AutoWeek Daily Drive — Monday, November 8, 2010

HOME   |   CAR NEWS   |   CAR REVIEWS   |   RACING   |   AUTOSHOWS   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   MARKETPLACE Monday, November 08, 2010                  The 6.3-liter V8 in the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG cranks out 503 hp.... 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, an AW Drivers Log EDITOR WES RAYNAL: This truck is silly. Who needs a 500-hp SUV? No one really, but that's not to say this isn't a hoot. It is. It's fast, solid and for weighing 5,000 pounds, it handles decently. How fast is this ute? As fast as a Lamborghini Gallardo, according to Mercedes-Benz, which is plenty fast enough. The power and torque are effortless and the engine growls beautifully. The...   IndyCar: Ganassi to bring GM back to open-wheel racing, report says An Internet report by autoextremist.com that Target Chip Ganassi Racing has struck a deal to be part of General Motors' return to open-wheel racing surprised Izod IndyCar Series boss Randy Bernard. “It's purely speculation right now,” Bernard said on Sunday evening. “We're...   A car guy goes back to Washington If there was a Car Guy Party, John Campbell would run on that ticket. Campbell is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., representing the 48th District in Orange County, Calif., where he was re-elected decisively last week. But he was a car enthusiast long before he was...   GM may revive performance brands General Motors Co. is studying whether to revive brands for performance vehicles to improve its image among go-fast car shoppers. At the Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show in Las Vegas last week, GM unveiled the Z-Spec Chevrolet Cruze, Volt and Spark cars, and two SS-badged...   Back in high gear: Detroit exec turns around a foundering Dale Earnhardt Inc. Things were going badly last year for Teresa Earnhardt, the tough-as-nails widow of NASCAR racing legend Dale Earnhardt, and she was looking for a hand in managing the automotive business her late husband left behind. There was a North Carolina Chevrolet dealership, an ongoing heritage of...   NHRA: 60 years that went by fast Sixty years ago in the Tam O'Shanter restaurant on Los Feliz Boulevard Los Angeles, four tall, skinny young men recently returned from World War II sat at a table and went through some paperwork. None of the other diners had a clue what was going on or the significance of the young men's work. But...   Chrysler posts $239 million operating profit, raises forecast Chrysler Group posted an operating profit of $239 million in the third quarter and raised its outlook for the balance of the year in anticipation of stronger sales and improved operating performance. The results, released Monday, marked the automaker's third straight operating profit. Chrysler's ... You May Have Missed...   NASCAR: Hamlin wins in Texas and takes the lead in the Chase Denny Hamlin led the final few laps at Texas Motor Speedway to win Sunday afternoon's AAA Texas 500 and move ahead of Jimmie Johnson into the points lead by 33 points, with races at Phoenix and Homestead, Fla., remaining in the season.The victory was Hamlin's series-high eighth win this year, his...   Formula One: Sebastian Vettel wins Brazilian Grand Prix The battle for the 2010 Formula One World Championship will be a thrilling four-way fight next weekend in Abu Dhabi after Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the penultimate Grand Prix of the season at Interlagos in Brazil on Sunday afternoon. The German's chief rivals now are teammate Mark...   Le Mans: Peugeot beats Audi in Intercontinental Le Mans Cup race in China Peugeot took a narrow win in the final round of the new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup at the Zhuhai circuit in China on Sunday. Stephane Sarrazin and Franck Montagny triumphed at the end of a race that could have been won by either of the two Peugeot 908 HDis or by the Audi R15 TDI driven by Allan...   Vettel is noncommittal about helping Webber win F1 title With one race remaining in the 2010 Formula One World Championship, the big question is whether title contender Sebastian Vettel will help teammate Mark Webber, should such a scenario play out in Abu Dhabi next weekend.Vettel won the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon and teased the media...   Formula One: Brazilian Grand Prix Sunday drivers press conference Here is the Sunday Grand Prix press conference transcript from Brazil.Q: Sebastian, you have won the Constructors' Championship and now you have a chance in the Drivers' in Abu Dhabi as well.Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, I think incredible day. Not an easy race to start with. We knew we were on the dirty ... 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.