Top News:
- Mercedes jumps back into the Super Bowl – Automotive News: Mercedes-Benz, which has been an intermittent Super Bowl advertiser in recent years, is jumping back into the game.
- Gas Prices Take a Backseat for Auto Makers – WSJ: Auto makers, betting that rising gasoline prices won’t spoil America’s love affair with pickups and SUVs, are increasing their exposure to a light-truck segment that let the industry down a decade ago. But executives say it’s different this time.
- Futuristic Rinspeed Oasis in Detroit – new pics of driverless concept – Autocar: Self-driving concept that can rotate on the spot is on show in Detroit a week after it made a first appearance at the CES
- VW’s Skoda Auto boosts 2016 deliveries to record 1.13 million cars – Reuters: Skoda Auto, the Czech unit of carmaker Volkswagen, raised global deliveries by 6.8 percent to a record 1.13 million cars in 2016, lifted by rising sales in Europe and China, the company said on Tuesday.
- 2017 Kia Stinger GT – design boss Peter Schreyer on why it’s a milestone – Autocar: Updated with interview; Hot version of Kia’s sports saloon packs 360bhp and can go from 0-62mph in 5.1sec
- Ford confident Ecosport tweaks will make small SUV competitive in Europe – Autocar: Production of Ford’s Mokka X rival is switching from India to Romania; just one of several revisions aimed at boosting the car’s fortunes
- Mitsubishi Rayon buys U.S. carbon fibre plant from SGL – Reuters: Japan’s Mitsubishi Rayon acquired a U.S. carbon fibre production plant from SGL Carbon for an undisclosed price to meet growing demand for composite materials for wind turbine blades and cars.
- New Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport heads raft of revisions to British sports car – Autocar: New derivatives, mild front-end styling tweaks and additional technology are among the key changes for the Jaguar F-Type
- France’s Le Pen says would seek Trump-style repatriation of car plants – Reuters: Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said on Tuesday she would seek to repatriate production of French motor vehicles and other industrial goods – just as President-elect Donald Trump hopes to do in the United States.
- Toyota Highlights U.S. Investment Plan in Wake of Trump Criticism – WSJ: The Japanese auto maker has intensified efforts to highlight its contribution to the American economy in the wake of criticism from the President-elect, saying that it will plow billions of dollars into the U.S. over the next few years.
- BMW to sit out Super Bowl for second straight year – Automotive News: BMW is not running a Super Bowl spot for the second year in a row, the brand confirmed today. The brand last ran an ad in the 2015 game to tout the electric i3.
- How Flying Doctors repair Lamborghini Aventador monocoques – Autocar: The Aventador uses an all-carbonfibre monocoque The carbon tub is critical to the Aventador’s structural integrity, so specially-trained engineers use a system inspired by aerospace to fix it
- Why Wasn’t Tesla At The 2017 Detroit Auto Show? – Yahoo: The California-based electric car company said it would not attend the two-week long vehicle showcase, which began Monday, due to an ongoing court case stemming from a piece of Michigan legislation introduced in 2014, according to Tesla’s website.