AutoWeek articles from March 2002

AutoWeek archives from March 2002

'S'uper Beetle; Latest turbo Bug is a rerun worth watching.(Volkswagen)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... The 2002 New Beetle Turbo S threatens to jump the shark, but thankfully pulls back just short. Jumping the shark? That phrase describes a popular television show that's gone one episode past its prime, derived from an egregiously contrived...

Honda Civic Si/Ford SVT Focus.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... Honda Civic Si Two-door hatchback 160 hp @ 6500 rpm, 132 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm 2.0-liter inline four, five-speed manual Front-wheel drive EPA combined: 27.8 mpg (est.) Base price: $19,000 (est.) Ford SVT Focus ...

It's getting there; The Hyundai Elantra GT is really close, and for the price, maybe it has already arrived.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... Remember the Mitsubishi Mirage from, say, 10 years ago? It was a pretty good car for its time: Not a bad-looking little hatchback, it was flingable and fun to drive, if a little crude. At less than $9,000, it was cheap, too. Which...

More For Your Money.(Hyundai Tiburon GT)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... You get a lot in a Hyundai Tiburon GT: 3023 pounds worth. Yes, that's right, the Hyundai weighs about 500 pounds more than a Toyota Celica, 300 pounds more than an Acura RSX and 250 pounds more than a Ford SVT Focus. Granted, the Tiburon's...

Street Fighters; Ford SVT Focus vs. Honda Civic Si.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... They're like combatants in the seminal arcade game Street Fighter II. (Huh? Sorry, but if you don't get the analogy, you're out of the demographic.) Each one is unbeatable if you've got the skills to master its particular talents. But each one...

Life with Cars.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... Should a car serve its driver or should the driver serve the car? The answer is absurdly obvious, absolutely straightforward. Logic: check. Reasoning: inarguable. But what's this? A worrisome number of car companies-even those known for making...

Five-and-dime revival; Affordable performance returns to Nissan.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... Predictably, the first sentence of Nissan's press release on this car refers to the Datsun 510. Which makes one wonder: What does the target audience know of that cult car from 30 years ago? You need not be old enough to remember Datsun,...

Subaru Impreza WRX.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... In the fun department, our Subaru WRX continues to delight. There's not a person on staff who doesn't have a blast piloting the bright-blue, turbocharged all-wheel driver. ``It's a rocket,'' says one, ``really stable and a hoot to drive. The...

Becoming the 'Cadillac' of cars, again; Defining the right formula is key to the future for GM's luxury marque.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... Looking across the pantheon of Cadillac products, present and future, plans for General Motors' luxury division begin to make some sense for the first time in a long, long time. Gone is the ``power of &'' and the mishmash of mixed messages...

Maybach debuts at Geneva.(DaimlerChrysler)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... DaimlerChrysler's plan to revive the Maybach marque as an ultra-luxury brand above Mercedes-Benz is on track, with the sedan making its world premiere at the Geneva motor show. Arriving on the market this fall, the classic luxury marque returns...

Infiniti Q45.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... The second quarter of living with our long-term Q45 has reinforced several notions derived from the first few weeks the car was in our service. First, the Q45 is a great cruiser. With its luxurious interior and seating for five adults, the...

The News: March 4, 2002.(world's automakers)
March 4, 2002... It's not yet victory, but in the half a year since Sept. 11 it's clear that-at least as it relates to cars-the terrorists are losing. As the world's automakers prepare to convene in the land of international neutrality, we see no sign of a...

Tiburon GT seeks celebrity; Latest ``blockbuster" hopeful launches from Cannes.(Hyundai )
March 4, 2002... Hyundai launched its 2003 Tiburon in the south of France, in Cannes, site of the annual film festival. A Hyundai exec from Korea called the car "our new blockbuster" and a "show stopper," then politely added, "please excuse the puns, but we're...

2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID; Evolution, not revolution.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2002... When Honda introduced the Insight in 1999 there was no mistaking the car was something different. Its aerodynamic, bug-like appearance was wrapped around a lightweight two-seater containing a highly sophisticated powertrain coupling a gasoline...

1953 Ferrari Tipo 166MM ; The Racers' Racer.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2002... Some call it the most beautiful Ferrari to ever perform in a Hollywood film. The sleek lines of the 1953 Ferrari Tipo 166MM epitomize the notion of automotive beauty, especially when we see the red racer hurtling through the verdant...

Cavallino Classic XI ; Prancing Horses Populate Palm Beach.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2002... Pity the poor Ferrari owners. Sure, many of them live in parts of the country where they can drive their stallions year-round, but what of those unfortunates who live in colder climates? Shouldn't they have a place to exercise and display their...

Talk to Me; Q45 owners are hearing voices.(Infiniti Q45)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2002... Owners of Infiniti's Q45 may look like they're talking to themselves, but the truth is they're probably either changing the radio station or turning on the a/c. In one of 150 dialects-so the make claims-an owner can use voice-activated commands...

