AutoWeek articles from May 2002

AutoWeek archives from May 2002

Lost arts; Isle Valley Transport preserves old traditions.(caters to owners of vintage auto)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... * Thatched cottages are not rare, even today, in England's green and pleasant land-which is why the tourist discovering the village of Isle Brewers in Somerset would utter no surprise. That is, until spotting the one with the petrol pumps out...

The Swagger Returns; Porschephiles praise the new C2.(Porsche's 2002 911 Carrera C2)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... If the 2002 911 Carrera C2 seems a bit more arrogant than usual, it has a right to be. ``I'd swear the swagger is back in the exhaust tone,'' said one owner, coming off a disappointing eight-month stint with a '99 996. Said a more...

Car Board.(Mercedes-Benz C230 Sports Coupe; Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS; Dodge Neon R/T)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... With the count at 0-and-2, here comes the pitch... it's a swing and a miss! * Mercedes-Benz C230 SPORTS COUPE Price: $31,145 Engine: 2.3-liter supercharged I4, 192 hp, 200 lb-ft Curb weight: 3340 lbs Drivetrain: rwd,...

TensionReliever; If a 515-hp V12 won't clear your head, you're not using one of them very well.(Ferrari's 575M Maranello)
May 6, 2002... You are forgiven a certain anxious tension, even self-consciousness. Visiting Ferrari's Fiorano test track, you have been invited to have a go in the latest hot Italian number, the 575M Maranello, one of about 700 of these...

Racing Away; While Honda says goodbye to CART, is the IRL the next stop?(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... Collection Hall is the name of the most elaborate museum Honda Motor Co. has built, and the production cars are tucked away in a wing on the third floor with the ATVs, scooters and lawn mowers. Racing gets a floor to itself, and a presence in...

VW's stump jumper.(Volkswagen's Touareg)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... If Porsche's Cayenne leaves you cold, but you're still intrigued by the idea of a high-performance sport/utility vehicle, try saying ``Touareg'' a few times. By the time the African Saharan tribal name rolls off your tongue, say by mid-2003,...

The News; May 6, 2002.(sport-utility vehicles)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... If staying power is the critical element that separates a shortlived fad from a long-term trend, the sport compact scene may be on its way to serious credibility-and automakers from around the globe are taking notice (Headliner, page 4). It's...

1975 Triumph Spitfire 1500; A real Triumph.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... There is a tendency among some Triumph enthusiasts to view the Spitfire as something less than a real Triumph. Yes, it was diminutive in terms of size and horsepower, but with more than 314,000 produced between 1962 and 1980 (on par with the...

FACTS.(Porsche Cars North America)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 6, 2002... MANUFACTURER'S DATA Porsche Cars North America 980 Hammond Drive Suite 1000 Atlanta GA 30328 Customer assistance: (800) 767-7243 Internet address: www.porsche.com Country of origin: Germany Number of...

PRICING.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 6, 2002... Base: $68,065 As tested: $77,575 IntelliChoice target price: $65,660 Rebates: None What owners paid; average: $71,600 to $74,965; $73,515 Options as tested: Silver metallic paint ($825); Porsche Stability Management ($1,230);...

LIKES/DISLIKES.(PORSCHE 911 CARRERA)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 6, 2002... PORSCHE 911 CARRERA LIKES * Aggressive boxer six * Killer exhaust note * Superior handling DISLIKES * Too many options * Costly to buy * Costly to maintain

First Spin; The Saab 9-3X gets the go-ahead, so we went ahead and...(Saab's new 9-3X has radical design)(International Pages)
May 13, 2002... Saab's executive director of design Michael Mauer and his faithful deputy Anthony Lo are having a great time these days. They're the stars of a major push to make Saab all it can be as a brand, as a builder of a lot more units and as a bad-ass...

Escape Roads.(Ford's concept vehicles for sale)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... Concept collectibles * Rare-automobile collectors get a rare opportunity when Ford Motor Co. auctions off auto show concept vehicles. The concepts to be sold next month were shown during the past four decades. They include Ford's 1993...

Stewart wins crashfest.(Pontiac Excitement 400 winner Tony Stewart )(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... Hardly anyone left Richmond happy except maybe Pontiac Excitement 400 winner Tony Stewart and Richmond's price-gouging neighbors who wrung a second (third, fourth?) day of parking fees when the race was rained out Saturday night and moved to...

Future.(Historic racing cars shown)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... July 12-14 Virginia Historic Races Alton, Va. Sanctioned by Historic Sportscar Racing, this event will be held at Virginia International Raceway and feature Porsche 935s, Dekon Monzas and '80s-era Trans-Ams. For more information,...

