AutoWeek articles from October 2008

AutoWeek archives from October 2008

EXTRA.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... HOLLANDER DIES Motorsports journalist and public-relations guy Michael Hollander, who virtually invented race reporting online almost three decades ago, died Sept. 24 of mesothelioma. He was 61. Hollander started sending stories over...

MAZDA COUPE HEADED TO PETIT.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... B-K Motorsports and Mazda shook down the new Lola B08/86 Mazda MZR-R coupe at Road America. The car will be the first coupe to race in the American Le Mans Series LMP2 class when it debuts at Petit Le Mans on Oct 4. It boasts approximately 10...

SINGAPORE SWING; FERNANDO ALONSO WINS AS LEWIS HAMILTON EXTENDS POINTS LEAD.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: ADAM COOPER A giant Sands casino complex is taking shape just across the river from Singapore's Marina Bay Grand Prix circuit, and in a couple of years, it will be a key part of the country's push to become a tourist destination....

SPECS & DATA.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... PRICING & OPTIONS Base (includes $665 delivery): $30,660 As-tested price: $31,423 Options: Satellite radio ($453); aero cross bars ($195); floor mats ($69); cargo net ($46) DIMENSIONS Wheelbase (in): 103 Track (in):...

WILKERSON RECLAIMS LEAD IN FUNNY CAR.(NEWS)(Tim Wilkerson)
October 6, 2008... After leading the NHRA Funny Car points standings for four months, Tim Wilkerson watched it all slip away two weeks ago in Charlotte ("On the Rise, Sept. 22). A first-round loss, combined with the points being reset for the six-race...

CROSSING ON OVER; 2009 Subaru Forester arrives in our long-term fleet.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: ROGER HART WITH THE crossover segment growing so rapidly, it seemed like a good idea to add one of the newest such vehicles to the AutoWeek long-term test fleet. And while there were numerous to choose fromthe Honda CR-V, the...

RESULTS.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... TRACK: KANSAS SPEEDWAY 1.5-MILE D-SHAPED OVAL DATE: SEPT. 28 1. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 267 laps at 133.549 mph avg. speed; 2. Carl Edwards, Ford, 267; 3. Greg Biffle, Ford, 267; 4. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 267; 5. Matt Kenseth,...

CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE; JIMMIE JOHNSON REMINDS THE CUP FIELD THAT IT'S HIS TIME OF YEAR.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: CURT CAVIN NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series did not turn with the final lap of the Camping World RV 400 at Kansas Speedway, but the year's final seven races should be fun if this was a preview of the drama to come. Jimmie Johnson led...

PAUL NEWMAN1925-2008.(NEWS)(Obituary)
October 6, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN HE WAS A RACER who supported his racing habit by acting. That's how he would have wanted to be remembered. Racer/actor/philanthropist Paul Newman, who succeeded in all three fields, died Oct. 26 after a long battle with...

ELECTRICITY AT CHRYSLER.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: BG So, what else is cookin' in Chrysler's electric-car kitchen? Besides the 2009 gas-electric Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen Hybrid sport-utility vehicles currently on the market, and the gas-electric Dodge Ram Hybrid coming...

NO HEMI HERE; Chrysler touts hot Dodge EV.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER If you're building up your bank account for an electric vehicle, add Chrysler's EVs to your short list of potential products. And in particular, look closely at the Dodge EV, the Lotus Europa-based, all-electric...

EXTRA.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... RACY MASERATI CONCEPT Maserati takes the GranTurismo to the track with its Paris show car, the GranTurismo MC, a racing-inspired concept. Using the GranTurismo S as a starting point, Maserati ups power from the 4.7-liter V8 to 450 hp...

LET THAT BE A WARNING TO YOU.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... According to www. news.com.au, Indian business groups are outraged after government officials came out in support of former workers at auto-parts maker Graziano Transmissioni who beat one of the company's bosses to death when labor-dispute...

2008 Mazda CX-9 Touring.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... IN FLEET: Sept. 5-23 AS-TESTED PRICE: $39,257 DRIVETRAIN: 3.7-liter V6; AWD, six-speed automatic OUTPUT: 273 hp @ 6,250 rpm, 270 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm CURB WEIGHT: 4,528 lb FUEL ECONOMY (EPA/AW): 17/18.9 mpg

DRIVERS LOG.(NEWS)(Product/service evaluation)
October 6, 2008... RAYNAL: This is a hell of a good competitor to the GM Lambda line of SUVs, as well as to the Honda Pilot, and it's way better-looking. The Mazda's ride and handling are Mazda 6 good, since this is a longer version of that platformit's a...

