(Octobr 30, 2009) MIAMI — The South Florida International Auto Show — known more commonly as the Miami Auto Show — has not reached the status of Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago or New York. But the Miami market is one of the most important in the country, and it's not surprising that Jaguar elected to use Miami for its first public showing in the U.S.

(October 29, 2009) Just as Ford Motor Co.’s UAW workers geared up to vote on widely unpopular changes to their labor contract to help the automaker save money, news leaked that the automaker would build a small SUV it sells in Europe, called the Kuga, at its Louisville Assembly Plant.

Ford spokesman Mark Truby said Ford has already announced it is retooling the plant to build vehicles in the compact segment but declined to comment specifically on the production of the Kuga.

(October 29, 2009) TOKYO — Mazda lifted its full-year guidance to call for a slightly smaller operating loss, citing better sales and currency rates than it had anticipated.

Mazda, held 13 percent by Ford, had revised its first-half estimates earlier this month when it announced a share sale of about $1 billion, but had left its forecast for the October-March second half unchanged.

(October 29, 2009) WARREN, Mich. — The day is coming when the heat from your car’s engine exhaust is captured and converted to mechanical energy capable of powering your vehicle’s stereo, power seats and air conditioning.

General Motors R&D received a $2.7 million federal award Monday that will help build a prototype using Shape Memory Alloy, or SMA, that would generate electricity from the heat in automotive exhaust.