It Might Cost Too Much to Insure This Flying Podcast

Old is new and new is new with March auto sales. Chrysler continued to storm back with a sales rebound, while sales climbers Hyundai and Kia continued to roll.

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Ford sales remain strong, and that might mean Alan Mulally's huge paycheck was worth it. But the auto maker is facing scrutiny for its rising fleet sales. One vehicle likely to be popular with fleets is the coming Ford Fusion which will have a stop-start option to save fuel.

In Japan, where car sales are surging, Honda is lagging rivals, which is also true in the U.S. market.

The DoubleBack would be popular in Seattle

While GM sales are not going gangbusters, the company is hiring workers, along with Ford and Chrysler, helping to push United Auto Workers membership up for the first time in a long time.

The New York auto show is breaking cover this week and one of the most interesting premiers is the Fisker Atlantic, a less expensive model to go with the Karma and featuring a similar extended-range electric power train.

The flying car will make its official debut in New York, but might not catch on, especially because insurance might be $60,000 a year.

Finally, the VW camper van/bus is extremely popular in the Pacific NorthWest and an U.K. company has figured out how to make it more spacious -- but only when it needs to be.

Podcasting Your Every Move

GM has annoyed drivers by changing their policy about tracking vehicles using it's OnStar technology. The auto maker also plans to sell the data, which is anonymous.

September is the height of the end-of-year car sales, and TrueCar has come out with its list of the best deals and the best day to buy.

Suzuki and Volkswagen have been linked together for the last couple of years, but the tie-up has gone sour and now Japan's Suzuki wants out. But VW won't sell.

It will cost you.

Car sales in the U.S. have been hampered by the effects of the earthquake in Japan which damaged factories. Well, car sales in Japan are now taking off -- particularly for used cars -- as drivers replace damaged vehicles.

Why do we have carpets in cars? We have a feisty debate, sparked by the fact that some car carpet factories in the U.S. were damaged by floods and it might affect auto production.

Subaru has an interesting new model coming for the Los Angeles show and revealed a transparent version that shows everything but nothing about the sporty car.

Massachusetts's Supreme Court ruled this week that drivers who fight a ticket and win can still be charged court fees, which are often almost as much as the original ticket.

Finally, did you see Drive yet? Any good? Let us know.

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This Podcast Can't Drive Itself

Toyota has been pounded by bad luck and bad decisions in recent years.
First came a surge by Korean car companies, then a wave a revitalized competition as Ford and GM got back on their feet, followed by a questionable problem with runaway cars, trailed by an increased in the value of the yen, and then a crushing natural disaster. All this showed up in the Japanese car maker's profit report this week, which was down 77% and could be a sign Toyota will lose its crown as the world's largest auto maker.

Even Japanese buyers are turning away from brands, with foreign nameplates showing a sizable jump in recent months, and even one sale of a Pontiac.

In the city of San Francisco, no demand for domestic nameplates has led to the closure of all GM, Ford and Chrysler dealers, but import brand dealers are doing fine.

GM is doing fine elsewhere, and will spend $2 billion upgrading its plants in the coming years to add new capacity and technology.

Porsche is spending money on real estate, but staying in Atlanta.

Kia is on a roll and expects to gain market share across the globe, and a strong showing in a recent Consumer Reports test will probably help its cause with U.S. buyers.

Electric-car range anxiety is something that drivers will have to overcome to foster wider adoption, and now Google is offering an API to help track commuting and offer alternative times and routes. Ford will adopt it.

Finally, Google is also pushing driverless cars, especially in Nevada. We debate the need for cars without drivers and if you have thoughts tweet us at #driverlesscarYayorNay.

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This Podcast Is Driving You to the NY Auto Show (With a Quick Stop in Shanghai)

This week's podcast is about cars, cars, cars. Concept cars, vehicle refreshes and new production models are getting unveiled at two auto shows simultaneously in New York and Shanghai.

Among the interesting new vehicles shown in NY this week
was the refreshed Subaru Impreza

We relied heavily on the great coverage from AutoBlog and Jalopnik to round-up the coolest and lamest designs. Our favorites: Scion's FR-S, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa and Chevrolet Malibu, among many others.

But there were other bits of news from the transportation world this week.

Buick showed it's new IntelliLink in-car communications system and BMW's ConnectedDrive was tested out.

And in troubling news for car shoppers, Japanese auto makers are going to test their vehicles for radiation before they are shipped to the U.S.

Finally, San Francisco is planning some crazy parking pricing that could lead to $18 an hour parking fees as it tries to reduce traffic on the streets.

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