Paul Newman The fact that virtually every motorsport publication noted the passing last September of
the Oscar-winning actor suggests the respect Newman, 83, garnered in the racing community. He got the bug while filming the 1969 movie Winning, and went on to win four national championships in the Sports Car Club of America series, and raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. He also co-owned a Champ Car and Indy Car team that has over 100 wins. He is also credited with inspiring other celebrities to become involved in racing, including talk show host David Letterman, who co-owns an Indy Car team.
Steve McQueen While much of McQueen’s racing was on two wheels, he spent quite a bit of time in auto racing, including…Â Details
2010 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid: Porsche’s first cleaner-and-greener machine combines a 333-horsepower V6 with a 52-horsepower electric motor that can solely operate at speeds up to 140 km/h or in tandem with the gas engine as required.
An eight-speed automatic transmission functions in either mode. Porsche claims the hybrid will hit 100 km/h in seven seconds and average about 9.0 l/100 km in combined city/highway driving…Â Details
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, knows what he wants from the Big Three auto executives: They should bow down to stockholders and apologize.
That’s one of the milder suggestions from Capitol Hill as to how Detroit’s top brass should behave.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., wants them to resign. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Ct., thinks that General Motors Chief Executive Richard Wagoner should “move on.” …Â Details
Automakers envision electric cars as a solution to gas price jumps. Environmentalists see bluer skies. And electric utilities? They could be the biggest winners of all.
Electric cars use lots of juice and are typically plugged in to recharge at night when utilities have excess power-generating capacity. That’s great for power companies.
But electric cars and plug-in hybrids, which are expected to start hitting the streets next year, could pose a challenge for …Â Details