If you weren’t a part of Monday’s great “Open Line” discussion on anything and everything automotive, Michelle Naranjo of MissMotorMouth.com has a taste of what you missed! And, don’t forget to check out the next discussion right here at 8PM ET / 5PM PT on July 19, 2010. Phone: 1-218-936-6581 and PIN: 13694

It was another fun week and even more great automotive discussion on Open Line! Last Monday we had a busy episode starting with small car sales not meeting the OEMs’ expectations–and the astute Open Line crowd was not surprised!

The Chevy Spark was not considered to be a viable sale in the USA, and while we had one former mechanic declare that he has never owned anything over a 3.5L, the rest of the group was in agreement that Americans prefer bigger to smaller when it comes to buying cars.

Our dealer friend, Tom White, Jr. from Wichita, called in, and there was a hot discussion around the feasibility of corporate-owned dealerships and how sales margins would make that nearly impossible for the OEMs.

There was agreement that the new Saab 9-2 designs that are floating around on the internet are likeable and that the new Mercedes tagline, “The Best or Nothing” is only vaguely interesting.

continue reading »

Download MP3

This week we welcome Kathleen Ligocki, an auto industry consultant who is a former Ford VP, supplier company CEO and an expert in emerging markets such as China. We’ll be asking her if she thinks Detroit has really recovered yet from the economic meltdown. As usual, we’ll also get into the news of the week like Edmund’s prediction that sales will be down this month. Also we’ll discuss Ferrari’s decision to drop manual transmissions and some recent news about ethanol. John McElroy’s in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

Thanks to our partners and friends AsianMartin.com, AutobirdBlog.com, MissMotorMouth.com, Rumblestrip.net and WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!

Runtime 0:51

We had the turbo version of the SRX, and it is certainly an enjoyable experience to drive. Combining a 2.8L engine with a 6-speed transmission and all-wheel drive, Cadillac has produced a vehicle with dynamics worthy of the nameplate. As you’ll see, the application of the turbo is particularly well-executed.

If you weren’t a part of Monday’s great “Open Line” discussion on anything and everything automotive, Michelle Naranjo of MissMotorMouth.com has a taste of what you missed! And, don’t forget to check out the next discussion right here at 8PM ET / 5PM PT on June 21, 2010. Phone: 1-218-936-6581 and PIN: 16792

Another long night of talking cars! Last week, Open Line ran over seven hours and the phone line and chat room were jumping with great discussions between our loyal Autoline followers, members of GM Inside News and our latest co-streaming partner, Blue Oval News.

Racing was a big topic as the AutoExtremist, Peter De Lorenzo, joined us as we tossed around the past and future of all sorts of racing. Some other topics that were taken up was whether or not the Cadillac CTS needs a V8 and what that means for GM financially, and it was agreed that Cadillac is a BMW 5-series competitor.

As the reality of the Hyundai Equus draws near, it was asked if anyone would really ever buy a $60,000 Hyundai and, after a year of successes in the marketplace, the general feeling was that the Equus will be a success. The VW Phaeton came up as a potential competitor for the Equus and although everyone loves to talk about the Phaeton, it was agreed that the jump in price between the Jetta and the Phaeton would prevent a lot of VW loyalists for investing in the Phaeton.

This week should prove to be another fun and interesting evening of talking all things cars, so please join us at 8PM ET on our phone line and follow the audio stream and chat room at http://bit.ly/openline.

~Michelle Naranjo, MissMotorMouth.com

Open Line for June 21, 2010:
Phone – 1-218-936-6581
PIN – 16792

Thanks to our partners: GMInsideNews.com, AllPar.com and BlueOvalNews.com

Download MP3

This week we welcome Charlie Hughes, the author of “Branding Iron” and an expert in automotive brands. In the past couple of years we’ve had a major culling of automotive marques–especially in Detroit. In this episode, we’ll talk about what else can go: Acura? Infiniti? As usual, we’ll also get into the news of the week. John McElroy’s in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

Thanks to our partners and friends AsianMartin.com, AutobirdBlog.com, MissMotorMouth.com, Rumblestrip.net and WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!

Download MP3

It’s a very special After Hours this week as we take the show on the road to The Henry Ford for a “Racing in America” event being held to raise funds for a new permanent exhibit in the museum. We’re bringing you a two-parter this week, and Part One is all about racing as we sit down with some of the most influential movers and shakers in the business including Jack Roush, Leonard Wood and John Force. On tap as usual is John McElroy as well as David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek and, of course, the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

Thanks to our partners and friends AsianMartin.com, AutobirdBlog.com, MissMotorMouth.com, Rumblestrip.net and WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!

Download MP3

This we took the show on the road to The Henry Ford for a “Racing in America” event. We had a lot of great discussion about racing, which you can catch in Part One of this week’s show, but here is Part Two, and it’s all about the news of the week. We discussed the outcry over the “Chevrolet not Chevy” memo, as well as GM’s quiet management shake up. We also talked about Ford’s new restoration parts business and why you won’t get to drive the Panoz Abruzzi in America. On hand is John McElroy as well as David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek and, of course, the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

Thanks to our partners and friends AsianMartin.com, AutobirdBlog.com, MissMotorMouth.com, Rumblestrip.net and WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!

Runtime 1:11

Sure the Cadillac SRX has a luxurious interior, but heck, Buick has that these days too–any luxury marque should. So, what else can Cadillac bring to the party? How about excitement and drama? Little touches can go a long way as you’ll see here.

Download MP3

This week we get green as we welcome John DeCicco, Ph. D, an environmentalist who is a senior lecturer at the University of Michigan. We’ll be asking Mr. DeCicco how the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico will affect our consumption of petroleum–if at all. And, what does he think of alternative fuels like ethanol and electricity? You might just be surprised at the answer. Of course, we’ll also get into the news of the week including the wind down of the Mercury brand. Plus, May sales numbers are in and there are some interesting results including the fact that Chrysler seems to be gaining on Honda. John McElroy’s in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

Thanks to our partners and friends AsianMartin.com, AutobirdBlog.com, MissMotorMouth.com, Rumblestrip.net and WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!

Runtime 3:12

And now for something completely different: Autoline’s first ever Instant Impression of a motorcycle. Our first subject is the Triumph Street Triple R, and Rumblestrip.NET‘s Eric Trytko brings us his quick review of the bike. Color us impressed, but get ready to spend a few dollars for aftermarket parts if you’re seeking perfection.

See more of Eric Trytko’s work at Rumblestrip.NET.