Gary Vasilash,
Editor-in-Chief
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What You Can Learn at Sebring

I had the opportunity to attend the 12 Hours of Sebring race this past weekend. I went to the event with Audi, which has been showing the world, in no uncertain manner, that cars running on diesel power can really kick bottom. Its R10 TDI cars have shown convincingly—as in winning the race in 2006 and 2007 and winning in their class (LMP 1) this past weekend; as in winning at the 24 Hours at LeMans in 2006 and 2007.

Credit must be given to the Audi engineers who have created the diesel-powered R10 if for no other reason than to prove to the skeptical U.S. driving public that diesels aren’t just for pickups and semis, that they’re just not powerful but potentially fast. Very fast. -- Read More.

2008 Volvo C30
2008 Hummer H2

Follow the Compass
Is there a way in which you can drive a vehicle in a high-mileage manner without getting the significant other angry at your fuel-sipping ways? Fuel economy experts John and Helen Taylor certainly think so. The couple took a pair of Jeeps from London to Berlin, then continued on to Poland, covering nearly 700 miles. -- Read More

What Is It About Designers?
Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show, Ford design director Peter Horbury remarked that the new Fiesta, which will be sold in the U.S., will not only be a hit, it will be profitable for Ford. That’s because Ford will sell the car as a premium-priced vehicle and not a bargain-basement small car designed to make up the numbers. -- Read More

High Fiber Mercedes
When you think of what goes into a Mercedes-Benz, you probably imagine a mix of common materials – steel, glass, plastic, rubber, etc. – mixed with a few more exotic items like magnesium, titanium, and carbon fiber. However, compared to those materials, what could be more exotic than crushed olive stones, coconut matting, or Abaca fibers?-- Read More

Excusez-Moi?
Most times, the utterances from auto industry executives are as exciting as a NASCAR post-race interview. ("I’d like to thank my team for the work they did getting the Bob’s Potato Chips/Slim Fast Chevrolet to a point where we were looking at a top 20 finish.") And then there are times when the unexpected happens. -- Read More

'The Rule Book Says...'
The Royal Air Force Bobsleigh team has joined forces with Lotus Cars, which has been commissioned to repair and refurbish one of the team’s damaged sleds. The sled had significant damage to the nose cone, a major crack in the main chassis, and numerous other fractures that normally would have lead to its decommissioning.-- Read More

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March 21–30
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Auto China 2008 - April 22-28
MoldMaking Expo 2008 - April 22-24