Arnold Schwarzenegger and David Beckham are the emblems of the end of an American economic era. Each owns at least one Hummer, the giant SUV designed around the army’s Humvee personal troop transporter.

But the Hummer has fallen out of favour and was last week put on the block by General Motors. It is little wonder. Who would want to buy a beast that does nine miles to the gallon and costs more than $100 - £50 at the pump is a small fortune to Americans - to fill up?

GM also closed four SUV assembly plants as it put Hummer up for sale. But these drastic moves by GM are more significant than they at first seem.

The desire to own big, thirsty motor vehicles with V6 and V8 engines, capable of transporting families over vast tracts of asphalt-covered prairie and mountain range, was a defining tenet of the American economic model of the past century.

Building roads and making cars to drive on them was a central plank of the New Deal, the economic plan devised by President Roosevelt to drag the country out of the Great Depression.

A network of state parkways was conceived and built in the 1930s and 1940s by Robert Moses, the father of American urbanism. His blueprint for a society dominated by the car spread until, by the 1960s, the entire nation was covered by a web of interstate highways. This was the American Dream.

But today, with oil above $130 a barrel and stories on the news every night about commuters who cannot afford to commute and hauliers who cannot afford to haul, the dream is over. David Cole, director of the Centre for Automotive Research in Detroit, believes that America is on the threshold of a new technological era and in the next five to 10 years advances in bio-fuels - using material such as algae, sewage and waste - will enable Americans to drive big cars at a fraction of the environmental and economic cost.

GM has invested heavily in two companies who claim that their bio-engineering and genetic modification methods can produce alternatives to petrol costing about $1 a gallon. But a bold government move may also be required. Cole, who fears that the oil price will take a tumble, is calling it to set a $50 floor for the price of a barrel of crude. If oil becomes too cheap, he believes, the impetus to invest in new technology will be lost.

It may be that Arnie and Becks will be able to keep driving their dinosaurs, but with bio-fuel in the tank instead of petrol.

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The next Black Series is out of the bag. Mercedes-Benz’s AMG offered a small group of journalists a sneak peek of its 670-horsepower supercar at the New York show last month, issued with the world’s most vague embargo. So here we are with details. AMG says the SL65 Black Series is capable of 220 mph, but it’s speed-limited to 300 kp/h, or about 186 mph and can do 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds.

AMG squeezed an extra 66 horsepower out of the 6.0-liter, bi-turbo V-12, but torque remains unmoved from the magic 1000 Newton-Meter number, equal to 738 pound-feet. (Like the “standard” SL65, it comes only with a five-speed automatic transmission.) The power improvements instead are connected more to AMG’s weight-reduction program, which results in a 6.1-pounds per horsepower ratio. The “standard” SL65 has a 7.7-pounds per horsepower ratio. Beyond its engine, the SL65 AMG Black Series is roughly akin to the SL65 AMG what a Dodge Charger Nextel Cup car is to a Dodge Charger SRT-8.

The folding top has been made a fixed roof, the track widened (AMG refused to say how much), the fenders have been flared and the front fenders, hood and roof sheetmetal has been replaced with carbon fiber. The electro-hydraulic Active Body Control suspension has been tossed for a fully adjustable coil spring suspension. Dunlop Maxx GTs are 265/35ZR-19s front, 325/30ZR-20s, rear on one-piece forged alloy wheels. Brake discs are larger and because AMG plans to build just 350 units for worldwide sales, the car is exempt from European pedestrian crash standards, so the front grille is squatter than the new one on the SL-Series and the hood is lower.

Running on the automotive treadmill shaves 570 pounds off the car’s curb weight, 88 pounds of which are the result of switching to a fixed roof. It’s now a relatively svelt 4,080 pounds.

The rear diffuser also is carbon fiber. The subtle rear lip spoiler provides about 77 pounds of downforce, and rises to a full spoiler at 62 mph.

Your office space for controlling all this includes two carbon-fiber racing-shell seats — there’s no back seat — a flat-bottom steering wheel and yards of Alcantara. Paint color choices are white, black, red or silver. It goes on sale in the U.S. next year at an if-you’ve-gotta-ask price well north of the SL65’s $188,025 sticker.

