Autoline This Week

Josh Tickell, Director of the documentary "Fuel" stopped by our studios driving a car affectionately dubbed the "Algaeus." It’s a plug-in Prius that represents the future of automotive transportation because it’s powered by Algae.

Seaweed

Many a boater has cursed that slimy green lake junk wrapped around the prop that killed his engine. But as today's technology continues to improve those curses may soon turn to congratulations when that same lake junk -- seaweed -- is used to power the boat. Of course that power source won't exactly be seaweed, however, it will be coming from the Latin derivative of the word known as algae. Yep, that tiny green chlorophyll organism may be the next best hope to replace petroleum and it's all good with the oil companies. At least that's the contention of the Don Quixote of the biofuels movement, Josh Tickell. You may remember him as the guy who drove the Veggie Van across America in the late '90s bringing attention to the ever-shrinking global reserves of fossil fuels. Well, for the last 11 years he's been making a movie about that very subject entitled "Fuel." And surprise, surprise, his documentary grabbed a big award at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. This week Josh joins John and his panel in studio to discuss all aspects of his film and the future of the fuel that we put in our cars. And that future, Josh contends, is all about algae.

Joining John McElroy on this edition of Autoline EXTRA is Tom Stephens, the Vice Chairman of Global Product Development at General Motors. He joined us for an exclusive web-only Q & A session with you, our audience. Watch as Tom responds to questions about the Pontiac G8, what General Motors’ answer is to EcoBoost, whether natural gas is a viable option going forward and more! Joining John in the discussion are automotive journalist Csaba Csere and John Stoll from The Wall Street Journal.

Balance

Walking a high-wire was the dangerous vocation of the world-renown daredevil Karl Wallenda. Whether it was over desert canyons or city streets, the most important aspect of this death-defying act was balance. One wrong step would yield terrible results.

The same can be said about the auto industry. Balance is important on several levels, in many arenas. But perhaps the most important area when it comes to a brand are its front line products. Those the consumer sees when they visit dealer showrooms. There has to be the right balance for not only the buyer, but the brand as well. That is one of many beliefs of General Motors' new Product Czar Tom Stephens.

This GM veteran, who has worn a variety of hats during his years with the company, now slips on the rather large shoes of Bob Lutz, the previous Product Czar who receives much of the credit for spearheading its recent vehicle renaissance. On this week's Autoline, Mr. Stephens discusses not only his automotive philosophy which will drive this side of the business, but the balance he says he must continue to bring to the burgeoning GM product lineup.

Some car names roll easily off the tongue while others can be a mouthful. So what’s the best strategy to go with when naming a car? That’s the topic of discussion on this edition of Autoline EXTRA as John sits down to talk with Nina Beckhardt, the president of Namebase, a company that specializes in naming products, including cars. They discuss what automakers Namebase has worked with and what vehicles they’ve named. The conversation then moves to the importance of having a car name that will not only work in the U.S. but outside of it and also if there are any advantages to changing a name of a vehicle that is already established in the market. Joining John in the discussion are Jean Halliday from Advertising Age magazine and Peter De Lorenzo from Autoextremist.com.

Alphabet Soup

"What's in a name?" When William Shakespeare wrote this question for Juliet Capulet in "Romeo and Juliet," it was a vehicle to release the characters from the bondage of their family names. While that undoubtedly worked as a theme in this classic tragedy, good old Bill didn't publish the work untitled because he knew how important a name really is when trying to draw patrons into a theater, customers into a store or buyers to a product.

That's why a name in today's high pressure retail world has never been so critical. With a cornucopia of seemingly endless products and advertisers blanketing a consumer's every waking moment, you've got to machete through the clutter to make a name memorable.

This is where some critics believe many of today's automakers have fallen short. From the "alphabet soup" of certain luxury brands to the head-scratching monikers of some midsize fare, customers sometimes don't know if they're buying a car or a croissant.

So this is where a company like Namebase, Inc. comes along. This New York firm specializes in designing a name to a product so they fit in a variety of ways. It has clients in a number of industries and has named everything from goods that you wear, to products you consume, and most importantly for this show, those that you park in your garage.

Joining John McElroy on this week's panel to discuss the auto industry name game is Nina Beckhardt, the president and creative director of Namebase, Inc., Jean Halliday from Advertising Age and Peter De Lorenzo of Autoextremist.com.

On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John and his panel sit down to talk with Dr. Michael Leiters, the Program Manager for the Porsche Cayenne. They discuss the hybrid version of the car and how Porsche’s hybrid system differs in design from the others already out on the road. Dr. Leiters also talks about Porsche’s collaboration with Audi on the hybrid and also what changes they made to the Cayenne in order to fit the hybrid in the vehicle. Joining John in the discussion are Todd Lassa from Motor Trend and Joe DeMatio from Automobile Magazine.

Oxymoron

Over the last century, Ferdinand Porsche built his brand on speed, power and performance. So it was almost anathema 7 years ago when, to compete in a market it never knew, Porsche introduced its first Sport Utility Vehicle the Cayenne. Despite the outcry from some critics the car was a hit with consumers. Which is probably why, a year away from the last gas scare with surely more to come, the company is introducing the Porsche Cayenne Hybrid to the North American market. Yes, you read that right -- a hybrid coming from the Germany's Crown Prince of performance -- almost a textbook definition of oxymoron.

Joining John McElroy to explain this small shift to the green side is Porsche's Cayenne Program Manager Dr. Michael Leiters. Motor Trend's Todd Lassa and Joe DeMatio from Automobile Magazine fill in our performance panel as we pursue the inside story on Porsche's new Cayenne Hybrid.

Over the next few years automakers will begin to introduce smaller cars to the American market. But does that mean consumers will buy them? That’s the topic of discussion on this edition of Autoline EXTRA. John and his panel discuss whether or not there can be a popular small car like the MINI in the coming future. Joining John in the discussion are Rebecca Lindland from industry research giant IHS Global Insight, Keith Naughton from Bloomberg News and Drew Winter from Wards.com.

Hangover

How many summer hangovers can you handle? You may personally know your own limit, but now the country is about to find out just how many it can take. Over the past few months we've collectively already survived one in entertainment -- the popular hit comedy by the same name which grossed nearly $300 million domestically.

Meanwhile, on the durable goods front we had the "Cash for Clunkers" program which sold nearly 700,000 cars and trucks. And now as it fades in the rearview mirror, experts are wondering just what will happen with automotive sales over the last four months of 2009.

Will the public be suffering from "Clunker hangover" -- with no cash incentive to sweeten the deal will customers continue to visit dealerships and more importantly buy cars?

That's one of the many sales questions that this week's Autoline experts grapple with. Joining host John McElroy on the panel are Rebecca Lindland from industry research giant IHS Global Insight, Keith Naughton from Bloomberg News and Drew Winter from Wards.com.