John's Journal: John McElroy's multimedia blog about the automotive industry

AAH #197 – Chevrolet Cruze Diesel: 50 MPG at 50 MPH?

May 24th, 2013 at 4:47pm

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Why take the risk? What makes you think it would work this time? We’re asking, of course, about GM’s relationship with the long-embattled diesel engine. Decades after the General killed diesels in passenger cars, Chevrolet is counting on a reversal in fortunes as it offers the Cruze with a modern diesel powerplant. This week as Mike Siegrist, Assistant Chief Engineer of the Chevy Cruze Diesel, joins us in studio with an engine in tow, we’ll ask him why the company is putting its faith in diesel once again. As usual, we’ll get into the latest news including Viper returning to Le Mans and Renault entering Formula E. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production.

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2014 Kia Forte

May 24th, 2013 at 7:01am

The Kia Forte debuted in the U.S. a little over three years ago. For the 2014 model, the company updated its styling, added new technology and upgraded the powertrains. Here’s Autoline Daily correspondent Sean McElroy with al the details.

2014 Mazda CX-5

May 23rd, 2013 at 7:01am

The Mazda CX-5 is a terrific vehicle but some think it’s a bit under powered. Well, Mazda seems to have the answer for those complaints, as Autoline Daily correspondent Isaac Bouchard reports.

AAH #196 – Little Big Block

May 17th, 2013 at 10:40am

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Here at Autoline After Hours we pride ourselves on tracking down the all-important “gurus of go” in the automotive industry. Well, dang if we ain’t lassoed another! Jordan Lee is the Global Chief Engineer and Program Manager for Small Block Engines at GM. But, Mr. Lee might just be upstaged by our other special guest on set: none other than the heart and soul of the Corvette itself, the 6.2L LT1 V-8. Plus, we’ll get into some hot topics this week including the end of the great driving boom as miles driven per capita continues to decline. The new Fiat-Chrysler headquarters could end up in Auburn Hills, MI — surprised? And is Jaguar going too far with its “baddest boy on the block” claim? Joining Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, to discuss all this and more is Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production and Scott Burgess from Motor Trend.

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AAH #195 – True Luxury Cars have Nothing to do with Technology

May 10th, 2013 at 9:13pm

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While the rest of the automotive industry is trying to scrounge up every last sale it can, Ferrari has decided it’s selling too many. On the subject of product, can you tell the difference between the old and new Silverado designs? Has Chevrolet built a vehicle that lacks differentiation? Meanwhile, Jaguar is making it very clear what it is and what it isn’t — we’ll explain what we mean. Onboard to discuss all this and a whole lot more with John McElroy is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, Jim Hall from 2953 Analytics and Todd Lassa of Automobile.

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AAH #194 – A Billion Cars on the Road Today, a Billion More on the Way

May 3rd, 2013 at 4:33pm

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The idea of hub motors takes conventional car thinking and turns it on its head. Instead of one centrally located motor that drives some or all of the wheels, the motors are the wheels. Protean Electric thinks it has the formula to make EVs work, and this week we’ll talk to the man with the plan, Chairman and CEO Bob Purcell. We’ll be asking Bob when to expect the first vehicle rolling off the line equipped with Protean hub motors. Of course we’ll also get into the hot topics of the week including slowing car sales in the U.S., GM and Chrysler’s sour earnings and more. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production.

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AAH #193 – The Rise and Fall of Henrik Fisker

April 26th, 2013 at 5:01pm

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Sometimes it’s good to hang out with “just the guys.” That’s why on this week’s Autoline After Hours, we’ll be eschewing our normally scheduled guest segment for a longer discussion about the news of the week and other hot topics that need talking out. Ford reports a record first-quarter profit with North America providing a strong contribution, Buick takes the wraps off a Riviera concept in Shanghai and Fisker goes under the gun of the U.S. Congress. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production and AAH alum David Welch from Bloomberg Businessweek.

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AAH #192 – Wow! Achates Opposed Piston Engine Design

April 19th, 2013 at 2:58pm

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There is no shortage of innovative thinking when it comes to internal combustion technology. And, as this week’s guest will demonstrate, Achates Power is no exception. David Johnson is the President and CEO of the company, which is developing an innovative opposed-piston engine that will be more fuel efficient and less expensive to produce than conventional power plants. But, we’ll be asking him, is the world ready for such a radical new design? Will a mainstream automaker take a chance at adopting an untested technology? Plus we’ll get into the news of the week including the game of musical chairs going on amongst the executive ranks of Chrysler and Nissan. And, Edmunds projects that 40-50 percent of new car sales will be hybrids… in the year 2040. Joining John McElroy in studio to discuss this and a whole lot more is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production.

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AAH #191 – Superchargers Stage a Resurgence

April 12th, 2013 at 7:49pm

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What do the Nissan Micra, Chery Tiggo and Audi Q7 all have in common? While one of these things is not like the other, all have engines with Eaton superchargers. And, like turbochargers in recent memory, get ready to see superchargers in cars you would have never expected. This week’s guest is Grant Terry, the Business Development Manager for the Eaton Supercharger Product Line. We’ll be asking him what advantages superchargers have over the ever-more ubiquitous turbocharger technology. Plus, we’ll be discussing the news of the week including a tale of two startups: EcoMotors and Fisker. And, which is really the best seller, the Ford Focus or Toyota Corolla? Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Lindsay Brooke from SAE.

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AAH #190 – A Bridge in a Backpack for Tomorrow’s Roads

April 5th, 2013 at 2:44pm

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Why is it that everyone wants better roads to drive on, but no one wants to fix them? If only we’d build them like the German autobahns, nary a pothole there’d be … right? It may not be so simple. Kirk Steudle is the Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation and one of the foremost road experts in the country. We’ll be asking him about what it takes to build highways and byways that last, and we’ll discuss how we’re going to pay for it one way or the other. We’ll have plenty of news on tap as well including the latest car sales breakdown. Also, the long-forgotten Detroit Electric has been revived in the form of a sporty Tesla-like model. Plus, the latest news on GM’s full-size trucks: do they have what it takes to compete? Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production.

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