Industry

Fuel prices are a hot topic among American motorists, and ways to reduce bills at the pump are equally popular, but new information shows paying in advance for savings down the road is not an appealing solution for today's buyers. The added up-front costs of hybrid vehicles turned as many as a...

Update: Rumors circulating around the web have indicated the 2009 Pontiac G8 GT was to receive a six-speed Tremec manual transmission option, but the official word from Pontiac's communications manager Jim Hopson is that no such option will be available. Only the G8 GXP, the LS3-equipped...

A package of proposed mandatory safety features under consideration for European Union member nations has generally been well-received. One provision, however, has raised concern among tire makers that road safety could actually be compromised rather than improved. Reducing tire noise without...

More research and investigation into the necessary levels of strength for automobile roofs will be necessary before the Nation Highway Traffic Safey Administration (NHTSA) can submit a proposal to the U.S. Congress outlining the changes necessary to improve rollover safety. Other aspects of the new...

Republican presidential candidate John McCain has intensified his efforts to fight global warming by proposing a $300 million government prize to the first person or corporation to develop vehicle battery technology superior to anything currently available. Speaking at Fresno State University in...

The shift toward smaller cars and SUVs in the U.S. is getting under way, with nearly daily announcements of product reconfigurations, lay offs, plant idlings and other action designed to cut losses and adjust to the new fuel price-drive landscape of the auto market. General Motors has already...

The fuel-driven shift to smaller cars in the U.S. is ramping up as Ford has announced today a reduction in the production of its SUV and pickup lineup for the remainder of the year, at the same time confirming production of the European Focus and Fiesta for North America for 2010. Strong demand for...

Update: GM has confirmed that an additional 18,657 employees will be cut from its workforce through the use of buyouts and retirement incentives, and about half of these will be from its Michigan facilities. While GM isn’t expected to replace all of the workers who leave, some openings will...

Naturally aspirated sports cars and turbocharged cars of all types are the primary sources of real, requisite demand for premium fuel. Most cars, even luxury and upscale passenger cars, get along just as well on regular gasoline as on premium. But now, even owners of cars that require the...

High-performance versions of more pedestrian street-going cars have been a favorite of carmakers and enthusiasts alike since the beginning of the industry. BMW's M division, in operation since 1978, has produced some of the best examples of the concept, with its legendary M3 sitting at the...

May sales saw Chrysler's overall total drop 25% compared to 2007 figures, and CEO Bob Nardelli is warning that the slide will continue. In an email sent out to the company's employees Nardelli urged workers to keep their focus and help Chrysler get its product lineup back on track. June sales are...

A two-week summer idle at several of its factories over the summer is a time-tested method to keep production in line with demand at Ford, but the announcement today reveals some plants will be going on extended holiday - in one case, for as long as nine weeks. Weak demand for pickups and large...

Click here for all the official information and pictures for the 2009 Volkswagen Golf Mark VI Update: A statement by VW's U.S. spokesman, Steve Keyes, indicates the Golf Mark VI, or Rabbit as it's known in the U.S., will be arriving for sale as scheduled. The previous report of the Mark VI's delay...

Tightening EU and U.S. fuel efficiency and emissions rules are pushing Volkswagen to find any way it can to improve its fleet's figures, and it has decided lighter weight cars is one of the best options. The entire VW Group fleet, from Bentley to Skoda, will be affected by the move that hopes to...

The leading Democratic candidate for U.S. president, Barack Obama, has promised he won't neglect Detroit the way President Bush has. The car industry has had an especially rough time through the first six months of 2008, and although the future may not prove to be as dire as some had predicted...

Ford held talks with more than 300 plant managers and UAW officials in Detroit on Friday to discuss the future of manufacturing in North America and the shift from trucks and SUVs to cars. Other topics included the need for targeted buyouts of Ford’s manufacturing workforce and the...

Due to take effect as of Monday, June 16, Chrysler has told its dealers most new production of the current 2008 models and next year's 2009 models will face a 2% price rise in the U.S. Increased prices on the raw materials used to build its cars are the driving force behind the rise. Chrysler isn't...

Rising oil prices and increasing competition from grocery stores and hypermarts serving fuel have pushed service-station profit levels so low that returns are almost non-existent. The situation has now caused Irving oil giant Exxon Mobil to leave the retail fuel business in the U.S., announcing...

The weakening U.S. dollar compounded with low vehicle sticker prices is drawing more and more European consumers looking to make a hefty saving on the purchase of their next car. Savings of up to 30% of the cost of similar models in Europe, even after the costs of shipping it back home plus...

Tesla has reportedly signed a technology deal with Daimler according to latest comments from the electric car company’s Chairman Elon Musk. The new deal is in its early stages but according to the Tesla exec it could potentially grow into something major. Elon Musk reportedly told Fox...