- CHINA: Infiniti starts local production – Just-auto: Nissan’s upmarket Infiniti brand began production of a long-wheelbase version of the Q50 on Thursday (6 November) at the company’s Xiangyang plant in Hubei Province.
- UK: Society still “at dawn” with technology: Google Automotive head – Just-auto: Google’s head of automotive says society is still at “dawn” in terms of the pace of technological change.
- CHINA: Ford begins Escort production at new plant – Just-auto: Ford began production of its Escort compact saloon car at a new plant in China this week, in the south-western city of Chongqing.
- Infiniti Starts Local Production in China – Nissan:
- Takata feels impact of defective airbags – FT: Shares in Japanese group plunge as more than 50 per cent amid recall
- Tesla Pledges to Boost Output – WSJ: Electric-car maker Tesla Motors reported a wider third quarter loss and trimmed its forecast for Model S deliveries this year, citing delays to a planned factory overhaul, but insisted demand remains strong.
- Audi MMI Touch – Via Google News: The Audi Multi Media Interface consists of a single integrated interface that controls various parts and functions of a car or an automobile engine.
- Jaguar confirms new all-wheel-drive F-type for LA motor show – Autocar: AWD version of Jaguar’s F-type sports car will make its debut as part of an expanded model range at the LA motor show later this month. Jaguar has confirmed for the first time that it will bring an all-wheel-drive variant of the F-type sports car to market. The new model, which has already been spotted testing in 3.0-litre V6 form, will form part of a 14-strong F-type model line-up from next year. The full range will be seen for the first time at the Los Angeles motor show later this month.In top-end R…
- Mazda to Build Engine Plant in Thailand – Mazda:
- Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors aim to raise fuel economy by 25 percent by 2020 – Reuters: Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors said on Thursday they aim to raise the average fuel economy of their vehicles by 25 percent by 2020 to meet emissions regulations in South Korea, the United States and Europe.
- SF Voters Reject Cars-First Prop L ? Will City Hall Finally Take the Hint? – Via Google News: In 1999, voters expanded the policy to also give priority for pedestrians and bicyclists over private automobiles, in the same election in which they …
- More Expensive Cars Are Leading to Longer-Term Loans – Via Google News: But times have changed in the automobile buying world. Six-year loans are now typical, and terms stretching as long as 96 months ? eight years …
- Honda ordered to give Takata air bag papers to U.S. agency – Reuters: U.S. safety regulators ordered Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co Ltd on Wednesday to provide documents and answer questions under oath about potentially defective air bags installed in millions of recalled U.S. vehicles.
- UPDATE 3-Honda ordered to give Takata air bag papers to U.S. agency – Reuters: U.S. safety regulators ordered Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co Ltd on Wednesday to provide documents and answer questions under oath about potentially defective air bags installed in millions of recalled U.S. vehicles.
- Biz Break: Tesla rebounds despite Model X delay, Model S forecast decline – Via Google News: The Palo Alto electric-car manufacturer Wednesday reported a net loss of … its next all-electric automobile, the Model X, an SUV-style automobile.
- GM tells court it not liable for claims over pre-bankruptcy cars – Reuters: General Motors said in a court filing on Wednesday that it should not have to face lawsuits based on safety issues in cars made before its 2009 bankruptcy, including a faulty ignition switch that led to the recall of 2.6 million cars earlier this year.
- Tesla reveals new delay to Model X launch – FT: Shares up nearly 7% as chief reassures over demand for current model
- Alfa Romeo starts work on Maserati-based SUV – Autocar: Alfa to take on mid-size SUV rivals from Porsche and Land Rover with new SUV, which should arrive in showrooms in 2016This unlikely looking Maserati-based mule is the first evidence of the upcoming Alfa SUV, which should arrive in showrooms in 2016.The new SUV is expected to be sold in both rear and all-wheel drive versions, featuring the same drive system as the Quattroporte Q4. It will have a distinctly sporting brief, being more of a spiritual competitor to the dynamic Porsche Macan, while trying to…
- Tesla third-quarter loss doubles to $75 million, shares jump – Reuters: Tesla Motors Inc shares rose more than 7 percent in after-hours trading on Wednesday after the electric-car maker beat analysts’ expectations for third-quarter results.
- TrueCar boosts outlook as Q3 revenue jumps 51% – Automotive News: TrueCar, the online car-shopping platform, raised its outlook for the fourth quarter and full year as it continues to add dealers and draw more customers to its network.
- Nissan babies the new Murano — but will Americans share it? – Automotive News: Nissan gave the global launch of its redesigned Murano the white-glove treatment to make sure the crossover makes the brand shine around the world.
