This Just In*Land Rover North America will present a '03 Discovery to a group of seven teenaged Alaskan girls to help in their humanitarian efforts. The group, nicknamed The Dragon Slayers as a result of their community rescue work in the face of daunting odds, will use the Disco to provide emergency services to inhabitants in the remote areas around Aniak, Alaska. The Discovery has been specially customized for the climate and includes safety equipment such as a full recovery kit, a winch, and a block heater. Off-road driving specialist and 1993 Camel Trophy winner Tim Hensley will train the girls on off-road driving techniques as well as give them tips on how to use the recovery equipment.
*A story in Automotive News says Jeep may be planning a high-end vehicle, built off the same platform as the redesigned Grand Cherokee (due as an '05 model), to compete with the likes of Lexus, Cadillac, and Acura SUVs. This will follow a new Scrambler model of the Wrangler and an entry-level SUV based on either the Compass or Willys 2 concept vehicle.
*Cadillac may soon offer armored versions of its Escalade SUVs for those customers interested in the highest degree of security. One problem standing in the way, according to an Automotive News report, is the weight of the armor, which would overwhelm the 11/42-ton chassis those vehicles currently sit on. The additional bulk would necessitate a 31/44-ton chassis, but then that would cause problems with the StabiliTrak system. "Engineers are currently evaluating what work needs to be done to make sure that that vehicle still would end up being a Cadillac," says a Caddy spokesman.
*Chrysler's new RB1 Navigation Radio system will be available on '04 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Libertys and on '04 Dodge Dakota and Ram trucks. The system, which uses GPS satellites and a DVD-based map database, will be available either as a factory option or a dealer-installed option for between $1,200 and $1,600.
*In more Mopar electronics news, owners of Dodge and Jeep vehicles can now add the UConnect hands-free phone system to their vehicles. It allows any cell phone equipped with the Bluetooth wireless system to link with an onboard microphone. A voice-recognition system interprets the driver's spoken commands to dial a name or phone number.
*GM may be close to approving the Hummer H3, according to a report in USA Today. The newspaper says the latest addition to the Hummer line will be smaller and more affordable than the H1 or H2, as it will be based on GM's new midsize Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon pickups. Prices could start at around $30,000, says the report.
*CAFE kills. That's the message from the Competitive Enterprise Institute and Consumer Alert, which recently filed a lawsuit stating that the stricter Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements for light trucks and SUVs that will take effect over the next few years will endanger lives. Why? According to CEI, the only way vehicle makers will be able to meet the new fuel economy regulations is by downsizing trucks. And smaller trucks aren't as safe as bigger trucks, says the group. "Once again, NHTSA has increased a CAFE standard with absolutely no recognition of its lethal impact on safety," said CEI general counsel Sam Kazman.
For more up-to-the-minute headlines, breaking news, and just plain gossip and rumors, visit www.4wheeloffroad.com and click on the "Automotive News" link.
"Lara Croft" Goes JeepingIn this summer's action adventure sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Angelina Jolie (as the video game heroine come to life) tools around in a specially-prepared Wrangler Rubicon. While you can't own one of those (unless your inside contacts at the studios are better than most), you can get in on the Croft phenomenon and own a special Tomb Raider edition of the Jeep.