AutoWeek articles from February 2007

AutoWeek archives from February 2007

The Circle of Life Goes On . . . Alas.(Column)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Richard S. Chang A few weeks ago, while many eyes were glued on Detroit, I was reading about Blackpool, England, where the TVR factory closed down for good after nearly 60 years of churning out amazing sports cars. Most people...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
February 5, 2007... Expand Caddy's fleet Wouldn't Cadillac get a bigger share of the compact luxury market from the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4, etc., if Caddy also made coupe, convertible and estate versions of the CTS in the U.S. market? That...

The Anti-Crossover; The Saab SportCombi is a good non-ute.(Auto File)(Product/service evaluation)
February 5, 2007... The fact that minivans, sport/utility vehicles and crossovers have been multiplying like rabbits over the past decade might help to explain why station wagons have been on the decline in the United States, at least from U.S. automakers. Luckily...

Under the Big, big top.(News)
February 5, 2007... The nine-story-high, 1800-foot-long, 350,000-square-foot tent-the largest clear-span tent in North America-on the grounds of WestWorld in Scottsdale, Arizona, was the setting for the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, which attracted 44,000...

Despite sales swoon, happy days are here again; Auctions signal surge of interest in '50s comfort cars.(News)
February 5, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER, ROGER HART A rare JANUARY snowfall in Phoenix foreshadowed cooling sales across the Arizona auction scene this year. Russo and Steele, RM and Silver auctions all saw sales drop by about $1 million compared with...

Drivers Log.(News)
February 5, 2007... 2007 Toyota Camry SE Date in fleet: Nov. 13-22 As-tested price: $30,854 Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V6; fwd, six-speed automatic Output: 268 hp @ 6200 rpm, 248 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm Curb weight: 3483 lbs Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 25/23.1 mpg WONG:...

O SAY, CAN YOU C? Sharply styled luxury sedan set to fend off rivals.(News)
February 5, 2007... Byline: GREG KABLE, KEVIN A. WILSON The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has been re-invented seven years after its predecessor was introduced. The third-generation C-Class sedan was unveiled Jan. 18 at a gala presentation in Stuttgart, where it could...

Flash.(Briefs)
February 5, 2007... And about time, too Ford might begin selling some products from Ford of Europe in the States, according to CEO Alan Mulally, who adds that he wants to create a lineup of cars and trucks that can be sold globally. Ford is looking at the...

A Night at the Museum.(Column)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson The night before the unveiling of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class in Stuttgart (page 17), we stopped by the Classic Center near Fellbach for a visit to the "holy halls,'' those buildings where the company stores many...

Plays Well By Itself; The Audi R8 is a superbly balanced, classically styled, high-powered sports car. Even in this rarefied community, it has no peers.
February 5, 2007... Byline: Dutch Mandel What is a supercar, and how do you qualify it? Is that moniker bestowed because of the money spent, its performance or the expectation of exclusivity? Do all these determine supercar status? For now, we make that...

HURLEY'S LAST HURRAH? NOT QUITE; 58-year-old Hurley Haywood isn't ready to give up his seat.(Motorsports)
February 5, 2007... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH Barely four hours into the 45th Rolex 24 at Daytona, Hurley Haywood is in his bus, getting his right hand taped up. His shifting hand is already blistered. "You shift a lot out there,'' he says. How many times...

YOU'RE OUTTA HERE; Old-cars guru gets the boot from Barrett-Jackson.(News)
February 5, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Longtime AutoWeek collector-car expert Keith Martin is still shaking his head over being summarily stripped of his press credential and ejected from the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona,...

AND IN THIS CORNER...(News)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Wes Raynal While Audi engineers were developing the flagship R8, they were also hard at work on another two-seater, this one at the opposite end of the lineup, the TT Roadster. Like the second-generation TT Coupe (Audi TT, Take...

Market.(1968 Shelby GT500 KR convertible)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... Byline: KEITH MARTIN The Worldwide Group Hilton Head, S.C. Nov. 11, 2006 1968 Shelby GT500 KR convertible 428-cid V8, four-barrel, four-speed. Yellow with black leather interior. Thick paint over okay panel fit, trunk lid...

