AutoWeek back issues from June 2009:
SPECS & DATA.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... PRICING & OPTIONS Base (includes $825 delivery and $1,000 gas-guzzler tax): $86,025 As-tested price: $110,170 Options: Sport package, with 19-inch wheels, performance tires, active steering, leather steering wheel ($4,900); night vision, with pedestrian ...
ON THE LIMITA Ray of Hope?(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Nigel Roebuck The FIA's push to introduce a Formula One budget cap in 2010 (On the Limit, AW, May 18) remained unresolved as of AutoWeek's May 26 deadline, but it appeared possible at Monaco that a solution could arrive any day. Or maybe not. A week before ...
How Latvala Survived.(NEWS)(Ford Motor Co. investigating the rally accident)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: ANTHONY PEACOCK Ford has com-pleted a detailed investigation into the huge crash that befell Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikka Anttila during the Portugal Rally in early May. The accident, which has been watched online on YouTube more than 450,000 times, lasted 19.8 seconds ...
NHRA CONSIDERS SLOWING CARS.(NEWS)(National Hot Rod Association)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: ROB GEIGER The NHRA took its first step toward potentially slowing down the action in its top two categoriesFunny Car and Top Fuelwith an unpublicized test on May 18, the day after the national event in Bristol, Tenn. Dan Olson, the NHRA's director of nitro ...
THE WIRE.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Bernie Ecclestone has hinted that he might sue Ferrari if it carries out its threat to quit Formula One at the end of this season (see On the Limit, page 64). Ferrari was the first team to commit itself to Ecclestone's company when it accepted the special terms he offered it to abandon the ...
SCOREBOARD.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... American Le Mans Series: Gil de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud (Acura ARX-02a) took the LMP1 and overall win at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, on May 17. Scott Sharp and David Brabham finished second in the other Acura LMP1 entry. Luis Diaz and Adrian Fernandez (Acura ARX-01b) won in ...
Rockin' Chairs; Hot Seat simulators mimic the real thing.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: DON KLEIN FITTED WITH FORCE-FEEDBACK steering wheels and pedals, g-inducing full-motion cockpit actuators and brain-pounding Dolby digital surround sound, today's simulator chassis can cost more than the vehicles they emulate. But they'll never be real race cars, and sim ...
Niche Filler; BMW adds liftback GT to 5-series array.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Greg Kable BMW will bring the elevated seating and packaging of an SUV to its 5-series line with the addition of a liftback model called the Grand Turismo or, simply, GT. The automaker is now revealing the production look for the vehicle, which will debut at ...
SRX-ED UP; Fresh styling, turbo power signal a new identity for Cadillac's crossover.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: GREG MIGLIORE Cadillac is over its crossover identity crisis. The old SRX was a nice blend of wagon and utilityand it produced confusion rather than stirring sales. But the 2010 model clears things up nicely. The new SRX is more SUV-like in looks and drive ...
Air to Ground; 1953 BRISTOL 403.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: JAN TEGLER BY 1945, THE BRISTOL Aeroplane Co. had been in business for 35 years building fighter and light bomber aircraft for Britain's Royal Air Force. But as World War II ended, demand plummeted. So Bristol turned a portion of its excess engineering and manufacturing ...
INDY THROUGH THE YEARS.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... June 5, 1909: Balloons, not cars or motorcycles, were first to race at the Speedway. Ray Harroun won the first-ever Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1911, using what is believed to be the first fixed rearview mirror in automotive history. The original Pagoda ...
Postscript with Jenson Button.(NEWS)(Interview)
Jun 01, 2009 ... AutoWeek: What does it mean to you to win Monaco? Jenson Button: I crossed the line, and I said to the boys, "Yeah, Monaco, baby! And it's so true, this one means so much for all of the team. I said before the race that it doesn't. That might have been a little white lie; I ...
2-wheel lowdown; 2009 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 K9.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: BARRY WINFIELD This is the first entirely new GSX-R1000 in 10 years, with all-new engine, chassis, bodywork and titanium exhaust system. It is slightly lighter than its predecessor, despite the need for dual-exhaust mufflers to meet tightening noise regulations, and it ...
VW R32 will get Scirocco R power.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Greg Kable The trend toward engine downsizing will show up in Volkswagen's more affordable performance models, starting with the next Golf R32, planned for a North American launch in early 2010. Previously powered by a 250-hp version of VW's naturally ...
AUDI REVEALS KILLER Q5 CONCEPT.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: GREG KABLE Audi has provided the strongest hint yet that it plans to crown its Q5 lineup with an RS performance model by revealing a one-off, 408-hp, supercharged 3.0-liter V6 concept version of its compact SUV. Although Audi officials are playing down the ...
