October 2013

Honda celebrates five years of production in Indiana

(October 10, 2013) GREENSBURG, Ind. — On Oct. 9, 2008, Honda began producing the fuel-efficient, 4-cylinder Honda Civic Sedan in Greensburg with 1,000 associates and one shift. Today, HMIN's two-shift operation features more than 2,000 Hoosiers producing not only the Civic Sedan, but also the Honda Civic Natural Gas, the Acura ILX, Acura ILX Hybrid and the Civic Hybrid.

2014 Chevrolet Malibu offers hands-free texting, stop/start technology

(October 10, 2013) DETROIT — New technologies help the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu deliver greater efficiency and connectivity, two of the most important considerations for customers of midsize sedans.

London to Brighton should be easier than California to Florida

(October 10, 2013) LONDON — When Joy Rainey tackles the Veteran Car Run in her 1904 Oldsmobile in November, it ought to be a breeze. Her faithful Curved Dash Runabout might only have a comfortable top speed of 25 mph, but the 60-mile trip from London’s Hyde Park to Madeira Drive in Brighton should be a great deal easier than the car’s last outing… more than 2,650 miles from coast to coast across America.

L.A. Auto Show confirms 22 world debuts in November

(October 10, 2013) LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Auto Show has confirmed that it will host 22 world debuts during its press days, making for a total of 56 vehicle debuts overall, to be unveiled in front of a global audience, Nov. 19, 20 and 21.  Nov.19 will focus specifically on technology announcements held in the Connected Car Expo area of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Toyota reducing price of 2014 plug-in Prius models

(October 9, 2013) Toyota is reducing the price of its plug-in Prius models to try to boost sales and meet a California mandate as automakers find that cost is critical to U.S. consumers' willingness to buy rechargeable autos.

Nissan, Stallion Group to start auto assembly in Nigeria

(October 9, 2013) LAGOS, Nigeria —Today Nissan and West African conglomerate Stallion Group announced their intention to jointly launch vehicle assembly in Nigeria. The announcement is in expectation of final approval by the Federal Government of the new Automobile Industrial Policy, designed to encourage development of the auto industry in Nigeria, and would see Nissan become the first major international manufacturer to launch vehicle assembly in the country following the new legislation.

BMW Group posts all-time high for September sales

(October 9, 2013) MUNICH — The BMW Group continued its successful course in September with another record month in sales. With 189,675 BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles delivered worldwide, sales were 6.7% higher than in the same month last year.

In the first nine months of 2013, sales increased by 7.5% to the new all-time high of 1,436,178 vehicles compared to 1,335,502 in 2012.

Street skateboarder kickflips onto team Toyota

(October 9, 2013) TORRANCE, Calif.  — A road, a railing and even a Toyota Corolla: To Omar Salazar these are playgrounds to showcase his signature creative approach to street-style skateboarding. Salazar is the newest member of Team Toyota, an exceptional group of athletes selected and supported by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Mitsubishi to unveil three concept SUVs in Tokyo

(October 9, 2013) TOKYO — Mitsubishi will unveil three world premiere concept cars at the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show 2013 in November. Incorporating a new design identity that symbolizes the sense of security and functionality of an SUV, the three models highlight earth TECHNOLOGY, MMC's next-generation advanced technologies that embody the concepts of environmental responsibility, driving pleasure, and toughness & safety.

Vortech’s supercharged Ford Mustang packs a SEMA sting

(October 9, 2013) DEARBORN, Mich. — The Project Yellow Jacket Ford Mustang created by the team at Vortech Superchargers packs a serious sting for its upcoming debut at the 2013 SEMA show in Las Vegas.

“As a lifelong Ford fan, I was inspired to create this project car when I realized Ford doesn’t offer yellow on the 2014 Mustang,” said Brian Ellis, sales, marketing and social media manager for AirPower Group. “We wanted to create something really eye-popping with a mechanical package to match the appearance.”