SIMPLE FORMULA; A veteran and two rookies triumph at Daytona.(Motorsports)
February 5, 2007... Byline: GARY WATKINS This was not the closest-ever finish at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, but the run to the checkered flag was one of the most exciting in the race's history. The top three cars were nose-to-tail with just three hours left,...

Flash.(Briefs)
February 5, 2007... Drivers confirmed The RuSport Champ Car team re-signed driver Justin Wilson to a multiyear contract. Wilson finished second to Sebastien Bourdais in the 2006 championship, scoring 11 top-10s, with seven podium finishes, two poles and one...

FORD QUITS CHAMP CAR.(Competition)
February 5, 2007... Ford, affiliated with Champ Car for decades, is severing ties with the open-wheel series. The official announcement from Steve Johnson, Champ Car president, sounded benign. "Today's decision was made from a business standpoint on both...

VW GOES BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD; Passat coupe, other products under review.(News)
February 5, 2007... Byline: GREG KABLE The future is hazy for Volkswagen's heavily touted Passat-based four-door coupe, the first victim of new chairman Martin Winterkorn's fresh management regime. The four-door ("Four-door `coupe' group grows,'' Feb. 6,...

GOING LIKE 80.(biography of Denise McCluggage )(Biography)
February 5, 2007... When this magazine was founded in 1958 under the title Competition Press, one of the first staffers to sign on was a young New York Herald Tribune sports writer named Denise McCluggage. A native Kansan who'd written for the San Francisco...

The 'French Mercedes'.(Escape Roads)
February 5, 2007... Byline: BOB TOMAINE In the late 1970s and early 1980s, few Americans considering a European six-cylinder sedan noticed that the Peugeot 604 was on the list of possible choices. Peugeot's U.S. presence was quiet enough that many could...

TV: Feb. 9 - 11.(News)
February 5, 2007... Friday, Feb. 9 NASCAR Live from Daytona Beach, Fla., 2 p.m., Speed (L) Bud Shootout practice from Daytona Beach, Fla., 4 p.m., Speed (L) NASCAR Live from Daytona Beach, Fla., 5 p.m., Speed (L) Bud Shootout practice from Daytona...

DVD REVIEW: HOOKED ON DRIVING.(Revs)
February 5, 2007... Byline: MAC MORRISON Experienced track day drivers know there is more to the hobby than barreling through a circuit's gates, throwing on a helmet and hitting the tarmac. But newbies and those who don't know where or how to start will...

SMOKIN' DEALS.(News)
February 5, 2007... Incentives on a hybrid? Yup, Toyota jumps into the fray with low-interest financing. Whatever will the tree-huggers do? For the latest deals available on cars, trucks and sport/utility vehicles, go to www.autoweek.com/incentives. ...

AutoWeek.(News)
February 5, 2007... Chicago Kickoff. The dust has barely settled from the Detroit auto show last month, and we're already gearing up for the 2007 Chicago auto show. For the best preview, point your browser to autoweek.com/Chicago. Press days start Feb. 7, and...

NEW CHAMP CAR TESTS.(Competition)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... Champ Car hopes that early testing of the new Panoz DP01 Champ Car is an accurate indicator of the season that lies ahead. After two days of a three-day test at Sebring International Raceway, just one second separated the top 10 drivers. PKV...

But Wait, There's More....(BWTM)
February 5, 2007... Hyperventilating Hyperlink http://tinyurl.com/ya4wkh So sheiks feel at home The Peninsula Hong Kong hotel took delivery of 14 new Rolls-Royce Phantoms-the largest single order ever for the car. The custom Phantoms include a "cool...

Ooooh La La; A growing love affair with French cars.(Revs)
February 5, 2007... Byline: BOB TOMAINE Jim and Pam Schlick have nine Peugeots and estimate that they've owned 30, which helps to explain the annual gathering of French cars at their Langhorne, Pennsylvania, home. The infatuation began in 1960s Iowa, when the...

AIMING FOR THE MIDDLE; Dodge Avenger shoots for a slice of the midsize pie.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
February 12, 2007... Byline: Roger Hart Building a car to challenge the perennial midsize sales-leader juggernauts from Toyota and Honda is a daunting task for any automaker. Camry and Accord, respectively, have been at the top of the best-selling-car list for...

Flash.(Briefs)
February 12, 2007... Hamilton leads test McLaren-Mercedes F1 rookie Lewis Hamilton drove at the Valencia circuit in Spain a week after wrecking one of the team's new MP4-22 chassis there and wound up with the fastest lap time over four days of testing. ...