Car Board.(Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG, Ford Thunderbird)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 13, 2002... Speed: When there's not enough, you want for more. And when there's plenty, there's still not enough. * Ford THUNDERBIRD Price: $39,795 Engine: 3.9-liter V8, 252 hp, 267 lb-ft Curb weight: 3863 lbs Drivetrain: rwd,...

The News; May 13, 2002.(Annual America's Best survey)(International Pages)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 13, 2002... If you notice a certain redundancy in this week's news pages, thank your fellow AutoWeek readers. A few weeks back, we ran information on BMW's next-generation 5 Series, but clearly the brief item wasn't enough. We also ran a mention of...

Ideas Worth Driving; A quick spin in GM's drive-worthy concept cars.
May 13, 2002... Look back no further than the 1999 North American International Auto Show to gauge the difference between General Motors concept cars then and GM concept cars now. In '99 GM showed us a Pontiac GTO, a grim exercise made entirely of...

2003 Subaru Forester; When old is new, again.(reintroduction of Hill Holder)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... When we recently checked out the next-generation Subaru Forester, the old phrase, ``Everything old is new again,'' came to mind. On this redesigned version of the popular Subaru crossover, some things are new, some things are the same and one...

Four doors and more.(Maserati quattro porte flagship sedan)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... Set to debut at Frankfurt in September 2003, Maserati's next quattro porte flagship sedan is part of a relaunch program for the company that calls for sales of as many as 10,000 cars by 2006. In 2001 Maserati sold just 1869 cars, and only 3500...

The News; May 20, 2002.(regulations will dictate changes for automakers in the future)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Get used to it: Change is the only constant we can expect in the coming decade as automakers bear down and gear up for fuel cells as the solution to our dependence on oil. Or not, depending on where you're getting your hydrogen (Headliner, page...

Selling out: The real reason automakers want you to buy electric.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Wanna buy a gas-sucking high-performance roadster? If you live in California, don't be alarmed if you're offered a roadworthy golf cart to go with it. Under the California Air Resources Board's highly controversial zero-emission vehicles...

Taming the Unwieldy Beast; For such a big brute, the 2003 Expedition sports surprising manners.(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... When the original Ford Expedition hit the market back in 1997, the F-150-based sport/utility vehicle pushed the limits of everyday driveability. While the mammoth F-250-based Excursion subsequently put the Expedition into perspective,...

2003 Honda Pilot; Shuttle diplomacy: Your Passport has been canceled, SUV buyers; apply for a Pilot today.(Honda will replace mid-size Passport sport utility vehicle with Pilot model)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Brace yourself, America, the Isuzu-made Honda Passport will soon be no more. Now, now, stiff upper lip. That vehicle will still be sold separately as the Isuzu Rodeo, so you can stock up on those, but the last Honda-badged Passport/Rodeo rolled...

Extra Swedener.(Saab readies new 9-3 model for US market)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Saab's first all-new 9-3 since 1993 (when it introduced the second-generation 900) comes to market this fall riding on a distinctly Swedish version of General Motors' global midsize front-wheel-drive Epsilon platform. So say Saab officials...

Right on Target; Bruno Junqueira wins Indy 500 pole, as Brazilians capture six of the top 14 starting spots.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... One Indianapolis 500 pole does not make an elite race car driver, but it does make a statement. And relative newcomer Bruno Junqueira certainly made one last weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 25-year-old Brazilian, who for years...

Results: Austria.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 20, 2002... Austria 2.69-mile road course May 12 1. Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 71 laps at 121.733 mph avg. speed; 2. Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari, 71; 3. Juan Montoya, Williams-BMW, 71; 4. Ralf Schumacher, Williams-BMW, 71; 5. Giancarlo...

FACTS.(2003 Nissan Altima)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... MANUFACTURER'S DATA Nissan Motor Co. 18501 S. Figueroa St. P.O. Box 191 Gardena CA 90248 Customer assistance: (800) 647-7266 Internet address: www.nissandriven.com Country of origin: Japan Number of dealers:...

PRICING.(2003 Nissan Altima)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... Base: $22,889 As tested: $26,514 IntelliChoice target price: $21,249 Rebates: None Destination charge: $540 What owners paid; average: $22,200 to $29,280; $26,436 Options as tested: Cold package, which includes...

ROAD TEST DATA.(2003 Nissan Altima)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)(Statistical Data Included)
May 20, 2002... STANDING-START ACCELERATION 0-30 mph: 2.38 sec 0-40 mph: 3.67 sec 0-50 mph: 4.83 sec 0-60 mph: 6.32 sec 0-100 km/h (62.1 mph): 6.58 sec 0-80 mph: 10.42 sec 0-quarter-mile: 95.1 mph, 14.85 sec ROLLING...

