AutoWeek articles from January 2008

AutoWeek archives from January 2008

Not like Mike.(News)
January 7, 2008... No, it's not Michael Schumacher, but this photo was taken at the recent Race of Champions at London's Wembley Stadium ("Back in the High Life," AW, Dec. 24, 2007). This rider was part of a freestyle exhibition by the Red Bull X-Fighters between...

Correction.(Correction notice)
January 7, 2008... Our Dec. 24, 2007, story on the Corvette ZR1 should have identified Tadge Juechter as Corvette chief engineer.

TIME WILL TELL; Travis Pastrana sets his sights on the World Rally Championship.(Competition)
January 7, 2008... Byline: ROGER HART At the ripe old age of 24, Travis Pastrana is in the beginning stages of his third career. Or maybe fourth or fifth, depending on how you count. From the time he started riding motorcycles, trophies began stacking up in...

HANDSHAKE? HOW 'BOUT A BIG, JUICY KISS; Jaguar's XF sedan delivers what its stunning shape promises.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO We probably don't need to remind you that the 2009 XF is a make-or-break car for Jaguar, regardless of who owns the company when its new sedan goes on sale March 1. If you frequent these pages, you know about...

TV: Jan. 11 - 13.(Competition)
January 7, 2008... Friday, Jan. 11 Two Guys Garage, 9:30 a.m., Speed My Classic Car, 10 a.m., Speed 2005 NHRA Nationals from Sonoma, Calif., 11 a.m., ESPN Classic My Classic Car marathon, noon, Speed Chop Cut Rebuild, 4:30 p.m., Speed ...

TWO-WHEEL LOWDOWN.(Revs)
January 7, 2008... Byline: GEORGE P. BLUMBERG 2008 HONDA GOLD WING GL1800 Honda's peerless mile eater. 1832-cc, 118-hp, liquid-cooled horizontally opposed six; 886-lb dry weight; quarter-mile in 12.78 seconds @ 103.3 mph COMPETITIVE SET: BMW...

1980.(50th Anniversary countdown)
January 7, 2008... Buddy Baker wins the Daytona 500 after 18 years of trying. In fourth is a 27-year-old second-year racer named Dale Earnhardt. This young fellow engages in a season-long battle with three-time champ Cale Yarborough, whose three untimely DNFs...

CLOSER TO REALITY; iRacing raises the bar for virtual driving.(Competition)
January 7, 2008... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH One exhibit at the recent Performance Racing Industry show in Orlando, Florida (Competition, Dec. 17), drew more than its share of attention. And unlike the vast majority of exhibits, it featured software, not...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
January 7, 2008... We hope you had a safe and wonderful holiday season, and thanks to all who sent us cards in 2007. Here is a selection of our favorites. 1. Bentley Mulliner's Andy Watt 2. Penske Racing's Tim Lombardi 3. Reproduction of a 1946...

Meanwhile, outside our car world . . .(50th Anniversary countdown)
January 7, 2008... Ronald Reagan is elected president. Eight U.S. servicemen are killed and five injured as a helicopter and a cargo plane collide in an abortive desert raid to rescue the American hostages in Teheran. The U.S. Olympic hockey team-college students...

SMOKIN' DEALS.(News)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... The latest models from Land Rover and Volvo kick off the new year with factory-to-dealer incentives. Kia and Jaguar sedans complete this week's offers. SPORT/UTILITY VEHICLE 2008 land rover lr2 MSRP: $36,150; $3,000...

UNDER THE HOOD.(Briefs)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... SUPERMODEL SUBDUED! Talk about starting the New Year off right! The Audi R8 date goes to a firefighting great. Sara Moyers is the winner of AutoWeek's "Win a Date with a Supermodel'' contest. Moyers, a new mom, submitted her entry on...

PRIUS PICKUP.(News)
January 7, 2008... Toyota will continue its green initiative at the Detroit auto show with the A-BAT concept, a hybrid compact pickup envisioned to slot below the Tacoma. Toyota says the A-BAT is a vehicle with high function, good fuel economy and ride and...

REINCARNATION IN MILWAUKEE; Encyclopedic muscle-car knowledge sprouts a carefully chosen collection.(Revs)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Phil Berg The sage muscle-car nut reincarnated into the body of 35-year-old Colin Comer appears to have been closely watching performance cars evolve since at least 1960. Comer is passionate about the rare and special cars-all of...

YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL; BMW's latest crossover blurs the line between sport coupe and sport/utility.
January 7, 2008... Byline: GREG KABLE At the launch of the first X5 in 1999, it was evident that BMW had turned the sport/utility vehicle segment on its head. Here was a sweetly styled all-wheel-drive machine offering the driving experience, performance,...

HOTTEST WHEELS.(News)
January 7, 2008... With the theme "Designed for Fun,'' this year's AutoWeek Design Forum would lack something if Larry Wood wasn't among the highlighted speakers. Wood is chief designer for Hot Wheels, Mattel's toy car division, which celebrates its 40th...

SLK MAKEOVER.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: GREG KABLE Mercedes-Benz will reveal this facelifted 2009-model SLK at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, but the biggest change comes under the skin of the SLK350. The SLK350's 3.5-liter V6 gets...

EXTRA.(Briefs)
January 7, 2008... LONG MOVES UP Porsche's lone American factory driver, Patrick Long, will step up full-time from the American Le Mans Series' GT2 class into one of Penske Racing's LMP2 Porsche RS Spyder prototypes in 2008. Long joined Porsche and Penske...

50-year-old memory; 1958 PACKARD HAWK.(Escape Roads)
January 7, 2008... Byline: STEVE KASH Its godfather was crisis; its sire was wannabe corporate savior Roy Hurley. The 1958 Packard Hawk was a last-gasp effort to save the once-proud automotive manufacturer from extinction. Only 588 Hawks rolled off the...

ITTY-BITTY BENZ; Mercedes unleashes a compact SUV.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: WES RAYNAL, GREG KABLE Mercedes-Benz will take the wraps off a new compact sport/utility model at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The little ute we'll see in Detroit will be a concept called the Vision GLK...

Market.(Escape Roads)
January 7, 2008... Byline: KEITH MARTIN 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible RM Auctions: Wiseman Collection Tarpon Springs, Fla. Dec. 1, 2007 365-cid V8; three-by-two-barrel, auto. Red with white leather. Original GM custom styling...

EXTRA.(Briefs)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Hit the corn! An ethanol-powered Chevrolet Corvette Z06 E85 concept car, piloted by two-time Indy 500 champion Emerson Fittipaldi, will be one of two special Vettes serving as pace cars for the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on May 25, 2008. ...

Letters.
January 7, 2008... EX35 whatever Someone has to tell Infiniti the EX35 isn't a luxury crossover or a luxury ute ("More Room to Cross Over,'' Dec. 17, 2007). We old car guys call it a station wagon. Mark Fogg, via e-mail Words to BMW . . . ...

F1 SEATS ALMOST FILLED.(Competition)
January 7, 2008... Force India (formerly Spyker) is the only Formula One team not yet to have finalized its 2008 race driver lineup. It would like to use an Indian but is expected to confirm soon that it signed Giancarlo Fisichella as Adrian Sutil's teammate. ...

Drivers Log.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
January 7, 2008... JEWETT: This thing left the factory in full Darth Vader mode-black paint job, wheels and interior trim. The only exceptions are the gray-colored headliner and the silver-painted plastic in the center of the instrument panel. So this Dakota's...

HAMMER TIME; Your guide to the Arizona auctions.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH Heading to Arizona for the January auctions? Allow us to suggest some reading material for the trip: the 2008 Collector Car Price Guide by Ron Kowalke, with more than 250,000 "proven prices.'' And once you get...

No Payne, No Gain.(competitions of Jeff Payne)(Column)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson When Dutch and I were tossing around the ideas that became AutoWeek's teen driving safety initiative, one major motivator was Jeff Payne, founder of Driver's Edge and a panelist at last year's AutoWeek Teen Driving...

Unheeded Predictions.(prices and rates of automobiles)(Column)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Cory Farley The first story I wrote for a car magazine that I can remember involved the Los Angeles Times and a crystal ball, which hindsight shows was clearer than I had any right to expect. The premise was that there were...

BUS MAGNET; A smashing first quarter for our Nissan Altima.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: JONATHAN WONG Compared with some of the mainstream options in the mass midsize-sedan market, there is little wonder why the AutoWeek staff has given the Nissan Altima a warm reception. One editor calls it "the perfect antidote to...