TV: Feb. 16-18.(News)
February 12, 2007... Friday, Feb. 16 * American Muscle Car, 9:30 a.m., Speed * NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, Calif., 11 a.m., ESPN Classic * NASCAR Live from Daytona Beach, Fla., 1 p.m., Speed (L) * NASCAR Nextel Cup practice from Daytona Beach,...

STUNNER; Mercedes-Benz floats the Ocean Drive concept to gauge response.(News)
February 12, 2007... Byline: WES RAYNAL, ROGER HART What happened to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class? For the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, it morphed into the Ocean Drive, a one-off that Mercedes says was built in the tradition of large...

SHOW STOPPERS; New diecasts honor four automotive icons.(Revs)
February 12, 2007... Byline: JAY ENGEL Amid the hoopla surrounding all the auto shows and auctions at this time of year, two top-notch diecast manufacturers are rolling out significant hardware of their own. Both Danbury Mint and CMC Classical Models have...

Drivers Log.(News)
February 12, 2007... 2007 Audi S8 Date in fleet: Jan. 18-Feb. 2 As-tested price: $110,920 Drivetrain: 5.2-liter V10; awd, six-speed automatic Output: 450 hp @ 7000 rpm, 398 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm Curb weight: 4586 lbs Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 17/13.4 mpg RAYNAL:...

GUNNING FOR TWO; While Toyota debuts in Nextel Cup, it is already well established in the Craftsman Truck Series.(Motorsports)
February 12, 2007... Byline: Al Pearce It took three years for Toyota Racing Development to help the parent company win its first NASCAR manufacturers' championship. It shouldn't take nearly that long for Toyota to win its second. If things go as expected,...

THE NEXT GENERATION; NASCAR's young guns have a monopoly on winning.(Motorsports)
February 12, 2007... Byline: AL PEARCE The "greening'' of stock car racing is in full bloom. In a sport that once celebrated the patience and cunning that came with experience, it's now kids-relatively speaking-who rule. For the first time in NASCAR's 57-year...

HOPING AGAINST A REPEAT; The Busch Series once again plays host to Nextel Cup heavies.(Motorsports)
February 12, 2007... Byline: AL PEARCE At first glance, there is nothing to indicate that this Busch Series season will be any different from 2006, when Nextel Cup drivers pushed everybody around. Full-time Cup drivers from huge, megabuck Cup teams won 33 of...

THIS YEAR, YOU MAY NOT RECOGNIZE THE PLACE; You wanted change? You got change.(Motorsports)(drag racing and race car drivers)
February 12, 2007... Byline: BILL STEPHENS The NHRA has never been a series of perpetual change and constant rules tinkering. Change has taken place but usually at the same evolutionary pace as the flatworm. For many drag-racing "lifers,'' that pace has been...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
February 12, 2007... Interception reception The "new'' Interceptor concept is a warmed-over version of the 2002 Lincoln Continental concept. This illustrates how slow and tentative Ford is to go from interesting concepts to production and why it's so far in...

CHICAGO SIGHTINGS.(News)
February 12, 2007... Byline: JONATHAN WONG Pontiac's G8 is high on our list of must-sees at the Chicago show, which opens to the public Feb. 9-18. Here are a few other debuts worth spying. Toyota takes the wraps off its bigger next-generation 2008...

FANGIO WOULD HAVE APPROVED; Automatic Tranny Retains Sportiness.(News)
February 12, 2007... Byline: PATRICK C. PATERNIE No one would complain about a trip to Monte Carlo, but it did seem like a long way to go to test-drive a new automatic transmission. Even if that transmission is attached to the latest Maserati Quattroporte and...

THE GOODGUYS' GOOD GUY; Gary Meadors keeps the hot rod flame burning.(News)(Interview)
February 12, 2007... Byline: PATRICK C. PATERNIE You can tell a lot about a person by the car he drives. For our interview near the main gate of the Del Mar, California, fairgrounds, Gary Meadors pulled up behind the wheel of a swoopy, white-over-lipstick-red,...

