AutoWeek Daily Drive — Friday, October 22, 2010

HOME   |   CAR NEWS   |   CAR REVIEWS   |   RACING   |   AUTOSHOWS   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   MARKETPLACE Friday, October 22, 2010                  The twin-turbo engine in the Porsche 911 Turbo cranks out 500 hp.... 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo, an AW Drivers Log EDITOR WES RAYNAL: This is my favorite 911. I thought for a split second that maybe the GT3 would be able to bump the Turbo, but it couldn't in the end. My biggest beef with the last Turbo was the ridiculous transmission buttons on the steering wheel, but this car has proper paddles, so Porsche fixed what I was whining about. I love the way car looks with all of its scoops and...   Millions of Ford vehicles recalled for engine-fire risk are still unrepaired About 8.4 million Ford vehicles that can possibly catch fire remain on the road because of lack of owner information even after the largest U.S. safety recall ever, regulators said Thursday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urged owners of the 14 million vehicles recalled...   Where will Ghosn spend that cash? Duh. Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has $4.2 billion in cash burning a hole in his pocket this month. But what to spend it on? Hmmm ... The money came from the sale of some of Renault's stock holding in Swedish truckmaker AB Volvo--not a strategic interest for Ghosn. So it's Renault's money, and some...   Formula One: Webber is the fastest as Korean GP practice runs smoothly Mark Webber topped the times on Friday in Korea, but the circuit itself was the real star of the day as the new venue proved popular with the drivers and the sessions ran without any major problems. There were no issues with the recently laid surface, but as expected, it was dirty and the major...   Formula One: Korean track very challenging, says Schumacher Michael Schumacher was in a positive mood after the first practice in Korea on Friday, despite finishing the afternoon session in 12th place. Schumacher said he was happy with the track, having been impressed by its layout. "I must say the circuit is very demanding, very challenging, very...   Formula One: Hamilton likes Korean track, talks up chances Lewis Hamilton is adamant that McLaren can challenge Red Bull and Ferrari after sampling the new Korea International Circuit on Friday The McLarens were quick on the straights in the first sector of the lap, although the gap closed in the afternoon as rivals experimented with downforce levels.... You May Have Missed...   2011 Mercedes-Benz CL, an AW Flash Drive What is it?Mercedes-Benz has facelifted its CL line of luxury coupes, and then some. From the A-pillar forward the car is new--hood, grille, bumper and headlamps. The rear end gets new tail lamps and a new bumper.The big news is under the hood, though: The CL550 is now powered by a 4.6-liter twin-...   Oct. 18: Plug-in Prius is right on target The Toytoa Prius plug-in hybrid is basically a 2010 Prius with two more battery packs. I've noticed they seem to take about 3.5 kilowatt-hours per charge. I plug it in to a regular old 110/120-volt wall outlet, the same thing into which you plug your toaster.So far I've put on about 1,000 miles,...   Dodge will get first Fiat-based car in late 2011 The Dodge brand will receive the first Chrysler Group product based on Fiat's Compact Wide architecture, Fiat S.p.A. and Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne said Thursday.The Fiat-based sedan will broaden Dodge's offerings in the crucial compact segment. The Caliber compact hatchback is the...   Porsche says 1952 356 Cabriolet is oldest one sold in the U.S. A 1952 Porsche 356 cabriolet owned by Robert Wilson of Oklahoma City, Okla., has been named the winner of a contest to find the oldest Porsche sold in America.Porsche Cars North America ran the contest, which asked owners to submit documentation showing when their cars were first sold, as part of...   NASCAR: Is Richard Petty Motorsports on the verge of shutting down? Unconfirmed reports have emerged that Richard Petty Motorsports may not field cars beyond this weekend's Tums 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. One source said that Roush Fenway Racing has stopped supplying cars to RPM, and Roush Yates Engines has stopped delivering engines. Another report...   Dodge Challenger, Charger get new V6 muscle Dodge is getting competitive in the horsepower wars. After years of languishing with a 250-hp V6 in the Charger and Challenger muscle cars, both are getting a substantial power boost. Chrysler announced some of the ratings for the Pentastar V6--the new 3.6-liter engine that will be the base...   Formula One: Belgian GP under fire as calendar grows crowded Concerns continue over the future of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix on the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, following a throwaway remark by Bernie Ecclestone.The Formula One group CEO told a journalist it was “absolutely possible” that the historic race would have to be dropped... 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.