AutoWeek articles from July 2006

AutoWeek archives from July 2006

BROTHER ROAD: Part 2 of 2; Booming along the great American interstate highway network.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON Travel averaging at least a mile a minute became a national expectation as well. I was in elementary school when my folks moved to the suburbs. That was before the interstates got there, but by the time I was in...

Corrections.(Correction)
July 3, 2006... Our June 26 story on the Mazda MX-5 folding hardtop roadster should have said Ford owns a controlling interest in Mazda. The Plymouth Fury featured in our June 26 Market should have been identified as a 1962 model. CAPTION(S): ...

BROTHER ROAD: Part 1 of 2; Booming along the great American interstate highway network.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON There were no parades or festivities June 29, 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 launching the greatest public works project in history: construction of the National...

Seeing a Reason to Support a Car Show.(Column)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Dutch Mandel If I couldn't see, I don't think I could write these words. It would be difficult to read them, too. If I couldn't see the things that give me the greatest joy-my family, my friends, my cars, my life-I just don't...

ROAD CLOSED; ABANDONED SECTION OF PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE MAY GET A CHANCE AT ANOTEHR LIFE.(Revs)
July 3, 2006... Byline: BOB TOMAINE A half-century of interstate highways has made the excitement of the Pennsylvania Turnpike's opening hard to imagine. Exploring an unused stretch on the now-abandoned highway, however, reveals what all the fuss was...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
July 3, 2006... Rev It Up returns! Rev It Up, the traveling driving school/competition, is back and now features Chevys, including the Corvette and Cobalt SS. For only $50, you'll receive professional instruction and the chance to compete on a timed...

Drivers Log.(News)
July 3, 2006... 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450 Date in fleet: June 7-21 As-tested price: $68,075 Powertrain: 4.6-liter V8; 4wd, seven-speed automatic Output: 335 hp @ 6000 rpm, 339 lb-ft @ 2700-5000 rpm Curb weight: 5249 lbs Fuel Economy (EPA combined/AW...

ONE FAST Feline; Jaguar's XKR.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: NATALIE NEFF If the 300-horse Jaguar XK isn't compelling enough to make a cat person out of you, Coventry is set to pounce on the market with its 2007 XKR. The supercharged 4.2-liter V8 under the XKR's hood features twin air...

Letters.
July 3, 2006... Avoid the CAD In reference to Ferrari's 599 GTB Fiorano ("The Beast Within,'' May 22): Ferrari and Pininfarina are passing through one of the less-fertile periods in their long, illustrious partnership. I blame this in large part on the...

Overlake Route; Crossing Lake Michigan on the S.S. Badger.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: ROGER HART Taking the long way home is not our first choice when it comes to road trips. We want to get there as quickly as possible, and have long thought that stopping to smell the roses is not only a waste of time but an...

HOSPITALITY'S SWEET; A silver bullet joins the long-term fleet.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: DUTCH MANDEL Baby boomers are a funny, consumptive lot. We strive to do better than our parents: We want to make more money, give more to our kids, build bigger houses and spend more on the stuff that floats our boat. The stuff...

BULL STEAM AHEAD; With a more powerful V12, the latest Murcielago is more of a thrill than ever.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
July 3, 2006... Byline: ADAM TOWLER The courtyard lies at the top of a gentle slope. As we approach, the evening sun sweeps across the Tuscan hillside and lights up its archway. Inside sits a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 looking menacing in military...

Seduced By EOS; Greek odyssey with VW's goddess of a convertible makes us lust for more.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
July 3, 2006... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER "Let's see: `?-a-?-e-?-?- ?-?'-nope, that doesn't match the map. We're looking for a town with a `S' and a `p' in the name.'' Yep, as far as we can tell from comparing the indecipherable Greek road signs with...

WEB WATCH: AUTOWEEK.COM.(autoweek.com)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Slabs and Slabs of Sheetmetal Automakers have been busy lately with new product announcements, and we're all over it, with photo galleries and more info on the Land Rover LR2, Chrysler Sebring, Mercedes-Benz CL-Class and Jaguar XKR....

FLASH.(Briefs)(Michelin not to pitch for F1 tire deal in 2008)(John Fernandez joins as director of Ganassi Motorsports)(Petter Solberg signed a new multimillion-dollar deal with Subaru)
July 3, 2006... End of the USGP? Bernie Ecclestone says he has no intention of offering less costly terms to Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George as they negotiate renewing a deal for the USGP. Ecclestone told the United Kingdom's The Times...