(source: Motortrend)

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Prepare for BMW hybrid assault: Just like a lot of other automakers trying to ride the green tide, one of Germany’s premium brands is joining the fray. The Sleuth has word that BMW will offer a gas/electric hybrid version of its all-new 7-series sedan in two or three years. The next generation of BMW’s premium four-door is expected to launch later this year, but the hybrid version will take another two to three years of development to finish. Sources indicate the car will use a “mild” hybrid system that was co-devolved with Daimler, which makes Mercedes-Benz. Unlike a dual-mode system, a mild hybrid isn’t capable of powering the vehicle in an all-electric mode. BMW’s development appears to be in full swing as spy photographers recently spotted a prototype of the new X6 tall wagon while the automaker plans to show a twin-turbocharged diesel hybrid X5 sport utility vehicle at March’s Geneva, Switzerland, Motor Show.

- Audi TT strives for serious street cred: The cute little car that first turned heads in early 2000 will continue to turn them but at a much faster pace this time around. The Audi TTS made its official debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich., earlier this year, but the Sleuth hears an even more powerful model is undergoing the final stages of testing: the TT-RS. Output is expected between 340 and 365 horsepower from a turbocharged 3.2-litre V6. A conventional manual transmission as well as a seven-speed paddle-shifted manual with automatic mode will also be available. Although the exterior of the TT-RS appears similar to that of the TTS, the RS does sport bigger wheels and brakes. Out back is a set of oval exhaust outlets, which is a signature design cue for Audi’s performance range of vehicles. Expect it to go on sale in 2009.

- Aston looks for a new ad-Vantage: The Sleuth hears that Aston Martin will take the wraps off of an updated V8 Vantage two-door, two-seat coupe at March’s Geneva, Switzerland, Motor Show. The current car hit the market in 2005 and is ready for a mid-life cycle refresh that will include tweaks to its mechanicals. According to the Sleuth’s spies, the revised Vantage will have more powerful V8, which currently makes 375 horsepower, and the cabin will reportedly also see a heavy dose of updating and. Overall, the improvements should give Aston a true Porsche-fighter, which the Vantage was always intended to be. Look for the updated model to hit the market in mid-2008.

- Saturn expected to grow, despite economic storm: Although the North American car market is expected to take a downturn in 2008, parent General Motors is confident that its Saturn brand will continue to see growth. In fact, GM thinks that Saturn’s momentum should carry the brand through at least five years of continual growth, the Sleuth’s insiders report. While Saturn’s 2008 sales goal is only slightly higher than that for 2007, the brand increased sales by 12.6 percent last year in the United States. The expansion is expected to be fueled by sales of the Aura sedan, Outlook tall wagon and the Astra hatchback. Saturn will launch a two-mode gas/electric hybrid version of the Vue wagon by the end of the year, a model that can operate with under full electric or a combination of gas engine and electric motor. Saturn plans to have a plug-in hybrid version by 2010. This model would charge its battery pack overnight via a wall plug for short-range electric-only use.

- Ford to go on Alert: The company has announced it will begin offering a new stolen-vehicle tracking service to rival that offered by General Motors’ OnStar. Dubbed SmartAlert, it will be a dealer-installed option and will complement Ford’s Sync infotainment system that allows voice activation of many vehicle systems, including consumer electronics that you bring along for the ride. SmartAlert will be available on Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles and will use cellular networks to send the stolen vehicle’s location to police. As with OnStar, SmartAlert will be able to unlock the vehicle’s doors through a call center or online interface. In the future, the technology will allow the car’s owners to unlock the vehicle’s doors via a cell phone.

Market indicators

In-car Internet access: Ford, Audi and General Motors have been loading up their cars with Bluetooth short-range wireless technology and Apple iPod portable music player compatibility. BMW is taking things even further and has announced that it will launch ConnectedDrive technology at March’s Geneva, Switzerland, Motor Show. The new system will allow BMW owners to access the Internet via the car’s iDrive console dial and centre-mounted LCD screen. Initially, ConnectedDrive will only be available in Europe, but it will come to North America. Transfer speeds are said to be a bit slower than that of the typical wireless connection. For safety reasons, ConnectedDrive will only be accessible at speeds slower than about five km-h. However, vehicles equipped with a rear-seat DVD player will allow passengers to use the Internet while driving at any speed.

