REPORT: Toyota bankrolling $500 million into Indiana plant; no comment on NUMMI originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fiat to Chrysler: "We won't walk away" originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

REPORT: Chrysler's sale to Fiat put on hold temporarily to hear debtor objections originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: 2010 Subaru Legacy

First 2010 Subaru Legacy rolls off the line in Indiana originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 May 2009 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As domestic automobile manufacturers cut production and lay off workers because they were caught off-guard when consumer buying habits switched to more fuel-efficient vehicles, Honda will effortlessly shuffle its production to meet U.S. demand for small cars. Without cutting any jobs in North America, Honda will move assembly of the Honda Pilot SUV and Honda Ridgeline pickup from Alliston, Ontario, to Lincoln, Alabama. This move will allow the Japanese automaker to increase production of the fuel-efficient Honda Civic in its Canadian plant. Later this year, Honda is expected to add another 2,000 jobs as it begins to build Civics in Indiana, as well. That plant will be Honda's seventh in North America. Honda has sold 34,163 units of the Civic in North America through April of this year, which is 8.2% more Civics sold on average per day than in 2007. For comparison's sake, Toyota has sold 32,435 Corollas, Ford has sold 23,850 Foci and Chevy has sold 18,636 Cobalts so far this year.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Honda shuffles production so it can make more Civics originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 May 2008 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What's built in the States, stays in the States. At least that is how it used to be with one of the world's largest automaker. (The one exception is the Toyota Avalon sedan -- exported to the Middle East last year.)

Toyota has now announced that it will ramp up U.S. vehicle production in Indiana and begin exporting vehicles to other booming markets around the world. The first to leave our shores will be the Toyota Sequoia, as it heads to buyers in the Middle East later this year. The Toyota Sienna minivan will follow, as it will be shipped to China and other markets as early as 2010. This news should be welcomed by workers and suppliers at the automaker's plants as Toyota recently slowed production at several facilities. This new trend of shifting production towards exporting vehicles may help keep them running at capacity, and keep everyone on their jobs.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Toyota to start exporting U.S.-built SUVs and minivans originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 May 2008 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As of today, production of the Tundra full-size pickup is split between Toyota's facility in Princeton, Indiana, and the automaker's brand new San Antonio plant in Texas. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Toyota is considering moving all production of the Tundra to just the Texas plant. Just over two weeks ago, Toyota announced it was slowing production on the Tundra (and Sequoia) due to lagging sales. The move to consolidate all Tundra manufacturing in one location may be seen as a sign Toyota only expects to sell 200,000 full-size units or less this year, as that number represents the production capacity of the Texas facility. You may remember that Toyota boldly claimed it would sell 200,000 units of the Tundra in 2007, the newly redesigned truck's first year of sales. It missed that target, but not by much with 196,555 units sold. Toyota hasn't officially commented on the rumor yet, but we'll let you know when it breaks the silence.

UPDATE: Toyota has issued a statement saying it is not moving all Tundra production to San Antonio.

Gallery: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited

Toyota may move all Tundra production to Texas originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

States have come up with some neat little quips to get people to slow down for work zones on freeways. "Slow for the cone zone" comes to mind. The Hoosier State has shunned the soft sell and gone straight for the I-double-dog-dare-you-to-speed-here school of prevention by serving up a $1,000 ticket.

Starting July 1, the Indiana DOT can lower speed limits without previous any study in highway work zones. Then, they can send five-0 to the scene to make sure Joe Q. Driver isn't trying anything funny, even if there aren't any workers present. The first time Joe's foot slips after he passes the 45 mph sign, it's $300. The second infraction is $500. And if that doesn't cure his wayward ways, then his gracious donation of $1,000 will gladly be accepted by the good state of Indiana. Oh yeah, and if he fights it and loses it's another $70.

Our favorite provision is the "aggressive driving" misdemeanor. If you drive 46 mph in a highway work zone and perform any aggressive action on a driver in front of you, such as flashing your headlights, and you get caught, you get a $5,000 fine that probably comes with its own Howitzer sound effects. If you do it again, the officer will apply a Rowdy Roddy Piper sleeper hold, then pin you to the mat with a $10,000 ticket, three years in jail, and a felony on your record. Don't mess with Texas Indiana.

[Source: The Newspaper]

Welcome to Indiana, home of the $1,000 speeding ticket. And that's just the beginning... originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 May 2007 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading First Subaru Camry rolls off the line in Indiana

First Subaru Camry rolls off the line in Indiana originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Honda earmarks Civic for new plant in Indiana originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Mar 2007 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Honda receives 5,000 applications for 18 spots at Indiana plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"It might be the fastest speed ever recorded on the northwestern Indiana county's roads," said Porter County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Emmons," most people's cars won't go that fast." Not really the thing you necessarily want to be known for during your first year of licensed driving. We can't imagine what the perceived punishment was going to be, but it was obviously severe enough that Brandon Rapp, 16, was clocked doing 142 miles per hour in his Subaru Impreza (WRX?) in an effort not to be late getting home.

The teen now faces charges of speeding (87 over the limit!) and misdemeanor reckless driving, either of which could cost him his license.

Mr. Rapp was stopped at 12:40AM on a stretch US 30 and informed officers that he was speeding so his parents wouldn't be mad at him for being home late. The officer wrote the tickets and told the young driver to go straight home and call him within the hour. When she asked where he was, the 16-year-old's mother made the call to the officer and got the whole story. If he thought he was in trouble for being late and was willing to risk driving 142 miles per hour, we don't even want to think about what might have happened after that phone call.

Thanks to Kurt B for the tip!

{source: Indy Star]

Teen drives 142 mph only to be later than planned originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Dec 2006 12:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Indiana turned out to be the fairest one of them all for Honda. The automaker announced that its much-anticipated plant, for which it considered numerous sites in the Midwest, will be built on a 1,700 acre site near Greensburg, Ind. to the tune of $550 million. Honda's sixth North American plant, which will have a capacity of 200,000 vehicles per year, should start production in 2008 and will employ 2,000 people initially.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Honda picks Indiana for new plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jun 2006 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Want to join a luxury auto club? According to sib site Luxist, for those near Evansville, Indiana, you now have an option. Located at the Buxston Motorsports plaza, members of the LuxShare Auto Club shell out $7,250 to $9,000 per year in order to gain access to high-end vehicles from manufacturers like Porsche and Rolls-Royce. 

Members will be given a set number of points to 'spend' per year, with each vehicle having its own number of points based upon variables like price and time of year. Most drivers can expect around 28-45 days of vehicle useage per year. More details about the system are available at the link.

The club has five members thus far, with a goal of signing 20 by the beginning of June and a total of 40-45 members overall. A similar 'timeshare' operation already exists in New York in the form of Manhattan's Classic Car Club.

[Source: Gleaner via Luxist]

Indiana luxury car club looking for members originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Toyota moving Camry production to Subaru's Indiana facility originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.