Detroit Show Preview!
We can always count on DaimlerChrysler to unveil interesting concept vehicles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and 2008 looks like it will be no exception. The teaser sketch you see here is of the Jeep Trailhawk, which, according to the exuberantly worded press release, "merges the spectrum of the Jeep brand by combining the core features of the Jeep Wrangler with the sophistication of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Derived from the all-new 2007 Wrangler architecture, the Jeep Trailhawk concept taps into 'Jeep Rugged' attributes to provide classic proportions, unsurpassed off-road capability and a new approach to open-air freedom. The headlamps, cropped and peering out from beneath a diagonal brow, produce the countenance of a bird of prey, and the inspiration for the 'Trailhawk' name."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves. Look for photos of the real thing next month.
GM Opens Rollover Crash-Test Facility
Rollover accidents make up just 2 percent of all crashes but take 40 percent of the lives lost on American highways each year, according to government statistics. Looking for ways to bring those numbers down, GM has opened a rollover-crash-test facility at its Milford, Michigan, proving grounds. The 38,500-square-foot facility can simulate a number of different rollover scenarios, including the trip over (in which a sliding vehicle hits a curb or ditch and rolls over), ditch fall-over, and corkscrew ramp flip-over (seen here). GM plans to stage between 150 and 200 rollover tests each year.
Chevy Introduces Police Tahoe
That SUV in your rearview mirror might spell trouble if it happens to be one of Chevy's new Police Tahoes-and you're on the wrong side of the law. The '07 Police Tahoe gets several refinements over the retail model, including a stiffer suspension and lower ride height, heavy-duty brakes and cooling, and P265/60R17 H-rated Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires. The Police Tahoes are powered by GM's 320hp, 5.3L Vortec V-8 and not the big-gun, 380hp, 6.2 Vortec out of the Yukon Denali. So much for picking up a surplus Tahoe years from now and using the Blues Brothers' "cop engine, cop brakes" line.
Robby Gordon Wins Baja 1000
In November, Robby Gordon earned his third overall victory in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, and in so doing earned Toyo Tires its first Baja victory-and ended BFGoodrich Tires' 20-race winning streak. Gordon's Red Bull/Toyo-sponsored Chevy pickup was running 37x13.50R17 Open Country M/T tires. Gordon drove the first 725 miles of the Ensenada-La Paz race, then turned the wheel over to co-driver Andy McMillin. Gordon then flew to Florida for the NASCAR race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he finished 40th after crashing out at lap 187. Maybe a little rest between races wouldn't be a bad idea....
Auto Show Special: Behind the Disguise
As auto show season gets underway, we thought we'd present a quick lesson in "reading" concept vehicles. You'll often see concepts described as "thinly disguised" versions of future production models, or as "pointing the way" to upcoming styling. Toyota's FTX concept pickup, for example, provided "a hint to the direction in size and styling of Toyota's next big-truck platform," said the maker. Well, here's the FTX compared to that next "big-truck platform," the new Tundra.
Many of the concept's styling cues made it into production. The grilles are nearly identical, as is the windshield rake; the front fenders are about the same shape and carry the same high crease; and the doors have the FTX's distinctive body line near the bottom. But some key changes to the FTX, including a different front bumper, a lowered cab roof, smaller headlights, and a massive wheel-and-tire combo, make a big difference in the truck's overall look.
These are the kinds of modifications the OEs regularly make to production (or near-production) models to disguise them for auto show crowds. Now that you're armed with a keener eye, take another look at the VW Concept Tiguan in our L.A. Auto Show coverage and see if you can't discern the production Tig that lies beneath.
Warn PowerPlant Earns Awards
Warn's new PowerPlant Dual Force, which combines a winch and air compressor into one self-contained unit, has earned the Oregon-based company several recent awards. Warn's trophy case now includes Popular Mechanics' Editor's Choice Award, SEMA's Best New Off-Road/4-Wheel Drive Product, General Motors' 2006 SEMA Design Award for Best New Accessory, and runner up for SEMA's Best New Packaging Design. The last three were given to Warn at the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas.