AutoWeek articles from March 2008

AutoWeek archives from March 2008

Mini reveals next-gen John Cooper Works.(News)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: GREG KABLE Mini crowns its lineup with a second-generation version of the John Cooper Works, including a Works-massaged version of the all-new Clubman, at the Geneva show. The new go-fast Minis head to the United States in...

Looking forward to open-wheel racing.(News)(Bruno Junqueira)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Driver Bruno Junqueira of A1 Team Brazil looks as though he's ready to negotiate the A1 GP World Cup of Motorsport grid at Durban, South Africa, last week. The 2008 open-wheel and road-race season is nearly here, and we have all the inside...

TWO-WHEEL LOWDOWN.(Revs)(Ural America Inc.)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: GEORGE P. BLUMBERG 2008 URAL GEAR-UP Ural's three-wheel SUV. 749-cc, 40-hp, air-cooled, horizontally opposed twin; 739-lb dry weight; 62-mph top speed. COMPETITIVE SET: In a class of its own, with on-demand,...

TV: March 7-9.(Competition)(Calendar)
March 3, 2008... Friday, March 7 NASCAR Nationwide practice from Hampton, Ga., 10 a.m., Speed (L) NASCAR Craftsman Truck final practice from Hampton, Ga., 11 a.m., Speed (L) NASCAR Nationwide practice from Hampton, Ga., 1 p.m., Speed (L) ...

KTM to show production X-Bow.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: JONATHAN WONG A year after the well-received concept debut at Geneva, KTM will reveal its wild X-Bow in production form at this year's show. The first 100 production cars feature full carbon-fiber body panels, limited-slip...

Drivers Log.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
March 3, 2008... JEWETT: The diesel engine is a great addition to the Grand Cherokee. It starts right up with no smoke, idles quietly enough that you don't have to shut it down in order to place your burger order at the drive-through and squirts away from a...

ALFA ROMEO'S U.S.-BOUND 8C SPIDER BOWS AT GENEVA.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: JONATHAN WONG Alfa Romeo will unveil the second act of its long-awaited return to the United States when it shows the 8C Spider at the Geneva motor show. Based on the 8C Competizione coupe due in the United States this summer,...

THE NEW KID; SpeedSource's Mazdas look to dethrone Porsche in grand-am.(Fan Guide)
March 3, 2008... Byline: TRAVIS BRAUN Grand-Am's Daytona Prototype category is the series' premier class, but the Grand Touring division might be more relevant to the "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday'' crowd. When Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Pontiac, BMW,...

RING THE BELL; Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton prepare to square off in round two.(Fan Guide)
March 3, 2008... Byline: NIGEL ROEBUCK As the first race of the season beckons, most Formula One insiders anticipate a resumption of the Ferrari-McLaren battle that dominated the sport in 2007. Winter testing thus far has suggested that Ferrari's F2008 and...

F1 TALKING POINTS.(Fan Guide)(briefs)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Nigel Roebuck STANDARD ECU The FIA has introduced a standard engine ECU this season, which means the welcome end of certain "driver aids,'' notably traction control, launch control and electronic engine braking. The belief is...

GRAND-AM TALKING POINTS.(Fan Guide)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Travis Braun DALLARA DEBUT New and redesigned Daytona Prototypes were allowed this year for the first time, but many didn't debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona because of time constraints. Those cars included the new Dallara...

SPEED WORLD CHALLENGE.(Fan Guide)
March 3, 2008... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH With 43 drivers earning points in the 2007 Sports Car Club of America Speed World Challenge Touring Car class and 55 in the GT class, interest in the series was strong. Going into 2008, it appears to be no...

EXTRA.(Briefs)(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... production Verve = Fiesta Ford will debut the production version of its new global small car at Geneva, with Fiesta serving as the worldwide nameplate. The Fiesta brings to production styling ideas from the Verve concept-car series seen at...

GENEVA GT; Maserati reveals the GranTurismo S.
March 3, 2008... Byline: MICHAEL TAYLOR A bigger engine, stronger brakes and a return to a transaxle gearbox will be the highlights when Maserati's faster, more powerful GranTurismo S debuts at the Geneva motor show. It will be the first Maserati to...

