Category Archives: shows and events

Milestones – Volkswagen Chattanooga at 15 Years

Posted on 28 May 2026 by Ken Zino

Volkswagen Group of America’s Chattanooga Plant is celebrating 15 years since its grand opening in May 2011 (VOW3.DE or OTC VOW3.DE). Volkswagen Chattanooga has assembled more than 1.85 million vehicles, invested $4.3 billion in its operations, and now employs more than 4,000 team members. Today, the plant is home to the Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport. The models together composed about 30% of Volkswagen’s U.S. sales in 2025. The plant is also noteworthy as becoming UAW organized despite VW’s long opposition to a union in North America. Tennessee is a Right to Work state [right to work for less? – AutoCrat] since 1947. Continue reading →

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Indianapolis 500 Purse at Record $30,906,400

Posted on 26 May 2026 by Ken Zino

The purse for the 110th Indianapolis 500 totaled a record $30,906,400. First-time winner Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian earned a record-high $4.34 million. That translates to $21,700 per lap for the 200 lap race presented by Gainbridge. The announcement came at the Victory Celebration, held this year at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis on Monday night. [The Indianapolis 500 purse consists of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NTT IndyCar Series awards, plus other designated and special awards. – AutoCrat]* Continue reading →

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Indianapolis 500 in 2026 – Closet Finish in 110 Years!

Posted on 25 May 2026 by Ken Zino

The final lap of wheel-to-wheel racing to take the checkered flag at the Indianapolis 500 culminated in the closest finish in the 110-year history at the Brickyard. However, it was only one of the “500” or more heart-throbbing moments that inarguably supports the claim that the 500 is the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Felix Rosenqvist drove the high line against the concrete wall exiting Turn 4 on Lap 200 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian and powered past the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet of David Malukas to triumph by .0233 of a second. The previous closest finish in “500” history came in 1992, when Al Unser Jr. held off a charging Scott Goodyear by .043 of a second. Continue reading →

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Annals of Marketing – NISMO Coming to Australia

Posted on 24 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“NISMO represents one of the most authentic expressions of Nissan’s passion for performance, innovation and customer excitement,” said Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO, Nissan Motor Company. “As we advance our long-term vision of mobility intelligence for everyday life, we will continue to deliver new experiences to our customers. The expansion of the NISMO brand in markets such as Australia is an important step in bringing exciting experiences to customers who value performance and authenticity,” Espinosa claimed. Continue reading →

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Annals of Marketing – BMW LEGO M3 E30

Posted on 22 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“The BMW M3 E30 is now available as a LEGO® Speed Champions set. The exclusive kit featuring a special-edition livery design is a unique heritage item for fans of all ages,” BMW said.

“The distinctive livery pays tribute to the car’s legendary heritage and draws inspiration from the BMW M Motorsport division. Besides the visually captivating forms and colors of the livery, it is unique in that it is applied not only to the scaled-down replica LEGO® Speed Champions BMW M3 E30 version, but also to the actual BMW M3 E30,” BMW said. Continue reading →

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UAW Files Unfair Labor Practice Against American Axle

Posted on 21 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“Calling the police on your own dedicated workforce for holding union flyers isn’t just a violation of federal labor law – it’s a desperate attempt to bully workers into submission,” said UAW Region 1D Director Steve Dawes. “But that’s not going to work with UAW Local 2093 members. These workers are going to stay strong for a record contract.” [See Police Body Cam footage at a link below – AutoCrat.] Continue reading →

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Stellantis FaSTLAne 2030 Financial Reform Revealed

Posted on 21 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“We have great people, the muscle of global scale, unmatched brands that connect and inspire, the deep local roots of our regions and dealer partners to meet our customers’ distinctive needs, and a relentless focus on innovation and excellence in execution. With these strengths, we are uniquely positioned to offer delight, functionality, and affordability. Adding to these the accelerating and amplifying benefits of our ‘win-win’ partnerships, we have everything we need to deliver our FaSTLAne 2030 ambitions,” claimed Filosa. [This is the corporate equivalent of betting on the come line in the Casino at Monte Carlo – AutoCrat.] Continue reading →

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Coming Soon Chinese-Built Jeeps?