NISSAN LOOKS INWARD; Brit design house helps shape Japanese maker's interiors.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: DINO DALLE CARBONARE Nissan has enjoyed its share of kudos for handsome and crisp exterior styling, but the Japanese automaker knows its interiors haven't kept pace. The company plans to change all that by teaming with London-based...

NO FREELOADERS! With LR2 squirt ute, Land Rover reforms its redheaded stepchild.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: DANIEL PUND The distinction of being Europe's best-selling sport/utility vehicle is something like being recognized as Austria's best baseball team or France's finest rock band. That was the Land Rover Freelander. People loved it...

NAME GAME; VW keeps us guessing on little ute moniker.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: GREG KABLE Based on clues provided by Volkswagen-the outrageous Concept T dune buggy shown at the 2004 Detroit show, and the recent Concept A revealed at Geneva in March-we've put together this illustration of what we can expect...

COUPE CLASSIC; 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL revealed.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: GREG KABLE As you're reading this, Mercedes-Benz's sleek S-Class-based 2007 CL coupe is going on public display at the German automaker's new museum in Stuttgart. The luxuriously equipped two-door is completely overhauled for...

FLASH.(Briefs)
July 3, 2006... Dollar signs, Part I Nissan's entry-level Versa hatchback, on sale now nationwide, checks in at $13,055 (including $605 freight) for a base model equipped with a 1.8-liter, 122-hp I4 and a six-speed manual transmission. The most expensive...

A Truck We Can Live With; Ridgeline cruises through everyday chores.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
July 3, 2006... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Here at AutoWeek, we like to think we're not typical truck people. Sure, plenty of us haul stuff, tow stuff and generally need utility from our vehicles from time to time. But we usually hope a performance hatchback...

TWO IN A ROW; Allmendinger is on a roll, taking the Cleveland Grand Prix.(Motorsports)
July 3, 2006... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH Drivers need perhaps 10 seconds to enter Turn One, navigate Turn Two and enter Turn Three at the Burke Lakefront Airport track, but it will take a bit longer to explain all that occurred during those 10 seconds on...

WINE COUNTRY WHOOP-DE-DOS; Road-course warriors lead the way at crash-strewn Sonoma.(Motorsports)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Mark Vaughn When a driver lifts off the gas going into a turn on an oval track, the car, technically, gets "light.'' Just a little. The weight transfers to the front, and the rear end becomes less stable. If that happens on an oval...

PERFECT WEEKEND; Renault's Alonso continues his winning ways.(Motorsports)
July 3, 2006... Byline: NIGEL ROEBUCK Fernando Alonso may have gotten his fourth consecutive victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, but he says it's a win that didn't come easily. "I never felt confident at any stage,'' Alonso said. "It wasn't my...

MR. IRL WINS AGAIN; Sam Hornish Jr. tops the field at Richmond.(Motorsports)(Indy Racing League)
July 3, 2006... Byline: CURT CAVIN Victories are starting to pile up for Sam Hornish Jr., already the winningest driver in Indy Racing League history. Maybe soon another championship will be in his hands, too. Hornish won the SunTrust Indy Challenge...

Driving David D.'s Original Design.(Escape Roads)
July 3, 2006... Byline: JOHN F. KATZ Fabled as the inventor of the porcelain bathtub, David Dunbar Buick abandoned plumbing in 1899 to build stationary and marine engines. His associates Walter Marr and Eugene Richard developed the first overhead-valve...

OPEN-WHEEL SERIES CLOSER TO MERGER?(Competition)(Tony George and Kevin Kalkhoven to share ownership of open-wheel racing)(Gateway International Raceway in Madison)(Graham Rahal won at the Car Atlantic Championship races )
July 3, 2006... Indy Racing League boss Tony George and Champ Car chief Kevin Kalkhoven have agreed to share ownership of open-wheel racing, provided they can find a respected third party to resolve differences that arise. Such a compromise is the surest...

Market.(Escape Roads)
July 3, 2006... Byline: KEITH MARTIN Carlisle Auctions Carlisle, Pa. April 21 1966 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova two-door hardtop 327-cid, four-barrel V8; four-speed. Light yellow with black vinyl interior. Thick respray, but evenly thick....