- SEMA 2014 – hotter Lexus RC F Sport – Autocar: Lexus’s new RC coupe takes centre stage at SEMA, with several upgraded road versions and a new GT3 racer. A highly modified wide-body version of the Lexus RC F Sport is Lexus’s star at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. The Lexus Project RC F Sport is the work of tuner Gordon Ting and Beyond Marketing. Based on the RC350 F Sport, the model gets a whole host of modifications including a ‘Custom Rocket Bunny’ wide-body kit, custom 19in alloys, Brembo Performance brakes, upgrades sports suspension and a…
- SEMA 2014 – 616bhp Ford Mustang King Cobra – Autocar: Modern version of classic King Cobra Mustang one of several tuned versions of the famous muscle car created for SEMA. A special ‘King Cobra’ version of the Ford Mustang was one of a whole host of customised versions of the muscle car on show in SEMA in Las Vegas. The King Cobra pays homage to the limited edition Mustang of the same name from 1978. The King Cobra name was used in racing by Shelby before that, and Ford planned to bring the badge to NASCAR in 1970 before a rule change made the car…
- Tesla Confounds Analysts By Turning 3Q Profit – thedetroitbureau.com: Tesla confounded analysts once again by posting a third quarter profit of two cents per share despite predictions of a loss for the quarter due to the halt in production in the company’s plant in Fremont, California. Tesla’s chief, Elon Musk, predicts a 50% increase in production next year. For details, please go to TheDetroitBureau.com.
- SEMA 2014 – new Mazda MX-5 Global Cup racer – Autocar: Concept car at SEMA previews new global racer, which will be ready to race in 2016A Mazda MX-5 concept car at SEMA in Las Vegas heralds a new global race series for the fourth-generation compact roadster. The Global MX-5 Cup race series will simultaneously take place in Asia, North America and Europe from 2016, with an end of year shootout for the respective best performers from each country at Laguna Seca at the end of the year. Mazda has not confirmed technical details of the SEMA concept, but does state…
- Tesla sets delivery record but Q3 loss widens to $74.7 million – Automotive News: Tesla’s net loss widened to $74.7 million in the third quarter on higher randd outlays and other expenses. Revenue during the period nearly doubled to $851.8 million as the company delivered a record number of vehicles.
- Tesla shares rise after beating expectations – FT:
- Ford (F) Announces 5 Recalls Covering 202K Vehicles – Via Google News: The affected ones include certain Transit Connect vehicles featuring a … Better-ranked automobile stocks worth considering include Gentex Corp.
- Mazda Planning to Go Racing with New Miata – thedetroitbureau.com: It’s still a year away from production, but Mazda is already planning to take the new Miata racing, the Japanese maker announced during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. the little roadster is already hailed as the most widely raced vehicle on the road, but Mazda is also creating a circuit of its own.
- Spain to extend financial aid for automobile sector – Via Google News: According to automobile sector data, a total of 175,000 cars were … On Monday, Spanish automobile associations asked the government to extend the …
- Honda ordered to deliver airbag documents to NHTSA – Automotive News: Federal safety regulators today ordered Honda to provide documents and answer questions under oath related to the government’s ongoing probe of potentially defective air bags installed in millions of recalled vehicles in the United States.
- Audi TT Roadster goes into production in Hungary – Via Google News: Since then, more than 100,000 cars have left the assembly lines. Audi Hungaria employs approximately 4,000 people at the new automobile factory …
- Longer vehicle ownership might mean less loyalty, study says – Automotive News: The longer a customer owns a vehicle, the less likely he or she is to buy that same brand again, an Experian Automotive study found.
- Chrysler Sees 32% Jump in 3Q Profits – thedetroitbureau.com: Chrysler Group LLC reported that its net income increased by 32% to $611 million for the third quarter while its revenue increased by 18% to $20.7 billion. The increases came on the backs of improved sales across its lineup. In fact, Chrysler expect to ship 2.9 million vehicle this year.
- Chrysler Working to Cut Rental Car Sales, Improve Margins – Wards: Chrysler continues to work on upgrading its vehicle portfolio and is focusing on growing market share and improving its price positions, the automaker’s CFO says.
- Chevy Opens Flagship Store in Myanmar – Wards: The new 3S center houses a 7,534-sq.-ft. showroom and an 11,463-sq.-ft. service area complete with nine hoists and other equipment.
- Voters reject gas taxes, speed cameras – Via Google News: Both have been pressing automakers to do more on auto safety. … Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers President and CEO, Mitch Bainwol, said the …
- GM sales grow in China, but more slowly – Via Google News: General Motors and its joint ventures sold 291,371 vehicles in China in October. While that was the company’s best October in the world’s largest auto … general of the state-backed China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, …
- US: Canton now Nissan’s global Murano source plant – Just-auto: Nissan’s Canton vehicle assembly plant has “gone global” after building its first redesigned 2015 Murano today (5 November), the first time the model has been produced in the US.
- Ford lays off 90 workers at Chicago plant – Automotive News: Ford laid off about 90 workers at its Chicago Assembly Plant last week, the automaker said, describing the move as a temporary staff adjustment.
- Exclusive: Peugeot takes low-cost step with Moroccan outsourcing – Reuters: PSA Peugeot Citroen will open an engineering center in Morocco with consulting firm Altran in the first major step under new boss Carlos Tavares to increase the French carmaker’s footprint in lower-wage countries, sources said.