FAST AND FRIENDLY; Audi's S6 packs a punch . . . and a lot of gear.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: NATALIE NEFF In the first quarter of a yearlong test, our Audi S6 has already racked up more than 8000 miles-almost 10,000 if you count the 1375 miles our managing editor piled on when he took European delivery of the car six weeks...

A CHALLENGING PROPOSITION; So many ideas and so little power to bring them to life: The challenge of Michelin's Challenge Bibendum.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: NATALIE NEFF Many of the vehicles scattered about the courtyard resemble basement science projects more than passenger vehicles, though through a squint you can almost picture a few of the larger ones filled with groceries or...

1981.(50th Anniversary countdown)
January 14, 2008... This is a big year for road tests, as AutoWeek editors get clinical with everything, including motorcycles and race cars. A sampling: Bitter SC, Ford Escort, Ferrari Mondial, Mercedes-Benz 380SL, Maserati Merak, Kawasaki KZ-550, BMW 633CSi,...

VERSATILE SPEED; Mazdaspeed 3 defines affordable and practical fun.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: JACOB LINGEMAN Our opinions ABOUT the Mazdaspeed 3 haven't changed much during its third quarter with us: Everybody around here still loves how fun it is to drive and its five-door practicality. Several of us have tested the...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
January 14, 2008... Hyperventilating Hyperlinks http://tinyurl.com/23hfe2 http://tinyurl.com/2y9odc World's Dumbest Marketing Ploy GUARANTEED TO INFURIATE THE OTHER 98 PERCENT Philadelphia's Wachovia Center struck a deal with Lexus whereby Lexus...

BEST OF FRANCE AND ITALY; A car show of delightfully narrow focus.(Revs)
January 14, 2008... Byline: PETE LYONS What if you put on a car show and lots of interesting ones came-such as a racy Ariel Atom, a pretty MG TC, a gleaming old Pierce-Arrow-but you refused to let them in? There is such a perversely exclusive event. It's...

VEGAS BY VESPA; A van, a plan and a portable can.(News)(Specialty Equipment Market Association)
January 14, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Here are two truths no one wants to admit: 1. The SEMA show is a nightmare. 2. Las Vegas is a crowded, tacky, silly, gawdawful, resource-wasting playground for morons who don't understand math. That the...

EXTRA.(Briefs)
January 14, 2008... R8 gets V12 diesel Audi is bringing an R8 that packs a turbo-charged diesel V12 to the Detroit auto show, according to published reports in Europe. The report of the R8 V12 TDI concept runs counter to widespread speculation that the R8...

New Year's Resolution.(trade shows of automobile industry)(Column)
January 14, 2008... Byline: KC Crain It's funny how crowded gyms are this time of year. We all come to the new year with a list of resolutions that we are definitely going to stick to this go-round. By the time March comes, it's back to the usual. Let's face...

TV: Jan. 18 - 20.(Competition)
January 14, 2008... Friday, Jan. 18 Two Guys Garage, 9:30 a.m., Speed My Classic Car, 10 a.m., Speed 2005 NHRA Nationals from Las Vegas, 11 a.m., ESPN Classic Summer Shootout from Concord, N.C., noon, Speed Barrett-Jackson: Life on the Block,...

SAFETY FEARS HALT DAKAR.(Dakar Rally canceled because of terrorist attacks)
January 14, 2008... The organizer of the Dakar Rally canceled this year's event because of a terrorist threat in Mauritania. The rally was to start in Lisbon on Jan. 5 and end in Dakar-the capital of Senegal-on Jan. 20, covering Morocco and Mauritania en route....

Meanwhile, outside our car world . . .(50th Anniversary countdown)
January 14, 2008... A U.S.-Iran agreement frees 52 hostages held in Teheran since 1979. Pope John Paul II is shot and wounded. Egyptian president Anwar Sadat is assassinated by Islamic extremists in Cairo. President Reagan is shot and wounded, along with his press...

PROVOQ-ATIVE CADDY.(News)
January 14, 2008... Just because it has rocket science under the hood doesn't mean Cadillac's Provoq fuel-cell concept wouldn't look as if it belongs in your garage today. The Provoq crossover uses General Motors' E-Flex powertrain from the Chevrolet Volt...

WALKUPS WELCOME.(News)
January 14, 2008... If your plans include being in Detroit for the North American International Auto Show, it's not too late to attend this year's AutoWeek Design Forum on Jan. 16 at Cobo Center. This year's forum, "Designed for Fun,'' features Jesse James,...

