Archives: February 2006

Detroit Expected To See Quality Setback from Consumer Reports

Posted by: David Kiley on February 28

Sources tell me that when Consumer Reports releases its newest ratings for automobiles tomorrow, Detroit is going to see some setbacks with a declining number of CR recommendations. It...

A new kind of electric car

Posted by: Ian Rowley on February 27

Okay so it's not the best looking machine in the world, but C-COMS (above) is a world first according to researchers at the University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial...

GM and Toyota pull back on fuel cells

Posted by: Ian Rowley on February 24

GM and Toyota aren't saying a great deal on the matter, but reports in Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper yesterday claim the two automakers will stop working together to develop fuel...

R.I.P. GTO

Posted by: David Welch on February 22

As if General Motors Corp.’s Pontiac brand didn’t have enough problems, now the company says the GTO is going away at the end of the year. On one hand,...

Toyota keeps on trimming

Posted by: Ian Rowley on February 21

Another day, another cost saving at Toyota. Reports today reckon the auto giant has trimmed the costs of engines in the new Camry (above) by half, compared with the...

Lots of Buzz for the Dodge Hornet

Posted by: David Welch on February 19

I can’t say enough about how disappointed I was to see Chrysler’s sad display at the Detroit auto show in January. The company really did blow its chance to...

Good news for China's auto industry last month..

Posted by: Dexter Roberts on February 19

Some impressive numbers out for January auto production and sales in China, good news for an industry that has been and still faces challenges, including overcapacity and falling prices....

Mazda readies its greener RX-8

Posted by: Ian Rowley on February 16

Mazda's novel approach to hydrogen-fueled cars is a step closer to hitting the streets of Japan. This week the company revealed that it has received government approval to begin...

GM catches a break, finally

Posted by: David Welch on February 15

Just when everyone thought high gasoline prices would kill off the big-sport utility vehicle business, General Motors Corp’s new gas hogs are showing signs of real life in the market....

Bill Ford....Executive of the Year?

Posted by: David Kiley on February 14

So this came into my e-mail box: The 2006 Automotive Industry Executive of the Year award will be presented to William Clay Ford, Jr., chairman of the board and...

Japan's automakers eye the subcontinent

Posted by: Ian Rowley on February 14

Not content with a growing foothold in North America, Japan's automakers are also showing increased attention on the Indian subcontinent. Last Thursday, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that Nissan...

Audi A6 in the Passing Lane

Posted by: Gail Edmondson on February 13

Audi just earned some big boasting rights in Germany, the toughest luxury car market in the world. Last year the Audi A6 sedan (which starts at $40,820) outsold key rivals,...

For the first time ever, China exports more vehicles than it imports in 2005...

Posted by: Dexter Roberts on February 13

Here is an interesting sign of how China's auto market is increasingly one the world needs to watch. Xinhua News is reporting that for the first time ever, last year...

DaimlerChrysler Comes Clean (Finally)

Posted by: Gail Edmondson on February 01

It was a small move that spoke volumes. On Jan. 31 DaimlerChrysler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche announced he will reverse the company's long-standing tradition of keeping executive pay secret. Going...