AutoWeek articles from October 2007

AutoWeek archives from October 2007

Meanwhile, outside our car world . . .(50th Anniversary countdown)
October 1, 2007... The Six-Day War ends June 5, with Israel occupying the Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip and West Bank. Racial violence in Detroit: 7000 National Guardsmen aid police after a night of rioting. Median household income: $7,143. A gallon...

Correction.(Correction notice)
October 1, 2007... Our "Concours d'Foliage'' story (Sept. 17) should have put the village of Dorset, Vermont, on Route 30. In Dorset, we still highly recommend stops at the Barrows House and the Dorset Inn.

1967; At the "Race of Champions'' at Britain's Brands Hatch, Dan Gurney's Eagle-Weslake "screams to first-ever F1 victory for American car.'' He then wins the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.(50th Anniversary countdown)
October 1, 2007... Although stretching the rules of racing is not new-anything to get an "unfair advantage''-more science and technology is being used, from aerodynamic foils to squeezing more power out of less engine displacement to a generous interpretation of...

TURN HERE- I THINK! Learning the art of co-driving at the Nicky Grist Academy.
October 1, 2007... Byline: ANTHONY PEACOCK If you struggle to tell left from right, you should avoid certain jobs. Tank commander is one of them. So is rally co-driver. But there is no reason to let incompetence get in the way of a good time, and, indeed,...

A ROLLS ALSO RISES; 1954 ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER DAWN.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: JOHN F. KATZ It was because the sun was setting on the British Empire that the Silver Dawn arose. Unlike some of its continental competitors, Rolls-Royce foresaw only dwindling possibilities in the postwar period for...

TWO-WHEEL LOWDOWN; 2007 MOTO GUZZI NORGE 1200 GT.(product information of Moto Guzzi)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Byline: GEORGE P. BLUMBERG Moto Guzzi's serious sport-touring entry. 1151-cc, 95-hp, air-cooled, 90-degree V-twin; 542-lb dry weight; quarter-mile in 12.4 sec @ 104.7 mph Competitive Set BMW R 1200 RT, Ducati ST3, Honda ST1300,...

A HIGHER CALIBER; SRT returns Dodge to sport-compact competition.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: JONATHAN WONG Chrysler's Street Racing Technology division is at it again. This time, it has applied performance expertise to Dodge's lowly Caliber. After a four-lap session in the new SRT4 around Putnam Park Road Course in...

BEFORE PLASTIC AND CHROME; Why one former farmer keeps these century cars on the road every week.
October 1, 2007... Byline: PHIL BERG Forty years ago, Clem Konen was driving with his wife, Mary, in their 1914 Ford Model T, briskly traveling down a back road. Suddenly, a deer ran out, and they hit it with the car's front left tire. "It flipped us...

TV: OCT. 5-7.(News)
October 1, 2007... Friday, Oct. 5 * NASCAR Nextel Cup practice from Talladega, Ala., noon, Speed (L) * NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying from Talladega, Ala., 1 p.m., Speed (L) * NASCAR Live, 2:30 p.m., Speed (L) * NASCAR Nextel Cup final...

BIG LOVE; Three-quarters of a year down, and we still dig our 'Burban.(product information of General Motors Corp. Chevrolet Motor Div.)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Wes Raynal With nine months and 23,881 miles under its belt, the consensus on our long-term Chevy Suburban is the same as when it first arrived: We love it. In fact, one of the more common things heard around the coffee pot is "We...

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'; A Ferrari Dino debut in all but name is rumored for Detroit show.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: MICHAEL TAYLOR Italian sports-car maker Ferrari is prepping an all-new model, reportedly called the California, for a Detroit auto show debut in January. Originally referred to as the Dino, the car is said to be a V8-powered,...

LIBERTY FOR ALL; Jeep's midsize sport/utility looks to raise its man count.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: JONATHAN WONG Unlike its girl-car/guy-car approach with the Compass and the Patriot, Jeep did only one version of the second-generation Liberty. With the original truck skewed to female buyers, Jeep broadened the 2008 Liberty's...

Derby Dad.(Column)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Rob Krider Just as the Daytona 500 is the year's biggest race for stock cars, the Pinewood Derby is the big event of the year for a Cub Scout. The differences are minor: NASCAR uses million-dollar cars on a 2.5-mile oval, while the...

