AutoWeek articles from February 2002

AutoWeek archives from February 2002

2003 Infiniti G35; A more practical Z.(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)(Evaluation)
February 4, 2002... Can't wait four years for an Americanized Skyline GT-R or even eight months for a 350Z? May we suggest a G35 in the meantime? It'll be out in March. The Infiniti G35 rides on the same rear-wheel-drive platform as the upcoming Z and GT-R...

Even Champions Struggle ; John Buffum hopes changes pay off for Hyundai.(Hyundai Motor Company Ltd.)
February 4, 2002... John Buffum resembles the car; both are dirty, splattered with mud. On another day either might have been an SCCA ProRally champion, but on this particular one, man and car alike look old and tired. The Tiburon is puking water again; it's been...

Korea comes to Chicago.
February 4, 2002... Among the couple of dozen vehicle introductions slated for the Chicago auto show, carmakers from Korea may have some of the biggest surprises. Hyundai, for instance, will move into a new realm when it shows its HCD-7 concept. Not only is...

Reborn To Run ; Once a year the Nethercutt Museum goes out for a ride.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... It was like all the cars had just escaped from the museum and were ready to make a run for it. Lined up in the driveway and around the new addition to the Nethercutt Museum that usually houses them were 47 of the most beautifully restored...

Competition This Week.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Success, or failure? * The new CART administration's plan to curtail the authority of CART's powerful franchise board wasn't exactly a failure, but it didn't go as far as many had hoped, either. In this case, at least, compromise might...

2002 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S; Choice, no matter how inconsequential, is good.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... There are no 7-Eleven stores in Germany, so Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking might not grasp the connotation hidden in his North American model line. With introduction of the 2002 911 Carrera 4S, Porsche offers seven variants of the Carrera. And,...

As the Shelby turns; Charges, countercharges and a tell-all book make Cobra soap opera as fresh as ever.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Forty years ago, Feb. 2, 1962, the first Cobra prototype arrived at Carroll Shelby's shop in Southern California. There hasn't been a dull moment since. A special Cobra exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum opens Feb. 2, with cars on...

2003 Acura CL Type-S; You can shift for yourself.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... One reason the garages of many car enthusiasts contain vehicles from Honda and its luxury/performance division Acura is because the company listens to its customers. And listening is why, for the first time since the CL Type-S was introduced in...

Car Board.(Ford's Focus ZTW, Saab's Linear wagon, and BMW's X5 4.6is)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... New Coke. Crystal Pepsi. We hope these motorized variations on familiar themes have a bit less fizz. * Ford FOCUS ZTW Price: $20,170 Engine: 2.0-liter I4, 130 hp, 135 lb-ft Curb weight: 2551 lbs Drivetrain: fwd,...

Audi TT.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Our long-term Audi TT Roadster is exceeding our expectations. A long-term Boxster S in our fleet at the same time made for an interesting (and fun) comparison between these not-too-distant relatives. And after three quarters, we've found the...

A winged vision.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Based on the Vision SLR concept that debuted at the Detroit auto show in 1999, the prototype sports gullwing doors that open vertically, much like the concept's scissors-like doors that were hinged at the A-pillar. A tradition of gullwing doors...

Cash settles Daytona Coupe case; But where's the historic racer now?(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... When last we visited the bizarre saga of the long-lost and recently found original Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (AW, May 21, 2001), everyone from rock promoter Phil Spector to a Philadelphia neurosurgeon claimed to be the legitimate owner of ol'...

The News.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Pricey prototype That Saleen S7 prototype we mentioned recently (AW, Dec. 24, 2001) drew the top bid at mid-January's Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. The car, first shown at the Monterey Historics in 2000, garnered...

1967 Monteverdi 375S High Speed Coupe ; The Swiss exotic.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... James Bond never drove a Monteverdi 375S, but the car would have made as fitting a sidekick as his Aston Martin. The coupe has the tasteful, dashing looks Bond would go for, as well as the guts a secret agent needs. Swiss designer and...

Swiss passion; The Monteverdi Car Collection.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... I'm a drug addict,'' Swiss designer and builder Peter Monteverdi admitted. ``I hang on a needle but it is filled with gasoline.'' Such a vivid analogy from the lips of an American might not seem out of character. From a reserved Swiss...

Turbo PTs.(Chrysler PT Cruiser hits the streets of Europe)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... The first factory-turbocharged PT Cruiser hits the streets of Europe in March, but it's not what you might expect. This newest PT is powered by a 2.2-liter common rail turbodiesel paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The motor is...

Four Doors, and Fast; Mercedes-Benz AMG C32 really delivers the goods.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Having your cake and eating it too is a well-worn cliche, but it's a pretty good way to describe Mercedes-Benz AMG C32 owners' desires. They're driving a sports sedan with an AMG-built 349-horsepower engine with 332 lb-ft of torque, complete...

Mercedes-Benz C320 Sport Wagon.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... When Mercedes-Benz launched its redesigned C-Class in the spring of 2000, we resisted the urge to order one for our long-term test fleet. Several staff members were very fond of the previous-generation ``Baby Benz,'' and while that moniker...

Big shoulders; Chicago show weighs in with a freight yard full of trucks.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... You need not be a ``hog butcher for the world'' or even a ``stacker of wheat'' to find something to your liking at this year's Chicago auto show. That is, as long as your taste runs to trucks. Like last year, when Chicago's midway featured...

