We tend to drool over military vehicles. If you do too, get your spit cups ready, as the 16th Annual Papago Military Vehicle Show is coming to the Arizona National Guard facility in Phoenix January 27 and 28. In addition to the wheeled and tracked vehicle displays, there will be a military surplus auction and an indoor swap meet full of uniforms and other military collectibles. Check out www.armytrucks.org for more info.
In its annual roundup of product developments, Automotive News reports that GM has ended plans to restyle its midsize Chevrolet TrailBlazer SUV for '09 and will instead stop producing the vehicle (along with, presumably, the GMC Envoy). The trade journal says higher gas prices and low sales caused the truck's demise, but said no phase-out timeframe has been determined. The Colorado and Canyon midsize pickup trucks, which share some of the same engineering features, will be freshened in '08, says AN.
No, not the Jeep. With an eye on the growth of the heavy-duty pickup market, Goodyear is launching a new Wrangler tire featuring SilentArmor Technology Pro-Grade. The tire's "enhanced toughness" is just the ticket for "contractors, landscapers, boaters, horse enthusiasts, or any other professional or private pickup truck owner who regularly hauls or tows heavy loads," said the tire maker.
Features on the new tire include a new, chip- and chunk-resistant tread compound, two steel belts and a layer (or two, depending on the tire's load range) made with Kevlar, an enhanced Rim Lock for a more stable bead area, a Rim Guard to protect wheels from accidental curb damage, Goodyear's Durawall rubber compound to reinforce the sidewall, and a tread pattern designed for maximum traction, even in wet or muddy conditions. The tire carries the mountain-snowflake symbol, certifying it for "severe snow" usage.
At introduction, LT sizes in load ranges D and E and rim widths from 16 to 20 inches will be available to fit 2500- and 3500-series Ford, GM, and Dodge trucks. More sizes will be added to the line in 2007.
During the Off-Road Motorsports...
During the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, BFGoodrich was celebrated for three decades of dominance in desert racing. As a symbol of that long string of victories, Scoop Vessels' F-100 race pickup was displayed at the museum. Vessels' victory in the '77 Baja 500 is credited with beginning BFGoodrich's winning streak. Celebrating with Vessels (left) is Hall of Fame inductee Sal Fish.
The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame recently inducted five new honorees into its ranks. Among them:
Clark Collins, a trail-bike rider turned land-use advocate who co-founded the BlueRibbon Coalition to fight for OHV user rights;
Sal Fish, president and CEO of SCORE International, who raised the fledgling off-road-race sanctioning body to the behemoth it is today;
Bob Ham, another land-use advocate who co-founded CORVA, the California Off-Road Vehicle Association;
Corky McMillin, the "elder statesman of off-road racing" who was a pioneer in the sport;
Ivan Stewart, the "Ironman," best known for tackling endless desert races solo, usually at the wheel of a high-tech Toyota.
To give its off-road-race competitors an extra edge, Toyo has developed some competition-only variations on the Open Country M/T tire. Stan Chen, Toyo's manager of events and motorsports, noted that "Track conditions, especially in closed-course off-road racing, can vary from muddy and slick, to polished dry, more like asphalt. Trucks that can exceed 800 hp need optimized compounds to perform at their best."
Toyo didn't release details of its tread compounds, but we'd guess the tires are soft and gummy-great for track grip, less so when faced with the government's durability tests. That's probably why they're being offered as race-only tires without DOT approval for street use.