AutoWeek articles from July 2004

AutoWeek archives from July 2004

Television: July 9-11.(News)(Calendar)
July 5, 2004... AutoWeek: Volkswagen Beetle Alien Fest, 2004 Infiniti G35X, Triumph TR-6 Sunday 10:30 a.m. Speed Channel Friday, July 9 Dream Car Garage, 7:30 a.m., Speed Chop Cut Rebuild, 8 a.m., Speed Car Crazy, 8:30...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Quote of the day "...fiscally responsible. There, I've just said two words you won't hear another F1 manager or team principal say.'' -Jaguar Racing managing director Dave Pitchforth ** This week's sign the automotive apocalypse...

owners say...(Auto File)(Titan)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... The Titan has lots of power and a great, throaty sound. The ride is smooth and firm but not bouncy, and the cabin gives you a feeling of spaciousness with legroom unmatched by the other trucks I tested. It's the little things that really make...

Infiniti G35.(Special Report)(Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A. Infiniti Div.)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... If we were gambling folk around here, we would have bet cash money our readers would name the BMW 3 Series as America's Best Coupe. We would have lost. When Infiniti launched the G35 more than a year ago, the company made no bones...

Mazda 3.(Special Report)(Mazda Motor of America Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... To say the economy car field is flush with tough competition is an understatement. Old standbys like Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla lead the field. Then throw in a wild card like the Toyota Prius hybrid, and you begin to realize the...

Honda Odyssey.(Special Report)(Honda)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... People Movers today come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from small cars (Pontiac Vibe) to Euro-style station wagons (Audi allroad) up to full-size vans (Ford Econoline). With all those choices, a traditional minivan, the Honda Odyssey, is...

AutoWeek america's best; This country's car-smart consumers say which are the finest rides on the road today.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: AutoWeek editors It's that special time of year again to feel good about being in America. Summer is not only in full swing, but it's great to celebrate everything that's right in the land of the free and open range, especially...

Chevrolet Corvette.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Talk about an automotive enthusiast's version of a kid- in-the-candy-store conundrum-which is the best sports car sold in America? Two years ago the Chevrolet Corvette grabbed top honors. Last year the Vette was bested by Porsche's 911. This...

Audi A8 L.(Special Report)(Audi)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Think this result will make the manufacturers of other luxury marques take notice? In the United States, Audi has tried long and hard to crack into the luxury ranks, and it has clearly done so with this redesigned, technologically advanced,...

Chrysler 300C.(Special Report)(Chrysler Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Wouldn't you know the new kid on the block would make a splash, wresting the title of America's Best Sedan from BMW? This might prove the adage, you don't have to appeal to all the people, just to the right ones. Chrysler's in-your-face...

Volkswagen Touareg.(Special Report)(Volkswagen AG)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Last year the then-new Porsche Cayenne took AutoWeek reader honors as the best SUV/off-road vehicle. This year its platform twin, the Volkswagen Touareg, captures the laurels. And why not, since the VW is every bit as good as the Porsche...

Specs & Data.(Auto File)(Nissan North America Inc.)
July 5, 2004... MANUFACTURER INFO Nissan North America 18501 South Figueroa St. Gardena CA 90248 Customer assistance: (800) 647-7261 Internet address: nissanusa.com Country of origin: United States Number of dealers: 1000 (est.)...

Flash.(Briefs)
July 5, 2004... Mopar madness Mopar, Chrysler's longtime supplier of performance parts and accessories, has developed a range of tuner add-ons for the Dodge Neon-based SRT-4, including a turbo upgrade kit designed to push output past 300 hp from the...

Drivers Log.(News)
July 5, 2004... 2004 Bentley Continental GT Date in fleet: June 1-21 As-tested price: $161,848 Powertrain: 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12; awd, six-speed automatic Output: 552 hp @ 6100 rpm, 479 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm Curb weight: 5258 pounds MPG (EPA...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2004... S-Class not classy enough What an extreme disappointment the styling cues are on the new Mercedes S-Class (June 21). I understand the images are computer rendered, but I hope they do not indicate what Mercedes intends to release. While the...