EVERYDAY Hero; With the M3 sedan, BMW gives us a new twist on a favorite.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: GREG KABLE The fourth-generation BMW M3 coupe is a terrific car-a supercar-challenging two-door that packs one of the world's most electrifying production engines and a wonderfully responsive rear-wheel-drive chassis. From...

12-YEAR ITCH; The IndyCar/Champ Car war is over.(Fan Guide)(Indy Racing League)(Champ Car World Series)
March 3, 2008... Byline: CURT CAVIN Finally, finally, finally. Yes, the owners of the long-warring Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series agreed to make a single entity out of Indy-car racing for the first time since the 1995 season. "We finally...

Letters.
March 3, 2008... Scary rig That front end on the International LoneStar rig is just frightful (This Week, Feb. 18). International could do better aesthetically by checking its own design archives from 40, 50, even 60 years ago. Roy Kimmel, Leverett,...

Pony Up How Much?(Column)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Dutch Mandel When I hear stories of $5.5 million Ford Mustangs, the quote often credited to P.T. Barnum about a sucker born every minute rings in my ears. It has something to do with that model of car and that ridiculously...

EXTRA.(Briefs)
March 3, 2008... EDWARDS WINS IN CALIFORNIA As AutoWeek went to press, Carl Edwards had just won the NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Fontana, California-delayed because of rain-ahead of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. The Nationwide Series race was delayed until...

SNAKE VS. MONGOOSE; Still going at it 40 years later.(Revs)
March 3, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN They were the biggest thing in racing in the early '70s: Don "The Snake'' Prudhomme in his Barracuda and Tom "Mongoose'' McEwen in the Duster. If you're reading this, chances are pretty good you had or maybe still have...

Nana Nano.(Column)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Cory Farley If you can read this, you're too close to the future. I'm writing it on an XO Laptop, the cyber equivalent of that "$2,500 car'' that's been in the news lately. What the Tata Nano may do to transportation the XO could...

ALMS TALKING POINTS.(Fan Guide)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Gary Watkins CORVETTE COMPETITION At least the Pratt & Miller-run Corvette Racing team has a full-season competitor in the GT1 class this season. However, don't expect the Aston Martin DBR9 entered privately by veteran crew...

INDYCAR TALKING POINTS.(Fan Guide)
March 3, 2008... Byline: CURT CAVIN, STEVEN COLE SMITH NEW RIVALRIES Won't it be fun to see Paul Tracy and Helio Castroneves, the drivers in the controversial 2002 finish at Indy, battling again? What about Marco Andretti versus Graham Rahal? Or Justin...

A LITTLE TOO PERFECT? 1977 `Peter Gregg' Porsche 934.5.(Escape Roads)
March 3, 2008... Byline: PATRICK C. PATERNIE The Porsche 934.5 was-in effect-a hybrid. Essentially, it was an FIA Group 4 Porsche 934 with wider rear wheels and a 935 rear wing. The car was built to the 1977 IMSA rule that allowed Porsche racers to upgrade...

DIXON, BECKMAN REIGN IN PHOENIX.(Competition)
March 3, 2008... Two-time drag-racing champion Larry Dixon moved into a tie for second place on the all-time Top Fuel wins list by recording his 42nd career NHRA title, at Firebird International Raceway near Phoenix. Returning to the site of his first win 13...

SCHEDULES.(Fan Guide)
March 3, 2008... As these pages of AW'S Fan Guide went to press, the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car World Series had not yet finalized series- unification talks. Therefore, we've listed here their separate schedules-as well as those for the associated...

WHEN DETROIT LOVED PORSCHES; A native Motor City car nut nurtures Stuttgart's best.(Revs)
March 3, 2008... Byline: PHIL BERG I'll come out here on a Saturday,'' says developer Lane Mally about his restored 1950s repair shop in suburban Detroit, "and my wife calls and says, `When are you coming home?' I just lose all track of time.'' Mally...

AutoWeek's '08 open-wheel and sports-car fan guide.(Fan Guide)
March 3, 2008... This was already set to be a strong year in open-wheel/road racing, with a superstar battle shaping up in Formula One and improved sports-car grids in the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Sports Car Series. Then came the almost...

