Auto Almanac

2011 Ford Explorer: Ford's once-popular sport utility found itself out of step with the times, but the automaker hopes that a more modern version arriving later this year will restore the brand to good health.

Although there will be no V-8 offered this time around, a fuel-efficient 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 becomes standard, while a smaller (and pricier) 237-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged powerplant will be optional, but only on front-wheel-drive models. Both engines will be connected to six-speed automatic transmissions.

Who am I?

To guess his secret identity, read the following clues.

1) Most Mini automobiles sold today have his name on it.

2) He was a racer during Formula One's glory days of the 1950s.

3) He retired from Formula One to run a car dealership in England.

4) Enter Alec Issigonis, the father of the Mini, who needed help producing a performance version of his car.

5) His Minis won rally championships all over the world.

Answer: Alec Issigonis might have been the father of the Mini, but John Cooper brought it to life with his high-performance "S" models.

What's up, auto doc?

"How can I make my clutch last longer?" writes Matt from Las Vegas.

Simple. The less you use it, the better. The clutch is necessary because at a dead stop the engine is spinning and the transmission is not. It's the job of the clutch, sandwiched in between, to take the engine's force and transfer it to the wheels to get them moving. That means friction, heat and wear. This happens on every shift, too, from second to third (whenever there's a speed differential between the engine and transmission) and so on.

To make a clutch last means limiting the friction: fast engagement (not letting it out too slowly), not "riding" the pedal between shifts and not unnecessarily downshifting. If you're slowing down and coming to a stop, downshifting from fourth to third to second, etc., is just wasting the clutch. Use it for accelerating, not decelerating, which is what the brakes are for. Limit downshifting for passing or when you're entering a slower speed zone.

In an oversimplified way, every downshift takes one upshift out of the life of the clutch. You can send your tips to the Auto Doc at www.wheelbase.ws/media by clicking the "contact" link.

eBay watch

1970 Ford Torino GT, six bids, sold for $26,250: Ford built nearly 57,000 Torino GT models 40 years ago, of which a reported 412 came with the optional 370-horsepower 429-cubic-inch V-8 combined with a four-speed manual transmission. This particular car also features optional Hideaway Headlamps, a "shaker" hood scoop, front disc brakes plus a factory-installed tachometer. The seller claims that the fully restored Torino needs nothing and the pictures and the selling price would appear to bear this out. Visit www.ebaymotors.com.

-- Wheelbase Communications