TV: July 7-9.(News)(Calendar)
July 3, 2006... Friday, July 7 NASCAR Beyond the Wheel, 7:30 a.m., Speed American Chopper, 9 a.m., Discovery Barrett-Jackson 2006: The Auctions, 9 a.m., Speed American Chopper, 10 a.m., Discovery USAR Pro Cup from North East, Pa., noon,...

Events.(Calendar)
July 3, 2006... Aug. 26 Classic Car Show & Shine Winterset, Iowa Door prizes and more. Call (515) 468-1216 for details. Aug. 26 Ponderosa Benefit Car Show Bay City, Mich. Proceeds to benefit Multiple Sclerosis Society. Call...

Letters.
July 10, 2006... From Le Mans to our driveway Congratulations to Audi and its racing team for their uneventful yet spectacular history-making win of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It would seem with the new diesel fuel improvements and the rising price of...

TV: July 14-16.(News)
July 10, 2006... Friday, July 14 NASCAR Beyond the Wheel, 7:30 a.m., Speed American Chopper, 8 a.m., Discovery Formula One practice from France, 8 a.m., Speed (L) Barrett-Jackson 2006: The Auctions, 9 a.m., Speed USAR Pro Cup from Hickory,...

WEB WATCH: AUTOWEEK.COM.(News)
July 10, 2006... Of Orphans and Hillclimbs The annual Orphan Car Show is a celebration of marques that have bitten the dust or left the U.S. market. Check out photos of cars gone by. And take a white-knuckle ride up Pikes Peak through our online photo tour...

BOXY IS BACK; Jeep's latest issue commands respect.(Auto File)
July 10, 2006... We've had sort of a Jeep thing going on at Pomona Raceway of late. The most recent DoubleTake featured the mighty Grand Cherokee SRT8 going up against the Land Rover Range Rover Sport, the Jeep's winning performance elevating the class for...

SVT'S RENEWED FOCUS; Ford performance arm could be called `segment vehicle team'.(News)
July 10, 2006... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Ford's Special Vehicle Team, rumored to be on the ropes as recently as 90 days ago ("Is SVT RIP?'' March 27), is showing some signs of life. During a recent Ford product preview SVT chief Hau Thai-Tang assured...

Secret Project Becomes Legend.(Escape Roads)
July 10, 2006... Byline: BROOKS BRIERLEY Few prototypes have had so obvious an influence on automotive styling as John DeLorean's 1964 proposal of an eye-catching Pontiac roadster. The concept foretells both Pontiac Firebird and Chevrolet Corvette styling....

AMERICA'S ROADSTER; What comes after '32 roadster? Speed33, of course.(News)
July 10, 2006... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Mark Trostle revels in his hot-rodder roots, dating back at least as long as the 27 years he has owned a 1932 Ford roadster. But like every hot rodder who has ever taken the truth serum, Trostle admits his own...

MODEL MASTERPIECES.(Revs)(Auto, Plane & Boat model masterpieces exhibition)(Brief article)
July 10, 2006... Byline: BRANDON DYE The art of model making takes center stage at the Built to Scale: Auto, Plane & Boat Model Masterpieces exhibition at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center in Stamford, Connecticut, this summer. What makes this...

If Only Logic Prevailed.(Column)(trucks and sports utility vehicle gaining popularity)
July 10, 2006... Byline: Rich Ceppos The cards, letters and e-mails came rushing in just moments after my last column, "Get a Life, Get a Truck'' (June 12), landed in readers' mailboxes. Thank you one and all for writing-even those of you who called me an...

A Grand Memory; Grand Prix is back, this time on DVD.(Revs)
July 10, 2006... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Grand Prix would be a great movie even if it came out today. But if it did come out today, you might assume most of the difficult racing shots had been done with special effects somewhere in the giant brain of a...

SCENES FROM AN ORPHANAGE; If Oliver Twist needed a car, he could select from these.(News)
July 10, 2006... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON Rounding out a decade of celebrating cars built by defunct marques such as Studebaker, Hudson, Packard, Rambler, Kaiser and Franklin, the 10th annual Orphan Car Show on June 4 turned its spotlight on...

Flash.(Briefs)
July 10, 2006... Science fiction? That's what one analyst called Las Vegas billionaire Kirk Kerkorian's proposed alliance between General Motors and Renault-Nissan. Kerkorian holds 9.9 percent of GM's stock, making him the largest shareholder. His proposal...

