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Toyota fears supplier pressure in Australia with GM pull out

With Ford and General Motors both announcing an end to production in Australia, the country's auto industry is in a bad way. With the exit of two big players, there's increased concern that a third Australian manufacturer, Toyota, will be forced out, as well.
"We are saddened to learn of GM Holden's decision. This will place unprecedented pressure on the local supplier network and our ability to build cars in Australia," Toyota Australia said in a statement. The GM closure of Holden production will be the direct end to 2,900 jobs, but will also force a dramatic reduction in the size of the country's supplier network, as there will simply be fewer cars to build.
In the same statement, Toyota Australia said it would work with suppliers and local government to figure out whether continuing production Down Under was even feasible. According to Automotive News, a representative for the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union told reporters it was "highly likely" that Toyota would also close up shop within the next few years.

2015 Ford Mustang prototype spotted on the street

Our trusty spy photographers have snapped the first photos of the 2015 Ford Mustang prototype out on public streets. With nearly every square inch of the machine covered in heavy camouflage, it's difficult to discern details, but we can see smallish horizontal headlamps at work in the coupe's nose. Ford has made it clear that modern lighting technology will allow the company to get away from large, expensive headlamp arrays in the near future, and the 2015 Mustang may very well be the first of the automaker's products to bow with the new tech. The philosophy was first displayed on the very attractive Evos Concept.
The extensive cladding doesn't extend all the way to the prototype's rockers in the instance, giving us a look at the heavily-sculpted sills. Overall, this test car looks considerably smaller than the current generation Mustang, and elements like a short front overhang and beefy dual-piston calipers give us plenty of hope for the future model. Of course, reports that the 2015 Mustang will bow with an independent rear suspension and EcoBoost power certainly don't hurt our feelings, either.

2022 Detroit Auto Show Editors' Picks

As tends to be the case in this post-ish-pandemic world of auto shows, the North American International Auto Show was a strange one. It was at least mostly indoors and thus not at the mercy of Mother Nature. And unlike that first Chicago Show following the initial pandemic shutdown, this one was all assembled before the media arrived. Even with a much thinner show floor, the Detroit Auto Show still gave us a number of noteworthy reveals. Now, full disclosure, the rules for our Detroit picks were made a little more flexible, since some of these vehicles were revealed a little before the week of the show. But we still focused on vehicles that were making their show debut, and were actually present on the floor. Sadly, that means we had to leave out the Jeep Recon and Wagoneer S electric SUV concepts. Odds are, those would've made it into our list of the top five if they had actually been on display. Now, on to the winners. 2023 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe View 18 Photos 5. 2023 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe This was an easy one. While there's nothing so remarkable about the Willys that it makes this package a must-buy, it's nice to see another model available with the 4xe powertrain. Just one question, though: Where was the Recon? – Byron Hurd Chevrolet Blazer EV View 7 Photos 4. 2024 Chevy Blazer EV As a fan of the K5 and S-10 Blazer generations, I was a bit bemused when the current-gen crossover came out ... until I drove it and realized how good it actually is. Now that there's a Blazer EV incoming, I feel like I can become a true fan again. And there's a lot for fans to appreciate: FWD, RWD and AWD versions, and even a 557-horsepower SS variant. In a lineup of practical, Ultium-based Chevy utes, it's good to see an attainable product that enthusiasts can get behind — along the lines of Ford with its Mustang Mach-E — while we wait for an electric Corvette. — Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder 2023 Chrysler 300C View 28 Photos 3. 2023 Chrysler 300C In a poignant press conference with the Spirit of Detroit statue in the background, Chrysler sent its flagship 300 out properly with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8. Stellantis design chief Ralph Gilles articulated the car's successes — its many awards and sterling reviews from its early days — and the cover came off with a veritable 300C hot rod on display. One more time, the 300 is at full strength. To be clear, this isn't the 300S with an available 5.7-liter.