Autoline After Hours

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.