ROVING 'ROUND THE WORLD.(News)
July 10, 2006... Byline: NATALIE NEFF OUR LAND Rover LR3 didn't break the record for most miles for a long-term vehicle-that still belongs to the Chevrolet TrailBlazer (35,777)-but it came close. After 12 months in the fleet, we tallied just less than...

PLACE YOUR BETS; Chrysler takes huge chance with next-gen Sebring.(News)
July 10, 2006... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER If Chrysler was a player in the World Series of Poker, it would be tough to bet against it. After taking a huge chance with the 300C/Dodge Magnum/Dodge Charger on whether the American public would embrace a return to...

Market.(Escape Roads)
July 10, 2006... Byline: KEITH MARTIN Bonhams Monte Carlo, Monaco May 20 1959 Fiat 500 Jolly beach car 479-cc two-cylinder; four-speed. Pink with natural wicker interior. Said to be a genuine beach car rather than a fake chop job. Last...

CALIBER CRUISE; Dodge's new budget wheels eat up the miles.(News)
July 10, 2006... Byline: MIKE FLOYD The drive from Detroit to Indianapolis on I-94 and I-69 is without question one of the most mind-numbingly boring stretches of highway in the United States-it's like being forced to watch C-SPAN for five consecutive...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
July 10, 2006... Give yourself some credit, Roger: It ain't F1 "Of course with my engineering degree from the Naval Academy, I understand the car perfectly... just kidding.'' -Nextel Cup team owner Roger Staubach, who earned a B.S. in general...

BEATING THEM ALL; Michael Schumacher and Ferrari dominate at Indy-and this time everyone starts.
July 10, 2006... Byline: NIGEL ROEBUCK "There's no specific reason why we're always quick here,'' said Michael Schumacher after winning the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis for the fifth time in seven years. "It's just a coincidence, really, but a...

Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
July 10, 2006... Aug. 26 Keeneland Concours d'Elegance Lexington, Ky. On the historic grounds of Keeneland Racecourse, in the heart of Bluegrass country. For more info call (859) 422-3329 or visit keenelandconcours.com. Sept. 3-4 Warm...

BIRTHDAY BOY; Despite dominance on the lap chart, it's no cakewalk for Hornish.(Motorsports)(Sam Hornish Jr. of Penske wins )
July 10, 2006... Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO What was supposed to be a wide-open Indy Racing League season has turned into a two-team duel, and after the Kansas Lottery Indy 300 it is threatening to become a one-team romp. Team Penske's Sam Hornish Jr....

OH SO CLOSE; Tony Stewart won the race but the weekend belonged to Boris Said.(Motorsports)
July 10, 2006... Byline: AL PEARCE The race was Tony Stewart's. Big deal, huh? Been there, done that. Twenty-five other times in fact, most recently last April in Martinsville. The Pepsi 400 in Daytona Beach certainly wasn't routine, but neither was it one...

ELECTRICITY Was in the Air; Records fall at Pikes Peak, but not the big one.(Motorsports)(motorcycle race affected by bad weather)
July 10, 2006... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Yes, electricity was in the air at Pikes Peak. It was also in the hair. "Dude, check out your hair,'' said a colleague as we stood on the 14,115-foot summit of Colorado's 31st-highest peak, lightning striking...

ONE MORE TIME; Audi's R8 scores its 48th-and last-overall ALMS win.(Competition)
July 10, 2006... It's no surprise, is it? Audi's R8 went out a winner: Allan McNish passed Porsche driver Romain Dumas with 30 minutes left to give himself and teammate Rinaldo Capello the win at the American Le Mans Series' New England Grand Prix at Lime Rock...

Flash.(Briefs)
July 10, 2006... Zetsche denies Dodge NASCAR withdrawal At Daytona DaimlerChrysler chairman Dieter Zetsche denied rumors Dodge is pulling out of NASCAR. Zetsche said he is happy with DCX's NASCAR program. "I don't know who is creating those rumors,'' he...

Spoiled Kids Aren't Cool.(Column)
July 10, 2006... Byline: Cory Farley My kids got a break on a trip last weekend: The air conditioner broke. California, the land of eternal spring, can be downright Houstonian this time of year. I recall seeing 98 degrees on a thermometer lit by the...

