AutoWeek articles from September 2006

AutoWeek archives from September 2006

AMG outguns itself.(News)
September 4, 2006... Byline: GREG KABLE Mercedes-Benz's AMG division is creating a Performance Studio to support a range of low-volume enthusiast models, each based around traditional customization and modification work carried out at the company's workshops...

FIRST DRIVE: Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG Black Series.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
September 4, 2006... Byline: GREG KABLE The hard-core track-day special comes of age with the new SLK55 AMG Black Series, the first in a range of low-volume AMG performance models aimed as much at the track as the road. No ordinary SLK55 AMG, the Black...

Market.(Escape Roads)
September 4, 2006... Byline: KEITH MARTIN Christie's Le Mans, France July 8 1967 Toyota 2000 GT 1988-cc I6, five-speed manual. Red with black vinyl interior. Nice, apparently original paint and straight, attractive bodywork. No flaws....

Drivers Log.(News)
September 4, 2006... 2007 Audi Q7 4.2 Date in fleet: July 31-Aug. 14 As-tested price: $63,770 Powertrain: 4.2-liter V8; awd, six-speed automatic Output: 350 hp @ 6800 rpm, 325 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm Curb weight: 5467 lbs Fuel Economy (EPA combined/ AW observed):...

Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
September 4, 2006... Oct. 7-9 Asbury Park Truck Show Asbury Park, N.J. Log onto jerseytruckfest.com or call (732) 988-3338 for details on this event featuring live music and a beer garden. Oct. 13-15 Rootes to the River Rally Covington,...

BMW Z2; The German carmaker's entry roadster.(News)
September 4, 2006... Byline: GREG KABLE Press reports from Germany suggest BMW is readying an affordable roadster below the Z4 to challenge the Mazda MX-5 for supremacy in the entry-level sports car market. The new two-seater is said to be the centerpiece...

BMW Z29; Shaving pounds to improve performance.(News)
September 4, 2006... Byline: GREG KABLE You won't find this arrest-ing-looking coupe in BMW's lineup any time soon. But many of the Z29's construction secrets will heavily influence the German carmaker's next generation of models, as BMW strives for improved...

TV: Sept. 8-10.(News)(Calendar)
September 4, 2006... Friday, Sept. 8 The Chase Is On, 7 a.m., Speed NASCAR Beyond the Wheel, 7:30 a.m., Speed Formula One practice from Italy, 8 a.m., Speed (L) Barrett-Jackson 2006: The Auction, 9 a.m., Speed NASCAR Live, 2 p.m., Speed (L)...

A Winning Survivor.(Escape Roads)
September 4, 2006... Byline: LINDA CLARK Auto historian Richard Langworth likened driving the British-built HRG to "a cold shower, invigorating but painful.'' Sure enough, this hard-riding, starkly styled 1500 roadster is about as comfortable as a tractor, but...

GIRLS ON THE ROAD; Exhibit honors Alice Ramsey's 1909 cross-country drive.(Revs)
September 4, 2006... Byline: BRANDON DYE The first woman inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame didn't design a V8 or pioneer a manufacturing process; in fact, Alice Ramsey never drove a car until she was challenged by Maxwell Motor Co. to drive one across...

ENTER THE DRIVING ZONE.(The Driving Zone: Essential Techniques for New Drivers)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Mac Morrison Behind-the-wheel experience is the No. 1 way to improve your teen's driving, but there's no such thing as too much conceptual reinforcement. GM factory race car driver Andy Pilgrim's The Driving Zone: Essential...

Flash.(Briefs)(automobile racing world)
September 4, 2006... Da Matta improving Champ Car driver Cristiano da Matta continues to make significant progress as he recovers at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, Wisconsin. Da Matta struck a deer during a test session at Road America on Aug. 3....

G WIZARDRY; Infiniti beats the sophomore jinx.(News)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson The original G35 sedan, a 2003 model, was a big playmaker for Infiniti. Sharing the rear-wheel-drive FM platform and VQ35 V6 with the two-seat Nissan 350Z, it cloaked a sports car attitude in luxury sedan dress....

What's the Right Car?(automobile rating report)(Product/service evaluation)
September 4, 2006... If you're reading this magazine, there's a good chance your child has grown up in a household where enthusiasm for cars and driving is considered the norm. It's not the norm in America, but when it comes time to put your teen behind the wheel...

...WHILE CR-V TAKES ON ENTRY SEGMENT; Honda covers ute market from top to bottom.(News)
September 4, 2006... Honda is launching a new CR-V, and the new trucklet will go on sale in October wearing a $21,400 base sticker price. The small sport/utility vehicle is slightly larger in most dimensions, and interior space is reapportioned. There is less...

Acura MDX hits the high end... Honda covers ute market from top to bottom.(News)
September 4, 2006... Even as gas prices rise and truck and sport/utility vehicle sales shrink, Acura is launching a new version of its MDX. Acura figures the luxury midsize SUV category will grow 26 percent in the next five years, and it aims to be ready with its...

SIMPLY SUPERB; F1 gets its second straight first-time winner.(Motorsports)
September 4, 2006... Byline: NIGEL ROEBUCK Istanbul provided what Formula One has wanted to see all season: a fight on the track between the two world championship protagonists, Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher. There was something of the kind at San...

HAPPY AT HOME; Scott Pruett and Luis Diaz reign at Sonoma.(Motorsports)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Curt Cavin The No. 01 on Scott Pruett's Riley-Lexus that took the checkered flag at Infineon Raceway was appropriate. Pruett considers the track in the hills of Northern California to be his racing home, and his victory in the...

MARCO SENDS A MESSAGE; In scoring his first IRL win, the young Andretti tells the world there are more whippings to come.(Motorsports)(Indy Race League)(Biography)
September 4, 2006... Byline: CURT CAVIN It was difficult to tell who was happiest last Sunday at Infineon Raceway. Mario Andretti was beaming with pride, as is often the case when family members are present. Mario's usually quiet son, Michael, took every media...

Race Report.(Motorsports)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Al Pearce With three races to go before NASCAR set its 10-driver Chase for the Cup field, everyone knew 500 laps around Bristol Motor Speedway would cull the candidates from about 20 to, say, 12 or 13. But the Sharpie 500 did more...

SUBSTANCE OVER STYLE; Without much fanfare, Matt Kenseth has won four races this season-including two in a row-and is second in the points chase.(Motorsports)
September 4, 2006... Byline: AL PEARCE Matt Kenseth deflects the playful dig that NASCAR might change its points system if he wins another championship. And why not? It was never proved, but some series watchers believe the organization was embarrassed when...

BACK IN BUSINESS; Rain washes out the race, then Bourdais mops up the field.(Motorsports)(Sebastien Bourdais)(Champ Car Grand Prix of Montreal)(Event overview)
September 4, 2006... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH Champ Car fans had to wait an extra day for the conclusion of the fifth, and unfortunately final, Champ Car Grand Prix of Montreal. Newman-Haas driver and reigning champ Sebastien Bourdais added to his points lead...

Flash.(Briefs)
September 4, 2006... What's in a name? Even though Volkswagen has no plans to market its 2009 Scirocco coupe under the Iroc moniker, the company's use of the name for its Paris show concept ("VW's 2009 Iroc coupe,'' Aug. 28) is raising eyebrows at IROC...

BORN AGAIN; Champ Car's new baby hits the track.(Competition)
September 4, 2006... Former Champ Car, Indy Racing League and Formula One driver Roberto Moreno covered 600 trouble-free miles in the new Panoz DP01 Champ Car during its first test at Sebring. Champ Car revealed the DP01 on July 29, just prior to the San Jose...

Justice for Selfish Drivers.(Column)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Cory Farley We all loathe enforcers, drivers who hang in the left lane at precisely the speed limit, mile after tedious mile. Yet who among us hasn't mused that traffic might flow more smoothly if someone were In Charge, and...

Love on the Avenue.(Column)(Woodward Dream Cruise car rally)(Event overview)
September 4, 2006... By most estimates there were a million and a half people at this year's Woodward Dream Cruise. Between the folks driving their prized rides along the 16-mile-long route on Woodward Avenue, those who were set up in lawn chairs along the curb...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
September 4, 2006... The Lexus way Looking at photos of the '07 Lexus LS 460 ("Lexus LS All Grown Up,'' Aug. 21), I feel Lexus has done what BMW could not (or would not) do. It made the "Bangle Butt'' an integrative and attractive part of a vehicle instead of...

Web Watch: AutoWeek.com.(News)(Woodward Dream Cruise)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... E85 adventure News editor Bob Gritzinger embarks on a search for E85 in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota with our long-term Chevrolet Suburban. Check out his full report on the performance of the 'Burban with corn fuel and the economics...

Rx for Safer Teen Drivers; For teenagers and young adults driving risks are very high; add ADHD and it makes the equation scary.(Special Report)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Marquita Bedway Does this sound familiar? Your newly minted teen driver flies into the garage and moments later spins back to the kitchen in a frantic search for the car keys. In a panic-in which he accuses everyone of moving...

SPY KIDS; How to keep an eye on your teen driver.(Special Report)
September 4, 2006... Byline: ERIC ADAMS It's a problem as old as the car itself-as soon as a teenage driver gets behind the wheel, inexperience and immaturity join forces to create a startling potential for havoc. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety...

Automakers' Learning Opportunities for Teens; Training that goes beyond the norm.(Special Report)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Larry Edsall Many parents-especially among the car-smart who read AutoWeek-are capable of teaching the traffic awareness and dynamic skills needed to keep a car safely under control. But even those who can do so find teaching their...

Can I Get a Break Here? Insurance for teen drivers.(Special Report)
September 4, 2006... Insuring a teen driver is expensive, but a few discounts are still available to make quality coverage more affordable. Many insurers stopped offering discounts for completion of driver education programs about a decade ago, just as Graduated...

Woodward Screamin'.(News)(Woodward Dream Cruise)(Event overview)(Personal account)
September 4, 2006... They came. They saw. They cruised. And, boy oh boy, did the certified car junkies who crowded along the famous Woodward corridor thoroughly enjoy themselves despite-and perhaps even because of-morning rain showers that added a steamy sheen to...

Driver Ed vs. Driver's Edge; Performance-driving exercises prepare teens for the rigors of the road.(Special Report)
September 4, 2006... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER As the sedan picked up speed toward a line of cones delineating an area deliberately soaked with slippery, soapy water, the driving instructor yanked on the emergency brake. The result was predictable: The novice...

TOYOTA AT MONTEREY.(Competition)
September 4, 2006... The Toyota F1 team set a Laguna Seca lap record during the Monterey Historic Races. Test driver Ricardo Zonta, who won the 1998 FIA GT race and title at the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit, drove Toyota's TF106 (the 2006 car) on Friday and clocked...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
September 4, 2006... And we thought 5 hp was something! "Thus the already extraordinary 5-hp engine power has now been elevated to an impressive peak of 632...'' -Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 press kit * * * He should have blamed Dietrich... The...

Parental Responsibility Is Critical.(Special Report)
September 4, 2006... Byline: PHIL BERARDELLI Many parents remain shockingly clueless about the magnitude of the risk for teen drivers. They give in much too easily to pressure from teens to obtain a driver's license on or near their 16th birthday. Likewise,...

Death at the Wheel; Traditional driver education does little to educate new drivers.(Special Report)
September 4, 2006... Byline: KENNETH L. ZUBER Traditional high school driver education does not work. The National Safety Council, in its 2004 Teen Driver: A Family Guide to Teen Driving Safety, even asserts the failure is global. That's not the worst of it...

Back to School: Teenage Driving; Since the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, about 2600 American troops have been killed in combat and war-related incidents. The count is well-known and updated regularly in news reports. Did you know during the same 41-month period, more than 22,000 teenagers, ages 15 to 19, died in traffic accidents on U.S. roads?(Special Report)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson ''Think about those deaths on the roads for a moment," says Phil Berardelli, author of Safe Young Drivers (and an article on page 21 of this magazine). "A highway fatality is as violent, bloody and gruesome as...

The Prodigious Collection; Paris exhibit to feature France's top vintage cars.(News)
September 11, 2006... Byline: RICHARD S. CHANG "It is an exhibit that you can only see once in your life!" gushed the Paris motor show's Thierry Hesse. No, Hesse wasn't talking about concept cars or manufacturer debuts or even the two Chinese brands (Great...

MR. INDY; Tony Schumacher's U.S. Nationals record speaks for itself.(Motorsports)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Curt Cavin The biggest, baddest drag racer of Labor Day weekend's 52nd Mac Tools U.S. Nationals arrived in Indianapolis a decade ago as a quiet rookie in 1996. Tony Schumacher was the last qualifier for the 16-man Top Fuel...

Flash.(Briefs)
September 11, 2006... Acura makes debut Honda's Acura-badged LMP2 V8 that will race in the 2007 American Le Mans Series made its on-track debut in the back of the Lola B05/40 chassis at Firebird International Raceway. The Fernandez Racing-run car covered more...

FIRST-TIMERS; Grand-Am champions crowned in finale.(Competition )
September 11, 2006... In a breathtaking final hour of racing in Grand-Am's season-ending race at Miller Motorsports Park, Oswaldo Negri held off Michael McDowell to score the first Rolex Sports Car Series win for himself and co-driver Mark Patterson. Jorg...

ASTON'S FUTURE DEFINED; HOT PRODUCTS AND EVEN HOTTER RUMORS SWIRL AT FORD-OWNED SPORTS CAR MAKER.(News)
September 11, 2006... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Aston Martin may be on the block as parent company Ford searches for ways to raise capital, but that hasn't slowed the British sports car maker's push for more product. Earlier this year movie studio and...

LEADING-MAN MATERIAL; Kasey Kahne keeps his hopes alive in California.(Motorsports)
September 11, 2006... Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO Before the Sony HD 500 at California Speedway, Kasey Kahne looked like a long shot to make NASCAR's season-ending Chase for the Cup. At best. After the race in Southern California, Kahne's odds are still long, but...

NASCAR fans have learned to live with the Chase. NHRA to get the Countdown.(Motorsports)(National Hot Rod Sports Associations)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Curt Cavin Following NASCAR's overhaul in 2004, the NHRA altered how it determines season titles, beginning next season. All four pro divisions are included, and the racers will experience several new wrinkles, including more gut...

Flash.(Jaguar Cars Ltd. to stop its sedans selling)(BMW AG)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Caged Cats Jaguar has ordered its dealers worldwide to stop selling some 2006 and 2007 XJ sedans following several massive gasoline leaks from vehicle fuel tanks. Jaguar notified its U.S. and Canadian dealers of what it calls a...

Museum Fixture; Saratoga exhibit covers the long career of John Fitch.(News)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson To anyone younger-and most of us are-it seems like John Fitch has always been around. The 89-year-old American hit the acme of his racing career more than 50 years ago, when he was on the same Mercedes-Benz team as...

YEAR OF THE DIESEL; Audi made the point and JCB Dieselmax underscores it: Diesel isn't just for trucks anymore.(Motorsports)(JCB Dieselmax)
September 11, 2006... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON At 360 mph, a mile passes in 10 seconds. For RAF wing commander Andy Green-more accustomed to the velocity of a Tornado jet fighter or the supersonic Thrust SSC record car-it must feel like a long time. Green...

Add one for the Bonneville boys.(Motorsports)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson JCB Dieselmax was not the first diesel streamliner to top 300 mph. That honor goes to Roy Lewis in his Chassis Engineering Special powered by a 5.9-liter six-cylinder twin-turbo-charged Cummins engine. It was built...

SHOOTING THE MOON; Italian-bodied Apollos couldn't fly, but they were still pretty cool.(Revs)
September 11, 2006... Byline: LARRY EDSALL Three guys, just a year or so out of college-a business major, an engineer and a designer. A party, and conversation that begets an idea: "Let's create our own car, a European-style sports car but with a dependable,...

Events.(Calendar)
September 11, 2006... Oct. 20-21 Branson Collector Car Auction Branson, Mo. Come bid on 300-plus vehicles. Register at (800) 335-3063 or visit bransonauction.com. Oct. 20-22 Euro Auto Festival Spartanburg, S.C. Visit...

UNDER THE BIG TOPS; Global auto show scene in transition.(News)
September 11, 2006... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER When auto show season kicks off in earnest at the biennial enthusiasts' lovefest in Paris later this month, news about the auto shows themselves might steal some headlines from the car premieres. Changes in the...

Drop-Dead Drophead; Pebble thins the field and cranks up the drama.
September 11, 2006... Byline: MARK VAUGHN Yes, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is all about the most beautiful cars in the world driven by the most passionate car lovers, presented in the most beautiful setting, blah, blah, blah. What is often...

NEARLY HITTING Red Line; New Sky makes a good performer almost great.(News)
September 11, 2006... Byline: MARK VAUGHN There are competitors to the Saturn Sky Red Line that could probably lap your favorite racetrack faster. The Honda S2000, Mazda MX-5 (Miata) and BMW Z4 could probably all get around your garden-variety handling course...

Drivers Log.(News)
September 11, 2006... 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL600 Date in fleet: Aug. 16-30 As-tested price: $137,295 Powertrain: 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V12; rwd, five-speed automatic Output: 510 hp @ 5000 rpm, 612 lb-ft @ 1900-3500 rpm Curb weight: 4429 lbs Fuel Economy...

Monitoring is not parenting.(Column)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson The morning our Sept. 4 Teen Driver Education issue went in the mail, National Public Radio aired a story about devices parents can use to track a teen's on-road behavior, similar to the piece Eric Adams wrote for...

THESE COOPERS WORK; Monterey Historics feature a British legend.(News)(Biography)
September 11, 2006... Byline: MAC MORRISON Mike Cooper bounded into Laguna Seca's Barbecue Island picnic area outside of Turn Two, not quite dripping oil but soiled enough to indicate he'd abandoned his car mid-repair. The son of John Cooper-founder of the...

HATCHING A NEW HONDA CR-V; Sock-curling not an option.(News)(Product/service evaluation)
September 11, 2006... Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO Spend an hour driving the Honda CR-V and you'll be reminded of that joke about mopeds being a good ride until your friend sees you on it. This little sport/utility vehicle-crossover thing won't do much for your...

A Reunion of the Rest of the Cars; Concorso returns to its roots but keeps all the Ferraris.(News)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Mark Vaughn The good news about this year's Concorso Italiano was that there were more of the cheap Italian sports cars you kept fixing and sometimes even drove in college. That's good news if you like Fiat Cinquecentos and Lancia...

A Bird in the Hand; Elbow room and good eats highlight Quail.(News)(The Quail)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Mark Vaughn The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering is a sort of highbrow Concorso, the latter of which was held for many years on these very same grounds until it ran out of room. Like Concorso, one of the themes of this year's Quail...

Profiting from History; $5 million-plus racing Ferrari is top weekend auction car.(News)
September 11, 2006... Byline: LARRY EDSALL Phil Hill was familiar enough with this particular V12 to refer to it as the "Bellentani engine.'' "Its early history is a bit fuzzy,'' the former world champion wrote in "The Legend of the Ferrari 412S,'' an...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
September 11, 2006... Transatlantic differences I spend four months a year driving in Italy, Germany and Sweden, and your comments on driver education are on the mark. Getting a license in Europe is a big deal, taking months or a year with ice and wet skid...

WEB WATCH: AUTOWEEK.COM.(News)
September 11, 2006... Covering it all We continue to provide in-depth coverage of major automotive events on the web. The photo gallery from Pebble Beach is one most recent example. Also, check out photos of the latest Honda CR-V. autoweek.com/photos ...

Captivating by Design.(Escape Roads)
September 11, 2006... Byline: BROOKS BRIERLEY Imagine: Were Michelangelo around for car design, this stunning coupe could be one of his masterpieces. The Fitzpatrick Custom was just a dream in 1947 when a former World War II fighter pilot, Phil Lacey,...

But Wait, There's More...(BWTM)
September 11, 2006... Who needs official recognition when you've got free NASCAR tickets? A day after astronomers disowned Pluto, Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage announced TMS will give residents of the former planet a free ticket to the Dickies...

Market.(Escape Roads)
September 11, 2006... Byline: KEITH MARTIN Christie's Le Mans, France July 8 1967 Citroen DS21 Decapotable (convertible) 2175-cc I4, five-speed manual. Dark metallic blue with tan canvas top and tan leather interior. Perfect exterior,...

TV: Sept. 15-17.(News)(Calendar)
September 11, 2006... Friday, Sept. 15 NASCAR Beyond the Wheel, 7:30 a.m., Speed NASCAR Nextel Cup qualifying from Loudon, N.H., 3 p.m., Speed (L) NASCAR Live, 4:30 p.m., Speed (L) 7 Days, 5:30 p.m., Speed Trackside at Loudon, N.H., 7 p.m.,...

New York's Super Secret Society.(Column)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Richard S. Chang Recently, on one of the amazing summer afternoons we've been having in New York, I took the subway south to Brooklyn Heights to see a 1960 Corvette Fuelie. Nearly a year ago I wrote a column about the...

Wild, Wild Wiesmann; German company plans expansion to States by 2010.(News)
September 18, 2006... Byline: JENS MEINERS German coachbuilder Wiesmann is dramatically boosting production as it gears up for sales in the United States by 2010. "The decision has been taken," company co-owner Martin Wiesmann told AutoWeek. "There is no...

Clarification.(Correction)(Correction notice)
September 18, 2006... Our Sept. 11 coverage of land speed record attempts at the Bonneville Salt Flats should have said all Southern California Timing Association runs are performed in the same direction, with two runs occurring within 24 hours to establish a...

WEB WATCH: AUTOWEEK.COM.(News)(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Powerful pair You can never get enough of these high-powered German autobahn burners. We're posting photos galore of the 500-hp BMW M6 that hauls butt and Mercedes' 510-hp R63 AMG that proves people haulers can burn rubber, too....

SPEED TREATED; 2007 MazdaSpeed3 pushes pocket rocket envelope.(News)
September 18, 2006... Byline: ROGER HART Mazda didn't invent the sport compact, but it seems fairly intent on making sure those who care about pocket rockets pay attention to the cars coming from Hiroshima. Case in point: the 2007 MazdaSpeed3. With a...

Market.(Escape Roads)(Product/service evaluation)
September 18, 2006... Byline: KEITH MARTIN Gooding & Co. Pebble Beach, Calif. Aug. 20 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France 2953-cc V12, four-speed manual. Gold with red leather. Coachwork by Pininfarina, constructed by Scaglietti. Wear is even...

AMERICAN PIE; Even sliced thinner, big SUVs still make for profitable pastry.(News)
September 18, 2006... Byline: MARK VAUGHN The world has gone crazy: Gasoline is $3 a gallon, the polar ice caps are melting and, heaven help us, Tyra Banks is still yapping away on national TV. And there's nothing we can do about any of it. In these crazy...

Call It Irresistible.(Escape Roads)
September 18, 2006... Byline: BOB TOMAINE When Marmon introduced its Model 34 for 1916, the car was so well designed and executed that its direct descendents would be in production a decade later. Nordyke & Marmon entered the auto industry in a small way in...

Able-Bodied for the Disabled (and Others).(Column)
September 18, 2006... Byline: Steve Thompson Losing the use of one or more limbs changes what you can do in ways you can't appreciate until it happens. For instance, because my left leg is now effectively inoperative, I have to use a walker or wheelchair to...

Letters.(public opinion on driver education)
September 18, 2006... Driver education Congratulations on producing one of your best issues ever. You put the responsibility for teen drivers on us, the parents. I couldn't believe how obvious the answer is after reading the articles. Cars are deadly machines,...

NEW BREED.(News)
September 18, 2006... Byline: Greg Kable Who needs this car, really? Premium unleaded is still hovering around $3 a gallon, so a hulking, six-seat luxury MPV running a 6.2-liter, 510-hp V8 engine, capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in less than five...

REMEMBERING THE MARMONS; No, they're not from Utah, but from Indy.(Revs)
September 18, 2006... Byline: BOB TOMAINE Being an auto executive's son has always had benefits, even 75 or 80 years ago when George Williams was president of Marmon Motor Car Co. "He would bring cars home,'' said Bruce S. Williams, 86, of his father, at...

IS THE CHASE WORKING? And if not, how does NASCAR fix it?(Motorsports)
September 18, 2006... Byline: Al Pearce The folks in Daytona Beach often say that at the end of the day, it is what it is. Ah... well, sure it is; everybody knows that. But what, exactly, does that mean? In the matter of the annual Chase for the Nextel Cup, it...

MONSTER UTE; With 420 hp on tap, a Grand Cherokee SRT8 is welcomed into the fold.(News)
September 18, 2006... Byline: ROGER HART Dan Knott, then DaimlerChrysler's boss of Street and Racing Technology, could barely contain a smile as he unveiled the SRT8 version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee on the lawn behind The Lodge at Pebble Beach in 2005. ...

BOUND FOR GLORY; Here is your chance to vote on the 2006 AutoWeek Readers' Choice awards.(News)
September 18, 2006... Byline: Wes Raynal Each year as a crop of new cars hits showroom floors, AutoWeek celebrates. And one of the ways we do that is by asking you, our car-smart readers, to pick America's best cars and trucks. It's simple math: You vote, and...

Events.(Calendar)
September 18, 2006... Oct. 20-21 Forge Invitational Muscle Car Show Chattanooga, Tenn. Factory muscle cars at Chattanooga Convention Center. For more information log onto detroithorsepower.com. Oct. 27 Vintage Fridays Rancho Cordova,...