Autoline After Hours

Controversial design. Production delays. For a brand so often associated with off-road adventures, the description "rocky start" seems particularly apt. Mitch Clauw is the Vehicle Line Executive in charge of the Jeep Cherokee. We'll be asking him what problems are behind the delays in getting this SUV to dealerships. As usual, we'll also get into some other topics including Ford's poor performance in Consumer Reports due to infotainment issues. Plus, we'll talk about what to expect out of the Las Vegas SEMA show. And, John McElroy just got to drive Nissan's 2014 Rogue; he'll give us some thoughts on this all-new family hauler. Joining John in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Scott Burgess from Motor Trend.

Despite increasingly aggressive fuel economy regulations and a trend toward more desirable small cars, make no mistake: the truck business is big money and Toyota wants a piece of the action. That's why we've invited Mike Sweers, the Chief Engineer of the Toyota Tundra, to join us with pickup in tow (so to speak). We'll be asking him if, with this updated truck, he thinks Toyota has cracked the code on how to sell full-size pickups. Of course, we'll be getting into some hot topics including John McElroy's visit to China, where he observed a smog problem that just might cripple the auto industry. Also, could car ownership as we know it end within ten years? Plus, we'll talk about Ford's latest conundrum: balancing the cost of complexity with the value of variation. Joining John in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

So far Tesla has been the electric brand that could do no wrong. But that may all be about to change. BMW reports that early orders of its i3 model are exceeding expectations and the company will be increasing production to meet demand. The power of brand is quite a force to be reckoned with, indeed. Meanwhile, Cadillac's electrified ELR coupe now has a price tag and it exceeds $75,000 -- another sensitive numbers game for a luxury brand still clawing its way up from the brink. We'll talk all about this greenified chess game and its greater implications as we round up the week's news, discuss our latest test drives and more. Host Peter De Lorenzo is joined by Scott Burgess from Motor Trend, Todd Lassa of Automobile and Jim Hall from Design Handbook and 2953 Analytics.

The kids haven’t even stepped out on the sidewalk draped in their ghoulish finery, and Aunt Mildred has yet to buy a fat turkey for the family feast. Nevertheless, here in the auto world, the time has come to start deliberating on the best cars and trucks of the year. Among the accolades in the automotive community, one of the most prestigious honors is the North American Car and Truck of the Year award. On this week’s special edition of Autoline After Hours, John McElroy welcomes three fellow jurors to join him in reviewing the nominees on the “short lists.” See which cars, trucks and utility vehicles have risen above the rest as John is joined by Michelle Krebs from Edmunds.com, Chris Paukert of Autoblog.com and freelance auto journalist Jim McCraw.

Is the golden age of horsepower nearly at an end with new fuel economy standards on the horizon? Not if Dave Leone, Executive Chief Engineer of GM Performance Luxury Vehicles, has anything to say about it. Mr. Leone will be stopping by the studio with a new Cadillac CTS in tow, and we’ll be pressing him for all the fuel-saving secrets used in engineering the new sedan. Plus, we’ll be getting into some hot topics of the moment. Have you seen “Rush” yet? John McElroy has, and we’ll get his impressions. And, we’ll apply some analysis to September sales results. All that and much more as John is joined by co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Lindsay Brooke from SAE.

American enthusiasts were excited when Alan Mulally announced his One Ford plan; it meant loads of long-coveted European products would come stateside. Getting the Fiesta was great. The Focus, C-Max and Fusion (Mondeo), all good cars. But, the Fiesta ST… wow. We’ll be joined this week by Chief Engineer John Davis, and we’ll be asking him the secret behind this ultrafun hatchback. You’ve got to wonder, will this car be the tipping point that pulls the performance market down into the B segment? Plus, as usual we’ll dive into the news of the week. All that and much more as John McElroy is joined by co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

Buick has been on a winning streak, but how will the brand keep it up? Well, marketing is sure to play a big role in GM's strategy, and to that end we've invited the Product Marketing Director for Buick, Roger McCormack, to join us this week. You can bet we'll also get to the hot topics of the moment including host John McElroy's impressions from the Frankfurt Motor Show -- he's got news about designer Peter Horbury and Valeo's tiny lidar sensor. Plus, some racing scuttlebutt: Juan Pablo Montoya will be making his return to IndyCars next year with Penske Racing. All that and much more as John is joined by Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Mark Phelan from the Detroit Free Press.