SMART MOVE; DaimlerChrysler to bring cute minicar stateside in '08.(News)
July 10, 2006... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER The last word we heard out of Stuttgart on plans to bring the Smart brand to the United States ("Stuttgart Scuttlebutt,'' Dec. 5, 2005) seemed both plausible and far-fetched. At that time our sources were saying...

Getting to know Michael Schumacher.(Motorsports)
July 10, 2006... Byline: MAC MORRISON Three days before he became the first driver to win five events at IMS, Michael Schumacher sat down for a rare interview session, addressing anything and everything thrown at him. The highlights: Should F1 take a...

Drivers Log.(News)
July 10, 2006... 2006 BMW Z4 M coupe Date in fleet: May 19-June 2 As-tested price: $54,470 Powertrain: 3.2-liter I6; rwd, six-speed manual Output: 330 hp @ 7900 rpm, 262 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm Curb weight: 3230 lbs Fuel economy (EPA combined/AW observed):...

WEB WATCH: AUTOWEEK.COM.(snaps of these rare models online)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Sporting Loti, Acadia Emergence When a Lotus Elise just isn't enough, hard-core track jocks can opt for the Lotus Sport-tuned Sport Elise. There's also the Lotus Exige Cup, but it's sold out. We've got more snaps of these rare models...

SLOW GROWIN'; The Indy Pro Series features more of everything.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: CURT CAVIN The first-half story of the Indy Pro Series is short and sweet: more cars, more competition and more spark. The Indy Racing League's development division has increased its car count from last season by 3.1 through...

NOSTALGIA RETURNS; Several books remember what it was like back in the day.(Revs)
July 17, 2006... 1. Grand Prix! Rare Images of the First 100 Years by Quentin Spurring, hardbound, 240 pages, David Bull Publishing, $49.95 bullpublishing.com Spurring, a motorsports contributor to AutoWeek, writes captions for the 241 fascinating...

LOEB'S TO LOSE; Citroen driver holds a big lead.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: ANTHONY PEACOCK The World Rally Championship this year is literally a season of two halves. For the first time in the sport's history there is a two-month summer break-and this coincides with the final test session for championship...

ALFA ROMEO'S U.S. PROSPECTS.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: GREG KABLE Alfa Romeo's reentry into the U.S. market will start with a three-car push: 159, Brera and Spider. The lineup will remain unchanged until early in the next decade when, according to sources at parent company Fiat, Alfa...

SLR, and then some.(News)
July 17, 2006... Mercedes is moving forward with plans for a more powerful McLaren SLR coupe ("Lighter, Stronger, Faster,'' May 8). No less than McLaren boss Ron Dennis and DaimlerChrysler chief Dieter Zetsche were scheduled to show the SLR 722 Edition to 50...

Secret Porsche revealed!(Competition)
July 17, 2006... Look out, Chevrolet and Aston Martin: AutoWeek's Stuttgart sources say Porsche is plotting a return to the GT1 sports car ranks with a new mid-engined race car. Those sources also claim the company plans to build a limited number of road-going...

RIGHT CROSSOVER; GMC punches into growing segment with Acadia.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER A few years back, when customers were clamoring for every Lexus RX 300 and Acura MDX the Japanese companies could produce, General Motors answered with its own crossovers. Today GM execs acknowledge that early...

Tell Me Another One.(Column)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson Who ordered a double dose of irony? Just before the Fourth of July two big headlines hit Detroit. First, investor/speculator Kirk Kerkorian touted attempts to get General Motors and Renault/Nissan to discuss an...

Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
July 17, 2006... Sept. 10 Third Annual Roller Run Mansfield, Ind. All vehicles are welcome to compete for cash prizes. Call (765) 344-1889 or visit rollerrun.com. Sept. 10 VFW Classic Car Show Franklin Lakes, N.J. A classic car...

CULTURE SHOCK! Juan Pablo Montoya turns his back on Formula One for NASCAR.(Motorsports)
July 17, 2006... Byline: CURT CAVIN Oh, to have heard Juan Pablo Montoya tell McLaren-Mercedes Formula One boss Ron Dennis he was leaving F1 to drive a stock car for Chip Ganassi. "It was a one-minute conversation,'' Montoya said of the phone call he...

RACE REPORT.(Motorsports)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Curt Cavin Matt Kenseth had the wrong driver on his rear bumper late in the USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. You remember Jeff Gordon, the Nextel Cup driver Kenseth bumped out of third place at Bristol Motor Speedway...