Meanwhile, outside our car world . . .(50th Anniversary countdown)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... The United States and Canada reach a free trade agreement. Benazir Bhutto, the first Islamic female prime minister, is chosen to lead Pakistan. A terrorist bomb explodes a Pan-Am 747, which crashes in Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 aboard...

Diving Car.(News)
March 3, 2008... That's no typo-we really mean diving car when we're talking about the sQuba, the latest concept from Swiss boutique automaker Rinspeed, debuting at the Geneva show. Called the world's first real diving car with zero-emissions power, the...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
March 3, 2008... Overheard at the Daytona 500 "I've always kind of liked Kenny Wallace, because we've both been beat up and kicked around.'' -Chubby Checker, who, like the 500, has been in business since 1959, when he recorded "The Twist'' (oh, and...

ATLANTIC SERIES.(Fan Guide)
March 3, 2008... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH When the Champ Car Atlantic Series debuted the grand prize for the 2006 championship-$2 million for the winner to apply toward a ride in Champ Car the following season-it was big news, and it worked well. Winner...

NO EXCUSES; Acura aims at Porsche in American le mans.(Fan Guide)
March 3, 2008... Byline: GARY WATKINS Nick Wirth, the wizard behind Acura's latest LMP2 prototype-class machine, leaves no doubt about the Honda brand's aspirations for this year's American Le Mans Series. "The gloves are off,'' he says. "We are aiming to...

INDY RIDERS; What in the name of Tony Hulman is going on at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?(Competition)(National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)
March 3, 2008... Byline: CURT CAVIN NASCAR is in the middle of its second decade of racing at open wheel's holy grail, Tony Stewart has now won two events on his home track, and a former Indianapolis 500 winner is best known as a dancing champion. ...

GO MOTOGP IN 2008; Mourning the lost U.S. Grand Prix? Motorcycling gives us two this year.(Competition)
March 3, 2008... Byline: PETE LYONS Maybe they do run on only two wheels, but the United States will host two MotoGPs in 2008-when we get precisely zero Formula One races. And, unlike in F1, several Americans are regulars on motorcycling's international...

Market.(Escape Roads)(Gooding & Co. )(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: DAVE KINNEY 1963 Triumph TR4 with surrey top Gooding & Co. Scottsdale, Ariz. Jan. 19 Inline four-cylinder, 2138-cc, four-speed manual transmission. Black with red leather. An almost flawless presentation...

INDY PRO SERIES.(Fan Guide)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: CURT CAVIN The IRL's Indy Pro Series is getting better with age. As the development division moves toward its seventh season, a clear path to the IndyCar Series has been established. For the first time, at least six drivers who got...

1988.(50th Anniversary countdown)
March 3, 2008... Enzo Ferrari, Il Commendatore, dies at age 90, shortly after granting his AutoWeek interview. Backlash against the double-nickel highway speed limit reaches its zenith as Congress expands the 65-mph eligibility to all limited-access,...

2008 TEAMS & DRIVERS.(Fan Guide)
March 3, 2008... AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES www.americanlemans.com * Selected races only. ** Endurance races only. LMP1 AUDI SPORT NORTH AMERICA/JOEST RACING DRIVERS: Rinaldo Capello/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish; TBA CARS: Audi R10 TDI ...

Going ballistic.(News)
March 10, 2008... F-16s belonging to the Air Force's elite Thunderbirds aerobatic squadron gave notice that it was time to go racin' at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Carl Edwards won his second-straight NASCAR Nextel Cup event. See page 50 for our full report....

Correction.(Correction notice)
March 10, 2008... Our March 3 Drivers Log should have said that the 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited CRD is equipped with the same 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class diesel.

FLEET STREET; Briefs on our other long-termers.(Briefs)
March 10, 2008... Acura MDX This is a nice long-haul tool, with comfortable seats, and the thing is quiet. The entertainment options put it high on my list for road trips. -HART Jaguar XKR convertible This car is as elegant and graceful as a Jag...

THE Final Trustee; Born-again rodder considers it his duty to preserve hot-rod history.(News)(Richard Munz)
March 10, 2008... Byline: PHIL BERG Richard Munz REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER, RETIRED Several years before real estate developer Richard Munz retired, he had an epiphany. He was a Ferrari guy, who owned a Daytona, a 365 GTB, a 308 and an F40, all of...

