AutoWeek Daily Drive — Tuesday, August 31, 2010

HOME   |   CAR NEWS   |   CAR REVIEWS   |   RACING   |   AUTOSHOWS   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   MARKETPLACE Tuesday, August 31, 2010                  The redesigned BMW X3 will be about three inches longer than the current X3, or nearly as large as the... Future products: BMW focuses on small crossovers, new EV subbrand BMW will concentrate on small crossovers next year with a redesigned X3 and the all-new X1. Both are based on the redesigned 3-series sedan, which will arrive in 2012. In 2013, a new subbrand of electric and hybrid vehicles being developed by BMW's Project i group will debut. Here is a rundown of BMW's product plans for 2010-13. 1 series: The coupe and convertible will be...   2010 Audi A4 2.0T Avant, an AW Drivers Log NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: I came away really impressed with the attention to detail Audi invested in the A4 Avant. I'll admit, part of that is the S line trim, but with that package, this is such a stellar wagon front to rear. It's the little things that really make this people hauler...   Running flat out: BMW is a leader in pushing run-flat tires BMW is getting ready to launch its next-generation compact SUV, the X3, and it will ride--as most BMWs and Minis sold today--on run-flat tires. Of all the companies producing cars today, BWM has embraced run-flat technology like no other. Chevrolet with the Corvette, and some Lexus models, among ...   Chrysler wants to start with 165 Fiat dealerships in the United States Chrysler Group dealers who initially get Fiat franchises will be expected to start with small showrooms--2,500-3,000 square feet--enough to display three or four cars. Such a small showroom will be sufficient to sell the Fiat 500 minicar, which will arrive in dealerships at the end of this year. ...   2011 Hyundai Santa Fe to join Kia Sorento at Georgia factory Hyundai will launch production of the 2011 Sante Fe on Sept. 27 alongside the 2011 Kia Sorento at the recently opened Kia factory in West Point, Ga. The plant will add a second shift on Oct. 1 to accommodate the additional vehicles, and the total number of local workers will grow from 1,900 to 7,... You May Have Missed...   SpeedFactory SF600R Dodge Challenger, an AW Flash Drive What is it?The SpeedFactory SF600R Challenger takes the retro-themed Dodge and amps it up with some modern muscle--to the tune of a naturally aspirated 7.0-liter Hemi with forged internals making 600 hp. No supercharger needed; the engine is bored and stroked to 426 cubic inches. There's a 10.5:1...   U.S. proposes new labels for fuel economy, emissions levels Consumers shopping for a new car would be able to compare fuel economy and emissions levels across all types of vehicles by looking at revised labels on window stickers under an Obama administration proposal made Monday.Government regulators are seeking public comment on changes to fuel-economy...   Grand-Am: Memo Gidley rejoins Team Sahlen for season finale in Utah Former CART driver Memo Gidley will return to GT competition in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series when he rejoins Team Sahlen. Gidley will drive one of the team's Mazda RX-8s in Grand-Am's season finale at Miller Motorsports Park on Sept. 11 alongside regular driver Wayne Nonnamaker.Gidley drove ...   The 2010 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner, an AW Drivers Log EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: For a small truck offering some full-size features, this is a good one. For less than $30,000, this truck will do what a large percentage of all truck buyers need. Unless you're buying a heavy-duty work truck or need to tow your Airstream, a truck this size makes sense--...   Formula One: Ferrari’s championship hopes take a hit in Belgium Ferrari has a great record at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, having won the last three Formula One races at the track prior to this year. But the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix did not work out as planned for the Maranello, Italy-based F1 team.Fernando Alonso was quickest in both practice sessions on...   IndyCar: Paul Tracy joins Dreyer & Reinbold for two oval races Paul Tracy is finally going to be in an oval race--two, in fact--this year in the Izod IndyCar Series when he drives Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s No. 24 car at Kentucky Speedway and at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan.After missing the Indianapolis 500 when his team withdrew his time in qualifying,...   IndyCar: Andretti confident of keeping 7-Eleven as Kanaan's sponsor After a period of concern, Michael Andretti says he now believes his team will re-sign 7-Eleven, the major sponsor on Tony Kanaan’s Izod IndyCar Series car.If a contract renewal happens, Kanaan will be positioned to finish out the final two years of the four-year contract he signed late in... CLICK HERE TO UNSUBSCRIBE from the AutoWeek Daily Drive E-mail or to sign up for other AutoWeek e-mail products. 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