MARKET.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: DAVE KINNEY 1957 BMW ISETTA 300 CONVERTIBLE Kruse, Auburn, Ind. Aug. 28-Sept. 2, 2008 One-cylinder, 298-cc; manual transmission. Light blue with blue cloth and gray vinyl, gray cloth top. Excellent paint and...

DOLLARS & SENSE.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... ORIGINAL LIST PRICE: N/A CURRENT MARKET VALUE: $15,000 to $20,000 (est)* *Source: Military-vehicle forums and owners, for excellent condition

SPORTS CAR OF MILITARY MIGHT; 1960 DAIMLER FERRET.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: LARRY SANATA THINK OF THE FORMIDABLE-LOOKing Daimler Ferret as the limited-production sports car of military vehicles. Only about 4,000 were produced between 1952 and 1971 at the Daimler plant in Coventry, England, and all were...

RESULTS.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... TRACK: SINGAPORE 3.15-MILE ROAD COURSE DATE: SEPT. 28 1. Fernando Alonso, Renault, 61 laps at 98.219 mph avg. speed; 2. Nico Rosberg, Williams-Toyota, 61; 3. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes, 61; 4. Timo Glock, Toyota, 61; 5....

FLEET STREET.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... AUDI S6 At roughly 25,000 miles, a faulty oxygen sensor needed replacing, and a cruise-control distance sensor required adjustment, both of which were performed under warranty. Routine maintenance, including oil change and "visual safety...

FIRST and V10; LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO SCORES AT A FOOTBALL TAILGATE PARTY.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: STORY AND PHOTOS BY ROGER HART A new Lamborghini in the fleet? One that has not been driven (read "trashed) by U.S. journalists yet? A rare occurrence. So, when we were offered a Gallardo LP560-4 ("High-Speed High Life, AW, June...

Of Clutches and Carnegie.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... 2008 Mazda CX-9 Touring SO, I'M LEARNING HOW TO play the guitar, only 20 years after my brother first took up the instrument. He's long since become a virtuoso, and while I don't entertain any illusions of matching his prowess, if I get to...

TV OCT. 10 - 12.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... FRIDAY, OCT. 10 * NASCAR Confidential, 1:30 p.m., Speed * NASCAR Live, 2:30 p.m., Speed (L) * NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying from Concord, N.C., ESPN2 (L) * American Muscle Car, 3 p.m., Speed * Truck U, 3:30 and 4...

A GREENER HYBRID; TOYOTA'S CONCEPT FOR L.A. SHOW USES NO GASOLINE AT ALL.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON Spinning off yet another variation on the clean-energy theme, Toyota plans to display a CNG-hybrid version of its Camry family sedan at the Los Angeles show in November. Using compressed natural gas (CNG) instead of...

Throwback; 50 YEARS OF TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: GEORGE P. BLUMBERG "GREAT RESTORAtion. What year is it? motorists ask in stopped traffic, reacting to our black Triumph Bonneville, which, at a glance, could have been minted anytime since 1959. As we sit parked at a coffee...

HOW DO YOU SAY IT?(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Estoque is pronounced "ess-toe-kay. It's the sword used to kill the bulls in Spanish bullfighting. It's not the first time Lamborghini has gone with this kind of name. Espada was the Spanish word for sword.

Lamborghini Estoque; Paris sedan concept suggests a daily driver.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: MICHAEL TAYLOR Iconic sports-car maker Lamborghini could double its sales within four years if it builds its low, ultra-long, super-aggressive Estoque sports sedan concept car. Powered by a retuned 500-hp Gallardo V10, the...

TWO-WHEEL LOWDOWN; 2008 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: GEORGE P. BLUMBERG The quintessential Brit bike updated, mating nostalgic styling with modern mechanics and reliability. 865-cc, 66-hp, air-cooled DOHC parallel-twin; 452-lb dry weight. COMPETITIVE SET > Aprilia 750 Shiver,...

SPECS.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... ON SALE: Fall 2009 BASE PRICE: $100,000 (est) DRIVETRAIN: 3.5-liter, 299-hp, 284-lb-ft V6 with integrated motor assist; RWD, seven-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT: 4,383 lb 0-62 MPH: 7.2 sec (mfr) FUEL ECONOMY: 30 mpg

THE GARAGE THAT CHEESE BUILT; A Wisconsin dance hall now houses legendary race cars.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: PHIL BERG "I won the lottery with this one, says George Stauffer. Before he sold his family's cheese business in Wisconsin in 1982, the obsessive Ford GT40 fan answered an ad for a Series IV GT40. The seller told him that he...

BETTER LATE . . . Mercedes puts Europe on the hybrid map-at last.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... Byline: GREG KABLE Mercedes-Benz missed North America's move toward hybrids. It was caught sleeping, there was not enough research and development funding, it was too focused on diesels for the European marketpick your reason. It just...

A Car Guy's Car Guy.(NEWS)
October 6, 2008... THERE ARE TALKERS, AND then there are doers. Jim Williams, who died at age 60 on Aug. 26 in Rochester, N.Y., was a doer. And in the typically incisive words of former AutoWeek editor in chief George Damon Levy, Jim's "fingerprints were all over...

SALEEN DARK HORSE; YET ANOTHER LIMITED-EDITION MUSTANG.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Despite numerous executive departures from Saleen in the last month or two, the company is still making new products. This one could be the last special-edition Mustang . . . until the reskinned, reengineered 2010 Mustang debuts at the Los...

MINI'S GREEN PERFORMER.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: JONATHAN WONG Asked to name fun, fuel-efficient cars, everyone in the AutoWeek brain trust put the Mini Cooper atop their lists. The Cooper's tight chassis, quick steering, crisp handling and brisk acceleration have been a hit with...

TV.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... FRIDAY, OCT. 17 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice from Martinsville, Va., 11 a.m., Speed (L) NASCAR Sprint Cup practice from Martinsville, Va., noon, ESPN2 (L) Star Mazda Series from Millville, N.J., noon, Speed ...

INSIGNIA MOVES GM FORWARD; IT WILL BE THE BASIS FOR THE NEXT SATURN AURA.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: JULIAN RENDELL The link between Saturn and Opel moves into new territory with the launch in Europe of the Insignia, the replacement for the Vectra and the first model on General Motors' second-gen Epsilon platform. It will be the...

CASTRONEVES INDICTED.(NEWS)(Helio Castroneves indicted on charges of income-tax evasion)
October 13, 2008... On Oct. 2, the U.S government indicted IndyCar Series driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves on six counts of income-tax evasion. He allegedly used offshore companies to hide more than $5 million in wages. The...

A Lack of Leadership.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Denise McCluggage MARK FIELDS IS A WUSS. That's my conclusion after a day of briefing at Ford on new drivetrains, etc., then driving lots of Ford products. We were 45 minutes into the droning before "diesel was mentioned, and...

Market.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... 2007 FORD SHELBY MUSTANG GT H CONVERTIBLE Kruse, Auburn, Ind. Aug. 28-Sept. 2, 2008 V8, automatic transmission. Black with gold stripes with black leath-er. Black cloth top. 22,310 miles, CSM#07H384. A returned rental car; looks...

WILLIAMS RE-SIGNS NAKAJIMA.(NEWS)(Williams Formula One team extending the contract of Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima )(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... The Williams Formula One team extended the contract of Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima for at least one more season. Nakajima is backed by Toyota, which will continue to supply the team's engines, and he will again race alongside Nico Rosberg,...

SOCIETY NOTES: WAY TO PLAN AHEAD.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... From the Associated Press comes the tale of two armed robbers in Malaysia who held up a van loaded with $1.3 million. Trouble was, the compact getaway car that the men stole before pulling off the heist was too small to carry all of the money,...

ROCKIN' L.A. Midnight Club: Los Angeles offers realistic drives of the city.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN It was just flat wrong to be driving down Sunset Boulevard this fast, way too fast for the conditions. We estimated the speed at about 110 mph, but we couldn't take our eyes off the road to look at the tach. It wasn't...

SOCIETY NOTES II: DEVIL MAY CARE.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... According to several news outlets, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is plagued by thefts of signs for mile marker 66.6the number of the Devilalong with those for similarly named roads. "Given the symbolism of the number and the fact that it is...

SOME RULES DON'T APPLY.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... "Rick [Hendrick], myself and Jeff [Gordon] went to [the Corvette Museum] and picked up our ZR1 Corvettes. . . . I saw my car, and the keys were in it, and I'm, like, man, I've got to drive this thing. . . . I started my car up and drove off,...

NO NORMAL CALIBER; DODGE'S SRT4 PROVIDES FUEL-EFFICIENT FUN.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: JONATHAN WONG For the Caliber SRT4, Dodge used the formula most carmakers follow when building sport compacts. Start with an affordable car, then add power, better brakes, stiffer suspension, a body kit and presto! You have a...

Results.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... TRACK: TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY 1.5-MILE QUAD-OVAL DATE: OCT. 5 1. Tony Stewart, Toyota, 190 laps at 140.281 mph avg. speed; 2. Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 190; 3. David Ragan, Ford, 190; 4. Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 190; 5. Clint...

The Car Clan Needs You.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Dutch Mandel WE SEE IT DAILY AROUND these offices as our world gets smaller. The interaction, the communication, between us all happens virtually in real time. It makes for hell at the dining-room table. I am not a Luddite, but...

High Miles, Big Smiles.(NEWS)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Why did we pick a Yamaha C3 scooter for this test? The claimed 115-mpg figure, that's why. Heck, even if it made half that, it'd be worth a look, with that cool cubelike body and nerdy cool scooter proportions. So what...

Results.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... TRACK: ROAD ATLANTA 2.54-MILE ROAD COURSE DATE: OCT. 4 1. D. Capello/A. McNish/E. Pirro, Audi R10 TDI, 394 laps at 135.308 mph avg. speed (P1 winner); 2. N. Minassian/S. Sarrazin/C. Klien, Peugeot 908, 394; 3. L. Luhr/M. Werner,...

SELLIN' ON THE STRIP; Barrett-Jackson heads to Vegas.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: GREG MIGLIORE How much is Carroll Shelby's very first race car worth? We're about to find out. The 1949 MG TC, a dark green pocket rocket that the racing legend himself credits with helping launch his career behind the wheel, is...

Mad Max Meets the Midwest; TAKING ON THE SCOOTER CHALLENGE IN THE HEARTLANDBY BOB GRITZINGER.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Bob Gritzinger Hopping on a scooter and setting out on a daily commute happens every day in cities across Europe. In the Statesespecially in the Mid-west that same commute can be daunting in a full-size sport-utility vehicle, let...

FRUGAL FUN; When you're talking bang for the buck, the Cobalt SS has to be in the conversation.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: WES RAYNAL The SS starts with your basic $15,000 Cobalt and adds General Motors' boosted 2.0-liter Ecotec four from the Pontiac Soltice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline, producing 260 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. This engine provides...

Drivers Log.(NEWS)(Product/service evaluation)
October 13, 2008... WILSON: I "threw a couple of 20-somethings in the third row. The kids are a lot more flexible than we rememberno complaining about access. They'd have preferred something more comfortable, like the Norge (our long-term Chrysler Town & Country),...

FAST TRACK; Red Bull says Scott Speed is ready for Sprint Cup.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: AL PEARCE A. J. ALLMENDINGER WOULD almost certainly still have a NASCAR ride if Scott Speed had not taken to stock cars so quickly. That's the Cliffs Notes version of why Speed is in and Allmendinger is out at Team Red Bull,...

RACE REPORT.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... A DRIVER LOST HIS FIRST-ever NASCAR win on a gray technicalityand six champion-ship hopefuls are no longer hopeful. The Amp Energy 500 was just another routine, spectacular show at Talladega Super-speedway, where Regan Smith beat Tony Stewart...

SWEET SPOT; GTI mixes sports car and utility vehicle.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: JONATHAN WONG Want a quick car with a high-tech transmission that gets good mileage to boot? Then look no further than Volkswagen's GTI. VW's sports-compact icon brings a more mature and upscale feel to the fuel-conscious fun party...

BOXER'S DAY; SUBARU EXPANDS ITS BOXER DIESEL OFFERINGS.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: NATALIE NEFF Already on sale in Europe in the Outback and Legacy (This Week, Feb. 25), Subaru's boxer turbodiesel engine finds a new home under the hood of the automaker's Forester SUV, this time paired with a six-speed manual...

DVD Review.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON Can-Am Thunder: The Mighty Machines of the Series, with Pete Lyons, directed and produced by Bruce Cox; 150 minutes (including 40 minutes of bonus features). A Duke Video, available for $30 from www.petelyons.com....

FOUR-DOLLAR FUN; HIGH GAS PRICES LEAD TO CREATIVITY IN VEHICLE CHOICE.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... OK, if you insist on panicking at the onset of $4-a-gallon gas, we will join right in. Go ahead, get off the grid, grow your own organic broccoli and wear hemp boxer shorts. But don't give up having fun on the highway! We'll show you how to...

NOT JUST FOR KIDS.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Amidst all the stories about Scion's marketing strategy and its means for capturing the youth market, it seems we've overlooked one thing: "Hey, this car's fun! The tC has been on the market since 2005, a lifetime in...

Taking it Higher on Electric Avenue; How plugged in do you need to be?(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON Most of us know by now that a plug-in hybrid is a car with a hybrid drivetrain that can have its batteries recharged from the power grid. It's turning out, though, that such cars may come in more flavors than...

KICKING TIRES; SUPERLEAGUE LINKS SOCCER AND RACING IN EUROPE-AND IT'S WORKING.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: ADAM COOPER Just as the A1 Grand Prix series season got off to a shaky start at Zandvoort (Competition, Oct. 6), a similar championship began to find its feet only three hours south, at Zolder in Belgium. Zolder...

UNDEFEATED; AUDI WINS ANOTHER PETIT LE MANS.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: GARY WATKINS The 11th running of the American Le Mans Series Petit Le Mans was packed full of drama, and Allan McNish was at the center of most of it. The Audi driver damaged his R10 on the way to the grid, started two laps...

Green Challenge Debuts.(NEWS)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... The American Le Mans Series' Green Chal-lenge arrived at Road Atlanta with a flurry of national media coverage and a bevy of government high rollerscomplete with dark-suited bodyguards in one case. Behind the PR hyperbole and the complicated...

Extra.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... BMW RETAINS F1 DRIVERS The BMW-Sauber team announced that drivers Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld will return for the 2009 season. Heidfeld's future with the team had been in doubt, and former world champion Fernando Alonso had been...

Bikes.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... 2008 KAWASAKI NINJA 250R ENGINE: 25-hp, 16-lb-ft, carbureted 249-cc four-stroke parallel-twin; six-speed transmission PRICE: $3,499 ("08s sold out, "09s, $3,999) MPG: 45 (AW), 61 (mfr) 0-60 MPH: 5.0 seconds (AW) With its superbike...

THE CITY OF (CAR) LOVE.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Our beret-clad Web and editorial teams prowled the Paris motor show. They saw the eye-popping Ferrari California (shown here being driven by Michael Schumacher), the gas-sipping Chevy Cruze and the Lamborghini sedan. Our cameramen worked...

CHANCE OF A LIFETIME.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Now is your chance to be an AutoWeek SEMA VIP! AutoWeek and Shine Box have joined to offer you the ultimate in star treatment. The grand-prize winner receives a trip for two to this year's SEMA show, including airfare to Las Vegas, two nights'...

CAR LIFE COMMUNITY.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... CAR LIFE COMMUNITY If you haven't done so already, be sure to join AutoWeek's Car Life Community. Create a profile, upload photos, share your opinions and blog with fellow auto enthusiasts at autoweek.com/carlife. NEW GEAR The...

1950 PACKARD CUSTOM EIGHT CONVERTIBLE TOP OF THE LINE.(NEWS)
October 13, 2008... Byline: BROOKS BRIERLEY BATHTUB-SHAPED Packards have been marked by the unflattering description of their slab-sided design, a reminder of the marque's 1940s emphasis on mid-price models. Even so, the convertible body stylesmixing straight...

2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4.(NEWS)
October 20, 2008... IN FLEET: Sept. 16-30 AS-TESTED PRICE: $26,145 DRIVETRAIN: 2.4-liter turbocharged I4; FWD, six-speed manual OUTPUT: 285 hp @ 5,700-6,400 rpm, 265 lb-ft @ 2,000-5,600 rpm CURB WEIGHT: 3,189 lb FUEL ECONOMY (EPA/AW): 22/19.4...

DRIVERS LOG.(NEWS)(Product/service evaluation)
October 20, 2008... WONG: I've said it before, but this is not your normal Dodge Caliber. If it were, especially one equipped with the CVT, I wouldn't have wasted my time. Thrust from the boosted four-cylinder is healthy, and torque steer is well controlled for a...

RESULTS.(NEWS)
October 20, 2008... TRACK: FUJI SPEEDWAY 2.835-MILE ROAD COURSE DATE: OCT. 12 1. Fernando Alonso, Renault, 67 laps at 126.006 mph avg. speed; 2. Robert Kubica, BMW-Sauber, 67; 3. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 67; 4. Nelson Piquet Jr., Renault, 67; 5....

All of the Above.(NEWS)(reduction in oil prices)
October 20, 2008... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson AT THIS WRITING, OIL PRICES are at less than $100 a barrel, and some experts predict they'll drop to less than $90. It was $138 not long ago. The facile and foolish interpretation is that this news means we've...

ASTON MARTIN EYES A MOVE UPMARKET.(NEWS)
October 20, 2008... Byline: JULIAN RENDELL Aston Martin is considering a strategic change for its next generation of sports cars to tie in with its recent decision to relaunch the Lagonda. Under consideration is a plan to move its two bread-and-butter...

CORVETTE COLLUSION!(NEWS)
October 20, 2008... The greatest Corvette racers of all eras will converge on the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on Oct. 23 to celebrate that storied marque, and the public is invited. Rub elbows with John Fitch, Scooter Patrick and Dick Guldstrand at...

OTHER HOT DEALS.(NEWS)
October 20, 2008... 2008 Infiniti QX56 and M45 MSRP: $53,265 (QX56), $50,415 (M45) $7,000 factory-to-dealer incentive 2008 Ford F-150 MSRP: $18,850 $4,500 to $7,000 cash back or 0 percent to 5.9 percent financing 2008 Mercedes-Benz...

BUYERS' MARKET; STRUGGLING AUTO SALES MEAN CONSUMERS WIN.(NEWS)(Financial report)
October 20, 2008... Cars sales have nose-dived along with the the collapsing economy, and the forecast doesn't look any better, with predictions that U.S. sales will shrink to a mere 13 million units in 2009. In hopes of jump-starting sales, automakers have ramped...

TV; OCT. 24 - 26.(NEWS)
October 20, 2008... FRIDAY, OCT. 24 * NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice from Hampton, Ga., 11:30 a.m., Speed (L) * NASCAR Live, 1 p.m., Speed (L) * NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series final practice from Hampton, Ga., 1:30 p.m., Speed (L) *...

SOCIETY NOTES: RANDOM EDITION.(NEWS)
October 20, 2008... * British Web site www.digitalspy. co.uk reports that an 89-year-old German woman went on a tire-slashing rampage because she was "fed up with people parking in her neighborhood. Authorities attempted to fine her, but upon learning that she...

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE . . .(NEWS)
October 20, 2008... This Week's Sign the Automotive Apocalypse Is Nigh > Yes, that is F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone's daughter.

LONGING FOR SIMPLER TIMES >.(NEWS)
October 20, 2008... First, Felipe Massa (left) lost his chance to win the Singapore Grand Prix because the convoluted in-cockpit "green light system his Ferrari team uses during pit stops malfunctioned and told him to leave the pits before mechanics were done...

EXTRA.(NEWS)
October 20, 2008... PENSKE'S PORSCHE FUTURE Penske Racing president Tim Cindric told AutoWeek that he expects to finalize the organization's 2009 sports-car-racing plans "in the next couple of weeks. Cindric revealed that Penske will field not one but two...

0 TO 60 IN 007; 1967 TOYOTA 2000GT.(NEWS)
October 20, 2008... Byline: DON KLEIN England had the XKE. Ger- many, the 911 and the 230 SL. In Italy, Ferrari introduced the stunning 275 GTB, and here in the States, we had Cobras and big-block Vettes. But back in 1965, there wasn't much automotive...