- UK: Could others follow Vauxhall and dial back long warranties? – Just-auto: The demise of Vauxhall’s 100,000-mile ‘lifetime’ new car warranty could provoke a ‘domino effect’, prompting other automakers to turn their back on promised long-term cover, an independent warranty provider said.
- Hyundai Motor workers approve 2014 wage pact, end strikes – Automotive News: Hyundai Motor’s union workers in South Korea agreed to end strikes that may have cost the company more than 900 billion won ($847 million) in lost output after they accepted the carmaker’s proposal to increase wages.
- Tesla’s Musk hints at a new model and ‘something else’ – Automotive News: Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk sent out a cryptic tweet, saying it is “about time to unveil the D and something else,” with an accompanying photo which mentioned a date, Oct. 9.
- PARIS SHOW: Ford aims for nine global platforms by 2016 – Just-auto: Ford CEO Mark Fields told just-auto at the Paris Show that Ford is aiming to have just nine global platforms for almost all products by the end of 2015.
- Mercedes has no plans for full Aston Martin takeover – Autocar: Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche says current five per cent shareholding allows Aston to remain independent but also benefit from outside technology.
- Cadillac to target Audi and Mercedes in Europe from 2019 – Autocar: The US-based manufacturer’s new boss wants to get the right products in place before unleashing a full assault on tough European market.
- Fiat needs more than the 500 to turn core brand around – Reuters: While rivals roll out new models and concept cars, Fiat has little to show at the Paris auto show besides another variant of its retro-styled 500 compact car, in what is starting to look like a worrying trend for the carmaker’s namesake brand.
- Audi considers TT model range extensions for production – Autocar: Ingolstadt manufacturer gauges response to all three TT concepts before making a decision on whether to build road-going versions.
- PARIS SHOW: Kia on track for record year – Just-auto: Following a record-breaking September, Kia is on track to sell 360,000 vehicles in Europe this year, an all-time best.
- Asterion concept could shape future Lamborghini GT car – Autocar: Officially a technology demonstrator, the plug-in hybrid concept also tests the water for the way future models might look, say company chiefs.
- Toyota keeps European sales target despite Russian market slump – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp expects to ride out the worst effects of the slump in Russia’s car market, a senior executive said at the Paris auto show, and is sticking to its target of increasing sales to a million vehicles in Europe next year.
- Europe’s carmakers walk tightrope between low cost and high spec – Reuters: Carmakers are betting on style and recycling in the battle for Europe’s burgeoning small car market, adding hi-tech safety and entertainment features while often using older vehicle underpinnings as a way to keep prices down.
- Ignore the hoopla – the Land Rover Discovery Sport looks devilishly good – Autocar: A bizarre and colourful Paris launch demonstrated just how much enthusiasm and capital the Land Rover brand has at the moment.
- Volkswagen calls the pace of the green technology race into question – Autocar: The German car giant’s bosses are concerned about the pressure they are under to slash emissions, and legislators would do well to listen.
- Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars – Via Google News: Car technology has shown a brilliant change in the past few years. Changes are not only seen in the overall looks of cars, but different kinds of fuel cell …
- Infiniti has big plans for the future including, it appears, touring car racing – Autocar: The luxury brand is already involved in F1, but if it really wants to compete with the German manufacturers it needs to prove its own models on the trackNo-one can accuse of Japanese luxury-brand wannabe Infiniti of not trying to claw its way into competition with BMW, Audi and Mercedes.
- Mazda Confirms Powertrain Plans for New MX-5 Miata – thedetroitbureau.com: European fans will be getting their first close-up look at the all-new Mazda MX-5 Miata as the Paris Motor Show opens its doors this week, but the event brings some news for U.S. roadster aficionados, as well. That news includes the possibility of a little more horsepower for U.S. models.
- FEATURE-Tesla factory near Reno is bet old Nevada will meet the new – Reuters: Lance Gilman bounced his white GMC truck up a hill in the high desert country east of Reno, Nevada, and paused at the top to survey his property. Spread out below lay the 165-square-mile Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, about the size of Rhode Island.
- Tesla’s Musk says ‘about time to unveil the D and something else’ – Reuters: Tesla Motor Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk sent out a cryptic tweet on Wednesday, saying it is “about time to unveil the D and something else”, with an accompanying photo which mentioned a date, Oct. 9. (http://bit.ly/ZtvoeG)
- No Bull, Lamborghini Heats up the Horsepower Race with Asterion Concept – thedetroitbureau.com: With its newest concept, the bull-monikered beasts from Lamborghini get a new name, a hybrid: Asterion, which is a minotaur. The half-bull, half-man mash-up is appropriate for the concept car debuting at the Paris Motor Show: it’s a hybrid as well. The Italian maker’s first-ever plug-in charges up the City of Light.