A VISIT TO THE BULLPEN; Artistic, technical accomplishments on display.(Revs)
July 5, 2004... Byline: PATRICK C. PATERNIE Rome has Vatican City, Florence the Uffizi, but for Italian auto fanatics, it is Modena that delivers both a religious and cultural high. The venerable Maserati factory sits on the city's industrial edge. Modena...

Ford F-150.(Special Report)(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... For seven years the F-150 has taken our America's Best Truck category title, and is it any wonder this all-new version would make it eight? It's easy to explain why: The new F-150 is a better truck. For starters, it looks better and it has more...

Flash.(Briefs)(Obituary)
July 5, 2004... Coupla rich guys Ferrari's Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher falls just short of golfer Tiger Woods in the latest Forbes magazine Celebrity 100 rich list, which ranks incomes in sports and the arts. The list puts Woods' and...

Lehto, Werner win Mid-Ohio.(Competition)
July 5, 2004... JJ Lehto and Marco Werner won the American Le Mans Series race at Mid-Ohio, taking their first ALMS win as teammates. They drove the Champion team's Audi R8. Werner and Lehto won by a lap over the Dyson Racing Lola-MG of Chris Dyson and...

C CHANGE.(News)(Mercedes-AMG GmbH)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: MARK VAUGHN For its mid-cycle facelift, Mercedes separates its C-Class cars into even more distinct Sport and Luxury models. The C230 and C320 Sport Coupes and Sedans receive AMG aero packages, 17-inch wheels with 225/45 front...

TOUGH NIGHT; Dan Wheldon survives to win Richmond.(Motorsports)
July 5, 2004... Byline: CURT CAVIN There is a lesson to be learned from last weekend's bruising Indy Racing League event at Richmond International Raceway: Sometimes it's best to give up, sometimes it's not. Series sophomore Dan Wheldon won for the...

GORDON GETS HIS GROOVE BACK; And is back in the thick of the title chase.(Motorsports)
July 5, 2004... Byline: BILL McGUIRE The NASCAR season has yet to reach the halfway point, but the teams with a shot at the Nextel Cup championship are already in an elevated state of anxiety. You can thank the new points system for the nervous twitch in...

Honda Civic.(Special Report)(Honda)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Though the Best First Car category is new to our America's Best competition, the thinking behind it is old: What is the best car to get if you're a first-time new-car buyer? Or, for dad's enlightenment, what is the best car you can buy to send...

Events.(Calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
July 5, 2004... Sept. 1 Red Bridge Rod Run and Open Car Show Cicero, Ind. Call (765) 552-5781 or visit vintagerollers.homestead.com for more information. Sept. 3-4 Supercar Reunion Collinsville, Md. At Gateway International...

Bend It Like Bentley.(Column)(Column)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Rich Ceppos The big red car eased down the side street, glinting in the sun like a giant, polished ruby. People on the sidewalk turned and stared as if they'd just seen their first automobile. They leaned off the curb for a better...

YOU BREAK IT, YOU BUY IT; Whether abuse or autocrossing, most automakers are not covering it.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: ANDREW LUU Michael Miller didn't know it, but the drivetrain warranty was already void on his son's new Mitsubishi Evolution before he even took the car in for service to his local Salt Lake City dealership. Unbeknownst to...

Fast Poll.(News)(Lamborghini)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... The Lamborghini Gallardo's design and refinement make it a player in the entry-level exotic-car segment, but respondents disagree on whether it could surpass Ferrari in this class. The Gallardo's fluid design is a thing of beauty, but its...

'05 BOXSTER, FINAL EDITION.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... It's been just two months since our spies last spotted the 2005 Boxster on a test drive (May 10), and now they've bagged the baby Porsche again-this time running in nearly final trim. Shown here is the base Boxster powered by a lightly reworked...

Buddy, can you spare $60 or $70 million? Board departures cast shadow on Petersen anniversary.(News)(Petersen Automotive Museum)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Why have two board members of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles resigned, and why is a third member rumored to be considering throwing in the car keys? Because publishing magnate Robert E. "Pete''...

Impressive Rookie; New pickup scores in a tough field.(Auto File)(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)
July 5, 2004... "This is an in-your-face, up-in-your-grille statement to Detroit that somebody else can build a good full-size truck.'' That's a logbook note from one of our editors about the Nissan Titan pickup. He also wrote, "Compare this to the new...

