Volkswagen AG unveils its much-anticipated attempt at a luxury vehicle, the Phaeton sedan, at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The Phaeton, which will compete with BMW AG's 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans, has three powertrain choices: a...
Cutting costs still is the top priority for automotive engineers, but concerns about coping with more stringent emissions regulations, and other issues regarding designability of parts, fuel economy and safety are looming much larger on their...
In the end, it was much ado about nothing, as various lobbying factions supporting the U.S. auto industry once again put down a strong political alliance seeking a dramatic increase in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. This year's...
If General Motors Corp. gives the green light to Cadillac's midengine 2-seat Cien V-12 concept supercar, it could be built in the U.K. Personally, I'd very much like to do it, says Bob Lutz, GM's product czar. We're in the process to see what...
The departure of the major Tier 1 suppliers from the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit was a blessing of sorts this year for lower-tier suppliers that often toil in obscurity but nonetheless play a vital role in testing...
BARCELONA, Spain There is a cathedral here in this partying port city that the Spanish have been working on for more than a century. When the Sagrada Familia Church is completed in about 25 years, huge amounts of money will have been spent, years...
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. kicks off sales of its all-new, gasoline/electric hybrid-powered 2003 Civic, and the company isn't about to relinquish its burgeoning lead in the development of hybrid-powered passenger vehicles. We view hybrids as an...
Denso Corp. will be ready in the event the auto industry adopts carbon dioxide (CO2) as an air-conditioning refrigerant in future vehicles. The world's top supplier of climate control systems supports CO2 because it is an abundant refrigerant, has...
It's a Matter of Cost No. Fuel cells will only become viable when the technology proves more cost effective than the systems now in use. Auto makers around the world are already working on the problem, and government funding of research in the U.S...