The dust has settled and the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show has put its wares on display for the world to see. As always, it was a tremendous show, but we'll try to condense it down to its utmost essence in this week's Autoline After Hours with Mr. Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo, at the helm. We'll also talk supercars as we look at the new generation rolling out of the gates: green and very expensive. All that and much more as Peter is joined by Todd Lassa from Automobile and Gary Vasilash of Automotive Design and Production.

Toyota has long been the mainstay of sensible, middle class families. Though they might get teased for being the "beige" brand, it's a formula that has and continues to work. So where does the company go from here? Where will it find room for even more sales in the market? That's exactly what we'll be asking Bob Carter, Sr. VP, Automotive Operations, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. as he makes his debut appearance on AAH. We'll also get into some pressing topics including the winners and losers of August car sales and a preview of next week's Frankfurt Motor Show. Plus, has America's love affair with the automobile officially jumped the shark? Joining host John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Bryce Hoffman from The Detroit News.

GM's truck operation, if you were to separate it from the rest of the company, would be one of the most profitable automotive ventures in the world. So, perhaps you can understand why so much one-upmanship goes on between the truck brands. Working to keep Chevrolet and GMC on the cutting edge is Jeff Luke, the Executive Chief Engineer of GM Full-Size Trucks. He'll be our special guest this week and we'll be asking what technologies GM is looking at -- CNG? LPG? Turbocharging? Light-duty diesel? As usual, we'll also get into the biggest news of the week: Nissan sets an ambitious goal for achieving autonomy, Carlos Tavares gets the boot from Renault, and VW protests a lack of diesel incentives. Joining host John McElroy in studio is Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

Cadillac has certainly established its modern identity. With its well-known Art and Science design language, Caddy's cars have been all about sharp edges and bold choices. But no brand can resist evolution without becoming stale; so what's next? Bob Boniface is the Director of Cadillac Exterior Design and he'll be rolling into the studio with the company's latest offering, the 2014 Cadillac CTS. You can bet we'll be discussing the just-revealed Elmiraj concept along with a bevy of other design topics. Joining host Peter De Lorenzo in studio is Joe DeMatio from Automobile and Jim Hall, host of Autoline Design Handbook.

Ferrari. Corvette. Porsche. All iconic, but who produces the best-designed sports car today? Our crack team of automotive experts will assemble their ultimate wishlist this week on AAH. But of course that isn't all. We'll also get into the biggest news and most pressing topics of the week. Chevy drops the price of the Volt by $5,000, but will it be enough to give EV sales a shot in the arm? Is the upcoming Mercedes-Benz S-Class the car of the future, today? Plus, the automotive industry's best and brightest gathered in Traverse City this week; did they make any news or was it just more of the same? Joining host Peter De Lorenzo in studio is Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production, Todd Lassa of Automobile and Jim Hall, host of Autoline Design Handbook.

If it exists in the automotive world, he’s got an opinion on it. And, he won’t be afraid to tell you what he really thinks. The man of the hour is the cigar-chomping, helicopter flying, car guy’s car guy Bob Lutz. He’s just recently been inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame and has authored a new book, “Icons and Idiots.” We’ll be picking his brain about the state of the automotive industry with no particular agenda in mind, but make no mistake, this will be a wide-ranging, engaging discussion with the man who couldn’t mince a word if he wanted to. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Csaba Csere from the Valvefloat Group.

