- BMW’s Krüger revs up for tech challenge – FT: New CEO set to manage transition to hybrid and electric vehicles
- Nissan tops U.S. December sales expectations, Honda misses – Reuters: DETROIT, Jan 5 (Reuters) – Nissan Motor Co’s December U.S. sales narrowly topped and Honda Motor Co <7267.T) sales fell short of expectations as the Japanese companies led off what is expected to be strong sales figures for major automakers in the U.S. market on Monday.
- JAPAN: Further delay for redesigned Honda Legend launch – Just-auto: Honda is delaying the start of sales of its redesigned Legend sedan in order to carry out additional checks on its radar safety system and hybrid powertrain.
- Cadillac reveals new 640bhp CTS-V – new pictures – Autocar: New performance Cadillac will go on sale in the US next summer, as the firm looks to trump its German competition Cadillac is aiming to trump its German rivals with the launch of the new CTS-V, the most powerful car ever made by the firm. With a total power output of 640bhp, the new CTS-V soundly beats the BMW M5 and its 600bhp in its most powerful form and the 585bhp Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. The new model will make its debut at the Detroit motor show next month, and Cadillac has now released new pictures of the car in the run-up to the show.Power comes from a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 engine, w
- Car vessel deliberately beached in Solent – FT: ‘Great skill’ shown by crew in grounding Höegh Osaka after it began listing
- BRIEF-Nissan Group of North America says total December U.S. Sales of 117,318 units – Reuters: * Nissan Group of North America says total U.S. sales for December 2014 of 117,318 units, up 6.9 percent compared to last year Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
- Audi, chipmaker adapt image recognition system – Automotive News: Audi and chipmaker Nvidia have adapted an image recognition system used by Facebook to develop an onboard microprocessor so powerful that it can identify the types of vehicle — SUVs, sedans, ambulances, trucks, etc.
- CES: General Motors’ OnStar expands with prognostic technology – Just-auto: General Motors’ Chevrolet brand is to introduce connected vehicle technology on some 2016 models which will give drivers advance warning when certain components need attention – often before there has been any effect on vehicle performance.
- Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) Aiming to Sell More Luxury Cars – Via Google News: By Chris Hillman on January 5, 2015 Automobile … to buy the latest models of luxury cars and Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is going to do just that.
- GM Russia Hoping SUVs Shore Up St. Petersburg Plant – Wards: The automaker is adding the Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Tahoe to a production schedule comprising a third SUV, the Chevrolet Trailblazer, and the Opel Astra and Chevrolet Cruze. St. Petersburg gets the Opel Mokka in 2016.
- CES: Smartwatch technology comes to the auto business – Just-auto: With sales of smartwatches taking off, Hyundai has spotted an opportunity for drivers to connect with their cars using the wearable devices.
- Nissan, Honda volumes advance on crossovers, core models – Automotive News: Nissan Motor Corp. posted a 7 percent rise in sales in December, capping a year that saw the company deliver a record 1,386,895 Nissan and Infiniti cars and light trucks in the United States. Honda Motor Co.’s sales edged up 1.5 percent last month.
- Internet Car Sales Click With Chinese Consumers – Wards: Alysha Webb . Though consumers can buy a Geely car online, dealers still close the sale. That allows the dealer to sell additional products and give the buyer a point of contact for aftersales service.
- Porsche Boxster And Cayman To Carry 718 Title? – Via Google News: Porsche recently ruled out launching a new entry-level sports car, a car rumored to be called the 718. However, all hope is not lost as a report out over…
- SOUTH KOREA: Sales jump 24% in December – Just-auto: Domestic sales among South Korea’s five main automakers jumped by 24.3% to 154,108 units in December, compared with 123,931 units in the same month of last year, according to data released individually by the vehicle manufacturers.