MAYBE BABY BUICK? Redesigned Opel Astra reveals Chevrolet Cruze cues.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Greg Kable Opel, General Motors' financially embattled European subsidiary, has ripped the covers from its sixth-generation Astra ahead of the car's planned debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September. The five-door hatchback, traditionally one of Europe's ...
Into the Future.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: JULIAN RENDELL What do you get when the next generation of car designers creates its visions of the automotive world 40 years from now? Magnetic levitation, loungelike interiors and individual transport pods all come zooming into focus, without much mention of ...
ELECTRIC EXCELLENCE; DRIVING CHEVY'S VOLT ISN'T SPECIAL, AND THAT'S GOOD.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON We've had our first taste of the drive system under development for General Motors' pioneering Chevrolet Volt, piloting a test mule based on the Chevrolet Cruze at the company's Warren (Mich.) Technical Center, and it left us hungering for more. Yes, ...
FLASH.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... DROP THAT CAMARO TOP Despite General Motors' economic woes, production of a convertible version of the Chevrolet Camaro is on track to start in early 2011, a one-year delay from the original plan, a GM spokesman told Automotive News. With GM on the brink of a ...
WEB ALERT.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... TURN IT UP Chats with drivers, what we think about a new car or some curmudgeonly barbs from Dutch or ...
I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW . . . Even at night, in complete darkness, thanks to FLIR infrared.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: MARK VAUGHN THE FIRST THING WE did when we got our FLIR infrared PathFindIR Installation Kit was not hooking it up in a car. No, we hooked it up to a portable 12-volt source and headed out into the backyard. Right away, we found a possum up in a tree. Or maybe it was a ...
BUTTON PRESSES ON; BRAWN GP RULES MONACO TO SCORE FIFTH WIN OF THE YEAR.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: NIGEL ROEBUCK Jenson Button said before the Monaco Grand Prix that winning it would mean no more than winning any other race, but after he dominated Monte Carlo's streets, he admitted that wasn't the case (see Postscript). Button and Brawn GP again had a ...
DREAM WEAVER; HELIO CASTRONEVES OWNS INDY FOR THE THIRD TIME.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: CURT CAVIN Helio Castro-neves would not be denied. Not by the Internal Revenue Service, not by a prosecution team, not by a jury and certainly not by Dan Wheldon, though Wheldon was the fun part. That's why when the popular Brazilian took the lead of the 93rd ...
RESULTS.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... TRACK: INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY 2.5-MILE OVAL DATE: MAY 24 1. Helio Castroneves, 200 laps at 150.318 mph avg. speed; 2. Dan Wheldon, 200; 3. Danica Patrick, 200; 4. Townsend Bell, 200; 5. Will Power, 200; 6. Scott Dixon, 200; 7. Dario Franchitti, 200; ...
State of Depression; DESPITE RECORD $11 MILLION SALE, IS THE COLLECTOR-CAR WORLD IN TROUBLE?(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: MICHAEL TAYLOR Not even a worldrecord price at the annual Ferrari Leggenda e Passione auction in Maranello, Italy, on May 17 could inspire buyers to forget the global economic crisis . While an anonymous telephone bidder waited for the last of the 35 cars in ...
RIDE ON! Kyle Petty motorcycle ride raises millions for charity.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: AL PEARCE The idea came as Kyle Petty and some friends rode motorcycles from North Carolina to Arizo-na in October 1994. They met bikers across the South and the Southwest who wanted to tag along. Something clicked, and Petty saw the potential of hosting a cross-country ...
DOUBLE DUTY; Maserati GranTurismo fun is now automatic.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: ROGER HART Having two personalities is not normally desirable, but for the Maserati GranTurismo S Automatic, it works. Grand-touring cars, by their nature, lead double lives, packing in enough performance to satisfy demanding drivers while being practical enough for ...
Good Cars from Dead Brands.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Kevin A. Wilson With Chrysler now in bankruptcy and General Motors on the brink, it's a good time to walk the field at the Ypsilanti Orphan Car Show for a little perspective. The show celebrates vehicles whose makers have gone out of business in the U.S. market, plus ...
LOTUS POSITIONS; Sardines? Bah! The Evora boasts tuna-sized room.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: NATALIE NEFF Knees splayed, head cocked and elbows tucked in tight, we wouldn't call the seats particularly spacious, but the fact that we fit at all was impressive. They would certainly work in a pinch. We're talking Lotus seats, after allthe rear ones. The ...
No Joke, David; Reutimann wins rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: AL PEARCE > Friends used to mess with David Reutimann by announcing over the loudspeakers at the race shop where he worked that Roger Penske or Richard Childress was on the line for the short-track star. When an owner finally did callDarrell Waltrip in 2004Reutimann was ...
TV.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Formula One practice from Turkey, 7 a.m., Speed (L) NASCAR Sprint Cup practice from Long Pond, Pa., noon, Speed (L) NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying from Long Pond, Pa., 3:30 p.m., Speed (L) NASCAR Nationwide Series practice from ...
