AutoWeek articles from October 2003

AutoWeek archives from October 2003

Flash.(Briefs)
October 6, 2003... CART to Vegas As expected, CART released a tentative schedule at Miami, tentative because it included up to 21 race venues but no dates. As offered, the 2004 schedule includes 15 "confirmed'' races. All were on CART's 2003 schedule, except...

Herbert, Lehto score third win.(Competition)
October 6, 2003... Johnny Herbert and JJ Lehto scored their third American Le Mans Series win of the season, driving the Champion Racing Audi R8 to victory in Miami. The winning car finished 40.642 seconds ahead of the runner-up Team Joest Audi R8 of Frank...

Results.(Motorsports)(Indianapolis Motor Speedway)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.605-mile road course Sept. 28 1. Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 73 laps at 121.890 mph avg. speed; 2. Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren-Mercedes, 73; 3. Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Sauber-Petronas, 73; 4. Jarno...

Results.(Motorsports)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Bayfront Park 1.15-mile road course Sept. 28 1. Mario Dominguez, Lola, 135 laps at 75.533 mph avg. speed; 2. Roberto Moreno, Lola, 135; 3. Mika Salo, Lola, 135; 4. Jimmy Vasser, Reynard, 135; 5. Mario Haberfeld, Reynard, 135; 6....

Results.(Motorsports)(Talladega Superspeedway)
October 6, 2003... Talladega Superspeedway 2.66-mile oval Sept. 28 1. Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 188 laps at 156.045 mph avg. speed; 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 188; 3. Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 188; 4. Ryan Newman, Dodge, 188; 5. Jeff Gordon,...

Flash.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The real Le Mans Unlike the Lamborghini Gallardo-based Audi Le Mans concept shown last month in Frankfurt (AW, Sept. 22), the production Audi Le Mans quattro-if built-will have little or nothing in common with the V10-powered Lambo....

Race Report.(Motorsports)
October 6, 2003... This one was no gift. Mario Dominguez earned his win in Miami, even if the race had the feel of a slot-car procession punctuated by spinoffs. The bumpy 1.15-mile Bayfront circuit is better suited to go-karts than Champ cars. In oppressive...

THE NATURAL; The new A.J. is wearing shades, but where will he shine next?(Motorsports)(A.J. Allmendinger )
October 6, 2003... Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO In January 2001, A.J. Allmendinger was a go-karting whiz, and brash. Definitely brash. Yet, just past his 18th birthday, Allmendinger hadn't driven a race car. His opportunity came compliments of Team Rahal, which...

Race Report.(Motorsports)
October 6, 2003... Byline: AL PEARCE Poor ol' Mikey Waltrip. He beats Dale Earnhardt Jr. in another Talladega thriller, then some yahoo reminds the world that he has never won anything but restrictor-plate races: Daytona Beach, 3; Talladega, 1; Everywhere...

Light, Fast and Far Ahead of Its Time.(Escape Roads)(Lotus Eleven)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 6, 2003... Byline: BILL McGUIRE First, it's properly known as a Lotus Eleven, not XI or Mark XI. For this Lotus, Colin Chapman dispensed with the sniffy Roman numerals used on his previous creations and selected a more modern designation to...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)(briefs)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... ]]]] Society Notes The photo above is making its way around the cyber world and is identified as "the most redneck NASCAR picture, ever.'' We're not so sure. We think that distinction would be if she had Earnhardt's number shaved out of...

Events.(Calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 6, 2003... Nov. 29 Import Fest Vancouver, British Columbia Visit importfest.com for more information on this sport compact show. Nov. 29 Toys-for-Tots Cruise Brooklyn, N.Y. Proceeds to benefit the St. Mary's Hospital for...

Fast Poll.(News)(America waits for Alfa Romeo 8C)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Frankfurt has given us a taste of our motoring future. What's hot and what's not? Again readers show America is ready and waiting for Alfa Romeo. I was enraptured by the Alfa 8C. No car shape in the last 20 years has had that kind of...

TV; Oct. 10-14.(News)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 6, 2003... Friday, Oct. 10 NASCAR Winston Cup Replay from Kansas City, Kan., 2 p.m., Speed Channel (T) NASCAR Winston Cup Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., Speed Channel (L) NASCAR Busch Series from Concord, N.C., 7 p.m., TNT (L) Corvettes at...

