Autoline Daily - Audio

A judge dismissed class action claims in Florida and New York that unintended acceleration problems hurt the resale value of their Toyota’s. Chevy engineers ran an 11.93-second, 116-MPH quarter-mile with a showroom-stock Camaro ZL-1 with an automatic. We’ve got car sales from around the globe and the results are mixed. All that and more, plus a clever new design for an electric motor that could get around China’s chokehold on those all important rare-earth metals.

Remember, JAC’s blatant F-150 rip off? Turns out that Ford does a bang-up job protecting intellectual property. Delphi’s aluminum wiring solution can save a ton of weight over the copper alternative — find out how much. BMW’s first-quarter results are very impressive and we’ll have the breakdown. All that and more, plus Craig Cole has Autoline’s first look at the Scion FR-S!

It looks like GM is still the world's biggest automaker, but VW is nipping at its heels with massively more revenue to show for it. Volvo's hybrid semi-truck sets a world speed record. Renault-Nissan will take a majority stake in AvtoVAZ in order to polish up the Lada brand. All that and more, plus John McElroy responds to your questions and comments in this week's edition of You Said It!

After what seems like an eternity, Ford is taking orders for the hotly anticipated Focus ST, but at what price? The Aptera we thought was dead in the ground is being "zapped" back to life by a Chinese company. German scientists are developing smart tires that can change their tread to match driving conditions. All that and more, plus a full report on April car sales.

Automakers and other organizations are fighting a battle that’s reminiscent of the clash between Westinghouse and Edison. There’s lots of labor strife going on in the automotive world today. GM is laying off a huge number of workers at its tech center in Warren, Michigan. All that and more, plus a test drive of the 2012 Toyota Yaris.

Global car sales hit a world record in March with nearly 8.25 million units sold. General Motors will start selling the Chevrolet Corvette in South Korea next month. And speaking of GM, reports out of Japan say the company will take a 10 percent stake in Isuzu, to jointly develop, produce and sell pick-up trucks and commercial vehicles. All that and more, plus a look at the all-new Dodge Dart.

We’ve got the first quarter financial results for a whole bunch of automakers and the numbers are all over the place. Luxury automakers are starting to expand into Inner Mongolia because of growing wealth in the area. The EPA made it official: the brand-new Ford Escape has the best fuel economy in its segment, when equipped with an automatic transmission. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with Carla Bailo, the senior vice president of Research and Development for Nissan Americas.

Automakers are posting their first-quarter financial numbers and we’ve got the latest from Hyundai and Chrysler. Internet search giant Google is getting into the auto business . . . or at least trying to. A prototype product called the “Track N Go” looks like an awesome add-on to four-wheel-drive vehicles. All that and more, plus John McElroy answers your questions and responds to your comments in our “You Said It!” segment.

Toyota pulled the wraps off of two concept cars at the Beijing Auto Show. Hyundai will offer a free 3-month subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio with the purchase of any used car at its dealerships in the U.S. Audi just introduced an updated version of the Q5 which goes on sale this summer in Europe. All that and more, plus another entertaining installment of Hall vs. Hall.

The Lamborghini crossover goes from sketch to reality in Beijing. Honda reveals a duo of concepts that it thinks are “cool” and “smart.” Jaguar and Land Rover move toward powertrain independence with a new 3.0-liter V-6. All that and more, plus a walk around the newly refreshed Ford Flex.

Peugeot unveils a new crossover concept as the Beijing Motor Show gets underway. The Blue Oval considers adding a China-shaped asterisk to its “One Ford” mantra. Scion kills off two of its most iconic nameplates. All that and more, plus Andrew Justus has Autoline’s first look at the new Acura RDX.

Honda is going to appeal a small claims case in California in which the company was hit with a settlement of less than 10,000 dollars. Mercedes-Benz is going to tweak the way it names its vehicles to make it less confusing…sort of. Alfa Romeo just trademarked the 4C name in the U.S. which is scheduled to go on sale by the end of 2013. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about whether performance brands like Porsche and Lamborghini are making a mistake coming out with SUVs.

Formula One racing returns to Bahrain this weekend, but opponents of the regime that controls the country vow to wage three days of rage to coincide with the race. Ford is racing to catch up in China and just announced it will build another assembly plant in the country. Mercedes-Benz is expected to offer a diesel engine in North America by 2013. All that and more, plus Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn takes a peek at the company’s amazing collection of classic cars.

Volkswagen is expected to announce it plans to build an Audi factory in Mexico. GM announced that bi-fuel versions of the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 will cost 11,000 dollars over the price of a conventionally powered truck. Ford CEO Alan Mulally says the battery used in the electric version of the Focus costs between 12,000 dollars and 15,000 dollars. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Isaac Bouchard takes a look at the all-new 2013 Ford Escape.

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission just approved the first liquefied natural gas export plant in the U.S. in nearly 50 years. Honda announced it’s teaming up with Japan Metals and Chemicals Company to reuse rare-earth metals from second-hand auto parts. Autoline Daily Correspondent Isaac Bouchard gives us a first look at the new Ford Focus Electric. All that and more, plus a rundown of the 2012 Ward’s 10 Best Interiors winners with guest host Christie Schweinsberg.