Autoline After Hours

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.

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.

And now for something completely different. This week John McElroy comes to you from the Pacific time zone in the great city of Los Angeles. Autoline is out west this week covering the L.A. Auto Show, and we're getting together with some of our left coast colleagues to do an AAH from the land of CARB and some really out-of-control cars. We'll be joined by Chelsea Sexton, EV enthusiast, Matt DeLorenzo from Road and Track and Charlie Vogelheim of Intellichoice. Of course, the group will be discussing the major news out of this week's show and much more.

This week’s gonna be fun. Not only are the inmates running the asylum here at the Autoline studios, we’ve got some of your all-time favorite AAH panelists all in the same room. Peter De Lorenzo’s in the driver’s seat while Mr. McElroy is out on business, and he’s invited Frank Markus from Motor Trend, Scott Burgess from The Detroit News and — wait for it — Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics. Tonight we’ll be running through a ton of the news to come out this week including Mercedes’ new 4-cylinder S-Class, the rising costs of raw materials and what it means for vehicle prices, as well as the GM IPO. Hold on tight, because we just might be in for a wild ride tonight!

We’re back again for another outspoken Autoline After Hours, and it’s feeling like old times as we get ready to dive head first into the latest news and views with none other than AAH founding member Jason Vines. We’ll be talking about the latest car sales for sure and whether or not it bodes well for the auto industry. We’re also going to talk about what effect the election will have on the auto industry, and we’ll discuss the impending GM IPO. Plus, John McElroy will explain why he quit the Automotive Press Association after they invited Steven Rattner to speak. John’s also joined in studio by Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

On this week’s show, it’s just us, the beers and a dog named “Ike” — oh yeah, and the latest news out of this ever-hopping auto industry! Our pal Jean Halliday from AutoAdOpolis will be on hand to chat with us as we delve into Consumer Reports’ latest findings. They’re wild about the latest GM product and amazed at the Chrysler prototypes they got a peek at. Plus, Chevy’s having a crisis over the classification of the Volt in California. But we couldn’t have two of our favorite ad gurus on the show without talking about some of the latest campaigns, so get ready for a “Deep” dive. John McElroy’s also joined in studio by Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

This week we’re joined by Kevin McMahon who is a Managing Partner at The Martec Group, a research and consulting firm. Kevin heads up the group’s automotive and transportation analysis where he discovered an interesting fact. He says the California Air Resources Board (CARB) overstated diesel emissions by as much as 350 percent, rendering it uncompetitive in the market! We’ll also be getting to other topics of the week like Mazda’s new hyperefficient powertrain for the Demio. Plus, we’ll start talking Car of the Year, especially as the Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt are concerned. John McElroy had a chance to drive both in Hell, Michigan this week, and we’ll get his take. John’s in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Frank Markus from MotorTrend.

In the After Hours studio this week is Bob Purcell, the CEO of Protean Electric, a company that specializes in electric hub motors. Wait till you hear how Purcell wants to use these motors to instantly add hundreds of horsepower to a conventional car. Of course we'll be getting into the news and you can bet the great Volt controversy will be on the table. We'll have to see if we can get Bob (formerly of GM's EV program) to weigh in. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and AAH newbie Charlie Vogelheim from Intellichoice.com.

This week we're talking Tata tech with Warren Harris, the President and COO of Tata Technologies. We'll be asking him what plans Tata has for the American and European markets. Of course, we'll be digging into the news of the week including BMW producing a front-wheel drive car--could it be the beginning of the end for the company's performance legacy? And, could Jaguar's C-X75 go beyond concept to become the brand's new halo supercar? John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

This week we’ll be getting a first-hand report from the Paris Motor Show as John McElroy joins us via Skype to offer his impressions. We’ll talk about how supercar EVs are taking over the show floor as well as the spectacular gas turbine hybrid concept revealed by Jaguar. Plus, McElroy has an exciting scoop from VW about its plan for diesels in the U.S. Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, will be in the driver’s seat tonight and he’ll be accompanied by advertising and marketing journalist Jean Halliday from AutoAdOpolis who will be on hand to discuss the latest automotive ad campaigns and more.