Autoline After Hours

This week we invite Chris de Boer, head of Research and Development at Transonic Combustion to join us in the AAH studio. We'll be asking him if his technology is really the big breakthrough we've been waiting for, and how he can get 30% better fuel economy just by changing the fuel injection. As always we'll get into the big news of the week including GM's announcement that Big Ed Whitacre will be stepping down as CEO. Plus, Chrysler and GM both posted profits this week, and--can you believe it--the U.S. Department of Transportation found no electronic flaws in Toyotas. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Jim Hall from 2953 Analytics.

This week we invite Tom Kowaleski into the AAH studio. Tom's the VP of Corporate Communications at BMW, and we'll be asking him what's up with this whole "Joy" thing anyway? And, what will it take for BMW to overtake Lexus in the luxury segment? As always we'll be tackling the latest news as well including Hyundai's goal of a 50 MPG fleet average by 2025, GM's investment into Bright Automotive and July sales numbers. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Jeff Green from Bloomberg News.

This week the gang is all back together and they invite Amy Marentic, the marketing manager for the newly-revealed Ford Explorer, onto the show. We'll be asking Amy just how many people she thinks Ford can bring back to the SUV segment. Of course, the panel will also get into the news of the week like the positive earnings several companies have been seeing in the second quarter. We'll also discuss our recent trip to the VW research labs where we saw an amazing autonomous Audi TT, and we'll talk about their EV strategy which goes the laptop-battery route. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

This week our dear leader is on the road, so Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, grabs the wheel and takes over. We'll discuss the news of the week and other pressing topics: Is Ford running a risk having too many similar vehicles (Explorer, Edge, Flex) on the road? Can we ever realistically expect subsidy-free electric vehicles to be viable in the marketplace? Honda has lost its mojo -- can it go green to get it back? Peter's in studio with special guests Frank Markus from Motor Trend and Scott Burgess from The Detroit News.

This week we welcome Peter Hofbauer, a former diesel-engine designer at Volkswagen who’s now the Founder, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of EcoMotors, the company developing a revolutionary new opposed-piston engine. Beyond that, host John McElroy, David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek and Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics talk about some of the top news stories from the past week, like Ford's recent management shakeup and the latest on Toyota's unintended acceleration problem. Of course the panel also discusses the future of the ICE and what EcoMotors' new powerplant can offer the auto industry as it shoots to deliver better fuel economy.

This week we bring you a special all Q and A show. Our Rapid Fire segment has proven to be so popular that we never have enough time to make it through all our viewers' questions. In this episode we're going to do the best we can to rectify that. Our good friend Jason Vines is even coming in to help us get through all your mail and phone calls, so get ready for some answers to come your way! John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

This week we welcome Kathleen Ligocki, an auto industry consultant who is a former Ford VP, supplier company CEO and an expert in emerging markets such as China. We'll be asking her if she thinks Detroit has really recovered yet from the economic meltdown. As usual, we'll also get into the news of the week like Edmund's prediction that sales will be down this month. Also we'll discuss Ferrari's decision to drop manual transmissions and some recent news about ethanol. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

This week we welcome Charlie Hughes, the author of "Branding Iron" and an expert in automotive brands. In the past couple of years we've had a major culling of automotive marques--especially in Detroit. In this episode, we'll talk about what else can go: Acura? Infiniti? As usual, we'll also get into the news of the week. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

It's a very special After Hours this week as we take the show on the road to The Henry Ford for a "Racing in America" event being held to raise funds for a new permanent exhibit in the museum. We're bringing you a two-parter this week, and Part One is all about racing as we sit down with some of the most influential movers and shakers in the business including Jack Roush, Leonard Wood and John Force. On tap as usual is John McElroy as well as David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek and, of course, the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo.

This we took the show on the road to The Henry Ford for a "Racing in America" event. We had a lot of great discussion about racing, which you can catch in Part One of this week's show, but here is Part Two, and it's all about the news of the week. We discussed the outcry over the "Chevrolet not Chevy" memo, as well as GM's quiet management shake up. We also talked about Ford's new restoration parts business and why you won't get to drive the Panoz Abruzzi in America. On hand is John McElroy as well as David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek and, of course, the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo.