AutoWeek articles from November 2007

AutoWeek archives from November 2007

End of the road.(News)
November 5, 2007... Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) lost the left rear tire of his Chevrolet in the late stages of the Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Junior lost control of the car and hit the outside retaining wall, collecting Jamie McMurray (26) along the...

BADGES OF DISTINCTION: Part 2 of 2; A survey of automakers with dedicated performance divisions operating in the United States.(product information of automobile industry)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Julian Rendell, Greg Kable, Bob Gritzinger, Jonathan Wong, Mark Vaughn, Kevin A. Wilson TOYOTA TRD BIG HIT: 1998 Tacoma-3.4-liter V6, 251 hp (up from 187), 275 lb-ft (up from 225). TODAY'S STATE OF THE ART: With TRD's 2005...

THE STATE OF PERFORMANCE; For OEM performance divisions, things are looking up.(Special Report)
November 5, 2007... From the earliest days of the automobile, leadership has been measured in terms of vehicle performance. Whether the yardstick was horsepower, handling, racing victories or aerodynamics, an automaker's prestige-and the ability to sell more cars...

A Fool for Tools.(personal narratives of Carol Moseley Braun )(Brief article)(Column)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Cory Farley Former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois used to talk about the worst fight her parents ever had. "The toilet broke, and there was water going everywhere,'' she said. "My mother sent my father to the...

Drivers Log.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
November 5, 2007... RAYNAL: Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! This car is one big hoot, and it's instructive to get into a rear-drive, V8-powered bad-ass every once in a while. It's a good reminder of how fun driving can be. I loved this car, and it was...

CHEVY'S MIDSIZE MARVEL; 2008 Malibu builds on Saturn Aura's success.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Last January, General Motors struck gold when its all-new Saturn Aura won the coveted title of 2007 North American Car of the Year. So, what's a car company to do for an encore? Dig deeper in the same mine, of...

It's Auction Time!(Column)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Dutch Mandel Dig into your holiday cash stash, and peel off some big bills. It's time for the annual AutoWeek/CARA Holiday Auction of Exceptional and Near Unobtainable Car Goodies. Proceeds of the auction, running from now...

EXTRA.(competitions of automobile racing)(Federation Internationale del Automobile)
November 5, 2007... PAY UP The FIA announced that McLaren-Mercedes will have to cough up "in excess of $50 million'' to cover the $100 million fine it received in punishment for the Ferrari spying scandal. McLaren also lost all of its constructors'...

CONTINENTAL DRIFT; Will the sideways sport become the next import drag racing or the new F1?(competitions of drifting)
November 5, 2007... Byline: MARK VAUGHN The sport of drifting has had a little time to establish itself here in America-four years have passed since the first big U.S. drift competition-so it's time to ask: Has drifting become the next big thing yet? Or is it...

CLOSER TO 1.(Competitions of automobile racing)
November 5, 2007... The AC Delco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals made for a brutal weekend for many of the National Hot Road Association's "Countdown to 1'' playoff drivers. It's the first year for the playoff system, which narrowed the championship contenders in each of...

LIVING TO RIDE; Motor City bike guru creates a center for exclusive, timeless motorcycles.(Revs)
November 5, 2007... Byline: PHIL BERG Die-hard Harley-Davidson people-from the Easy Rider, Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda era-used to admire Ducati riders and their motorcycles, with their mechanically marvelous V-twin engines. That was long before today's baby...

TWO-WHEEL LOWDOWN.(product information of BMW AG)(Brief article)
November 5, 2007... Byline: GEORGE P. BLUMBERG '07 BMW R1200R BMW's newest all-around roadster. 1170-cc, 109-hp, 85-lb-ft, air-/oil-cooled boxer opposed twin; 437-lb dry weight; quarter-mile in 11.4 sec @ 119 mph (est) COMPETITIVE SET: Ducati Monster...

HIGH FLYERS; Muscle Car 1000 takes off from the USS Midway's flight deck.(Revs)
November 5, 2007... Byline: PATRICK C. PATERNIE Chris Hoskins has been under the spell of muscle cars since his first whiff of burning rubber and high-octane fumes at age six, courtesy of Grandpa lighting up the tires on his 1965 GTO. Thirty-five years...