Oh lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?; (If He did, chances are it would be an E).
March 11, 2002... Few vehicles have such strong brand equity they actually define their makes. BMW has its 3 Series, Porsche its 911. For Mercedes, that car is the E-Class. Since the launch of the current E in 1995, Mercedes' midsizer has outsold every...

Offside Undo.(Speedvision )
March 11, 2002... Race team owner Chip Ganassi once said women use a television channel changer to watch TV and guys use it to watch what's between channels. That's not entirely true. When guys stumble onto something that whips us into a frenzy, like the nude...

Il barchetta del presidente.(Ferrari)
March 11, 2002... Ferrari's next barchetta may come in the form of a topless 360 Modena, based on a one-off special-edition car built as a wedding gift for Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. Spotted on the streets of Maranello, a silver prototype...

Streak of Yellow ; Sam Hornish Jr. is starting 2002 just as he did last year: winning.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2002... That yellow blur across the IRL's sky is Sam Hornish Jr. in the Pennzoil-sponsored Panther Racing car. For those keeping score, that's five wins for Hornish in the past 14 races. And for the second straight season, the championship is his to...

Leading the parade; Buyers' drive for exclusivity will power ultra-luxury class.
March 11, 2002... If you're tired of driving your sports car in the shadows of two-ton trucks and sport/utility vehicles, the future may not appear too sunny. As the average age of car buyers creeps ever upward, more and more of those aging boomers are moving...

72nd Salon International de L'Automobile.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... Best of Show Italdesign-Giugiaro Alfa Romeo Brera concept We saw this one and immediately our limbs went all wobbly. We thought it might be tough to outdo the gorgeousness coming out of the Alfa studios in recent years, but Italdesign...

The Car: 1939 Hotchkiss 686 Cabourg Berline ; Another American in Paris.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... Hotchkiss Drive: The term is found on the spec sheet of most American cars built before the 1980s. It comprises, as we all know, an open driveshaft propelling a live axle. But who was Hotchkiss, and why does this design bear his name? ...

Results.(car racing)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 18, 2002... Atlanta Motor Speedway 1.54-mile oval March 10 1. Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 325 laps at 148.443 mph avg. speed; 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 325; 3. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 325; 4. Matt Kenseth, Ford, 325; 5. Ricky Craven,...

Results.(car racing, Mexico)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... Monterrey, Mexico 2.1-mile road course March 10 1. Cristiano da Matta, Lola-Toyota, 85 laps at 90.372 mph avg. speed; 2. Dario Franchitti, Reynard-Honda, 85; 3. Christian Fittipaldi, Lola-Toyota, 85; 4. Michel Jourdain Jr.,...

Competition This Week March 18, 2002.(car racing)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... If there was a common thread throughout the weekend's racing, it was dominance. Peugeot's factory cars rocked the Corsica Rally, finishing 1-2-3; Tony Stewart had the strongest car in Atlanta, winning the NASCAR race; and once the first 32 laps...

Nonstop testing for BMW 6 Series.(plans to relaunch car model)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... Since last we reported on BMW's plans to resurrect the 6 Series (AW, Dec. 10, 2001), BMW has taken to the frozen roads of Scandinavia for tests to make certain the car's sophisticated braking and stability systems will work properly under...

Sunday Drive in the Park; Cristiano da Matta wins at Mexico in the first race of new CART era.
March 18, 2002... Mexico rocks, at least when it comes to auto races. As an event, the second-year Tecate-Telmex Grand Prix de Monterrey had the feel of something more established, with a crowd that appropriately blended knowledge and passion with a burning...

Leon Mandel 1928-2002.(Porsche enthusiast and automotive journalist)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
March 18, 2002... When Leon Mandel was a college student at Cornell University in the early 1950s, he received a modest inheritance. He spent it all on a new Porsche 356. ``Much later, when they were speaking with me again, my parents asked `Why?' and...

Car Board.(Porsche Boxster S, Land Rover Freelander, Mercedes-Benz S500)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... We can't promise anything, but if you don't want to pay attention to what's in front of you while you drive, these cars might help. Or not. Just ask Ralf. * Porsche BOXSTER S Price: $57,825 Engine: 3.2-liter H6, 250 hp, 225 lb-ft...

Without a Hitch ; Tony Stewart wins his first-ever 500-mile NASCAR race.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... That sigh of relief coming from Daytona Beach around dusk on Sunday was the sound of silence. For the first time this year, a NASCAR race had gone off without a hitch. No red flag/yellow flag uncertainty like Daytona Beach and Rockingham....

Late Racing News.(car racing)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... Dare replaces Beechler * Airton Dare has become the benefactor of the concussion Donnie Beechler suffered in practice for the season-opening IRL race in Homestead. With Beechler held out of A.J. Foyt's car by the IRL's medical staff, Dare...

