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On this week’s show, it’s just us, the beers and a dog named “Ike” — oh yeah, and the latest news out of this ever-hopping auto industry! Our pal Jean Halliday from AutoAdOpolis will be on hand to chat with us as we delve into Consumer Reports’ latest findings. They’re wild about the latest GM product and amazed at the Chrysler prototypes they got a peek at. Plus, Chevy’s having a crisis over the classification of the Volt in California. But we couldn’t have two of our favorite ad gurus on the show without talking about some of the latest campaigns, so get ready for a “Deep” dive. John McElroy’s also joined in studio by Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

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

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GM has been hyping the Chevrolet Volt for years and now Autoline has finally had a chance to drive the company’s extended-range EV. Is it a game changer like GM says it is or does it fall short of the hype? Click “play” to find out.

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There’s a lot of controversy comparing the Nissan LEAF to the Chevy Volt, but it all has to do with whether or not the Volt is truly an electric car, or whether it’s a hybrid. But let’s set their powertrains aside for the moment. John McElroy just got a chance to test drive both cars, back to back, and here’s his impression of what the they’re like.

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This week we’re joined by Kevin McMahon who is a Managing Partner at The Martec Group, a research and consulting firm. Kevin heads up the group’s automotive and transportation analysis where he discovered an interesting fact. He says the California Air Resources Board (CARB) overstated diesel emissions by as much as 350 percent, rendering it uncompetitive in the market! We’ll also be getting to other topics of the week like Mazda’s new hyperefficient powertrain for the Demio. Plus, we’ll start talking Car of the Year, especially as the Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt are concerned. John McElroy had a chance to drive both in Hell, Michigan this week, and we’ll get his take. John’s in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Frank Markus from MotorTrend.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

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

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You’re already familiar with Ford’s reborn 302. This 5.0-liter V-8 debuted in the 2011 Mustang and now the company is putting it in the F-150. For car duty it cranks out up to 412 horsepower and has a screaming 7,000 RPM redline. That’s great for a sporty coupe, but less than ideal in a pickup. For truck duty Ford made a number of changes.

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Recently I had some seat time in what was supposedly the last Dodge Viper SRT10. It has its share of quirks — probably more than some of the competition — but they don’t take away from its primary mission: jaw-dropping performance.

Thankfully, as we know now, the Viper will live on.

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Surely by now you know how well the Ford Fiesta has been doing in the market place, particularly the hatchback version, much to the automaker’s surprise. Here’s our look at the vehicle and some insight into how this car represents the future of Fords to come.

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In the After Hours studio this week is Bob Purcell, the CEO of Protean Electric, a company that specializes in electric hub motors. Wait till you hear how Purcell wants to use these motors to instantly add hundreds of horsepower to a conventional car. Of course we’ll be getting into the news and you can bet the great Volt controversy will be on the table. We’ll have to see if we can get Bob (formerly of GM’s EV program) to weigh in. John McElroy’s in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and AAH newbie Charlie Vogelheim from Intellichoice.com.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

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

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It’s finally here. Submitted for your approval, a car that people just will not be able to look away from. The Cadillac CTS Coupe is a bit of a stunner, and while there’s not much different going on up front, the back side is a whole different story.

OnStar’s president, Chris Preuss, joined the Open Line crew to take callers’ questions about in-car connectivity. Preuss offered his take on Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s proposal to ban all cell phones from cars. The former GM PR man also had a unique perspective to share on the latest Chevy Volt controversy.

Open Line is LIVE every Monday at 8PM ET / 5PM PT and is hosted by Michelle Naranjo of MissMotorMouth.com and Dave Foley (AKA Miradart)

Check out our next discussion right here on Nov. 1, 2010. Phone: 1-218-936-6581 and PIN: 5383