PREPARING FOR EXTINCTION; Collecting cars, art and animal heads that may disappear one day.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: PHIL BERG MARK THOMAS REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER, RETIRED ''It's much easier to buy things than to sell them,'' says Mark Thomas, a Michigan car collector who is also a passionate fan of early Georgian and Victorian...

JUST A LOG CABIN; Museum owner builds a private Indiana paradise.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: PHIL BERG DEAN KRUSE AUCTION OWNER Inside Dean Kruse's wallet is a packet of photos half an inch thick of his two adopted sons, one now a teenager and the other in grade school. He's teaching them to drive an MG Midget, a...

LOOKING for the LOOK; Finding the next cool car gets harder every day.
March 10, 2008... Byline: PHIL BERG RALPH LAUREN FASHION DESIGNER At least each week, world-renowned fashion designer Ralph Lauren visits his cars, about half of his collection of 70-some peacefully parked in sight of the ocean on Long Island. The...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
March 10, 2008... Society Notes: Best what, exactly? The Associated Press reports that a vanity license plate with nothing other than the number 1 on it sold for $14 million at an Abu Dhabi charity auction. Saeed Khouri, who won the plate, said, "I bought...

EXTRA.(Briefs)(McLaren-Mercedes boss Ron Dennis interviewed in connection to the information leakage scam)(Formula One teams testing "slick" tires again, at the Circuit de Catalunya)(Eddie Gossage awarding the race car drivers on helmet throwing)
March 10, 2008... NOT OVER Italian authorities interviewed McLaren-Mercedes boss Ron Dennis and four other team figures as part of the ongoing spy-scandal investigation begun after former Ferrari employee Nigel Stepney allegedly delivered confidential...

THE CAT IS BACK; Carl Edwards wins for Jack Roush.(Competition)
March 10, 2008... Byline: AL PEARCE Jack Roush explained that he never thought NASCAR would dump its Car of Tomorrow program in mid-stream. He admitted he didn't like the concept but said his reluctance to embrace it was not because he doubted the new car...

SO LONG, MR. CLARKE; Honda Performance Development's boss steps down with a smile.(Competition)(Robert Clarke)
March 10, 2008... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH Not long before Robert Clarke, the recently retired president of Honda Performance Development (which runs the company's North American racing efforts), stepped down from that role, AutoWeek asked him to name the...

Meanwhile, outside our car world . . .(50th Anniversary countdown)
March 10, 2008... The Berlin Wall is open to the West. Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini declares author Salman Rushdie's book The Satanic Verses offensive and sentences him to death. Tens of thousands of Chinese students take over Beijing's Tiananmen Square as more...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
March 10, 2008... Where's the muscle? I saw the cover of your Feb. 11 issue and went directly to the article about the Dodge Challenger SRT8. I had to read it twice to be sure I hadn't missed something. A slushbox, albeit a five-speed, but still a slushbox....

BLENDING IN; 1989 Aston Martin Lagonda.(Escape Roads)
March 10, 2008... Byline: BOB TOMAINE The future can be a tricky thing, as the Lagonda that seemed wildly radical 30 years ago can pass mostly unnoticed today. Ohio native Wilbur Gunn moved to England and built the first Lagonda-a motorcycle-in 1900....

Market.(Escape Roads)
March 10, 2008... Byline: DAVE KINNEY 1964 Buick Riviera Coupe Gooding & Company Auction Scottsdale, Ariz. Jan. 19 401-cid V8, 325-hp, three-speed automatic. Sapphire blue with white leather interior, full console, dash-mounted,...

MERCEDES MAPS A BLUE ROAD TO A GREEN WORLD; Lithium-ion-battery S-Class and diesel-electric GLK debut at Geneva show.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: GREG KABLE Mercedes-Benz is claiming a major breakthrough in automotive battery development, announcing that it will use lithium-ion technology in its upcoming S400 BlueHybrid, which will go on sale in Europe in mid-2009. U.S....

STRONG CONTENDERS; The ALMS season should be good, with or without Audi.(Competition)
March 10, 2008... Byline: GARY WATKINS The 2008 American Le Mans Series begins with a bang, and then it could turn into something even bigger and better. Audi's and Peugeot's LMP1-class turbo-diesels go head-to-head in the season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring...

