Autoline After Hours

Once a year the Autoline After Hours fellas get to play Santa as they bestow their prestigious (or not so prestigious) Naughty and Nice awards. What people, brands and cars will get presents? Which will be smothered in coal dust? There's only one way to find out! Joining John McElroy for this special holiday-themed broadcast is his partner in crime Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, Jim Hall from 2953 Analytics and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

This week the conversation gets turbocharged as we welcome John Norton from BorgWarner into the AAH studio. He heads up the company's racing efforts and we'll be asking him what technologies they are developing and if we might see these innovations on everyday cars and trucks. Plus, as always, we'll be getting into the biggest news of the week including who we think will win the North American Car and Truck of the Year Award. We'll also talk about all-new trucks just revealed by GM and delve into the news about Chrysler's delinquent employees getting reinstated. Joining John McElroy to participate in the discussion is Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, as well as auto journo Jim McCraw.

The U.S. is home to two of the preeminent automotive design schools, the College for Creative Studies and Art Center College of Design, but are these lauded institutions falling down on the job? Finding that design school graduates were entering the workforce with a lack of engineering knowledge, automakers approached Lawrence Technological University about developing a design program that would intertwine the two disciplines. Our guest, Keith Nagara, is the Director of the Transportation Design Program at Lawrence Tech. We'll be asking him what his school is doing differently to prepare students for a real world design occupation. And, you can bet we'll also get into the news of the week including the big announcement that Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is pursuing right-to-work legislation that will have major ramifications for the UAW. Joining John McElroy in studio to discuss all this and more is Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, Scott Burgess from AOL Autos and Gary Vasilash of Automotive Design and Production.

This week Autoline After Hours comes to you from California with a special edition. John McElroy will be taking an in-depth look at the latest incarnation of VW’s Beetle Convertible with Product Manager Andres Valbuena. McElroy will also get a hands-on preview of the new 1.0L EcoBoost engine in the Ford Fiesta with Stephen Russ, Tech Leader of Gas Engine Systems, and Liz Elser, the Marketing Manager for the Fiesta. John will even get behind the wheel and experience both of these cars on the streets of Santa Monica! So, buckle up and join us for the best insider information in the industry.

Well, the Ford hit parade continues, and this week we have the hottest new star out of the Motor City, the Fusion, parked in the Autoline Garage. But, more importantly, to get the back story behind this four-door looker, we have invited John Jraiche, the vehicle's chief engineer. We'll be asking him what Ford has done differently to turn out a vehicle that is truly a world-class car. And, you can count on a discussion of some of the biggest news stories of the week as well: the U.S. is set to dominate worldwide oil production in the near future; Tesla's Model S wins Motor Trend Car of the Year; and Ford PR outflanks GM in electrification announcements. Joining John McElroy to talk about this and a whole lot more is the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo, and Alisa Priddle from the Detroit Free Press.

What's the true cost of that Nissan LEAF your neighbor is driving? How about that Chevrolet Volt? We're not talking about the cost to own; we're talking about the cost to manufacture. Sandy Munro is a manufacturing expert, and as the president of Munro and Associates, he makes it his business to figure out the smartest way to assemble cars. He recently reverse engineered the Chevrolet Volt, and as our guest this week he'll be able to tell us what it really costs to build an EV and where that expense originates. Of course, we'll also be getting into the hottest topics in the news including a discussion about what impact the 2012 election results will have on the auto industry. Joining John McElroy to talk about this and a whole lot more is the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo, and Joe White from The Wall Street Journal.

This week the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo, takes the helm, and it's time to talk auto advertising. And, we've got one of the marketing world's seasoned veterans to offer his expert opinion. Mark LaNeve was the marketing chief for General Motors before going to Allstate and now he's back, fully enveloped in the automotive world, as the COO for Team Detroit, Ford's advertising agency. We'll talk about some of the very best examples of car ads out there right now and find out what agencies are turning out the most engaging creative. On hand to offer her opinion as well is friend of the show Jean Halliday from AutoAdOpolis.

One of the most anticipated cars over the last few years has been the Ford Focus ST. Well, this hot hatch is finally gracing the Autoline studios, and as if that weren't enough, we're also joined by Ford's gearhead supreme, Hau Thai-Tang, Vice President of Engineering and Global Product Development. Suffice it to say, we won't be lacking for topics. Plus, John McElroy and Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, will discuss the news of the week including A123's bankruptcy. Which EV companies could be next? All that and much more on this week's rip-roaring installment of Autoline After Hours.

When you fill your tank up with E85, are you burning food for fuel? Don't biofuels take more energy to produce than we get out of them? Candace Wheeler is GM's foremost fuels expert, and she'll be in studio to answer all of your questions. And, don't fret, you'll get the panel's reaction to the latest news to cross the transom including the baffling appointment at the Cadillac brand. We'll discuss why GM chose an executive with no car experience to run this critical luxury division. Plus, NASCAR's smash 'n' crash races look increasingly stupid, so what should be done? Joining John McElroy to talk about all these topics and much more is Peter De Lorenzo, the one and only Autoextremist, and Drew Winter from WardsAuto.

While AAH is off the air this week, please enjoy this encore presentation of our Paris Motor Show coverage. Join John McElroy for a personal tour of the Mondial de l’Automobile with guests such as Johan de Nysschen, the man who has been challenged to transform Infiniti into a competitive global brand. John also talks to Jim O'Sullivan and gets a peek at the brand new Mazda6, including a version we won't see in the U.S. Plus a look at some of the coolest French concept and production cars to debut at the show. What is the best looking concept at this year's exhibition? McElroy gives you his answer. All that and way, way more.