AutoWeek articles from February 2004

AutoWeek archives from February 2004

Quick Spins.(review of automobile art galleries)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... The Royal Automobile Museum in Amman, Jordan, has opened its doors to the public. Portraying the life of His Majesty the late King Hussein through the cars he owned, it is the first such museum in the Arab world. For more information on the...

REAL. BIG. TRUCK. Dodge's new Durango is a big 'un, and it drives like it.(News)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 2, 2004... Byline: Wes Raynal Just climbing up into the new-for-2004 Dodge Durango is a chore, and we do mean climbing up. After opening the door, you step onto the running board, grab the steering wheel (since there is no A-pillar grab handle), and...

MANUFACTURER INFO.(News)
February 2, 2004... Lexus Division Toyota Motor Sales USA 19001 South Western Ave. Torrance CA 90509 Customer assistance: (800) 255-3987 Internet address: lexus.com Country of origin: Canada Number of dealers: 200 sticker ...

Events.(Calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
February 2, 2004... April 2 Cruzin' the Delta Cruise Monroe, La. For more information on this event at the Monroe Civic Center call (318) 342-3707. April 2-4 Del Mar Rod and Custom Nationals Del Mar, Calif. Call (925) 838-9876 or...

Television.(Calendar)(Calendar)
February 2, 2004... Friday, Feb. 6 * Red Bull Driver Search, 1 a.m., Speed Channel (T) * Speed Racer: Car with a Brain, 7 a.m., Speed (T) * Car Crazy, 7:30 a.m., Speed (T) * Hi-Rev Tuners, 8 a.m., Speed (T) * My Classic Car, 8:30 a.m., Speed...

Finding Nismo; NISSAN'S FACTORY PERFORMANCE PARTS WERE WELL WORTH THE LONG WAIT.(News)
February 2, 2004... Byline: MARK VAUGHN In the vast pantheon of automotive offerings being thrust upon the American automotive consumer, from tiny econoslugs to beastly SUVs, how many are actually fun to drive? Could you count them all on one hand? Two hands?...

Fast Poll.(News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... At the Naias, breakthrough designs and retro styling were all the rage. Some hit the nail right on the head while others just smashed their fingers. The Ford Cobra should win the award for "So darn close, but please try again.'' It needs a...

owners say...(News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... The interior is upscale and handsome. The mirror and fuel door switches could be better placed, but everything else inside is near perfect. I'm satisfied with the standard sound system, and the a/c works well in the hot and humid South Carolina...

Taking the Fight to Porsche and Ferrari.(Escape Roads)
February 2, 2004... Byline: NICK KURCZEWSKI The 1970 Urraco represented a bright future for Lamborghini. As the company's first move downmarket, the car was designed to compete with the Porsche 911 and Ferrari Dino in the small-GT field. During tests of a...

2006 PONTIAC SOLSTICE.(News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... ON SALE: Fall 2005 BASE PRICE: $19,995 POWERTRAIN: 2.4-liter, 170-hp, 170-lb-ft I4; rwd, five-speed manual CURB WEIGHT: 2860 pounds 0 to 60 MPH: 7.2 seconds (mfr.)

'BEST FERRARI EVER'.(Competition)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 2, 2004... That's how Ferrari's Formula One technical director Ross Brawn described the 2004 Formula One car at its launch in Maranello, Italy, on Jan. 26. There had been rumors the last couple of weeks of radical new wings a la Williams (AW, Jan....

COSMICCREATION; GM blasts past apogee en route to production Solstice roadster.(General Motors)
February 2, 2004... Byline: Bob Gritzinger ]]]] When Bob Lutz drove the Pontiac Solstice roadster on stage and into the spotlight at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, his triumph was manifest: By creating a production-ready prototype...

KAPPA KAPPA KAPPA; GM plans a frat house full of fun cars.(News)(General Motors)
February 2, 2004... Now that the Pontiac Solstice is out of the barn, its mere existence begs the question: What else can we expect from General Motors' new Kappa rear-wheel-drive sports car architecture? GM is already making it clear that the highly adaptable...

TEST DUMMIES; Here's the lowdown on NASCAR preseason test days.(News)(National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing )
February 2, 2004... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH Early in the afternoon of Jan. 14, NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Ryan Newman drove his Dodge nearly 187 mph in preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway. Exciting, yes? No. "If you take your rental...

It's Not Just Bull.(News)
February 2, 2004... Byline: Dutch Mandel Were AutoWeek to present a Motorsports Man of the Year award, the Gilded Helmet wouldn't go to Bernie or Tony George or Paul G. or Christopher Robin Pook. No, the winner for advancing motorsports in America this year...

Results.(News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Rallye Monte Carlo Jan. 23-25 1. Sebastian Loeb, Citroen Xsara, 4h 12m 3s; 2. Markko Martin, Ford Focus RS WRC 03, +1m 12.6s; 3. Francois Duval, Ford Focus RS WRC 03, +1m 19.6s; 4. Marcus Gronholm, Peugeot 307 WRC, +1m 26.8s; 5. Freddy...

2004 DODGE DURANGO LIMITED HEMI.(News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... on sale: Now Base price: $34,900 Powertrain: 5.7-liter, 335-hp, 370-lb-ft V8; 4wd, five-speed automatic Curb weight: 5079 pounds 0 to 60 mph: 8.0 seconds (mfr.) AW observed fuel mileage: 13.7 mpg

TOWNSEND BELL: AMERICA'S Latest, Best Hope; with an eye on Formula One, an ambitious Yankee feverishly works the phones.
February 2, 2004... Byline: MARK VAUGHN When we first showed up at his father-in-law's house, where Townsend Bell is living while working day and night on the next big stage in his life, Bell was working the phone. He has been working the phone nonstop since...

Obituary.(Obituary)
February 2, 2004... William L. Finefrock, one of AutoWeek's early editors, died Jan. 25 from injuries sustained in a garage fire several days earlier at his home in Sacramento, California. He was 73. Finefrock, a well-known automotive journalist and historian,...

SEDAN DELIVERY.(News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Chicago show debuts planned for two key cars Of the 13 world introductions planned for the upcoming Chicago Auto Show, it's not surprising that two of Detroit's automakers will focus on new upscale sedans....

GENEVA SNEAK PEEK: AUDI'S NEW-LOOK A6.(News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Audi is planning the world debut of its next-generation A6 at the Geneva motor show in early March, but our spy caught the 2005 model a little early during cold-weather testing near the Arctic Circle. Scheduled for launch this spring, the sedan...

INTRIGUE BY DESIGN; Euro-design churn swirls around Pininfarina, BMW.(News)(Ken Okuyama)
February 2, 2004... Byline: MATT DAVIS, BOB GRITZINGER As we await the 2004 Geneva motor show at the start of March, what's happening in the tightknit world of car design may prove the most interesting show news of all. Prominent automotive designer Ken...

Flash.(Briefs)
February 2, 2004... Jag rocket Jaguar and its Rocketsports Racing partner will show a 550-hp XK-RS concept at the Chicago auto show. Jag says the car will be the most powerful road-going Jag convertible ever built. The XK-RS is propelled by a stroked...

GOLD STANDARD.(Auto File)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 2, 2004... The Lexus RX 330 continues to set the pace in car-based luxury suvs When Lexus launched the RX 300 in 1998, it not only created the car-based luxury sport/utility vehicle segment, it started a trend. Six years later, with a variety of...

WORLD'S FASTEST EXHIBIT; Petersen Museum goes for the land speed record.(News)
February 2, 2004... Byline: MARK VAUGHN When the average non-racer thinks of the land speed record, the cars that pop into mind are probably Craig Breed- love's Spirit of America and maybe Richard Noble's Thrust SSR (driven by Andy Green), jet-powered...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)(Illustration)
February 2, 2004... Photo With Caption: This is one instance when we're certain he can handle his plumbing. See print copy for photo "Please do not confuse me with your new governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger,'' said Porsche Cars North America's new...

Flash.(Briefs)
February 2, 2004... An Earnhardt at Childress Racing Kerry Earnhardt, oldest son of the late Dale Earnhardt, will compete in five NASCAR Nextel Cup races for Richard Childress Racing, the team with which Earnhardt Sr. won six championships. Sponsorship will...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
February 2, 2004... More Motown reactions roll in Ever since spotting your article and TV program on the Detroit auto show, I want to camp out on the front steps of my local Chevy dealer, determined to buy the first Nomad. What a car. I haven't owned a...

SMART UTE.(Mercedes-Benz Formore, )(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Smart, Mercedes-Benz's diminutive global vehicle division, has settled on Formore as the moniker for its first vehicle for the United States. Formore, Smart's fourth model and its first sport/utility vehicle, arrives in 2006. Actually,...

Drivers Log.(News)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 2, 2004... 2004 Mercedes-Benz E500 4Matic wagon date in fleet: Dec. 15-29 As-tested price: $66,760 Powertrain: 5.0-liter V8; awd, five-speed automatic Output: 302 hp @ 5600 rpm, 339 lb-ft @ 2700-4250 rpm Curb weight: 4320 pounds HART: You could...

MAKING HORSEPOWER WHILE THE SUN SHINES.(News)
February 2, 2004... Byline: Mark Vaughn NISMO's delay is Stillen's sales boost All that time Nissan was dickering around delaying NISMO parts, the aftermarket was cranking. Perhaps one of the crankingest companies when it comes to Nissan stuff is Stillen....

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
February 2, 2004... A news item in our Jan. 12 issue should have said General Motors' "Hot Button'' promotion is open to U.S. residents. Our story on hybrids in the Jan. 19 issue should have said the Mitsubishi Eclipse Concept-E's 3.8-liter V6 engine...

ICING ON THE LAKE; 2004 Chicago show picks up where Detroit left off.(News)
February 9, 2004... Byline: ANDREW LUU, BOB GRITZINGER With the din from an array of Detroit debuts fading, automakers now turn their sights on Chicago to sell some serious hardware. But amid the mainstream sedans, minivans and trucks on the mammoth McCormick...

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA.(Envirnomental cars.)
February 9, 2004... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Hydrogen fuel cell supporters battle electric vehicle proponents for the environmental future of Santa Monica-and America One city council member, after giving an impassioned speech against AstroTurf as "...a...

BUILD IT.(News)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... You've seen the sketch (AW, Feb. 2), now here is the real deal: the Jaguar/Rocketsports Racing XK-RS concept that is debuting this week at the Chicago auto show. What excites us so much? Try 550 hp and 500 lb-ft, for starters. But the stroked...

Flash.(Briefs)
February 9, 2004... Quashing a rumor Attention, NSX fans: Despite what many have heard, you won't have to rush out and stock up on the remaining inventory before the next model bows. Suggestions that Acura's next-generation supercar will have a hybrid...

LOOKING Like a Fast Machine; The 2005 Mustang is mighty fine, we think, maybe even better than last year's concept.
February 9, 2004... Byline: WES RAYNAL On the evening of Jan. 5, 2003, the concept Mustang was unveiled to a media throng at the North American International Auto Show (AW, Jan. 20, 2003). The floor was already packed with memorable machinery, each one an...

Results.(Competition)
February 9, 2004... Daytona International Speedway 3.56-mile road course Jan. 31-Feb. 1 1. T. Borcheller/F. Barber/A. Pilgrim/C. Fittipaldi, Doran-Pontiac, 526 laps at 77.927 mph avg. speed; 2. M. Fitzgerald/J. Policastro/ J. Policastro/R. Liddell/J....

But Wait, There's More.(BWTM)
February 9, 2004... ]]]] Yeah, and when they sent out a search party you'd be amazed at how many volunteers they got... Societart Paris Hilton must have felt entitled to the $80,000 Mercedes-Benz G500 SUV she was loaned for the Sundance Film Festival weekend....

GOOD FOR THE LONG HAUL; Take a closer look... it really is new.(News)
February 9, 2004... Byline: WES RAYNAL Next time you walk by Ford's new minivan, the Freestar, you are liable to, well, walk right on by. But get inside one and have a good look around. Then drive it. Ah ha... it really is new. Last year 113,465 of you...

Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
February 9, 2004... April 8-10 Spring Fling Andalusia, Ala. For details on this event log onto www.andalusianet.com. April 10 Antique Car Show Largo, Fla. For more information on this 18th annual event call (727) 582-2123. ...

2004 FORD FREESTAR SEL.(News)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... On sale: Now Base price: $29,995 Powertrain: 4.2-liter, 201-hp, 263-lb-ft V6; fwd, four-speed automatic Curb weight: 4406 pounds 0 to 60 mph: 8.5 seconds (est.)