JIGSAW PUZZLE; With so many new pieces in play, Nextel Cup is tough to call.(Motorsports)
February 12, 2007... Byline: AL PEARCE Other than its eight-race debut in 1949, NASCAR arguably has never headed into a season with this many compelling story lines: a new manufacturer that many fans simply don't like; a new points system that still doesn't...

Got What It Takes to Change the World?(Column)
February 12, 2007... Byline: Dutch Mandel I watch with furrowed brow the latest television commercial hawking Allstate Insurance. Actor Dennis Haysbert points to distracted drivers and says that multitasking behind the wheel causes accidents and policyholders...

SURPRISE, SURPRISE; 2007 Kia Rondo packs 'em in.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
February 12, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER It's a short walk from one end of the 2007 Kia Rondo to the other, which makes it all the more surprising when you look in the rear window and see a third row. What's that? Seven seats? In this little thing? ...

ASTON ON THE BLOCK; Ambitious growth plans are backdrop to billions in bids.(News)
February 12, 2007... Byline: JULIAN RENDELL Even as Ford sorts through bidders interested in buying its Aston Martin subsidiary, those close to the action say the luxury-car company is eyeing an ambitious hike in production to 10,000 cars, possibly as soon as...

CHICAGO COUP; G8 heralds return of the rear-drive Pontiac sedan.(News)
February 12, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Ronald Reagan was president the last time Pontiac sold a rear-wheel-drive Grand Prix. The spiritual successor to General Motors' performance sedan from the past arrives this week at the Chicago auto show, in the form...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
February 12, 2007... HEEEEEEEEEEERE'S DUTCH AND K.C.! AutoWeek editor/associate publisher Dutch Mandel and associate publisher K.C. Crain recently stopped by Jay Leno's garage to talk cars with the late-night king. Check out their chats in the videos section...

IRL EYES DAYTONA.(Competition)
February 12, 2007... Indy cars at Daytona International Speedway might not be as significant as when NASCAR started eyeing a potential event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the early '90s, but running at DIS is causing a bit of a stir. Granted, the two-day...

A Car for the Discriminating Few.(Escape Roads)
February 12, 2007... Byline: LEIGH DORRINGTON The American Motor Car Company of Indianapolis offered the unusual choice of a conventionally sprung chassis or an innovative "underslung'' setup beginning in 1907. The latter placed the frame rails under the front...

Market.(Escape Roads)(classic 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda)(Brief article)
February 12, 2007... Byline: KEITH MARTIN RM Auctions Biltmore Resort, Phoenix Jan. 19, 2007 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda convertible 426-cid Hemi V8, 2x4-bbl, four-speed. Blue with blue vinyl interior and white vinyl top. Panel gaps as factory, body...

AutoWeek.(Briefs)
February 12, 2007... Chicago Shakedown The 2007 Chicago auto show is under way, and our embedded reporters are sending live information from the floor. Be the first to see live shots of the Pontiac G8, Nissan's SUV offerings and the Saturn Astra. Look for...

Smokin' Deals.(Incentives)
February 12, 2007... Last week, we saw incentives on hybrids with the Toyota Prius. There are even more this time around. For the latest deals on available cars, trucks and sport/utility vehicles, go to: www.autoweek.com/incentives Programs might vary by...

Flash.(Briefs)
February 12, 2007... Don't Fear the Hemi Turns out the Foose Hemisfear that debuted at SEMA will not be Hemi-powered-and will not be called the Hemisfear. It appears Chip Foose (above) holds a copyright on the name for T-shirts and model cars but not for...

"SHOULDA, WOULDA, COULDA"; Things happen for a reason. Sometimes they don't happen for a reason, too.(Motorsports)(drag racing)
February 12, 2007... Byline: BILL STEPHENS Okay, it's time to argue. Ya know, the thing that drag-racing fans love to do the most. And believe us when we say we know how to get things going. Things that shouldn't have happened in 2006 but did Tony...

Things to know before heading to the track.(Motorsports)(visiting motor speedways)
February 12, 2007... At least, we think it's a hot dog . . . So, it's your first time at Martinsville Speedway? You've heard all about the picturesque little half-mile bullring in southern Virginia, including reviews of its famous Jesse Jones hot dogs. Go...

+WHAT TO WATCH OFF-TRACK.(Motorsports)
February 12, 2007... Welcome to the future Ray Evernham Motorsports now uses robots to help build its cars. The no-tolerance chassis rules for the Car of Tomorrow encouraged Evernham to buy robots for welding, thus freeing up "regular'' mechanics and builders...