Car Board.(Mercedes-Benz CL600, BMW 745i, and Lexus SC 430)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... Slick looks imply fast drives: If it's showy, folks will want to see it go. * Mercedes-Benz CL600 Price: $124,170 Engine: 5.8-liter V12, 362 hp, 391 lb-ft Curb weight: 4300 lbs Drivetrain: rwd, five-speed automatic ...

Altimate Nissan; Looks, power satisfy Altima owners despite cheap details.(2003 Nissan Altima)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... ON THE SURFACE, NISSAN'S LATEST RUN at the midsized sedan market looks bulletproof. A medley of European styling cues offers a design edge in a class where bland is benchmark. ``I have never had so many people ask me about my car in all my...

NISSAN ALTIMA.(2003)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... LIKES * Euro curb appeal * Cavernous interior * Smooth engine DISLIKES * Shoddy fit-and-finish * Cheap interior plastic * Wimpy manual

AmericanArchetype; Mercury Marauder brings a retro idea to the 21st century-sort of.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... If you don't already get it, nothing we say will make you understand. The Mercury Marauder draws its inspiration from an old-school construct, one that broadly dictates V8 power and rear-wheel drive in a full-size car. Think muscle car on...

VIEWS AND REVIEWS.(for Nissan's new Altima)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
May 20, 2002... OWNERS The Altima is very quick and agile. Freeway ramps and mountain roads bring out the boy-racer in me. Features recently available only on luxury cars, such as heated seats, audio and trip-center controls on the steering wheel, curtain...

Offside Undo.(automobile racing star Roger Penske)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Your next bench race topic: Who has done more for American racing than Roger Penske? Penske epitomizes open- and closed-wheel motor racing in America, a position he's been in for coming on 40 years. What else can be said of a man who...

2003 Lincoln Town Car; Your airport limo just got better.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, seemed an appropriate stopping-off point for the initial drive of the 2003 Lincoln Town Car. While we don't really know what kind of car the 40th president preferred, the...

More Is More; Mercedes launches a bigger, more sophisticated CLK, and pretty darned quickly, too.(Product Announcement)
May 20, 2002... This August the redone, 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK arrives in U.S. showrooms. Seems kind of quick, no? The current CLK was introduced in Europe in June 1997 and came to our market in 1998. Today it still looks fresh and drives nicely. As seems to...

ODDS/DRIVER/TEAM/COMMENT.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... ODDS / DRIVER / TEAM / COMMENT 4:1 / Gil de Ferran / Team Penske / Steady, smart and a deserving mug for Borg-Warner Trophy 4:1 / Helio Castroneves / Team Penske / If you can pick one Penske driver over the other, you're better than us...

Beta vs. VHS?; Fuel cell developers take differing tacks in search for hydrogen Holy Grail.(General Motors and DaimlerChrysler)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... When last we opened the hood to peek into the weird world of fuel cell vehicles, automakers were in agreement on one thing: Electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells represent the best hope for the long-term survival of the automobile....

Fast Poll.(Porche Cayenne vs. Touareg W12)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... Readers split over the legitimacy of Volkswagen's Porsche The Porsche 914 was associated with Volkswagen and it hurt sales. The Porsche 924 was associated with Volkswagen and it hurt sales. The Porsche Cayenne will be associated with...

Letters.(Torpedo Roadster )(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
May 27, 2002... I'm glad there are people like Eric Zausner who have the means and Steve Moal who have the ability to create something so beautiful. This automotive art was created with vision and passion and it shows in every detail. Automotive enthusiasts...

DVDs to watch.(DVD movie journeys )(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... What good is a DVD player if you don't have any movies? A few DVD movie journeys to take on your journey: FOR ADULTS Road Trip: Any movie with Tom Green in it is questionable at best, but with that title, it has to be here ...

Gary Scelzi Benches Himself; But he'll soon be back, he says.(Professional race driver, Gary Scelzi)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... There was a drag race in Englishtown, New Jersey, this past weekend, but Gary Scelzi, one of the sport's biggest stars, wasn't in it. And the 25-time NHRA national event winner wasn't too happy about it. ``I've been driving race cars since I...

A Sparrow Hits the Windshield; Eclectic one-seat electric car maneuvers some speed bumps.(Three-wheeled Corbin Sparrow electric car)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... Remember the goofy little three-wheeled Corbin Sparrow electric car (AW, April 24, 2000)? Its makers, Mike Corbin and his son Tom, said it would solve all our traffic congestion and pollution problems with its small size and zero-emission...

The Field Is Set (Finally) ; Billy Boat provides the Bump Day dramatics.(Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Indianapolis 500 qualifying session)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 27, 2002... Billy Boat proclaimed himself the lucky one Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Frankly, we couldn't agree more. He had survived bump day, the appropriately named final Indianapolis 500 qualifying session, for the third year in a...

