Coolest Ford In Iraq
Who said Ford don't make bad-ass trucks!?! Here is a picture of the Ford F-350 FX4 completely uparmored escort truck we use here in Iraq. With an M60 machine gun and a protected gunner's position in the back, it's pretty good at moving traffic. Just thought I should share the real meaning behind "Built Ford Tough."
Sgt. Damien Watts, 635th MRD, Trebil, Iraq
This Just In
* Last month we shared the rumor that Ford may put a Land Rover-sourced diesel into the F-150. Now comes word via industry insiders that the Expedition may also get the same Rover diesel option. Makes sense, since the two trucks are nearly identical from the A-pillars forward.
* More diesel news: According to Automotive News, Toyota has bought a 5.9-percent stake in Isuzu Motors Ltd. Isuzu makes diesels, Toyota makes hybrids; the two will reportedly combine their technologies to develop hybrid diesel powertrains, as well as put conventional Isuzu diesels in Toyota products.
* Indian manufacturer Mahindra may be gearing up to sell two 4x4s in the U.S. market. Automotive News says the company has signed up a distributor and is looking for dealer franchises. The vehicles Mahindra wants to sell here are a turbodiesel-powered pickup and a Jeep Liberty-sized SUV called the Scorpio. We were hoping for Mahindra's flatfender look-alike, too, but that wasn't mentioned.
* The Off-Road Experience, which runs a number of off-road training courses in the Nevada desert, has announced the Corporate Off-Highway Driver Safety Program. It's designed to teach dirt and rock driving skills to members of the mining industry, law enforcement, and government officials, including BLM and Forest Service personnel. Visit www.offroadexperience.com for more info.
* Toyo and Fabtech are the presenting sponsors of a new action DVD called Wasteland Warriors 2-Out of the Badlands. It features race footage from Baja and CORR, plus "extreme play" at the Glamis dunes. Hey, it's from the co-creator of Crusty Demons of Dirt, so it's gotta be good, right?
Environmental & Political Watch
* The Los Angeles Times reports General Motors is developing a new electric vehicle with a novel source of electricity: an on-board internal-combustion engine. Plug-in stations will do most of the heavy lifting when it comes time to recharge the vehicle's lithium-ion batteries, but the engine will come into play when those batteries drain between plug-ins, thereby extending the vehicle's range. True, this isn't a "pure" electric vehicle, but the engine will use less fuel as a generator than it would actually propelling the vehicle. According to the Times, GM is officially mum about the vehicle, but we may learn more after an announcement at the Los Angeles Auto Show.