PRIVATE LABEL; Retired Ford engineers hand-build a Corvette-engined sports car.(Revs)
February 12, 2007... Byline: PHIL BERG Gene Dickirson is not the slightest bit worried when people tell him they don't like the looks of his new car, the GDT Speedster that took him almost six years to hand-build. "Some people like the way it looks, some...

Brand Loyal; Patriot caps off a Jeep porduct blitz.(News)
February 12, 2007... Byline: Roger Hart If you walked into a Jeep dealership in 2004, there were just three models to choose from: Grand Cherokee, Liberty and Wrangler. Today that number has more than doubled with the addition of the Commander, the four-door...

Butt wait, there's more NASCAR.(News)
February 12, 2007... You think the anticipation of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season doesn't weigh heavy on the minds of these hard-core fans? Lined up at Daytona in early January (with sporadic track action for preseason testing), it's like watching paint dry to...

Correction.(Correction notice)
February 19, 2007... Kevin A. Wilson's "Opposite Lock'' column on page 14 should say that the European Commission has recommended an 18-percent fuel-efficiency improvement by 2012. The measure is not a mandate.

AutoWeek.(autoweek.com)(Brief article)
February 19, 2007... Web Watch: Clips, quips and quick video trips on our award-winning site. Find bonus commentary, features, galleries & news. Once online, register for e-mail news blasts and contests only available at autoweek.com Exclusive Reads There...

BMW AS BENCHMARK; Lutz gets his wish with debut of Pontiac G8 sedan.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER A few years back, when General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz suggested that Pontiac could become GM's version of an everyman's BMW, most enthusiasts passed it off as wishful thinking. But with the introduction of...

Andretti tests again.(Competition)
February 19, 2007... Marco Andretti tested again for Honda F1 at the Jerez Circuit in Spain, after making his debut for the team late last year (Competition, Jan. 1). Andretti completed 74 laps with Honda's 2006 car in dry conditions on Feb. 7 and 62 laps on a wet...

ON TO THE SHOW; Robert Yates Racing bounces back to take the Daytona front row.(Motorsports)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Al Pearce Six months ago, Robert Yates was about done. He'd been racing for 40 years, the last 18 as owner of a Ford-based team accustomed to winning poles and races, a team good enough to win the 1999 Cup with Dale Jarrett. Until...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
February 19, 2007... "I've not answered that question 20 times just in the past hour.'' -Dieter Zetsche, surrounded by 600 journalists at the Mercedes-Benz C-Class unveiling, when asked how often he'd answered the Wolfgang Bernhard question Who says...

GENEVA GOLD; Hot commodities coming to the Swiss show.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: JONATHAN WONG The heavy action is yet to come, but early reports out of Geneva indicate two hot sports cars and a wagon lead the list of sheetmetal we can expect to see this March. Look for Honda to spice up the yawn-inducing...

Flash.(Briefs)
February 19, 2007... Starting over? Retired seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher tested recently for Italian go-kart manufacturer Tony Kart on the La Conca track in southern Italy. According to the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, Schumacher might...

NAME GAME, FORD-STYLE.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable badges are back, replacing Ford Five Hundred, Ford Freestyle and Mercury Montego nameplates in the automaker's 2008 lineup. But the new names are hardly the most compelling updates to...

OFF TO THE RACES; The NHRA's Winternationals Were Quick Out of the Gate.(Motorsports)(National Hot Rod Association)
February 19, 2007... Byline: BILL STEPHENS In 1961, "The Big Go West'' first saw the light of day. The NHRA's Winter-nationals inherited that nickname as a direct reference to the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, touted as "The Big Go'' and the most prestigious...

GOING FOR THE GM JUGULAR; Latest Scion models provide yet another weapon in Toyota's push to the top of the world's automotive ranks.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Toyota's latest swing at staying relevant to the 30-and-under set-and another key to taking the title of "world's largest automaker'' from General Motors-arrived at the Chicago auto show in the form of the 2008 Scion...

Flash.(Briefs)
February 19, 2007... Half Hemis? MOPAR might yet see the light (and the value) of Chip Foose's limited-edition Hemisfear super hot rod ("Foosetopia,'' Nov. 13). After our Feb. 12 report that lawyers had quashed the name for the car based on copyright issues,...

