AutoWeek Daily Drive — Monday, June 14, 2010

HOME   |   CAR NEWS   |   CAR REVIEWS   |   RACING   |   AUTOSHOWS   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   MARKETPLACE Monday, June 14, 2010                  The Aston Martin V12 Vantage rolls with 510 hp from it's 6.0-liter engine.... Aston Martin V12 Vantage sets the mark for its storied marque The V12 Vantage is the best Aston Martin ever made, and Aston got it that way by following a simple formula that works every time. “The V12 Vantage is the biggest engine in the smallest car,” said Aston's CEO Ulrich Bez. “It is the biggest fun.” Bez should know; he races his company's cars in Germany on the Nürburgring's feared Nordschleife circuit. As we wrote this, ...   2010 Lexus GS 450h, an AW Drivers Log EDITOR WES RAYNAL: Wow! This wasn't nearly the piece of junk I remember thinking these cars are. I've never liked them much. I have always thought they were overpriced and overweight, and the last few I've driven have had squeaks and rattles and been beaten all to hell. I remember one I...   I miss my people Editor's note: In the wake of Les Richter's death, we're republishing this column by AutoWeek publisher emeritus Leon Mandel. It was first published on Jan. 4, 1999. It's been almost three years since the racing community was my neighborhood and I miss it. I grew up in the SCCA ...   Electric-vehicle start-ups prod carmakers to quicken EV pace As major automakers pour billions into electric vehicles and batteries, Rick Woodbury is single-handedly keeping his EV dream alive. At Commuter Cars in Spokane, Wash., Woodbury is a one-man car company. He formerly had nine employees but had to let them go. "I'm a one-man team," Woodbury... You May Have Missed...   Audi sweeps the 24 Hours of Le Mans after Peugeot fails to finish No one saw this coming: Audi claimed all three podium positions at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday--after all four LMP1-class Peugeots retired from the race. This year's Audi R15-Plus turbodiesel prototype was no match for Peugeot's 908 HDi on pace, but it outlasted its French rival to give Audi...   Blogging from Le Mans: Peugeot's plans go awry as Audi takes the podium The documentary film Truth in 24 is one of the best racing movies ever made from the standpoint of engaging longtime racing fans and newcomers to the sport. It does a wonderful job of giving even the casual fan a sense of the enormous challenges it takes to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, let...   West Coast racing figure Les Richter dies Stock car racing wouldn't have gotten so big so fast in Southern California if it hadn't been for Les Richter.Richter, who died of a brain aneurysm on June 12 at age 79, almost single-handedly brought the racing series West, starting with a NASCAR race at Riverside in 1963.Richter had been a pro...   Hamilton takes championship lead with Canadian GP win McLaren-Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton propelled himself to the top of the Formula One World Championship as he led teammate Jenson Button in a spectacular one-two in Canada on Sunday. Including the recent Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul, it was the second race in a row in which the two British...   Canadian Grand Prix: Sunday Press Conference Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso met with the media on Sunday after the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Here's the FIA's transcript.Q: Lewis, back-to-back wins. You are leading the championship, and I guess the love affair with Canada continues?Lewis Hamilton: It has been a...   Jenson Button's second-place at Montreal helps keep his title hopes alive Jenson Button kept his title hopes alive with a second place in Canada, and while he lost ground to teammate Lewis Hamilton, he's just three points behind and still very much in the hunt.Button enjoyed a near perfect day in Montreal, and sneaking past Fernando Alonso to claim second--when the...   Hamilton boosted by Montreal win Montreal winner Lewis Hamilton says the race was the most challenging he's faced this season as drivers had to monitor the tire situation while keeping an eye on the opposition.Hamilton also had to overcome the fact that he lost out to Fernando Alonso in the pits, the second time in as many races...   Ferrari boss says team is still in Formula One title hunt Ferrari Formula One team principal Stefano Domenicali said he thinks that Fernando Alonso had enough performance to win in Canada on Sunday, despite the team adding nothing new to the car since its lackluster performance in Turkey two weeks ago.Alonso led for a while in Montreal but lost the lead...   Alonso excited by Montreal pace Fernando Alonso may have ultimately finished third for Ferrari in Canada, but the Spaniard upset Formula One's recent pattern by leading for a while, running with the McLarens, and beating both Red Bulls.Ferrari came to this race with an identical car to the one with which Alonso struggled so much... 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