Beefing Up for Bubba; How Talladega controls the over-beveraged.(Motorsports)(Winston Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway)
October 6, 2003... Byline: WILLIAM JEANES At the spring Winston Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway, Maj. Randy Cook of the Harrison County, Mississippi, Sheriff's Department noticed a number of new Pontiac police cars, more than he expected to see in a...

WE DRIVE THE LAST BEETLE; Or close to the last Beetle, anyway.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Volkswagen just showed us the fifth-generation Golf at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and it is a real credit to the folks at VW headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. So, too, is the new W12-powered, U.S.-spec Volkswagen...

FABULOUS FLYING FORD; The Tri-Motor changed flying forever.(Revs)
October 6, 2003... Byline: MARK VAUGHN ***** Correction: On page 26 of this issue, the Ford Tri-Motor pilot should be identified as Capt. Bud Fuchs. ***** Celebrations of the Ford Motor Co.'s first century have concentrated mostly on the cars....

STRATEGIC BUYING GUIDE, PART III: Part 1 of 2.(News)(Buyers Guide)
October 6, 2003... Cars-and vans-to haul your stuff From a buyer's point of view there may have never been a better time to be a car consumer. The low-ball financing options that automakers keep rolling out are driven by the incredible variety of choices and...

Cheating.(Review)(Book Review)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Bill McGuire Cheating: An Inside Look at the Bad Things Good NASCAR Winston Cup Racers Do in the Pursuit of Speed, by Tom Jensen, hardcover, 250 pages, $24.95, David Bull Publishing, (602) 852-9500, www.bullpublishing.com. Auto...

Barney Oldfield.(Review)(Book Review)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Larry Edsall Barney Oldfield: The Life and Times of America's Legendary Speed King, by William F. Nolan, hardcover, 232 pages, $32.50, published by Brown Fox Books, (800) 450-7949, www.brownfoxbooks.com There was a time in...

2004 HONDA S2000.(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... On sale: October Base Price: $32,900 (est.) Powertrain: 2.2-liter, 240-hp, 161-lb-ft four-cylinder; rwd, six-speed manual Curb Weight: 2835 pounds 0 to 60 mph: 5.9 seconds (mfr.)

2004 MAZDA 3.(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... ON SALE: December BASE PRICE: $13,000 (est.) POWERTRAIN: 2.0-liter, 148-hp, 135-lb-ft I4; fwd, five-speed manual CURB WEIGHT: 3050 pounds (mfr.) 0 to 60 MPH: 8.5 seconds (est.)

Drivers Log.(News)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 6, 2003... 2003 Infiniti G35 Date in fleet: July 31-Aug. 14 As-tested price: $35,395 Powertrain: 3.5-liter V6; rwd, six-speed manual HP: 260 @ 6000 rpm Torque: 260 @ 4800 rpm curb weight: 3398 pounds MPG (EPA combined/AW observed): 22.62/19.28 ...

STABLE MATES; GM's fresh round of compact trucks outrun the field.(News)(Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon )
October 6, 2003... Byline: JOHN D. STOLL After more than two decades of service, GM is replacing its aging S-10/Sonoma pickup line this November with the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon duo. GM's redesigned compacts arrive in advance of redesigned...

Gordon Bennett Revisited in Ireland; Remembering a flamboyant American's race.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Eoin Young While immersed in the incredible centenary of the Gordon Bennett races that ran on the Athy road course near Dublin, we had a go at driving the factory Napier Charles Jarrott had raced on that very stretch of Irish road...

HOME OF THE THREE; Mazda follows a much-loved 6 and 8 with another impressive number.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: MATT DAVIS We don't go around jinxing good things, but most or all of Mazda's sales goals it set at the launch of the Mazda 6 last year are being met or exceeded. This is good, because for years the "eccentric underdog'' came up a...

2CV FLASHBACK, DUDE; CITROEN takes the dare and builds an idea that's so crazy it just might work.(News)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 6, 2003... Byline: MATT DAVIS CITROEN'S ORIGINAL 9-HP 2CV cost the French less than $1,000 when it first came out in 1949. It was a unique, bare-knuckled little steel putt-putt car intended primarily for country folk going to market in the hard times...

