AutoWeek Daily Drive — Wednesday, August 25, 2010

HOME   |   CAR NEWS   |   CAR REVIEWS   |   RACING   |   AUTOSHOWS   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   MARKETPLACE Wednesday, August 25, 2010                  The 2011 Kia Optima gets the "tiger nose" grille, which has been the new face of Kia since the debut of the... Future products: Kia seeks lively, upscale look Kia's redesigned Optima sedan and the Cadenza replacement for the Amanti, both due next year, reflect an emphasis on creating a livelier and more upscale look for the once-bland brand. Indeed, styling has been a crucial element of Kia's new-product push in the past 18 months. The team at Kia Design Center America near Los Angeles--part of the automaker's global design network led by onetime ...   2010 Honda CR-Z, an AW Video Drivers Blog Road test editor Natalie Neff and associate editor Jon Wong point out some highs and lows of the 2010 Honda CR-Z hybrid....   The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic, an AW Drivers Log EDITOR WES RAYNAL: I took this car to New York's Finger Lakes region, and I can't think of a better car to do the trip in, except maybe Mercedes' own S-class. This was one fine ride. It handled the freeway beautifully and was terrific for zipping along the two-lanes around the lakes and...   Fiat should sell Alfa to Volkswagen Rumors that Volkswagen could buy Fiat's money-losing Alfa Romeo brand resurfaced this week. Why? Because it makes a lot of sense all around. If I were Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, I would sell Alfa. Fiat has a terrible track record with Alfa, which it bought in 1986--not because it wanted the...   Chevrolet Orlando gets Paris show debut Chevrolet will debut the Orlando minivan at the Paris auto show next month as part of the brand's European product offensive. At one point General Motors planned to sell the Orlando here but has since dropped the small van from its U.S. product plans. "The new Orlando kicks off an ambitious... You May Have Missed...   2010 Ferrari 458 Italia: A short drive in a fast car WITH VIDEO -- Some e-mails are easier to deal with than others. When Ferrari's U.S. spokesman asked whether I had "some time free during the Pebble Beach weekend to drive a 458," I said that, yes, I think I had some time free for that. Even if it meant cutting short my time at the Concours d'LeMons,...   Chevrolet Suburban turns 75 The Chevrolet Suburban, the longest-running nameplate in the auto industry, turned 75 this year, and Chevy held a little birthday party on Detroit's Belle Isle on Tuesday. The General Motors division brought some classics for us to ogle and drive, from a 1935 to the 2010 Diamond Edition.Through the ...   IndyCar: Series cuts oval qualifying laps because of expanded entry list The Indy Racing League on Tuesday announced that it has revised its qualifying procedure for the four upcoming Izod IndyCar Series oval events that close the 2010 season. The change comes in response to accommodating expanded entrant lists. The second sentence of Rule 8.2(F)(1) is amended and now...   VIDEO: The 2010 Concorso Italiano Take a visual tour of the 2010 Concorso Italiano with AW. We show you all of the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Alfa Romeos and more....   IndyCar: Beatriz returns to fill in for Conway Ana Beatriz is back in the Izod IndyCar Series. The Brazilian, who has two starts this season in cars prepared by Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, will be back with the team for this weekend's race at Chicagoland Speedway.Beatriz, the only female driver to win a Firestone Indy Lights race, is a one-race...   2011 Dodge Charger goes on police patrol Fans of the iconic Dodge Charger muscle sedan have been eagerly awaiting details on the upgrades for the 2011 model year. And today, this latest hunk of Mopar muscle is being revealed in its most buttoned-down form--the police package.Just one fairly vague picture has been revealed, but as expected,...   Ten days and counting, China traffic jam extends 60 miles Tuesday marked the 10th day of a traffic jam extending more than 60 miles on China's Beijing-Tibet Expressway. The congestion is a result of road construction that is expected to continue until mid-September, the Associated Press reported. At one point, vehicles were moving little more than a half-...   Chevy Suburban turns 75, an AW video interview The Chevrolet Suburban is celebrating its 75th anniversary. AutoWeek editor Wes Raynal looks at notable Suburbans from the past and talks with Chevy marketing manager Mark Clawson about today's Suburban.... CLICK HERE TO UNSUBSCRIBE from the AutoWeek Daily Drive E-mail or to sign up for other AutoWeek e-mail products. IMPORTANT: Please add AutoWeek.com to your E-mail Address Book to ensure you will continue to receive our newsletters. Please DO NOT reply to this e-mail. You will not receive a reply if you use this e-mail address. Crain Communications, 1155 Gratiot Ave. Detroit, MI 48207.