Ford and DaimlerChrysler Shake Things Up; J.D. Power Reveals the Automotive Past; Audi Takes the A4 in a New Direction; And NASCAR Legend Darrell Waltrip Lives Life in the Past Lane; All This and More in This Week's Edition Of TheCarConnection.com

    DETROIT, July 16 Hard times often result in radical
change, and you only have to look at Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG for
proof.
    At Ford, long rampant rumors of a shake-up have proved true, and Nick
Scheele, the automaker's "Mr. Fixit," is racing back to the U.S. to try to put
Ford's house back in order.  He'll have plenty of problems to resolve,
including the fallout from the Firestone affair, nagging quality problems and
a plunging share price.  Can Scheele solve these issues -- and is he a
potential challenger to Ford CEO Jac Nasser?  Check out this week's issue of
TheCarConnection.com for some answers.
    DaimlerChrysler, meanwhile, is wiping away some of the few remaining
pieces of the old Chrysler Corp.  The American unit will transform its product
development process in an effort to cut costs, improve quality and speed new
products to market.  TCC has the details.
    The Goodwood Festival of Speed is the Woodstock of motor sports, an annual
gathering that brings out some of the rarest and most famous race cars in
history -- as well as some of the sports' best drivers.  That included NASCAR
legend Darrell Waltrip, who took his first run up Goodwood's unique, up-hill
course.  Check out the Goodwood story in words and pictures.  And catch TCC's
look at the classic 1951 LeSabre concept car, named best-in-show at the
Goodwood concours.
    Audi is breaking new ground with its all-new, 2002 A4, and
TheCarConnection has a preview.  It tops this week's reviews, where you'll
also get test drives of the new Isuzu Axiom XS, Honda's hot S2000, the 2002
Chevrolet Avalanche and Volvo's sporty S60 T5.  And don't miss this week's spy
shots of the 2003 Mustang Terminator.
    Wonder who's building the best cars on the road?  You'll find some
surprising answers in the latest J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Index, and
TCC has all the details this week.
    In other news, TCC reports that efforts to boost automotive fuel economy
may be stalled until at least October.  Meanwhile, BMW is taking its own road
to clean cars.  It's unveiled a hydrogen-powered version of the big 750 sedan,
and TheCarConnection was along for the ride.
    Want your teen to learn to be a safe driver?  Check out this week's
edition to find out how.  You'll also find tips for off-road driving and a
guide to the week's best deals.
    You'll find lots more at TheCarConnection.com , including service tips
from our resident gearhead Bob Weber; buying, selling, and leasing tips;
recall and safety links; and a wide range of news, views, and reviews from the
automotive world's top columnists and correspondents.  All that from the Web's
Automotive Authority, http://www.TheCarConnection.com .
    Web users also can access TheCarConnection through the PR Newswire
site http://www.prnewswire.com .