AutoWeek Daily Drive — Friday, January 15, 2010

HOME   |   CAR NEWS   |   CAR REVIEWS   |   RACING   |   AUTOSHOWS   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   MARKETPLACE Friday, January 15, 2010                  The 2009 Lexus GS450h... The 2009 Lexus GS450h, an AW Drivers Log EDITOR WES RAYNAL: I never liked the GS much; I always thought of it sort of as the runt in the Lexus litter. And the last few GS hybrids I’ve driven have had squeaks and rattles and been beaten all to hell. I remember when I drove one a while back, I turned on the wipers, and they got stuck in the top position. This one I liked better. It felt tighter, better screwed together....   2010 Camaro goes Synergy green Striking bright colors are part of the Chevrolet Camaro's history--orange, yellow and what some might label Kelly green from the '60s. Chevrolet is trying to generate a buzz for the 2010 Camaro with the Synergy Special Edition, a mouthful that means it is a limited-edition coupe with over-...   Cars are on the comeback In my newish retirement from the newspaper business, I've been hosting a radio talk show. It passes the idle moments between hours of doing exactly as I please and provides coffee money (at a sub-Starbucks level) with less effort than, say, wearing an orange shirt and explaining to Home Depot... You May Have Missed...   Two cars dropped from Barrett-Jackson lineup at Scottsdale The roster of cars at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., next week has been cut by two.Barrett-Jackson has dropped a 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda recreation because the vehicle identification number on the car did not match the VIN on the title. A little legwork found that the car had...   Detroit auto show: AW editors give honors to Audi, Ford, Mini, Volkswagen The Audi E-tron, the Ford Focus, the Mini Beachcomber and the Volkswagen New Compact Coupe are the winners of the AutoWeek Editors' Choice awards for the 2010 Detroit auto show.After two days of walking the displays at Detroit's Cobo Center, the AutoWeek staff hashed out what we consider the best...   AW Design Forum: Ralph Gilles talks technology--with style Chrysler Group is known for its rough and tough trucks and menacing muscle cars, but its design boss said technology is going to be the game-changer for car designers going forward.Ralph Gilles, who is also CEO of the Dodge brand, said cars must be able to adapt to evolving technologies while...   AW Design Forum: Nissan design boss challenges cookie-cutter design Using provocative words such as “guilty” and “fearful,” Nissan Design America chief Bruce Campbell was blunt in his assessment of the current state of car styling: There's too much sameness.Speaking at the AW Design Forum on Thursday morning in Detroit, Campbell pulled no...   AW video: Taking a closer look at the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle Nissan is pushing toward a December launch for the Leaf, its electric-powered sedan. Mark Perry, Nissan's product chief, sat with AutoWeek road test editor Natalie Neff to talk about the Leaf, which has already generated 35,000 inquiries from potential owners....   Schumacher completes GP2 test at Jerez Formula One returnee Michael Schumacher finished his three-day session in the GP2 Series development car by logging some decent mileage as conditions improved over the course of the day.He ran 130 laps on the Jerez circuit in Spain on Thursday, the first 23 of which were on wet tires on a damp...   Räikkönen tests Citroën rally car Kimi Räikkönen, the 2007 Formula One world champion, had his first taste of Citroën's C4 WRC that he will drive in this year's World Rally Championship. Wearing plain overalls, the Finn completed about 50 kilometers of running on a private gravel test track close to Citroën's Paris headquarters.The ...   AW Design Forum: Icon Aircraft banks on design and performance Icon Aircraft is hard evidence that design can be a difference maker.The startup company plans to launch the Icon A5 amphibious aircraft by late 2011, and its eye-catching design and versatility--it can bank on water and fly--has created a stir among enthusiasts of all stripes.Its philosophy is...   Dakar Rally: VW drivers to battle for the win After 4,650 miles of competition, the gap between the two drivers fighting for the Dakar Rally win remains at just five minutes.Rally leader Carlos Sainz won Thursday's 12th stage--San Juan to San Rafael--laying to rest the demons of last year, when the Volkswagen driver dramatically crashed out at ...   AW Design Forum: Style remains key as transportation systems evolve The entire way Americans view transportation is going to change, predicts industry expert David Muyres, and designers will be key in making new methods of mobility desirable.Speaking at the AW Design Forum on Thursday morning in Detroit, Muyres said transportation needs to be looked at as a... 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