- Bugatti Ends an Era with Final “Legend” – thedetroitbureau.com: The word legend is thrown around pretty freely these days, but in the case of Bugatti’s Legends Series, the moniker fits. The final Legend, the Ettore Bugatti edition, marks the end of the Veyron run for the maker. There are just 20 Veyrons left for purchase and then the company is on to its next super car.
- GM Outlines Strategic Plan – GM: General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) CEO Mary Barra and her executive leadership team outlined the company’s customer-focused strategic plan to become the most valued automotive company at a conference for investors and financial analysts held today at the company’s Milford Proving Ground.
- Loan Fraud Inquiry Said to Focus on Used-Car Dealers – Via Google News: It is not known how many subprime auto loans have been made on the basis of falsified applications. Still, such loans can corrode confidence in the …
- G.M. Details Plan to Increase Profits – NY Times: The automaker told investors and analysts that it would cut costs and expand its China operations, emphasizing growth and financial results.
- Concord: Mercedes-Benz to test self-driving cars at former Naval weapons station – Via Google News: The luxury car company and the transportation authority will temporarily use the nearly 20 miles of existing paved roadways on the base to test …
- 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.
- The highs and lows of the pre-Paris motor show events – Autocar: Infiniti’s dramatic-looking Q80 concept overshadows the Volkswagen Group’s efforts ahead of the Paris motor show.
- Mercedes-AMG has only scratched the surface of its V8 engine’s potential – Autocar: The potential of the new Mercedes-AMG powerplant suggests downsizing doesn’t necessarily have to be a dirty word.
- Ford loses bid to recoup $450 million interest on overpaid taxes – Automotive News: A federal appeals court, in a case that can be traced back to 1983, rejected Ford’s bid to recoup about $450 million of interest from the federal government on taxes overpaid by the automaker.
- Hyundai Motor’s South Korean workers narrowly approve wage deal – Reuters: Hyundai Motor Co’s unionized workers in South Korea voted in favor of a wage deal by a slim margin, averting more strikes in the automaker’s biggest manufacturing base.
- Infiniti Q80 concept to go into production – Autocar: Luxury four-door will be made in “three to five years” and be joined by Mini-rivalling Q20, say bosses. Infiniti is planning to put the Q80 luxury car concept into production in the next ‘three to five years’ and add to the range at the bottom with an entry-level model called the Q20. Bosses at Nissan’s luxury brand are also considering sharing more tech with Mercedes.
- Wheelies: The Upscale CR-V Edition – NY Times: Honda begins sale of its refreshed 2015 CR-V crossover; E.P.A. downgrades fuel economy rating on 2013-14 Mercedes-Benz C300 4-matic sedans.
- Torrid U.S. car sales pace slowed in September – Reuters: U.S. auto sales in the third quarter were the best in eight years, but mixed September results from leading automakers on Wednesday indicated the industry’s torrid summer pace is slowing.
- Arkansas Lemon Law Protects Car Buyers – Via Google News: When considering a vehicle purchase, consumers may choose to invest in a new car in hopes that a new vehicle may be more …
- SsangYong previews new XIV crossover with Paris motor show concepts – Autocar: Korean firm gives visitors to the Paris motor show a thinly veiled look at its new Nissan Juke rivalSsangYong has given visitors to the Paris motor show their closest look yet at the firm’s new B-segment SUV, dubbed XIV, with its XIV-AIR and XIV-Adventure concept cars. The new XIV is due to go on sale in Korea next year, and the rest of the world soon after. Both the XIV-AIR and XIV-Adventure, on display at Paris, are reputed to closely reflect the look of the upcoming production model.
- 2014 Paris Motor Show: VW XL Sport Melds Coupe and Bike – NY Times: Based on the XL1 economy concept, the XL Sport concept is powered by the same 197-horsepower 2-cylinder engine used in the Ducati 1199 Superleggera.
- Canadian sales drive toward record – Automotive News: Auto sales in Canada headed toward an all-time annual high after a number of automakers broke September sales records.
- Toyota Slumps in September, Falls to Fourth Place – Wards: A 60% decline in fleet deliveries last month harmed the No.1 Japanese brand’s sales, while Lexus continued its hot streak.
- VW reveals 167mph Ducati-engined XL Sport concept – Autocar: Sleek motorcycle-engined concept produces 197bhp from its 1199cc engine, which can rev to 11,000rpmVolkswagen has revealed a high-performance Ducati-engined version of the XL1, named the XL Sport, at its preview event ahead of the Paris motor show. The mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive XL Sport concept, which is the 200 millionth car produced by Volkswagen, is powered by the Italian motorcycle company’s V-twin engine, which is the world’s most powerful two-cylinder motorcycle engine.
- 2014 Paris Motor Show: Infiniti’s Q80 Inspiration Faces Uncertain Future – NY Times: Infiniti has lost two chiefs this year, but is soldiering on with its large flagship sedan concept.