07/19/2008

Auto Biography: Owner of the ‘Bumble Bee’ has a repair-shop dream
WEST WARWICK

British driver has best lap at Grand Prix practice
HOCKENHEIM, Germany — Lewis Hamilton again showed his ability in wet conditions by leading yesterday’s first practice session for the German Grand Prix.

Kits that help your car run on water? Don’t buy it
DAYTON, Ohio — With record-high gasoline prices, dozens of Web sites have appeared selling conversion kits that claim to improve gas mileage by as much as 100 percent.

GM cancels contract with N.H. speedway, others
Troubled General Motors has notified two racetracks that run NASCAR events that their current contracts will not be renewed as part of an overall $10-billion cost-cutting program.

07/20/2008

Car calendar for July 20.
July

Try to keep it under 200
Let’s take the easy question first: Is the Koenigsegg CCX worth 669,000 euros, or $1.05 million in our currently scrawny U.S. currency? For most owners of mere $200,000 Ferraris — let alone mortals with $20,000 minivans — the answer is an emphatic no.

07/19/2008

U.S. hybrids rely on Asian batteries
DETROIT — The future of the U.S. auto industry resembles a box of parts for hybrids, plug-in electrics and fuel cells, which promise to slash oil demand and provide jobs for another century. But that box comes with a familiar disclaimer: Batteries not included.

ON THE CIRCUIT
All Times EDT

Kentucky boy targets speeders with toy radar gun
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Landon Wilburn, 11, has a future as a cop — a traffic cop.

The ‘scowling’ Nissan Murano is betwixt and between

Car Doctor: 2004 Pacifica has intermittent problem getting started
Q. I have a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica that will not start at times. I have replaced the battery twice. The starter has been checked and was pronounced fine. The only symptom that I can tell you is that when it does not start, the message board will say "vehicle not in park." The car is in park, but won’t start. I had a wiring harness replaced, and it seemed better for a little while. I had this same problem with another Chrysler, and it turned out to be the neutral safety switch. Does this sound like it could be the problem? I just want to get it starting regularly so I can trade it in.

RACING SCHEDULES
NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY 2008 SCHEDULE

Police pose as pedestrians in crosswalks to nab errant drivers
CHICAGO — So why did officer Grace Delgado try to cross the road? To remind motorists that they must stop whenever someone steps off the curb into a crosswalk.

07/20/2008

A Genuine knockoff could be a very good Buddy
The Buddy may be the best Vespa knockoff on the market. That’s saying something because so many scooters these days are attempting to emulate the famed Italian marque and style.

DOT TRAFFIC REPORT
All RIDOT construction and maintenance activities are conducted as weather allows.

07/16/2008

In Detroit area, loyalty to Big Three is slipping away
DETROIT — Bob Page, 60, remembers when hatred of Asian cars was so strong that the windows of his suburban Detroit Toyota dealership were shot out.

Frugal cars must be fun to drive, too
DETROIT — In secure conference rooms, engineering centers and design studios across metro Detroit, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors are working to create a new generation of fuel-efficient vehicles without repeating the mistakes that crippled them when oil prices and emissions regulations shook their world in the 1970s and ’80s.

Auto Biography: Alfa Romeo is a working classic
PORTSMOUTH Gerard “Gary” Venable’s gray 1967 Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider “Duetto” is the real thing, an iconic classic that was famed designer Battista Pininfarina’s swansong.

Mazda5 minivan is thrifty carpooler, steady cargo hauler
Sound an all-points bulletin: We’ve lost the “mini” in our minivans.

Tasca will close Volvo dealership in Seekonk
Tasca Auto Group is closing its Tasca Volvo Seekonk dealership effective Oct. 1, and moving most of the operations to its Cranston campus. “We’ll be building a state-of-the-art showroom in Cranston,” said Bob Tasca III in a telephone interview, adding that he expects construction to be completed by late next year.

Many are in the same big-car bind
Dear Tom and Ray:

Cruise Calendar for July 16
SUNDAYS

07/12/2008

Wood-burning truck gets 20 miles per chip fill-up
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could drive an SUV? About 25 pounds, says Robert Beam.

A do-if-yourself electric Porsche
LOS ANGELES — When Lefteris, a professional photographer in Los Angeles, says his other car is a gas guzzler, he’s talking about the icon of environmentalists, the Toyota Prius.

Petty looks back on 50 years in NASCAR
Richard Petty made his NASCAR debut 50 years ago on a half-mile track in South Carolina, qualifying 13th in a car with the roof cut off.

New England Dragway race schedule.
NEW ENGLAND DRAGWAY

ON THE CIRCUIT
All Times EDT

Hybrid version of the Lexus GS sedan offers decent mileage

McLaren apologizes to Ferrari, will pay court costs
WOKING, England (AP) — The McLaren team settled its legal dispute with Ferrari yesterday, agreeing to pay the Italian team’s court costs from the Formula One spying scandal.

Stewart switches gears, will become owner-driver
JOLIET, Ill. — Tony Stewart knows he’s taking a gamble by leaving NASCAR’s elite Joe Gibbs Racing team to join one that usually runs in the middle of the pack.

07/13/2008

Forester: The ice van cometh
LOS ANGELES

DOT TRAFFIC REPORT
All RIDOT construction and maintenance activities are conducted as weather allows

07/12/2008

Volvos are his style
PROVIDENCE A collection of four Volvos, ranging from the 1950s to the 1970s, cram Jim Lucht’s modest garage and driveway.

At minimum, change the oil in your vehicle twice a year
Q. I have a 1998 Toyota Camry with 45,000 miles on it. Obviously I don’t drive very much, but the owner’s manual states the oil should be changed every 5,000 miles. What do you think?

Accidents decline as gas prices put the brakes on U.S. drivers
Progressive Corp., the third-biggest U.S. auto insurer, stands benefit from record gasoline prices and a slowing economy as fewer drivers take to the roads.

07/13/2008

Ducati’s 696: A civilized Monster
Ducati’s new 696 Monster is antipasto on a salad bar budget. Despite upward price pressures on motorcycles, especially from European manufacturers, Ducati’s newest take on one of its oldest and best-selling models is holding the line at $8,775.

Automakers are planning for the future of the fading truck
DETROIT — For now, Tylene Henry’s 2004 Buick Rainier is the right vehicle for her.

Part-time pickups may be coming from Down Under
When the reincarnated Pontiac GTO was introduced as a 2004 model, it seemed destined for success. By grafting a Pontiac grille onto the front of the muscular Monaro coupe from Holden, its Australian subsidiary, General Motors would revive a legendary nameplate and pump excitement into a division whose performance image had been tarnished by ill-conceived utility wagons and sport vans.

Car calendar July 13.
July

To save money, towns are fueling with used vegetable oil
Even though government agencies are exempt from the tax portion of the price of motor fuel, they are feeling the pinch of high fuel costs.

07/09/2008

Auto biography: Hobby leads to red hot Ferrari
WEST GREENWICH Pietro Petrarca was 15 when he started restoring old cars with his father.

Focus on varying the test drive when choosing a new car
Dear Tom and Ray:

NASCAR taking a blow from faltering economy
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Chip Ganassi shocked the NASCAR industry when he shut down Dario Franchitti’s unsponsored race team, putting last year’s IndyCar Series champion and 71 other employees out of work.

Cruise Calendar, July 9

Honda Accord beefs up for 2008
It doesn’t drive like a big car, and it doesn’t look like a large car.

New signal aims to ease troubles at Jefferson Boulevard
Q. RIDOT installed a new traffic light at the intersection of the Route 95 north off-ramp and Jefferson Boulevard. I was thrilled! Soon I wouldn’t be stuck sitting in traffic, waiting for someone to make a left turn. (I even hoped DOT might stripe the off-ramp for left and right turn lanes.) It seems the new light was just a tease, because it’s been set on flashing red ever since. Do you know when they will be turning the signal on?

07/05/2008

Passion keeps drive-ins rolling along
NEW YORK Richard M. Hollingshead Jr. was a manager at his father’s auto product company when he imagined the first drive-in movie theater. “It was the middle of the Depression. Things were going badly. He wanted to invent something that would help that a bit,” said his son, Richard M. Hollingshead, III, now 83. Legend has it that his rather large mother, who had trouble fitting into seats at indoor movie theaters, was also an inspiration.

A list of drive-ins across the country
NEW YORK -- While there are fewer drive-ins today than in their heyday, there are still several hundred across the country. See the list below for drive-ins that may be around the corner or may fit in with your travel plans. The list is courtesy of the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association and is current as of July 2007.

07/06/2008

GM considers bringing fuel-efficient minicar to U.S.
General Motors Corp., the automaker that popularized the Hummer, may sell a minicar four feet shorter than its biggest offering and more than a foot shorter than anything else it markets in the United States to win back buyers scared off by high fuel prices.

In oil-rich Gulf, license plates become a status symbol
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — With oil near record highs, the Persian Gulf is awash in cash, stimulating a return to some very conspicuous consumption.

A ‘greener’ sport-utility vehicle
Not every sport-utility vehicle is a gas guzzler.

07/05/2008

Drivers’ extreme gas-saving tactics prompt warning from police
WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — Police and automotive experts say over-the-top attempts by some drivers to boost their gas mileage could be endangering them and other motorists.

Some states, Canada pay drivers to get old vehicles off road
WASHINGTON — Some U.S. states and Canada are boosting efforts to get older, dirtier cars off the roads.

Church offers blessings for classic autos
The second annual Blessing of the Classics will be held Saturday, July 26, from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at St. Ann’s Church Feast, Charles and Hawkins Street, Providence. A blessed St. Christopher visor clip and dash plaque will be given to all cars. There will be a homemade Italian food tent including eggplant parmigiana and Menna bread. Entertainment will be music of the ’50s and ’60s.

With no wins since 2003, David Coulthard to leave Formula One
SILVERSTONE, England — David Coulthard will retire from Formula One after the season, ending a career in which he won 13 races but repeatedly fell short of the world championship.

WYOMING
NEW YORK -- While there are fewer drive-ins today than in their heyday, there are still several hundred across the country. See the list below for drive-ins that may be around the corner or may fit in with your travel plans. The list is courtesy of the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association and is current as of July 2007.

At Rustic, a picnic in the car, a movie under the stars
NORTH SMITHFIELD The key to understanding the Rustic Drive In Theater, Rhode Island’s only drive-in cinema, on Route 146 is contained in the recorded message that informs you that while the shows start at 9 p.m., the box office opens at 6 p.m.

07/06/2008

DOT TRAFFIC REPORT
All RIDOT construction and maintenance activities are conducted as weather allows

07/05/2008

ON THE CIRCUIT
All Times EDT

Low-slung Audi R8 sets a high bar for cool
On a bright Saturday, I found car-vana in an Audi R8, inner peace on a suburban stretch of road.

07/06/2008

car calendar
July

07/05/2008

RACING SCHEDULES
SEEKONK SPEEDWAY

07/06/2008

Yamaha, Suzuki tweak best-selling sport bikes for ’08
High-revving sport bikes tend to rattle cages. If it isn’t the high-pitched scream of their pipes, it’s the exposed skin and mohawked helmets of their riders that make drivers jump out of their bucket seats.

07/05/2008

If physical comfort is an issue, it pays to rent a car before buying
Q. I am writing on behalf of my boss. He is very elderly with many physical health problems (i.e., fractures, bad back, walks with a cane). He lives in the suburbs, and drives in the city. He says that his car, a 2006 Cadillac DeVille, is uncomfortable and aggravates his aches and pains. He has had his car checked out, and we have put pillows in the car to make it more comfortable, but that hasn’t eased his discomfort. He wanted me to find the Car Doctor to ask which cars are best when it comes to smooth ride and comfort.

Driver daring, not venue, blamed in crashfest at Richmond Raceway
RICHMOND, Va. — Danica Patrick described it as a “carnagefest,” and it fit.

In wake of death, NHRA shortens races
GLENDORA, Calif. (AP) — On Wednesday, 11 days after Scott Kalitta was killed in a racing accident, the National Hot Rod Association reduced the length of Top Fuel and Funny Car races from a quarter-mile to 1,000 feet as an interim safety measure.

07/06/2008

High summer temperatures can drive powdery mildew off your plants
Powdery mildew, which looks like a dusting of gray-white powder on leaves and is a particular plague of roses, hit some areas hard this year. The good news: If the “powder” hasn’t already disappeared, it soon will. The bad news: It probably will be back next spring.

