Mercedes unveils Maybach concept car that harks back to classic aero coupes

Here is the latest Car News from Auto News Magazine.

Mercedes unveils Maybach concept car that harks back to classic aero coupes
Mercedes revealed a Maybach branded two-plus-two concept that is heavily influenced by the ‘areo coupes’ of yesteryear but with a modern electric engine and high-tech interior.

Automakers, suppliers struggle to find and keep talent
The increasing stream of engineering openings — coupled with lower unemployment, less labor force participation and growing North American vehicle production — underscores the need for the auto industry to attract and invest in younger workers.

Cadillac debuts Escala concept, a preview of new design direction coming ‘soon’
Cadillac did something unusual Thursday night: It used the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance to debut a concept that might actually reach production.

Mercedes Maybach concept is retro on the outside, futuristic on the inside
Photos have leaked out of the Mercedes-Maybach concept car ahead of its full reveal at Monterey Car Week Thursday, showing both retro and modern elements from the luxury sub-brand, punctuated with a very long hood, gull-wing doors and a futuristic…

Porsche drivers fume: Where’s our VW diesel payout?
Volkswagen settled its diesel deception involving almost 500,000 U.S. automobiles, paying dearly to satisfy car owners affected by the emissions scandal.

Dallas dealership group fined for violating 2014 FTC consent order
Southwest Kia, which operates three dealerships in the Dallas area, will pay an $85,000 penalty to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission that it violated a 2014 consent order that prohibited it from deceptive advertising, the agency said.

Auto advertising not making big impression during first week of Olympics, index says
Four automotive brands are among the top 10 advertising spenders for the 2016 Olympics, yet none managed to make a significant impact in U.S.

In wake of VW scandal, U.S. fines Harley-Davidson $12 million for defeat device
Harley-Davidson agreed to pay a $12 million civil fine and stop selling illegal after-market devices that cause its motorcycles to emit too much pollution, the U.S. Justice Department said.

California lawmaker to withdraw zero emissions vehicle bill
A California lawmaker said she will withdraw a bill that would have required 15 percent of new car sales be zero emission vehicles by 2025 due to opposition from automakers, the oil industry and labor.

Hyundai’s Genesis unveils remote auto controls with Amazon
Genesis, Hyundai’s new luxury division, today said it will be the first company to allow users to control a variety of car functions remotely using Amazon Alexa voice commands.

Uber, Volvo partner to put self-driving SUVs on U.S. roads by year-end
Uber and Volvo are forming a $300 million autonomous-vehicle partnership and plan to roll out the service in Pittsburgh by the end of the year — in a sign of how fast driverless technology is evolving.

Shareholders approve Johnson Controls-Tyco merger
Shareholders from Johnson Controls and Tyco International approved the merger between the two companies on Wednesday.

Louisiana floods close or disrupt 60-80 dealerships
Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association President Will Green said today that the 60 to 80 dealerships in flooded areas are primarily working through staff shortages because of employees who can’t physically make it to the store or are dealing with…

Infiniti Q60 campaign summons Game of Thrones vibes
Kit Harington takes the Infiniti Q60 for a thrilling spin in one of the latest additions to this week’s list.

Detroit competition for talent ramps up in Silicon Valley
For the first time in America’s industrial history, the center for automotive technology is drifting away from Detroit.

Will industry trends undercut Unifor’s mission?
If Unifor has trouble persuading the Detroit 3 to invest in Canada, it will largely be due to factors out of its control.

2017 Mazda3, Mazda6 fine-tuned to deliver smoother drive, handling
Mazda is updating the Mazda3 and Mazda6 with the company’s G-Vectoring Control as standard equipment for 2017.

Kia slots new crossover below Sportage
Spy photographers have snapped a prototype of Kia’s new subcompact crossover undergoing hot-weather testing. The unnamed cute ute will compete with the likes of Toyota’s upcoming C-HR, Mazda’s CX-3, Honda’s HR-V and Chevy’s Trax.

Cadillac readies concept for Pebble Beach showing
Cadillac plans to introduce a concept vehicle at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Cadillac isn’t saying if the concept is an SUV, crossover or new sporty car.