Clarification.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
July 5, 2004... Our June 21 Drivers Log should have said the price differential is $1,375 to $2,275 between comparably equipped Saab 9-2X and Subaru WRX models.

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
July 12, 2004... 1 Series isn't enough It's obvious why BMW isn't bringing the 1 Series (June 28) here. We already have it. It's called the Mazda 3 five-door, with more horsepower, more torque, more room and equal handling. It is better-looking and much...

STOP THE CAR; `Star Wars' system immobilizes motorists.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: NIGEL BURNHAM In the early '90s the North York Moors, beauty spot of Goathland, became a tourist hot spot after a television station used the village as a backdrop for a new series about the trials and tribulations of a 1960s...

BACK TO NORMAL; Buddy Rice beats teammate Vitor Meira in an old-fashioned IRL photo finish.(Motorsports)
July 12, 2004... Byline: CURT CAVIN The Indy Racing League got back to looking like the Indy Racing League on Sunday at pristine Kansas Speedway. The photo finish of the Argent Mortgage Indy 300 was reminiscent of the league's glory days, prior to engine...

SWIFT JUSTICE; Life as an Italian lawman in a one-of-a-kind Lamborghini cop car.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: MATT DAVIS When the news came out about a Lamborghini police cruiser, we put in our request with Italy's Interior Ministry to drive the car. The Lamborghini Gallardo Polizia was donated to Italy's police force on the 152nd...

Our Sojourner Drive; THE SMALLER, EARLIER MARTIAN CRUISER.(News)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Mark Vaughn "Why do guys have cars?'' asked Ames Research Lab content developer Nick Veronico. To get chicks? "Right! And why did we go to the moon?'' Why? "Moon chicks!'' "Why are we going to Mars?'' ...

Drivers Log.(News)
July 12, 2004... 2004 Honda Civic Si Date in fleet: June 15-30 As-tested price: $19,560 Powertrain: 2.0-liter I4; fwd, five-speed manual Output: 160 hp @ 6500 rpm, 132 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm Curb weight: 2782 pounds MPG (aw observed): 26.19 RAYNAL: At the...

Events.(Calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
July 12, 2004... Sept. 9-11 The Great San Francisco to Santa Monica Road Race San Francisco Call (415) 479-9950 or visit californiamille.com for information on this open road race for vintage cars. Sept. 9-12 Seventh Annual Durant Motors...

Little Al retires.(Competition)
July 12, 2004... There aren't many days like the one June 30 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway because there have not been many drivers like Al Unser Jr., who retired from open-wheel racing. Yes, the two-time Indy 500 winner ran himself into the ground...

BEETLEMANIA; It's an Alien Thing. You Wouldn't Understand.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Submitted for your approval: The fifth annual Roswell 2K Car Show for New Beetles. A simple get-together of New Beetle enthusiasts in the desert of the American Southwest. The same as a hundred other car events going on...

Television: July 16-18.(News)(Calendar)
July 12, 2004... AutoWeek: Audi TT 3.2 DSG, BMW 530i, 1972 Saab Sonett III Sunday, 10:30 a.m. & 11:30 p.m. Speed Channel Friday, July 16 NASCAR Top 10, 7 p.m., Speed Kyle Petty's Charity Ride Across America, 8 p.m., Speed ...

Fast Poll.(News)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... The BMW 1 Series could be very successful if it's sold in America: Enthusiasts are ready for a rwd compact car that is practical yet exciting to drive. The 318ti's U.S. failure is not reason enough to ignore the potential market for the 1...

THE BEAT GOES ON; Cadillac's metamorphosis continues with STS.
July 12, 2004... Byline: Roger Hart Executives at the launch of the Cadillac STS talked a lot about "renaissance.'' The company is changing, certainly, although at times it seems more like a crusade than a renaissance. In reinventing itself, Cadillac is...

Flash.(Briefs)
July 12, 2004... Whitaker appointed The Bahrain International Circuit has named British executive Martin Whitaker its new general manager, effective immediately. Former journalist Whitaker's career has included spells with the Motor Sports Association, the...