IT'S ABOUT THE FLAVOR, NOT THE PRICE.(Column)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Rich Ceppos I'm in our Mini Cooper S long-termer, pausing at a small-town three-way stop. It's a wonderful car, this Mini, full of verve, always goading you to boot the throttle and steer like you mean it. And it looks so cute,...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
October 6, 2003... Unsettled by UAW settlement I'm troubled by the new UAW contracts signed with Visteon, Delphi, Ford, Chrysler and GM. In signing these deals, the car companies noted thousands of jobs would be lost in an effort to give the Detroit...

IN DESPERATE SEARCH OF AN AUDI SUPERCAR.(Column)(Column)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Matt Davis There's always at least a perceived limit as to how far we let this or that manufacturer go in search of its rakish/hip side. Sometimes said manufacturer would do well to take heed of what us hacks and you readers think,...

2004 CHEVROLET COLORADO/GMC CANYON.(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... On sale: November Base price: $16,200/$16,530 Powertrain: 2.8-liter, 175-hp, 185-lb-ft inline five; rwd, five-speed manual Curb weight: 3117 pounds 0 to 60 mph: 8.7 seconds (est.)

2004 CITROEN C3 PLURIEL.(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... On sale: Now (in Europe) Base price: $17,000 Powertrain: 1.4-liter, 73-hp, 87-lb-ft I4; fwd, five-speed manual Curb weight: 2500 pounds 0 to 60 mph: 13.8 seconds (mfr.)

2000 + 200 = 240; S2000 gets a bigger engine and more usable power.(News)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 6, 2003... Byline: MARK VAUGHN There are significant improvements to the 2004 Honda S2000, but you have to push a little to find them. Indeed, after several laps of the Spring Mountain Motorsports Park road course out in the desert near Las Vegas, we...

STRATEGIC BUYING GUIDE, PART III: Part 2 of 2.(News)(Product/Service Evaluation)(Buyers Guide)
October 6, 2003... Mazda Mazda Motor of America/mazdausa.com MPV Highlights: Only minor changes for '04. Base price: $23,780 What's next: In '06 it will sit on a 6-Mazda 6, that is. In our opinion: Why are sales so low? ...

Corrections.(Correction)
October 6, 2003... On page 26 of this issue, the Ford Tri-Motor pilot should be identified as Capt. Bud Fuchs. Our Truck and SUV Guide in the Sept. 29 issue should have listed the Ford Super Duty as F250/350 models. The Opposite Lock column in the Sept....

M5 Spied!(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... With the recent debut of BMW's next-generation 5 Series at the Frankfurt motor show, can the performance M version be far behind? Well, yes and no. Yes, here's the next M5 sedan (BMW will also build an M5 wagon) in testing, running the...

AutoWeek's Fast Five: Wayne Cherry.(News)(brief interview with General Motors design chief Wayne Cherry)(Interview)
October 6, 2003... General Motors design chief Wayne Cherry will retire Jan. 1 after a 42-year career at GM, serving the last 11 years as only the fifth head of GM design in the company's 95-year history. As he hands off to 31-year GM veteran Ed Welburn, who...

TV Oct. 17-21.(News)(Calendar)
October 13, 2003... Friday, Oct. 17 NASCAR Winston Cup qualifying from Martinsville, Va., 3 p.m., Speed Channel (L) NASCAR Busch Series qualifying from Millington, Tenn., 9:30 p.m., Speed Channel (SD) FIA World Rally from France, 10:30 p.m., Speed...

Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
October 13, 2003... Dec. 7 Florida Swap Meet, Car Corral and Show Bushnell, Fla. For more information call (800) 438-8559 or visit www.floridaswapmeets.net. Dec. 13 Boyd Coddington Car Show La Habra, Calif. To learn more about this...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)(quotes)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... [[[[ So that's why they have so many older engineers When Jaguar F1 driver Justin Wilson isn't behind the wheel of his 900-horsepower race car, he pilots a 2.5-liter X-Type. Why not a car with more poke, like at least the 3.0-liter?...

GALANT EFFORT; Mitsubishi holds its own in tough midsize field.(News)
October 13, 2003... Byline: NATALIE NEFF Fact: The midsize sedan segment accounts for one of every five vehicles on the road today. Fact: Toyota, Honda and Ford dominate this competitive market, with little guys like Mitsubishi barely making a dent. Fact:...

Fast Poll.(News)(Montreal Grand Prix)(Letter to the Editor)
October 13, 2003... The U.S. Grand Prix is now F1's only stop on our part of the globe. One race just isn't enough, and readers will sorely miss Montreal, the Monaco of North America. Nothing at Indy can replace the scene on Crescent Street or the Villeneuve...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
October 13, 2003... Aztek shines Your Sept. 29 story on Pontiac's Ultimate Aztek proves that GM is screwed up. If they would've built something that looked like this from the get-go, it would dominate the market. Jamie Kirkman, via e-mail Okay, if GM...