Raiders of the Lost Art; Drop-top Marauder is latest definition of Mercury's direction.
February 11, 2002... Back in 1998, an AutoWeek reader questioning Mercury's lack of sportiness suggested he'd like to see the company build ``a Grand Marquis with a sport package, like the Impala SS.'' Dear reader, and the beleaguered legions of Mercury lovers...

140-mph wipers.(2003 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Think Ford's Special Vehicle Team isn't taking its previous horsepower debacle seriously? Think again. Conservative estimates pin the 2003 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra's supercharged 4.6-liter dohc V8 at 390 horses and 390 lb-ft of torque. John...

What hath Ferrari wrought?(Ferrari's 575M Maranello)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Look to Geneva in early March for the public debut of Ferrari's 575M Maranello. It's the latest take on the 550 Maranello first launched in July 1996 as a coupe and from which Ferrari derived a limited run of 448 Barchetta Pininfarina spiders...

Life with Cars.(automobile company beliefs)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... It feels a little biblical in the car industry these days, as first one chief executive and then another exhorts his organization into the tumultuous near-term with words that we of the car-enthusiast religion want to hear. Suddenly, we've...

Rescue Me; If the Solstice is the blueprint for Pontiac's revitalization, then Bob Lutz is the architect.
February 18, 2002... Such a little car, such a big calling. The Pontiac Solstice carries on its sleek shoulders the weight of a corporation, as much in what it represents for the future of General Motors' design as for what it says about the man standing behind the...

Car Board.
February 18, 2002... Astral projection: It's a favorite activity during a solstice. As you leave your corporeal form, though, some things are hard to leave behind on the physical plane. * BMW 325xi SPORT WAGON Price: $36,795 Engine: 2.5-liter I6, 184...

The News.
February 18, 2002... Aussie GTO? General Motors' vice chairman Bob Lutz says it's only a ``study'' session, but word is a trip Down Under by GM's product czar is aimed at determining whether the 402-horsepower Holden Special Vehicles GTS coupe can be adapted...

Matchbox 50; Mattel tickles our toy-loving memories with special anniversary car sets.
February 18, 2002... Few toys are as timeless as Matchbox cars. Dressed in fingernail-sized flames or fitted with wood panels smaller than a dime, these bite-sized crafted die-casts have entertained millions of current and future enthusiasts for five decades. ...

Sketchy details.(Ford's CrossTrainer)(CrossTrainer)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Ford's entry into the ``next big thing'' segment-sports tourers-arrives in 2004 as the three-row, seven-passenger CrossTrainer. Ford confirmed its CrossTrainer production at the recent Chicago auto show. Ford showed a sketch of the tall...

Walking done faster.(the Segway Human Transporter)(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... At its debut in early December, the Segway Human Transporter was called ``as big as the PC'' or ``the next Internet.'' In reality, it has a smaller footprint than a typical computer monitor and is more stable than the average dotcom. As for...

More Than Gorgeous; At work or rest, Ford's Thunderbird surprises.(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... Ford's new Thunderbird may not be the fastest flier on the planet, but it's quick enough. It may not be the most nimble driver, opting instead to soften the corners and chuckholes with velvety comfort. It's pinched for space, but it'll haul two...

What recession?; Arizona auctions have strong year.(Barrett-Jackson auction)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 25, 2002... Apparently the ranks of destitute Enron employees are not made up of many car collectors. Judging by a record number of registered bidders at the Jan. 17-20 Barrett-Jackson auction-and the prices many cars commanded when they crossed the...

A Sea of Changes; NASCAR's biggest race was nothing compared to what's gone on behind the scenes for the last 12 months.
February 25, 2002... NASCAR has never been shy about bulldozing the playing field to suit its needs-whatever they are. An inch here. A quarter-inch there. A front-end adjustment for your teams. A rear-end concession for theirs. Templates in the eyes of the...

Competition This Week; February 25, 2002.(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... Eddie Cheever has finally made up his mind about a teammate, hiring Tomas Scheckter to drive Cheever Indy Racing's second car. Scheckter is a Formula 3 standout and son of 1979 F1 world champion Jody. Meanwhile, the first big race of '02, the...

Where's the BMW?; Underneath all the gobbledygook sits a mighty fine 7 Series. We think.(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... BMW's new 745i goes like stink if you don't pay close attention to your speed. We'd recommend using the cruise control if engaging it wasn't so-shall we say-cumbersome. The car's overall smoothness, its quiet, vault-like cabin and unending...

Audi TT roadster quattro.(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... With the fun factor critical to most things we do around One AutoWeek Tower, it should come as no surprise we rolled up higher-than-average miles on our long-term Audi TT roadster. The TT is nothing if not a fun car. Just looking at it makes...

Jaundiced Eye.(Chris Pook)(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... When I first laid eyes on Chris Pook, I didn't believe a thing about him. A California Brit, coiffed hair, chambray shirt open two buttons down, he was standing in the middle of Long Beach insisting he was going to make an American Monte Carlo...

Ford will build GT40.(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... Questions still surround Ford's GT40 project, but the biggest one-will Ford build it?-is answered. Ford chairman and CEO Bill Ford Jr. has announced plans to build a two-seat supercar |inspired by the historic racing machine to help celebrate...