* We got word that both ARB and Toyo have totally revamped their Web sites with new designs, more interactive content, and in-depth technical info. Go to www.arbusa.com and www.toyo.com to see what's new.
* We took a deeper look at the calendar-year 2006 truck sales data from Automotive News and found some interesting stuff. Best-selling fullsize SUV: Chevrolet Tahoe, whose 161,491 units blew away the Second Place Ford Expedition's 87,203 unit sales. Best-selling compact SUV: Ford Explorer with 179,229 units, followed fairly closely by the Chevy TrailBlazer with 174,797 units. Best-selling compact pickup: Toyota Tacoma, with a huge margin over the Chevy Colorado, 178,351 units to 93,876.
* Also according to AN, Ford has confirmed it will offer a light-duty diesel engine in the F-150. As we reported in an earlier column, it will be the 4.4L V-8 turbodiesel sourced from the Land Rover side of Ford's house, and it will probably be available by late 2008.
* Porsche's Cayenne SUV has (forgive me) lost some of its spice, according to sales figures released by the Power Network. Apparently owners aren't sticking with the Cayenne when the lease is over and are instead moving on to other Porsche models or Mercedes M- and GL-class SUVs.
* Last month we showed you California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger touting clean and green vehicles at the L.A. Auto Show. Now comes word (via the Los Angeles Times) that the Governator is calling for petroleum refiners and gasoline sellers to reduce the carbon in their fuels over the next dozen or so years in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state by 10 percent. Supporters say this will increase alternative fuel use in the Golden State, while detractors say it will merely drive up already-high gas prices. Lucky us.
* Are old tires unsafe? Should tires have an expiration date, like a quart of milk? Those are some of the issues being debated by several government agencies in a quest to make our vehicles safer. There's a movement in Washington, D.C., to institute a six-year expiration date on tires, as some believe tires degrade over time, whether they're used or not. Before such legislation were to go into effect there would have to be some proof of this degradation. Towards that end, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently developed a test to measure a tire's durability when subjected to high temperatures in a high-oxygen environment. Yet like the EPA's fuel economy tests (which are also undergoing revisions), the NHTSA's procedures don't account for all the factors that could contribute to tire aging, such as storage and handling and climate. And really, isn't the whole issue moot for people like us? We go through tires a whole lot quicker than six years. Six months, maybe.