AutoWeek Daily Drive — Monday, October 18, 2010

HOME   |   CAR NEWS   |   CAR REVIEWS   |   RACING   |   AUTOSHOWS   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   MARKETPLACE Monday, October 18, 2010                  Pricing for the 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 Roadster starts at $92,885.... The 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 Roadster, an AW Drivers Log EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: Compared with past Viper experiences, including red-hot runs in the first-gen model, this Viper seemed almost civilized in interior comfort, amenities and ride. The materials in the cockpit are soft to the touch, and everything falls right where it should, with minimal adjustment. The driving position for my 5-foot-10 inch frame is perfect,...   Los Angeles auto show: 2012 Nissan GT-R arrives in U.S. early next year The 2012 Nissan GT-R supercar is bowing on Monday in Japan and it will hit North American soil in November at the Los Angeles auto show. The GT-R gets a refreshed interior and exterior. Nissan is calling it a 2012 model, and the speed demon arrives in early 2011 in the United States....   McLaren's Stephenson honored by Art Center McLaren Automotive design director Frank Stephenson was honored this weekend at the 80th anniversary of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. Stephenson is a 1986 graduate of the school, and he received the Creative Spirit Award along with three other alumni. The MP4-12C was also...   Automakers switch to new engine oil for more efficiency, better protection Automakers are going to great lengths to get more miles per gallon from their vehicles and everything is being looked at--even the engine oil. Every 2011 General Motors car rolls off the assembly line with the engine filled with a new generation of oil. Other automakers, such as Ford Motor Co....   Volt jolt: Great range, small supply Chevrolet is taking the Volt plug-in hybrid to the masses with a big marketing campaign that includes World Series commercials this month. Trouble is, the supply of the cars will be anything but big in the first year of production. General Motors Co. is making only 10,000 through 2011....   Why carmakers say no to battery swapping There's a strange disconnect surrounding Better Place, the company best known for its plan to extend the range of electric vehicles by relying on speedy battery swaps. Automotive executives are nearly unanimous in dismissing the idea. With the conspicuous exception of Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos...   Ford's farewell to Mazda: What's in it for Mazda? Reports that Ford Motor Co. plans to sell off nearly all of its remaining shares in its longtime Japanese partner Mazda Motor Corp. come as little surprise. Ford's eventual pullout was more a question of when, than if. But the bigger question is what it means for Mazda, a tiny player on the... You May Have Missed...   NASCAR: McMurray wins at Charlotte, Johnson maintains points lead NASCAR has reached that portion of its season when the series points leader and his pursuers inevitably draw more media and fan attention than any individual race. For lack of a better term, call it the Big Picture Syndrome.Jimmie Johnson, for example, padded his Sprint Cup lead by five points by...   NASCAR to run ethanol blend next season NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France said on Saturday that his company's top three touring series will race with a 15 percent blend of ethanol and unleaded gasoline next year. Speaking at Charlotte Motor Speedway, site of Saturday night's Bank of America 500, France said the goal is to debut the... 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.