UNDER THE HOOD.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... SIGN UP NOW We know you love to read AutoWeek magazine and stay up to date with autoweek.com. But sometimes you need a quick hit of what's going on in the auto world. For those times, there's News Brake, our Web-based TV show. Hosted and reported by the AW staff, ...
PRATT & MILLER C6RS (test car built from 2008 Corvette Z06).(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... ON SALE: Now PRICE: $260,000 DRIVETRAIN: 8.2-liter, 603-hp, 600-lb-ft V8; RWD, six-speed ...
2009 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... ON SALE: Now PRICE: $115,300 DRIVETRAIN: 6.2-liter, 638-hp, 604-lb-ft supercharged V8; RWD, ...
2010 Cadillac SRX.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... ON SALE: July BASE PRICE: $34,000 (est) DRIVETRAIN: 3.0-liter, 265-hp, 223 lb-ft V6; FWD, ...
2010 Lotus Evora.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... ON SALE: January 2010 BASE PRICE: $75,000 (est) DRIVETRAIN: 3.5-liter, 276-hp, 252-lb-ft V6; RWD, ...
2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... ON SALE: August BASE PRICE: $91,000 (est) DRIVETRAIN: 3.5-liter, 295-hp, 284-lb-ft, V6 gasoline-electric ...
2010 Maserati GranTurismo S Automatic.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... ON SALE: Now BASE PRICE: $125,900 DRIVETRAIN: 4.7-liter, 433-hp, 362-lb-ft V8; RWD, ...
A LEGEND AND A STAR COLLIDE.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Tagheuer.com has produced an entertaining "What if? scenario: the late renowned Hollywood bad boy and sometime race-car driver Steve McQueen in his Porsche 917 versus 2008 Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton in his ...
HEROS REVISITED.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... AutoWeek Design Forum alum and custom-bike builder Jesse James has a new series, Spike TV's Jesse James Is a Dead Man. In 10 weekly episodes, James will face challenges such as ...
SOCIETY NOTES.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... > George Peterson, the president of automotive research firm AutoPacific, reports that in his firm's most recent study, Dodge Ram owners were found to be the least likely to ...
ZERO S ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Barry Winfield Lightness is even more of a virtue in electric vehicles than in any others. The lithium-ion battery pack in Zero Motorcycles' first street-legal bike, the Zero S, weighs 80 pounds. But the whole bike scales in at a claimed 225 pounds. Credit ...
Big Fuel Sipper; Mercedes hybridizes its S-class.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: WES RAYNAL Mercedes-Benz has been busy. Having just introduced a new E-class, it now presents the 2010 S-class. The lineup includes the S400 hybrid, and the first production Mercedes hybrid is aimed squarely at Lexus's LS 600h. The S-class hybrid, based on ...
MARKET.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: DAVE KINNEY 1951 Bristol 401 Coupe Branson Auction, Branson, Mo. April 17-18 Replacement six-cylinder block from a Ford Falcon, now fitted with twin SU carbs. Four-speed manual; bucket seats; right-hand drive. Dark green with gray ...
Hudson Centennial; THE BIG THREE SQUEEZED OUT THIS EARLY PIONEER.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON Founded in 1909, Hudson Motors has been out of business longer than it operated. But that isn't stopping enthusiasts of the marque (and its Essex and Terraplane affiliates) from celebrating its centennial. Hudson will be featured at the 13th-annual ...
MAGNIFICENT 7; BMW's big sedan joins our long-term fleet.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: ROGER HART SHORTLY AFTER THE debut of the new BMW 7-series at the Paris motor show last fall, we began making room in the AW test fleet for one. Since the departure of our much-loved Lexus LS 460 L ("A Most Com-fortable Year, AW, March 10, 2008), we haven't had a ...
Some of Everything; ECLECTIC COLLECTION RUNS FROM VINTAGE RACERS TO PEBBLE-WINNING CLASSICS.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: PHIL BERG "I collect precious metalold cars, explains Gary Cerveny as he surveys the contents of the garage under his home on a California mountain. "Cash goes down in value; these cars are fine. I have never sold an old car for less than I paid for it, even after I've ...
RESULTS.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... TRACK: CIRCUIT DE MONACO 2.075-MILE STREET CIRCUIT DATE: MAY 24 1. Jenson Button, Brawn GP-Mercedes, 78 laps at 96.415 mph avg. speed; 2. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn GP-Mercedes, 78; 3. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 78; 4. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 78; 5. Mark ...
Cars talk-are you listening?(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Denise McCluggage Vehicles, of course, speak to us. Not all of us. And not all vehicles. Since you're reading AW, you understand. Everyone seems willing, even eager, to relate conversations they've had with a Ferrari, an 8C Alfa, a gullwing Mercedes. But how about a ...
Inside Jobs; Chevy's ZR1 and Pratt & Miller's C6RS show there's more than one way to build the ultimate Corvette.(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: MAC MORRISON Eighteen months ago, Pratt & Miller Engineering revealed its C6RS ("Black Magic, AW, Nov. 5, 2007), a $260,000-plus, 600-hp road-going leviathan. But doubt about the project's raison d'etre resulted not only from its timing but also, to a lesser degree, ...
[LONG-TERMERS].(NEWS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... 1 Jaguar XF Considering driving experience, performance and design, some find the Jag a more appealing luxo-sedan than its predecessors in our long-term fleet, the Lexus LS 460 L and the Audi S6. And while it's less spacious than those (but with a good-size cargo hold that the ...
WHAT, NO HASSELHOFF?
Jun 01, 2009 ... With the start of the DTM German touring-car season, Audi has rolled out a new song! Visit http://tinyurl.com/pvdbwx to listen. Recognize the singers? Not many would. That's Bobby Kimball of Toto fame and Chris Thompson from ...
RESULTS.
Jun 01, 2009 ... TRACK: LOWE'S MOTOR SPEEDWAY 1.5-MILE QUAD-OVAL DATE: MAY 25 1. David Reutimann, Toyota, 227 laps at 120.899 mph avg. speed; 2. Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 227; 3. Robby Gordon, Toyota, 227; 4. Carl Edwards, Ford, 227; 5. Brian Vickers, Toyota, ...
Sometimes Fiction Is Better Than Truth.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Al Pearce Urban myths have been part of NASCAR since Bill France Sr. founded the series in 1949. France, for example, posted bogus "Beware of Rattlesnakes" signs to keep curious fans from simply walking up a sand dune to watch races on the old highway/beach course, and ...
All-Star Stewart.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Al Pearce The final moments of NASCAR's 25th-annual All-Star Challenge salvaged an otherwise forgettable night. Owner-driver Tony Stewart powered his Chevrolet past Ford driver Matt Kenseth on lap 98 and led the final two for a $1-million-plus win at Lowe's Motor ...
By the Numbers.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Here's a quick breakdown of 2009 after 12 of 26 regular-season races before the Chase for the Championship begins in New Hampshire on Sept. 20. 4 Championship position of three-time and reigning series champion Jimmie Johnson after the Coca-Cola 600. He was ninth after the 600 ...
On Fire.(Kyle Busch )(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Kyle Busch makes things happen almost every time he races. He has won three Cup races, three Nationwide Series races and two Camping World Truck Series events. He has four combined ...
Out Cold.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. needs to get it going very soon, or he will finish the 26-race regular season outside the top 12 in points and miss the Chase for the Championship. The fan favorite has only one top-five and two other top-10s in 12 starts ....
THE WIRE.
Jun 01, 2009 ... NASCAR fined a part-time team that hardly ever qualifies for Sprint Cup races a series-record $200,000 and suspended its driver, owner and crew chief for the next 12 races. Carl Long's No. 46 Dodge was found to have an oversized engine-358.17 cid versus the legal limit of 358.00-at the ...
Notebook.
Jun 01, 2009 ... * Only four drivers led the race, all driving for Penske and Ganassi. * Three drivers led at least 50 laps (Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti). * Tony Kanaan's record streak of leading seven consecutive 500s ended. * Neither Davey Hamilton ...
By the Numbers.
Jun 01, 2009 ... 3 Best-ever finish for a female driver (Danica Patrick, 2009). 6 Worst finish for Will Power in three races this season. 9 Drivers with at least three Indy 500 wins: A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Rick Mears, Louis Meyer, Wilbur Shaw, ...
Raise a Glass to Castroneves.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Curt Cavin It can be difficult to cheer for rich professional athletes accustomed to the adulation and adoration that come with fame, but there was nothing but good feelings for Helio Castroneves after he won Indy. Actually, his climb from despair during the ...
Postscript with Helio Castroneves.
Jun 01, 2009 ... AutoWeek: You're now one of nine drivers to win at least three Indy 500s. Helio Castroneves: I feel honored to be in this category. When I go to the dinners with the old-timers, I'm there feeling pretty impressed, and now being in this type of category, wow, with such ...
THE WIRE.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Helio Castroneves and his sister and business manager, Kati, saw their legal issues resolved on May 22, after prosecutors dropped the conspiracy charge that had been left undecided by the jury in their tax-evasion case. Danica Patrick's contract with Andretti Green Racing ...
NASCAR.(NEWS)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Ratings Decline Fox TV's final numbers are in, and they aren't pretty. The network's 13 Sprint Cup telecasts this spring drew an average 5.1 rating (about 8.5 million viewers), down 11 percent from the same period last year. Fox's last race, Dover on May 31, drew a 4.0 rating ...