HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation today held a ‘line-off’ ceremony for the CX-9 crossover sport-utility vehicle (SUV) being built for the North American market at the Ujina Plant No.1 near its global headquarters in Hiroshima. Hisakazu Imaki, Mazda’s representative director, chairman of the board, president and CEO, along with approximately 450 staff—comprised of several senior executives, union representatives and employees—attended this ceremony. The Mazda CX-9 will be arriving in North American showrooms in early 2007.

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Sorry about the delay in posting this press release. We’re still trying to catch our breath (and our fingertips!) from reporting about SEMA.

General Motors started its tour of Texas, the “Hard Day’s Work Tour” down in Dallas on October 30th. The world’s largest automaker is driving its latest offerings like the all-new Chevrolet Silverado to the doorsteps of Lowe’s hardware around the Lonestar State.

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We couldn’t make Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) this year but we’re getting plenty of material from the participating automakers. Here’s one of Honda’s entries, the 2007 Civic mod up (and how!) by MUGEN.

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Earlier this week, Nissan Motor Co. released details on the new Altima sedan including prices.

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In my daily investigative online reading, I came across a story that almost seems too far-fetched to be true. Dealers across the country are literally selling out of a vehicle model. Certainly, this would be rare for any domestic automaker, except for brand-new, just-introduced models. What made the story even more remarkable, is that the vehicles that are flying off dealer lots faster than the factory can produce them is not an exotic sports car or headline-grabbing retro revival.

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It seems lately, the Cassandras in the mainstream media have been scouring 24/7 for the latest negative news to come out of Detroit. Whether it’s Chrysler’s (substitute Ford, GM, take your pick) massive quarterly losses, looming layoffs, more manufacturing jobs moving overseas, etc. Now that Ford has become re-engergized with a new CEO and an unconventional marketing approach (Bold Moves), the negative limelight has shifted to its Euro-American compatriot DaimlerChrysler, force-feeding its dealers over-produced inventory, and reconciling its quarterly losses.

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Hitting the late-afternoon lull at work, I browsed around online and checked my personal E-mail, which returned me to the main portal page. On it, I saw the following headline: “Expanding waistlines add to pain at the pump“.

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It seems we’re in the midst of crossover mania lately. But with a few exceptions, there seems to be a common thread, or rather a common thread that’s conspicuous by its absence.

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This week, a veritable icon of the American automotive landscape will pass into the annals of history. The Ford Taurus, which at one time was considered a revolutionary vehicle for the domestic auto industry and, indeed, the global automotive marketplace, is being phased out in favor of newer, more modern successors in the form of the Five Hundred and Fusion. So why did America’s quintessential midsize sedan not enjoy the same evergreen reputation and appeal as the Camry and Accord?

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LAS VEGAS – Enthusiasts seeking the perfect vehicle to personalize will hit the jackpot with this year’s GM portfolio at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, which features all-new, full-size pickups, SUVs, crossovers and cars tricked out for the streets to the slopes and every conceivable surface in between. They include a one-of-a-kind Chevy Silverado off-road concept designed in conjunction with NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. – a successor to Junior’s “Big Red” Silverado – and a low-riding Orange County Choppers Silverado hauler concept inspired by the styling cues of the famous bike-building Teutul family.

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