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Audi investing $30.3 billion through 2018 for product expansion

How does Audi plan to reach two million units in annual sales and pay for the 11 new models it's adding to its lineup - an expansion that may include models named SQ2, Q9 and F-Tron? By increasing its investment to 22 billion euros ($30.3 billion US) between now and 2018. That figure represents an increase of about 500 million euros over the previously planned outlay, according to a report by Automotive News, and that could be due to Audi wishing to goad the momentum that pushed it to 1.5 million annual sales two years ahead of schedule.
It's also about staving off the challenges from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Now that BMW has been able to turn some of its attention away from its "i" series of Megacity cars, it will reportedly spend more than planned in 2014 as it continues the rollout of ten all-new vehicles and 15 new-generation vehicles through the end of next year. Mercedes, having been dropped to third in the sales race, is preparing to add 13 new cars over the next six years.
Audi's money is going into technology, into product like the next-generation TT and the Q1 and production expansions and upgrades all over the world. The expenditure represents just under a fourth of Volkswagen's 84.2 billion-euro ($115.7 US) outlay devoted to taking the number-one global automaker title away from General Motors and Toyota by 2018.

Toyota Camry lineup gets interior and tech updates one year in

When it debuted last year, the Toyota Camry came in for some criticism over its interior, most centered on material choices - both in quality (not enough) and variety (too much). Thus, Toyota has responded after just one model year, updating both materials and features on its gas-powered and hybrid family sedans for 2013.
The LE version appeared to get the lion's share of the improvements. Specifically, the LE is getting "soft-touch" door materials as well as armrests that match the rest of the interior color (instead of being black). The LE model also gets Toyota's six-inch display screen that helps folks get a better gander at the car's energy usage and fuel economy, among other things. Other changes include adding cross-traffic alert for models equipped with blind spot monitoring
Toyota introduced its latest version of the Camry and Camry Hybrid in the fall of 2011 as a 2012 model. Sales have been solid, and in particular, the Camry Hybrid has improved its fortunes, bumping its US sales almost fivefold to more than 45,000 units. So far in 2013, the latter has carried over much of that momentum, boosting January 2013 sales from a year earlier by 81 percent to 3,826 units.

This '59 Cadillac is now on display at Toyota's museum in Japan

The Toyota Automobile Museum is different from a lot of other automaker collections in one very interesting way: It doesn't focus solely on Toyota's own automobiles. While the home team is certainly well represented, the love is spread to plenty of non-Toyota brands and vehicles that are significant to automotive history. And that permanent collection now includes the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible you see here. Yes, the '59 Caddy has the biggest tail fins ever, which makes it measurably significant. You still wouldn't expect to see it in a museum in Japan, though. After updates to the facility and its exhibits finish early next year, the 67-vehicle collection will also include such greats as a Renault 5 (known here as the Le Car), a '64 Ford Mustang, an Audi Quattro, a first-gen Honda Insight, and a Lotus Elite. Someone over there has good taste. You can visit the Toyota Automobile Museum the next time you're in Nagakute City, which is right outside Nagoya. We're booking our tickets now. Related Video: Cadillac Toyota Automotive History cadillac eldorado