- Honda on the way back – Just-auto: The sleeping giant is waking at last. Honda’s stand at the Paris show was filled completely with refreshed or redesigned cars for the first time in a long while ahead of a big year in 2015.
- Bentley joins ultra-luxury fast lane with Mulsanne Speed – Reuters: Bentley, the venerable British carmaker known for comfort and style, is moving into the fast lane of ultra-luxury cars with a new version of its flagship saloon, aiming to grab a bigger slice of a market tipped to double in size by 2018.
- Self-driving car? No thanks, my minivan is humiliating enough – Via Google News: California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) recently issued its first self-driving car permits. Three companies applied: Google, Audi and Daimler …
- Seat plots Nissan Juke rival to follow its first SUV – Autocar: Chief executive Jürgen Stackmann says Spanish firm’s inaugural SUV is unlikely to be its last, with a smaller model already under consideration.
- Jaguar XE weighs in at 21kg less than a BMW 3-series – Autocar: New Jaguar saloon trades some of its aluminium construction’s weight savings for more sophisticated suspension for better dynamics.
- Automobile CEOs call on EU policy makers to deliver on competitiveness and investment pledge – ACEA: At its meeting on the side-lines of the Paris Motor Show today, the Board of the European Automobile Manufacturers’…
- PARIS SHOW: Ford rightsizing in Europe for ‘modest recovery’ – Ford’s Odell – Just-auto: Ford Europe chief Stephen Odell has told just-auto that Ford is happy with its production capacity position in Europe, which he feels is right for prevailing market conditions and amid a ‘very modest recovery’ to car sales across the region.
- Toyota steadfast despite falling Russian car market – Via Google News: A three-wheel design and ultra-compact Toyota I-Road electric car is displayed on media day at the Paris …
- G.M. Sales Rebound in September to Increase 19% – NY Times: The automaker’s sales volume gained 19 percent and retail sales to individual consumers rose 17 percent compared with a year ago.
- BMW, Mercedes standardize models to aid buyers, boost margins – Automotive News: Mercedes-Benz and BMW are aiming to sell more standardized cars and services to boost profit margins and simplify the complex list of options for buyers — while also giving them the choice of a bespoke car if they want.
- GM’s 2025 platform plan: Simplify and seek to save billions – Reuters: It could be a defining element of Chief Executive Mary Barra’s legacy at General Motors Co : A drastic shift over the next 10 years from 26 global vehicle production platforms to just four by 2025, a bold stroke that could eventually save the U.S. automaker many billions of dollars in production costs.
- Can Renault Keep Dacia, Its Romanian Auto Brand, Cheap? – Via Google News: When Viorel Oprea started working at the ragtag Dacia auto factory in communist Romania in the 1980s, it was a sweatshop in the summer.
- End of an Era? Ferrari Debuts the 458 Speciale A – thedetroitbureau.com: Ferrari rolled back the roof on its new 458 supercar line with the introduction of the 458 Speciale A debuting at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. The 597-hp sports car is an instant collector’s car as rumors swirl it will mark the last time Ferrari uses a naturally aspirated V-8 in a road car.
- Daimler cuts car market forecast as Europe wobbles – Reuters: German luxury automaker Daimler has cut its growth forecast for the global car market, blaming cooler demand in emerging markets and a plunge in Russian sales which has put a fledgling European industry recovery in jeopardy.
- Lincoln MKS, BMW 5 struggle in small-overlap crash test – Automotive News: Luxury sedans from BMW and Lincoln were the worst performers in the most recent batch of vehicles subjected to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s challenging small-overlap crash test.
- GM recalls 117,651 vehicles for potential electrical short issue – Reuters: General Motors Co on Thursday said it is recalling 117,651 newer vehicles in North America because a possible manufacturing defect could cause an electrical short and increase the risk of a crash.
- UAW, German labor groups to announce Daimler drive in Alabama, reports say – Automotive News: The UAW and two German labor groups will announce on Friday that they intend to work together to organize Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz plant workers in Alabama, sources close to one of the German labor groups said today.
- Fiat Chrysler won’t seek more capital to fund growth plan, Marchionne says – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has no need for a capital increase to fund its ambitious five-year growth plan, CEO Sergio Marchionne said on Thursday.
- GM Won’t Follow All-Aluminum Strategy in Future Cars – WSJ: General Motors won’t follow rival Ford in betting on aluminum vehicles, but instead will use a mix of aluminum, high-strength steel, magnesium and carbon fiber to cut the weight of future car and truck models.
- Wheelies: The Hopeful Opel Edition – NY Times: Opel’s chief says G.M.’s European unit can return to profitability, helped by new models; Andy Palmer takes over at Aston Martin.
