MCG Executive Briefing for February 10, 2023

Mazda affirmed that it intends to keep the popular Miata MX-5 sports car in production forever.  Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.

 

Today’s headlines:

 General Motors and chipmaker GlobalFoundries Inc. announced a long-term deal for the automaker to secure U.S.-made microprocessors to avoid future chip shortages. More at Reuters. 

 Nissan reported a 55 percent jump in its fourth-quarter profit to $386 million over the same period last year, propelled by a 29 percent increase in vehicle sales revenue. More at The Detroit Free Press. 

Pablo Di Si, VW CEO of America, says the automaker is considering a pickup truck,  which could be based on the Atlas or Taos platform and will definitely be hybrid or electric. More at Autoblog. 

 Veteran Champ Car and IMSA driver Katherine Legge will enter the  2023 Indianapolis 500 driving for  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, her first Indy 500 attempt since 2013. More at ESPN. 

+   Stellantis has confirmed that its battery-electric version of the Ram half-ton pickup will be called the Ram 1500 Rev, with production scheduled to begin sometime next year. More at Car and Driver. 

+   A weak revenue forecast by ride-sharing service Lyft Inc. came in below the expectations of Wall Street analysts, triggering a 28 percent tumble in its share price. More at U.S. News and World Report. 

 Mitsubishi’s director for product planning in North America, Cason Grover, says the Japanese automaker wants to return to the huge pickup truck market in the United States. More at The Drive. 

+   Martijn ten Brink, chief executive of Mazda in Europe, again affirmed that the automaker intends to keep the Miata MX-5 two-seat sports car in production forever. More at Hemmings.com. 

 Jeep has unveiled its most expensive Wrangler ever, the Rubicon 392 20th Anniversary, with special offroad suspension parts from AEV and a list price of $115,000. More at CNBC. 

+   Front Row Motorsports will enter a third car in the Daytona 500 for Zane Smith, and will alternate drivers Smith and Todd Gilliland in the no. 38 car through the season. More at Motorsport.com. 

Photo courtesy of Mazda. 

Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from February 6 here. 

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