EXTRA.(Briefs)
January 14, 2008... DA MATTA AT DAYTONA The 2002 Champ Car World Series champion, Cristiano da Matta, could compete at this year's Rolex 24 at Daytona if he gets his doctor's clearance. This would be da Matta's first race since suffering severe head injuries...

UNDER THE HOOD.(Briefs)
January 14, 2008... Hang with Style You can still make the AutoWeek Design Forum, sponsored by Johnson Controls, on Jan. 16 at Cobo Hall in Detroit. The faculty lineup is almost as good as the networking opportunities. Speaking this year are Larry Wood,...

Drivers Log.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
January 14, 2008... WILSON: It's hard to see the vehicle for the features anymore. Even before we took it Christmas shopping, the interior of the Town & Country looked as if someone had been on a spending spree at Best Buy. There are DVD screens everywhere and...

SMOKIN' DEALS.(News)
January 14, 2008... This week, we've got low financing deals on a compact, an entry-level luxury sedan and a tough pickup. Or use a factory-to-dealer incentive to bargain your way into Acura's luxury flagship. SEDAN 2008 acura rl MSRP: $46,995;...

CROSSOVER PERFECTION? Starting a year in Acura's midsize sport/utility vehicle, emphasis on sport.(News)(product information of American Honda Motor Company Inc. Acura)
January 14, 2008... Byline: WES RAYNAL To replace our beloved and much-missed long-term Chevrolet Suburban (sniff), we figured on a nice all-rounder with seating for seven. The most up-to-date crossover to fit the bill is the Acura MDX. We've always...

Letters.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Ralph J. Coolman, Ventura, Calif. Reach your children I have enjoyed the Stint at the Wheel columns in the past. The latest, by Nick Emmanouilides ("The Rambler and `I Spy,' '' Dec. 24, 2007), brought back memories of road...

PICTURING THE FUTURE; 1970 Jaguar E-type Coupe.(Escape Roads)
January 14, 2008... Byline: ERIC TEGLER It's said that the images most powerful to us come from our childhood. When a young Dick Popham of Ellicott City, Maryland, saw his neighbor's Jaguar XK120 in the early 1950s, something clicked, literally. The next time...

PENNY WISE, POUND FUELISH; Ethanol blends and your vintage car: Are they a potent mixture?(Revs)
January 14, 2008... Byline: KEN GROSS With all the hype about E85, as in "Think Green, Drive Yellow,'' you'd think America's addiction to petroleum-based fuels-not to mention the challenges of dealing with unpredictable Middle East suppliers-was about to...

INTO THE WOODS; Rally America offers an alternative to the WRC.(Competition)
January 14, 2008... Byline: ROGER HART The World Rally Championship isn't the only option for U.S. rally fans, and you don't need to travel to another country for the action. Rally America officials in Minneapolis look forward to their 2008 season with great...

DETROIT 2008: OUR HOMETOWN SHOW.(News)
January 14, 2008... A new calendar in Detroit means the spectacle that is the North American International Auto Show isn't far off. Heading into its 20th year with international status, Detroit promises some of the biggest and most anticipated debuts of the year....

ZOOM FREAKIN' ZOOM; Mazda's Detroit Furai concept conceals a racer.(News)
January 14, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN The words just got in the way, but they used them anyway. "It was really about finding the visual representation of `Zoom Zoom,''' said Mazda designer Franz von Holzhausen. "How nature describes emotion . . .''...

AMERICA'S EXPLORER; Ford's Detroit concept rewrites the SUV playbook.
January 14, 2008... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER What you're seeing on these pages (and in the illustration on our cover) is nothing less than a revolution in sport/utility vehicles, and not just for Ford. Make no mistake: The Ford Explorer America concept...

MECCA FOR ALFISTI; The Alfa Romeo Museo.(Revs)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Jan Tegler For Ford fans, there's the Henry Ford in Dearborn. Mercedes-Benz mavens have the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Honda hounds have the Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi. And Tifosi . . . let's not speak of...

FLEET STREET; BRIEFS ON OUR OTHER LONG-TERMERS.(News)
January 14, 2008... Jaguar XKR convertible After the unfortunate hit-and-run accident sustained by our Jag, we endured the $4,335.38 bill for repairs but suffered the whole 21 days we had to go without our beautiful car. Lexus LS 460 L The odo hit...

