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Autoline #1244: Pure Imagination Dec 19, 2008

Show notes

Pure Imagination
When Gene Wilder first sang "Pure Imagination" in the 1971 movie classic 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,' he was strolling amid Chernobyl-sized eatable candied plants and a river of liquid chocolate -- obviously fictitious creations from the fertile minds of movie magicians. Some 28 years later, when it comes to the equipment we're seeing in today's automobiles compared to the early '70s, you almost shake your head in disbelief as we did when we first saw Wonka's Candy Factory: works of pure imagination, indeed.
In this week's show we talk with three executives from three different companies and discuss not only some of these incredible products but just how they are being developed for today's cars.
We start with Anne Asensio from Dassault Systemes, a French firm that creates products for its client base in the virtual world. Ms. Asensio says that today, more than in the past, design has become an extremely collaborative effort that involves everyone in the food chain -- from the very top to the customers themselves. Meanwhile, one of the products coming out of this collaborative effort, in this case from our second guest's company iBiquity, is HD Radio. Bob Struble heads this supplier which produces digital receivers that allow you to listen to all those restricted local AM & FM radio stations that are now being broadcast only on Hybrid Digital bands. And speaking of restrictive broadcasting, let's not forget about the Internet. Chrysler sure hasn't. It’s working with a firm from Silicon Valley that's bringing the Internet to its cars and trucks in the not too distant future. Jennifer Applebee from Chrysler joins John to tell us just how far away this technology is and what will be available with it once it's in the vehicle.

Autoline EXTRA #1243: Dr. Gerhard Schmidt Nov 21, 2008

Show notes

The Energy Independence and Security Act, which was passed into law last year, mandates that 36 billion gallons of bio-fuel be produced in the U.S. by 2022. On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, Ford’s Chief Technical Officer, Gerhard Schmidt explains why that figure may be hard to achieve. And he shares his outlook for what type of fuels will be powering our vehicles in the future. Joining John McElroy in the discussion are Tom Murphy of WardsAuto.com and Csaba Csere from Car and Driver.

Autoline #1243: Technologic Nov 21, 2008

Show notes

Technologic
Few might recognize this little used 19th century noun. Fewer still have probably noticed the word is the soundtrack to one of the slick new Lincoln MKS television ads. The song emphasizes the abundance of technology you find in the new sedan. And technology has been a key to not only Lincoln's renaissance, but Ford's as well. Dr. Gerhard Schmidt is the man who leads the team at the Blue Oval responsible for EcoBoost in the engine, Sync inside the car and everything in between. On this week's Autoline he talks about this latest technology and what may be coming in future Ford cars and trucks.

Autoline EXTRA #1242: Dr. David Cole, Mike Stanton Nov 14, 2008

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The bailout of the Big 3 is the topic of discussion on this edition of Autoline EXTRA. John McElroy and his panel discuss how the automakers could recover more quickly if the economy becomes more financially stable. Joining John in the discussion are Dr. David Cole, from the Center for Automotive Research, and Mike Stanton from the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers.

Autoline #1242: Lifeboat Nov 14, 2008

Show notes

Lifeboat
Long before he was dubbed the Master of the Macabre, legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was known for his psychological thrillers. "Notorious," "Strangers On A Train" and the 1944 classic "Lifeboat" were prime examples of this work -- especially the latter film where a handful of strangers try to survive the unexpected adversity of their ship sunken at sea. One would think the group works together to overcome the odds, but that's not the way Hitchcock worked. And that may not be the way Washington works either when it comes to the proposed Detroit Three Bailout. GM, Ford and Chrysler are all asking for a monetary "lifeboat" but it's not going smoothly. The political forces are rocking the boat, pulling in opposite directions waiting for someone to take charge, while that someone -- President-Elect Obama -- doesn't take office for another 60+ days. Will something get done before then? Can something get done before Inauguration Day? Our guests offer their analysis on whether the lifeboat floats or not.
And speaking of lifeboats, Dow Automotive has created a quasi one for NASCAR in the form of energy absorbing foam. John is joined by the company's president Steve Henderson as he describes how they came up with the product Impaxx and what it's meant for the safety of NASCAR drivers since they started using it. Lifeboat, indeed!

Autoline EXTRA #1241: David Champion, David Sargent, Dennis Pietrowski Nov 07, 2008

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On this edition of Autoline EXTRA John and his guests continue their discussion about automotive quality. They shift focus to Hyundai and discuss the automakers unbelievable run up the quality charts over the last ten years. They also discuss if American consumers have different quality expectations than consumers in other countries. Joining John in the discussion are David Champion of Consumer Reports, David Sargent from J.D. Power & Associates and Dennis Pietrowski of The RDA Group.

Autoline #1241: Dromedary Nov 07, 2008

Show notes

Dromedary
When anyone thinks of a hump perhaps the first thought that comes to mind is that well-known beast of burden of North Africa - the Dromedary Camel. But in the auto industry, when the Detroit Three think of a hump those thoughts switch from camels to quality. That's because if there's any one hump or challenge that continues to hold them back from "import equality" it appears to be this. Now granted, all three OEMs have improved dramatically from the nadir of the '70s when they produced everything from poorly-designed diesels to flapping vinyl roofs. But today, with nearly all of those problems a thing in the past, GM, Ford and Chrysler are still looking up at many of the imports in a variety of quality rankings. So what accounts for that, and will any of them ever attain the top spot again? On this week's show John McElroy and his three experts on automotive quality will examine what it may finally take for the Detroit Three to get "over the hump.".
And don't forget you can watch the latest edition of Autoline right now at our website (http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/) along with our Internet-only Autoline EXTRA segment and any of our archived shows 24/7.

Autoline EXTRA #1240: Paul Haelterman, Rebecca Lindland Oct 31, 2008

Show notes

The industry downturn looks to be turning into a problem for the entire globe, not just the United States. On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John McElroy and his panel discuss how Europe, China and emerging markets are being affected by the downturn in the auto industry. Joining John in the discussion are Paul Haelterman from CSM Worldwide and Rebecca Lindland from IHS Global Insight.

Autoline #1240: Scramble Oct 31, 2008

Show notes

Scramble
If only describing a local golf event, a pressured quarterback or your morning breakfast, then "scramble" is a rather innocuous term. But when examining today's topsy-turvy automotive industry, where down is up, left is right and you may never know the players again with or without a scorecard, the word "scramble" takes on a darker connotation thanks to the worldwide financial meltdown. The credit and cash crunch may have started with banks but it quickly filtered its way to all businesses, especially the tenuous auto industry. Things were iffy before September when everyone was still hoping for somewhere around 13 million in sales. Now who knows how low the number could go? And then there's Chrysler, which, using Greek Mythology as our guide, seems in search of its own Hercules (see GM) to escape from Hades (see Cerberus -- the three-headed dog & the company). Confused yet? Well you're not alone. That's why John McElroy has invited these two top industry analysts to "unscramble" the situation on this week's Autoline.
And don't forget you can watch the latest edition of Autoline right now at our website (http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/) along with our Internet-only Autoline EXTRA segment and any of our archived shows 24/7.

Autoline EXTRA #1239: Mel Karmazin Oct 24, 2008

Show notes

Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius XM Radio joins John McElroy on this edition of Autoline EXTRA. Mr. Karmazin discusses what role telematics will play for Sirius XM in the future and what applications are already in use. He also shares his thoughts on HD Radio and what impact it will have for Sirius XM. Joining John in the discussion are Neal Boudette from The Wall Street Journal and Jeff Gilbert from WWJ Newsradio 950.

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