SPECS & DATA.(Auto File)(Chrysler Pacifica)
October 13, 2003... MANUFACTURER INFO DaimlerChrysler Corp. 1000 Chrysler Drive Auburn Hills MI 48326 Customer assistance: (800) 992-1997 Internet address: chrysler.com Country of origin: Canada Number of dealers: 2900 sticker...

TRANS PACIFICA; Chrysler's cross-dress, er, crossover makes a splash.(Auto File)
October 13, 2003... We don't have the time nor the space to tell you once more what kind of vehicle we think the Pacifica is (that was a lie: It's a station wagon; big, yeah, but a station wagon nonetheless). Chrysler insists on calling it a segment buster,...

OWNERS SAY...(Auto File)(Chrysler Pacifica)
October 13, 2003... The styling is great and it comes with so many bells and whistles. I love the controls and the fact that there are options for almost everything. There is a lot of flexibility in setting up the environment to suit you. It handles well and the...

TWO CARS IN ONE; The Mercedes-Benz CL65 is a big luxury coupe, and a snarling supercar.(News)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 13, 2003... Byline: Wes Raynal On a sultry late-summer morning in the South of France, we slipped behind the wheel for a drive of an innocent-looking Mercedes CL coupe. We put the car in Drive and crept out of the parking area to begin our evaluation....

CHAMPION IN THE MAKING; Ryan Newman will win a Cup title. Count on it.(Motorsports)
October 13, 2003... Byline: CURT CAVIN Jeff Gordon has been around enough NASCAR champions to see one in the making. He had his eyes squarely focused on Matt Kenseth three years ago, and Kenseth is now reaching for his first title. Gordon sees Ryan Newman on...

Race Report.(Motorsports)(NASCAR Winston Cup)
October 13, 2003... While the focus of the NASCAR Winston Cup race at Kansas Speedway was on Ryan Newman's exceptional fuel mileage, the attention is likely to shift to the brewing points battle. That's because Matt Kenseth is trying to give his big lead away. ...

Flash.(Briefs)
October 13, 2003... Ganassi to sports cars? Rumor has Chip Ganassi Racing entering a pair of Daytona Prototypes in next year's Grand-American Road Racing Championship. Word is that Ganassi has two of Riley & Scott's new MkXI chassis and will run Toyota V8s....

BELL TAKES THE POINTS LEAD.(Competition)
October 13, 2003... Bell Motorsports has sought the Daytona Prototype points lead all season long and the team finally moved to the front of the class with a win at the VIR 400 at Virginia International Raceway. Andy Pilgrim started the No. 54 Doran-Chevy on the...

Results.(Motorsports)(Rally San Remo)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Rally San Remo Oct.4-6 1. Sebastian Loeb, Citroen Xsara, 4h 16m 33.7s; 2. Gilles Panizzi, Peugeot 206 WRC, +28.3s; 3. Markko Martin, Ford Focus RS WRC 03, +54.6s; 4. Carlos Sainz, Citroen Xsara, +2m 33.2s; 5. Francois Duval, Ford Focus...

CALLING IT QUITS.(Revs)(Richard Kughn's Carail Museum)
October 13, 2003... Byline: ANDREW LUU When you truly love something, it becomes a part of who you are. Richard Kughn loved his toys like he loved his kids, but after 70 years he came to the realization that love sometimes means knowing when to let go. ...

2004 Ford Freestar / Mercury Monterey.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... ON SALE: Now BASE PRICE: $24,460/$29,995 POWERTRAIN: 3.9-liter, 193-hp, 245-lb-ft V6; fwd, four-speed automatic (Freestar)/4.2-liter, 201-hp, 263-lb-ft V6; fwd, four-speed automatic (Monterey) CURB WEIGHT: 4275 pounds/4340 pounds 0 TO 60 MPH:...

2004 MITSUBISHI GALANT.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... ON SALE: October BASE PRICE: $18,000 (est.) POWERTRAIN: 2.4-liter,160-hp, 157-lb-ft I4; fwd, four-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT: 3351 pounds 0 to 60 MPH: 8.0 seconds (est.)

