AutoWeek articles from August 2003

AutoWeek archives from August 2003

owners say...(Letter to the Editor)
August 4, 2003... The TSX is a world-class bargain with none of the irritating quality problems of German marques. I was looking for something that was front-drive, fun and rock solid with all the technology for under $30K-you can't do any better than this. I...

owners say...(Letter to the Editor)
August 4, 2003... The car has terrific power for a family hauler, and it has a slew of features that outshine other sedans. The 18-inch wheels and redesigned exterior get plenty of compliments. The interior is a futuristic design that is very pleasing to our...

Television.(Calendar)(Calendar)
August 4, 2003... Friday, Aug. 8 * Car Crazy, 7:30 a.m., Speed Channel (T) * My Classic Car, 8:30 a.m., Speed Channel (T) * Hi-Rev Tuners, 9:30 a.m., Speed Channel (T) * Two Guys Garage, 10:30 a.m., Speed Channel (T) * USAR Hooters Pro Cup...

A ROSE IS A ROSE; TSX stands out in its field.
August 4, 2003... How appropriate that at least one Acura dealer out there surprised a customer by presenting her with flowers upon delivery of her new 2004 TSX. Whether the bouquet was roses or not is immaterial- in this case the car is the rose, by whatever...

Flash.(Racing news.)
August 4, 2003... Zanardi comeback? Two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi could return to racing in the European Touring Car Championship. The Italian, who lost both his legs in a crash at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz in 2001, tested an ETCC BMW 320i. A possible...

CHEVY WINS BY FINISHING SECOND; Ford's new engine rocks Michigan.
August 4, 2003... Byline: CURT CAVIN Chevrolet was the big Indy Racing League winner at Michigan International Speedway even though the manufacturer's lead driver, Sam Hornish Jr., finished second in the Firestone Indy 400. How so? Chevy's debut of the...

NEWMAN'S OWN; Ryan Newman dominates Pocono.
August 4, 2003... Byline: AL PEARCE Ryan Newman is smart enough to accept that NASCAR doesn't issue "do-overs.'' Its officials don't give anybody second chances to reconsider late-race moves or stop everything while crew chiefs recalculate fuel mileage. ...

TRACY TRIUMPHS AT VANCOUVER; a Confusing race, a decisive result.
August 4, 2003... Byline: BILL McGUIRE Paul Tracy ruled the Champ Car happening in Vancouver, on the track and all around town. First the popular Canadian commandeered the local media bandwidth for the weekend, running his smack game to great effect against...

Competition.
August 4, 2003... Lowering expectations CART's gloomy financial statement admits the series could run out of cash before the end of the 2004 season. Yet gloomy financial statements have been CART's standard for the better part of three years, and many have...

Results.(Racing)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Rally Germany July 23-27 1. Sebastian Loeb, Citroen Xsara, 3h 46m 50.4s; 2. Marcus Gronholm, Peugeot 206 WRC, +3.6s; 3. Richard Burns, Peugeot 206 WRC, +19.7s; 4. Colin McRae, Citroen Xsara, +31.4s; 5. Markko Martin, Ford Focus RS WRC...

Results.(Racing)
August 4, 2003... Pocono Raceway 2.5-mile tri-oval July 27 1. Ryan Newman, Dodge, 200 laps at 127.705 mph avg. speed; 2. Kurt Busch, Ford, 200; 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 200; 4. Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 200; 5. Terry Labonte, Chevrolet,...

A Big Win for Rally Partners.
August 4, 2003... Byline: KELLY McGILVERY Precision and accuracy were the touchstone for success in The Great Race, the time-speed-distance competition of vintage automobiles that wrapped up in Daytona Beach, Florida, on July 4. The course ran through 15...

Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul; , edited by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Matthew E. Adams, Jeff Aubery and Kirk Autio, 270 pages, Health Communications, 2003.(Book Review)
August 4, 2003... Byline: -KELLY McGILVERY The way to the Daytona 500 is, to paraphrase an old joke, to "practice, practice, practice!'' Hard work, determination and a whole lotta heart are what gives America, and NASCAR, its heroes and success stories....

Open-Air Flamboyance.
August 4, 2003... Byline: JOHN F. KATZ 1955 marked the turning point for DeSoto, from Chrysler's most conservative division to its most flamboyant. Arguably, the transition began in 1952, when DeSoto released its own version of the 331-cid Chrysler...