SNOW SHOES; New tire technology helps motorists get a grip on winter.(Revs)
October 1, 2007... Byline: JONATHAN WONG With another season of slush, snow and ice around the corner, now is the time to think about a set of winter tires to ease severe weather commutes. For this year, Bridgestone and Michelin both roll out new offerings...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
October 1, 2007... Hyperventilating Hyperlinks www.counterfeitmini.com www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLsZY90ekUo FREE O.J.! We thought for a moment that Las Vegas Motor Speedway officials had lost their minds when they issued a press release that...

Smokin' Deals.(Incentives)
October 1, 2007... This week, you can get into a Mini Cooper with special financing or a versatile GMC Yukon with big cash-back savings. An affordable sedan and a small sport/utility also offer attractive incentives. Sport/Utility Vehicle 2007 Honda...

Under the hood.(Briefs)
October 1, 2007... Tokyo show sure to heat up This year's Tokyo motor show is shaping up to be one of the all-time best. That is, if you like hot models (cars) and hot models (who wear knee-high boots and short skirts). Between the debuts of Nissan's GTR...

MARKET.(product information of General Motors Corp. Pontiac Div.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Byline: KEITH MARTIN 1964 Pontiac Catalina 2+2 convertible Gooding & Co. Pebble Beach, Calif. Aug. 18-19 389-cid, 283-hp V8, four-barrel, four-speed. Red with black vinyl interior, white vinyl top. Excellent red paint...

GIANT LEAP FORWARD; Mitsubishi's 10th-gen Evolution leaves rally roots behind.(Mitsubishi Motors Corp.)
October 1, 2007... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER The 2008 Mitsubishi Evolution has taken a leap that would leave even Charles Darwin befuddled. In a departure from the steady progression in the previous nine editions of the Evo dating back to 1992, the all-new...

Fleet Street; Briefs on our other long-termers.(News)
October 1, 2007... Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 Our turbo hatch continues to get praise for its generous trunk space and zippy reflexes. Toyota FJ Cruiser Blind spots and suicide doors still bug us, but we appreciate the FJ's reliability, curb appeal and V6....

PLACE YOUR BETS; Jacques Villeneuve makes his NASCAR debut at Las Vegas.(Competitions of car racing)
October 1, 2007... Byline: CURT CAVIN He can dispute this all he wants, but it was not a gamble for Jacques Villeneuve to race a NASCAR Craftsman Truck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The racing cards he's held recently did not look like winners. Sure, the...

FORCE INJURED IN FUNNY CAR CRASH.(Competition)
October 1, 2007... Almost six months to the day since his teammate Eric Medlen died in a testing crash (Competition, April 2), National Hot Rod Association 14-time Funny Car champion John Force suffered perhaps the most serious crash of his 29-year NHRA career at...

EXTRA.(Competition)
October 1, 2007... SPONSORS CONFIRMED The speculation proved correct (Competition, Sept. 24): Budweiser will sponsor Kasey Kahne at Gillett Evernham Motorsports, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be sponsored by Mountain Dew, Amp energy drink and the National...

BARN FINDS.(Revs)
October 1, 2007... If you have a story about finding a great car that was hidden away in a barn (or another secluded place), the Saratoga Automobile Museum in Saratoga Springs, New York, would love to hear about it. The museum is sponsoring the Ultimate Barn...

Extra.(Briefs)
October 1, 2007... Fit for the future Honda will introduce the next-generation Fit at the upcoming Tokyo motor show and bring the all-new minicar to the United States next fall as a 2009 model. Reports from Japan say the Fit gets a roomier cabin, a longer...

Drivers Log.(product information of BMW AG)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... 2008 BMW M5 In fleet: Aug. 29-Sept. 12 As-tested price: $96,595 Drivetrain: 5.0-liter V10; rwd, seven-speed sequential manual Output: 500 hp @ 7750 rpm, 383 lb-ft @ 6100 rpm Curb weight: 4012 lb Fuel economy (EPA/AW):...

Looking for a Savior.(Column)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Dutch Mandel For two decades and five union contracts, I've been part of Detroit's warp and woof and have lived its ups and downs. In the recent protracted down cycle of domestic car sales and, by extension, the concentric economic...

FERRARI'S Birthday Burnout; Past, Present and a Fuel-Efficient Future on Display at Fiorano.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: PETE LYONS Felipe Massa, 26, clambered aboard the upright old monster that is more than twice his age and plopped into the broad bucket made for a much bulkier man. Somehow, the slight youngster contrived to look instantly at home....

GREAT WIDE OPEN; Everyone is still alive in the Chase for the Cup.(Competition)
October 1, 2007... Byline: AL PEARCE Like it or not-you'll probably find more who do than don't-NASCAR's 10-race, 12-driver playoff is working like a charm. After two races, the top five drivers in the Chase for the Cup are separated by 10 points, the top...

RED BULL: NO SWITCH.(Competitions of car racing)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Al Pearce Guenther Steiner stood behind a Team Red Bull hauler at Dover and endured yet another impromptu grilling. Several writers wanted to know if Internet reports are correct, if TRB plans to dump Toyota in favor of Chevrolet...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... No beauty in his eyes Regarding the Mercedes-Benz F700 (This Week, Sept. 17), I don't think I've seen anything so ugly since GM discontinued the Fisher Body futuristic design contest in 1968. The future has arrived! Art Naebig, La...

Out of the stable.(News)
October 1, 2007... This Ferrari foal isn't even a day old, but the Prancing Horse is 60 years young. Ferrari celebrated with a weekend of fun and fireworks in Maranello. See our full report beginning on page 16. CAPTION(S): photo

Letters.
October 8, 2007... Brrrraaaawk! Better alert Volkswagen. KFC will be on the lookout for the chicken that laid that egg, the Volkswagen Up! concept. Brad DeLong, via e-mail Taxing Performance Wow! Your "CO2 Primer'' (Sept. 24) was an eye-popping...

SHARKS, GEEKS AND US; We infiltrate the biggest speed-enforcement test extravaganza in the country.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: PHIL BERG We think of speed cops as the enemy, restless predators who can smell your car-guy scent from beyond your view, whose sharp high-technology teeth will coldly devour your ability to enjoy your passion. To test our...

WALLY PARKS: 1913-2007.(Competition)
October 8, 2007... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Wally Parks, the visionary Southern California hot rodder who founded and nurtured the National Hot Rod Association as well as a host of racing institutions that flourish to this day, died Sept. 28 in Burbank,...

Extra.(Competition)
October 8, 2007... Schumacher Leaving Toyota Ralf Schumacher, the 32-year-old younger brother of seven-time champion Michael, said on his Web site that he will leave Toyota's Formula One team at the end of the season. He said he will announce what the future...

WHAT NEXT? Chaos in Kansas shakes up the Chase.(Competition)
October 8, 2007... Byline: CURT CAVIN Jeff Gordon didn't need to stumble out of Kansas Speedway in the dark to see how uncertainly NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series is shaping up. "I kind of snicker when I hear how well positioned someone is,'' he said on the...

1968; At the New York auto show, the BMW 2002 makes its first U.S. appearance. Its price is $1,847.(50th Anniversary countdown)
October 8, 2007... Stuntman Evel Knievel is injured on New Year's Eve when he tries to jump the fountain at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Toyota's U.S. arm signs Shelby Racing to prepare and campaign two 2000 GTs for the C Production class of the Sports Car...

Long-Termers.(Briefs)
October 8, 2007... Chevrolet Suburban LTZ At 25,000 miles, the front discs required resurfacing, which was covered under warranty. Toyota FJ Cruiser One truck, two takes: "I'm not going to be sad when this ute leaves.'' "I liked it a lot more than I...

DEBUNKING DETECTOR MYTHS.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: PHIL BERG Myth 1. Radar detectors prevent tickets. "If you buy one of our radar detectors to drive 120 mph on the highway,'' says Tony Kainuma, product manager for detector giant Cobra Electronics, "you will get a ticket. A big...

Meanwhile, outside our car world . . .(50th Anniversary countdown)
October 8, 2007... North Korea seizes U.S. Navy ship Pueblo, holding 83 midshipmen as spies. North Vietnam launches Tet Offensive, a turning point in the Vietnam War. President Johnson announces he will not run for reelection. Martin Luther King Jr. is slain...

Radar Detectors.(News)
October 8, 2007... Beltronics Electronics Laboratories STi Driver Description: Detects radar and lidar, promotes invisibility to police radar detector detectors (RDDs). Price: $450. Website: www.beltronics.com. Pro: Truckers, Canadians,...

Drivers Log.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
October 8, 2007... 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG In fleet: Sept. 10-26 As-tested price: $136,245 Drivetrain: 6.3-liter V8; rwd, seven-speed automatic Output: 518 hp @ 6800 rpm, 465 b-ft @ 5200 rpm Curb weight: 4665 lb Fuel Economy...

Under the hood.(Briefs)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... Ozzie knows best Last week, AutoWeek took a first-place Gold Ozzie at the annual Folio magazine awards. Our Feb. 26 issue was cited for Best Use of Photography of any magazine, topping Glamour and Fast Company, among others. No, the other...

Smokin' Deals.(prices and rates of trucks at Honda Motor Co.)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... Honda's big factory-to-dealer rebates on its versatile pickup truck, high-revving roadster and Acura TL give shoppers plenty of negotiation leverage. A small sport/utility also checks in with instant rebates. Convertible 2007 Honda...

ROCK ON! After 50 years, Lime Rock Park is still making history.(Revs)
October 8, 2007... Byline: DON KLEIN The first single-seater to thunder down the main straight at Lime Rock wasn't a Cooper T-53 or a Brabham BT-4. It was a Caterpillar D8 bulldozer. The year was 1955, and the man at the controls was Jim Vaill, whose...

In Their Own Words.(Competition)
October 8, 2007... "Big Daddy'' Don Garlits is to drag racing what Richard Petty is to stock cars and Mario Andretti is to open-wheel racing. Except that Garlits won a lot more races. AUTOWEEK: What is it about these reunions that keeps you coming back? ...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... Reality Dawns, but It's Too Late "Oh $#!^, oh $#!^, I've lost my job, everything!'' So proclaimed British driver Tim Brady, 33, immediately after police busted him for driving a Porsche 911 Turbo-"borrowed'' from the rental-car...

NITRO-FUELED MEMORY LANE; Vintage cars, and drivers, shine at the NHRA's Hot Rod Reunion.(Competition)
October 8, 2007... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH Once heard, Cacklefest will never be forgotten. "You will see grown men cry,'' says Marvin Noel, a grown man. "Tears in their eyes. It's an emotional experience.'' Veteran drag-racing announcer and promoter...

In Their Own Words.(Competition)(Interview)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... They called him Poison Ivo, Tubular Tommy, Instant Ivo, but the one that stuck was "TV Tommy'' IVO, because of the TV appearances he made before he turned to racing full-time. He was the ultimate showman and was among the first to figure that...

TV: OCT. 12-14.(News)(Diary entry)
October 8, 2007... Friday, Oct. 12 * Survival of the Fastest, 2 p.m., Speed * Survival of the Fastest, 2:30 p.m., Speed * NASCAR Live, 3 p.m., Speed (L) * NASCAR Busch Series qualifying from Concord, N.C., 4 p.m., ESPN2 (L) * NASCAR Nextel...

WORLD'S LARGEST MINI; Or is that an oxymoron?(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Oh, as if nobody saw this coming. You'd have to have been living in a barrel the last two years not to know pretty much everything about the new Mini Clubman already. There were four concepts of the Clubman in total...

Championship in Life.(Column)
October 8, 2007... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON Back in 1992 and '93, AutoWeek conducted the Vintage Motor Racing Challenge (VMRC) series for '60s and '70s Can-Am cars. Organizing it was my job and, in retrospect, one I didn't do especially well. If only I'd...

OUT OF SYNC? Ford's biggest problem could be getting potential Focus buyers to look.(News)
October 8, 2007... Forgive our lack of anticipation for Ford's new Focus. The 2008 Focus is, after all, the once-beloved original warmed over a second time, nearly a decade after its introduction, while Europe enjoys a new-generation Focus closely related to the...

RED MIST; The new 430 Scuderia is more than just a track-day car.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: WES RAYNAL Credit Ferrari's Formula One engineers. They wanted to see how far they could stretch that V8 in the F430. "Let's see how much F1 technology can go into one of our road cars,'' they mused. The result is the 430...

1158 TIMES 1; Solo is the loneliest number.(Competition)
October 8, 2007... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH It is "the biggest motorsports competition in the world,'' says the Sports Car Club of America. And with 1158 racers participating in the four-day event, no one is arguing. But with free admission and...