For automakers, Detroit’s Dream Cruise should be prime turf to recruit engineers, designers
For an industry struggling to attract top engineers and designers, automakers are making a mistake by letting events such as the Woodward Dream Cruise pass them by each year.

Ford to make autonomous cars for ride-hailing, ride-sharing by 2021
Ford today said it plans to introduce an autonomous vehicle by 2021 for use in a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service. Ford said the vehicle would be ‘specifically designed for commercial mobility services’ and built in high volumes.

Ford to double Silicon Valley staff, makes investment in lidar
Ford is accelerating its development of self-driving cars by more than doubling the size of its Silicon Valley lab and taking a stake in Velodyne Lidar, the leading maker of an advanced radar that is an essential sensor in autonomous driving.

Subprime auto lending gets blasted by comedian John Oliver
Comedian John Oliver took a break from mocking Donald Trump and the Rio Olympics to warn about the dangers of subprime auto lending.

Mazda fine-tunes Mazda3, Mazda6 for 2017 to deliver smoother drive, handling
Mazda is updating the Mazda3 and Mazda6 with the company’s G-Vectoring Control as standard equipment for 2017.

‘Moderate’ number of damaged vehicles expected from Louisiana flooding
As rivers across much of southern Louisiana slowly recede from record high levels, it remains unclear how many vehicles have been damaged or destroyed because of flooding.

Tesla cooperating with French authorities investigating car fire
Tesla Motors is cooperating with French local authorities investigating a fire involving one of its Model S cars during a test drive in Biarritz, it said on Tuesday.

Hyundai exec, seeking Silicon Valley tie-ups, wants to knock down fortress mentality
A go-it-alone strategy won’t cut it anymore, says Hwang Seung Ho, Hyundai’s executive vice president of information technology development.

Barra tells Texas jury GM flubbed fatal ignition flaw
GM failed to designate a flawed ignition switch linked to multiple deaths and injuries as a safety concern, CEO Mary Barra told jurors at a Texas trial.

Honda pulls wraps off 5-door Civic hatchback
Honda’s first five-door Civic hatchback for the U.S. market will go on sale this fall as a 2017 model.

Tesla removes ‘self-driving’ from China website after Beijing crash
Tesla removed a Chinese term for “self-driving” from its China website after a driver in Beijing who crashed in Autopilot mode complained that the company overplayed the function’s capability and misled buyers.

Texas judge tosses GM ignition-switch lawsuit
A Texas judge has thrown out a lawsuit against General Motors from a woman who blamed a 2012 car crash on a faulty ignition switch that later prompted the company to recall 2.6 million vehicles.

VW, U.S. hold talks to settle criminal probe over diesel emissions, report says
Volkswagen AG and the U.S. Justice Department have held preliminary settlement talks about resolving a criminal probe into the automaker’s diesel emissions violations, two sources briefed on the matter told Reuters.

Audi vehicles, in first for industry, to talk to U.S. traffic signals
Audi is rolling out technology that will allow its vehicles in the United States to communicate with traffic signals, allowing for a more stress-free ride in what it says is the car industry’s first commercial use of the nascent technology.

Tesla removes ‘autopilot’ reference from China website after Beijing crash
Tesla removed the word “autopilot” and a Chinese term for “self-driving” from its China website after a driver in Beijing who crashed in Autopilot mode complained that the car maker overplayed the function’s capability and misled buyers.

Asbury expands online sales experiment
Asbury Automotive Group Inc. is trying a low-cost approach to selling vehicles online.

Suppliers keep wheeling and dealing
Seemingly unworried about wobbly global markets, automotive suppliers are wheeling and dealing to acquire each other or dump underperforming assets.

Reining in the robots
Automakers are trying to find the right balance of human and robot workers.

A tech to call your own
One Porsche retailer is trying to come up with ideas to increase business and retain customers.

Faurecia&’s data-driven factory
Faurecia’s newest U.S. factory will generate so much data that it will have to employ its own mathematician.

Toyota pickup plant feels the squeeze
Toyota is scrambling to produce more Tacomas as competition among midsize pickups heats up.

Automakers and the Third Age of Mobility (Season 1, Episode 3)
Episode 3 of Season 1 of ‘Futurismo,’ Automotive News’ new podcast series about the next quarter century in the auto industry, takes a look at carmaker strategies in an era of mobility.