2004 TOYOTA CAMRY Solara Coupe.(News)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... On Sale: August Base Price: $19,605 Powertrain: 2.4-liter, 157-hp, 162-lb-ft inline four; fwd, five-speed manual Curb weight: 3175 pounds 0 to 60 mph: 7.1 seconds (mfr.)

NEW TAURUS DEBUTS.(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Ford was expected to unveil its 2004 Taurus Nextel Cup car this week, prior to the Brickyard 400. The Taurus has new nose and tail sections, and Ford racing operations manager Greg Specht said the company was able to deliver the car to NASCAR a...

BWTM.(But Wait There's More... )(Interview)
August 4, 2003... ]]]]]] Toyota chief Jim Press liked our Scion limo story (AW, June 9) so much he got a chauffeur hat, pulled the bB stretch from the fleet and picked up his son from the airport. "I stood there with a sign just like all the other limo...

DON'T COUNT YOUR CHICKS; A Sportier suspension, bigger engine, new body should appeal to a broader audience.
August 4, 2003... Byline: MARK VAUGHN "We don't want it to be a chick car,'' said a Toyota Solara program executive. Hey, some of our best friends are chicks. They have pretty good credit, too, and they're buying cars all over the place now. In fact,...

WHAT A CONCEPT; Chevy's SSR is more than just a new truck for GM.(News)
August 4, 2003... Byline: ROGER HART With the unveiling of the Chevy SSR at the 2000 Detroit auto show (AW, Jan. 24, 2000), GM's design boss Wayne Cherry said the two-seat convertible roadster truck, named by our staff as Most Fun at the show, embodies GM's...

NEED MORE BENTLEY? VGD is the one to see.(News)(the Von Genaddi Design Shooting Brake)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Byline: MARK VAUGHN What's the difference between a shooting brake, an estate wagon and a station wagon? Price, naturally. Any ramble through your local paper's automobile classifieds will return any number of Olds Vista Cruiser station...

2004 CHEVROLET SSR.(News)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... On sale: Late August Base price: $42,620 Powertrain: 5.3-liter, 300-hp, 331-lb-ft V8; rwd, four-speed automatic Curb weight: 4760 pounds 0 to 60 mph: 7.6 seconds (mfr.)

Letters.
August 4, 2003... Spy shots stir 'Stang worries The 2005 Mustang show cars are exciting, but since their introduction, word (along with your July 21 spy photos) keeps getting out about a "few changes'' for production. Gone are the glass roof, the...

Learning the E-Dance at Last.(Column)(eBay Motors)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Rich Ceppos Wind the clock back to a much younger me. I'm talking with a pop psychology-smitten friend. What-if time. "If you were walking down a path in the forest,'' she asks, "and you came upon a bear, what would you do?'' ...

GOOD CARS AND GOOD TIMES AT GOODWOOD; Mingling among the fast and historic at Lord March's estate.(News)(The 10th Goodwood Festival of Speed)
August 4, 2003... Byline: MIKE DUFF He built it and they came-by the tens of thousands. For a hereditary peer of the realm, Lord March is certainly not lacking in business savvy. The 10th Goodwood Festival of Speed, held as always on the grounds of his West...

Fast Poll.(People)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... At the spiritual halfway point of the auto racing season, the championship race in many series is too close to call. We ask readers, "Who would you bet the house on?'' My top pick is F1's Michael Schumacher. Reason: Ferrari. Need I say...

UP THE HILL WITH JUSTIN WILSON.(News)(Formula One's rookie of the year)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Byline: Mike Duff Driving up the hill is brilliant fun, but being driven is better. Especially when your chauffeur is Justin Wilson, Formula One's rookie of the year so far. For the first 11 F1 races of the year, Wilson drove for the...

Flash.(Briefs)
August 4, 2003... Brock Coupe released The ink had barely dried on our last Carroll Shelby story (AW, July 28) when word came that Shelby's trademark on the Daytona Coupe trade dress had been rescinded. Shelby's attorneys had used the trademark registration...

Results.(Racing)(Calendar)
August 4, 2003... Michigan International Speedway 2.0-mile oval July 27 1. Alex Barron, G Force-Toyota, 200 laps at 180.917 mph avg. speed; 2. Sam Hornish Jr., Dallara-Chevrolet, 200; 3. Tomas Scheckter, G Force-Toyota, 200; 4. Scott Sharp,...

