Long the automaker that has stuck resolutely to its frugal fours and sixes, Honda surprised some today by announcing the impending launch of a V-8 according to Automotive News. The upcoming engine, which CEO Takeo Fukui claimed is sorely needed under the hood of its flagship Acura RL sedan, is...Read More»
On Saturday, BMW Group announced it will be the first auto manufacturer to market with the vaunted lithium-ion battery technology. We knew that BMW was announcing an all-electric MINI at the L.A. Auto Show this November, but were unaware it would be powered by lithium-ion technology. Currently...Read More»
Recently announcing that it would become ever tougher on underperforming suppliers, GM has not only banished Microheat as a supplier of heated windshield washer systems for its premium vehicles, but it has allegedly withheld payments since June and wants Microheat to pay between $ 20 and 25 million...Read More»
While Detroit may be suffering epic pangs from its decade of overindulgence, it's not alone. The whole of the auto industry is facing the screeching halt to years of rapid expansion in capacity, and the era may finally be coming to a close in tiny Blue Springs, Mississippi, the home of Toyota's...Read More»
Right on the heels of its October 4 announcement of an accelerated Moraine, Ohio, plant closing, an ailing General Motors announced that it will also cease production at its Janesville, Wisconsin, plant on the same day, December 23. Further, it announced closure of its Grand Rapids stamping plant...Read More»
Buy some American steel and you may just be purchasing a little bit of baseball history. More than 94 percent of Detroit's historic Tiger Stadium, reports CBS News, is being recycled in a move that will yield a profit estimated to be in the millions to the City of Detroit, which owns the stadium...Read More»
Not only does India house the customer service representatives for your recently failed bank, the country may soon be home to the manufacture of an American icon: Jeep. Carscoop reports that India's Argentum Motors has confirmed an "outsourced manufacturing deal" with Chrysler LLC, and that...Read More»
Ouch, this brutal economy. Even relatively stable companies like Honda are adjusting to the fuel-saving, penny-pinching times by trimming capacity and shifting production in favor of four-cylinders. The Detroit News reports Honda will change its game plan for Accord, Odyssey, Pilot, and Ridgeline...Read More»
Startup Mascoma Corp. of Lansing, Michigan, secured $26 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and received another $23.5 million from the state of Michigan yesterday, reported the Detroit News. Mascoma will begin constructing its cellulosic ethanol plant in Michigan's Upper...Read More»
GM proudly announces--with Chevy Traverse crossovers now rolling off the line--that the conversion of its Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant was "one of GM's fastest from plan development to product rolling off the line." The automaker has spent the last 12 months and some $600 million readying the...Read More»
The Automotive Hall of Fame, located in Dearborn, Michigan, yesterday inducted eight new individuals (five posthumously) into its ranks. These individuals are being honored for their contributions to racing, design, manufacturing, the aftermarket, or management. The list of inductees is as follows...Read More»
On Tuesday, President George W. Bush lent his John Hancock to a $634 billion spending bill that includes the $25 billion low-interest government-backed loan guarantees that the domestics have all but been begging for. The loan is intended to provide the capital necessary for automakers to retool...Read More»
General Motors' ubiquitous 3.8-liter V-6 is soon to become extinct. For '09, it is replaced by GM's (more) modern 3.9-liter V-6 in the Buick Lucerne, leaving it barely hanging on in the Buick LaCrosse and Pontiac Grand Prix, which share a platform. Some will cheer the eventual passing of this...Read More»
GM plans to sell a parts plant in Strasbourg, France as well as offloading its HUMMER division, in new announcements that it plans to speed the pace of its $10 billion in cost cuts to stem losses totaling $69.8 billion since the end of 2004. These initiatives were announced by GM treasurer Walter...Read More»
GM's next-generation Duramax diesel is coming--and it boasts a host of new technology tweaks to help it deliver better gas mileage. The Duramax name is about the only thing that GM's new ultra-efficient diesel engine, in final phases of development, shares with the current iteration. The diesel...Read More»
General Motors will be spending $500 million in the U.S. alone to launch its new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, the company said today. Most of the dollars involved will go to retooling the Lordstown, Ohio, plant where the Cruze will be built, once the current Cobalt lineup is evicted. That's not expected...Read More»
Say good-bye to the Jeep Grand Cherokee--at least in its current, stand-alone architecture form. Both the Detroit News and the Wall Street Journal report today that Chrysler president Tom LaSorda confirms his company will spend almost $2 billion to retool its Jefferson North plant to build a new...Read More»
Volkswagen has chosen Chattanooga, Tenn., as the location for its new U.S. assembly plant, according to TheCarConnection.com sources. We'll be back with more details as they come in. The official release follows here: HERNDON, Va. (July 15, 2008) — Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. announced...Read More»
Despite rumor to the contrary, Toyota says, the Tundra pickup will still be built in Indiana and in Texas. The Wall Street Journal reported online that the Japanese automaker was considering a consolidation of Tundra production at the new Tundra plant in San Antonio, Texas. Right now the company...Read More»
