New Ram Boasts More Power and Storage Room

Chrysler LLC was thinking out of the box during development of its flagship Dodge Ram pickup for '09. The vehicle not only features an upgraded 380-hp 5.7L Hemi V-8 with a Cummins turbodiesel promised after 2009 and a 2-mode hybrid system scheduled for model-year '10 it also boasts a segment-first coil-spring multi-link rear suspension, styling and innovative storage options. How innovative? The Rambox,

By Eric Mayne • Feb. 1, 2008

Chrysler Sourcing Too NAFTA-Centric

Chrysler LLC's new global purchasing chief wants financially healthy parts producers and will look beyond North American shores for high-quality, cost-competitive components, as well as vehicle-engineering services. John Campi became Chrysler's executive vice president-procurement Jan. 3 after spending more than 35 years in sourcing, some of it in automotive. He spent the last three years at Home

By Tom Murphy • Feb. 1, 2008

Explore the Trendline➔

Artificial Intelligence

Automakers and dealers alike are increasingly seeing the use case for AI within their operations. Explore some use cases in this trendline.

By WardsAuto staff

$13 Per Gallon Will Get Their Attention

Gasoline prices must quadruple to motivate consumers enough to demand the types of expensive technologies auto makers require to comply with upcoming tougher fuel-economy standards, a Chrysler LLC economist warns. Assuming Americans will want the same utility and performance they enjoy in today's vehicles, Chrysler ran a computer simulation of conditions required to generate market in 2020, when a

By Eric Mayne • Feb. 1, 2008

Relatively Speaking, It’s a Big Engine: Honda Motor Co. Ltd.’s 3.5L SOHC V-6

As much as everyone respects Honda Motor Co. Ltd.'s engine-development abilities, the company hasn't won that many 10 Best Engines awards. We figure it's due to Honda's overwhelmingly conservative philosophy. While it's always stretching the boundaries of engineering, its production engines tend to be comparatively unassuming in specification. It is the only one of Japan's three major auto makers

Feb. 1, 2008

Yum, Yum It’s Good: BMW AG’s 3.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-6

BMW AG's 3.0L turbocharged DOHC I-6 couldn't be more delicious if its internals were cast from solid Noka chocolate. The seminal BMW inline 6-cyl. format is the best of the best on just about any day, but when its engineers strapped on a couple of the quickest-acting turbochargers we've ever experienced, the result is pure engineering bliss. By today's standards, the absolute figure of 300 hp isn't

Feb. 1, 2008

Keystone Ford Ends 39-Year Run in L.A.

Keystone Ford, a prominent dealership in the Latino district of southeast Los Angeles, ceased operations on Dec. 31 after a 39-year run that ended in declining sales and increasing losses. Owner Norman Stutzke, 75, says he accepted a closing offer from Ford Motor Co. after unsuccessfully trying to sell the Norwalk, CA dealership. About 400 Ford dealerships in the U.S. were closed in 2006 and 2007

By Mac Gordon • Feb. 1, 2008

GM Surprises Show With CTS Coupe Concept

General Motors Corp. delivers the first surprise of the auto show with a Cadillac CTS concept coupe, a vehicle that exemplifies the luxury brand's future design direction and confirms a new diesel-engine application. It's a little too early to announce production, but if you look underneath, you can see that it's a real car, says GM Vice Chairman and product boss Bob Lutz. We call it a concept coupe,

By James M. Amend • Feb. 1, 2008

Body Shop Beefs Up Business

It's been a long time since a privately owned dealership invested in boosting customer satisfaction by enlarging his body shop and constructing a stand-alone store that sells detailing products and vehicle-tweaking accessories. Robert J. Feeny, 50, is an innovative expansionist, to say the least, at his namesake Chrysler-Dodge dealership in the mid-Michigan city of Midland, home of Dow Chemical's

By Mac Gordon • Feb. 1, 2008

May Be the Best in 14 Years: Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.’s 3.7L DOHC V-6

By now, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.'s all-conquering VQ V-6 architecture needs no introduction. The 3.7L variant's 2008 10 Best Engines award marks the 14th consecutive win for the VQ, and it is the only engine to do that It features refinement and ultra-low noise, vibration and harshness levels. Like many rivals, however, Nissan has not resisted the temptation to increase displacement, and over the years

Feb. 1, 2008

He Runs Largest Lexus Store

JM Lexus in Margate, FL, has been the top-selling Lexus dealership in the U.S. for 16 years, reaching record sales of 7,786 new vehicles in 2006 and about 8,000 in 2007. Ward's interviewed James Dunn, general manager and vice-president of the dealership which employs 414 people. Ward's: When was JM Lexus founded? Dunn: We were founded by Jim Moran, the head of JM Family Enterprises and the Toyota

