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Collection Will Initially Be Accessible to FCA Employees Only, But Public Access May Figure Into Future Plans The Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit, former production home of the Dodge Viper. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced plans recently to transform the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit, where the iconic Dodge Viper was manufactured, into an internal meeting and display space that will showcase the company’s collection of concept and historic vehicles. Renamed Conner Center, the former manufacturing facility, tucked in a Detroit neighborhood just south of the famed 8 Mile Road, will have space to exhibit 85 of the nearly 400 concept and historic vehicles that will now be stored onsite under one roof. Previously, the Company’s extensive collection was housed in several locations.

The crossover, or CUV, is not an automotive category that we're crazy about. We don't try to make that a secret around here. That said, it's also no secret that, at least relatively speaking, we are  crazy about what Mazda has been doing design-wise recently. And the updated 2019 Mazda CX-3, which, interestingly, Mazda positions as a movement toward  its next generation of vehicles, is a nice, if not earth-shattering, of what tasteful design can do for a category that, overall, is, well, shall we say somewhat lacking in the excitement department?

Photo: Towel401 (Wikimedia commons). Mazda Motor Corporation, ELIIY Power Co., Ltd. and Ube Industries, Ltd. have agreed to jointly develop lithium-ion batteries for use in automobiles. The three companies will work together to develop durable, heat- and impact-resistant 12-Volt lithium-ion batteries as a viable replacement for lead-acid starter batteries in motor vehicles by 2021. Lithium-ion batteries offer a promising alternative to conventional lead-acid car batteries, as environmental regulations in some regions restrict the use of lead and engineers aim to reduce vehicle weight for improved fuel economy. But their application in motor vehicles so far has been limited due to the need for car batteries to withstand the high temperatures of the engine room and the potential impact forces of a collision. With this new project, Mazda, ELIIY Power and Ube Industries will combine their technical strengths to overcome such issues.

The new 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback. Our regular readers have no doubt gathered by now that we are, to say the least, ambivalent toward the "hot-hatch" trend.  Yes, some of them, like the Hyundai Veloster, are pretty cool. It's just that, depending on generational factors, it can be hard to shake the images of Chevettes and Dodge Omnis that come to mind when you hear the word "hatchback." But, just for the record, we're sharing the news that Toyota Motor of North America announced Friday that they will unveil their all-new 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback at the New York International Auto Show (March 30-April 8, 2018). In a rather syrupy, purple-prose-laden press release worthy of the Bad Pitch Blog , Toyota characterized the new 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback as "Toyota's newest, stylish, and most technologically-advanced small car."

XYO Network, a tech firm focused on blockchain crypto-location technology, recently selected 24-year-old motorsports rising star Collete Davis to serve as brand ambassador and spokesperson Davis, currently driving the Wonder Woman Monster Jam Truck as well as competing in Sports Cars and Top Drift, will bring her high-energy, calculated risk-taking, and aptitude for business to the role. The announcement comes as Davis represents the company during the Monster Jam World Finals this weekend March 23-24 in Las Vegas, Nevada. "When I moved to Silicon Valley 6 years ago, I quickly learned how cryptocurrencies were the future. Fast forward to now, it's been incredible to see the industry's progress and the XYO Network is a game changer in the space." "I'm incredibly excited to announce my brand ambassadorship with XYO Network," said Davis. "As a race car driver, engineer, and entrepreneur, I understand the speed that this technology will be adopted and I...

Those of us old enough to remember the humble, under-powered origins of the Honda Civic when it first graced American shores know that this venerable Japanese automotive brand has, to say the least, come a long, long way. And now, a pair of Honda Civic Type Rs will join the popular new TCR category as the Touring Car divisions of the 2018 Pirelli World Challenge series begin their season this weekend with a pair of races at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. RealTime Racing will field veteran Honda driver Ryan Eversley and the returning Nick Esayian aboard Honda Civic Type Rs in a competitive TCR field that includes no fewer than 14 entries representing five major automobile manufacturers.

A suipercharged V8 engine in a vintage 1968 AMC AMX,  ready for dragstrip racing. Photo by Christopher Ziemnowicz  (posted to Wikipedia). When it comes to being blown, size apparently does matter—market size, that is. A market research report released recently by MarketsAndMarkets, a firm based in Pune, Maharashtra, India, the global automotive superchargers space will have a market size of $10.95 billion by the year 2025. The report also sizes the supercharger market at $7.26 billion as of 2017, according to a statement from MarketsAndMarkets announcing the report. The automotive supercharger market is also projected to grow at a rate of more than 5 percent annually, the company states.  Of course, since superchargers are not relevant to electric vehicles, if the report is accurate, it's just another piece of evidence that speculation about the near-term demise of the internal combustion engine is premature indeed.