News
Doll sees another record year ahead for Subaru
May 21Subaru continues on its record-setting sales roll of the past several years, as Tom Doll steps up to the role of CEO.
Downsized engines a test for GM pickups
May 21Ford's success with its V-6 EcoBoost engines has proved that V-8 engines aren't necessarily the default choice for pickup buyers. The question now is: How low can you go?
Turbo is key for Subaru's big new crossover Ascent
May 21The 2019 Subaru Ascent, the newest nameplate in the automaker's lineup, relies on a newly developed engine and transmission.
That's one accessorized Nissan Armada ... or Patrol
May 21Nissan decked out its Armada for fun -- and then called it a Patrol.
Teslas may be safe, but what about the rest of us?
May 21Elon Musk's responses to recent crashes involving Tesla's Autopilot software suggest a lack of regard for people who share the road with the cars his company sells.
McLaren's Mike Flewit is still in love with Lotus
May 21How the head of McLaren fell for a Lotus when he was a young man.
Losing sedans is not a good move
May 21As a Ford shareholder who counts three four-doors in his household fleet, I regard Dearborn's decision to discontinue nonluxury sedans as its dumbest since the Edsel, or at least since last year's firing of Mark Fields.
How not to run purchasing
May 21Automaker-supplier relations have dipped, according to the latest North American Automotive OEM-Supplier Working Relations Index. But why?
Worries about profitability as incentives climb
May 21Toyota's Jim Lentz sees interest-rate increases, plateuing sales and a flood of off-lease vehicles as potential drags on profitability.
Mahle sharpens hot-rod focus
May 21Mahle Aftermarket Inc., the aftermarket arm of the German original powertrain supplier Mahle, is strengthening its place in the racing and performance industry by rebranding its performance parts.
Dominique takes a clean-sheet approach for PSA
May 21In its return to North America, PSA is rethinking how it will retail vehicles, which brands it will sell and how it will tackle mobility, says the company's CEO for the region, Larry Dominique.
From dealership to racetrack
May 21With his recent switch to driving a Mercedes-AMG race car, Keating has high hopes for AMG sales at his Mercedes store opening in Texas later this year.
Small cars? Ford just isn't interested
May 21The commentaries by Michael Martinez and Richard Truett made several good points about why Ford is discontinuing its car lines. They forgot one thing: Ford doesn't want to be bothered.
Suppliers' $1 billion cost to make amends
May 21As the largest price-fixing case in U.S. history winds down, one thing is clear: Auto suppliers that conspired with competitors to rig their bids are paying a hefty price.
'Old-time' car guy Larry Dominique preps PSA's new era of retailing
May 21Former Nissan and TrueCar executive Larry Dominique is devising PSA's decade-long return to the U.S. with a focus on mobile apps, car sharing and a possible retail network in which dealers could “actually make a profit” on new-vehicle sales.
READY TO PEAK
May 21Volkswagen's I.D. R is primed to topple records at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
AMG boss pushes motorsports expansion
May 21Under Tobias Moers, AMG has expanded its racing program. For the head of Mercedes;Benz' performance division, the investment is a proof point that AMG is serious about developing sports cars.
Suppliers team to cut camera costs
May 21As safety agencies mandate more camera applications, the two giants bid for lower-cost solutions.
Obituaries
May 21Former highway safety official Tony Kane died Tuesday, May 15. Gary Perina, 73, founder of supplier Lucerne International, died May 15.
Take the money and run
May 21National Auto Auction Association member auctions sold 10 million vehicles in 2017, up 2.5% from 2016, the association's annual survey found.
Nissan CEO denies Renault merger talks
May 21Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa dismisses reports that his Japanese carmaker is hammering out full integration with longtime alliance partner Renault, saying "There is no fact to the effect that we are negotiating any merger."
OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
May 21Fifty years ago, Ford was amid a glorious run of victories at Le Mans with its GT40. Before the first victory, Henry Ford II sat for an interview with Sports Illustrated .
