Autoline After Hours

This week we're getting inside the head of General Motors' marketing chief, Joel Ewanick. We'll be asking him what sort of message GM plans to get out to the world as it continues its uphill battle to shake the "Government Motors" moniker. What advertising is one the horizon? Why did GM pull out of the Super Bowl? Is there a value to social media? Joining John McElroy in the studio is Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

They’re on the clock…almost. This week the Autoline After Hours studio transforms into Draft Central as the show conducts its second-annual Automotive Draft. If you recall last year’s event, John McElroy led a contingent of four “team owners” — made up of his colleagues from the auto press — in choosing the executives who would lead their own car companies. This year’s automotive draft is bigger, better and even has its own ESPN-like “Draft Reporter” — Ms. Tiffany Stone — who will try her best to moderate the show’s returning Draft analysts, Mark Phelan from the Detroit Free Press and Scott Burgess from AOL Autos. Join John McElroy from Dymaxion Motors, Jim Hall from Automobiles Bistango, Michelle Krebs and her team Edmunds iMobility, Drew Winter and New America Motors along with Todd Lassa and Jaeger Motor Car Company and see who they choose during the seven rounds of the 2012 AAH Automotive Draft.

When Richard Hollingshead invented the drive-in theatre he knew he was combining two passions that would go great together. And, while drive-ins may not be as popular as they once were, cars and movies just keep cruising on and on. As you’ve probably guessed by now, that’s the subject of this week’s show. We’ll talk about the classics like “Vanishing Point” as well as films you might not associate with cars like “Body Heat.” Plus, we’ll get into some non-Hollywood topics such as Cadillac’s struggle to take on BMW with the ATS. To discuss all this and much more, Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, is joined by Todd Lassa from Motor Trend and Jim Hall from 2953 Analytics.

Celebrate 15 years of Autoline on this week’s edition of After Hours! We’re having a party to commemorate our anniversary and you’re invited alongside some of our illustrious guests including: Mustafa Mohatarem, General Motors’ Chief Economist; Mark Fields, the President, Americas of Ford; and author Margery Krevsky with a couple of her “Sirens of Chrome.” We’ll be talking about some of the changes we’ve seen in the industry over the last decade and a half, and we’ll take a look back at some of the notable interviews we’ve conducted over time. Have a listen or sit down and watch this very special edition of Autoline After Hours!

On this week’s show, “father knows best” and in this case the patriarch we’re talking to is none other than the “father” of the very successful Ford EcoBoost technology. Dan Kapp is the Director of Ford Powertrain Research and Advanced, and we’ll be asking him what’s next for EcoBoost and what other powertrain goodies he’s working on for the Blue Oval. As you can guess, we’ll be getting into the news of the week including management shifts for Audi and Infiniti and the move of Road and Track magazine from its historic home in Newport Beach, California to Ann Arbor, Michigan. To discuss these topics and much more, John McElroy is joined by Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Alisa Priddle from the Detroit Free Press.

On the docket this week: is the Toyota sales recovery the real deal? Chevrolet drops the Super Bowl and teams up with Manchester United (they play the other kind of football) to hopefully cement the bowtie as an international brand. Plus, we'll take a stroll down memory lane to remember the Chevrolet Corvair, the classic in the studio today. To discuss these topics and way, way more, Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, is joined by Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production and Scott Burgess from AOL Autos.

When the dust cleared from GM's restructuring, many were surprised to see Buick and GMC left standing. The former had become known for its 50-and-older demographic while the latter appeared to exist for the sole purpose of rebadging Chevrolet trucks. This week's guest is Craig Bierly, the Director of Buick and GMC Advertising and Promotions. We'll be asking him what he's doing to market two brands that are more important than they have been in a long time. In particular, is Buick making a mistake by targeting a younger demographic that wants fun-to-drive cars instead of sticking to its knitting (so to speak)? To discuss this and the news of the week, John McElroy is joined in studio by co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

There's no doubt that one of the most hotly anticipated cars to rise from the ashes of the Detroit auto implosion is the 2013 SRT Viper. On this week's show, we get down to brass tacks and talk to the man behind the two-seat beast. And, that man is none other than the President and CEO of the SRT Brand, Ralph Gilles. We'll be getting all of the details about the fierce new snake, where the SRT brand is going, and we'll ask what we can expect next from Chrysler's rising star. To discuss this and more, John McElroy is joined in studio by co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Chris Paukert from Autoblog.

Engines of Change is the new book by Paul Ingrassia. In it he names the 15 cars he thinks have had the biggest impact on American society and culture. Paul is our guest this week in the AAH studio, and this conversation is could be a big debate! What 15 cars would you pick? Plus, you know we’ll be digging deep into the hot topics of the week including Dan Akerson blaming Detroit’s downfall on the car guys. To discuss this and way, way more, John McElroy is joined in studio by co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the one and only Autoextremist, and Todd Lassa from Motor Trend and Motor Trend Classic.

TechShop is for doers. If you want to make something with your own two hands and you don’t have the thousands of dollars to spend on a top-of-the-line workshop, then this is the place for you. Think of it as a gym membership for the DIY crowd. Now, TechShop, in partnership with Ford, will become an incubation lab for new ideas that will fuel R and D. To get to the bottom of this, we’ll talk to the man who’s behind this new plan, Bill Coughlin, President and CEO of Ford Global Technologies. Plus, you can bet we’ll be getting to the news of the week including a rundown of what companies kicked ass in April sales and which companies got their asses kicked. Also, we’ll talk about which companies are doing a beautiful job building their brands and which ones don’t seem to have a clue. John McElroy is joined in studio by co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Charlie Vogelheim from Digital Air Strike.