07/02/2008

British classics on display in Brookline
With the early morning fog slowly dissipating and being replaced by hot humid weather, it was a good day Sunday to view various English marques at the British Car Day lawn event held at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline Mass. With over 120 British cars on display on the grounds of the museum, people were able to compare cars, ask questions of the owners and, in some cases , hop into cars to see if they fit before going out to buy one. There were Jaguars, MGs, Rolls Royces, Rovers, Morgans, TVRs and a host of others. A rare 1954 Austin Healey 100 M was on display as well as a 1950 HRG 1500. The museum hosts more than 20 lawn events during the spring, summer and fall. The next event will be Micro Mini Day on July 12.

Clamping down on cause of coolant leak
Dear Tom and Ray:

Cruise calendar July 2.

Mini goes for the family dollar with its Clubman
Plenty of people have come this close to buying the sprightly, nano-scale Mini Cooper. And then they got a load of that back seat.

Nice guy Mears looking for a job
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If nice guys got all the best NASCAR rides, Casey Mears would have a job for life.

Confusing approach to Newport Rotary
Q. I see lots of confusion and the occasional accident in the traffic circle at the intersection of Route 138 (Admiral Kalbfus Road), JT Connell Highway, and Training Station Road in Newport. Route 138 has two lanes westbound that enter the traffic circle. The traffic circle has two lane markings for the portion from Route 138 to JT Connell Highway, but then there are no more markings. There are no signs saying who has the right of way, whether the lanes are supposed to merge, whether the right lane is right turn only, or if two lanes of traffic continue around the circle. Can better signs or markings be installed to make the circle less confusing?

06/28/2008

Test drive: The 2008 Jeep Rubicon is better suited to the off-road than the urban commute
When the Jeep Wrangler was redesigned for 2007, most all the attention went to the Unlimited, the extended model with, for the first time in a Wrangler, four full doors and genuine rear seats.

Bandito heads for automobile history in Pennsylvania
MIDDLETOWN It’s the end of the road for the Yankee Bandito, a 1957 Chevrolet 210 that has competed in 10 grueling La Carrera Panamericana races across Mexico since 1997.

06/29/2008

Test drive: The 2009 Acura TSX has more fun with fewer horses
On paper, many of us thought the pending arrival of the 2004 Acura TSX would be a bit underwhelming. It was, after all, a slightly massaged version of the European-specification Honda Accord.

06/28/2008

Call them crazy, but don’t underestimate their love for Cavalier
Somewhere out there is the very last Chevrolet Cavalier — a tin-can testament to American mediocrity — that was ever built. Maybe it’s in the back of a rental-car lot in Pittsburgh, sitting there like a lost dog in the rain, hoping a little old lady will pick it up and take it home. We just don’t know.

06/29/2008

DOT TRAFFIC REPORT
All RIDOT construction and maintenance activities are conducted as weather allows

Rising gas prices are taking a toll on car owner satisfaction
DETROIT — Drivers of new cars were less satisfied with their vehicles this year for the first time in at least five years due mainly to rising fuel prices, according to an annual survey released Thursday.

New England drivers are running on empty, according to AAA
DOVER, N.H. — The American Automobile Association is getting more calls to help Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire drivers who have run out of gas.

06/28/2008

New Yorkers spend $130,000 a year cruising for parking in Upper West Side
Drivers searching for parking on New York City’s Upper West Side spend more than $130,000 on gasoline every year, according to a transportation group study.

Barry’s Automotive Group raffle benefits A Wish Come True
www.awish.org, visit the Wish House at 1010 Warwick Ave., Warwick, or call (401) 781-9199 to buy off line.

06/29/2008

GM has high hopes for Traverse crossover
DETROIT — General Motors Corp. hopes to achieve the same quality and critical acclaim with the launch of its next crossover, the Chevrolet Traverse, as it has achieved with its redesigned Chevrolet Malibu sedan, Chevrolet’s top program executives and engineers said last week.

06/28/2008

RACING SCHEDULES
NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY 2008 SCHEDULE

ON THE CIRCUIT
All Times EDT

ABC’S Bestwick has logged some miles
He grew up in Coventry, R.I., and maintains a home in nearby East Greenwich, so when Allen Bestwick drives to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race today to host ABC’s prerace studio show, it will be a homecoming of sorts.

Martin Truex finds success as Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s successor
It was a daunting task for Martin Truex Jr. to become the face of Dale Earnhardt Inc. after its namesake left the team last summer. Truex was introduced to that role in 2004, although it came under the circumstances of a horrific accident. He’ll return to Loudon, N.H., and the track where he began the transition into DEI’s star this weekend for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301.