Flash.(Formula One's third qualifying session will now last 15 minutes.)(Team Penske recovering from June 28 flooding at its Reading, Pennsylvania, headquarters.)(Carlin Motorsport has fired American driver Colin Fleming.)
July 17, 2006... F1 qualifying modified Formula One's third qualifying session, previously 20 minutes long, will now last 15 minutes. Why? The 10 drivers who survive the first two 15-minute knockout sessions must go out on track for the final pole-position...

FOR FUTURE U.S. SALE; First drive: Spider leads Alfa Romeo's charge into the U.S. market.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: GREG KABLE It's safe to say when Alfa Romeo returns to the North American market in 2009, much of the attention will be focused on one car-the new Spider. No other model in the Italian carmaker's 94-year history has made such an...

ONWARD AND UPWARD; NASCAR likes what it sees in its top series this year, and in to the future.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: AL PEARCE How good is NASCAR RIGHT now? According to CEO Brian Z. France, things are going so well that he and his people are looking ahead, working on problems they might face eight to 10 years out. In the meantime Nextel Cup...

A NEW LIFE; A.J. Allmendinger emerges at Forsythe Racing.(Motorsports)
July 17, 2006... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH Four races into the Champ Car World Series season RuSport team owner Carl Russo fired driver A.J. Allmendinger and hired former champion Cristiano da Matta. Russo figured da Matta would be a more effective counter...

TELEVISION: July 21-23.(calendar)(Calendar)
July 17, 2006... Friday, July 21 NASCAR Beyond the Wheel, 7:30 a.m., Speed Barrett-Jackson 2006: The Auctions, 9 a.m., Speed Barrett-Jackson 2006: The Auctions, 10 a.m., Speed USAR Pro Cup from Radford, Va., noon, Speed NASCAR Beyond the...

COMPETITION RULES; Grand-Am Championships up for grabs.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH The Grand American Road Racing Association starts early-the Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona was in January-and consequently is well past halfway in the season. The Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona on June 28 was the 11th...

BRING ON THE DIESEL; Audi's R8 hands ALMS reins to the R10.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH With four separate classes, the overall car count in the American Le Mans Series has been healthy enough, but competition has been spotty in the top class thanks largely to the legendary domination of the Audi R8....

Hero Worship.(Column)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Richard S. Chang Yamaha recently signed Valentino Rossi to another one-year contract. All I can say is, "Phew!'' When I first heard Ferrari was testing the MotoGP champ for a possible seat in Formula One, I was ecstatic. We...

Flash.(Briefs)
July 17, 2006... High-end Hyundais? Azera, Hyundai's first $30,000-plus car, may not represent the top of the Korean automaker's lineup for long. Published reports quote Hyundai product-development man John Krafcik saying the company will decide within six...

Drivers Log.(News)
July 17, 2006... 2006 Volkswagen Phaeton W12 Date in fleet: June 5-19 As-tested price: $103,245 Powertrain: 6.0-liter W12; awd, five-speed automatic Output: 444 hp @ 6000 rpm, 406 lb-ft @ 3250-4250 rpm Curb weight: 5399 lbs Fuel economy (EPA combined/AW...

SHARPENING THE KNIVES; What to turn to when a regular Lotus isn't enough.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Andrew Luu Three-time Le Mans 24 Hour winner Johnny O'Connell once described Road Atlanta's downhill Turn 12 as a corner "where you have to suck it up and use your courage.'' As we approached the daunting curve flat-out in fourth...

THE UNITED STATES OF ALFA; Uncork the Chianti! Italian maker Alfa Romeo returning to the U.S. in 2009.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: GREG KABLE Alfa Romeo has confirmed it is preparing a high-stakes return to the North American market after more than a decade's absence. A trio of contemporary new models will lead the charge. Although not officially due to go...

Rev It Up.(Escape Roads)
July 17, 2006... Byline: ERIC TEGLER "The higher the rpm, the better it goes,'' Manny Barreiros says of his 1967 NSU Wankel Spider, the first rotary-powered production car. Ironically perhaps, the rev-happy character of the Wankel would lead to the...

Market.(Escape Roads)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Byline: KEITH MARTIN Bonhams Monte Carlo, Monaco May 20 1967 De Tomaso Mangusta coupe 289-cid Ford V8, five-speed. Blue metallic, with silver script and black leather interior. One of approximately 400 built between 1967...