This week we take a deep dive into Cadillac's newest engine, the Twin Turbo V6. Host Peter De Lorenzo talks to Rich Bartlett, Assistant Chief Engineer of the aforementioned power plant. Todd Lassa from Automobile and Scott Burgess from Motor Trend also join the panel. So, tune in for the best insider discussion in the automotive industry!

It’s time once again to prove that no one can run a car company like an auto journalist… or so we think. Our contenders are here and ready to go head-to-head as they assemble their automotive dream teams. In addition to stalwart John McElroy of Dymaxion Motors, three newcomers have joined the fray: Csaba Csere of Cheetah Motors, Chris Paukert of Mitty Motors, and Joe White of Rat Rod Global Motors. Charlie Vogelheim MCs the evening’s event, and we’re joined once again by those quick-witted color commentators: Scott Burgess and Mark Phelan.This year’s draft is one of the most challenging yet! Each team owner has to pick, among other requirements, a company HQ, the perfect brand spokesperson and a talented corporate leader. Which company will draft the best picks? Click “play” to find out!

Remember when you were a kid and went in a tent for the first time and were amazed by how big it looked inside? That's what happens when you get in the Fiat 500L. You can't believe how big it is. And tonight's guest, Art Anderson, Chief Engineer of the car will be bringing one of those tent-sized 500Ls in-studio for us to check out. With 500 sales already catching up to the Mini brand, the L may just be the car that puts Fiat in the passing lane. And, as usual, the panel will be talking about the hottest topics going on in global automotive industry: Cadillac has killed its Ciel flagship, John McElroy has his impressions after a week with the Chevy Cruze diesel, and we'll look at lessons from Lutz's "Icons and Idiots." Joining John in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Doug Guthrie of The Detroit News.

He's been in the auto industry for almost 25 years having worked at all of the Detroit Three. Most notably he was President of OnStar; but if that wasn't glamorous enough for you, he also logged time as the "handler" for "Maximum" Bob Lutz. Today he finds himself at Ford as the head of Communications for the Americas and global product. The man behind that rather weighty resume is Chris Preuss. This week he's our guest in studio for AAH joining McElroy, co-host Peter De Lorenzo and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production discussing all things Ford...and maybe we'll wrangle some opinions out of him on the competition as well.

Try you might, the internal combustion engine just won't die. And, that's partly thanks to innovative designs that keep cropping up like the opoc (opposed piston opposed cylinder) engine from EcoMotors. For several years now, we've been following the progress of this startup on AAH. This week CEO Don Runkle joins us and we'll be asking him about the deal to fund a $200 million opoc engine factory. We'll also be getting into the big news stories of the week: Chrysler caves to NHTSA's recall demands after previously refusing, but why? EVs and plug-ins are depreciating much faster than other cars. And with Bosch's new eClutch anyone can drive a stick! Joining John McElroy to discuss all this and more is Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Chris Paukert from Autoblog.

For too long, Lincoln has been forgotten. Once a symbol of American luxury, the brand had devolved into a vector for rebadged Fords in recent decades. Now, with new product like the MKZ, there is hope on the horizon. On this week's show we'll talk to two of the people helping the Lincoln Motor Company navigate its way back to true luxury status. Janet Seymour is the Colors and Materials Design Manager for the brand and Susan Lampinen serves as Group Chief Designer of Color and Material Design for both Ford and Lincoln. We'll be asking them, among other things, what design trends will be most important to embrace as a luxury marque. And, while there's a lot to get into on that subject alone, we'll also be delving into some of the latest auto news. Joining Peter De Lorenzo in studio is Jim Hall, the Majordomo for Life of 2953 Analytics.

Chrysler is going out on a limb. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ordered the company to recall 2.7 million Jeeps, but they aren’t budging. The problem is that even if Chrysler wins in court, it may tarnish its safety record in the public eye. We’ll be debating that hot topic along with a raft of other items. May car sales look to be back on trend, the Chevrolet Malibu gets a quickie redo, plus the sporty SS gets priced out just below $45K. Joining John McElroy in studio to talk it all out is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production and Todd Lassa of Automobile.