YOU MUST SEE THIS; There is nothing wrong with paying for a grandstand seat, but make sure you get off your behind and take in some of the ALMS' best viewing spots.(Competition)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Gary Watkins SEBRING, TURN ONE Mention the 12 Hours of Sebring, and veteran race-goers will picture cars bombing down an expanse of concrete, heading into turn one. The fast left-hander is a reliable indicator of a car's speed...

EXTRA.(Briefs)
March 10, 2008... New York Show Saleen The S5S Raptor, an E85- powered premium-performance-car concept, will be the highlight of a handful of models unveiled by the revamped Saleen specialty-car company at the New York auto show later this month. The...

DETAILS, DETAILS; Tata's Jag and Land Rover deal likely in late March.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: JULIAN RENDELL Despite rumors to the contrary, Tata's anticipated purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover is unlikely to be announced at the Geneva motor show. Detailed contract negotiations over long-term supply agreements with Ford...

VIEW FROM DOWN UNDER; High-performance Holdens provide glimpse of Pontiac's potential.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: DALE JEWETT If you want a peek at what might be in Pontiac's future, look no further than the recent Melbourne motor show and world debuts of two hot Holdens. General Motors' Holden unit used the show to unveil the Coupe 60...

NOT SITTING STILL; Land Rover, new owner pending, shows another LRX.(News)
March 10, 2008... In a show of stiff upper lip, Land Rover officials unveiled the LRX Black concept, trying to show the world that even as the firm waits for a new owner, an exciting future lies ahead. The LRX is an entry-level, two-door cross/ute with...

TV: March 14 - 16.(Competition)
March 10, 2008... Friday, March 14 2004 NHRA from Chicago, 11 a.m., ESPN Classic NASCAR Sprint Cup practice from Bristol, Tenn., noon, Speed (L) NASCAR Nationwide Series practice from Bristol, Tenn., 1:30 p.m., Speed (L) Go or Go Home, 3 p.m.,...

LOEB BACK ON TOP.(Competition)
March 10, 2008... Frenchman Sebastien Loeb drove back into contention for the World Rally Championship title with a flawless win in Mexico, despite concerns about his engine, which was changed at the last minute before the rally started. Citroen consulted...

A MOST COMFORTABLE YEAR; Our time being coddled by the Lexus LS 460 L ends.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: NATALIE NEFF The Audi S6 we picked up last June gets dibs on most spirited weekend drives, while our Nissan Altima mainly settles for airport shuttling and grocery getting. The Acura MDX sees plenty of hockey games and the...

For the Price of a Nano.(Column)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Steve Thompson In January, Ratan Tata unveiled the Nano, his company's microcar, and what got the most attention, understandably, was its price: one lakh, or about $2,500. People all over the world got excited about it. Among those...

Drivers Log.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
March 10, 2008... MANDEL: Holy Toledo! You will say that when you open the solid-feel door, when you slide behind the wheel, when you touch the steering wheel and feel there's something good about how it comes to rest in your hand. The fit and finish of the...

SCIROCCO IS A GO; Vw re-creates its affordable coupe, but will we ever see it here?(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: GREG KABLE Volkswagen is taking its obsession with heritage to new heights with the swoopy new two-door Scirocco, resurrecting the compact sports coupe some 34 years after it rewrote the rule book on affordable performance. The new...

FAREWELL TO A FORERUNNER; Boyd Coddington, 1944-2008.(Revs)
March 10, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Boyd Coddington, the hot-rod innovator whose creations won the coveted Grand National Roadster Show's America's Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) trophy a record six times, died Feb. 27 after a lengthy hospital stay. He...

1989.(50th Anniversary countdown)
March 10, 2008... Dodge unveils the Viper concept at Detroit's first North American International Auto Show. Confirmation arrives that the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on Dec. 21, 1988, has claimed the lives of Volkswagen U.S....

Lambo unleashes a faster, lighter Gallardo; LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO LP560/4.(News)(Automobili Lamborghini USA Inc.)
March 10, 2008... Byline: MICHAEL TAYLOR Lamborghini is upgrading its Gallardo supercar. The rear end, which Lamborghini always has considered a bit messy, now has a neater, more horizontal look. Lambo also has thrown away just about everything under the...