Worry grows as stair-steps get steeper
An NADA survey found 64 percent of dealers dislike stair-step incentives. Several say they’ve become more careful about which ones they go for and which they pass on.

Money train rolls on for GM dealers
GM is renewing its Essential Brand Elements aid program, a relief for the many GM dealers who have come to rely on it as a vital revenue stream. But they’ll have a few more hoops to jump through.

The era of disconnected driving?
As consumers line up for crossovers and other all-wheel-drive vehicles, suppliers report big new demand for a technology that delivers awd only some of the time.

Worlds collide in autonomous race
As companies such as Google race to bring autonomous cars to market, the cultural divide between academic types and corporate types is surfacing publicly.

Ford, Reuss head lineup at World Congress
Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford and General Motors product czar Mark Reuss – two industry leaders who’ve helped drive enormous change at their companies – will head the speaker lineup at the Automotive News World Congress here in January.

GM prescribes headache relief in Brazil
Turmoil in Brazil and other South American markets has sapped demand and prompted automakers to slash production.

Google makes headline news
Google rolled out changes to its search-ad format in late July that give retailers more characters to work with. As a result, auto dealerships can make the sales pitches in their search ads more descriptive.

A performance line for Genesis?
Add one more thing to Hyundai and Genesis’ ever-expanding to-do list: a Genesis performance line.

Nissan to dangle 5-year, 100,000-mile warranty on 2017 Titan lineup
Nissan will offer a five-year/100,000-mile, bumper-to-bumper warranty on the 2017 Titan as it prepares to launch two new, volume variants of the large pickup.

VW gets German regulator’s approval to fix 460,000 diesel vehicles
Volkswagen received German regulatory approval to carry out technical fixes on 460,000 diesel cars fitted with software that skirts emissions tests.

Nissan’s new VC-T engine rewrites rules of small turbocharged engine
Nissan has developed a new type of gasoline engine it says may make some of today’s advanced diesel engines obsolete.

For Genesis, it’s just the beginning
Genesis’ general manager Irwin Raphael is fine with having a just a pair of larger sedans in his arsenal for now.

Is CAFE making cars bigger?
Cars and trucks have been growing for decades to reflect the visual tastes of designers, the safety concerns of engineers and consumer desire for more interior space.

Toyota welcomes Camry home
The end of Camry production at Subaru’s plant in Lafayette, Ind., will give Toyota more flexibility over inventory amid a sales slump. But Toyota has no plans to significantly curb supplies of the nation’s top-selling sedan.

For Genesis, it&’s just the beginning
Genesis’ general manager Irwin Raphael is fine with having a just a pair of larger sedans in his arsenal for now.

The many flavors of Infiniti&’s QX30
Infiniti now has a compact crossover in its lineup, but the company has its work cut out for launching it.

Hyundai’s new philosophy: ‘controlled aggression’
Hyundai is pursuing a new engine persona in the United States. Hyundai calls it ‘controlled aggression’ and says it represents the next phase in refining the brand’s driving experience.

JLR performance shop is no boys club
JLR is searching for an edge as it develops a performance line that it hopes one day will be as strong as BMW’s M and Mercedes’ AMG.

California lawmaker to float zero emissions vehicle bill
A California lawmaker plans to introduce a bill next week requiring 15 percent of all vehicles sold in the state to be emissions-free by 2025.

Linamar Q2 earnings rise 31% to $121 million
Linamar Corp., boosted by gains across its business segments and an acquisition earlier this year, said it posted net earnings of $120.8 million ($157.3 million Canadian) in the second quarter — a 31 percent increase from the year earlier period.

Lyft rebuffs GM overtures to acquire ride-hailing firm, report says
General Motors has expressed an interest in acquiring Lyft, but the ride-hailing company has rebuffed the recent overtures and will raise more funds instead, technology website The Information reported on Friday, citing two people familiar with the…

Suspect arrested in Ford plant killing
A suspect was arrested late Thursday in connection to the killing of a Ford employee outside the automaker’s Kansas City Assembly Plant.

VW eyes SMA Solar storage systems in cooperation talks
Volkswagen is in early talks with German solar power equipment maker SMA Solar about working together, the companies said, as the automaker pushes ambitious electric car plans to overcome its diesel emissions scandal.