For Nissan in U.S. it's no pain, no gain
May 21Following its 28 percent U.S. sales plunge in April, Nissan promises that the short-term pain will be worth the long-term gain. Starting this summer, CEO Hiroto Saikawa says, Nissan and its dealers will begin reaping the rewards of newfound discipline.
Just in time isn't foolproof
May 21It does not seem that long ago that the world marveled at the Japanese system known as just-in-time manufacturing. As more troubles have occurred in supplier plants, its clear that the process isn't without problems.
Don't blow this chance to raise octane standard
May 21The prospect of reaching a consensus on setting a new national octane standard -- with benefits for the environment, fuel economy and vehicle performance -- is tantalizing indeed.
How Alcantara is managing demand from U.S., China
May 21Alcantara, the maker of the upmarket leather alternative material of the same name, plans to double the company's overall production capacity in Italy as demand from the U.S. and Chinese markets continues to drive sales.
Wurst to 1st: Sausage No. 1 for VW
May 21Last week the meatiest news making the rounds was that Volkswagen's in-house currywurst-making operation was celebrating its 45th anniversary.
SOUPED UP
May 21On race days, Jim Campbell is an ambassador for GM to its teams, drivers, sponsors and racing league officials. He's there to make sure things are operating as smoothly as possible and if there is a problem, how to fix it.
Emphasis on EVs ignores many green-minded buyers
May 21Not enough attention is being paid to environmentally minded consumers and conventional vehicles that could cater to their needs and political values.
Group's fresh approach to F&I training pays off
May 21Brandon Steven Motors has transformed its finance and insurance operations and lifted F&I profit per vehicle by putting finance managers in the hot seat.
Industry must take steps to help prevent CO deaths
May 21People are erring and dying, and the auto industry can't disavow this risk any more than it could avoid fitting vehicles with seat belts and shatterproof glass.
The power behind the throne at Volkswagen
May 21Wolfgang Porsche, chairman of the supervisory board of sports car maker Porsche and head of the family that controls Volkswagen Group, discusses the future of VW Group and touches on topics such as electrification, his concerns about bureaucratic overregulation and his relationship -- or lack thereof -- with his famous cousin, whom he helped oust in a power struggle three years ago.
Subaru, Toyota team up for Crosstrek Hybrid
May 21Subaru of America plans a plug-in hybrid version of the hot-selling Crosstrek subcompact crossover.
Magna spending big on new technology
May 21Magna will roll an extra $300 million into r&d over the next three years as it deepens its interest in electrification and autonomous technology.
Automotive News wins Azbee awards
May 21Automotive News won several national Azbee journalism awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for work published in 2017.
We should know how this turns out
May 21I was surprised to read of Ford's plan to mostly phase out cars. Haven't we seen this movie before?
Ford makes coming back to work easier
May 20Ford last fall launched the Career Re-Entry Program, which offers six-month assignments in product development, information technology and manufacturing jobs. It's available to workers who have been without a job for at least two years because of family developments, military deployments, moves or other life changes.
Fisker's comeback powered by new battery
May 20Automotive design maven Henrik Fisker's new venture might be less about the automobile than the technology that will power it.
PLUG-IN PLAY
May 20NASCAR, a powerful marketing platform, could help automakers sell mainstream America on the electric vehicle. But getting the NASCAR fan base to accept whirring electric motors in place of roaring engines will take time.
What automakers learn from racing
May 19Car companies continue to deploy top engineers to racetracks where technology is tested under extreme environmental and competitive conditions. And the stakes are expected to get even higher as manufacturers and racing series advance their pursuit of vehicle electrification.
Crosstrek becomes new workhorse for Subaru
May 19The Crosstrek, which began life as a lifted Impreza hatchback in 2012, has turned into a sales workhorse for Subaru of America.
INSIDE THE OVAL
May 19Early in his engineering career at Ford, product development and purchasing boss Hau Thai-Tang was embedded with Newman/Haas Racing for the 1993 IndyCar season. Here's what he learned.
Supplier's quest for a better lug nut
May 19Fastener and metal component supplier MacLean-Fogg overhauled its entire concept of invention, implementing new design-thinking processes to spur everyday innovation.