Glass act: Some premium automakers are learning that glass has a nice touch when it covers the entire roofline. The Audi A5 two-door coupe is one example and there’s more on the way. Mercedes-Benz currently offers a panoramic roof option on its SL hardtop convertible and it appears as though the smaller SLK will soon receive the same option. Mercedes-Benz just launched its all-new 2009 SLK, so look for the glass-roof option to bow as a 2010 or later model-year option. General Motors is also considering glass roofs as is Lexus and Infiniti.

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The American Trucking Association (ATA) is bringing its educational Share the Road program to the Denver Auto Show. The Share the Road highway safety program is dedicated to reducing the fatality and accident rate on America’s roadways. With the help of the professional truck drivers, attendees learn how to share the road safely with America’s truck drivers!

When Auto Show attendees visit the booth the learning experience starts. At the ATA booth a truck is set up as if it were in a highway lane. Alongside the truck are strategically placed cars, meant to be in other lanes of the highway. The friendly and informative ATA staff has people sit in the truck as if they were the driver. The Auto Show attendee has a chance to see things from the truck driver’s perspective, and most people are amazed at what they see around them (and what they don’t see!)

This is a great resource for not only new drivers, but drivers of all ages will learn something from this interactive display that will keep them safer on the road. To see for yourself, visit the ATA Share the Road booth at the Denver International Auto Show.

The Denver International Auto Show will be held March 26-30, 2008 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO. The Auto Show is presented by the Metro Denver Auto Dealers Association. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 7– 12. Children under 6 are free. For more information regarding the Auto Show, the public may call 1-888-704-4199 or visit the Show’s website www.denverautoshow.com

Show Hours:

Wednesday, March 26: 5PM - 9PM

Thursday, March 27: 5PM - 9PM

Friday, March 28: Noon - 10PM

Saturday, March 29: 10AM - 10PM

Sunday, March 30: 10AM - 6 PM

The Denver International Auto Show is produced by Paragon Group, Inc, a full service, privately held exhibition management company. Located in Needham, Mass, Paragon Group also produces the Portland International Auto Show, The National Golf Expo, Boston and other events around the country. For more information on Paragon Group, please visit www.paragonexpo.com.

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Kyle Busch, winner of Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500, talks with car owner Joe Gibbs.

HAMPTON, Ga. — Kyle Busch drove a Toyota to victory in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Kobalt Tools 500 to give the Japanese automaker its first Cup win after only 40 starts.

Busch, who also won Friday’s night’s Craftsman Truck Series, race led for 172 laps of the 325-lap race and finished nearly three seconds ahead of his teammate, Tony Stewart, who also drove a Toyota.

“It was an awesome car being able to run like that,” said Busch. “Carl (Edwards) had a great car also, but he had some issues. But to run 500 miles and win, you can’t have any issues.”

In addition to leading the Cup points, Busch also leads the Craftsman Trucks and is second in the Nationwide Series.

Many drivers complained about how hard their car handled, but runner-up Stewart blamed his car’s handling problems on the tires, and blasted Goodyear.

“Really, it’s very simple,” said Stewart. “It’s because we were on such bad tires. That’s the worst tire I’ve ever been on in my life. If you look at when they (Goodyear) exited Formula One, IRL, the World of Outlaws and all the other series, it’s because they couldn’t keep up, because they didn’t have the technology. They just couldn’t compete.

“This was pathetic what we raced on today. I’m going home and check all the tires on my personal cars, and if I have any Goodyears I’m going to dismount them and put on Firestones, or some other brand.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was strong during the early stages of the race, but lacked the necessary speed to overtake Busch late in the race and finished third.

“Yeh, it was a great run for us today,” said Earnhardt. “We had a good race car, but we went backwards from the start and could never get it quite where we wanted it. Tony (Eury, crew chief) did a good job today trying to get the car better. It was a hard day, but I’m proud of my team.”

Greg Biffle’s fourth-place finish allowed him to move into second in the point standings.

“Tony did a great job of protecting Kyle Busch, his teammate, but he was racing for position, and he raced me pretty well,” said Biffle. “If I could have gotten by Tony earlier, then I might have been able to catch Kyle. But as it was, I just ran out of laps.”

Polesitter Jeff Gordon finished fifth, and like most of the drivers, he complained about how hard it was to drive the new car.

“This was the hardest day I’ve had at Atlanta,” said Gordon.

Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Brian Vickers and Jeff Burton rounded out the top 10 finishers.

Top 12 Sprint Cup Chase contenders after 4 of 35: 1. Kyle Busch-665, 2. Biffle-592, 3. Harvick-574, 4. Newman-571, 5. Burton-555, 6. Kahne-534, 7. Earnhardt-531, 8. Stewart-525, 9. Vickers-491, 10. Kurt Busch-478, 11. Truex Jr.-471, 12. Kenseth-470.

Top 10 Nationwide Series leaders after 4 of 35: 1. Harvick-605, 2. Edwards-580, 3. Kyle Busch-531, 4. Ragan-524, 5. Bowyer-507, 6. Reutimann-503, 7. Stewart-472, 8. Bliss-472, 9. M. Wallace-469, 10. Bires-445.

Top 10 Craftsman Truck Series leaders after 3 of 25: 1. Kyle Busch-555, 2. Bodine-483, 3. Hornaday-433, 4. McCumbee-415, 5. Benson-413, 6. Crawford-411, 7. Skinner-393, 8. Starr-384, 9. Setzer-383, 10. McGilton-376.

“Little Joe” a Fun-loving Champion

Known simply as “Little Joe,” he was one of NASCAR’s most fun-loving but serious drivers. He was killed in an accident at Riverside (California) Raceway in 1964. His death left a void among those who knew him.

“He would race you as hard if not harder on the track than any other driver, but he was a joy to be around away from the track,” said Rex White, the 1960 NASCAR champion. “I mean he just liked to have fun and was always doing something to create a laugh.”

Joe Weatherly served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II in North Africa and Europe. While in North Africa, a German sniper’s bullet struck Weatherly in the face, knocking out two of his teeth and leaving behind a mean looking scar that would forever belie Little Joe’s sense of mischievous good humor.

When the war ended, Weatherly resumed a pre-war love affair with motorcycles, racing in the AMA, where he attained a degree of fame and no small amount of success, earning three AMA championships between 1946 and 1950. “Little Joe,” as he came to be called, might easily have made a career as a motorcycle racer were it not for his entry into NASCAR racing in 1950. Such was his skill on four wheels that he won the very first modified race he entered.

A volume could be written about Joe Weatherly and his pranks on and off the track. He enjoyed behaving outrageously; wearing wild clothes and once he took practice laps wearing a Peter Pan suit. Moreover, he frequently stayed out partying until the early hours, usually with fellow driver and good time buddy Curtis Turner.

But behind the happy, fun-loving exterior, “Little Joe” held the heart of a champion. In a NASCAR Grand National career that spanned between 1952 and 1964, Weatherly notched 25 victories. The win column statistic is more astounding when we consider that he never ran anything approaching a full race season until 1962. Not surprisingly, in 1962 (his first full season) Weatherly won the NASCAR championship, claiming seven victories over a grueling span of 52 races.

The following year he backed up his dominating performance with six victories and another NASCAR championship. The 1963 championship is all the more amazing when we consider that his car owner, Bud Moore didn’t have the resources to campaign a car throughout the entire season. Rather than sit out those races that the Bud Moore team couldn’t afford to run, he “bummed” rides in other team’s cars, thus salvaging the championship in grand fashion.

The 1961 Firecracker 250 at Daytona offers a wonderful example of his tenacity on the racetrack. During the race his Pontiac started popping out of gear unexpectedly. Refusing to pull into the garage, he twisted around in his seat in order to hold the shifter in gear with his right leg while using his left foot to operate the accelerator and brake pedals. As a testament to his perseverance, Weatherly managed to finish sixth that day.

Joe Weatherly is remembered as a prankster, a fun-loving clown who just happened to be tough to beat on the track come race day.

Weekend Racing Schedule

The Nationwide and Sprint Cup teams are at Bristol, Tenn. The Craftsman Trucks do not race again until March 29.

Saturday, March 15
Nationwide Series Sharpie Mini 300; Starting time: 2 p.m. (EST): TV: ABC.

Sunday, March 16
Sprint Cup Food City 500, Starting time: 1:30 p.m. (EST): TV: Fox; Distance: 500 laps; Defending champion: Kyle Busch.