Results.(Racing results.)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Concord Pacific Place 1.781-mile street circuit July 27 1. Paul Tracy, Lola, 100 laps at 90.632 mph avg. speed; 2. Bruno Junqueira, Lola, 100; 3. Sebastien Bourdais, Lola, 100; 4. Michel Jourdain, Lola, 100; 5. Darren Manning,...

Events.(Calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
August 4, 2003... Sept. 29 All Ford Car Show St. Charles, Mo. Visit gatewayfalcons.com for more information. Oct. 1-5 Fall Carlisle Carlisle, Pa. For details on this event visit carsatcarlisle.com. Oct. 3-5 Lone Star...

MAXIMUM DUTY; Nissan's Maxima packs a potent package.
August 4, 2003... Performance and luxury are two words car manufacturers love having people say in the same breath, but it rarely happens unless the conversation is about cars costing more than $30,000. Nissan has succeeded in getting owners to talk about the...

Driver's Log.(2003 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet.)
August 4, 2003... 2003 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Date in fleet: July 7-14 As-tested price: $89,440 Powertrain: 3.6-liter H6; rwd, six-speed manual Hp: 320 @ 6800 rpm Torque: 273 @ 4250 rpm Curb weight: 3075 pounds MPG (EPA combined/ AW observed):...

An SS primer.(The Corvette SS - 'Super Sport.')(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER According to Chevrolet lore, legendary Corvette engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov coined the name "Super Sport'' in response to someone calling his 1957 Corvette race car a mere "sports car.'' No, corrected Arkus-Duntov,...

Mission Accomplished.(Column)
August 11, 2003... Nobody knows what it is, but everybody wants a ride. I only had it overnight, but must have explained it to 20 people. They called it a "gizmo-fest,'' a "rock star car'' and "over the top.'' The one thing they didn't call it was a Maybach. ...

BUGGIN' OUT.(News)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... After nearly 68 years, production of the venerable Volkswagen Beetle came to an end with No. 21,529,464 (left) July 30 in Puebla, Mexico. Some lifetime stats on the "people's car'': 1935: At the behest of Adolf Hitler, the first prototype...

REMEMBERING THE FLYING MANTUAN; Tazio Nuvolari is one driver all the great ones wanted to meet.(News)
August 11, 2003... Byline: MATT DAVIS Jimmy Clark, Ayrton Senna, Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill. There are so many great drivers, but on the short list of the greatest road racers in history, the name Tazio Nuvolari has to be...

Events.(Calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
August 11, 2003... Oct. 8-11 Antique Auto Club of America Fall Meet Hershey, Pa. Visit www.aaca.org for more information. Oct. 9 San Diego Racing Hall of Fame Induction San Diego Celebrating the induction of Bob Bondurant and Andy...

CLASS Divisions; Cadillac's CTS V-series will rock the sport-sedan world.
August 11, 2003... Byline: MAC MORRISON We haven't seen Ken Morris for a while. Truth told, that's a good thing. Don't misinterpret us: We like the program-engineering manager for General Motors' new Performance Division. He is well-spoken, affable, and a...

Something for Everyone.(News)
August 11, 2003... Byline: John F. Katz Now in its 14th year, the Concours d'Elegance of the Eastern United States is still widely regarded as one of the finest exhibitions of collectible automobiles east of Meadow Brook Hall. On June 14, some 15,000 old-car...

Bliss on Wheels.(News)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Carrie Roca After that little encounter with the law just after taking delivery of our long-term Nissan 350Z (AW, May 26), our time behind the wheel can be summed up in a word: fun. The religious nature of some of the comments on...

SWEDISH FLAGSHIP; We begin a year in Volvo's shot at the SUV market.(News)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Byline: WES RAYNAL Like gazillions of soccer moms nationwide, we've succumbed to crossoveritis. So much so we've added Volvo's new upmarket SUV, the XC90, to the AutoWeek long-term fleet. And adding it wasn't easy. We ordered our Volvo...

TV Aug 15-19.(Calendar)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Friday, Aug. 15 * NASCAR Busch Series qualifying from Brooklyn, Mich., 1 p.m., Speed Channel (L) * NASCAR Winston Cup qualifying from Brooklyn, Mich., 3 p.m., Speed Channel (L) * Trackside at Brooklyn, Mich., 7 p.m., Speed Channel...

Fast Poll.(People)(Scale models)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Scale models are one way to live out your automotive fantasies, and we ask what readers have in their miniature dream garage. I'm 14, so scale models are as good as it gets. I have Ferrari F50 and 550s, a Shelby Series 1, Maserati 3200GT,...

FORWARD Motion.(News)(New 9-3 Sport Sedan gets some credit for Saab's apparent mid-spiral recovery)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Mac Morrison Credit the new 9-3 Sport Sedan for Saab's apparent mid-spiral recovery. Halfway through 2003, the manufacturer that hemorrhaged cash for years appears on the verge of a financial comeback. Through June, year-to-date...

2004 CADILLAC CTS V-SERIES.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... ON SALE: January 2004 BASE PRICE: $45,000 (est.) POWERTRAIN: 5.7-liter, 400-hp, 395-lb-ft V8; rwd, six-speed manual CURB WEIGHT: 3833 pounds 0 to 60 MPH: 4.6 seconds (mfr.) %%

2004 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE.(News)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... ON SALE: October BASE PRICE: $40,670 (Arc), $43,175 (Aero) POWERTRAIN: 2.0-liter, 210-hp, 221-lb-ft turbocharged I4; fwd, five-speed manual (Arc), six-speed manual (Aero) CURB WEIGHT: 3480 pounds 0 to 60 MPH: 8.0 seconds...

More Wizardry, Less Cost.(News)(Buick)
August 11, 2003... Byline: MIKE COVELLO The Great Depression was a tough time to be selling cars, but Buick entered 1932 with a two-pronged attack: lower cost and more technology. Buick dropped its six-cylinder engines and tooled up three different...

Driver's Log.(News)(2003 Porsche Carrera 4S coupe)
August 11, 2003... 2003 Porsche Carrera 4S coupe Date in fleet: July 21-28 As-tested price: $87,985 Powertrain: 3.6-liter H6; awd, five-speed automatic Hp: 315 @ 6800 rpm Torque: 273 @ 4250 rpm Curb weight: 3361 pounds MANDEL: Okay, call me a Porsche...

results.(Competition)(Road America, a 4.048-mile road course )(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Road America 4.048-mile road course Aug. 3 1. Bruno Junqueira, Lola, 34 laps at 86.493 mph avg. speed; 2. Sebastien Bourdais, Lola, 34; 3. Alex Tagliani, Lola, 34; 4. Max Papis, Lola, 34; 5. Patrick Carpentier, Lola, 34; 6. Darren...

results.(News)(Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
August 11, 2003... Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5-mile oval Aug. 3 1. Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 160 laps at 134.554 mph avg. speed; 2. Matt Kenseth, Ford, 160; 3. Jamie McMurray, Dodge, 160; 4. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 160; 5. Bill Elliott, Dodge,...

results.(News)(Auto raching results)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Hockenheim 2.842-mile road course Aug. 3 1. Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams-BMW, 67 laps at 128.646 mph avg. speed; 2. David Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes, 67; 3. Jarno Trulli, Renault, 67; 4. Fernando Alonso, Renault, 67; 5. Olivier...

Flash.(Briefs)(Volkswagen officials deny online report that VW is pulling plug on plans to introduce its high- end Phaeton sedan in US)
August 11, 2003... Phaeton fib? Volkswagen officials both here and abroad are strongly denying an online report that VW is pulling the plug on plans to introduce its high- end Phaeton sedan (Cover Story, July 22, 2002) in the United States. Steve Keyes,...

BWTM.(Shelby Cobra 40th Anniversary Guitar is designed by John Bolin; notes other news)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Society Notes Here's something else to pluck while sittin' around the campfire: a Shelby Cobra 40th Anniversary Guitar designed by John Bolin. Each guitar is finished in Shelby period colors. The guitars get a 40th anniversary...

Race Report.(News)
August 11, 2003... Kevin Harvick was a kid when he got an autograph from fellow Bakersfield, California, native Rick Mears. It was on a picture of the 1979 Indy 500 front row of Mears, Tom Sneva and Roberto Guerrero, and Mears wished Harvick luck and added that...

TEAM PLAYER; Jack Roush is helping the Wood Brothers return to glory.(News)
August 11, 2003... Byline: AL PEARCE Jack Roush has a full plate. Five Winston Cup teams. Two Craftsman Truck Series teams. A multi-state empire filled with engine- and car-builders, marketing and sponsorship teams, and a distribution system for parts and...

RAIN MAN; Bruno Junqueira finally gets his first win of '03.(Competition)
August 11, 2003... Byline: BILL McGUIRE 1In the middle of nowhere, about two miles south of tiny Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (population just over 1000), 15 miles west of Lake Michigan and an hour or so north of Milwaukee, is one of the world's last great...

