"What Can You Hemi?" WinnerAs if it's not getting enough exposure already, the Hemi was the focus of a recent DaimlerChrysler contest that invited gearheads to imagine "What Can You Hemi?" As in, what else could benefit from the power delivered by Chrysler's resurrected engine design? After reviewing several final entries, which ran the gamut from a Hemi-fied Zamboni to a Hemi-fired paper shredder, the judges at DCX chose Marcus Braun's design of a Hemi-powered, Big-Wheel-like trike as the winner. For his efforts, the Vancouver, British Columbia, resident wins his choice of a Chrysler, Jeep, or Dodge vehicle-with a Hemi engine, naturally.
New CruiserLast month we told you about the changes Toyota is making to the '06 Land Cruiser, including more power from its 4.7L V-8 (up to 275 horses), the addition of a tire-pressure monitoring system, and an optional hydraulic height-control feature. (The Lexus LX 470 will be similarly equipped for '06.) We didn't have a photo to show you then; now we do. Look close and you can see the new Cruiser's redesigned grille and headlights.
This Just InFord and GM go down the tubes. Well, not quite. But the news out of Motown is pretty grim. First, GM tries to bolster sales by mounting its most aggressive rebate campaign ever-selling vehicles to the general public at the GM employee's discount. Then it announces plant closings and the slashing of 25,000 jobs over three years. Over in Dearborn, Ford announces job cut-backs, the elimination of bonuses for salaried employees, and the end of contributions to employee 401(k) plans, also due to weak sales and the resulting loss in profits. If you've been considering a truck purchase, now's the time. The life you save may be our economy.
Despite its financial woes, GM announced it will build a rollover testing facility at its proving grounds in Milford, Michigan. GM calls it the "centerpiece of $33 million worth of state-of-the-art crash-testing investments to grow the automaker's global testing capability."
Automotive News reports Dana Corporation has retained its position as axle supplier to Jeep. It will build front and rear axles and prop shafts for the redesigned Wrangler due in 2007. It's unclear if Dana will have any involvement with the FWD Jeep SUVs rumored to arrive in 2007 or 2008.
As crude oil prices hover at $60 a barrel, everyone is looking for relief. For DaimlerChrysler, the answer is clean diesel. DCX plans a big diesel push in 2007 or 2008, capitalizing on the company's European experience with high-tech diesel powerplants and the change in diesel regulations taking effect in the U.S. Look for diesel Grand Cherokees and Mercedes SUVs, available in all 50 states, within the next two years or so.
Speaking of diesel, remember the awe-inspiring V-10 diesel engine that Volkswagen offered in the Touareg for, like, a minute? The one that produced more than 500 lb-ft of torque? It was pulled from U.S. sale for emissions reasons, but VW is working to bring it back for the '06 model year, says a report in Automotive News. The low-sulfur diesel fuel coming in late 2006 should help the emissions situation, but VW is working on an interim fix so that the option will be available sooner.
Environmental & Political WatchWe owe a debt to our pals at SEMA for watch-dogging government legislation and helping to defeat bills that would harm our hobby/industry. The latest battle was fought in Illinois over aftermarket exhaust systems. SEMA stalled final action on pending legislation to ban vehicles equipped with a "muffler or exhaust system that clearly has been modified to amplify or increase the noise of the vehicle." The bill was quickly passed by the House in the final days of the legislative session, before being stopped by SEMA in the Senate. Under the measure, vehicles determined to have been modified by virtue of a "visual observation" would have failed emissions inspection. How emissions inspectors would have determined that an exhaust system increases noise by virtue of a "visual inspection" was not explained in the bill. SEMA will work with state legislators next year to help establish reasonable noise limits for modified exhaust systems applicable to an easy-to-administer test standard, as the association has done in California, Washington, and Maine.