Autoline After Hours

The idea of hub motors takes conventional car thinking and turns it on its head. Instead of one centrally located motor that drives some or all of the wheels, the motors are the wheels. Protean Electric thinks it has the formula to make EVs work, and this week we'll talk to the man with the plan, Chairman and CEO Bob Purcell. We'll be asking Bob when to expect the first vehicle rolling off the line equipped with Protean hub motors. Of course we'll also get into the hot topics of the week including slowing car sales in the U.S., GM and Chrysler's sour earnings and more. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

Sometimes it's good to hang out with "just the guys." That's why on this week's Autoline After Hours, we'll be eschewing our normally scheduled guest segment for a longer discussion about the news of the week and other hot topics that need talking out. Ford reports a record first-quarter profit with North America providing a strong contribution, Buick takes the wraps off a Riviera concept in Shanghai and Fisker goes under the gun of the U.S. Congress. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production and AAH alum David Welch from Bloomberg Businessweek.

There is no shortage of innovative thinking when it comes to internal combustion technology. And, as this week's guest will demonstrate, Achates Power is no exception. David Johnson is the President and CEO of the company, which is developing an innovative opposed-piston engine that will be more fuel efficient and less expensive to produce than conventional power plants. But, we'll be asking him, is the world ready for such a radical new design? Will a mainstream automaker take a chance at adopting an untested technology? Plus we'll get into the news of the week including the game of musical chairs going on amongst the executive ranks of Chrysler and Nissan. And, Edmunds projects that 40-50 percent of new car sales will be hybrids... in the year 2040. Joining John McElroy in studio to discuss this and a whole lot more is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

What do the Nissan Micra, Chery Tiggo and Audi Q7 all have in common? While one of these things is not like the other, all have engines with Eaton superchargers. And, like turbochargers in recent memory, get ready to see superchargers in cars you would have never expected. This week's guest is Grant Terry, the Business Development Manager for the Eaton Supercharger Product Line. We'll be asking him what advantages superchargers have over the ever-more ubiquitous turbocharger technology. Plus, we'll be discussing the news of the week including a tale of two startups: EcoMotors and Fisker. And, which is really the best seller, the Ford Focus or Toyota Corolla? Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Lindsay Brooke from SAE.

Why is it that everyone wants better roads to drive on, but no one wants to fix them? If only we'd build them like the German autobahns, nary a pothole there'd be ... right? It may not be so simple. Kirk Steudle is the Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation and one of the foremost road experts in the country. We'll be asking him about what it takes to build highways and byways that last, and we'll discuss how we're going to pay for it one way or the other. We'll have plenty of news on tap as well including the latest car sales breakdown. Also, the long-forgotten Detroit Electric has been revived in the form of a sporty Tesla-like model. Plus, the latest news on GM's full-size trucks: do they have what it takes to compete? Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

Chevrolet's new Impala is finally here and it's big and beautiful, but does it have what it takes to challenge full-size competition like the Chrysler 300 and Hyundai Azera? As this sedan rolls into the studio, we'll be asking Chief Engineer Todd Pawlik to give us the download on the new car. We'll also get into the hottest topics of the week including the myriad reveals of the New York Auto Show. While we're on the subject, we'll discuss whether all these auto shows are worth it. Australia is canceling at least one of its major shows due to lack of interest, should others be on the chopping block? And, Ford has just initiated a very interesting program challenging app makers to dig deep into its fuel economy data. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

This week we gave our guest of honor a very challenging task: name the best vehicle designs since 1950. But, John Manoogian II, former GM designer, was up to the task, so join us as he presents, and we discuss, his short list. Did your favorite car make it? Find out! Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, takes the helm tonight and is joined by Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

Remember the days when Chrysler interiors were wall-to-wall shiny plastic? It's quickly becoming a fading memory because, with Klaus Busse, Head of Interior Design, at the helm, the company's cabins are among the best in the business. As Mr. Busse joins us tonight, we'll ask him what innovations we can expect as future generations of vehicles roll off the line. Per usual, we'll get into the hot topics of the week. Joining John McElroy in studio with the best insider discussion in the industry is his co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Drew Winter from WardsAuto.com.

This week the AAH team gets out its crystal ball to see what is in store for the industry in the next few years. Michael Robinet from IHS will be on hand to help us do just that. We'll ask him to map out the state of the global industry in the years ahead. Plus, we'll take a look at future vehicles through the prism of the spectacle known stateside as the Geneva Motor Show. Paul Eisenstein from TheDetroitBureau.com has spent the last several days at this massive show, and he'll tell us what cars to watch. Plus, we'll get into other hot topics like the latest vehicle sales -- why did passenger cars plummet? Also, it looks like LPG and CNG are poised to dominate the heavy truck market. Joining John McElroy in studio to talk about all that and much more is his co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

What's black and blue and striped all over? Well, it's rolling into the Autoline After Hours studio this week, and the team at Mopar is ready for it to tear up the tarmac. Our guest is Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of the Mopar Brand, and he'll be bringing a very special variant of the Dodge Dart called the Mopar '13 -- in fact the only one traveling around right now. We'll be asking Mr. Gorlier what's so special about this slick-looking compact, and we'll find out more about Mopar's dealer business. Plus, we'll get into the news of the week: a top Porsche designer departs for greener pastures at... Chery?; GM steals away Volkswagen's top marketing executive; and we rank the automakers to see who has the best claim as top dog. Joining John McElroy in studio to talk about all that and much more, is Scott Burgess from Motor Trend and Gary Vasilash of Automotive Design and Production.

