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CARS
These limited editions pair Bugatti and Hermès, Lamborghini and Versace, Cadillac and Bulgari, Mercedes-Benz and Armani, Alfa Romeo and Costume National.
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Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge John Torribio says the Westside project can't go forward without a report on how businesses and residents would be affected. >>
A deputy was crushed by a big rig while trying to avoid a stove that fell from a truck in Anaheim. >>
The walkout could endanger production of the Chevy Malibu, adding to the automaker's woes. >>
A Los Angeles Fire Department assistant chief, his wife and their son were charged Monday with allegedly trying to cover up a hit-and-run crash. >>
Road Sage
The average commuting times there and in the Inland Empire are some of the longest in Southern California, which helps makes sense of the carpool toll plan for the 10 and 210 freeways. >>
ON THE SPOT
Question: My wife and I try to make one major trip abroad a year. This year we thought we would go to Northern Ireland in September, but every auto rental agency I've contacted has a maximum age for a car rental. I happen to be 82. Is there any way I can rent a car for this vacation? >>
The 48-square-mile area in Fresno and San Benito counties is closed abruptly after a study finds dangerous amounts of the carcinogen are being stirred up. >>
AUTOS
Truck and SUV purchases plummet 17.4% last month, compared with April 2007, while passenger autos -- which cost less to fuel -- post a 5.2% gain. >>
A consumer advocate says the regulations would cause premiums on car, home and other coverage to rise. Officials say he's wrong. >>
Ruling on the city's need for an environmental review is expected this week. Merchant and homeowner groups have sought the restriction. >>
AEROSPACE
Carriers cut costs as they outsource repairs and inspections. >>
SANTA ANATeacher with gun in class is charged >>Facing high gasoline and food prices, many motorists are holding off on expensive jobs. They may pay the price later. >>
Thieves disguise themselves as Caltrans workers. CHP asks the public for help. >>
The Santa Ana resident is suspected of trying to kill his girlfriend's children after an argument with her. The boys are OK. >>
A loaf of Love's Bakery bread is a slice of life in Hawaii, as familiar to residents and tourists as flip-flops and aloha shirts. >>
The automaker says the move, a response to slumping sales, will lead to job losses. >>
Road Sage
I was heading back from a few days of skiing at Mammoth Mountain last week when I came upon a pleasant surprise on U.S. 395: A portion of the road was being widened from two to four lanes. >>
SANTA ANALockdown lifted at Central Jail >>THE GARAGE
Supercar Life leads the all-access drive for dream machines at almost $5,000 a spin. For exotic car fans, it's a chance to switch from one high speed to another. >>
The plan to ease congestion in Los Angeles County would start by 2010 with the 10 and 210 freeways. >>
TRANSPORTATION
'Too many big heavy trucks' take a heavy toll on even the newest thoroughfares. >>
MTA will weigh project to convert carpool lanes to congestion pricing, beginning with parts of the 10 and 210 freeways, but many obstacles remain. >>
City Council approves project at former MTA yard. >>
The lawman was killed when a cement truck trying to avoid the oven fell on top of the deputy's car and crushed him. In opening statements, the defense calls the incident a tragic accident, not murder. >>
California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner proposed emergency changes Monday to regulations that help determine rates for auto and homeowner policies, saying the changes would "help speed lower insurance rates to consumers." >>
Some folks celebrate their last home mortgage payment by setting fire to their loan agreement. Lately, some people behind on their mortgages are simply setting fire to their homes. >>
Airport authority proposes moving overnight operations to Van Nuys to answer concerns about noise. >>
Last week, I took a ride on the Green Line, the light-rail line along the 105 Freeway that connects Norwalk and Redondo Beach. >>
Legal wrangling disrupts plans to bring two vehicles to North American showrooms this year. >>
ENERGY
A conference on the state's evolving carbon standard ponders ways to quantify global warming effects. >>
The section of highway between Thousand Oaks and Moorpark gets a third lane in each direction. Project is completed more than a year ahead of time. >>
All lanes of Coast Highway are closed in both directions, bringing traffic to a virtual standstill, while repairs are made to a pipe. >>
A California congressional delegation urges Commerce secretary to uphold a state panel's veto of the proposal for Orange County. >>
RUMBLE SEAT
A marvel of power and speed, the all-wheel-drive GT-R coupe is so safe and serene that it's curiously lacking in thrills. >>
The low-fare carrier faces strong competition as it adds West Coast routes from Long Beach to San Jose, Seattle and Austin. >>
LENDINGIndyMac ends CEO's stock deal >>Electric car maker Tesla Motors has sued a well-known automotive designer it hired to style the body and interior of its electric-hybrid four-door sedan, after the man announced plans for a competing vehicle. >>
Part of toll road agency's Foothill South appeal is inaccurate, Army Corps of Engineers says. TCA officials may seek a retraction. >>
Nissan Motor Co. said Monday that it would make a new small car designed by Chrysler and that Chrysler would make a full-size pickup truck designed by Nissan. >>
Beverly Hills police want the Legislature to allow cameras aimed at speeders, as some other states do. >>
Road Sage
Some drivers who could benefit from a shorter commute aren't convinced that turning carpool lanes into toll lanes on parts of the 10, 210 and 110 freeways would do the trick. >>
Families and friends say the young men killed Friday in a Pomona car crash were well-liked and active in their congregation. >>
The country is prosperous and confident, and now longer-term loans are a big incentive. Car sales also are rising elsewhere in Latin America. >>
Witnesses say the car had been traveling at a high rate of speed. The victims are all members of a church group. >>
REGULATION
Daniel Sperling is an arbiter of auto emissions, and his institute got millions from such companies. >>
The Assembly speaker says the top official allowed L.A. County to be shortchanged on state transportation funds. >>
The prosecution delivers closing arguments in the trial of two women accused of murder in the deaths of two homeless men. Defense attorneys are to present today. >>
They knowingly scheduled more flights than airports can handle, inspector general says. Northwest reportedly booked 56 departures in a 15-minute window at one airport. >>
A government agency forecasts that high fuel prices will prompt many Americans to keep it parked. >>
The cabdriver told police that one of the girls attacked him, causing him to lose control and slam into a concrete barrier. >>
The captain, now serving in Iraq, is awarded $3.6 million after the firm refused to pay for water damage to his home. >>
He sustains severe head trauma after the patrol car careens out of control in Granada Hills. His partner and the driver of another car have minor injuries. >>
COLUMN ONE
L.A. taxis spend more time idling at stands than they do serving riders. Less-restrictive rules could help get their meters clicking. >>
They typically carry containers of goods shipped from Asia. But demand has slowed with the economy. >>
Authorities are paying cities for ideas to link population centers to Metrolink stations. But much of what they've seen is short on innovation. >>
Lacking the acumen of traditional automakers, the start-ups building the vehicles are struggling with production problems. >>
Letter to Department of Commerce says no public hearing is necessary as it seeks to reverse the decision on the Foothill South route. >>
AUTOMOBILES
Analysts say housing crunch may be a factor for 'entry-level' buyers. Overall figures tumble. >>
L.A. County motorists would pay at pump or on vehicle registration. >>
The Virgin Group founder unveils a new carrier, V Australia, whose fares will be hundreds less than the competition. >>
COLUMN ONE
A reporter whose '89 Camry was 'made to be stolen' didn't expect a threepeat. Next to other crimes, he realizes, it's not the end of the road. >>
The car on the 101 had flipped several times; the man later dies at a hospital. >>
Cars that are quiet while in electric mode may provide no warning to pedestrians. >>
AUTOS
The Air Resources Board substantially reduces the number of clean-air cars that big automakers will be required to sell in the next few years. >>
Many of the Dodger faithful remember the gridlock at the stadium on Opening Day last year. The club says it has added 1,000 new spaces. >>
Transportation officials are so intent on building a toll road through south Orange County that they refuse to remove it from long-range plans, even though a powerful state commission has vetoed the route. >>
Leaders target 18,000 workers in Southern California. They also tell consumers what businesses to avoid. >>
As organizers prepare to launch a union campaign, carwasheros ponder the effect on their lives. >>
Toyota builds a sprawling center with 220 stores and restaurants as a place to market its vehicles. >>
Drivers' chatting, even on hands-free devices, is risky, experts say. >>
About a dozen left Hart Ranch and another property before dawn, causing two accidents that left one of the animals dead and three motorists with minor injuries. >>
Orange County's central corridor defies solutions to chronic traffic. And state and county planners have few plans in the works. >>
A pending deal will transfer the celebrated brand's ownership from one former British colony to another. >>
AUTOS
Uncertainty in the industry tempers the usual glitz and buzz >>
Eugene Brakke's '65 pride and joy was stolen in Burbank in 1970. It turns up in San Diego, where it was cared for all those years -- except for the pale blue repaint job. >>
RUMBLE SEAT
The 135i packs a lot of oomph into its little body, but those looks . . . >>
ANAHEIMBuilder withdraws condo-hotel plan >>The Italian carmaker is ready for a return with its stylish offerings, but it might find the track a little bit crowded. >>
Superior Industries International Inc., a Van Nuys automotive wheel maker, said Friday that it would restate results dating to 2003 because of tax errors. The company also posted a fourth-quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates. >>
Refunds averaging $187 are in store for 120,000 policyholders of the Automobile Club of Southern California who were charged higher rates on new policies from 1999 to 2004 because they could not prove that they were previously insured. >>
AIRLINES
This fall, getting halfway around the world will be a lot easier, if you think 16 hours on a plane is easy. >>
Beau Boeckmann of Galpin Auto Sports in Van Nuys knows a few things about tricking out cars, such as the Navigator at right that boasts a diamond clock. One of the stars of MTV's "Pimp My Ride," Boeckmann has helped turn an El Camino into a mobile tailgating machine complete with barbecue grill, and modernized a Long Beach ice cream truck by adding a robotic dispensing arm and touch-screen ordering. To make the freeways more bearable, he suggests these add-ons: >>
Business owners near the popular burger stores complain that long drive-through lines deter their customers. >>
The automaker's new U.S. headquarters is designed to show off its environmental commitment. >>
AUTOS
Trucks, SUVs and hybrids decelerate in February, but small sedans pick up pace. >>
The prized Mustang in 'Gone in 60 Seconds' stars in a legal battle between the director's wife and icon Carroll Shelby. >>
RUMBLE SEAT
In looks, ride, even in sound, a Ford Mustang edition pays proper homage to a legend. >>
YOUR WHEELS
Car manufacturers don't recommend such frequent changes for many vehicles -- and all that used oil is bad for the environment. >>
LAX officials would like to use technology under study to cut close calls. >>
Road Sage
Lloyd Levine, who represents the western San Fernando Valley, says he intends to write a bill that would allow public agencies to team with the private sector to build transportation projects. >>
AUTOS
The No. 3 U.S. automaker says it will phase out copycat models and reduce dealerships. >>
For modest fees, services match sellers who are looking to dump their cars with buyers who may not like their dealership's terms. >>
RUMBLE SEAT
Computer-like precision kind of takes the fun out of it. >>
Alternates for the still tentative Westside train to the sea will be the subject of a series of public meetings. >>
Caltrans has given the San Diego Minutemen a new stretch of road to clean up for the Adopt-A-Highway program, moving the group that fights illegal immigration from Interstate 5 near the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint to a quieter, less visible state highway. >>
Pushed by thin profit margins, many drivers rely on shadowy fix-it men or skip repairs as they elude inspectors. >>
Safety experts worry that air controllers' statements in labor talks run the risk of scaring flying public. >>
Metrolink tells judges that California doesn't have the authority to determine if the transit service was partly to blame for crash deaths. >>
The transportation authority's committee has recommended a $457,280 time-keeping system to keep track of workers' hours. >>
If they can win a huge federal grant, Los Angeles County transportation officials said Tuesday that rush-hour toll lanes could become a reality on three local freeways by spring 2009. >>
They are accused of staging police 'raids' to steal from drug dealers. >>
AUTOS
The U.S. total is the lowest since 1998, with December sales from everyone but Honda and Chrysler down from last year. >>
California demonstration promotes the state's new ban on tobacco use in cars with minors. >>
COLUMN ONE
A strict Santa Barbara program lets people live in their cars. For some it's transitional, but others are happy with their spot on the asphalt. >>
MTA officials say the light rail line will bring prosperity to businesspeople. >>
The head of the agency rejected written findings in ruling against a California emissions law, sources say. >>
He says he has epilepsy and may have had a seizure. His mother's body was found buckled in the car at a police impound lot. >>
Firefighters didn't find victim despite being at scene more than an hour, sources say. Councilman Zine urges review. >>
The 72-year-old Paso Robles resident was discovered, dead, Sunday afternoon in a car that had been removed from the scene of a wreck that occurred Saturday morning. State agency launches investigation >>
An MTA proposal to convert the lanes to toll roads has some fuming. >>
COLUMN ONE
On Southern California's freeways, the numbers -- and the physics -- are against anyone walking. The circumstances may vary, but the result is too often a death. >>
One will ban much of the current diesel truck fleet from ports statewide. The other targets idling vessels. >>
The annual Challenge X competition invites college students to design cars powered by alternative technologies. >>
Tired of just reading about electric cars, plug-in hybrids and other alternative-fuel vehicles? Want to actually drive one? >>
A Navy jet under development would fly bombing missions from aircraft carriers with no pilot aboard. >>
Carmakers are turning to turbocharging, long viewed skeptically by Americans, as a relatively cheap, easy way to boost mileage. >>
At the L.A. Auto Show, the firm trots out a lineup that it hopes will win over Californians. >>
Disaster aidFire victims can apply for federal, state and local assistance at the following locations: >>That foul air covering most of Southern California could be as damaging to your car as to your lungs. >>
The man was riding home from work when he was struck by a car in Dana Point. The driver is arrested on two felony charges. >>
Since The Times published a three-part series questioning the company's maintenance practices, equipment is being checked more frequently, employees say. >>
The Marywood-Palm Valley students mourn, then celebrate the lives of their three friends who died in a car crash. >>
A $317-million project to fix the freeway bottleneck by adding two connector ramps and widening roads will be done in six months. >>
Smaller firms have plans to market gasoline-electric cars that can go 45 to 50 miles on batteries alone. >>
AUTOS
August was solid, but housing and credit woes could hurt rest of 2007. >>
But planning experts still question whether it's better to subsidize fares for relatively affluent train-riders, or to put more money into buses. >>
Younger drivers are drawn to sporty new models that deliver functionality, fuel economy and value. >>
Ford's 1950s-era automotive failure is being hotly pursued on the car collector circuit. >>
AUTOS
The carmaker beefs up the former top seller to try to turn around sales. >>
COLUMN ONE
The late actor's Ferrari goes to auction this week. Auto critic Dan Neil slips into a machine from another age and drives like a Bullitt. >>
A123Systems will help the automaker power its Volt electric car. >>
AUTOS
The Japanese automaker hopes to broaden the availability of the top-selling gasoline-electric hybrid by offering a new 2008 model next month. >>
THE GARAGE
The Internal Revenue Service said this week that Honda's FCX qualified for a $12,000 federal tax credit. That would be good news for the owners of the hydrogen-powered car — if there were any. >>
The final section of the 210 Freeway is now open, easing travel from the Inland Empire to the Los Angeles area. >>
RUMBLE SEAT / DAN NEIL
Pumped up and powerful, this Mercedes brings a racy pedigree to the street. >>
YOUR WHEELS
Western Avenue is one of the city's most dangerous roads, a safety researcher shows. >>
SOMEWHERE in Germany, rich guys are geschwinging around in their 400-hp, mega-dollar Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG Black Series, the excessively excessive version of the company's yar little roadster. And yet, for reasons that remain mysterious (well, I suppose I could ask), Mercedes elected not to bring the first creation of AMG's "Performance Studio" to these blessed shores. >>
YOUR WHEELS
The DMV issues millions of special permits. It could be an aging populace. But others blame cheaters. >>
REVIEW
Call it the monkey-see, monkey-do approach. >>
CAPSULE
OLDER drivers aren't always the best drivers. As mental acuity and vision decline, so does the ability to maneuver a car properly. But being in good physical shape could lead to better skills. >>
CAPSULE
A study shows a rise in fatal car crashes among young women of drinking age and a shrinking male-female divide in a range of dangerous activities. >>
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