- Ferrari could make even more hardcore LaFerrari FXX K – Autocar: An ‘Evoluzione’ version of the recently revealed FXX K could be made, say officials, but it’s not likely to be seen for a number of years An even more hardcore ‘Evoluzione’ version of the recently revealed Ferrari FXX K could be made, company officials have revealed, but it won’t be seen for a number of years.Previously the company has upgraded its FXX and 599XX models with ‘Evoluzione’ packages to boost power and performance a few years after launch, but Ferrari test driver Marc Gené says any harder version of the FXX K would be difficult to develop.”Right now, I think we cannot improve that
- Cars are stars at electronics fest – Via Google News: Now, automobiles are among the principal attractions at the International … In-car technology is the prime selling point for 39 percent of car buyers,…
- China dealers bag $820m BMW windfall – FT: German carmaker looks to deflect disquiet over sales targets amid slowing growth
- New Infiniti Q60 concept revealed ahead of Detroit debut – Autocar: Two-door, 2+2 sports coupé offers a close look at the next-generation Q60, taking elements from the Q80 Inspiration concept and Q50 Eau Rouge The Infiniti Q60 concept car has been revealed ahead of its public debut at the Detroit motor show next week.The concept, which provides strong clues as to the styling of Infiniti’s next-generation Q60 sports coupé, features design cues both from the recent Q80 Inspiration concept car, and from the Q50 Eau Rouge.Infiniti says the model offers “a no-compromise fusion of looks and speed,” and “exceptional dynamics and driving pleasure,” though details on t
- Citroën considers new sports models – Autocar: French firm is exploring the possibility of more sporting model derivatives, buoyed by its success in the World Touring Car Championship Citroën’s success in the World Touring Car Championship, in which it competes with the C-Elysee saloon, has prompted it to consider more sporting models.Although the brand has enjoyed years of spectacular success in the World Rally Championship, its range has been notable for the sparseness of its sports offerings. The current DS3 Racing is a rare example of a high-performance model.With the Citroën team securing both the driver’s and manufacturer’s titles in
- Porsche 911 hybrid ‘possible’ – Autocar: Porsche could develop a petrol-electric version of its sports car icon The chances of the long-mooted Porsche 911 plug-in hybrid becoming a reality are strengthening.While still unconfirmed, Porsche boss Matthias Müller is understood to be warming to the idea. However, Mueller also made it clear that a 911 hybrid wouldn’t be seen for some years, at least until the next-generation 911 launches (as opposed to a hybrid version of the facelifted 911 due later this year). “Maybe in the next generation. Why not?” he said.“There is no reason against it and we will see whether we have some reasons to
- BMW to Pay $820 Million to China Car Dealers, Group Says – Via Google News: … a deputy secretary general of the China Automobile Dealers Association, which … Auto dealers have complained of meeting unrealistic sales projections in … Baoxin Auto Group Ltd. (1293), the dealership group that accounted for…
- GM Gives a Peek of Next-Generation Chevy Volt at CES – Yahoo: [at The Wall Street Journal] – General Motors Co. took journalists by surprise Sunday night when it offered a glimpse of its next-generation Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric vehicle ahead of its official unveiling at the Detroit auto …
- GM offers sneak peek of the next-gen Volt in Vegas – Automotive News: General Motors provided a sneak peek at the 2016 Chevrolet Volt — which will be quicker, quieter and have a longer range than its predecessor — Sunday night at International CES in Las Vegas.
- Dealer adds quick bays, buzzers to speed service – Automotive News: Honda dealer Greg May decided to follow American Honda Motor Co.’s advice and add service bays and make other improvements to his service department.
- How BMW cracked the streets of San Francisco – Automotive News: Most car companies don’t worry much about the cost of parking, but in a garage under a San Francisco overpass, a group of BMW employees is figuring out how to factor those costs into a new business model.
- Industry ‘can’t give up on EVs’ – Automotive News: With gasoline selling for less than $2 a gallon in some states, it’s fair to ask whether the industry’s investment in electric vehicles has been an expensive blunder.
- Mercedes chases BMW and Audi in China – Automotive News: Mercedes-Benz could become the first luxury carmaker to launch new models in China before rolling them out in Europe and the U.S.
- Mini expects leaner lineup to boost profits – Automotive News: To boost Mini’s prospects of long-term profitability, parent BMW Group has decided the British brand needs to shrink its lineup to four nameplates from seven.
- Moray Callum draws lines between Ford, Lincoln – Automotive News: Moray Callum, Ford’s global design chief, is coming off a frenetic year when Ford introduced a bevy of crucial products including the global 2015 Mustang and aluminum 2015 F-150 pickup, both generally well-received by critics.
- Service bays turn to text messaging – Automotive News: In an increasingly digital, on-the-go world, Dale Snow’s challenge was to devise the most effective way to update millennials on car repairs.
- Sporty cars to roar into Detroit – Automotive News: Just in time for cheap gasoline, automakers will show high-performance cars at next week’s Detroit auto show. But pickups and hybrids will get their share of attention.
- Nvidia’s new Tegra X1 super chip is meant to drive your car – Via Google News: The next mobile chip from Nvidia is aimed at a really big mobile device: The automobile. Nvidia unveiled the Tegra X1, which it calls a ?mobile super…
- GM will beam donut discounts directly to drivers – Yahoo:
- GM plans driving feedback, prognosis service for OnStar subscribers – Automotive News: GM will introduce a service this year that gives OnStar subscribers feedback on their driving habits, potentially allowing responsible drivers to qualify for discounted insurance.