THIRD-QUARTER.(News)
February 9, 2004... Miles (quarter/total): 3979/19,833 Fuel Mileage: 19.37 mpg Maintenance: Two oil changes ($32.79 each); rotate summer tires, mount/balance snow tires ($206.50) READERS: If you own one of the following vehicles, we'd like to hear...

2005 FORD MUSTANG GT.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... On sale: Fall Base price: $25,000 (est.) Powertrain: 4.6-liter, 300-hp, 315-lb-ft V8; rwd, five-speed manual Curb weight: 3450 pounds 0 to 60 mph: 5.5 seconds (mfr.)

After the Flood.(Competition)
February 9, 2004... Byline: BILL McGUIRE What a difference a year makes. When practice opened for last year's Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Doran-Chevrolet JE4 of Bell Motorsports had never turned a wheel. Spanking-new and straight off the jig, the Bell Doran made...

]]]] NEXT-GENERATION PORSCHE 911.(News)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... A new Porsche 911 (model 997) is scheduled to debut in September, but if you happened to be in northern Sweden recently you could have spotted, as our spy photographer did, the next-generation car during cold-weather testing. The photos show...

GEEZERS VS. KIDS; 2004 Grand National Roadster Show Casts a Steely eye on Carbon Fiber.(News)
February 9, 2004... Byline: MARK VAUGHN it was just a car show, that much is true. But hang on a second, this wasn't just any car show-not a run-what-ya-brung show 'n' shine attached to the local auto parts swap meet to draw a bigger gate; not something...

Driver's Log.(News)
February 9, 2004... 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Date in fleet: Dec. 5-12 As-tested price: $50,925 Powertrain: 5.7-liter V8; rwd, four-speed automatic Output: 350 hp @ 5200 rpm, 360 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm Curb weight: 3246 pounds PAVIA-RAUCHMAN: Curses on the winter...

TESTING THE LOVE.(News)
February 9, 2004... Byline: ROGER HART When you love something (or someone), you can overlook flaws that others, less enamored with your subject, would find objectionable. That's what happened during the third quarter of the long-term test of our Nissan 350Z....

Tupelo Automobile Museum; and yes, there is an elvis car.
February 9, 2004... Byline: WILLIAM JEANES You know Tupelo, Mississippi, as Elvis Presley's birthplace, and you've maybe heard the country tune, Two Below in Tupelo. It's even possible you've ridden the Bison Bus through the Tupelo Buffalo Park, where 250 of...

Fast poll.(People)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The Ford Shelby Cobra is an incredible concept, but it might not be what the market needs, or the best thing Ford could do to win back customers. Ford should produce the Shelby Cobra as a real production model like the Corvette, and not as...

ON TO LE MANS.(Automobile racing.)(Interview)
February 9, 2004... Byline: Mike Duff Fresh off a good drive in Dakar, rally ace Colin McRae looks for another challenge BY MIKE DUFF Colin McRae looks unfamiliar as he sits by the swimming pool of a five-star Senegal hotel, just hours after finishing his...

Television.(Calendar)
February 9, 2004... Friday, Feb. 13 * Speed Racer: The Terrifying Gambler, 7 a.m., Speed Channel (T) * Car Crazy, 7:30 a.m., Speed (T) * Hi-Rev Tuners, 8 a.m., Speed (T) * My Classic Car, 8:30 a.m., Speed (T) * NASCAR Busch Series qualifying...

This Is Your Brain on Cars.(Column)
February 9, 2004... Byline: Rich Ceppos News flash! Medical science has finally provided irrefutable clinical proof that being a car enthusiast addles your brain and causes serious physiological side effects. In a recent study conducted at Ulm University in...

SPIED FIRST LOOK AT BMW 1 SERIES.(News)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... BMW was set to reveal to the world its 1 Series at the Geneva Motor Show in early March, but we hear that debut has been pushed back to the Paris show in October. Regardless of its official unveiling, we have the first-ever on-road look at the...

Formula Jackie; MORE THAN 30 YEARS OUT OF THE COCKPIT, THE THREE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION IS STILL A FORCE IN FORMULA ONE.(Jackie Stewart.)
February 9, 2004... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON Jackie Stewart perches on the edge of a sofa, the impression of a bird ready to take flight enhanced by the small man's familiar sharp nose and elfin features. Arguably the world's first overexposed racing driver,...