If you want to stick out from the crowd in this ever more-busy, social media-laden, fifteen-seconds-of-fame world, there's only one way to do it and stay there: good, solid branding. To that end, we've got the guy who wrote the book on branding, literally. Charlie Hughes is the author of "Branding Iron" and the former head of Land Rover North America. We'll be asking him to help us identify the winners and losers in the branding game. As per usual, we'll be getting into the news of the week as well: Volkswagen has just announced that its super-efficient XL1 will actually be going into production; Danica Patrick became the first woman ever to qualify in the pole position for the Daytona 500; and the New York Times and Tesla's Elon Musk duke it out in public. Joining John McElroy in studio to talk about all that and much more, is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, Frank Markus from Motor Trend and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

Just as you could get the Ford Model T in any color, as long as it was black, when the company brought the C-MAX stateside, it declared you could get any powertrain, as long as it was a hybrid. This week the C-MAX Energi rolls into the Autoline studio with John Davis, Chief Program Engineer, in tow. We'll be asking him all about the car and about what challenges Ford faces in trying to sell a plug-in. We'll also want to know why the C-MAX struggles, in testing, to meet the fuel economy ratings on the EPA label. And, yes, we will also get to the top news of the week. GM earnings are disappointing; 2013 just may be the year of the diesel as Ram and Subaru both announce new entries; and Federal Mogul says goodbye to spark plugs while Chevrolet says hello to shape memory alloys. Joining John McElroy in studio to talk about all that and much more, is Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Todd Lassa from Automobile.

It's been decades since GM released a diesel engine in a U.S. passenger car. Now, with the Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel, it's back in the game. On deck to answer all our questions is Josh Tavel, Vehicle Performance Manager for Chevrolet Small Cars. Plus, we'll be delving into the big news of the week and the questions racking our brains. Did the auto industry bet wrong on small displacement turbos? What happened to Nissan's partnership with the revolutionary DeltaWing race car? Joining John McElroy in studio to talk about all that and much more, is Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

On Sunday all eyes--well, a lot of eyes--will be on the action going down in New Orleans, but while the 49ers and Ravens are at each others' throats, another competition will be playing out. That's because all of those aforementioned eyes will be there for the taking and there is nothing else that matches the advertising spectacle that is the Super Bowl. Thus, automakers from around the world will be embroiled in a battle of corporate egos. As luck would have it, many of these ads have already been, *ahem*, "leaked" so the AAH panel will be doing a roundup of what's on the docket, so far. Joining us to offer an inside perspective on this high-stakes competition is Michael Sprague, the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Kia Motors America. Kia has two ads in the queue for the big game, and we'll get to preview at least one of them. Joining John McElroy in studio to talk about all things Super Bowl, plus the news of the week, is Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Kiley from

He spent 55 years developing racing engines with Ford, worked with some of the greatest drivers of the 20th century, and now he's talking with us! Mose Nowland is the former Senior Motorsport Engineer for Ford Racing, and he's only recently retired. Having worked on cars for Le Mans, Indy, NASCAR and drag racing, this guy's no one trick pony. We'll be asking him to opine on the good ole days and compare them to what's going on today in racing. Plus, you can bet there's a discussion of the past week's hottest topics on tap, including the revelation that Mark Reuss got passed over for Dan Akerson at GM. And, should Corvette spin off into its own brand? Peter De Lorenzo thinks so, and John McElroy thinks his ambitious plan might not be ambitious enough. Joining John and Peter in studio is none other than the man who knew far, far too much: Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics.

For the first time ever, John McElroy and the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo, host the webcast from the floor of the Detroit auto show! They'll be joined by Todd Lassa of Automobile to review their favorite reveals to come out of the show. Plus, they’ll be taking a stroll over to the Corvette booth to take a look at that little car you may already have heard about, the 2014 Stingray. Harlan Charles is the Product and Marketing Manager for the Corvette and he'll be giving us the lowdown on this all-new two seater.

“Chevy Runs Deep” no more, instead it’s trying to “Find New Roads” with a new slogan. And, as another tagline lands in the dustbin, we’ll be asking a Chevrolet historian for his take on the matter. Mike Davis is the author of “Images of America: Chevrolet,” a two-volume pictorial history of GM’s flagship brand, and we’ll see what lessons he learned in the long tale of the bowtie. We’ll also get into the news of the week and talk a bit about what we’re anticipating as brands roll out their newest stuff at the North American International Auto Show next week. Joining John McElroy in studio to discuss all this and more is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and a face we haven’t seen in a long time, none other than grizzled PR veteran and AAH founding member Jason Vines.

Well, it would appear we've survived both the Mayan apocalypse and the fiscal cliff, but how will the auto industry fare in 2013? To help us answer that question we've invited Anthony Pratt, Director of Forecasting Americas for Polk. In keeping with our New Year's theme, our panelists will be discussing the resolutions the automotive world should adopt in 2013. Plus, we'll get into the recent news including the promotion of Kia designer Peter Schreyer to Group President at Hyundai-Kia. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, as well as Ed Lapham from Automotive News.

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.