06/29/2008

Wireless Internet to be an option on 2009 Chrysler models
Have you ever thought rush hour on the freeway might be more bearable if you could check your e-mail, shop for a book on Amazon, place some bids on eBay and maybe even, if nobody is looking, download a little porn?

Car calendar for June 29.
June

Fuel-sippers and a few guzzlers are selling despite the car-sales slump
In an era of $4-a-gallon gasoline, it’s no surprise that hybrids and subcompacts are selling well. But what about the Lexus LX, a giant sport-utility vehicle that averages 14 miles a gallon? Its sales for the first five months of the year have more than doubled.

06/28/2008

Time for a timing belt change
Q. I believe my 1994 Toyota Corolla has the original timing belt. My question is that I’m told it’s a timing chain as opposed to a belt, and therefore doesn’t need to be changed. Is it a belt or a chain, and should I have it changed?

06/25/2008

Auto biography: ’76 VW Beetle convertible is Newport couple’s pride and joy
NEWPORT It was a case of falling in love in paradise.

Gilliland puts Yates in the fast lane
SONOMA, Calif. — Driving for an underfunded race team mired in the slow rebuilding process, David Gilliland has found that strong runs are hard to come by.

Car Talk: Stripped oil plug means you’ll need a new oil pan
Dear Tom and Ray:

The Sorento EX, an SUV that hasn’t crossed over
For those who seek the road less traveled — or the off road less traveled, Kia offers two of the few remaining small SUVs that aren’t “crossovers” — that is, carlike and often car-based.

Gilliland puts Yates in the fast lane
SONOMA, Calif. — Driving for an underfunded race team mired in the slow rebuilding process, David Gilliland has found that strong runs are hard to come by.

Hurd hosting ‘Pink Out’ Sat.
Hurd Auto Mall is hosting a “Pink Out” this Saturday, June 28, to benefit families who have been affected by breast cancer.

Cruise calendar for June 25

Ask the DOT: Crosswalk markings need constant care
Q: My wife and I live in the Cowesett section of Warwick. Last year we noticed that instead of repainting crosswalks in the area, white rubber-like strips the size and shape of the crosswalk lines were glued over the old lines. After the first or second snowfall of the winter, the plows started to tear them up. They’re pretty much gone now. Is this being done in other cities and towns? Is it expected that this will replace painting the stripes?

The Sorento EX, an SUV that hasn’t crossed over
For those who seek the road less traveled — or the off road less traveled, Kia offers two of the few remaining small SUVs that aren’t “crossovers” — that is, carlike and often car-based.

06/21/2008

NASCAR drivers feel the heat
BROOKLYN, Mich. — The Car of Tomorrow is making life hotter for NASCAR’s drivers today.

Saturday Cars: On oil changes
PROVIDENCE — There is a growing movement away from changing the oil in your vehicle every 3,000 miles.

Car Doctor: Keep college student’s car running while she’s gone
Q. My daughter will be attending college in the fall. This means her 1996 Sentra will be sitting idle for months at a time. She will only be driving it a few weeks of the year, when she visits during school breaks. What is the best way to maintain the car so it is fine to drive when she returns? I’ve heard a car should be started at least once a week. Is this true?

ON THE CIRCUIT
All Times EDT

Grand Prix is turning into a 3-way race
BMW Sauber is already ahead of expectations going into the French Grand Prix. Now it’s looking to stay ahead of Ferrari and McLaren in the drivers’ standings.

Saturday projoCars: An extensive racetrack makeover at Lime Rock Park
LAKEVILLE, Conn.

LIME ROCK RACING SCHEDULE
LIME ROCK RACING SCHEDULE

Software to test your road skills
Could a video game make you a better driver? More important, could computer software prevent teenagers from making fatal mistakes or even weed out older drivers whose debilities make them crash-prone?

Hydrogen vehicles show promise
This week’s U.S. debut of Volkswagen’s zero-emission, hydrogen-powered Tiguan Hymotion sport-utility in the San Francisco Bay Area illustrates both the promise and the pitfalls of a type of alternative-fuel vehicle that many automakers are developing.

Test Drive: Meet the powerful Chevy Tahoe Hybrid
What weighs more than 2 1/2 tons, has seats for up to nine people, looks conspicuously like a big sport-utility vehicle and yet is a gasoline-electric hybrid?