Flash.(briefs)
February 9, 2004... GM confirms GTO will race General Motors officials confirmed the Pontiac division will tap former U.S. rally racer-cum-aftermarket parts guru Rhys Millen to take a factory-sponsored Pontiac GTO into the Sports Car Club of America's Formula...

THE SPLIT CONTINUES.(Open Wheel Racing Series L.L.C. takes over CART [Championship Auto Racing Teams].)
February 9, 2004... IRL boss Tony George described himself as "disappointed'' after a federal judge rejected his higher cash bid for some of bankrupt CART's assets in favor of the offer from the original bidder, Open Wheel Racing Series LLC. The Indianapolis...

Letters.
February 9, 2004... Unidentified Furious Force Dodge has finally built a station wagon I'm willing to buy, by doing intentionally what Plymouth did by accident. In the late '60s we had a Fury III wagon that was supposed to have the 383 engine. Mom always...

Flash.(Briefs)
February 9, 2004... Quashing a rumor Attention, NSX fans: Despite what many have heard, you won't have to rush out and stock up on the remaining inventory before the next model bows. Suggestions that Acura's next-generation supercar will have a hybrid...

Book review.(Review)(Book Review)
February 16, 2004... Byline: BILL McGUIRE Holman-Moody: The Legendary Race Team, by Tom Cotter and Al Pearce, hardbound, 160 pages, MBI Publishing, (800) 826-6600, www.motorbooks.com, $39.95 Newly arrived NASCAR fans might look upon the sport's...

Driver's Log.(News)(Mercedes-Benz ML500)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 16, 2004... 2004 Mercedes-Benz ML500 Date in fleet: Jan. 21-Feb. 4 As-tested price: $52,160 Powertrain: 5.0-liter V8; 4wd, five-speed automatic Output: 288 hp @ 5600 rpm, 325 lb-ft @ 2700-4250 rpm Curb weight: 4874 pounds MPG (EPA estimate/ AW...

]]]] IS CHANGE GOOD? With the '04 Nextel Cup season, we're about to find out.(Competition)
February 16, 2004... Byline: AL PEARCE Good morning, boys and girls. Welcome to NASCAR 101. This is a 10-minute undergraduate course, a primer to prepare you for 10 months of corporate- and TV-driven stock car racing. There is no syllabus or reading list, and...

OWNERS SAY...(Auto File)(Ford F-150)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... The F-150 has striking good looks and a premium interior that would look at home in a sports sedan. It drives with an athletic prowess and is solid, comfortable and quiet. It was our main choice because we also like to go off-road at most any...

Specs & Data.(Auto File)(Ford F-150)
February 16, 2004... MANUFACTURER INFO Ford Motor Co. The American Road Dearborn MI 48126 Customer assistance: (800) 392-3673 Internet address: www.fordvehicles.com Country of origin: United States Number of dealers: 4000 (est.) ...

CLUB MOTORSPORTS BRINGS TRACK TIME TO A NEW LEVEL.
February 16, 2004... While the Nurburgring in Germany offers magnificent panoramas of the Eiffel Mountains, on this side of the pond Club Motorsports' Tamworth, New Hampshire, location offers spectacular views of the White Mountains. And while the Nurburgring is...

]]]] SERIES, TEAM & TRACK WEBSITES.(New)(Directory)(Calendar)
February 16, 2004... ]]]] sanctioning bodies NASCAR nascar.com ARCA arcaracing.com ASA asaracing.com ]]]] NEXTEL CUP TEAMS A.J. FOYT RACING foytracing.com BACE MOTORSPORTS bacemotorsports.com BILL DAVIS RACING ...

Events.(Calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
February 16, 2004... April 15-18 40th Anniversary Mustang Celebration Nashville, Tenn. For details on this event at the Nashville Superspeedway log onto mustang.org. April 16 FME Motorsports Open House Dearborn, Mich. Call the Ford...

X truck for Gen-Y buyer.(News)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... Toyota charged past the mainstream with its next-generation Tacoma pickup, choosing to reveal the 2005-model four-door compact truck in full-performance regalia (ground effects, hood scoop, fog lights) at the Chicago Auto Show. Two other models...

Flash.(Briefs)(appointments, product information, obituaries)
February 16, 2004... BMW design doings As we reported (AW, Feb. 2), Chris Bangle, the oft-maligned maestro of BMW design, has officially moved to director of BMW Group Design and oversees a reorganized set of design departments including Mini and Rolls-Royce....