Generations of Fast.(Column)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson What does your ideal race car look like? For me, it's cigar-shaped like a Lotus 33 or Eagle-Weslake. Sports cars are harder. Porsche 908, Ford GT40, McLaren 2D and Chaparral 2C are all contenders, and there are more...

ADVANTAGE, HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS; With Jeff Gordon's win at Daytona, DEI's dominance in plate-races appears to be over.(Motorsports)
July 12, 2004... Byline: AL PEARCE For the last 15 races spanning four-plus seasons, Dale Earnhardt Inc. has ruled the black art of NASCAR restrictor-plate racing. In each of those races-starting at the 2001 Daytona 500-at least one DEI-prepared Chevrolet...

Flash.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... America's Best, for less No matter how you look at it, the sticker price for the next-generation Chevrolet Corvette is good news. In raw numbers, the price of a 2005 base coupe drops by $390 to $44,245 (including $800 destination charge)....

BOURDAIS, AGAIN; Newman-Haas doubles up at Cleveland.(Motorsports)
July 12, 2004... Byline: BILL McGUIRE Turn One at Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport must be the most nefarious corner in the Champ Car World Series. Four of the last five races there have started with crashes. Last year everyone made it through in one...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
July 12, 2004... From howstuffworks.com: (As far as we know, it doesn't) 1001 horsepower: How the Bugatti Veyron works Welcome to the height of high performance: The Bugatti Veyron is an incredible car built around an even more incredible engine....

WE DRIVE THE FASTEST CAR ON THE PLANET; Exclusive third or fourth test! Fat torque! Great grip! Eco-friendly solar power!(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Sure, headlines can be misleading. It is the fastest car on the planet. It just isn't this planet. We drove the Mars Rover Opportunity. Okay, again, "drove'' is a bit of an exaggeration. We drove it as much as any...

A Silver Ghost Returns from the Dead.(Escape Roads)
July 12, 2004... Byline: JOHN F. KATZ Even Rolls-Royce enthusiasts can't agree where Rolls went wrong. Was the last truly great Roller the Silver Cloud? Or the Silver Wraith? Even the magnificent Phantom III already betrayed the tendency toward needless...

A UNITED FRONT; Rolls-Royce's centennial celebration draws an impressive crowd.(Revs)
July 12, 2004... Byline: JOHN F. KATZ Beyond the single Seraph-derived 2000 Corniche, the Silver Spiritoids stretch row upon row in reverse chronological order, fading into Silver Shadows before the Silver Clouds roll in, sprinkled with occasional S-Type...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
July 12, 2004... Our June 21 AutoFile on the 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo should have said the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution holds our all-time 60-to-0 mph braking record at 100 feet. Our June 28 Cover Story on the BMW 1 Series should have said the 1 Series...

NOT THAT EASY; Tony Stewart wins a controversial Chicagoland race.(Motorsports)(Chicagoland Speedway)
July 19, 2004... Byline: CURT CAVIN Tony Stewart said two or three more race-winning Sundays like last weekend's at Chicagoland Speedway will relieve the stress of a frustrating season. If that happens, NASCAR might not be able to handle it. The...

CHAMP CAR DRIVERS GONE WILD; Car race scheduled in Toronto; hockey fight breaks out.(Motorsports)
July 19, 2004... Byline: BILL McGUIRE Seven full-course cautions for 27 laps. Five penalty flags served upon three drivers. There was so much bumping, banging and bad behavior that the race had to be shortened from 95 to 84 laps in order to fit the...

STILL CHECKING; We're digging our RX-8, but the Renesis is off to a thirsty start.(News)(Mazda Motor Corp.)
July 19, 2004... Byline: Mike Floyd When Mazda first announced the rotary engine would finally return to the United States as the powerplant for its new RX-8, there was much rejoicing throughout the land. Over the years the rotary has become an...

Fast Poll.(News)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... The America's Best survey can't cover every vehicle available on the market. There are many other cars in this country that are worth noting for their significance. I believe the Dodge Neon SRT-4 also deserves some recognition. Being made...

Never-Ending Story: Part 1 of 2; For the sixth time, Porsche launches a 911, and it is good.
July 19, 2004... Byline: MAC MORRISON "Whenever we introduce a new 911, there is a debate about whether we have gone too far, and half the people say we did not go far enough,'' says Peter Schwarzenbauer, suppressing a smile. A nearly imperceptible roll of...

Quite Sure About Unser.(Column)(Al Unser Jr.)(Column)
July 19, 2004... Byline: Dutch Mandel It was painful to watch a once-mighty warrior go through the motions, but that's what Al Unser Jr. did at Richmond International Raceway. Unser stroked his 700-horsepower office around the three-quarter-mile oval about...

Letters.
July 19, 2004... Warranty war Regarding your July 5 news story on automakers canceling warranties of cars driven hard or in competition, even in autocrosses: Don't forget that the warranty is included in the price of a new car. By voiding a warranty, the...

RELENTLESS EVOLUTION; 2005 WRX STi pushes past Mitsu's Evo MR for rally special supremacy.(News)(sports cars)
July 19, 2004... Byline: DINO DALLE CARBONARE Following the recent release of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8 MR (AW, Feb. 23), Subaru wasted little time in firing the next shot in the battle of the world's fastest evolving sports cars with the release...

2006 911 CARRERA CABRIOLET.(News)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... Here's what comes after our cover car: Once Porsche's sixth-generation 911 hits the market Aug. 28 (Cover Story, page 16), and Porsche completes the auto-show rounds with the new car at Paris in September, the company can concentrate on other...

September surprise.(News)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... Mazda is prepping its own entry for the Subie-Mitsu rally wars-a 276-hp, 265-lb-ft Mazda 6 scheduled for a mid-2005 world debut. Spotted during hot-weather tests in the California desert, this sizzling prototype gets a twin-turbocharged and...

Drivers Log.(News)
July 19, 2004... 2004 MazdaSpeed MX-5 Miata Date in fleet: June 9-23 As-tested price: $26,720 Powertrain: 1.8-liter turbocharged I4; rwd, six-speed manual Output: 178 hp @ 6000 rpm, 166 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm Curb weight: 2529 pounds MPG (EPA estimated/AW...

Circle this wagon.(News)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... Chrysler's folks in Auburn Hills, Michigan, tell us there is little chance a wagon version of the Chrysler 300C will come to the States, but with the runaway popularity of the 300C sedan Stateside, anything is possible. Our curiosity was...

Flash.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... M5 price check BMW isn't saying exactly what its M5 (AW, July 12) will set you back in U.S. dollars, but if we extrapolate from official European-market pricing of [euro]72,408 ([euro]86,200 minus the 16 percent German vehicle tax), we get...

Flash.(Competition)(Race Engineering and Future Engines)
July 19, 2004... No Maserati? Maserati's plans to take over the GT racing world have been set back by the FIA's refusal to grant homologation of the controversial new MC12 as an FIA GT race car (AW, Jan. 26). The Italian manufacturer is on schedule to...

TOYOTA GETS RALF.(Competition)(Toyota Auto Body Inc.)(Ralf Schumacher)
July 19, 2004... The Toyota Formula One team confirmed it has signed a three-year contract with Ralf Schumacher-and is rumored to agreeing to pay him $12 million a year. "It is with pleasure that we can announce Ralf as one of Toyota's race drivers for the...

From restorations to auctions.
July 19, 2004... Byline: LARRY EDSALL Rob Myers had a car long before he had a driver's license. Problem was the hand-me-down 1959 Edsel Corsair needed a lot of work. "All rotted out,'' is how Myers remembers the car his father bought used and wore out...

Television: July 23-25.(News)(Calendar)
July 19, 2004... Friday, July 23 Formula One practice from Hockenheim, Germany, 8 a.m., Speed (L) USAR Pro Cup from Radford, Va., 11:30 a.m., Speed NASCAR Busch Series qualifying from Loudon, N.H., 1:30 p.m., Speed (L) WRC Rally Magazine:...

Drivin' the Big 'Un.(Column)
July 19, 2004... Byline: Matt Davis Of course I'd seen the thing a few times before, sat in it, squished my toes around in its supreme floor coverings and done bad impressions of horse-faced royals while sitting in the back. There have been offers to drive...