TOPLESS TWO-TIMER; Summer never felt so good as it will in a 335i Convertible, and winter ain't bad, either.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: MARK VAUGHN What could be more fun than a 335i? How about a 335i with no roof? BMW chopped the top off this iconic coupe and replaced it with three concentrically stacking pieces of steel that eventually make their way into the...

TRUTH AND BEAUTY IN BUILDING 4; Once again, the Grand National Roadster Show goes for both.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Beauty is the thing that drives us all: the most beautiful girlfriend, the most beautiful view out the front window of the most beautiful house and, of course, the most beautiful car. When it comes to cars, beauty...

GLOVES OFF; Ford prepares to defend its crown as champ of the heavyweight haulers.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: PHIL FLORADAY There's a load riding on the F-Series Super Duty pickups, literally and figuratively. They are a source of much-needed profit for Ford and represent about 40 percent of the heavy-duty segment. Ford hopes the Super...

The 75 Most Significant '32 Ford Hot Rods.(Revs)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Mark Vaughn When Socal Speed Shop founder Alex Xydias walked in and saw them, he said, "Oh, my God!'' When NHRA founder Wally Parks followed, he said, "Man, oh, man!'' What had stirred these two original hot rod heroes to such...

Drivers Log.(News)
February 19, 2007... 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid Date in fleet: Jan. 31-Feb. 14 As-tested price: $33,165 Drivetrain: 2.5-liter I4; fwd, CVT Output: gasoline, 158 hp @ 5200-6000 rpm, 162 lb-ft @ 2800-4800 rpm; electric, 40 hp @ 0-1500 rpm, 199 lb-ft @ 0-1500 rpm...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
February 19, 2007... Still turns heads at 80 Thanks for the feature on Denise McCluggage (Feb. 5). I've been a fan of hers and always look for her column in your publication. Also thanks for devoting a page or two to the WRC events as they happen. As you've...

STEWART TAKES BUD SHOOTOUT.(Competition)
February 19, 2007... Tony Stewart deftly skimmed past Kyle Busch with seven laps remaining to win his third Budweiser Shootout at the Daytona International Speedway. In the opening NASCAR event of Speed Week, Stewart made a masterful-dare we say...

PARTY ON; Exhibit recalls Detroit's Golden Jubilee.(Revs)
February 19, 2007... Byline: JACOB LINGEMAN When an entire exhibition is about remembering a party, well, it must have been a good one. The National Automotive History Collection at the Detroit Public Library (www.detroitpubliclibrary.org/nahc) is hosting an...

Hot Air and You.(Column)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson ***** Correction: Kevin A. Wilson's "Opposite Lock'' column on page 14 should say that the European Commission has recommended an 18-percent fuel-efficiency improvement by 2012. The measure is not a mandate....

Your (Great-) Grandfather's SUV.(Escape Roads)
February 19, 2007... Byline: LEIGH DORRINGTON The jeep was created in late 1940 by the American Bantam Motor Company to meet the Army's requirements for a lightweight, go-anywhere, general purpose (GP) reconnaissance vehicle. The GP tag led to GIs calling it...

Market.(Escape Roads)
February 19, 2007... Byline: KEITH MARTIN RM Auctions Biltmore Resort, Phoenix Jan. 19, 2007 1961 Porsche RS 61 sports racing spyder Four-cylinder, 1800 cc, dual Webers, five-speed. Silver with red leather interior. Nice presentation without...

GRAND CARRIAGE; GL450 leads the luxury-utility field.(Mercedes-Benz GL450)(Product/service evaluation)
February 19, 2007... Mercedes-Benz put a lot of time, money and development into its ML-Class sport/utility vehicle before it finally got around to building the bigger beast-the seven-passenger top-of-the-Mercedes-SUV-heap GL450. It was originally conceived as...

TV: FEB. 23-25.(News)
February 19, 2007... Friday, Feb. 23 * Speed Road Tour Challenge, 1 a.m., Speed * American Muscle Car, 1:30 a.m., Speed * Car Crazy, 2:30 a.m., Speed * Speed Road Tour Challenge, 8 a.m., Speed * Speed Road Tour Challenge, 9 a.m., Speed *...