Autoline After Hours

For too long, Lincoln has been forgotten. Once a symbol of American luxury, the brand had devolved into a vector for rebadged Fords in recent decades. Now, with new product like the MKZ, there is hope on the horizon. On this week's show we'll talk to two of the people helping the Lincoln Motor Company navigate its way back to true luxury status. Janet Seymour is the Colors and Materials Design Manager for the brand and Susan Lampinen serves as Group Chief Designer of Color and Material Design for both Ford and Lincoln. We'll be asking them, among other things, what design trends will be most important to embrace as a luxury marque. And, while there's a lot to get into on that subject alone, we'll also be delving into some of the latest auto news. Joining Peter De Lorenzo in studio is Jim Hall, the Majordomo for Life of 2953 Analytics.

Chrysler is going out on a limb. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ordered the company to recall 2.7 million Jeeps, but they aren’t budging. The problem is that even if Chrysler wins in court, it may tarnish its safety record in the public eye. We’ll be debating that hot topic along with a raft of other items. May car sales look to be back on trend, the Chevrolet Malibu gets a quickie redo, plus the sporty SS gets priced out just below $45K. Joining John McElroy in studio to talk it all out is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production and Todd Lassa of Automobile.

According to data by Nielsen a full 55.5% of Americans are clicking away on the mini-keyboards of smart phones. Of course, that may just be the reason youngsters aren't as enamored with cars as previous generations. How nice then, that Delphi is doing its part to bring cars and handheld technology together in harmony. This week's guest is Delphi Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President Jeff Owens. We'll be asking him about how the company is putting vehicle diagnostic technology in the hands of consumers as well as the company's efforts to make direct injection a quiet process. Per usual we'll also tap into the news of the week: Ford says it knows why utility vehicles are such a hot seller, Better Place goes bankrupt and one company predicts a fuel cell bonanza by 2030. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

Why take the risk? What makes you think it would work this time? We're asking, of course, about GM's relationship with the long-embattled diesel engine. Decades after the General killed diesels in passenger cars, Chevrolet is counting on a reversal in fortunes as it offers the Cruze with a modern diesel powerplant. This week as Mike Siegrist, Assistant Chief Engineer of the Chevy Cruze Diesel, joins us in studio with an engine in tow, we'll ask him why the company is putting its faith in diesel once again. As usual, we'll get into the latest news including Viper returning to Le Mans and Renault entering Formula E. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

Here at Autoline After Hours we pride ourselves on tracking down the all-important "gurus of go" in the automotive industry. Well, dang if we ain't lassoed another! Jordan Lee is the Global Chief Engineer and Program Manager for Small Block Engines at GM. But, Mr. Lee might just be upstaged by our other special guest on set: none other than the heart and soul of the Corvette itself, the 6.2L LT1 V-8. Plus, we'll get into some hot topics this week including the end of the great driving boom as miles driven per capita continues to decline. The new Fiat-Chrysler headquarters could end up in Auburn Hills, MI -- surprised? And is Jaguar going too far with its "baddest boy on the block" claim? Joining Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, to discuss all this and more is Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production and Scott Burgess from Motor Trend.

While the rest of the automotive industry is trying to scrounge up every last sale it can, Ferrari has decided it's selling too many. On the subject of product, can you tell the difference between the old and new Silverado designs? Has Chevrolet built a vehicle that lacks differentiation? Meanwhile, Jaguar is making it very clear what it is and what it isn't -- we'll explain what we mean. Onboard to discuss all this and a whole lot more with John McElroy is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, Jim Hall from 2953 Analytics and Todd Lassa of Automobile.

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.