ROLLS-PLAYING GAMES; Chauffeured in the 9.0-liter V16 Rolls-Royce 100EX.(News)
July 19, 2004... Byline: MATT DAVIS The one-off Rolls-Royce 100EX, a star at this year's Geneva show, cost the company roughly $4 million, so there was no way we would be allowed behind the wheel. The solution: several guided laps around the 2.4-mile...

Calling 911.(Escape Roads)(porsche car)
July 19, 2004... Byline: PATRICK C. PATERNIE Unlike Jake and Elwood, Duane Hyatt loves the fact that his police car does not have a "cop motor and a cop suspension.'' Hyatt, a devotee of early Porsche 911s, relishes his role as caretaker of a unique 1968...

AutoWeek's Fast Five: Karl-Heinz Kalbfell.(News)(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 19, 2004... Byline: MATT DAVIS Rolls-Royce recently changed its chairman and chief executive from Tony Gott to Karl-Heinz Kalbfell. We caught up with the new man at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. AW: What do you say to the fear that German...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
July 19, 2004... Press release that made us throw up Castroneves Becomes Honorary Smile Ambassador: Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves was recently named an Honorary Smile Ambassador for the Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation. As part of...

Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
July 19, 2004... Sept. 16-18 Grand Prix Gathering Moline, Ill. Visit gp-gathering.com or call (419) 663-7383 for details on this Pontiac Grand Prix show and race. Sept. 17-19 2004 Corvette Funfest Effingham, Ill. A Mid-America...

HILLCLIMBS AND CRUSTLESS SANDWICHES; In 12 years, the Earl of March has turned the Goodwood Festival of Speed into a motorsports Woodstock.(News)(Goodwood Circuit)
July 19, 2004... Byline: MATT DAVIS As opposed to the Goodwood Revival in September on the very fast 2.4-mile Goodwood Circuit, the Festival of Speed in late June is run up and down the Earl of March's 1.16-mile main driveway. Goodwood is all about...

Never-Ending Story: Part 2 of 2; For the sixth time, Porsche launches a 911, and it is good.(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 19, 2004... Byline: MAC MORRISON Blasting over the autobahn and twisty country roads near Hameln, Germany, those estimates seem accurate, even conservative. Compared with the familiar 3.6, the 3.8 redefines mid-range punch. You feel the extra torque,...

Fast Poll.(News)(Brief Article)
July 26, 2004... The 2005 STS is a bold step forward for Cadillac, but its level of development and ownership experience may keep it from rivaling the world leaders in performance luxury. The new STS is on par with the rest of the luxury-car icons. It...

HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE SLOWED; LAST YEAR'S DOMINATORS AND STRUGGLERS TRADE PLACES THIS YEAR.(Motorsports)
July 26, 2004... Byline: CURT CAVIN As the Indy Racing League reaches its season midpoint, the story isn't the contenders; it's the pretenders. Defending champion Scott Dixon is struggling to remain in the title hunt. So is two-time IRL series winner...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
July 26, 2004... ** Quote of the week II In a fancy, high-tech audiovisual presentation for journalists, a Michelin exec, wielding three remote control devices to orchestrate the event, stopped and said, "This is great. Three remotes and no wife around...

RIDING HIGH INTO THE SUNSET; Even as we wave goodbye, XC90 remains the subject of high-minded debate.(News)(Volvo XC90)
July 26, 2004... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER At long last, our belated year in our long-term Volvo XC90 came to an end in June, still provoking the same stern debate (sportwagon vs. sport/ute) that has been raging since we took delivery of our big,...

AW Spies.(News)(Advertisement)
July 26, 2004... Send us your spy shots. If we publish them, you'll get a yearlong subscription to AutoWeek (or a 12-month extension of your current subscription). Send to SpyPix@crain.com or by mail to: AutoWeek, 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, Michigan,...

LONG NIGHT; The IRL's Nashville show is survival of the fittest.(Motorsports)(Indy Racing League)
July 26, 2004... Byline: CURT CAVIN A one-groove racetrack can be treacherous, especially when the highest part of the line is littered with tire rubber scrubbed off by an abrasive concrete surface. Such were the conditions that 22 Indy Racing League...