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According to Sheriff Mark Dion, the theft occurred between the late night and early morning hours of March 4 and 5 at 54 Bayou Road. In addition to the pale-yellow Packard, a 1994 maroon GMC 3500 four-door pickup truck and a black 1994 Pace American Trailer were stolen. The Packard was inside the trailer at the time of the theft, and the trailer was attached to the truck.

A vehicle similar to this Packard Convertible was stolen 54 Bayou Road in Naples last week. (Photo by Courtesy of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office)

The truck, described as having a custom paint job which fades from bottom to top, is registered in the state of Florida. The trailer, also registered in Florida, has Harley Davidson and Triumph motorcycle stickers on the bumper and is 26 feet long.

The owner is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest, conviction, and recovery of the vehicles.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division at 774-1444, extension 2171.

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Nine drivers will race in the 2008 DTM with the AMG Mercedes C-Class, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced today. The nine Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers are:

Bernd Schneider (43 years/Germany): Until the end of the 2007 season, Schneider completed exactly 220 DTM races, 69 more than his eight Mercedes-Benz team mates together; they took part in a total of 151 DTM events. Schneider achieved 42 race wins, 24 pole positions and 58 fastest race laps; No driver will be able to match this record balance in 2008. In 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006, Bernd Schneider clinched the DTM championship titles, he also won the 1995 International Touring Car Championship (ITC), which had been staged together with the DTM.

“After my fifth title win in 2006, the sixth position in the 2007 championship was not what I had planned for. However, I am now even more motivated to fight again this year.”

Bruno Spengler (24/Canada): In 2007, the Canadian achieved one of the seven Mercedes-Benz victories in the DTM. With a gap of three points, Spengler finished the championship runner-up — for the second consecutive time. It was the first time after 1991, that more than two drivers had chances to win the championship. After a learning year with Persson Motorsport in 2005, he moved up to the HWA factory team. When he clinched his first DTM victory at Nuremberg’s Norisring in 2006, he was one of the youngest winners in DTM history at the age of 22 years and 334 days.

“Two runner-up positions are nice, only one place is even nicer and I will push hard to achieve it in 2008.”

Jamie Green (25/England): In his 30th DTM race, Jamie Green finally took his first victory in the championship. He won the penultimate round of the 2007 season in Barcelona and repeated this success two weeks later in the next race, the season finale in Hockenheim. The 25-year-old Englishman has been with Mercedes-Benz for 11 years. In 1997, he was second of the “Champions of the Future” kart series with two wins; this series was part of the promotion programme for young drivers of Formula 1 partners McLaren and Mercedes-Benz. In 2004, Green won the Formula 3 Euro Series with seven victories out of 20 races at the wheel of an ASM team Dallara Mercedes; driving for ASM in 2005, also Formula 1 runner-up Lewis Hamilton won the title of this championship.

“I want to start the 2008 season exactly like I finished the previous one and then I want to fight for the championship.”

Paul di Resta (21/Scotland): In 2006, di Resta won the Formula 3 Euro Series with five victories out of 20 races; like Jamie Green in 2004 and Lewis Hamilton in 2005, he was driving for ASM. He debuted in the DTM on 22nd April 2007 with fifth place in Hockenheim, followed by four more podium positions in the next nine races and fifth place overall in the championship. Di Resta is the cousin of former Mercedes-Benz DTM driver Dario Franchitti, winner of the 2007 Indianapolis 500, the 2007 US Indy Racing League champion and winner of the 2008 24-hour-race in Daytona 2008, who is now racing in the US-American NASCAR series. Di Resta benefited from and excelled in the Mercedes young driver promotion already early on. He was 14 years old, when he won the McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future Kart series in 2000 and then again in 2001. In 2004, he won the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award and became a Mercedes-Benz Junior.

“Four podium positions and seven places in the points out of 10 races are not a bad balance for my first DTM season. I am very happy that I am now a member of the HWA team and want to thank for the confidence they have placed in me by improving further.”