2004 VOLVO XC90 INTRODUCTION.(News)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... PRICING & OPTIONS Base: $35,125 As-tested price (includes $685 delivery): $43,320 Options: Premium package ($2,575), awd ($1,750), versatility package ($1,675), 18-inch wheels and tires ($750), climate package ($595), metallic...

OZ PLUS OR EVO LITE?(News)(2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart plugs gap between rally-bred Evolution and cosmetically correct OZ Rally )
August 11, 2003... Byline: MARK VAUGHN 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart plugs gap between rally-bred Evolution and cosmetically correct OZ Rally Just saw 2Fast 2Furious and gotta get an Evo? Then hit hard by the Evo's $30,000 sticker? Try one of...

Flash.(Briefs)
August 11, 2003... Back, Toyota, back! In an effort to avoid its A-list NASCAR teams defecting to Toyota, or any other automaker, Ford has locked up Roush Racing, Robert Yates Racing and the Wood Brothers in five-year contract extensions. "The sport of...

Biela, Werner take Trois-Rivieres.(Competition)
August 11, 2003... Frank Biela and Marco Werner drove their Audi to victory in the American Le Mans Series race at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, scoring their third ALMS win of the year. Biela and Werner led all 169 laps to beat Johnny Herbert and JJ Lehto, in another...

8.482 Miles with Fabrice Deglan in His C3 Racer.(Column)
August 11, 2003... Byline: Matt Davis I was sitting in a 1973 454 Sting Ray with its Swiss owner at the wheel. We were waiting behind the guardrail at the Porsche Curves to do a parade lap of the La Sarthe circuit with about 70 other Corvettes prior to the...

Letters.
August 11, 2003... Inspired by a young Ford fan Dutch Mandel's stirring column on Fred Diem (July 28) elicited emotions (including tears) plus the strong feeling that I missed something by not knowing him. Kudos to him for his passionate focus on something...

Back to School.(News)
August 18, 2003... Just as classes are getting under way across the nation, BMW is offering a little coursework of its own in the form of the BMW Precision Driving Experience. Program offerings include two freebies, a two-hour, hands-on performance driving class...

Mallett Chevrolet Tahoe.(News)
August 18, 2003... On sale: Now Base price: $33,959 plus $15,000 for Mallett package Powertrain: 6.0-liter, 510-hp, 562-lb-ft supercharged V8; rwd, four-speed automatic Curb weight: 4828 pounds 0 to 60 mph: 5.0 seconds (mfr.)

motegi racing scion xb.(News)
August 18, 2003... ON SALE: Now BASE PRICE: $14,965 plus $9,970 for Motegi package POWERTRAIN: 1.5-liter, 108-hp, 105-lb-ft I4; fwd, four-speed auto-matic CURB WEIGHT: 2469 pounds 0 to 60 MPH: 9.0 seconds (est.)

BOYD'S BACK; Famed rodder returns to his roots.(News)
August 18, 2003... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Boyd Coddington, the craftsman who redefined hot rodding in the 1980s and '90s only to become a victim of his own success, is back. Boyd and company are building hot rods again just like they did 20 years ago when...

Alert! AWBlogfest@Monterey.(News)
August 18, 2003... For those fortunate souls spending the Aug. 15-17 weekend at festivities in and around the Monterey Peninsula, don't be off-put by our man Matt Davis. He'll be the one with camera, computer and cellphone attached to him. That's how Davis will...

Flash.(Briefs)
August 18, 2003... Ford, Shelby tighten knot Ford and Carroll Shelby are taking the next step in a relationship that began with Shelby serving as an adviser on the Ford GT. Ford officials say the former partner-turned-adversary, who developed race cars for...

DRIVERS LOG.(News)
August 18, 2003... 2004 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCab Date in fleet: Aug. 5-11 As-tested price: $35,435 Powertrain: 5.4-liter V8; 4wd, four-speed automatic HP: 300 @ 5000 rpm Torque: 365 @ 3750 rpm Curb weight: 5495 pounds MPG (EPA COMBINED/AW OBSERVED):...

IT'S BEEN MOPARIZED! Dodge Dakota R/T starts out good, gets better.(News)
August 18, 2003... Byline: MARK VAUGHN the Dakota R/T was pretty good to begin with. It has been a favorite among street truck performance enthusiasts since it debuted in the 1998 model year. They race it, customize it, race it some more and then sit around...

2004 nissan titan.(News)
August 18, 2003... On sale: December Base price: n/a Powertrain: 5.6-liter, 305-hp, 379-lb-ft V8; rwd, five-speed automatic Curb weight: 5019 pounds 0 to 60 mph: n/a

JUST SAY, "Yes, Sir!''; Meet the Genesis XXX, world's largest production SUV.(News)
August 18, 2003... Byline: WILLIAM JEANES just when Arianna Huffington thought it was safe to go out, here comes a long, tall Texan with an SUV the size of Delaware. It's called the Genesis XXX, and it will drive the Sierra Club to the Jim Jones Tropical...

SERIOUS HAMMER; Corvette specialist's truck treatment not for everyone.(News)
August 18, 2003... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER tag along with Chuck Mallett as he wends his way through his Berea, Ohio, shop and you won't see many trucks. Dozens of Corvettes, in various stages of development, testing and tuning, crowd the floor space-not...

Social Darwinism at 200 mph.(Column)(Editorial)
August 18, 2003... Byline: Dutch Mandel Could someone who sounds like the Lucky Charms leprechaun be the hardest-working man in automotive show business? Derek "Lookitdiss! Lookitdiss!'' Daly hustles into a small conference room in an immaculately...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
August 18, 2003... ]]]]]] Suggested cam covers for the Cosworth-modified Chevrolet IRL engine... Fordolet Chevord Cosworth Vega II Frontenac This is not your father's Oldsmobile Cosworth DFVROLET I can't believe it's not a Chevy...

RECIPE FOR EXCESS; Chevy's 395-hp pickup would run with the best.(News)
August 18, 2003... Byline: JOHN D. STOLL When ladling information our way on the Chevrolet Silverado regular-cab SS, GM officials wanted to make it painfully clear that their Performance Division wouldn't be building GM's most legitimate high-performance...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
August 18, 2003... Heavy on the SSR Why build a $42,000 truck that no one would dare use as a truck? Why build a $42,000 drop-top car that has the handling and comfort of, well, a truck? The price is too much for anyone other than car collectors or...

HUMMING A SMOOTHER TUNE; H2 can coexist even with Porsches.(Auto File)
August 18, 2003... You have to be a true Hummer fanatic to appreciate these unique vehicles. But it's easier to be a Hummer fan since the arrival of the H2, which is built on GM's full-size truck platform. The H2 is much more civilian-like compared to its older,...

KING OF THE JUNGLE; a quiet beast pounds the pavement.(News)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Byline: LARRY EDSALL dick Hedman is a child of Southern California's postwar hot rod culture. His family owned Hedman Hedders and when Dick was 16 he got his first car, a Chevrolet Corvair. He bolted a Paxton supercharger onto it, but Andy...

IS BIGGER Better? Those 26-inchers could be ruining your truck.(News)
August 18, 2003... Byline: WES RAYNAL it's no secret: Trucks and SUVs aren't simply trucks and SUVs anymore. Haven't been for quite a while. More and more they are a lifestyle accessory instead of a workhorse. For proof, just check out the parking lot at any...

Results.(Motorsports)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Gateway International Raceway 1.25-mile oval Aug. 10 1. Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Toyota, 200 laps at 135.286 mph avg. speed; 2. Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 200; 3. Gil de Ferran, Dallara-Toyota, 200; 4. Tomas Scheckter, G...

Results.(Motorsports)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Mid-Ohio 2.258-mile road course Aug. 10 1. Paul Tracy, Lola, 92 laps at 106.251 mph avg. speed; 2. Patrick Carpentier, Lola, 92; 3. Ryan Hunter-Reay, Reynard, 92; 4. Michel Jourdain, Lola, 92; 5. Sebastien Bourdais, Lola, 92; 6....

Results.(Motorsports)
August 18, 2003... Watkins Glen International 2.45-mile road course Aug. 10 1. Robby Gordon, Chevrolet, 90 laps at 90.441 mph avg. speed; 2. Scott Pruett, Dodge, 90; 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 90; 4. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 90; 5. Kevin...

DECENT EXPOSURE; this 50-year-old pickup packs Ford Racing's newest crate motor.(News)
August 18, 2003... Byline: LARRY EDSALL IN 2004, Ford Racing Technology will add a new crate engine to a performance parts catalog that already fills 168 pages with everything from air conditioning-delete kits to wing nuts. This new 5.0-liter Cammer V8...