ALL BUT DONE; Lewis Hamilton's Japanese Grand Prix nearly clinches the world championship.(Competition)
October 8, 2007... Byline: TONY DODGINS Lewis Hamilton is within one race of becoming the first rookie world champion in Formula One history, after turning in a superb drive to win the Japanese Grand Prix at the revamped Fuji International Speedway. F1...

Extra.(Briefs)
October 8, 2007... Oops! In an unauthorized revelation, the UAW disclosed General Motors' plans to produce a small rear-wheel-drive car codenamed Alpha. GM will build two body styles of the Alpha, starting in 2011, at GM's plant in Lordstown, Ohio. ...

LOOKING FOR AN EDGE; Design and a trick roof in a heavy crossover.(Auto File)
October 8, 2007... Ford is turning plenty of heads with its Edge crossover. The struggling company is counting on the Edge to carry a lot of the burden of its comeback after the sport/utility vehicle fallout that stifled Explorer and Expedition sales. ...

NOT HAL BUT STILL SIGNIFICANT.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: J.P. Vettraino Ford Sync, powered by Microsoft, won't allow you to play music through your home stereo system, surf the Internet or watch video-at least, not yet. In development with Microsoft for years and now available in the...

TEEN DREAM; 1982 Honda Prelude.(Escape Roads)
October 8, 2007... Byline: ERIC TEGLER Honda's first-generation Prelude seems an unlikely object of teenage reverie, but that's what this 1982 Prelude represents. "I fell in love with these cars when I was about 14,'' Craig Brace enthuses. "I saw one and...

DRIVERS OPPOSE VILLENEUVE CUP DEBUT.(Competition)
October 8, 2007... NASCAR cleared Jacques Villeneuve to make his Nextel Cup debut in the Oct. 7 race at Talladega Superspeedway, but some of the series' top drivers don't approve. "I think you need to get some experience in something else before you stick...

TOOL TIME.(Revs)
October 8, 2007... Now that fall is here, it's time to begin those garage projects you put off during the summer. Here are some new tools to make the jobs a bit easier. 1 Mac Tools' Stubby ratcheting screwdriver makes getting into confined spaces, such as...

FUN FUN; Mazdaspeed 3 continues to charm.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: ROGER HART Our long-term Mazdaspeed 3 has a new nickname, courtesy of Senior Editor Wilson: Mazdacrazyfast 3. "I genuinely cannot imagine being able to use any more speed on a regular daily basis,'' he explains. "At a track day or...

BMW BOMBSHELLS; Massive product offensive aims to increase sales to more than 2 million by 2020.(News)(Company overview)
October 8, 2007... Byline: GREG KABLE The BMW Group announced a radical overhaul of its worldwide operations, aimed at, among other things, pushing annual sales of more than 2 million by 2020-an increase of 600,000 vehicles over its record 2006 sales figure...

DETROIT PREVIEW; BMW 1 Series Convertible.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: GREG KABLE BMW's new-model explosion will continue unabated with the unveiling of the 1 Series convertible at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. The car goes on sale in April. Stylistically, the...

Market.(Escape Roads)(1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe)(Brief article)
October 8, 2007... Byline: KEITH MARTIN 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe Bonhams & Butterfields Carmel Valley, Calif. Aug. 17 427-cid, 430-hp V8, four-barrel, four-speed. Le Mans Blue with blue leather interior. Paint lightly chipped in...

Rooftop Secrets.(Column)
October 8, 2007... Byline: CORY FARLEY If the garage project had stayed on schedule, I wouldn't have been stuck on the roof so much as poised there. I could have grasped the eaves with my powerful hands and gracefully curled down. But that would have...

ON PRANCER.(News)
October 8, 2007... Christmas comes early for Ferrari lovers with the naughty-and-nice 430 Scuderia, introduced recently in Frankfurt. Only 300 will be sold in North America, and all orders are already in. See our report on page 6. CAPTION(S): photo

Correction.(Briefs)(Correction notice)
October 15, 2007... The last paragraph of our Oct. 8 story on the 2008 Ford Focus was truncated. The final paragraph should have read: We don't disagree with Ford Americas president Mark Fields, who says, "We think this vehicle is going to surprise people.''...

LOAD THE KIDS & LAUNCH; Tokyo premiere for 2008 BMW M3 sedan.(News)
October 15, 2007... Byline: GREG KABLE The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG will get four-door competition next year in the form of BMW's 2008 M3 sedan. Munich's latest performance hero retains its recently introduced coupe sibling's mechanical package, including...

RUBBER MATCH; The Dunlop Cup Gives Drivers 7 Ways to Prove Who's Boss.(Revs)
October 15, 2007... Byline: DON KLEIN If the Dunlop Drivers Cup Regionals had an official theme song, it would have to be a hard-rock version of "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better).'' Twelve competitors duked it out using dirt bikes, track cars, rally...

2007 FERRARI CHALLENGE; Fantastic Finish Leaves Unfinished Business.(competitions of car racing)(Brief article)
October 15, 2007... Byline: PATRICK C. PATERNIE Think the Tifosi are having it rough this season deciding who is numero uno between Raikkonen and Massa? Things were even tighter at the top of the points chart of the North American Ferrari Challenge as the...

BRUISER OF A CRUISER; Toyota's oldest, burliest nameplate gets a makeover.(News)
October 15, 2007... Byline: NATALIE NEFF Toyota may have sold only 3376 Land Cruisers in the United States last year, but the venerable nameplate boasts a longer history on these shores than any other vehicle on the Japanese maker's roster, with a single unit...

1969; At Frankfurt, Mercedes-Benz reveals its C-111 research car, a mid-engined gullwing sports car powered by a three-rotor Wankel.(50th Anniversary countdown)
October 15, 2007... The auto industry is under pressure. Bills are introduced in the California Assembly and the U.S. Senate to ban the sale of all vehicles using internal combustion engines after 1978. Federal officials propose an airbag standard to take...

Extra.(Briefs)
October 15, 2007... Auction action Auction season is still three months away in Scottsdale, Arizona, but Barrett-Jackson and Russo and Steele are already making news. Russo and Steele has a deal with Arizona for use of the property where the company conducts...

STILL PERFECT; Audi scores a big win at Petit Le Mans.(Competition)
October 15, 2007... Byline: GARY WATKINS The vital statistics from Petit Le Mans: 1000 miles, nine pace-car periods, 22 manic final laps and 0.9 second. Oh, and Audi kept its Petit record flawless after Rinaldo Capello came out on top in a thrilling dash to...

Halloween.(designs of cars)(Column)
October 15, 2007... Byline: KC CRAIN Growing up, there were always a couple of things you could count on when fall came around. It was time to go back to school, the weather would get cooler, and the leaves would change. And thanks to daylight savings, it...

TROUBLE AT THE MUSTANG RANCH; Shelby may cut ties with Unique Performance.(News)
October 15, 2007... Byline: MARK VAUGHN It looks like Unique Performance, the Texas company producing a host of classic and modern muscle cars with Carroll Shelby and Chip Foose badges, is in trouble. When we wrote about the company a year ago ("Old Cars...

TOKYO TEASE; Subaru takes the wraps off all-new STI.(News)
October 15, 2007... Byline: DALE JEWETT We're told that these official photos don't do justice to the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI-the hot hatchback that will make its world debut at the Tokyo motor show later this month. Regardless of photography, Subaru...

ONE MORE CHANCE; Lewis Hamilton takes lead into finale, but he could have been champion already.(Competitions of car racing)
October 15, 2007... McLaren-Mercedes' LEWIS Hamilton appeared to have the 2007 Formula One title locked up in China, but a late-race gaffe as he entered a wet pit lane allowed teammate and defending world champion Fernando Alonso to stay alive in the championship...

TV: Oct. 19-21.(News)
October 15, 2007... Friday, Oct. 19 * 2005 NHRA from Hebron, Ohio, 11 a.m., ESPN Classic * NASCAR Live, 11 a.m., Speed (L) * Formula One practice from Brazil, noon, Speed (L) * USAR Pro Cup Series from Cecil, Ga., 1:30 p.m., Speed * NASCAR...

Letters.
October 15, 2007... On my honor Mr. Krider brags in "Derby Dad'' (Stint at the Wheel, Oct. 1) about his attempts to cheat his son's way to a Pinewood Derby win. One of the primary character traits instilled in Cub Scouts is honesty. I suspect the only reason...

FINAL FOUR.(Competition)
October 15, 2007... The field is set for the final two-race showdown in the National Hot Rod Association's new "Countdown'' playoff system after the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. Many of the four driver slots in each class were...