- Luxury isn’t created equal in recession-hit Japan – Via Google News: … overall new car registrations dropped 2.8 percent on-year to 2.47 million vehicles, according to data from Japan Automobile Dealers Association;…
- Federally funded car charging stations little used – Via Google News: Nissan Leaf owner Will Price tag of Eugene does not have to have the network of government-provided electric automobile…
- Fog Shrouds Road Ahead for U.S. Car Market – Yahoo: [at The Wall Street Journal] – Auto sales did just fine in 2014 by notching another high point in the economic recovery, but growth could moderate this year.
- Canadian auto recalls hit all-time high amid growing safety concerns – Via Google News: “GM was in a pickle and nobody else wanted to be the new GM,” said George Iny, president of the Automobile Protection Association. “So they started…
- Canadian auto recalls hit all-time high in 2014 amid growing safety concerns – Via Google News: Automakers issued nearly 600 recall notices on Canadian vehicles in 2014, according … new GM,” said George Iny, president of the Automobile Protection Association. … “These are not problems that the car makers just discovered.
- A new boom of auto title loans leaves people in deeper debt – Via Google News: With the nationwide crackdown on payday lending, lenders are recalibrating their business toward automobile title loans. And borrowers are biting.
- Google: The reluctant censor of the Internet – CNN: Google was asked to remove tens of millions of links last year because they violated local laws or copyrights.
- Diesel users get shut out of gas plunge party – Yahoo:
- Chrysler Sales to Surge 25% – Yahoo:
- Broon F8 – The Electric Car That Runs Android OS Could Be Your Kid’s First Supercar – Via Google News: Flaunted with the tagline ‘Revolution beyond Innovation’, the Broon Cars … Equipped with the most realistic automobile parts such as electronic disc…
- Chrysler 300 comes in a variety of flavors – Via Google News: For some time now, the Chrysler 300 has had trouble deciding whether it wants to be a popularly priced large sedan or a luxury car. But those days…
- Global Autonomous Cars or Driverless Cars Market Size and Forecast Up to 2020 – Via Google News: Grand View Research has announced the addition of the “Global Autonomous Cars Or Driverless Cars Market Analysis And Forecasts To 2020″…
- Economics pushes many young adults to do without cars – Via Google News: Noticeably missing from his array of transportation options — a car. … lukewarm when it comes to Americans’ century-long love affair with the automobile. They appear to prefer biking, walking, taking mass transit and sharing cars,…
- Do auto designers have a shelf life? – Automotive News: Car designers and actors have at least one thing in common: The lead roles tend to become harder to land with age.
- Hellcat reviewers rev up the thesaurus – Automotive News: The 707-hp Hellcat-powered Challenger and Charger had auto reviewers scrambling to outdo each other last year in their lusty appreciation of what one website called Dodge’s “rolling middle finger to common sense.”
- Car sales not expected to skid in ’15 – Via Google News: The National Automobile Dealers Association forecasts 16.94 million new cars and trucks will be sold this year, while Edmunds.com is predicting sales…
- Fitness certificate row puts the brakes on truckers – Via Google News: More than 60,000 truckers, mostly service providers to the automobile … ?Now we are carrying five cars in a truck, but if we adhere to the law only two…
- Brazil’s Automarket Faces Headwinds, Ford Expects Sales To Flatline – Yahoo:
- AutoNation shifts to online storefront with no-haggle pricing – Via Google News: LOS ANGELES ? AutoNation, the largest U.S. retailer of new cars, … The National Automobile Dealers Association said AutoNation’s move is a sign…
- 2015 Cadillac ATS New Year Special – Via Google News: Only 15 will be built, which means we’re likely looking at the first special-edition automobile to be sold out in 2015. Click past the jump to read more…
- This solar-powered EV charging solution for apartment dwellers is totally rad – Via Google News: Electric cars (including plug-in hybrid electric cars) are now a better automobile solution than gasmobiles for hundreds of millions of people.
- Brazil’s Automarket Faces Headwinds, Ford Expects Sales To Flatline – Forbes: Brazil has gone in reverse, says the German Association of the Automotive Industry.
- Brazil’s Favorite Luxury Cars – Forbes: Brazil is one of largest auto markets in the world. While it is dominated by entry level vehicles made by Volkswagen and Fiat, imported luxury cars are not only a dream for many, but also a rising business for the multinational auto makers. According to the World Luxury Index by consulting firm Digital Luxury Group, these are the car makers Brazilians are seeking out most.
- Can BMW Sell $135,000 Electric Car? – Yahoo: