2007 Honda Accord Se on 2040-cars

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Experience the New York Auto Show by drone

The Autoblog team recently returned from wildly running around the Javits Center to cover all the news and debuts at the New York Auto Show. Sometimes, it's nice to take a more serene look at the exhibition floor, though, and the event's organizers are providing that exact opportunity by flying a drone through the hall. Combined with the down-tempo music, this clip feels like a form of automotive meditation. If you're going to miss the show in the Big Apple, the drone also provides a good overview at the exhibition floor, especially at the stands from Lexus, Buick, Dodge, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and BMW. Plus, it's a fun way to see some vehicles from a completely different angle than they ever appear on the road. Related Video: News Source: New York International Auto Show via YouTube Auto News New York Auto Show BMW Buick Dodge Honda Lexus Mercedes-Benz Toyota Videos drone 2015 ny auto show

Honda ending CR-Z, Insight sales in Europe

Death by diesel? That may be the epitaph of the Honda Insight and CR-Z in Europe, where the Japanese automaker will discontinue sales of the two hybrid models before to the 2015 model-year. A Honda spokesman confirmed the discontinuation to Automotive News, and information on those models has been taken off of Honda's official websites in Germany, Spain and Italy. The European embrace of all things diesel and fuel efficient as well as competition from Toyota are the primary culprits. The cancellation is not a surprise. Insight sales in Europe fell a whopping 62 percent last year while CR-Z sales there plunged 66 percent. Combined, both models sold less than 2,000 units in Europe last year, Automotive News says, citing JATO Dynamics. Honda is having trouble moving the Jazz Hybrid (also known as the Fit) in Europe as well. European sales declined about 40 percent last year to around 4,500 units. Those numbers compare rather unfavorably to a 43 percent surge in Toyota's hybrid sales in Europe to about 153,000 units. The Insight may face the same fate in the US. Last year, US Insight sales fell 18 percent to 4,802 units, a small, small challenge to the more than 234,000 Toyota Prius variants sold in the US in 2013. Honda has not made an official statement on the Insight's fate here, but the sales are speaking for themselves. Featured Gallery 2014 Honda CR-Z Hybrid View 14 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. Green Honda Hybrid hybrid sales

Asian automakers still reluctant to use more aluminum

There's a logical progression of technology in the auto industry. We've seen it with things like carbon-ceramic brakes, which use to be the sole domain of six-figure sports cars, where they often cost as much as an entry level Toyota Corolla. Now, you can get them on a BMW M3 (they're still pricey, at $8,150). Who knows, maybe in the next four a five years, they'll be available on something like a muscle car or hot hatchback. Aluminum has had a similar progression, although it's further along, moving from the realm of Audi and Jaguar luxury sedans to Ford's most important product, the F-150. With the stuff set to arrive in such a big way on the market, we should logically expect an all-aluminum Toyota Camry or Honda Accord soon, right? Um, wrong. Reuters has a great report on what's keeping Asian manufacturers away from aluminum, and it demonstrates yet another stark philosophical difference between automakers in the east and those in the west. Of course, there's a pricing argument at play. But it's more than just the cost of aluminum sheet (shown above) versus steel. Manufacturing an aluminum car requires extensive retooling of existing factories, not to mention new relationships with suppliers and other logistical and financial nightmares. Factor that in with what Reuters calls Asian automaker's preference towards "evolutionary upgrades," and the case for an all-aluminum Accord is a difficult one. Instead, manufacturers in the east are focusing on developing even stronger steel as a means of trimming fat, although analysts question how long that practice can continue. Jeff Wang, the automotive sales director for aluminum supplier Novelis, predicts that we'll see a bump in aluminum usage from Japanese and Korean brands in the next two to three years, and that it will be driven by an influx of aluminum-based vehicles from western automakers into China. Only time will tell if he's proven right. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Sean Gallup / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Honda Hyundai Mazda Nissan Toyota Technology aluminum