40 YEARS OF HMMMMMMM; Mazda celebrates its four decades of rotary power.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Felix Wankel was a dreamer. Specifically, in 1919, at age 17, he dreamed that he invented an engine. While it took him 38 more years to produce a working rotary powerplant and still more to perfect it for production,...

Market.(product information of MG TD roadster)(Brief article)
November 5, 2007... Byline: KEITH MARTIN 1951 MG TD roadster Keenan Auction Co. James "Ernie'' Clair Collection Portland, Maine Sept. 30 1250-cc, four-cylinder, 2x1-barrel, four-speed. Red with tan vinyl top and black vinyl interior....

Letters.
November 5, 2007... Happy fans Look at the kids in the photo of Sebastien Loeb's WRC ("Loeb Chips Away,'' Oct. 22). The three boys with their hands in the air and cheering wildly remind me of why my son and I return every year to the STPR Rally at Wellsboro,...

Meanwhile, outside our car world . . .(50th Anniversary countdown)
November 5, 2007... Eleven Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Munich are killed after an Arab terrorist group invades Olympic Village. President Nixon makes an eight-day visit to China and meets with Mao Zedong. George Wallace is shot by Arthur Bremer at a...

SMOKIN' DEALS.(News)
November 5, 2007... As the end of the year approaches, the deals get hotter, especially on leftover '07s. Here are four highlights. MINIVAN 2007 honda odyssey MSRP: $26,240; 2.9 percent financing CROSSOVER 2007 subaru Tribeca MSRP:...

UNDER THE HOOD.(Briefs)
November 5, 2007... It's Vegas, baby And we're there, on the show floor, checking it all out, including the Pontiac Solstice SD-290 (above), a concept that evokes vintage race cars. We'll bring you pictures of all the models and the hot cars straight from the...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
November 5, 2007... HELIO WATCH Stop Smiling! Seven couples remain after last week's episode of Dancing with the Stars. Helio Castroneves' rumba earned only a 23 from the judges, his lowest score so far. The judges called his performance "too...

THAT'S B-I-N-Z, NOT B-E-N-Z; Attention, high rollers: We've got your limo.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: NICK KURCZEWSKI When is a car that looks like a Mercedes-Benz and drives like a Mercedes-Benz not really a Mercedes-Benz? When it's a Binz, from a company that has manufactured coachbuilt Mercedes models for more than six...

TV: Nov. 9 - 11.(Competition)
November 5, 2007... Friday, Nov. 9 NASCAR Busch Series practice from Avondale, Ariz., noon, Speed (L) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying from Avondale, Ariz., 4:30 p.m., Speed (L) NASCAR Nextel Cup qualifying from Avondale, Ariz., 5:30 p.m.,...

CAPTIVATING BEAST; 1913 STUTZ MODEL B FOUR-CYLINDER BEARCAT ROADSTER.(Escape Roads)
November 5, 2007... Byline: BROOKS BRIERLEY Harry Stutz created the quintessential American sports car in Indianapolis in 1912, making a street-legal version of the race car he'd entered in the first Indianapolis 500. It was very basic yet stunning-looking-a...

EXTRA.(Briefs)
November 5, 2007... Volvo C30 adds doors Volvo's compact three-door hatchback C30 has been on sale in the United States only since midyear, and Ford's Swedish arm is already thinking about adding some doors. According to a report in Automotive News, Volvo...

RETURN OF THE RABBIT; Shelby unveils Terlingua models at SEMA.(News)
November 5, 2007... Shelby automobiles is reviving yet another name from the past with a line of Terlingua Racing Team-branded models. Unveiled at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas, the Terlingua-tuned cars include a 2008 Mustang and two...

1972.(50th Anniversary countdown)
November 5, 2007... At American Motors Corp.'s annual meeting, Eric Dansker, age 13, asks about the safety of the AMC Gremlin's braking and steering, having read about problems in enthusiast magazines. He seems unsatisfied with answers from product VP Gerald...

Black Magic; Pratt & Miller Conjures Up a Racer for the Street, One Year Early.
November 5, 2007... Byline: MAC MORRISON Let's say you're Corvette's marketing manager, and you face two challenges: Increase profits, and keep General Motors' baby in the limelight at a critical time. Hype has leveled off for the two-year-old Z06, and the...

DOWN TO TWO? It looks as if it's Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson fighting for the NASCAR title.(Competitions of automobile racing)
November 5, 2007... Byline: AL PEARCE It's come down to the Chase shootout that many series watchers forecast at Loudon in September. The legion of Hendrick haters is railing, and NASCAR and ABC would love another star or two on the big stage. But at the end...

BADGES OF DISTINCTION: Part 1 of 2; A survey of automakers with dedicated performance divisions operating in the United States.(Special Report)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Julian Rendell, Greg Kable, Bob Gritzinger, Jonathan Wong, Mark Vaughn, Kevin A. Wilson BMW M BIG HIT: M3 Sport Evo (E30)-2.5-liter, 238-hp inline-four-cylinder, introduced in 1989. TODAY'S STATE OF THE ART: M5...

Dear AutoWeek Subscribers:.(Column)
November 12, 2007... Byline: KC CRAIN It has recently come to our attention that some readers are still being harassed by scam artists posing as AutoWeek representatives. I want to reiterate the fact that AutoWeek is not soliciting anyone by telephone for...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
November 12, 2007... Overheard at SEMA "Oh, you mean the Wheel and Breast Hall.'' -Sports-car racer Peter Cunningham, describing the show's South Hall Thinking Ahead Mazda designer Franz von Holzhausen tells us that folks at his former employer,...

ASTRA PROJECTION; GM's German arm sends another winner stateside.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER As small cars from the Detroit Three go, the 2008 Saturn Astra is a good car. As General Motors small cars go, the Astra is a very good car. As a replacement for the oh-so-boring Saturn Ion, the Astra is out of this...

ALONSO SPLITS WITH MCLAREN.(Competition)
November 12, 2007... Two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso left the McLaren-Mercedes team after only one season. Alonso had a two-year contract with an option for a third, but his agent, Luis Garcia Abad, negotiated his exit-termed a "mutual...

Extra.(Competition)
November 12, 2007... CLARKE RETIRING American Honda Motor Co. announced that effective Jan. 1, 2008, Robert Clarke, president of Honda Performance Development in Santa Clarita, California, will move to a new executive advisory role at HPD, a position he will...

THE MOTHER OF ALL DUCATIS; Desmosedici RR is a MotoGP bike for the street.(product information of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.)
November 12, 2007... Byline: JOHN L. STEIN In the religion of internal-combustion desirability, race-inspired factory supercars such as the Ferrari Enzo and the Porsche Carrera GT are high priests. As that is something enthusiasts know as truth, it is time to...

TOMORROW LAND.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Dutch Mandel, Roger Hart, Bob Gritzinger, Dale Jewett, Jonathan Wong, Dino Dalle Carbonare The 40th Tokyo motor show presented a bit of a dichotomy: The undeniable star was Nissan's 473-hp GT-R sports car, while the overriding...

SNOW AND GO; Preparation is the key to handling the worst Mother Nature dishes out.(testing of automobiles)
November 12, 2007... Byline: ROGER HART Winter drives can be memorable for a dead battery that leaves you stranded or a slide into a snowbank that requires a tow truck. But it doesn't have to be that way. Winter driving can be an enjoyable experience with a...

Meanwhile, outside our car world . . .(50th Anniversary countdown)
November 12, 2007... The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) hikes oil prices in retaliation for Western countries' involvement in the Yom Kippur War. A ceasefire is signed in Vietnam, ending involvement of American ground troops. U.S. bombing of...

Under the Hood.(Briefs)
November 12, 2007... Strip Tease Not all that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Just see our coverage of the Specialty Equipment Market Association show. Pictures and videos of the hottest models (cars and bipeds), not to mention the weird and wacky, are...

Smokin' Deals.(Incentives)
November 12, 2007... Enormous factory-to-dealer incentives mean there's plenty of negotiating room on two premium sport/utility vehicles, a sporty two-seater and a safety-minded sedan. Sport/Utility Vehicle 2008 Cadillac Escalade MSRP: $55,775; $1,000...

Letters.
November 12, 2007... HE WAS THERE I must take exception to your "Performance Balanced'' piece (Oct. 29). It states, "Ferrari clinched its first-ever manufacturers' title in North America (who realized that?).'' And the photo caption of the Risi Competizione...

CONCEPTS&CARBON; The future of mobility as seen in Tokyo.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Dutch Mandel, Roger Hart, Bob Gritzinger, Dale Jewett, Jonathan Wong, Dino Dalle Carbonare Thanks to issues such as global warming and dependence on foreign oil, you can't go to an auto show without being bombarded by green...