Toyota changes recall fixes for 337,000 RAV4, Lexus HS250h vehicles
Toyota said it is changing the way it fixes rear suspension problems on 337,000 RAV4s and Lexus HS250h vehicles involved in a 2013 recall.

China proposing California-like mandates for EVs
China will consider mandates that carmakers produce more electric vehicles or purchase carbon credits from their peers, potentially emulating California’s system and transitioning from a subsidy-driven approach to catalyzing cleaner cars.

Ford, FCA begin Canada contract talks with Unifor
Unifor opened talks on new labor contracts with Ford and Fiat Chrysler, kicking off a round of negotiations the union has framed as critical to the future of auto manufacturing in Canada.

Karma targets Tesla with $115,000 solar-boosted hybrid
Karma Automotive, the Chinese-owned carmaker once known as Fisker Automotive, has taken another step in its resurrection with the online reveal of a plug-in hybrid sedan that seeks to compete with Tesla’s Model S electric car.

Subaru to introduce all-electric crossover by 2021, report says
Subaru plans to launch an all-wheel drive electric vehicle in the U.S. by 2021 to meet more stringent emissions regulations, a Japanese newspaper reported.

Hillary Clinton pitches tax changes, infrastructure investment in Detroit area speech
Hillary Clinton cast a distinct tone from her Republican rival for president, highlighting Detroit’s post-bankruptcy momentum and painting herself as the candidate of income fairness and middle-class workers.

Michigan owns Tesla stock despite sales ban, report says
The State of Michigan may have a ban on direct sales of Tesla vehicles, but the Michigan Department of Treasury has 339,623 shares worth $72 million invested for state retirement funds in Tesla Motors stock, according to a published report.

Keyless systems of older VW cars can be hacked, researchers say
Tens of millions of vehicles sold by Volkswagen AG over the past 20 years are vulnerable to theft because keyless entry systems can be hacked using cheap technical devices, according to European researchers.

Ford, FCA begin Canada contract talks with Unifor today
Unifor today opened talks on a new labor contract with Ford and Fiat Chrysler in a round of negotiations the union has framed as critical to the future of auto manufacturing in Canada.

Mercedes-Benz gives luxury coupe a spin ahead of California show
Mercedes-Benz released a sneak preview of a new ultra-luxury Maybach coupe in a sign that Daimler is continuing its push upmarket to turn up the heat on BMW, which owns the Rolls-Royce brand.

Ford, FCA to begin Canada contract talks with Unifor today
Ford and Unifor today opened labor negotiations, while Fiat Chrysler and the union are set to do the same later today. Details of the proposals were not immediately known.

Nissan awkwardly attempts product placement in Rio
In the latest viral video to make our chart, Nissan attempts to persuade Olympic athletes to ‘naturally’ incorporate its brand into their competitions.

Ford employee shot and killed outside Kansas City plant
A Ford employee was shot and killed this morning in the parking lot outside the Kansas City Assembly Plant, which makes the F-150 pickup and Transit van. The shooting occurred around 4:07 a.m.

Hillary Clinton to offer economic platform at auto supplier near Detroit
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will deliver her economic platform Thursday at a tooling and engineering company near Detroit. Clinton’s campaign said Tuesday that she will speak at 1:15 p.m.

VW plaintiffs’ lawyers to seek up to $332.5 million in fees, costs from emissions settlement
Lawyers representing plaintiffs in a $10 billion settlement over claims that Volkswagen outfitted vehicles with software to cheat on emissions testing said they will seek up to $332.

Mercedes on pace to win 2016 global sales crown from BMW
Mercedes-Benz sales through July rose at more than twice the pace of arch-rival BMW’s, keeping it on course to reclaim the global luxury vehicle lead this year thanks to a sportier lineup and a new crop of SUVs.

Geitner replaces Rowe as head of Cox’s Media Solutions Group
Cox Automotive named Brian Geitner to replace Jared Rowe as president of its Media Solutions Group, where Geitner will lead Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Dealer.com.

Toyota launches $22 million r&d partnership with University of Michigan
Toyota Research Institute CEO Gill Pratt said today the institute will funnel $22 million into a partnership with the University of Michigan the next four years to boost randd in artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and robotics.

