A new agreement to increase trade between the U.S. and South Korea temporarily keeps tariffs on automobiles. The trade pact, and the pivotal role autos played in negotiating the deal, is a good opportunity for car guys like us to review basics economics, and see the wider effect of the tariff.

Officially Jeep is mum about future plans. But word has leaked that the upcoming, 2011 Jeep Compass will be restyled to give it more of a Jeep-family look. The move suggests that the brand does not reach far beyond its established fan base, a problem that might mean future trouble.

Edmund’s Inside Line got ahold of the 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 for a test session and while they had it, they strapped the new muscle car to the dyno – making an amazing 452 rear wheel horsepower.

Your electric car could be juicing up on power while you’re filling up on comfort food at Cracker Barrel restaurants throughout Tennessee starting this spring in a pilot electric-vehicle charging program.

A leading automotive analyst predicts U.S. auto sales will be back to 2001 levels of 17 million by 2015 – a 70 percent increase over the levels reached in 2009. Sales for 2010 are projected to be about 11.2 million.

Rearview cameras have become the next big thing in the luxury segment but after the NHTSA announced that they would be mandating these “backup cameras” by 2014, Ford Motor Company has announced that they will offer this technology on almost all of their models by the end of 2011.

NASCAR has long been known for high performance, gas guzzling V8 engines but starting in early 2011, every lap run in NASCAR sanctioned events will be powered by Sunoco Green E15 Ethanol.

Toyota has issued a technical service bulletin to dealerships explaining that on some of the Camry and Avalon sedans which received the “fix” for unintended acceleration, the bolts used to secure the pedal assembly could have been stripped, causing the pedals to work their way loose.

It’s another blow for quirky vehicles as Honda announces it will phase out production of the Honda Element after the 2011 model year.

Information from an inter-company document sent to Buick dealerships has been posted online by GM Insider, including possible trimlines and prices for the new compact Buick that will be produced in the Orion Assembly Plant in Michigan.