THE FERRARI OF TRUCKS; The new F-150 remains the benchmark for pickups.(Auto File)
February 16, 2004... In racing, they say it's harder to lead than to follow. Ford's F-150 must have cracked the code for sheer domination because for 22 years it has been our nation's top-selling vehicle. For most of this battle it was only a three-workhorse...

flash.(Briefs)(Pratt & Miller )
February 16, 2004... Is McRae back? Former World Rally champion Colin McRae could make a return to world rallying as soon as next month, after a second lackluster performance in a row has thrown Belgian Freddy Loix's position at the Peugeot team into question....

Bad Is a Relative Expression.(Column)
February 16, 2004... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson My freethinker brother Scott was never much of a car guy, but he owned a Mazda rotary in the bad old pioneering days. He's adventurous that way. It was no surprise when he later became a true believer in Apple...

]]]] BARGAIN RACING; stars return to american speed association.(News)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... Byline: AL PEARCE The American Speed Association brags that "We build champions.'' It could add to that motto... "who then move on to other series.'' Among the former champions who grew rich and famous somewhere else: four-timer Mark...

]]]] KIMMEL AGAIN? if there is smart money, he'll win his fifth.(Competition)(automobile racing)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... Byline: AL PEARCE Frank Kimmel breezed through last year's Auto- mobile Racing Club of America season like George W. Bush will breeze through this summer's Republican National Convention. Nobody laid a glove on Kimmel (above) as he won...

HERE COMES TOYOTA; But the truck championship is wide open.
February 16, 2004... Byline: AL PEARCE After languishing for years as NASCAR's "other'' series, the Craftsman Truck Series has some juice. You need look no further than Toyota Racing Development to see why. For the first time in its history, NASCAR is letting...

AutoWeek's Fast Five:.(News)(Brief Article)(Interview)
February 16, 2004... AutoWeek's Fast Five: Oliver Stefani The leader of the Volkswagen Concept R exterior design team, Oliver Stefani, discussed the new face of VW at the 11th Annual AutoWeek Design Forum sponsored by Johnson Controls during the Detroit auto show...

Going, going, gone.(Car auctions.)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... Byline: LARRY EDSALL With Phoenix the site of several big collector car auctions each January-Barrett-Jackson, RM, Kruse, Russo & Steele-excitement in the area runs high. But this year, an auction held a couple of days before the...

HEAVY, DUDE; Our long-term Pacifica provokes a weighty debate.
February 16, 2004... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER We were just days into driving our long-term 2004 Chrysler Pacifica when the subject first came up: weight. Our early concerns centered on the vehicle's 4482-pound curb weight being more than the Pacifica's...

RODS & HEMIS RULE.(News)
February 16, 2004... Byline: MIKE COVELLO Despite less than ideal weather, sales were hot in Arizona at the 33rd Barrett-Jackson Auction Scottsdale, with a record-breaking 98 percent sales rate. There were no star cars, such as last year's $1.1 million...

Television.(Calendar)(Calendar)
February 16, 2004... Friday, Feb. 20 * Speed Racer: The Great Plan Part Two, 7 a.m., Speed Channel (T) * Dream Car Garage, 7:30 a.m., Speed (T) * Chop Cut Rebuild, 8 a.m., Speed (T) * Car Crazy, 8:30 a.m., Speed (T) * Tuner Transformation, 10...

IS IT WORTHY?(News)(Buick Rainier (sports utility vehicle))
February 16, 2004... Byline: MAC MORRISON, WES RAYNAL Buick's new Rainier is a comfortable hauler Why is the 2004 Buick Rainier, Buick's second midsize SUV, worthy of a Driving Impressions story in your favorite car magazine? Is it not just a gussied-up...

FIRST-QUARTER.(News)
February 16, 2004... Miles: 5908 Fuel mileage: 17.88 mpg Maintenance: 3000-mile oil change (no charge) READERS: If you own one of the following vehicles, we'd like to hear from you: Mini Cooper, Honda Element, Nissan 350Z, Volvo XC90, Chrysler...

2004 BUICK RAINIER CXL PLUS AWD.(News)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... ON SALE: Now BASE PRICE: $38,945 POWERTRAIN: 5.3-liter, 290-hp, 325-lb-ft V8; awd, four-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT: 4600 pounds 0 to 60 mph: 8.0 seconds (est.)