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Autoblog Podcast #318

Toyota back on top, Barrett Jackson, Crowdsourcing your Dodge Dart payments, Nissan and Toyota double down on pickups
Episode #318 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Michael Harley talk about Toyota regaining the No. 1 sales crown, getting your friends and family to buy you a Dodge Dart, Barrett-Jackson, and Toyota and Nissan remaining committed to their pickup trucs. We wrap with your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #318:

2017 Tokyo Motor Show | Mega Gallery

The 2017 Tokyo Motor Show has been a big and busy one. It's also had machinery ranging from beautiful to bizarre. But there's been something for everyone. Companies such as Honda and Subaru brought performance oriented vehicles, Toyota showcased a wide array of funky and practical concepts, and Yamaha even broke away from motorcycles to do another car concept. You can check all of these vehicles out, and more in the galleries below. 2018 Honda Gold Wing: View 5 Photos Honda Neo Sports Cafe Concept: View 5 Photos Honda Riding Assist-e Concept: View 7 Photos Honda Sports EV Concept: View 5 Photos Honda Super Cub: View 3 Photos Isuzu FD-SI and Elf EV: View 9 Photos Lexus LS+ Concept: View 18 Photos Mazda Kai Concept: View 18 Photos Mazda Vision Coupe Concept: View 15 Photos Mitsubishi e-Evolution Concept: View 8 Photos Nissan IMx Concept: View 29 Photos Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept: View 8 Photos Subaru Viziv Performance Concept: View 12 Photos Toyota Century and Crown: View 7 Photos Toyota Concept-i Series: View 16 Photos Toyota GR HV SPORTS Concept: View 6 Photos Toyota Tj Cruiser: View 12 Photos Yamaha Concepts (Cross Hub, MOTOROiD, MWC-4, Motobot): View 5 Photos Related Video: Tokyo Motor Show Honda Isuzu Lexus Mazda Mitsubishi Nissan Subaru Toyota

Weekly Recap: The cost of Tesla's ambitious plans for growth

Tesla has ambitious plans for growth, and they won't come cheap. The electric-car maker said this week it plans to spend $1.5 billion in 2015 to expand production capacity, launch the Model X crossover and continue work on its Gigafactory, which is being built outside of Reno, NV. The company is also investing in its stores, service centers and charging network, which is expected to grow by more than 50 percent this year. Plus, it's still working on the Model 3, which is scheduled to arrive in 2017. "We're going to spend staggering amounts of money on [capital expenditures]," Tesla chairman and CEO Elon Musk said on an investor call. He then added: "For a good reason. And with a great ROI [return on investment]." They're bold plans, and Musk is clearly willing to put Tesla's money where his mouth is. That's why the company is projecting a whopping 70-percent increase in deliveries this year, for a total of 55,000 cars. A large chunk of that growth will come from the addition of the Model X crossover to Tesla's portfolio, and the company already has nearly 20,000 reservations for it. More than 30 Model X prototypes have been built, and it is expected to begin shipping to customers this summer. Musk said he's "highly confident" the vehicle, which has experienced delays, will arrive on time. The company also had more than 10,000 orders for the Model S at the start of the year. The big spending plans caused a stir, even though Tesla spent $369 million on capital expenditures in the fourth quarter alone. In a note to investors, Morgan Stanley analysts called the costs required to keep pace with Tesla's demand "eye-wateringly high," and said the $1.5-billion figure was nearly double their expectations. Still, Musk is not thinking small and suggested that his company could be as big in 10 years as Apple is now if Tesla's growth continues. His optimism comes as the company actually reported a $294-million net loss in 2014, more than its $74-million loss in 2013. The money, however, continues to roll in, and total revenues increased to $3.2 billion in 2014, up from $2 billion in 2013 and a dramatic surge from $413 million in 2012. More of the same is expected this year, and the company could reach $6 billion in revenue. As Morgan Stanley noted, it "seems Tesla is preparing to be a much larger company than we have forecasted." It's certainly spending that way.