Ralf Schumacher (32/Germany): From 1997 until 2007, Ralf participated in 180 Grands Prix, won six of them and started from pole position six times. He achieved eight fastest race laps and scored a total of 329 World Championship points. In 2001 and 2002, he finished the Drivers’ Championship in fourth positions respectively. In the Brazilian Grand Prix on 21st October 2007, driving for Toyota, he finished his Formula 1 career. His last race with a car with a roof was a round of the FIA GT Championship in Spa-Francorchamps on 20th July 1997, when he was a guest driver in an AMG Mercedes CLK-GTR. When Ralf Schumacher tested the AMG Mercedes C-Class in Estoril, Portugal for four and a half days, he drove about 490 laps, more than 2,000 kilometres, which are approximately 12 DTM race distances.

“It was great fun to test the DTM C-Class and I look forward to the new season, more than I did for a long time. I like the DTM, I like the environment, I like the enthusiastic and positive spectators. And I like Mercedes. I will learn in the DTM, I will work hard and I will put it behind me if people will criticize me if I should have problems during the first couple of races.”

Gary Paffett (26/England): When Gary Paffett came back to the DTM after a one-year break, he won already his second race in Oschersleben 2007. It was the first time that a DTM race was won in a last year’s car and it was the 10th DTM race win for Gary Paffett. The Englishman won the 1999 McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award. In 2002, he became German Formula 3 champion. In December 2005, two months after winning the DTM championship title, he was promoted McLaren Mercedes test driver. This year he will again race in the DTM and also fulfil his test duties with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23.

“I love the DTM and in addition to my job as a Formula 1 test driver I look forward to racing in my favourite series and I want to finish the season in a better position than last year.”

Susie Stoddart (25/Scotland): In 2003 and 2004, Susie qualified for the final round of the renowned McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award. Two years ago, she changed from the British Formula 3 Championship to the DTM and she finished her first race in the championship in Hockenheim in 10th place. The same result in Mugello, Italy was her best one in the 2007 DTM. In qualifying, she made it to the second of the top 14 drivers three times; in the season opener in Hockenheim and at Nuremberg’s Norisring, she started 12th on the grid respectively, at the Nuerburgring she qualified 13th.

“Although my results don’t show it so clearly, I have continuously improved since I have started in the DTM. If I’m able to qualify higher up the grid, I should be able to achieve better results in 2008.”

Mathias Lauda (27/Austria): Only four years after his first ever race, Mathias Lauda, the son of three-times Formula 1 World Champion Niki Lauda, started in the DTM with a 2004 AMG-Mercedes C-Class of the Persson-Team. No other driver had a shorter motor sport career before entering the DTM. Lauda’s best result was his sixth place in Barcelona in September 2007; it was the second time that he scored points after finishing seventh at the Lausitzring in May 2007. The qualifyings in Oschersleben, at the Lausitzring, Brands Hatch and at the Nuerburgring saw him move up to the second sessions of the top 14 drivers; his 10th place on the grid in Barcelona was his best starting position in the DTM.

“My target for the new season — I want to score points constantly and to finish the championship among the top ten.”

Maro Engel (22/Germany): Born in Munich, Maro Engel raced karts for five years before he drove his first ever car race at the age of 15 in 2001. In the Formula BMW Junior Cup, he won three races and was third overall. At the age of 18, he entered Formula 3 in 2003. Two years later, he took part in five races of the Italian Formula 3000 series and changed to the British Formula 3 Championship in 2006. Last year, he finished the championship runner-up after winning three races. In November 2007, Maro Engel tested the AMG Mercedes C-Class for the first time in Mugello, Italy followed by another test in Estoril, Portugal in January 2008. He completed a total of 261 laps, almost 1,200 kilometres.

“Testing a race touring car was a new experience for me. The DTM is a great challenge and I definitely want to seize the chance provided by Mercedes.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “From 1988 until the 2007 season finale, Mercedes-Benz have completed 300 DTM and ITC races and won 141 out of them. Our driver claimed seven victories in the previous season’s 10 races; five of our 10 drivers, Bruno Spengler, Bernd Schneider, Gary Paffett, Jamie Green and Mika Haekkinen were on the top spot of the podium at least once, Mika and Jamie stood there even twice each. Nine of our 10 drivers each scored points at least twice and this shows that — with maximum competitiveness - there are chances to score points for all of our drivers. In 2007, Mercedes-Benz drivers claimed 60 percent of all points positions. Also in 2008 we will have a strong team and I am sure the sport and the excitement in the new DTM season will be at an even higher level.”

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