Papa John's Camaro: It's back so it's free pizza for all, sort of

It all began in 1983. Schnatter’s father, an Indiana bar owner, was on the verge of bankruptcy. Schnatter sold his most valuable possession, a black-and-gold striped Camaro for $2,800 to help his family. With the proceeds, Schnatter bought some equipment and started selling pizzas out of a broom closet of his dad’s bar, digging their way out of bankruptcy one pizza at a time. The side business became Papa John’s, the country’s third-largest pizza chain. But Schnatter (he’s pictured with his Camaro in 1971) lways wanted his Camaro back. And last week, after a nationwide campaign and increasing the reward

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BMW Recalls 200,000 Cars With Potential Air Bag Problems

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The German automaker BMW AG, concerned front passenger seat airbags may not deploy, has recalled an estimated 200,000 X3 sport compacts in the United States made between 2004-2006. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported on its  web site that small cracks could develop in a seat detection mat and deactivate the front passenger air bags. NHTSA said the air bag warning lamp and the passenger air bag “on-off” light would remain on. The head protection system, however, would not be affected, the government said. According to BMW spokesman Tom Plucinsky no injuries or accidents from the reported issue

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Mario Andretti: Still A Driving Force In Motorsports

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Nearly 15 years after his retirement from full-time racing, Mario Andretti, at age 68, remains a dominant force. One of only two drivers to win race in the four major motor racing categories — Formula One, IndyCar (USAC), World Sportscar Championships and NASCAR — Andretti was the honored guest last week at the 35th Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races and Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca. Andretti, the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500 (1969), Daytona 500 (1967) and Formula One World Championship (1978), participated in a variety of events during the three-day gathering held in conjunction with Monterey Auto Week.

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Nissan Rogue, 2008: Nice Wheels, Bad Name

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A few friends and I drove around the recent Monterey Auto Week in a 2008 Nissan Rogue. It’s a new sport utility vehicle that offers a lot for a good price point — around $23,000. What the Rogue doesn’t have is a good name. My friends and I had a pretty easy and fun time calling ourselves rogues. And there we were finding our way around Pebble Beach and Laguna Seca and parking next to wondrous machines with well-heeled nameplates like Bentley, Maserati and Ferrari. So why would Nissan call its new SUV Rogue? As a noun, rogue is defined:

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Audi A8 W12, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review (Video)

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The  2008 Audi A8 W12 is the German manufacturer’s powerful top-of-the-line sedan. It’s nearly a small apartment considering its spaciousness, powerful sound system, rear-seat refrigerator and solar sunroof. Videographer Bruce Aldrich and I take a look and the luxurious Audi.

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Volkswagen Beetle, Kaiser Darrin Shine At Carmel Concours On The Avenue

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While soft jazz perfectly set the mood, mellow, daylong crowds gathered along the main artery, Ocean Ave., and its accompanying side streets. It was an ideal outdoor showroom for the second-year event. Porsche and Ferrari were featured Monday and Tuesday multi-marques were presented. I didn’t attend Monday’s festivities, but there were immediate favorites on Tuesday. Tony and Pat Olmo of Monterey, California, presented two Volkswagen Beetles — a 1962 convertible and 1956 deluxe. The 1956, a beautifully hued diamond green, is restored with only German VW parts as is the Pacific Blue convertible. Both cars attracted large crowds with a

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Monterey Auto Week, 2008: Auctions, Concours & Classics

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But there’s plenty else to do, parties to rallys, auctions to the many other concours events that have begun to flourish in recent years. Add it all up, and it’s automotive sensory overload. Last year, I attended The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, at Quail Lodge for the first time. I also spent three three days at the historic races at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey. In addition to meeting car owners and celebrities (including Jay Leno) at The Quail, I reintroduced myself to Bobby Rahal after the Legends of Indy event at Laguna Seca. Years ago, Rahal, the three-time Indy

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Monterey Auto Week: What's In A (No) Name?

Porsche and Ferrari were the attractions Monday on Ocean Avenue in Carmel and accompanying side streets. And on Tuesday marques from 1946-1971 were presented. Both days were nirvana for car owners and automotive enthusiasts. But the Tuesday gathering was particularly enjoyable, classic Volkswagen Beetles to a rare Kaiser Darrin, pristine Mercedes Benz coupes to an early Toyota Corolla, a prime example of the most popular car ever made. But what of this 10 days of automobile stuff? It begins with pre-historics at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and  ends with granddaddy of offerings, the famed Concours d’Elegance. Without an umbrella event

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GM Plans To Invest $500 Million For New Economy Car, Cruze

