Connectivity is driving so much of what we do in our daily lives that it’s natural that the connected car and telematics deserves an Autoline spotlight of its own. Joining John McElroy to discuss the latest developments in the industry are: Henry Bzeih, CTO and Head of Connected Car, KIA; Thilo Koslowski, VP and Distinguished Analyst – Automotive, Gartner; Jim Keller, Chief Engineer Automobile Technology Research, Honda R and D Americas.

Mobility seems to be the flavor of the month these days. Everyone from manufacturers to tier one suppliers to even academics are trying to discover secrets to the way people will move around in the future. Joining John McElroy on his panel to discuss the topic are Erica Klampfl, Global Future Mobility Lead, Ford; Kaye Ceille, president, Zipcar; Peter Sweatman, Director, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

The world of intelligent transportation is a broad umbrella that covers businesses, municipalities and people across the globe. That’s why when the ITS Conference comes to America every 3rd year it’s important to take account of what has changed and what will be changing with mobility. Joining John McElroy to discuss the 2014 conference is Richard Wallace, The Center for Automotive Research; Michele Mueller, The Michigan Department of Transportation; and co-chair of the conference Jim Barbaresso of HNTB Corp.

Between the increase in power and improvement in mpgs, today’s engines are giving drivers the best of both worlds. Join John McElroy and his panel Chris Thomas, the Chief Technical Officer from BorgWarner; Tod Hynes, Founder and President XL Hybrids; and Oliver Schmidt, Volkswagen’s GM of Engineering and Environment, as they discuss today’s cutting edge engines.

Reality TV is ruling the airwaves these days. From dancing to singing to surviving, you knew it wouldn’t be long until cars became involved. Joining John McElroy to talk about their new car design reality show are two of the contestants, Camilo Pardo and Darby Barber, along with veteran auto editor and judge, Jean Jennings.

If Chevrolet still used the old ad line “baseball, hot dogs and apple pie” to sell cars, it might be considering updating today’s version with “soccer, sushi and strudel” to reflect the global growth of the brand. And the man responsible for making all marketing decisions for the brand as it continues to expand around the world, Chief Marketing Officer Tim Mahoney joins John McElroy as his special guest on Autoline THIS WEEK along with Michelle Krebs with AutoTrader Group and Nathan Bomey from the Detroit Free Press.

Technology might be on every car buyer’s wish list these days, but what designers are doing to make the whole package more attractive to the eye might surprise you. From conjuring new cutting-edge colors to adding luxury elements to even economy cars, designers are having a field day in the creative process. Join John McElroy and his panel including GM’s Sharon Gauci, Susan Lampinen from Ford and Nissan’s Francois Farion as they talk about the design secrets of making today’s cars and colors cool.

With the closing of so many of America’s manufacturing factories over the last few years and seeing those jobs go to countries like Mexico and China, many have asked if the U.S. was getting ready to retire from that type of business altogether? Join John McElroy and his panel Jay Baron from the Center for Automotive Research, Michael Robinet from IHS and analyst Laurie Harbour from Harbour Results as they discuss the future of automotive manufacturing in America.

Have you noticed the changes going on inside new cars these days: Softer materials, accent lighting and tip-top technology to name just a few. On this edition of Autoline THIS WEEK John McElroy talks with three experts involved in the process of making your car like a mobile living room. Joining him on the panel is Helen Emsley from GM Design, and two Tier One suppliers, Jay Hutchins of Faurecia and Inteva’s Pat Stewart.

It’s no secret that auto manufacturers are making their cars and trucks lighter for a variety of reasons in a number of ways. On this week’s edition of Autoline, John McElroy talks with three men on the front lines of taking weight out of vehicles including, Ed Moss from Chevrolet, Alcoa’s Randall Scheps and John Van Alstyne of I-Car.