FERRARI'S FUTURE: F149; Intrigue surrounds new model set for Paris premiere.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: MICHAEL TAYLOR Despite months of angry denials, sources insist that Ferrari will launch its new entry-level 2+2 coupe before the end of this year. Word is that the new car, which Ferrari plans to debut at the Paris motor show...

THE KEYS, PLEASE; 160 to 0 in two days.(Revs)(information about Chevrolet Corvette)
March 10, 2008... Byline: DON KLEIN With its 6.2-liter, 430-hp LS3 V8 and estimated top speed of 190 mph, the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette convertible theoretically can whisk you from Miami to Key West in about 50 minutes. Factor in real-world obstacles such as...

It's Not About Age.(Column)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson The stats are coming in on America's decade-old switch away from public-school driver education and toward graduated driver licensing (GDL), and they largely confirm what we've been saying: New drivers don't crash...

Drivers Log.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
March 17, 2008... GRITZINGER: I love the overall solid feel and power of this big brute, but I'm not sure how the Toyota badge, even with "Land Cruiser'' attached, can command this price. Then again, I didn't grow up driving Land Cruisers on National Geographic...

CUP STARS SLAM GOODYEAR.(Competition)
March 17, 2008... Byline: Al Pearce Some of NASCAR's biggest stars gave Goodyear a public beat-down at Atlanta Motor Speedway. They were bitter in their criticism of the company with three years remaining on its contract as NASCAR's exclusive tire supplier,...

FABULOUS FIFTIES; A car show where judges are the stars.(Revs)
March 17, 2008... Byline: PATRICK C. PATERNIE The Fabulous Fifties Concours d'Provenance lived up to its title without the pompous style usually associated with French-named car shows. "It's a car show, but we're more interested in the people...

RINSPEED REVEALED; What's next from the wildly creative mind of Frank Rinderknecht? Only he knows.(News)
March 17, 2008... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER When Frank Rinderknecht headed home to Zurich after a short postgraduate sojourn in Southern California in the 1970s, tucked among the souvenirs in his luggage was a complete sunroof. When he got back to Switzerland,...

THE LONELIEST NUMBER No Longer; With this new BMW, you can have as many as three friends with you at all times.(News)
March 17, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN The new BMW 1 Series has all the sound engineering of its bigger Bimmer brothers-perfect balance, powerful powertrain and great fun to drive-but at a somewhat more reasonable price. That goes for the coupe and, for the...

GENEVA SHOW EXTRAS.(News)
March 17, 2008... Mercedes muscle When Mercedes-Benz wasn't telling its green story at Geneva, it was punching the accelerator on performance models, topped by the more aggressive than ever SL63 AMG and the restyled SLK55 AMG ("Reborn to Be Wild,'' AW, Feb....

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED; Hot Lotus spied in Arctic testing.(News)(Lotus Cars USA Inc.)(Brief article)
March 17, 2008... Byline: JULIAN RENDELL Lotus will bring its new mid-engined 2+2, codenamed the Eagle, to the United States in late in 2009, but for now, testing continues on the frozen lakes of northern Scandinavia. Rumors suggest that the new Lotus...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
March 17, 2008... Losses All Around I disagree with Kevin Kalkhoven's statement that "everyone was losing'' with two open-wheel-racing series in the United States. I certainly know who's losing this time. The fans lose because they are losing their only...

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? 1963 PORSCHE 901 PROTOTYPE.(Escape Roads)
March 17, 2008... Byline: JOHN F. KATZ At first glance, it's just a very early Porsche 911. But look again, and you might notice the plain hubcaps, the Beetle-like dual exhausts, the bare rocker panels missing their bright moldings and another dozen little...

EXTRA.(Briefs)
March 17, 2008... HOUSTON CANCELED Grand Prix of Houston officials canceled the 2008 event, scheduled for April 25-27. The race was one of three Champ Car was scheduled to hold in conjunction with the American Le Mans Series this year (Long Beach and Road...

ON THE BOARD; Kyle Busch scores Toyota's first Cup win.(Competition)
March 17, 2008... Byline: AL PEARCE Even in their best moments, hardly anyone at Toyota expected to win a Sprint Cup race last year. Granted, the series newcomer threatened to do so with Brian Vickers at Lowe's Motor Speedway in May and with Dave Blaney at...