Autoline Daily - Audio

Official pictures of the new Honda Accord are out and the images are more of the same. Despite what the automaker might say, it’s yawn-tastic. Toyota says it will sell fuel-cell cars in the U.S. in 2015, though the cars will likely only be sold in certain areas where the infrastructure exists to fuel them. BMW’s Mini brand is earning some cute points and making a stir in track and field events at the Olympics. All that and more, plus an update from John at MBS.

Spyker and GM are facing off in court. The small Dutch automaker alleges GM wrongfully forced it to take Saab into bankruptcy. John has some updates from the MBS conference in Traverse City, Michigan. Chrysler may share its popular Uconnect infotainment system with cars on the Fiat side of the Chrysler-Fiat conglomerate by adapting the software to specific regions around the globe. All that and more plus a quick look at the Hyundai Elantra GT.

Two former Porsche executives are being investigated over allegations of market manipulation. Nissan just introduced the all new 2013 Pathfinder, which hits dealerships this fall. General Motors may have to write down its investment in Peugeot-Citroen because it exceeds its fair value. All that and more, plus a look at a new concept vehicle from MINI.

With all the 2Q numbers in Toyota sold more than a million more units than it did last year when Japan was ravaged by natural disasters. The company also may have passed GM again to take the sales crown. In our tour of the GM Design Center we saw a lot of great cars, including one with an interesting history. The Nurburgring gets a bail out to stave off bankruptcy. All that and more, plus we ask Ed Welburn where GM's super secret Studio X is located.

General Motors reported its second-quarter earnings, and it was a fairly weak performance. Car sales in the U.S. were up slightly last month, but they show the market is slowing down. Vehicles equipped with manual transmissions have accounted for 7 percent of sales so far this year, up from around 4 percent last year. All that and more, plus a look at the 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1 Convertible.

Ford seems to have a lot of former GM executives at its in-house marketing agency, Team Detroit. Very unusual to see all those former execs in the same place. BMW says it's building more cars than last year but making less money. Sales are up six percent, but profits are off 28 percent at the German automaker. Volkswagen is adding another shift to its Chattanooga, Tenn., plant to meet demand for the Passat. With all the new hiring VW is doing the company says it prefers fast food workers to people with manufacturing experience. All that and more, plus it's time for You Said It!

Chrysler, Honda and Mazda released their figures for the second quarter. All sold more cars than a year ago but Mazda was the only one to lose money! Ford's days down under may be numbered. The company recently cut production and slashed jobs at the plant building the Falcon. A survey of the 20 most popular commercials on YouTube found that six of the 20 are car related! All that and more, plus a look at a new trend in paint.

Joel Ewanick, the Chief Marketing Officer at General Motors abruptly left the company over the weekend. Volkswagen is investigating its Chinese partner, FAW over allegations that it illegally copied its technology. Kia just revealed the 2013 Forte which is also known as the Cerato in other markets. All that and more, plus a look at how GM engineers were able to cut weight from the all-new Cadillac ATS.

Lotus' new owners are really changing things up at the firm founded by Colin Chapman, DRB-Hicom is slashing new models among other things. Sergio and Volkswagen are at it again. This time the Fiat-Chrysler CEO is accusing VW of starting a price war in Europe in an attempt to steal away market share. France is trying to prop up its car industry with investment credits and low cost financing, but is it just a band-aid? All that and more, plus a peek at the upcoming episode of Autoline This Week.

More financial numbers are in today. Volkswagen, Nissan and Hyundai all posted their second quarter profits. Hyundai dropped its industry-wide global sales forecast for the year because of economic concerns in Europe and China. Mazda is teasing the upcoming 2014 Mazda6 before it debuts next month at the Moscow International Automobile Salon. All that and more, plus a look at how Cadillac is rewriting the book on underbody aerodynamics.

Ford, Daimler and Peugeot all reported their financial numbers for the first half and the results are mixed. Traffic deaths in the U.S. are up 13.5 percent in the first quarter of this year. Kia is coming out with an all-new version of its compact minivan, the Carens at the Paris Auto Show. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

A Finnish company Valmet makes its money by building cars for other manufacturers that lack capacity, which seems like an oxymoron in Europe nowadays, but Mercedes just hired them to build 100,000 cars. Ford says it has shaved 30 percent from the cost of its latest hybrid by sharing parts and in-sourcing development. Goodyear announces it’s looking at replacing petroleum with soy-based oils in tires. All that and more, plus a look at the Volkswagen Golf R!

Amid rising costs in Japan, Nissan is moving production of the Rogue SUV to Korea. The move will better utilize plant capacity at an existing Samsung factory. Following OnStar's move to launch an OEM car sharing service, BMW is starting its own BMW On Demand service in Manhattan. PSA will begin building commercial vans for Toyota based off current Peugeot and Citroen models. The move is likely an effort to improve the cash flow situation for the ailing PSA. All that and more, plus an in depth look at the 2013 Cadillac XTS.

Patrick Pelata is out at Renault-Nissan. The former COO resigned after a botched espionage scandal last year. The July SAAR numbers are in and they're up 20 percent from last year when the Japanese tsunami put a damper on sales. GM announced the Chevy Trax will be built in Mexico later this year. All that and more, plus a peak at the latest episode of Autoline This Week!

Earlier in the week, Opel named a new interim CEO, and now the company is replacing its chief financial officer and the head its of research and development. Honda is investing 40 million dollars to increase production at its plant in Indiana which will boost capacity by about 50,000 units annually. The Ford Mustang is now available in the Philippines. All that and more, plus a look at the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL.