Autos
*The redesigned 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class goes on sale Aug. 7 with base prices of $31,200 for the C300 Sport sedan and $32,900 for the C300 Luxury sedan. Both have a 3-liter V-6 engine with 228 horsepower that burns premium gasoline or E85. The C350 Sport, with a 3.5-liter, 268-h.p. engine, starts at $36,500. The prices do not include the $775 destination charge. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard on the C300 Sport, and a 7-speed automatic is standard on the others. All models have traction control, stability control, power sunroof, automatic climate control and eight-way power front seats. C-Class length has has grown 3.9 inches, to 182.3, and width has increased 1.7 inches, to 69.7.
*The popular two- and four-door Wrangler has posted its best-ever May, buoying a slumping Jeep division. According to Autodata Corp., Jeep sold 12,332 Wranglers in May, up 114 percent from a year earlier. For the year, 54,699 Wranglers have been sold, up 85 percent. Wrangler sales helped fuel an overall 20 percent May sales increase for Jeep and a 12 percent gain from the first five months of 2006.
Recall
*Chrysler is recalling more than 80,000 2007 Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Nitro SUVs to correct a problem that could make the engine stall. Dealers will reprogram a power module to remove the potential for a brief interruption of electrical power to the instrument panel and engine. The engine, however, would restart immediately if the vehicle was in motion.
Safety
*The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating 218,000 2003 Chevrolet Cavaliers because the fuel pump may fail and cause the car to stall at speeds of 35 m.p.h. or higher. NHTSA has received 13 reports of stalling and 10 others of fuel pumps that failed and had to be replaced on cars with 32,000 to 66,000 miles.
FYI
*General Motors will offer no-interest loans of as long as three years, as well as $1,000 discounts, on some 2006 and 2007 models. The incentives, which run through July 9, apply to models including the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Envoy sport-utility vehicles and Pontiac G6 sedan.
*The lighthouse in Wind Point, Wis., is looking for a new keeper. Jeff and Missy Peterson are leaving the job after five years. The Coast Guard takes care of the light; the keeper maintains the public facilities and grounds by cutting grass, pulling weeds and cleaning and repairing the buildings. The keeper also greets visitors, hosts public events and serves as an ambassador for Wind Point Village and the Racine area.
*A Wisconsin gas station owner who says regulators forced him to stop giving a 2-cent per gallon senior citizens discount has sued to overturn a 1930s state law requiring retailers to mark up the price of gas. Raj Bhandari argues in the suit that Wisconsin’s minimum markup law violates the state constitution’s equal protection clause because retailers who sell gasoline are unfairly singled out for regulation. Bhandari owns a BP station in Merrill.
*A newly dedicated ramp is giving people in Charlestown, Ind., a quick way to launch their boats onto the Ohio River for the first time in more than 60 years. The Charlestown Landing Boat Ramp and Overlook has been open since Memorial Day at Charlestown State Park. The $2.8 million landing has a 75-foot-wide boat ramp, two observation decks, more than 100 parking spaces and a road to the ramp.
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Quick Trips are compiled from the notebook of Rick Popely and from Tribune news services.