U.S. market still has upside, some industry CEOs say
U.S. auto sales still have room to grow, some auto industry leaders believe, casting aside worries that the six-year expansion is about to lose steam.

Detroit’s Cobo Center plans $9.5 million in parking improvements
Cobo Center, the primary venue for the Detroit auto show in January, is planning $9.5 million worth of parking structure projects that will give it another 570 parking spaces.

Tesla reports Autopilot crash in China
Tesla said on Wednesday that one of its cars had crashed in Beijing while in Autopilot mode, with the driver contending sales staff sold the function as “self-driving,” overplaying its actual capabilities.

Self-driving cars spur more automotive M&A in Silicon Valley
The auto industry’s self-driving revolution has spurred the biggest two years of automotive supplier takeovers in a decade. The total value of automotive supplier deals in 2015 and 2016 was $74.

Geitner named president of Cox’s Media Solutions Group
Brian Geitner has been named president of the Media Solutions Group at Cox Automotive. Geitner, previously president of the company’s Financial Solutions Group, will lead the Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Dealer.com business divisions and brands.

Dealership throughput forecast to drop
For the first time in seven years, U.S. dealership new-vehicle throughput — the average number of units sold per store — is expected to decline, according to most light-vehicle sales forecasts and data from Urban Science, a retail consulting firm.

GM, union ‘miles apart’ in Canada negotiations, Unifor chief says
Unifor President Jerry Dias said he is confident the union will reach a deal with General Motors on a new labor contract by the mid-September deadline while acknowledging today that the two sides are ‘miles apart.’

GM launches Canadian labor talks with Unifor
General Motors and Unifor today exchanged proposals for a new labor contract, kicking off formal negotiations between the Detroit 3 and Canada’s largest private-sector union.

2017 Infiniti QX30 pricing to start at $30,945
The 2017 Infiniti QX30 compact crossover will be available in six trims, starting at $30,945, including shipping, for the base model, when it goes on sale in September, joining an increasingly crowded but growing segment.

Tesla opens flagship store in San Francisco’s ‘Auto Row’ ahead of Model 3
Tesla marked the opening of its largest North American sales, service and delivery center in San Francisco, a key market from which the EV maker will introduce its Model 3 sedan late next year.

Tesla opens flagship store in San Francisco’s ‘Auto Row’ in advance of Model 3
Tesla marked the opening of its largest North American sales, service and delivery center in San Francisco, a key market from which the EV maker will introduce its Model 3 sedan late next year.

Former Mexico governor to face trial tied to Kia tax sweeteners
A former governor of Mexico’s northern Nuevo Leon state will be tried for alleged improprieties linked to tax incentives his administration gave to South Korean carmaker Kia Motors to build a plant, a local government source said on Tuesday.

Online used-car startup Carvana gets $160 million in new funding
Online used-car startup Carvana, known for delivering vehicles through vending machines, said today it closed a $160 million funding round that brought the total raised to nearly half a billion dollars.

Self-driving cars spur heavy auto deal traffic in Silicon Valley
The auto industry’s self-driving revolution has spurred the biggest two years of automotive supplier takeovers in a decade. The total value of automotive supplier deals in 2015 and 2016 was $74.

Leuliette wins temporary halt to Visteon lawsuit; case will go to arbitration
Former Visteon CEO Tim Leuliette appeared to win an early round in litigation with his former employer, after U.S.

NHTSA’s Rosekind hits hot roads across south to push recall repairs
Frustrated by the failure of many American motorists to take cars with safety defects to dealers for repairs, NHTSA chief Mark Rosekind on Tuesday began a political campaign-style swing through southern states to push for better vehicle maintenance.

2017 Infiniti QX30 to start at $30,945
Infiniti has released pricing for its latest vehicle, the 2017 QX30, as compact crossover sales stay hot in the U.S. The crossover, which is available in six trims, starts at $30,945, including shipping, for the base model.

Hitachi Automotive to pay $55.5 million fine for role in U.S. price-fixing
Hitachi Automotive Systems agreed to plead guilty to fixing the price of shock absorbers installed in U.S. autos, and to pay a criminal fine of $55.48 million, the Justice Department said in a statement on Tuesday.