News By Topic: Editorials and Commentary

New York Times Asks: Where Have All the Car Guys Gone?

Aug 13, 2007

Washington DC August 13, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that with the surprise appointment last week of Robert L. Nardelli, the former Home Depot chief executive, to run Chrysler, Detroit has completed a new-model changeover of the executive suite, reports The New York Times. None of the chiefs now leading the thr ... Continue reading

C/Net Newsletter: Chevy Volt Runs on Hype

Aug 13, 2007

San Francisco August 13, 2007; The C/net newsletter reported that within minutes of its unveiling at last January's Detroit auto show, the Chevy Volt was receiving heaps of praise for its design and alternative energy concept. GM was in the enviable position of not really having to hype the car at all, as it generated ... Continue reading

Preview: 2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2

Aug 12, 2007

Preview: 2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2 By Carey Russ 2007 Understatement is a European specialty, and the Volkswagen Touareg 2 is nothing if not understated. With minimal fanfare, it's been on sale since June. Nowhere on the vehicle does the badging say "Touareg 2", merely "Touareg". While there are some external styling c ... Continue reading

2007 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring AWD Review

Aug 12, 2007

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS 2007 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring AWD Crossovers seem to be the vehicle du jour, replacing the truck-based SUVs of the 1990s. With their emphasis on comfort, practicality, and utility this is understandable. With car-like construction, independent suspension, and V6 instead of V8 power ... Continue reading

New Highlander Key Component of Toyota's Marketing Strategy

Aug 10, 2007

<p class="style1"><strong>By Marty Bernstein<br>AIADA Contributing Editor</strong><br><br>Short lead model revels (the cars are on sale now or within days) are usually perfunctory events: arrive in the morning at a nice hotel for coffee and danish; sit through an hour or so of exec-techno-presentations; then a short dr ... Continue reading

C.A.R. Management Briefing Seminars - Wrap-up

Aug 10, 2007

CAR MANAGEMENT BRIEFING SEMINARS 2007 Friday Wrap-Up - Insights in Traverse City By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau Traverse City, MI – August 10, 2007 – It’s now Friday morning and the week is winding down here in Northern Michigan. This conference has been going on for 42 years, I’m ... Continue reading

C.A.R. Management Briefing Seminars - Thursday

Aug 10, 2007

CAR MANAGEMENT BRIEFING SEMINARS 2007 Thursday’s Insights in Traverse City By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau Traverse City, MI – August 9, 2007 – Dr. Cole and his team really know how to throw a conference - dining, dancing, networking, schmoozing, and enough meeting and conferring to make ... Continue reading

C.A.R. Management Briefing Seminars - Wednesday

Aug 9, 2007

CAR MANAGEMENT BRIEFING SEMINARS 2007 Wednesday’s Insights in Traverse City By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau Traverse City, MI – August 9, 2007 – Featured speaker at the Wednesday morning session, Ford’s new big boss Alan Mulally, charmed the audience with an extemporaneous talk abou ... Continue reading

C.A.R. Management Briefing Seminars - Tuesday

Aug 8, 2007

Tuesday’s Insights in Traverse City By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau Traverse City, MI – August 8, 2007 - Is Big Brother coming to take the fun out of driving? It was beginning to sound that way at the presentation on “Talking Cars and the Digital Highway.” A cadre of technical exper ... Continue reading

C.A.R. Management Briefing Seminars - Casesa Interview

Aug 8, 2007

By Martha Hindes Special Event Editor The Auto Channel Detroit Bureau TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN -- "Where the money comes from doesn't matter so much," said auto analyst John Casesa, managing partner of Casesa Shapiro Group. What it takes, he added, are investors with deep pockets that can ride out the hills and valleys ... Continue reading

2007 Dodge Caliber SXT Sport Review

Aug 8, 2007

DODGE CALIBER SXT SPORT 2007 Design B+, Execution C- By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau The old Dodge Neon really needed replacing. It was beginning to look like something from an earlier decade. Oh, I guess that’s what it was. I remember being impressed with it originally at the preview at the Detro ... Continue reading

C.A.R. Management Briefing Seminars - Monday

Aug 7, 2007

CAR MANAGEMENT BRIEFING SEMINARS 2007 Monday’s Insights in Traverse City By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau A huge exclamation point in the automotive industry’s year is the annual Management Briefing Seminars hosted by the Center for Automotive Research at the Grand Traverse Resort in pristine ... Continue reading

Alfa Romeo 8C Campetizione - The Alfas Are Coming, The Alfas Are Coming

Aug 5, 2007

ALFA ROMEO 8C COMPETIZIONE ALFAS ARE COMING TO THE US By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau I wish this were a road test, Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione but I must admit that I couldn’t talk my way behind the wheel of thisAlfa Romeo 8C Competizione , one of the sexiest red sports cars I’ve ever seen. A ... Continue reading

July Brings Historic Consumer Confidence in International Vehicles

Aug 3, 2007

Washington DC August 2, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported thaty in July, international automakers won control of the U.S. market, with sales rising above 50% for the first time ever. "The consumer is the most critical component of the product strategy," said AIADA president Cody Lusk. "Plain and simple: international ... Continue reading

2007 Kia Sorento EX 4x4 Review

Aug 3, 2007

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS 2007 Kia Sorento EX 4x4 You know how there are restaurants and vacation spots that are remarkably good and great values but for whatever reasons are also almost completely unknown? In an automotive vein, Kia is like that. Case in point, the Kia Sorento. In a class dominated by a fe ... Continue reading