By Mac Gordon • Feb. 1, 2008

An Engine for the Thinking Man: Toyota Motor Corp.’s 3.5L DOHC V-6

All right: V-8 challenging power and torque. Supreme refinement delivered the old-time Toyota Motor Corp. way. And an innovative fuel-injection layout that still has some competitors asking why they didn't think of it. Or, perhaps, How could we ever afford that? This, too, is part of the Lexus mystique how Toyota's premium division can continue to deliver top-shelf engineering and manufacturing for

Feb. 1, 2008

For a Mustang that Will Move You: Ford Motor Co.’s 4.6L SOHC V-8

Ford Motor Co. has drawn some criticism for feeding buyers a steady diet of sometimes minor variations of its popular Mustang ponycar. Who cares if Ford's big Mustang news for the year is a glass-roof option, or it orchestrates releases of a new or a dozen other versions, as long as there's a Mustang that moves you? That's how we feel about the dazzling 4.6L SOHC V-8 that is the signature and seminal

Feb. 1, 2008

Wherefore Art Thou Camaro?

Multi-brand dealerships have been a fixture in Canadian small towns for a long time, and American dealers shouldn't be averse to them, says John L. Waldie, president of a Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealership owned by Stratford Motor Products in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. With sentiment and pride, Waldie, 60 years old and still a Corvette racing enthusiast, relates the long history of selling cars in a city

By Mac Gordon • Feb. 1, 2008

Mercedes Makes Niche Markets Its Strategic Focus

Sportiness and utility are the themes behind Mercedes-Benz Cars' nine global product launches planned for 2008. With the new C-Class contributing to the sales momentum begun by the redesigned '07 S-Class, the auto maker is striving to open up new market niches, Daimler AG Chairman and Mercedes division chief Dieter Zetsche says at the Detroit show. New are two iterations of the next-generation SL

By Eric Mayne • Feb. 1, 2008

CPO Gets Its Own Showrooms

Three new dealership showrooms are the first devoted exclusively to certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles. Millions of dollars have been invested in the state-of-the-art facilities at JM Lexus in Florida and two Penske Auto Group dealerships in Indianapolis, Penske Honda and Penske Chevrolet. JM Lexus is the largest Lexus store in the U.S. and its $3.14 million CPO showroom and service department across

Feb. 1, 2008

Where Power Meets Posh

Del Mar, Ca The redesigned '08 Lexus LX 570 is for affluent people who want a big and posh SUV that can handle the rugged trail to the family horse farm or the snowy road to the ski resort. It also is great for going over parking lot speed bumps at Neiman Marcus, which is where the vehicle's articulation abilities will probably be used the most, quips Bob Allan, a training director for Toyota Motor

By Steve Finlay • Feb. 1, 2008

Manufacturing Flexibility Key to Honda’s Surprising 3Q Profit

Despite media headlines claiming Honda’s fuel-efficient cars led to a surprising third-quarter profit, its flexible plants deserve at least 50% of the credit.

By Drew Winter • Feb. 1, 2008

LED Headlamps Provide Cadillac Escalade Technical Innovation, Design Character

The technology marks another step in regaining the brand’s reputation as a technical innovator, while providing another flourish to its design renaissance.

By James M. Amend • Jan. 31, 2008

GM South Africa Sees Opportunity for Growth in 2008

A key growth area remains the light-commercial vehicle segment, where the auto maker holds a 23% share.

By Richard Hurst • Jan. 25, 2008

Ford Sees Silver Lining in $2.7 Billion Loss

CEO Alan Mulally says he expects a boost in North America in the year’s second half, when the Ford Flex CUV and ’09 F-150 pickup hit the market.

By Byron Pope • Jan. 24, 2008

Lexus to Borrow From Scion to Transform Showroom Experience

What Scion buyers want – and future Lexus customers will desire, as well – is a quicker purchasing and no-fuss service experience.

By David E. Zoia • Jan. 24, 2008

Chrysler ‘Scouring World’ for Competitive Advantage

Chrysler’s planned centers of excellence could spawn assembly operations in China, Russia, India and Brazil, Robert Nardelli hints.

By Eric Mayne • Jan. 23, 2008

VW Stands by Routan Name for New Minivan

While most dealers contacted by Ward’s say they are just happy to have a new product to drive traffic into their showrooms, some are bewildered over VW’s naming strategy.

By Byron Pope • Jan. 23, 2008

Chrysler Moves Boag Again

Simon Boag now is on his second job in two weeks and third position since rejoining Chrysler from Mercedes-Benz in May.

By Ward's Staff • Jan. 18, 2008

BMW Says No Drastic Job Cuts as Battles Rising Costs, Weak Dollar

Stefan Krause, BMW’s top sales executive, dismisses reports of growing friction between the auto maker and its suppliers as a result of cost-cutting initiatives.

By David E. Zoia • Jan. 18, 2008