December 2013

Nissan Sport Sedan Concept to be unveiled in Detroit

(December 31, 2013) NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nissan continues its rollout of show-stopping advanced concept vehicles with the world debut of the stunning Sport Sedan Concept at the 2014 North American International Auto Show. The Sport Sedan Concept will be joined by the North America debuts of the Nissan IDx Freeflow and IDx NISMO concepts, which were among the most popular vehicles at the recent Tokyo Motor Show.

The CAFE crystal ball — The future of the powertrain

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The V
irtual Driver

(December 31, 2013) Dr. David J. Brooks, Product Group Director, Engines at Ricardo Engineering,
may be British, but he isn’t some U.K. propeller head for whom future powertrains are an intellectual exercise. “When I moved to the States,” he says with a smile, “the first thing I bought was a Hemi-engined [Dodge] Challenger. If I was going to be living here, I had to check that box.”

Volkswagen says it has created 123,000 jobs since 2007

(December 30, 2013)WOLFSBURG, Germany — Since 2007, the workforce of the Volkswagen Group has grown by about 248,000 employees, representing a rise of 76 percent. This increase includes 123,000 new jobs created throughout the world and around 125,000 employees of companies newly integrated into the Group.

Audi goes over 1.5 million sales in 2013

(December 30, 2013) With two weeks left in the year, Audi announced on Dec. 16 that it had hit 1.5 million sales worldwide. This means that Audi AG has achieved its sales target, set for 2015, two years earlier than planned.

“Our whole team is making Audi history today: In 2005, we set ourselves a very ambitious goal, and since then have sparked an unparalleled brand and model initiative,” said Rupert Stadler, chairman of the Board of Management of Audi AG.

Ford expects best-selling brand repeat in U.S. for fourth straight year

(December 30, 2013) DEARBORN, Mich. — With more than 2.4 million vehicles sold, Ford expects to retain its title as best-selling vehicle brand in North America in 2013, and has widened its lead over Toyota.

“The great news is that we are not overly reliant on any one segment — we’re seeing double-digit sales growth in cars, trucks and utilities,” said John Felice, vice president, U.S. marketing, sales and service.

Krafcik leaving Hyundai; David Zuchowski named president, CEO

(December 28, 2013) COSTA MESA, Calif. — Hyundai Motor America has announced that President and chief Executive Officer John Krafcik will step down upon the successful completion of his contract on Dec. 31. David Zuchowski, executive vice president of sales, will assume the position on Jan. 1.

Test drives of the BMW i3 to take place at Consumer Electronics Show

(December 27, 2013) The BMW Group will showcase BMW ConnectedDrive and announce its future plans for highly automated driving at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center next month. 

It’s always bright inside Ford, even in the dead of winter

(December 27, 2013) DEARBORN, Mich. — Through the deepest days of winter, Ford remains focused on seeing the light. With Ford’s Visual Performance Evaluation Lab — known internally as the Lighting Lab — engineers re-create daylight to work to reduce sun glare on vehicle controls and instrument panels.

3,000 horsepower gathers for performance showcase

(December 26, 2013) BIRMINGHAM, England — The new Aston Martin Vanquish, Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, Jaguar XKRS GT, McLaren 12C Sprint and Telsa Model S will converge on Birmingham’s NEC to headline the supercar presence at the Performance Car Show on Jan. 9-12.

Hiding in plain sight: Keeping the new Mustang away from the cameras

(December 26, 2013) DEARBORN, Mich. — In the months leading up to the global reveal of the all-new Ford Mustang in early December, debating the exact shape of the car was one of the hottest topics for fans on the Internet. Helping fuel their speculation — while enabling the Mustang development team to log tens of thousands of test miles on public roads this past summer and fall without revealing the car’s shape — was the job of the camouflage team from Ford design and engineering.