TV: Nov. 16-18.(News)
November 12, 2007... Friday, Nov. 16 * NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice from Homestead, Fla., 10:30 a.m., Speed (L) * NASCAR Nextel Cup practice from Homestead, Fla., 11:30 a.m., Speed (L) * NASCAR Busch Series practice from Homestead, Fla., 1...

Driver Training in First Grade? All indicators tell us we need to start young.(training of car drivers)
November 12, 2007... Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO Common sense and research concur: The younger you start, the better your chops. Racers know that the most competitive up-and-comers started in their single-digit years, learning car control in karts long before they...

MOTOR CITY SOUTH; Automotive action in the New South.
November 12, 2007... Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO There are a couple of dozen university-based transportation research facilities such as Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), including those at the University of Maryland, the...

Lessons Learned.(personal narratives of Kim Alexander )(Viewpoint essay)
November 12, 2007... Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO Kim Alexander was a model teen in Salem, South Carolina, population 125, but she started her last day of high school seething at the injustice in the world. What followed might be described as a fleeting lapse of...

SYRACUSE MUSCLE; 1933 Franklin 18A Olympic.(opinions of David Phillips )(Viewpoint essay)
November 12, 2007... Byline: ERIC TEGLER When David Phillips announced plans to trailer his newly acquired 1933 Franklin Olympic from the 2005 Franklin Club meet in Cazenovia, New York, to his home in Linthicum, Maryland, his fellow Franklin owners were...

Market.(product information of Chevrolet Motor Co.)(Brief article)
November 12, 2007... Byline: KEITH MARTIN 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door hardtop Keenan Auction Co. James "Ernie'' Clair Collection Portland, Maine Sept. 30 265-cid V8, two-barrel, Powerglide automatic. Yellow and black with...

TOKYO ON TWO WHEELS.(competitions of motorcycles)
November 12, 2007... Byline: MARK RECHTIN In its finest hour, the Tokyo motor show is a mash-up of science fiction and Disney. This pastiche is best seen in the far reaches of the Makuhari Messe's North Hall, where the motorcycles are stashed like wayward...

1973; David Pearson drives for the Wood Brothers to win 11 of 18 NASCAR races entered, but the championship goes to Benny Parsons, who runs them all.(50th Anniversary countdown)
November 12, 2007... Ford buys out Alejandro de Tomaso's remaining minority interest in De Tomaso Inc., maker of the two-seat, mid-engine Pantera sold by Lincoln-Mercury dealers in the United States. Ontario Motor Speedway, pronounced dead only months ago, is...

Cars Break Down.(Column)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Steve Thompson The best books are the ones you keep reaching for in your library but they aren't there. Usually, that's because either (a) you lent them to someone, or (b) they haven't been published yet. I've always wanted to read...

GREEN IS FOR GRASS.(environmental aspects of BMW AG and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Dutch Mandel, Roger Hart, Bob Gritzinger, Dale Jewett, Jonathan Wong, Dino Dalle Carbonare Tokyo `go' cars thumb their collective noses at environmental consciousness When automakers strayed from the earth-friendly theme at...

DRIPPING WITH VENOM; Dodge is set to unleash the Viper SRT10 ACR.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: ROGER HART The most wicked Viper ever to leave Dodge's Connor Avenue assembly plant in Detroit-the Viper SRT10 ACR-will be unleashed on the public at the Los Angeles auto show on Nov. 13. The ACR (for American Club Racer) is a...

WINK, WINK; Tokyo concepts broadly hint at production models.(News)
November 12, 2007... As car companies tighten their belts and tune their thinking, many of their concept vehicles are becoming more production-focused, rather than unbelievable expressions of some wild designer's futuristic dreams. Here's a sampler of concepts...

Extra.(Briefs)
November 12, 2007... Not driven to win A roboticized Chevrolet Tahoe named "Boss'' drove itself to top honors and a $2 million prize in the DARPA Urban Challenge, Nov. 3 in California. Entered by Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University and General Motors,...

Weird&Wacky.(Briefs)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Dutch Mandel, Roger Hart, Bob Gritzinger, Dale Jewett, Jonathan Wong, Dino Dalle Carbonare Among all the international auto shows, Tokyo has a long-deserved reputation for giving us some rather odd-looking transportation choices,...