Nothing for Granted; Don't tell WRC champ Sebastien Loeb that 2008 will be easy.(Competition)
January 14, 2008... Byline: ANTHONY PEACOCK Pessimists might predict that the 2008 World Rally Championship will be a boring walkover for four-time champion Sebastien Loeb. With Loeb's key rival-Marcus Gronholm-enjoying retirement in Finland, Citroen driver...

Parking and Prohibition.(Column)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Steve Thompson Every time I see an able-bodied person park in a space clearly marked for disabled people, I think of the 55-mph speed limit mandated by the feds when I was working at Competition Press & Autoweek 34 years ago. At...

ARE WE 'AVIN' A LAUGH? Well, maybe a little chuckle.(Auto File)(product information of Hyundai Motor Company Ltd.)
January 14, 2008... A little more than a year ago, we wrote that the 2007 Hyundai Tiburon "offers a choice for those who can't decide between the Ford Mustang GT and the Honda Civic Si.'' Not a bad review for a car that has sometimes been referred to as a poseur...

Market.(Escape Roads)(product information of Amphicar Model 10 Convertible)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Byline: KEITH MARTIN 1967 Amphicar Model 10 Convertible RM Auctions: Wiseman Collection Tarpon Springs, Fla. Dec. 1, 2007 1147-cc four-cylinder; one-barrel, four-speed. White with red-and-white vinyl. Older repaint and...

WRC: THE WAY TO GO.(competitions of World Rally Championship )
January 14, 2008... Byline: ANTHONY PEACOCK The World Rally Championship doesn't receive the U.S. television coverage it deserves, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on one of the world's most spectacular forms of motorsport. Most WRC venues are...

Corrections.(Correction)
January 14, 2008... Corrections In our Dec. 10, 2007, Revs article, we should have said that Peter Mole and Bill Secrest had the top score in the Bridgehampton Classic six-hour rally. Our 50th-anniversary story in the Dec. 24, 2007, issue should have...

Just like he said.(News)
January 14, 2008... NASCAR Nextel Cup driver and Bodine Challenge bobsled veteran Boris Said pilots his latest set of, er, skis. National Guardsman Daniel Moreno, all hunkered in tuck position, operates the brakes during this practice run for the third Bodine...

THIS MODEL A PASSES 'GO'; 1929 Ford Model A Speedster.(Escape Roads)
January 21, 2008... Byline: LARRY SANATA In the spirit of Henry Ford, the Model A was built as a car for everyone. And that certainly was true for most of the Model A's that were produced. But not this one. Many weekends of the year, the streamlined 1929...

Drivers Log.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
January 21, 2008... RAYNAL: Somebody nabbed the keys to the Nissan Altima coupe I was supposed to drive for the night, so I got stuck in the Kia Spectra. What a huge disappointment. Or so I thought. In hindsight, I'm glad I got "stuck'' in this Kia, because I...

PLANET CARAVAN; A technological ecosystem lives in dodge's latest minivan.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: NATALIE NEFF The squared-off styling of Chrysler's new family of minivans met with mixed reviews from those on the AutoWeek staff. Some welcome the harder lines, calling them masculine, while others prefer the softer, rounder lines...

Miles of Heart.(Hunter Stewart drives car to cure his mothers breast cancer)(Column)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Dutch Mandel Hunter Stewart is like other kids his age, yet he is not like anyone you've ever met. Hunter plays soccer, baseball and video games. Outside his front door, the blue-eyed towhead from Carlsbad, California, can...

SEEING RED; Performance Vue is one sharp Saturn.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER As much as we liked the standard Saturn Vue ("Seeing Is Believing,'' AW, May 28, 2007), the 2008 Vue Red Line is even better. Squatting on its 18-inch wheels and lowered suspension and with a huge front air intake,...

SNOW BALL; With the right car, a midwinter road trip in the Rockies can be a blast.(Revs)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Don Klein As anyone who has ever driven the Colorado Grand rally (www.coloradogrand.org) can tell you, the Rocky Mountains offer some of the most spectacular roads-and views-in the United States. But there's a reason that annual...

