to rise further next year as new models boost demand, the German carmaker’s finance chief told a newspaper on Saturday, without giving a detailed forecast.
- GM China President Matt Tsien Shares GM’s Vision for Urban Mobility and Intelligent Driving Solutions – GM: General Motors Executive Vice President and President of GM China Matt Tsien today discussed GM’s vision for making urban mobility and intelligent driving solutions a reality, along with the important role that China is playing, at the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Global Automotive Forum in Wuhan.
- In Surprise, Top Lawyer at G.M. Sets Retirement – NY Times: Michael P. Millikin has been a central figure in G.M.’s safety crisis and a target of congressional critics.
- Ferrari 458 to get new twin-turbo V8 – Autocar: New downsized twin-turbo V8, producing in excess of 650bhp and 550lb ft, destined for 458 successor. Ferrari will launch a twin-turbocharged V8-powered replacement for the 458 Italia at the Geneva motor show next spring, marking the start of a new era under chairman Sergio Marchionne.
- Behind the Wheel: Review: 2015 BMW i8 – NY Times: BMW’s fast and fuel-efficient i8 is a hybrid sports car that draws a crowd. It also costs $136,650.
- A New Species of Battery-Driven BMW – NY Times: The BMW i3’s quirky, design-forward shape, stubby proportions and save-the-world powertrain put it a world apart from any previous BMW.
- Costly, Yet Also Frugal – NY Times: The BMW 13 offers impressive fuel economy and reduced emissions, but just how much depends on how you drive it.
- Design: Baking Up a New Look, in Layers – NY Times: Elements of the BMW i8’s sliced-and-angled appearance are starting to show up on other vehicles and hint at an emerging trend in auto design.
- 2015 BMW i8 – NY Times: Eye-catching and lightweight, this plug-in hybrid may be the sports car of the future.
- Output in China Tops 2 Million in September – Wards: Car and light-truck builds grew considerably in the month, up 5.8% and 4.5%, respectively.
- Embattled GM Chief Counsel Millikin Retires Early – thedetroitbureau.com: Embattled General Motors General Counsel Michael Millikin will retire early, a move that comes shortly after the maker was hit with a $10 billion class action lawsuit alleging it long concealed a series of safety problems. Whether he was a man of “impeccable integrity” or “gross incompetence” is a matter of debate.
- Wheelies: The Holy Porsche Party Edition – NY Times: Pope Francis allows the Porsche Travel Club to host a private event in the Sistine Chapel; LeBron James becomes a spokesman for the Kia K900 flagship sedan.
- BRAZIL: Incentives for hybrids do not include plug-ins – Just-auto: Long awaited, the expected fiscal incentive for production and sale of hybrid cars here in Brazil has finally reached draft stage. Yet there was a bit of a surprise: plug-in hybrids and pure EVs are not included.
- Honda May Have Underreported Injuries, Deaths to NHTSA – thedetroitbureau.com: With pressure mounting from external sources, Honda announced it hired an outside firm to determine if it has underreported fatality and injury claims to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Center for Auto Safety brought to light two instances in which the maker failed to report an injury and a death, according to TheDetroitBureau.com.
- Audi unleashes racing version of the new TT – Autocar: New Audi Sport TT Cup, based on the third-generation TT road car, will compete in a one-make series in 2015The new third-generation Audi TT has been transformed into a racing car for a new one-make series for 2015.The Audi Sport TT Cup will run on the undercard of the German DTM touring car championship. The series is angled at beginners, club-level competitors and celebrity drivers. The racing version of the new Audi TT uses the road car’s lightweight steel and aluminium body and weighs 1125kg in total.…
- All-wheel-drive Jaguar F-type spied – Autocar: What is believed to be a definitive four-wheel-drive variant of the British manufacturer’s coupé is caught on camera leaving the factory. An all-wheel-drive Jaguar F-type has been spied leaving the British manufacturer’s Castle Bromwich production plant. Although this coupé being hauled away from the Midlands factory on the back of a double trailer is partially disguised, Autocar understands that it is a F-type S AWD equipped with the 3.0-litre supercharged V6 engine. The badges on the rear of the…
- GM Hit with 2nd $10 Bil Lawsuit – thedetroitbureau.com: General Motors has been hit with another lawsuit seeking as much as $10 billion in compensation for owners who have allegedly seen the value of their vehicles fall due to the maker’s ongoing recall crisis. More from TheDetroitBureau.com.