Four local heroes-culled from some 2,500 nominations-have won the grand prize in the nationwide Jeep Heroes program. Jeep initiated the effort to honor military, police, fire, and emergency medical services personnel who "deliver exemplary, unique, and heroic service to improve the quality of life in cities and towns across America," said the company.
The grand prize winners (who receive either a Jeep Commander or Grand Cherokee Laredo) are (from left): Bud Brinkerhoff from Placitas, New Mexico, a firefighter who spends time teaching fire safety to kids in addition to responding to more than 50 percent of the city's 400-plus calls per year; J.C. Dodd from Applegate, California, a California Highway Patrol search-and-rescue helicopter pilot; Cindy Gibson of Star Prairie, Wisconsin, a volunteer first responder and emergency medical technician for more than 20 years; and Vera Harris from Denton, Texas, who recently returned from 15 months of service in Iraq as a Commander Sergeant Major in the Army.
State and CHP regulations prohibit Dodd from accepting the vehicle, unfortunately, so he is instead donating his prize to charity. Always a hero.
DuPont has released its annual survey of the most popular vehicular colors, and bland rules the day again. Silver, white, and gray are the leading hues among all vehicles, including light trucks and SUVs, with brighter colors trailing behind. DuPont's press release claims "a trend toward mass personalization is upon us as a growing number of vehicle buyers indulge an increasing appetite for true color," but that's not how we read the chart.
By now you've no doubt heard about the tough times GM is going through, with talk of plant closures and massive layoffs. The difficulties were bound to affect GM's products as well, and here's the first casualty: An extensive revamp of the midsize Chevy TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy, originally scheduled for the middle of 2007, has been cancelled, according to Automotive News. Instead, the maker will probably restyle the truck's exterior and interior and introduce the face-lifted versions in 2008, says the trade journal. As of this writing the stretched versions of the twins won't stay in the model mix, as the Oklahoma plant that makes those models will have been shut down by the time you read this.
If you're looking to save money at the fuel pump but you're not convinced that hybrids or diesel are the answer, you may want to check into E85. That's a fuel made up of 85 percent ethyl alcohol-which comes from corn, wheat, barley, sugar cane, or beets and potatoes-and 15 percent gasoline. GM makes E85-compatible Vortec 5300 V-8s and has put them in a number of trucks, including the upcoming '07 Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon. According to a Wardsauto.com report forwarded to us by SEMA, using E85 fuel could help consumers cut fossil fuel consumption by more than three-quarters. On the downside, though, is the fact that there are only about 500 E85 stations in the United States.
Audi may be the first of the European vehicle makers to offer a hybrid SUV. Audi's Q7-which shares a platform with the VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne-will go on sale later this year, with a hybrid version to follow in 2008. According to Automotive News, that would beat the BMW Two-Mode SUV System under development, which is expected to debut closer to the end of the decade. Porsche is considering putting a hybrid powertrain on board the Cayenne, but is concerned about weight (the hybrid system would add more than 400 pounds) and battery life.