- GM Recalls More Vehicles – WSJ: General Motors Co. is recalling a total of 117,651 cars and trucks in North America from the 2013 and 2014 model years due to a chassis control module that may have a manufacturing defect.
- BMW Unveils Key CUV, Convertible Models in Paris – Wards: 2014 Paris Auto Show The new X6 replaces the first version, which went on sale in 2008 and found 250,000 customers. Today, the BMW X models make up a fourth of all brand volume.
- Tesla’s Musk Hints at New Model – WSJ: Tesla Motors is holding a product event next week that likely would involve plans to deliver an all-wheel-drive version of its Model S luxury electric sedan.
- GM to recall 117,651 vehicles for chassis-control flaw – Automotive News: GM is recalling 117,651 2013-14 model-year trucks, crossovers and sedans across all four of its North America brands to fix a potentially faulty chassis-control system that could fail and increase the risk of a crash.
- Wonkblog: Oil prices are falling — and that’s good for the U.S. and bad for Russia – Washington Post: Crude oil prices are sagging, down to the lowest level in 17 months in the United States. Gasoline prices have been sliding. Saudi Arabia this week cut the price of its benchmark Arab Light oil to the lowest point since December 2008. And on, Thursday, Citigroup shaved its oil price forecasts for final quarter of the year by about 10 percent. Read full article >>
- 2014 Paris Motor Show: Fiat’s 500 Line Gets Expanded – NY Times: Based upon the same platform that underpins the Jeep Renegade, the Fiat 500X applies Italian styling to crossover utility.
- DealBook: Loan Fraud Inquiry Said to Focus on Used-Car Dealers – NY Times: Inflated applications can mean that some of the most vulnerable borrowers are saddled with auto loans they can never afford to repay.
- Opel Sees Bounty in Small as Premium Plan – Wards: CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann wants the brand’s turnaround focused on smaller cars, CUVs and niche vehicles that offer optional features customers will buy.
- Safety Watch List Topped by 2012 Ford Focus – thedetroitbureau.com: Drivers of the 2012 Ford Focus sustained more injuries than those in any other vehicle in the U.S., according to The Safety Institute’s quarterly “Watch List.” The complaints center on electric power steering shutdowns and metal edges protruding from delaminated parts of the wheel.
- Infiniti Targets Younger Buyers With Q80 Concept – Wards: 2014 Paris Auto Show Older customers for premium cars are unlikely to leave their preferred German brands, but the new generation coming into money is ready to consider Infiniti, global marketing chief Vincent Gillet says.
- PARIS SHOW: Peugeot seeks partner for hybrid air technology – Just-auto: A project that started in top secret four years ago is now being shared with other car makers as Peugeot seeks a partner for its hybrid air technology which is helping it achieve CO2 emissions as low as 46g/km from a two-litre petrol engine.
- Bentley chief – hardcore rear-drive Continental GT3 is still possible – Autocar: An even more focused, rear-drive-only version of the Continental GT3-R could be developed if there’s sufficient demand, says Wolfgang Dürheimer.
- What to Expect From Buffett Acquiring Van Tuyl Dealer Group – Wards: From a dealer’s perspective, the deal is great news. And will it set the stage for a Chinese automaker finally debuting in the U.S.?
- Jeep ponders switch to aluminum for next Wrangler body, Marchionne says – Automotive News: The next-generation Jeep Wrangler may be built off a unibody platform, feature smaller and turbocharged engines, and switch to an aluminum body, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne said today.
- PARIS SHOW: Renault Espace now a crossover SUV – Just-auto: Renault has revamped its Espace people carrier as a crossover sport utility vehicle, reflecting a market shift to more rugged-looking vehicles.
- GM Employing Less is More Philosophy – thedetroitbureau.com: GM plans to reduce the number of platforms or vehicle architecture it will support across the globe even as it continues to roll out new vehicles to win over new customers. The reduction in the number of platforms will give GM a chance to exploit economies of scale and also improve relations with suppliers.
- Bentley considers new entry-level model – Autocar: Crewe manufacturer mulls smaller car to sit below the Continental and form a fifth model line once the SUV has entered production.
- Concepts, Show Talk Signal PSA on Recovery Trail – Wards: 2014 Paris Auto Show Word of rising sales for the Peugeot and Citroen brands, plus the DS marque’s 500,000th customer, share the Paris stage with key new show cars.
- PARIS SHOW: Maserati eyes 50,000 sales in 2015 – Just-auto: Maserati expects to sell over 35,000 cars this year and reach its 50,000 sales target in 2015, subject to the availability of a new sport utility vehicle (SUV) to be launched late next year, the head of the brand said in Paris.
- PARIS SHOW: Daimler cuts global forecast, other automakers cautious – Just-auto: Daimler has cut its growth forecast for the global car market, citing lower demand in emerging markets and a plunge in Russian sales.