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The facility in Lordstown, Ohio, currently assembles the Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5 and is slated to begin building the Cruze in 2010. The compact car will be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October. The Cruze will be launched in Europe and Asia Pacific in 2009 and will also be manufactured in those areas. “Our goal for the Chevrolet Cruze is to lead in fuel economy in this very competitive car segment,” Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said in a written statement. The Cruze, expected to top 40 mpg, is another example of GM’s commitment to rearrange

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BMW, 128i, 2008: The Weekly Driver (Video Review)

After much anticipation, earlier this year BMW introduced to the United States its 128 series. It’s the German manufacturer’s reasonably priced coupe and convertible, and it couldn’t have been introduced at a better time. From my weekly drive with the 128i convertible and its 3.0-liter, 230-horsepower inline six-cylinder engine, the car is an unqualified success. Videographer Bruce Aldrich and I present another of in the continuing series of new car video reviews. Facts & Figures: 2008 BMW 128i Specification Details Engine 6-cylinder, 3.0L Transmission Automatic (S6) Drivetrain Rear-Wheel Drive Fuel Economy 19 city / 28 hwy / 22 combined mpg

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Toyota Prius, VW Jetta Top Only 15 Cars In U.S. Averaging At Least 30 mpg

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Chevrolet (Cobalt, Aero) and Honda (Civic hybrid and Fit) each have two vehicles on the list. Six of the vehicles are hybrids and the total of 15 are the only new offerings in the United States averaging more than 30 mpg in combined driving averages. Here’s the list in deceasing order, with city, highway and combined gas mileage averages listed: Toyota Prius (hybrid, 2008, (combined 46 miles per gallon); Honda Civic (hybrid), 40/46, 42 mpg combined; Smart Fortwo, 2008, 33/41, 36 mpg combined; Volkswagen Jetta TDI, 2009, 30/41, 34 mpg combined; Nissan Altima (hybrid), 35/33, 34 mpg combined; Toyota Camry

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BMW 128i (Convertible), 2008: The Weekly Driver

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The 128i offers BMW’s trademark assertive engine, rear-wheel drive and the manufacturer’s signature take-charge steering. The convertible option with a six-speed manual transmission is the only way to really appreciate this BMW. Brand purists may disagree, but the sleek design of the smaller BMW seems ideal for the retractable ragtop. The manufacturer states that the push-button (on the console below the radio dials) convertible system will retract in 20 seconds. But it’s actually a few seconds faster than the estimate. And the reverse operation works just as efficiently. Unlike some convertibles that aren’t particularly handsome with their tops down, the

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Honda Fit, Chevrolet Silverado Most Popular New Cars Among Women & Men

According to a survey detailed on Forbes.com, the most important buying factors for women include: safety, comfort, practicality and value. It’s a much different set of factors for men — power, performance, exclusivity. More than 80 percent of Fit buyers are women. The vehicle with the highest percentage of men buyers (93 percent) is the Chevrolet Silverado (pick-up  truck). Among women and men buyers, there are several lists readily available the top-10 luxury cars purchased by women and women and the top 5 overall cars most often purchased by women and men. Here are the lists: Women (Overall) 1. Honda

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Dubious honors for old Honda Civics, Accords: Thieves' favorite cars

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Beauty is in the eyes of thieves. That’s the ruth in terms of stolen cars since the most No. 1 hot-wired car in the United States is a 1995 Honda Civic. According to a new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB, the Civic is followed by its older sibling, the 1991 Honda Accord in terms of susceptibility to thieves. According to the report, published in Forbes Magazine, “junkers” like older Honda Civics and Accord are more valuable to thieves because they can easily strip the cars and sell the parts on the street. According to the  NICB, a

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Chrysler Envisions Electric Car Envi Within Five Years

The new line created last September. Its vehicles are slated to operate on battery power alone for about 40 miles, according to Chrysler. Chrysler is also working on a new generation of hybrid vehicles with lithium-ion batteries that are lighter and store more energy than the nickel-metal hydride batteries now in wide use. Chrysler has not yet announced any partnership for the project or for the development of the batteries. General Motors Corp and Toyota Motor Corp are racing to develop rechargeable hybrid vehicles using lithium-ion batteries. GM’s all-electric Chevy Volt is scheduled to begin production in 2010; Toyota will

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Toyota Announces New Strategies Including New U.S. Prius Plant

Toyota is responding to changes in consumer demand and improving the production efficiency and stability of its North American operations by adjusting production mix at three plants. The changes include the addition of the Prius hybrid sedan to its North American lineup. The changes include: * Prius will be built at a plant under construction in Blue Springs, Miss. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2010. Prius, which will join the Kentucky-built Camry Hybrid as the second Toyota hybrid built in North America, enables Toyota to better respond to increased consumer demand for hybrid vehicles. * The Highlander mid-size

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