Autoline Daily

VW has publicly bragged that it will be the biggest car company in the world by 2018 but one automotive analyst believes it’s going to come up short. A new study shows that young people aren’t buying cars like they used to. The Indy Lights series, which is the farm system for the IndyCar Series, is going to get a new race car and it could be the Delta Wing. All that and more, plus a look at the fastest MINI ever built.

GM CEO Dan Akerson is taking GM employees down a peg. The former naval officer criticized employees for leaks to the media, and the company’s products for not being competitive. Auto workers in South Korea are striking for higher pay and an end to night shifts which the workers say are dangerous. Frito-Lay, the snack foods division of PepsiCo, is increasing it’s fleet of EV delivery trucks. The fleet is now the nation’s largest. All that and more, plus we pump up some tires.

Renault is making a big push into Africa in hopes of boosting sales. Right now it’s building the largest assembly plant on the continent. Ford’s commercial vehicle partner, Jiangling Motors will take a stake in the Taiyuan Changan Heavy Truck Company, allowing the Dearborn automaker to expand into China’s heavy-duty truck market. Chrysler is set to introduce a CNG version of the Ram 2500 HD pick-up truck later this month. All that and more, plus guest host Peter De Lorenzo sounds off on a group of governors joining forces to save the auto industry.

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.