2005 MERCEDES-BENZ CL65 AMG.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... On sale: Fall 2004 Base price: $175,000 (est.) Powertrain: 6.0-liter, 604-hp, 714-lb-ft twin-turbo V12; rwd, five-speed automatic Curb Weight: 4741 pounds 0 to 60 mph: 4.2 seconds (mfr.)

LIKES/DISLIKES.(Auto File)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... likes * Styling * Build quality * People capacity dislikes * Power-to-weight * Rear visibility * Cargo capacity

New single-seat series.(Competition)(entry-level Formula BMW)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... BMW will bring its ENTRY-level Formula BMW to the United States next year, modeling it after programs in Europe and Asia, as well as a recently announced series in England. The series is a steppingstone for young go-kart racers looking to...

Drivers Log.(News)(2004 Chevrolet Malibu)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 13, 2003... 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Date in fleet: Sept. 22-29 As-tested price: $23,290 Powertrain: 3.5-liter V6; fwd, four-speed automatic Hp: 200 @ 5400 rpm Torque: 220 @ 3200 rpm Curb weight: 3297 pounds MANDEL: Quick! Someone tell me where...

FOCUSING ON FORD'S FUTURE.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... With the all-new 2004 F-150 pickup tearing up the sales charts and the Five Hundred large sedan waiting in the wings, we're happy to see Ford hasn't taken its eye off the small-car market. These spy pictures show the next-generation five-door...

Car-Toons.(Revs)(car scuptures)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Byline: MIKE COVELLO Most auto enthusiasts view their cars as works of art. Now you've got the chance to have your vehicle immortalized in clay, and you can even include yourself in the sculpture. Craig and Pamela Booth have been...

Lost Weekend.(adventures in navigation)(Column)
October 13, 2003... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson Like many proud drivers, I've never seen why a navigation system is regarded as an admirable feature with which to complicate my dashboard. Though sometimes temporarily unable to tell you exactly where we are, I'm...

Flash.(Briefs)
October 13, 2003... Searching for GS No. 6 Ed Welburn only assumed leadership of General Motors design Oct. 1, but already we like his style. After reading AutoWeek's story on the possibility that a sixth Corvette Grand Sport was built back in the early 1960s...

STRATEGIC BUYING GUIDE, PART IV: Part 1 of 3.(News)(Buyers Guide)
October 13, 2003... Believe it or not, not everyone drives a sports car or truck or "crossover vehicle'' (at least not yet). That's why we've devoted an entire quarter of our four-part buyers guide to the available sedan market. These cars are so much more than...

Results.(Motorsports)(Kansas Speedway, October 5)
October 13, 2003... Kansas Speedway 1.5-mile tri-oval Oct. 5 1. Ryan Newman, Dodge, 267 laps at 121.630 mph avg. speed; 2. Bill Elliott, Dodge, 267; 3. Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge, 267; 4. Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 267; 5. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 267; 6....

STRATEGIC BUYING GUIDE, PART IV: Part 2 of 3.(News)(Buyers Guide)
October 13, 2003... Hyundai Hyundai Motor America/hyundaiusa.com Sonata Highlights: No major mechanical or trim changes. Base price: $16,539 What's next: A larger redesign should show up in spring '05. In our opinion: An economical buy...

STRATEGIC BUYING GUIDE, PART IV: Part 3 of 3.(News)(Buyers Guide)
October 13, 2003... Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Motors of America/mitsucars.com Galant Mitsubishi's undersized Galant will join the ranks of true midsize motoring with its all-new-for-'04 model. The Galant is bigger all around, has increased interior...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
October 13, 2003... Our Oct. 6 story about the last of the old Volkswagen Beetles should have identified the owner as Bob Poggi.

ON YOUR MARK! GET SET! GO; (to the supermarket, or soccer field, or school, or...).(News)(Ford Freestar)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 13, 2003... Byline: MAC MORRISON IT'S NOT THE STUFF OF RACING pulses-or racing anything, for that matter-but 2004 is the Year of the Minivan. Nissan and Toyota fired the first shots, and Ford now gets in on the act with its 2004 Freestar and upscale...

Events.(Calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 20, 2003... Dec. 13 Northern Lights Holiday Parade Flagstaff, Ariz. Visit wemweb.com for more information on this family event. Dec. 19 Car Show and Cruise-In Lakeland, Fla. To learn more about this show hosted by the...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
October 20, 2003... Border Wars are good Great article on the dirt-track Border Wars (Oct. 13). I'm 60 and I had quit going to races. I'd been to Indy, Le Mans, Michigan, Mid-Ohio and got tired of it all. Then two years ago I decided to try it again and...

