AutoWeek Daily Drive — Thursday, October 7, 2010

HOME   |   CAR NEWS   |   CAR REVIEWS   |   RACING   |   AUTOSHOWS   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   MARKETPLACE Thursday, October 07, 2010                  Mini is expanding its U.S. lineup with the Countryman crossover, which goes on sale in December.... Mini crossover to carry base price of $22,350 Mini's new Countryman crossover will start at $22,350, only $550 more than the three-door Clubman wagon. A well-equipped Countryman in a Cooper S trim with optional all-wheel drive will cost just under $30,000, Jim McDowell, head of Mini USA, said Wednesday during the media launch for the vehicle. The prices include destination charges, Mini said. The Countryman, the biggest model in Mini's ...   2011 Mazda 2 Touring, an AW Drivers Log ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: I had strong feeling for the Mazda 2 when I went on the first drive event up in Montreal a few months ago, and my night driving one around the mean streets of metro Detroit only helped solidify those otherwise positive thoughts about it. For starters,...   Toyota makes service plans standard Toyota Motor Corp., aiming to restore customer trust after a recall crisis, is launching two new U.S. service plans that will come standard with Toyota and Scion brand vehicles. Called Toyota Care and Scion Service Boost, the plans will offer free factory scheduled maintenance and 24-hour... You May Have Missed...   2011 Toyota Avalon Limited, an AW Drivers Log ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR CHERYL L. BLAHNIK: For being a redesigned car, it still looks too conservative and not all that different from the old car at first glance. However, look closer, and you’ll notice a lot has changed, from the more streamlined headlights to the smoother-looking front...   Hennessey opens up the LS9-powered Camaro Hennessey Performance is introducing a convertible version of its limited-edition 2011 HPE700 Camaro.The tuning company will produce just 24 copies of the 2011 HPE700 Camaro, but it hasn't revealed how many will be hardtops or convertibles.“We have already sold several of our 2011 HPE700s in...   NASCAR: Charlotte Motor Speedway combats sinkhole problem Longtime NASCAR fans--meaning anyone older than, say, 50--might remember the huge landfill outside of turn three at Charlotte Motor Speedway in its early years. They also might remember the gaping hole in the track's infield, in the same area. Over the years, the landfill became full and the hole...   Audi chairman to speak at CES Audi chairman Rupert Stadler will be a keynote speaker on Jan. 6 at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The Consumers Electronics Association (CEA), host of the world’s largest tradeshow for consumer technology, will feature the Audi boss in a lineup along with Microsoft...   Formula One: Renault F1 veteran Bob Bell leaves team Bob Bell has left the Renault Formula One team, handing his managing-director role to team principal Eric Boullier.Formerly a key aerodynamics specialist at McLaren, Bell served as Renault's technical director until he took over the management role just more than a year ago, following the departure ...   New fuel-economy labels will baffle buyers, survey says A survey released this week suggests that revised fuel economy labels proposed by federal regulators will confuse many likely car buyers -- and will emphasize the wrong information.The branding strategy firm Siegel+Gale performed an independent online survey of 456 people over the age of 18 who... 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.