Automotive News articles from November 2003

Automotive News archives from November 2003

The deal.(Suppliers)
November 3, 2003... Details of CBS Boring & Machine's GM project. * $30 million was invested to produce cylinder heads and engine blocks for the automaker's inline-four and inline-five engines. * A 150,000-square-foot plant was built in Defiance, Ohio. ...

Jason Stein joins Automotive News.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Jason Stein, an automotive writer with 10 years of daily newspaper experience, has joined Automotive News as a staff reporter covering marketing topics. Stein, 31, comes to Detroit from Fort Wayne, Ind., where he spent seven years as an...

China wish list.(News)
November 3, 2003... To boost auto financing in China, GMAC says it will push for * A joint venture with a Chinese partner * A change in consumers' attitudes toward credit * Establishment of a nationwide credit bureau * Legality of using vehicles...

Key facts.(News)
November 3, 2003... What: Automotive News World Congress When: Jan. 12-15 Where: Hyatt Regency Dearborn, Dearborn, Mich. Cost: $1,295 early bird registration by Nov. 26; $1,495 after Nov. 26; daily fee: $695 For information: Toll free...

Winners and losers.(News)
November 3, 2003... Top 3 winning and losing brands, based on percentage change in transaction prices for 2003 compared with 2002 Winners 1. Land Rover: +10.6% 2. Infiniti: +9.6% 3. Nissan: +6.7% Losers 1. Saturn: -6.6% 2. Mini:...

2 big steps for Japan.(Opinion)(themes of Tokyo auto show)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... The Tokyo auto show had two important themes that should be lessons for the world's automakers. 1. Japanese automakers showed that they are willing to invest heavily in expensive, niche technology - hybrids and fuel cells - with an eye...

New Honda system boosts crash safety.(News)(Advanced Compatibility Engineering)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Honda Motor Co. has developed a vehicle body-structure architecture that improves the ability of small cars to survive a collision with a larger vehicle. The system, called Advanced Compatibility Engineering, or...

Supply line.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... JCI supplies telematics to Acura TOKYO - Johnson Controls Inc. said last week that it will supply its HandsFreeLink telematics system for the 2004 Acura TL sedan. HandsFreeLink is a hands-free phone system enabled by Bluetooth. ...

GM Daewoo may export 650,000 units.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Dave Guilford GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. is expanding its role as General Motors' low-cost vehicle provider and may ultimately export as many as 650,000 vehicles annually. That would more than double projected exports of...

High-tech Silverado hybrid.(News)
November 3, 2003... These are some of the features of the Chevrolet Silverado hybrid. * 42-volt electrical system * Electrohydraulic power steering * Heating and air conditioning that work when engine is stopped * Engine idle mode that runs...

Gibbs will supply custom trucks to Chevy dealers.(Special Report)(Joe Gibbs Performance)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: K.C. Crain Joe Gibbs Performance plans to offer customized versions of the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado and Tahoe at Chevrolet dealerships. The performance package includes a front fascia with fog lamps, tailgate spoiler, 20-inch...

GM Daewoo says Bupyong plant meets criteria, may buy it.(News)(South Korea)(GM Daewoo Auto & Technology)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Dave Guilford GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co.'s purchase of an assembly plant in Bupyong, Korea, is becoming more likely. GM Daewoo, the year-old partnership led by GM, balked at buying Bupyong from the bankrupt Daewoo Motor...

Nissan, Infiniti transaction prices rise; Consumers favor richer vehicle mix.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Kathy Jackson Nissan and Infiniti dealers are seeing bigger jumps in their transaction prices year over year than most other U.S. retailers. The average transaction price for an Infiniti nameplate through Sept. 30, minus...

Drifting leaves automakers in the dust; This tire-shredding, high-speed ballet is gaining followers, and the aftermarket is responding.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Mark Rechtin In the San Gabriel Valley outside Los Angeles, owners of sport compacts are getting sideways about the latest driving craze. Here, nestled among the concrete and a short distance from the Miller brewery, lies the...

GM ready to flick the switch on hybrid truck.(News)(General Motors Corp.)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Richard Truett When the lights went out in August during the great power failure of 2003, Tom Stephens looked around GM Powertrain headquarters for the keys to a prototype of a Chevrolet hybrid pickup. Stephens, General Motors'...

GM's top PR exec to retire Jan. 1.(News)(General Motors)(Harris, Steve)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Dave Guilford A few years ago, Fortune magazine writer Alex Taylor III recalls, General Motors executive Rick Wagoner had a prickly relationship with the press. "Wagoner used to treat the press as a real irritant,'' Taylor...

Personnel.(People)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... BBDO DETROIT - Tom Szczepanski, 44, to executive vice president of retail performance solutions group. Szczepanski will oversee the development of programs that enhance the consumers' experience at more than 4,200 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge...

Engineers, researcher join powertrain panel.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Two senior engineering executives and an environmentalist will explore the development of environmentally friendly engines during the Automotive News World Congress in January. Sue Cischke became vice president of environmental and safety...

Ford alters warranty pay rules.(News)(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Jason Stein Ford Motor Co. has revised several warranty payment schedules to placate dealers who say technicians aren't allotted enough time to make some repairs. Ford compensates dealerships based on the time it says is needed...

XM subscribers top 1 million.(News)(XM Satellite Radio Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... XM Satellite Radio Inc. said last week that it has more than 1 million subscribers but wouldn't reveal the exact figure. The company has said that its goal is 1.2 million by year end. The 2-year-old company, which is based here, also said...

5 things worth watching.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Gail Kachadourian The Specialty Equipment Market Association show this week promises to have a wide variety of aftermarket products that deliver style, entertainment and performance. Staff Reporter Gail Kachadourian identifies five...

Hummer expects 12,000-plus pickup sales.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Dave Guilford Hummer expects the pickup version of its H2 SUV to sell about 12,000 to 15,000 units annually - about one-third of the 40,000-unit capacity of its Mishawaka, Ind., plant. Marc Hernandez, H2 marketing manager, says...

Nissan passes GM as sales king in Mexico.(Sales)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Helped by strong sales of its Platina supermini, Nissan has passed General Motors as Mexico's sales leader. For the first nine months of this year, Nissan outsold GM by 70 vehicles. The last time Nissan passed GM in year-to-date sales was...

Mitsubishi chairman dies at 62.(Obituary)
November 3, 2003... Byline: James B. Treece Takashi Sonobe, chairman of Mitsubishi Motors Corp., died of heart failure on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at age 62 after a short illness. Calling his death "sudden'' and "a great shock to everyone at Mitsubishi Motors,''...

Scion to Japan: Keep 'em coming; Executive asks Toyota to double output before nationwide U.S. launch.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Mark Rechtin Scion Vice President Jim Farley went to Japan on a mission: Get more vehicles. Dealing with only a nine-day supply of the boxy xB and wedge-shaped xA hatchbacks, Farley went to see his bosses at Toyota Motor Corp....

Magna Steyr will take time on CEO search.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Georg Auer Magna Steyr will not hurry to replace CEO Herbert Demel when he leaves to run Fiat Auto, says Siegfried Wolf, vice chairman of Magna International Inc. Wolf says the company's "very astute team'' of five vice...

Obituaries.(Obituary)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
November 3, 2003... Moorman Meador FORT WORTH, Texas - Auto dealer Moorman Meador died Oct. 9. He was 85. He owned Meador Oldsmobile and Meador Chrysler-Plymouth-Jeep here. From 1954 to 1957, he owned Porter-Meador Pontiac here. G. Rynd Miller ...

BMW tries new segments in bid to pass Mercedes.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Bradford Wernle BMW AG says it will pass Mercedes-Benz and become the world's top-selling premium car company by 2008. Next year BMW will enter three new segments. The 6-series coupe and X3 SUV will debut early in 2004. Later...

Systems don't mesh, so Ford hybrid is delayed.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Richard Truett, Amy Wilson The Ford Escape hybrid is about one year behind schedule because Ford Motor Co. bought major electronic components from several suppliers and had trouble making them work together. Phil Martens, group...

ThyssenKrupp acquires DCX steering subsidiary.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Edmund Chew ThyssenKrupp Automotive AG's takeover of DaimlerChrysler subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Lenkungen adds a $349 million unit to Thyssen- Krupp's steering systems manufacturing. ThyssenKrupp has substantial interests in...

A big victory for a little supplier; Robotic system helped CBS Boring & Machine win GM contract.(Suppliers)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Sometimes stress can be a powerful motivator. That's what CBS Boring & Machine Co. Inc. learned in late 1999 when it faced a big price-cut demand from a major customer, Caterpillar Inc., on a job it couldn't...

Falling dollar saps Honda operating profit.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Honda Motor Co. said its operating profit for the fiscal first half ended Sept. 30 slipped 6.8 percent from a year earlier because of currency losses and weak sales in the Japan market. The decline to [yen]301.9...

A Jeep is a Jeep; it must stay a Jeep.(Column)
November 3, 2003... Byline: KEITH CRAIN A few weeks ago, the COO of the Chrysler group sent out the first hint that the company will change the Jeep. Not every Jeep has "to go down the Rubicon Trail,'' Wolfgang Bernhard said at a press event in Texas. ...

Chrysler boosts road assistance.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Ralph Kisiel The Chrysler group has increased its roadside assistance warranty coverage significantly, from 3 years/36,000 miles to 7 years/70,000 miles. That was the biggest change among automakers' warranty coverage for 2004...

Auto News Briefly.(Briefs)
November 3, 2003... Let's bring back the rumble seat while we're at it Tom Matano, former Mazda chief designer and now head of industrial design at Academy of Art College, sees an automotive design trend at the heart of the decline of the American family. "The...

Report offers insights on automotive recycling.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Minnesota environmental officials are out to help make end-of-life automobiles even more recyclable. About 75 percent of the weight of a typical vehicle is recycled after it ends its useful life, thanks to the high...

Chevrolet seeks novice tuners with Colorado Sport.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: K.C. Crain Chevrolet hopes that the Colorado Sport model, aimed at performance enthusiasts, will account for 20 percent of the new pickup's sales. The Colorado Sport is essentially a tuner, or heavily customized, truck from the...

Chrysler creates a Cruiser coupe.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Cross a two-door convertible Chrysler PT Cruiser with a permanent hardtop and what do you get? The GT Cruiser Coupe, one of six custom vehicles designed by the Chrysler group's Skunkwerks team and aftermarket...

Pint-sized penalty.(Legal File)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Issue: Does a Minnesota dealership owe a customer damages for failing to provide him with a copy of his signed sales agreement? Outcome: Appeals court allows customer a minimal damage award but increases his attorney fees award.

Late News.
November 3, 2003... Suzuki consolidates dealer ad spending LOS ANGELES - American Suzuki Motor Corp. says it will consolidate nearly $100 million in regional dealership ad spending at its national agency, Colby & Partners of Santa Monica, Calif. More than...

GM expands cylinder deactivation.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: K.C. Crain General Motors says it will offer cylinder deactivation on many vehicles in the next four years, equipping both V-6s and V-8s with the fuel-saving device. In 2008, the company plans to have 2 million cars and trucks...

Would women turn up their noses at diesel smell?(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Harry Stoffer When oil refiners take the contaminant sulfur out of diesel fuel, they ought to consider putting something else in: perfume. So says John Fairbanks, a high-ranking diesel power expert at the U.S. Department of...

GMAC exec navigates China's loan maze.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Dave Guilford Christian Weidemann, General Motors Acceptance Corp.'s man in China, took advantage of the weeklong Chinese national holidays in October to visit Korea. When he returned to Shanghai, Weidemann says, he switched on...

GM '04 prices climb by $441 in first month.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. The 2004 model year is just a month old, but General Motors already has raised sticker prices an average of $441, or 1.5 percent, an Automotive News analysis finds. The increases were done in two steps. ...

Scion considers a no-paint option; Brand may give tuners a `blank canvas'.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Richard Truett With its funky advertising campaigns and ads in offbeat magazines, Toyota's upstart Scion division refuses to play by the rules. And at this week's Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas, where...

Ford sends a fleet of F-150s to make big splash at SEMA.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Ford Motor Co. will feature 15 customized 2004 Ford F-150 pickups at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show this week in Las Vegas. As the featured vehicle manufacturer for this year's show, Ford says it...

New show joins salon lineup; SEMA adds East Coast event to boost sales.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Roberta Pennington The Specialty Equipment Market Association next year will launch another show to help drive sales of the growing automotive specialty equipment industry. For five years, SEMA has hosted a West Coast show for...

Going full throttle; From 600-hp V-8 engines to computer chips and forced-air induction systems, dealers and automakers are racing to quench the consumer's thirst for added power.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Richard Truett Jeff Hess wants to give his customers a kick. It's not that Hess, parts manager at Performance Nissan in Duarte, Calif., doesn't like the people who come to his dealership to check out the assortment of Nissan's...

Nissan revival has roots in Japan's culture; Styling chief Nakamura says `Japanese legacy' will win younger buyers.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: David Sedgwick Shiro Nakamura is feeling playful. In the lobby of Nissan Motor Co.'s world headquarters in central Tokyo, the company's chief designer gestures toward the Cube, a boxlike vehicle on display at a reception for...

Standards sought for car electronics.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Ian Morton Key German carmakers and suppliers plan to address the lack of common standards they say is slowing progress in vehicle electronics. BMW AG, DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen AG say they will cooperate with Robert Bosch...

Fires, tax boost keep dealerships empty in Calif.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Mark Rechtin, Kathy Jackson In the hamlet of Fillmore, 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, employees of family-owned Wm. L. Morris Fillmore Chevrolet-Oldsmobile have seen it all. The St. Francis Dam break of 1928 brought roiling...

Honda confirms it: The NSX will be replaced.(News)(HOnda plans new concept sportscar)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi The 13-year-old Acura NSX sports car will be replaced soon by a car much like the HSC concept coupe shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda President Takeo Fukui disclosed last week. "I want to bring it out soon,''...

VW Phaeton will start at $65,215.(News)(Volkswagen of America Inc. prices 2004 model)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Volkswagen of America Inc. last week priced its 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton with a V-8 engine at $65,215. The price, which includes a $615 destination charge, is close to the $60,000 figure that U.S. dealers had...

Race is on to supply diesel filters in Europe.(Suppliers)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine The battle of the particulate filters has begun. At stake is a market worth billions as demand for cars with diesel engines keeps growing, and automakers race to meet stringent European emission rules....

New seating contracts help Faurecia grow.(Suppliers)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Edmund Chew Faurecia CEO Pierre Levi says innovation will help the French supplier boost sales and profits despite weak new-car production and dropping precious metal prices that decrease revenue from catalytic converters. ...

Exclusive? Yes and no.(Legal File)(Nissan franchise agreement)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Issue: Are the exclusivity provisions in a Nissan franchise agreement legal? Outcome: Appeals court says yes but won't allow dealership's franchise to be terminated for violating them. The court has refused to reconsider.

Looking overseas.(News)(Daewoo export forecast)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... GM Daewoo export projections for 2003 Europe: 154,000 North America: 73,000 Asia Pacific: 19,000 Africa/Middle East: 16,000 Latin America: 6,000 Total: 268,000 Source: GM Daewoo

Saturn fights Asian rivals with $159 deal on Ion.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Rick Kranz Saturn hopes to draw buyers from Asian automakers by offering its base Ion sedan with a special loan deal: $159 a month for six years with a down payment of $159. The Ion has faced stiff Asian competition since its...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
November 3, 2003... * A story on Page 17 of the Oct. 27 issue misidentified the owner of four Land Rover stores and two Jaguar stores on New York's Long Island. The stores are part of Long Island Automotive Group, which is owned by Marubeni Group of New York. ...

Pros and cons.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Here are the pros and cons of equipping a vehicle with oversized wheels. Pros * Delivers smoother ride and handling * Personalizes the vehicle * Offers racing advantages Cons * May negatively affect vehicle dynamics...

Personnel.(People)
November 3, 2003... Amerigon INC. - Daniel Pace, 52, to vice president of sales and marketing. He was director of North American sales. Amerigon Inc., of Detroit, designs, develops, markets and manufactures proprietary electronic systems. ARVINMERITOR...

Japan's exports up in Sept.(News)(Industry Overview)
November 3, 2003... Japan's new-vehicle exports in September edged up 0.7 percent from a year earlier to 440,514, the first increase in five months, on brisk demand from Europe and Asia. Europe-bound exports by Japanese automakers surged 35.6 percent, while...

N.A. truck output hits 8 million.(Production)(North America)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Debi Domby * Year-to-date North American truck production reached 8 million units on Wednesday, Oct. 29. That was eight days earlier than in 2002. * Year-to-date Canadian truck production also reached 1 million units on Oct....

Dealers.(People)(news briefs)
November 3, 2003... Transitions * Jim Herrick moved Liberty Ford in to a new, larger building in Maple Heights, Ohio. The dealership had been in Bedford, Ohio. Herrick owns five other dealerships in Ohio. * Chuck Ruwart moved Laramie Peak Motors into a...

RouteOne rolls out credit system today.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Ralph Kisiel RouteOne LLC rolls out its online credit application system today, Nov. 3, to dealerships that use Ford Credit and General Motors Acceptance Corp. The idea behind RouteOne is simple: Instead of dealers using many...

Auto News Digest.(Briefs)
November 3, 2003... New Tundra models on sale this month LOS ANGELES - The new Double Cab models of the Toyota Tundra pickups will start at $26,185 when they go on sale this month. The figure is for the SRS two-wheel-drive model. The 2wd Limited will be...

Saturn plans a 6-vehicle lineup.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Dave Guilford Saturn will have a six-vehicle lineup within three years, says Jill Lajdziak, Saturn's vice president for sales, service and marketing. "We'll be doubling our entries through the Saturn portfolio,'' said Lajdziak...

Rushing to meet the need for speed.
November 3, 2003... Automakers are offering extras to boost performance, and dealers are coming up with innovative ways to sell them. One store offers test rides in a super-tuned Nissan 350Z. See a special section, after | PAGE 20 | CAPTION(S): photo

More leverage.(advantages of General Motors' new purchasing contract)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... GM's new purchasing contract allows GM to * Switch suppliers after 30 days notice * Avoid compensating suppliers for lost business Source: GM and supplier documents

Fiat expects compensation; Automaker's parent says GM should pay if deal falls through.(News)
November 3, 2003... Fiat S.p.A. could seek compensation if General Motors does not accept an option allowing the Italian industrial group to force GM to buy out Fiat Auto, Fiat S.p.A. Chairman Umberto Agnelli said last week. GM has argued that a put option...

Futura's future.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Collins & Aikman will supply these components on the Ford Futura * Instrument panel * Cockpit * Front and rear door panels * Carpet Source: Collins & Aikman

Conversions plunge, motor homes stable.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Gail Kachadourian Conversion vehicle shipments in September dropped 19.4 percent compared with the same month last year. A total of 5,000 units were shipped. Van conversions, which accounted for the largest portion of...

Chrysler group adds 2 vice presidents.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... The Chrysler group has added two product-development vice presidents to oversee long-range strategy and advanced engineering activity. Stephen Bartoli is vice president of strategy, and Mark Chernoby is vice president of advanced vehicle...

Coker takes the wheel as SEMA chairman.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Dale Jewett His nickname comes from a character in the legendary comic strip "Gasoline Alley,'' but the incoming chairman of the Specialty Equipment Market Association is serious about his business and goals for the trade group...

Who supplies what.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... * Aisin AW: Transaxle * Sanyo: Nickel-metal hydride battery pack * Continental Teves: Regenerative brakes * NSK: Electric power steering * TDK: DC-to-DC converter * Battery software: Pi Technology * Engine: Ford Motor...

At odds with DCX, Hyundai boss tightens hold.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Peter Chang In the latest sign of the deteriorating relationship between DaimlerChrysler and Hyundai Motor Co., Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong Koo has raised his personal ownership stake in the Korean carmaker to head off a potential...

Supplier to offer retrofit filters.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Douglas Bolduc Twin-Tec intends to be the first supplier in Europe to offer aftermarket diesel-particulate filters to retrofit on older models. Twin-Tec, of Bonn, Germany, says its filter will hit the aftermarket early next...

Minority dealers needed; industry must step up pace.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... It is unacceptable that it could take automakers up to 40 years to achieve a dealer body that includes 15 percent ethnic minorities vs. 6 percent today. Automakers and dealers must do everything they can to accelerate the pace. Most...

Big wheels keep on turning - and the debate rages.(Special Report)
November 3, 2003... Byline: John D. Stoll Rick Frazier is rolling on dubs these days. Frazier has a 2001 Mercedes-Benz S500. He drives the car about 500 miles a month. The sedan, he says, hugs corners, handles more smoothly the faster he accelerates and...

GM: Be the cheapest, or be gone; Suppliers dislike GM's 30-day escape clause.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Robert Sherefkin General Motors has a new get-tough tool to pressure suppliers on price: language in all new contracts that gives suppliers 30 days to match a rival's lower price, or else lose the business. GM began putting the...

Court: Nissan can't cut dealership for selling Kias.(Legal File)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Eric Freedman A federal appeals court will not reconsider its ruling in a Minnesota case involving franchise agreement exclusivity provisions. The ruling upheld the legality of the provisions but blocked Nissan Motor Co. from...

Ford, Collins & Aikman face risks with Futura.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Robert Sherefkin, Amy Wilson Word that Collins & Aikman Corp. will supply much of the interior for the 2006 Ford Futura sedan could not have come at a better time for CEO David Stockman. Anxiety about Collins & Aikman's future...

Bill would jail dealership attackers.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Harry Stoffer A bill introduced in Congress would make federal crimes out of attacks by "ecoterrorists'' on car dealerships, such as the vandalism in California in August attributed to radical environmentalists. The...

Plenty of power.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Horsepower will abound at the SEMA show. Here are examples. * Ford will introduce two 5.0-liter V-8s, including a supercharged 600-hp version. * GM will introduce two 9.3-liter crate engines. One is capable of 620 hp and the other gets...