Competition.(car racing news)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... Panizzi takes Corsica Rally * Frenchman Gilles Panizzi, Peugeot's tarmac specialist, won the Corsica Rally. Panizzi dominated from start to finish in the dry and in the wet. Panizzi led home Marcus Gronholm and Richard Burns, both in...

...But Wait, There's More.(automotive related news briefs)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... Office Politics So you thought Jerry Brown was in left field... Jim Dimov is running for California governor. BWTM usually steers clear of politics, but how could we? We quote: ``I, Jim Dimov, am the only qualified candidate for...

It's a Duesey; Rebirth of storied marque set for 2003.(Duesenberg Motors' plans to launch new Duesenberg)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... Sixty-five years have passed since the last Duesenberg was built, but it may be only months before the next one arrives. Plans to build a Duesenberg for the 21st century-appropriately codenamed ``21''-are well under way, with a review of...

Not for U.S. Sale; MG TF.(MG Rover Group Ltd., convertible)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... Can the British build a better British roadster than the Mazda Miata? Well, no. More cheaply? Yes. Evidence: the MG TF convertible, the revised version of the car introduced at Geneva in 1995 as the MGF. The new car's name is MG TF,...

Rolling over on rollovers; Congressional demands, not real-world need, spur latest crash-test standard.(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, dynamic test standard)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... In February, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted an updated list of its rollover ratings for current model cars and trucks on its website (www.nhtsa.dot.gov)-an event that last year generated an enormous spike in the...

French Reconnection; Forget Moulin Rouge, car lovers flock to another racy show in Paris.(Retromobile)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... Paris is once again a haven for a ``lost generation'' of Americans. This time it is not the literati, but auto enthusiasts abandoned for more than a decade by French automakers. Few mourn the passing of vehicles like the dowdy Peugeot 504 or...

Old Home Day; The Motor City's hot rodders celebrate Autorama's 50th anniversary.(Detroit, Michigan)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... In Southern California, you'll find people who believe the hot rod was invented there. Of course, these same people are likely to believe that unless it's a hi boy on deuce rails, black, with '39 taillights and a three-piece hood, it's not a...

It's Not Always What You See.(72nd Salon International de L'Automobile, Mercedes-Benz Maybach, Porsche's Cayenne)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... While international automobile shows are usually noted for the cars put on display for the public to see, the 72nd Salon International de L'Automobile may be remembered for two cars we didn't see. Or rather, that we only had a glimpse at. ...

72nd Salon International de L'Automobile.
March 18, 2002... Ford Fusion The Fiesta was Ford's big news in small cars at Frankfurt last fall, so the Fusion mini-SUV prototype (or ``niche-busting'' UAV-Urban Activity Vehicle) based on the new Fiesta platform kind of sat there in the shadows. Now,...

Fast Poll.(survey on Hondas)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2002... Pocket rocket stalwarts divide drivers in the tale of two street fighters. In a sea of cookie-cutter Hondas, make mine an SVT Focus. Vince Sutter, Fort Wayne, Ind. If you consider the three Rs-refinement, reliability and...

Like a bat out of Bologna.(Lamborghini Murcielago)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2002... Despite a sustained wind that Lamborghini officials say hurt its times, the Italian sports car builder's Murcielago set three international speed records for production cars at the 12.9-kilometer Nardo high-speed test track in Italy Feb. 16....

The Car: 1917 Cole Eight Model 862 Toursedan ; Almost part of General Motors.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2002... Before World War I, when Indianapolis was a major automotive manufacturing center, Joseph J. Cole's automobile was one of its prominent products. Though Cole didn't last to become as well known as its Duesenberg, Marmon and Stutz neighbors, the...

Post-Cold War Cobras; Former MiG builders in Poland crank out Cobras even Shelby can love.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2002... When we last visited Utah's Mormon-raised, Cobra-crazed Kirkham brothers, David and Thomas, they were beavering away in a former Eastern bloc defense factory in Poland, trying to build aeronautically engineered 427 Shelby Cobra replicas with...

Car Board.(Holland Range Rover, Honda S2000, BMW M3 Convertible)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2002... Truly important cars are rare, and while they may have staying power, they can't stick around forever. We make them immortal in our memories- it's all about leaving a legacy. * Honda S2000 Price: $32,740 Engine: 2.0-liter I4, 240...

It's Buick's Century; 100th anniversary kicks off a year early.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2002... Scottish immigrant David Dunbar Buick left a promising career as a plumbing inventor (he got porcelain to stick to iron, thank him every time you take a bath) and started making his own gasoline engines in Detroit at the very tail end of the...

Fox Trot; Ford's SVT teaches Mustang Cobra to dance on its aged platform.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2002... Its Eagle F1s prance across the tarmac, spinning and spitting in a muscular pas de deux of rubber and road. Call it choreography at 390 horsepower. Call it a blast. Given the assuredness with which the 2003 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra moves...