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Hard to believe, but this week is actually the Last After Hours of 2010! In the spirit of the season, we decided to play “Secret Santa” and give out presents and lumps of coal in recognition of automotive successes and disasters, respectively. On hand to help us go through our naughty and nice list is David Welch from Bloomberg making his triumphant return to the Autoline set. John McElroy is also joined in studio by Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

Thanks to our sponsors who make Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone, Chevrolet, Dow Automotive Systems and Hyundai.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

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

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We’re back in the same place again, and we’re chompin’ at the bit to get to another great Autoline After Hours. This week we’ll be talking about the nominees for North American Car and Truck of the Year. The final six (three cars and three trucks) were announced, and we’ll be debating which vehicle deserves to win. We’ll also be looking out into the future as we examine the coming cost of CAFE regulations. Of course, there’ll be a lot more to talk about, and you never know what will come up in the discussion, so belt yourself in: we’re going for a ride. John McElroy is joined in studio by Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

Thanks to our sponsors who make Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone, Chevrolet, Dow Automotive Systems and Hyundai.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

Thanks to our partners WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!

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This week while McElroy is out on business, the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo, takes the wheel as we get into some of the hottest news and most controversial topics. Chevy’s Aveo gets renamed the “Sonic” and production comes home to Michigan. Porsche makes its return to the North American International Auto Show, but what will it debut? A new study reveals that Ford and Honda have the most loyal customers and “fun to drive” is becoming a more important buying consideration. Peter is joined in studio by Scott Burgess of The Detroit News and Keith Naughton of Bloomberg News.

Thanks to our sponsors who make Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone, Chevrolet, Dow Automotive Systems and Hyundai.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

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

Autoline LIVE headed west last month. West as in the “City of Angels” and the increasingly-important LA Auto Show. It was the second year of broadcasting LIVE from the BMW booth on the show floor. But this year was a little different than last. Not only did we travel a tad lighter, but we also managed to literally “cut the cord” and broadcast wirelessly from the LA Convention Center with nary a satellite truck or Criss Angel in sight. How did we do it? It was all thanks to the 15-pound dynamo called LiveU.

LiveU is a student-like backpack, (known in-house as the LU-30) which contains a fairly simple setup. Inside are six cellular data cards (2 AT&T, 2 Verizon, 1 T-Mobile, 1 Sprint) that, once you connect to your video equipment, allow you to broadcast LIVE on the Internet. For instance, during our Autoline LIVE interview with Victor Muller, the chairman of Saab-Spyker Automobiles, our signal was sent back to the LiveU server (known as the LU-1000) on the east coast  and then right to our Ustream channel and out to our audience around the globe.

And if all of this wasn’t mind-blowing enough, what really gave the Autoline LIVE broadcast a totally new look and feel this year was when we actually went for a tour of a portion of South Hall. That’s right, with videographer and the LU-30 in tow, our host John McElroy gave the thousands of eyes and ears watching and listening to his executive interviews an actual look around the manufacturers’ exhibit booths of Mazda, GMC, Cadillac and Audi. Couldn’t do that connected to some T1 line!

Now, of course LiveU isn’t perfect . . . just yet. The technology, at this point, only allows the use of one video signal and limited audio inputs which rationed us on the show floor. However, the next day, when broadcasting our weekly webcast “Autoline After Hours” from the Sofitel Hotel in Beverly Hills, we were able to add an audio mixer that increased our capacity and allowed us a fantastic four-person conversation. And even though we did face video restrictions, LiveU still allowed us to have an a graphic overlay which was key to adding depth to both broadcasts.

In sum, what can the Autoline team say other than “LiveU is GREAT”? From our brief experience with the technology, we’re already discussing new and different ways to take advantage of it. And if our reaction, as well as those of our audience, is any indication, this “toe in the water” with LiveU was only the tip of the iceberg. There’s more to come for sure.

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With fewer brands in its stable GM can finally give each of the surviving ones the attention they deserve. Buick is really benefiting from this. Its product lineup is the best it’s been in the last century and people are noticing. Right now it’s the fastest growing major automotive brand in the U.S. But how is it reaching out to new customers? That’s where the Regal Remix comes in.

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This week we’re back in the After Hours studio at long last, and we’re ready to talk about anything and everything from the world of cars! On hand to help us do just that is Michael Robinet from IHS Automotive. He’ll have particular insight on what the latest sales figures say about the direction of the automotive industry. What can we expect as we move into 2011? Of course we’ll also be diving into other topics including John McElroy’s experience of living with a Nissan Leaf. John is joined in studio by Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

Thanks to our sponsors who make Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone, Chevrolet, Dow Automotive Systems and Hyundai.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

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