A SPORT VEHICLE WITH UTILITY; BMW's X5 loves the track, and owners love it.(Auto File)
January 21, 2008... BMW's X5 toughs it out in a field of worthy competitors, in which players such as the Mercedes-Benz ML500 and the Porsche Cayenne S vie for attention from a small but discriminating bevy of buyers. The redesigned-for-2007 BMW, however, manages...

Meanwhile, outside our car world . . .(50th Anniversary countdown)
January 21, 2008... Princess Grace of Monaco, 52, dies when her car plunges off a mountain road; her daughter Stephanie, 17, suffers serious injuries. Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev dies at 75; Yuri Andropov is chosen as successor. John W. Hinckley Jr. is found not...

1982.(50th Anniversary countdown)
January 21, 2008... AutoWeek scores the first drive of the all-new BMW 3 Series. It is immediately loved. Obviously caught "drinking the Kool-Aid,'' AW editors dub the Plymouth Turismo TC3 an "understated Charger.'' Cars that get the editors' review this year...

SMOKIN' DEALS.(News)
January 21, 2008... Attractive cash-back incentives are featured on two affordable sedans and a compact pickup. For luxury-car shoppers, Bentley has financing deals on leftover 2007 Flying Spurs. SEDAN 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur MSRP:...

COOL DUDS FOR THE NEW YEAR.(Revs)
January 21, 2008... So-Cal Speedshop Cam Hoodie Sweatshirt Keep warm and look cool in this So-Cal hoodie. Available only in navy blue, the sweatshirt will add power to your wardrobe. $46, www.est1946.com Mercedes-Benz T-Shirt Set These shirts are...

NEXT ECLIPSE? A look at Mitsubishi's high-tech two-seat concept.
January 21, 2008... Byline: WES RAYNAL Are you looking at the next-generation Eclipse? Maybe, maybe not. Mitsubishi officials won't say for sure, but if the 2007 Tokyo show's Concept ZT hinted at the 2009 Galant, perhaps the Concept-RA is a look at the next...

UNDER THE HOOD.(News)
January 21, 2008... COMING IN FEBRUARY AutoWeek is launching a new line of gear! Be sure to check out all of your favorite hoodies, hats and T's-plus the newest additions to our store at autoweek.com/getingear. Web design Not able to join us at the...

Letters.
January 21, 2008... Mercedes doppelganger Aw, c'mon, guys! The new Mercedes-Benz GLK "doesn't look like any other compact ute on the market''? I suspect its identical twin, the Subaru Forester, will be deeply saddened by this news. Perhaps a BWTM Body Double...

DETROIT INVADES Las Vegas; The Motor City is out in force at CES.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Bill Gates may be the patron saint, but Detroit's auto industry played its largest supporting role ever at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Gates gave his annual keynote address, not unlike the...

GUNNING FOR THE RECORD; Chip Ganassi eyes a third-straight Daytona 24 win amid several changes.(Competition)
January 21, 2008... Byline: TRAVIS BRAUN The closest a team owner has come to winning overall at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in three consecutive years was when Peter Gregg and Brian Redman drove their BMW 3.5 CSL to victory lane in 1976. Gregg had won the two...

EAT THIS; Damion Gardner conquers big names at the Chili Bowl.(Competition)
January 21, 2008... Byline: CURT CAVIN The Chili Bowl Midget Nationals must be seen and felt to be understood. But Damion Gardner almost received more than his fill. The sprint-car standout from California capped the 22nd annual winter festival in Tulsa,...

TV: Jan. 25 - 27.(Competition)
January 21, 2008... Friday, Jan. 25 Truck U, 9 a.m., Speed Two Guys Garage, 9:30 a.m., Speed My Classic Car, 10 a.m., Speed 2003 NHRA from Phoenix, 11 a.m., ESPN Classic Summer Shootout from Concord, N.C., marathon, noon, Speed Truck U,...

SYNCING UP; Ford hopes its improved Focus can connect with customers.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: WES RAYNAL, BOB GRITZINGER Just how new is Ford's new Focus? The debate has been going on here in the office and among readers at autoweek.com. Some say it's not an all-new Focus, just the same car we've been driving for years with...

DESERT DEBACLE; Cancellation of the Dakar Rally irritated competitors and cost millions. What's next?(Competition)
January 21, 2008... Byline: ANTHONY PEACOCK The Dakar Rally is no stranger to controversy. In 2000, the event faced one of its biggest threats after a French government tip-off that Algerian Islamic extremists planned a direct attack on the event during a...