Drivers Log.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
November 12, 2007... 2007 Audi RS4 Sedan Quattro In fleet: Oct. 8-22 As-tested price: $68,875 Drivetrain: 4.2-liter V8; awd, six-speed manual Output: 420 hp @ 7800 rpm, 317 lb-ft @ 6000 rpm Curb weight: 3957 lb Fuel economy (EPA/AW):...

Close But Not Finished; Jimmie Johnson zeroes in on another Nextel Cup.(Competition)
November 12, 2007... Byline: AL PEARCE For the third-straight weekend, Jeff Gordon did not quite measure up. He simply wasn't good enough to contend in the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, the eighth stop on NASCAR's 10-race Chase for the Cup. He certainly...

IFS, ANDS AND BUTTS IN SEATS; As the NHRA season closed, anything could have happened-and did.(Competition)
November 12, 2007... Byline: MARK VAUGHN What does everyone think about the NHRA's new "Countdown to One'' scoring system? Tony Schumacher, Tony Pedregon and Jeg Coughlin like it. They won championships in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock, respectively....

Goodness, gracious.(News)
November 12, 2007... Mike Strasburg's 8000-hp Top Fuel dragster engine went up in a great ball of fire during the final qualifying session for the NHRA's season-ending race in Pomona, California. Strasburg escaped unharmed as the explosion put an exclamation point...

Crashes Force Safety to the Forefront.(Competition)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Mark Vaugn John Force's horrific crash at Dallas this year (Competition, Oct. 1), which destroyed his car and sent him to the hospital, where he got pins, screws, splints and stitches in every extremity except his head, focused the...

EXTRA.(Competition)
November 19, 2007... HONDA ADDS BRAWN The Honda Formula One team has added a big name in its quest to emerge from F1's cellar. Former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn is Honda F1's new team principal. Brawn took a sabbatical from Ferrari in 2007 after 10...

ELECTRONICS AVENUE.(News)
November 19, 2007... Honk All You Want, Then Make More As if customized ring tones weren't annoying (and fun) enough, now you can program your car to broadcast any sound you want-barking dogs, movie sound bites, Rihanna's "Shut Up and Drive''-with a honk of...

15TH-ANNUAL AUTOWEEK DESIGN FORUM ]] A FUN RIDE.(News)(Brief article)
November 19, 2007... Designers with an eye for the whimsical will highlight this year's AutoWeek Design Forum, with the theme "Designed for Fun.'' The first speaker at this year's event is Paul Kolada, founder and head of Priority Designs, a Columbus, Ohio,...

L.A. EXTRA.(News)
November 19, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Concept to reality Hyundai unveiled its Concept Genesis Coupe at the Los Angeles show, but production versions of the big rear-wheel-drive cars-sedan, coupe and convertible-are well on their way to dealership...

EXTRA.(Briefs)
November 19, 2007... Seized! Trouble continues for specialty-car maker Unique Performance ("Trouble at the Mustang Ranch,'' This Week, Oct. 15). On Nov. 1, authorities in Farmers Branch, Texas, where Unique Performance is headquartered, wrapped up a month-long...

TV: Nov. 21 - 25.(Competition)
November 19, 2007... Wednesday, Nov. 21 Redline TV, 9 a.m., Speed Redline TV, 9:30 a.m., Speed 2003 NHRA Fall Nationals from Dallas, 11 a.m., ESPN Classic NASCAR Busch Series from Homestead, Fla., noon, Speed Back in the Day, 2:30 p.m., Speed...

Market.(Escape Roads)(product information of Ford T Roadster of Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
November 19, 2007... Byline: KEITH MARTIN 1925 Ford Model T Roadster Keenan Auction Co. James "Ernie'' Clair Collection Portland, Maine Sept. 30 176-cid four-cylinder, one-barrel, two-speed. Black with black vinyl interior. Barn-find...

LOS ANGELES TEASE: AUDI REVEALS 'CONCEPT' Q5.(News)
November 19, 2007... Byline: JONATHAN WONG Don't let the concept tag on Audi's Cross Cabriolet Quattro fool you. Our sources say the German automaker's Los Angeles show car is definitely what we'll see when the Q5 arrives in early 2009. The two-door...

OH. MY. GOD.(News)
November 19, 2007... Garson/D.A.D Mercedes-Benz SL600 Sometimes at SEMA, you have to look hard to unearth a diamond in the rough of turbos, body kits and rims, but there was no missing this Mercedes SL600, conceived by Garson/D.A.D in Japan. It took 20 people...