Posted on 15 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“Dongfeng Motor has always taken the transformation and revitalization of Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën Automobile Co., Ltd. (DPCA) as a key strategic priority, fully supporting and advancing its sustainable development. Through the signing of this strategic cooperation, by integrating Hubei’s industrial strengths, Stellantis’ global layout advantages and Dongfeng’s intelligent electric vehicle technologies, a new path featuring complementary strengths and win-win outcomes for all parties has been forged. This will undoubtedly inject strong momentum into DPCA’s transformation,” said Qing Yang, Dongfeng Group Chairman. Continue reading →

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First Glance – Acura Hybrid SUV

Posted on 14 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“Honda will reallocate more development and production resources into hybrid models to accelerate the market launch ahead of the original schedule and increase the number of compelling products,” said Toshihiro Mibe, global CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. “We have made steady progress in the development of hybrid vehicle technologies, where Honda has strengths, based on our belief that hybrid models will continue to be the key to addressing environmental challenges.” [Today Honda posted its first Japanese full-year loss in history taking ~$9 billion in costs ‌to restructure its electric-vehicle business. Honda also dumped its longer-term EV sales forecast.-AutoCrat] Continue reading →

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BMW Group to Convert Preferred Shares to Common

Posted on 14 May 2026 by Ken Zino

At the Annual General Meeting of BMW AG (XETRA: BMWG.DE) late yesterday, and a subsequently held separate meeting of preferred shareholders [Susanne Klatten and Stefan Quandt – AutoCrat], the conversion of preferred shares into ordinary shares was approved.

“For the weighting of BMW AG in major stock indices such as the DAX or the EURO STOXX 50, it is already the ordinary shares that are decisive as the share class with the highest free‑float market capitalization. As a result of the conversion, their proportion in free float will increase significantly by around 19%,” said Chief Financial Officer Walter Mertl on Wednesday in Munich. “This step therefore strengthens the weighting of BMW AG in relevant indices. The simplified capital structure represents a clear added value for investors and may have a positive impact on the share price performance of the BMW share.” Continue reading →

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American Honda Partnered Accessories Launches with Thule

Posted on 11 May 2026 by Ken Zino

American Honda Motor Company (NYSE: HMC) today announced Honda Partnered Accessories, an adjunct to Honda Genuine Accessories available at 1000 independent U.S. Honda dealerships.*

“Honda Partnered Accessories, a new accessory line designed to enhance the vehicle purchase and ownership experience through Honda dealers by integrating popular products from trusted third‑party brands directly into the vehicle purchase process. This initiative adds a scalable accessory ecosystem alongside Honda Genuine Accessories, created to grow and adapt as customer needs and vehicle trends evolve,” American Honda said in a release. Continue reading →

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AAA – Record 45 Million Plan Memorial Day Weekend Trips

Posted on 11 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it’s a three-day weekend,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.” Continue reading →

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Stellantis and Leapmotor to Expand Leapmotor International

Posted on 8 May 2026 by Ken Zino

Stellantis (NYSE: STLA / Euronext Milan: STLAM) and Leapmotor (Zhejiang Leapmotor Technologies Ltd 9863.HK) today announced their intention to expand their strategic partnership [Leapmotor International – LMPI – is a 51% Stellantis / 49% Leapmotor joint venture with exclusive rights for the sale and manufacturing of Leapmotor products outside Greater China – AutoCrat.] with an emphasis on European products and assembly plants and engineering technologies.

“This plan to expand our successful partnership with Leapmotor – a trusted peer and one of the fastest-growing, most respected new energy vehicle producers globally – is a true win-win for both of us. It is expected to support production and advance localization in Europe of world-class manufacturing of electric vehicles at affordable prices to meet customers’ real-world needs. Today’s announcement reflects our intent to deepen our partnership and take one more step towards even greater collaborations in the future,” said Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa. Continue reading →

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Lexus Shows 2027 TZ 3-Row Electric SUV

Posted on 7 May 2026 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM, 7203 T) today in Japan revealed a prototype version of the Lexus TZ 3-Row Electric SUV. The all-wheel-drive, full-size SUV is aimed directly at the popular and profitable SUVs from the brands at General Motors and Ford Motor Company. TZ is capable of driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas [or Tokyo to Kobe -AutoCrat] on one charge. Acceleration is rated by Lexus at 0-100 kms (62.1 miles) in 5.2 seconds. Grade and pricing information for the all-new Lexus TZ will be available later in 2026.* Continue reading →

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Push to Pass Rules Changed For IndyCar Racing

Posted on 5 May 2026 by Ken Zino

IndyCar announced today an update for “Push to Pass” use for the NTT IndyCar Series and Indy NXT by Firestone. Beginning with this week’s events on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and for all subsequent road and street circuit races, Push to Pass – a driver-controlled system that provides roughly 60 extra horsepower via increased turbocharger boost – will be available and allowed for use at all times once the car passes the alternate start-finish line following the start and once the green flag has been displayed. Push to Pass timing parameters, including time and maximum time per push, remain unchanged. Continue reading →

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