Auto News 5

This is the beginning of what hopefully becomes a weekly feature here at Autoweek.com. Your job as the reader is to figure out what car we were reviewing when we wrote these lines way back in 2004.

Ford intends to compete with premium carmakers with high-end versions of its mass-market models in a bid to end years of losses in Europe, but the strategy is not without risk.

Mini boss Peter Schwarzenbauer's passion for the Superleggera Vision concept is deep. One look at the car and you'll understand why.

Caterham owner Tony Fernandes plans to sell the group's UK sports car unit and F1 team, a Malaysian newspaper reported.

The future of Mini may look nothing like the iconic model designed by Sir Alec Issigonis in 1959 but a lot like the Superleggera Vision roadster concept the BMW subsidiary showed off Sunday in Italy.

Some future Minis may look nothing like the iconic model designed by Sir Alec Issigonis in 1959, but a lot like the Superleggera Vision concept.

-- In 1995, Jacques Villeneuve won the 79th Indy 500 and went on to the CART Championship. Viewers who tuned into ABC and saw

Automotive News Europe salutes the winners of the 2014 Rising Stars awards. Every day through June 3 two of the 14 winners will be featured. The Rising Star for Communications is Ford of Europe's Sandra van Tongern.

Automotive News Europe honors the winners of the 2014 Rising Stars awards. Every day through June 3 a pair of the 14 winners will be featured. The Rising Star for Aftersales and Service is Fiat Chrysler's Fabrizio Curci.

Engineers have solved the technical problems that dogged the three-cylinder engine in the 1980s and early '90s. But even with turbochargers, it may take a while for the triple to outrun its historical baggage.

Ford's Americas boss Joe Hinrichs says it would be risky to mess with the two-tier wage structure during 2015 UAW contract talks. Fiat Chrysler's Sergio Marchionne, meanwhile, says the system isn't sustainable.

For dealers, General Motors' record barrage of safety recalls is a startling, confusing, aggravating logistical headache. It's also potentially lucrative.

Thirty years after getting his first speeding ticket, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis is still nutty about performance. That may be why Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has consolidated its SRT line under him.

The used-car business is hot, prompting franchised new-car dealers across the nation to pay more attention than ever to their used-vehicle operations, in some cases opening used-only stores.

The launch of the redesigned 2015 Honda Fit subcompact -- built in Honda's new $800 million factory in Celaya, Mexico -- is in the midst of a nearly two-month delay because of quality-control and transport glitches.

In the past five years, Sonic Automotive dealerships have slashed average response times to electronic leads to seven minutes. E-sales offices now operating in most of the chain's 105 stores have made the difference.

Dealerships have more than bounced back from the recession. Fewer stores and the recovery in vehicle sales meant record revenues and profits for dealerships last year.

General Motors asserted for a decade that unexpected stalling was not a safety defect, even as its competitors issued about 90 recalls for similar symptoms during the same period and federal safety regulators opened 42 investigations into stalling.

Honda aims to bridge the gap between what dealers want and what the factory can build when it launches a new ordering system this week. It's the result of five years of software coding and deliberations among dealers, the factory and field staff.

From IndyCar.com

Ryan Hunter-Reay, driving the No. 28 DHL car for Andretti Autosport, held off three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves by a hair-raising .0600 of a second -- the second-closest margin of victory in the history of the event -- in a six-lap shootout to claim his first Indy 500 victory.

Hunter-Reay's teammate, Marco Andretti, finished .3171 of a second back for his third third-place finish in nine starts.

"It's a dream come true," said Hunter-Reay, who is the first American winner since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006.

"This (race) is American history. It's where drivers are made; where history is made. I hope the fans loved it because I was on the edge of my seat. The Verizon IndyCar Series, with superspeedways, short ovals, road and street courses is a true drivers championship, which is what I love about it."

2014 Indy 500 photo gallery. (Photos by Jeff Roberts)

There were 34 lead changes among 11 drivers in the fast-paced 200 laps (186.563 mph average; second-fastest in history), with Hunter-Reay regaining the point from Castroneves for good by a scant .0235 of a second at the end of Lap 199.

Carlos Munoz, who finished second last year as a rookie, finished fourth and 2000 Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya was fifth. Kurt Busch, who had 600 more miles of racing left on the day in the NASCAR event North Carolina, placed sixth in his first 500 Mile Race.

Canadian James Hinchcliffe, who started second and led early, was involved in a Turn 1 incident with pole sitter Ed Carpenter on a lap 176 restart.

Sebastien Bourdais, driving the KVSH Racing car that won the “500” last year with Tony Kanaan, placed a career-best seventh in the 500 Mile Race and Will Power finished eighth.

Other Canadians endured a tough afternoon. Former Indy 500 race winner Jacques Villeneuve crossed the line 14th while Alex Tagliani arrived home one spot ahead, in 13th position.