Competition.(NASCAR's all-star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway)
May 27, 2002... Hello, Newman * The record book says Ryan Newman won The Winston. No question about it, the Winston Cup rookie started fourth and dominated the final segment of NASCAR's annual all-star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte. ...

Let the Party Begin.(50th model year of Corvette, "America's sports car")(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... Every milestone, whether pinnacle or petty, seems to elicit a swell of enthusiasm and its share of consumerism. It's the American way. The 50th model year of the Corvette, long known as ``America's sports car,'' cannot be an exception. So call...

Late Racing News.(Nissan's new 350Z sports car)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... Rand to ALMS * The Rolex Sports Car Series team, Rand Racing, has ordered two MG Lola EX257 sports-prototypes for a campaign in the 2003 American Le Mans Series. Though built to LMP675 rules, the MG Lola's performance has team owner Bill...

Saab SUV submarined.(General Motors cancels sport/utility vehicle deal)(International Pages)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 27, 2002... Saab's hopes for a third vehicle line now rest squarely on something based on the 9X concept shown first in Frankfurt last year. That's because General Motors has canceled plans to build the Saab 9-7, a Sigma platform-based, seven-passenger...

One more for the road.(CD/mp3 player )(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... There's another new audio technology that's just as suited for road-tripping as satellite radio: the mp3 player. The mp3 audio compression format is the standard for computer music files. Recently available on the market is a range of...

Fit for The King; Graceland's Automobile Museum.(Elvis' cars at Graceland)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... * No trip to Memphis is complete without a stop at Graceland, home of the late, great Elvis Presley. And no Graceland tour is complete without seeing Elvis' cars. But a word of caution: With only 10 cars and a few motorcycles on display,...

...But Wait, There's More.(Toyota's Long Beach Celebrity Race)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... Heroes Revisited Talk about a new level of commitment Big-time wrestler Goldberg competed at Toyota's Long Beach Celebrity Race. He really likes to win. How do we know? Because when he got beat to the finish line by Olympic-medal...

The News; May 27, 2002.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... Whether you're building sports cars or sport/utes, the car manufacturing business isn't for the fainthearted. This week's news brings a few sharp chest pains, from the possible downward spiral of the Corbin Sparrow (Headliner, page 8) to Saab's...

News.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... F-Type jagged Jaguar's mid-engined F-Type sports car is delayed three years says Bob Dover, chairman of Ford's British Premier Automotive Group. Scheduled to go on sale in early 2005, Jag's Porsche Boxster-fighter is now penciled in for...

How's It Work?(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... Amaze friends with your knowledge of how the Indy 500 pole qualifying and bump day works. Here's how it goes: Each car gets up to three four-lap attempts to qualify, providing that neither the first nor the second are completed. Since 1916, the...

Car Board.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... Perhaps Mr. Lightfoot put it best: ``Carefree highway, let me slip away on you.'' If only it were that simple. * Mazda PROTEGE5 Price: $18,485 Engine: 2.0-liter I4, 130 hp, 135 lb-ft Curb weight: 2716 lbs Drivetrain: fwd,...

If You're Going, Go Digital; DVD movies play major role in the modern road trip.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... You're on a long stretch of blissfully empty asphalt when you hear: ``Are we there yet?'' Then, you hear it again. And again. If necessity is the mother of invention, then back-seat whining is its father: And so was born the rear entertainment...

Television May 31-June 2.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... Friday, May 31 RPM 2Night, 1 a.m., ESPN2 (T) Totally NASCAR, 1 a.m., Fox Sports Net (T) Car Crazy, 1 a.m., Speed Channel (T) Totally NASCAR, 6 a.m., Fox Sports Net (T) Motorweek, 7 a.m., Speed Channel (T) Stock Car...

Fast Poll.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... Readers' dream cars prove cheaper than Ferrari hot rod Let millionaires have the exotics, I'll take a homebuilt 1000-hp, twin-turbo 514-cubic-inch Ford stuffed into a junkyard-fresh '60s Falcon. John Gatliff, Oklahoma City Pity...

Satellite Specs.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... Two satellite radio providers exist, XM (www.xmradio.com) and Sirius (www.siriusradio.com). We went with XM for our road trip because at the time, it was the one with available service. Sirius is scheduled for a national rollout July 1,...

Life with Cars.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... The M3's straight six screamed at 8000 rpm and I pulled the lever. Bam! Second-third-fourth-fifth-sixth. Bam! Bam! Bam! Look out, here it comes... ka-bam! The ultimate shift. Into a new paradigm. In the new order, there will be no manual...

Rockin' the Road Trip; Wherein we search America for wide-open roads and full-throttle music.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... I fired up the XM receiver for the first time in the parking lot of the stereo shop. It had just been installed in the car, and I had 2500 miles of road trip in front of me to try it out, but I couldn't wait. One hundred channels of...