Drivers Log.(product information of General Motors Corp. Cadillac Motor Car Div.)
November 19, 2007... WILSON: This is the top-performing CTS we'll see until the V comes out, and it's pretty impressive. The direct-injection engine gets more than 300 hp, and while I might have preferred the manual, this six-speed automatic works well, with...

SEMA '07.(News)(product information of General Motors Corp.)(product information of Toyota Motor Corp.)(product information of Volkswagen AG)
November 19, 2007... Dodge Concept 'Cuda The Lamborghini pearl orange coat is the first thing that sucks you into this 'Cuda's atmosphere; then the carbon-fiber shaker hood is another jewel that makes you shake your head. There is a sense of deja vu for those...

Meanwhile, outside our car world . . .(50th Anniversary countdown)
November 19, 2007... India successfully tests an atomic device, becoming the world's sixth nuclear power. OPEC ends the oil embargo begun in 1973. The House Judiciary Committee adopts three articles of impeachment charging President Richard Nixon with obstruction...

UNDER THE HOOD.(Briefs)
November 19, 2007... Let's put on a show! We've already shown you the Ford Mustang Bullitt and the Dodge Viper ACR, but show biz never stops in Los Angeles. Unveilings this week at the L.A. show will include the new Lincoln MKS sedan, the Audi Cross concept, the...

BIKELIKE.(News)
November 19, 2007... TriRod Motorcycles F3 Adrenaline TriRod calls the F3 Adrenaline the world's first production performance three-wheeled motorcycle, and we have no basis to dispute the claim. Unlike traditional trikes, the F3 has two wheels in front and a...

ODDS AND ENDS.(News)
November 19, 2007... Masterbuilt Kingsford Tailgating Grill Maybe it's that you can couple master chef duties with driving in the comfort of your own vehicle that makes us smile. The hitch-based Tailgating Grill can be used at your favorite racetrack or sports...

SMOKIN' DEALS.(News)
November 19, 2007... Offers on '08s, including a big Dodge SUV and a Mercedes sedan, are heating up, while an '07 Mazda sports car and a Toyota hybrid carry big cash-back incentives. SPORTS CAR 2007 Mazda RX-8 MSRP: $27,030; $3,500 cash back ...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
November 19, 2007... This Week's Sign the Automotive Apocalypse Is Nigh The baby name Danica, Slavic for "morning star,'' has seen a steady rise in hospital nurseries since 2005, when Danica Patrick led the Indianapolis 500 and was the IndyCar Series rookie of...

Race report.(rankings of automobile racing)
November 19, 2007... Byline: Al Pearce Jeff Gordon virtually conceded the Nextel Cup to teammate Jimmie Johnson moments after the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Gordon finished 10th-his 29th top-10 this year-but as usual lately, it...

THE ONLY WAY TO GO; Sebastien Bourdais wins one more time in the season's, and his, Champ Car finale.(rankings of automobile racing)
November 19, 2007... Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO Observers might have thought that Champ Car did not want Sebastien Bourdais to finish the season and his series career with another win. Yet if that perception in Mexico City worked against Champ Car's...

It's Been Worse.(Column)
November 19, 2007... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson As we troll through the archives preparing the AutoWeek 50th-anniversary pages, Dutch and I are a little more than a decade ahead of what you're reading in the magazine in any given week. We're doing the '80s now....

Letters.
November 19, 2007... S is for sarcasm . . . About the Lexus IS F ("Gimme an F!" Oct. 29): Wow, what a great car! Oops, no manual tranny as an option? BMW will never have to worry as long as the competition refuses to offer manual transmissions for those of...

Straight shooter; Frank, er, Ford Bullitt tells it like it is.(product information of bullitt mustang of Ford Motor Co.)
November 19, 2007... Byline: Natalie Neff "Look, Chalmers, let's understand something." Frank Bullitt eyes the senator with unmasked contempt. "I don't like you." Sen. Chalmers glides toward the cop, unmoved. "Come on, now. Don't be naive, Lieutenant," he...

The Gran Turismo Godfather.(News)
November 19, 2007... With more than 47 million copies shipped worldwide since its 1997 launch, Sony's Gran Turismo is the most successful racing game in history and one of the best-selling titles of all time, period. The latest installment in the billion-dollar...