Charlotte Motor Speedway.(News)
October 20, 2003... 1.5-mile oval Oct. 11 1. Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 334 laps at 142.871 mph avg. speed; 2. Ryan Newman, Dodge, 334; 3. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 334; 4. Bill Elliott, Dodge, 334; 5. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 334; 6. Bobby Labonte,...

Strangeness in a strange land; Tokyo show promises worldwide array of wild concepts.(News)(concept cars to be displayed at Tokyo Motor Show)
October 20, 2003... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Japan's heavyweights can be expected to take advantage of home field at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show, but European and U.S. automakers also plan strong showings. All told, things will probably appear pretty foreign...

PORSCHE CARRERA GT.(News)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2003... On Sale: December Base price: $440,000 Powertrain: 5.7-liter, 605-hp, 435-lb-ft V10; rwd, six-speed manual Curb Weight: 3043 pounds 0 to 62 mph: 3.9 seconds (mfr.)

RINSPEED BEDOUIN.(News)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 20, 2003... POWERTRAIN: 3.6-liter, 420-hp, 413-lb-ft horizontally opposed, twin-turbo six-cylinder; awd, six-speed manual CURB WEIGHT: n/a 0 to 60 mph: 5.8 seconds

STOLA GTS.(News)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 20, 2003... POWERTRAIN: 3.7-liter, 480-hp, 457-lb-ft horizontally opposed twin-turbo six-cylinder; rwd, six-speed manual CURB WEIGHT: 2780 pounds (est.) 0 to 60 MPH: 3.8 seconds (est.)

A Tale of Two Porsches.(News)
October 20, 2003... Byline: MATT DAVIS SWISS INGENUITY There are the jokes. Switzerland, seen by outsiders as a privileged Xanadu, has managed to master only the blowing of alphorns, yodeling and-everybody's favorite- cuckoo clocks. But there's seriously...

Quick Spins.(Review)(Book Review)
October 20, 2003... Daytona 24 Hours, The Definitive History of America's Great Endurance Race by J.J. O'Malley, hardcover, 400 pages, David Bull Publishing, (602) 852-9500, bullpublishing.com, $89.95. NASCAR founder Bill France also had an interest in sports...

IN OUR ELEMENT.(News)(Honda Element)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 20, 2003... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER We knew it would happen soon enough, and sure enough it did. Once the warmer weather hit, our ranger-green Honda Element became the consummate home- away-from-home camper-mobile, the perfect tailgater, the moving van...

TV Oct. 24-28.(Calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 20, 2003... Friday, Oct. 24 * NASCAR Busch Series qualifying from Hampton, Ga., 1:30 p.m., Speed Channel (L) * IHRA Drag Racing from Epping, N.H., 3 p.m., Speed Channel (T) * FIA World Rally from France, 5 p.m., Speed Channel (T) * NASCAR...

Fast Poll.(News)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2003... Byline: C.B. Gerhart, Kokomo, Ind. If the Brickyard adds a fourth race, what should it be? Readers nominated CART, motorcycles and the American Le Mans Series as the prime candidates. I'd like to see bikes race on the IMS road course....

Driver's Log.(News)(2003 Acura NSX)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 20, 2003... 2003 Acura NSX Date in fleet: Sept. 23-Oct. 7 As-tested price: $89,765 Powertrain: 3.2-liter V6; rwd, six-speed manual Hp: 290 @ 7100 rpm Torque: 224 @ 5500 rpm Curb weight: 3153 pounds HART: I would love Honda to drop a nice,...

FIGHT IN FORT WORTH; De Ferran wins the race, Dixon takes the title.(News)(Gil de Ferran and Scott Dixon)
October 20, 2003... Byline: BILL McGUIRE Incredible: After battling each other all year and winning 11 of the first 15 races among them, five drivers came into the IRL season finale at Texas Motor Speedway contending for the series championship. The...

Race Report.(Competition)(Mexico City)
October 20, 2003... To his credit, Paul Tracy usually bounces back from blunders with truly impressive drives, and he bounced in Mexico City. This one had the feel of two distinct races, but Tracy owned both. After a championship-threatening crash the previous...