This past weekend I had the opportunity to do what few others get a chance to. I drove a 45 foot, completely optioned out, half-million dollar motor coach. I left Friday morning and made a 650 mile run down to Concord, NC to Tom Johnsons Camping Center. Now, this was no little car lot, but a facility that deals in some of the finest luxury motor coaches in the industry. Rigs ranging from $30,000 to well over a million. It’s also located right at the entrance to the ZMax Dragway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. This will be a multi-part segment as there is just too much to write about in one post.
Back in the days before pickups and SUVs became rolling-clubroom status symbols, manufacturers used to build simple, no frills, rugged trucks. If you needed a full sized truck, you shopped for a Ford, Chevy or Dodge, depending on your upbringing. If you needed a compact pickup, you shopped for a Toyota. Once you realized how expensive Toyota’s were, then you shopped for a Ford, Chevy, Nissan, Mitsubishi or Isuzu.
Isuzu and Mitsubishi have all but vanished from the market, and today’s offerings from the other manufacturers tend to be long on luxury and high in price. What if you want a simple, low cost truck with serious hauling capability? What if you’d prefer a diesel motor in your compact pickup? That pretty much narrows the field to none, these days.
Well the game is over and the Saints pulled out a victory as another Super Bowl has fallen by the wayside. All through the game I was thinking, life is good, and I feel proud to be an American. There was pizza on the table, a Budweiser in my hand and a big block muscle car in the garage – man does that sound like an American stereotype, or what? Regardless, it was Super Bowl time and that meant only one thing… COMMERCIALS!!
Throughout the game we saw ads from Dodge, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Audi and Volkswagen. The big question is, were they any good? So with that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of all the automobile ads that ran, so you, the readers can choose and pick your favorites.
I’ve never really been a big fan of diesels. Not because I don’t like them, but simply because I really don’t have any real world experience with them. Hell, the last diesel experience I had was way back in 1981 with my Dad’s diesel powered Buick Riviera. I was 9 years old and only remember my Dad constantly cursing the thing – I won’t lie, it left an impression.
Ok, so this is really one big ass truck, but at least it sports a trendy color scheme. I received this video from the manufacturer, and so I thought I would share it with you. Want more? Just leave a comment.
Regardless of how legitimate the global push towards green may or may not be, there’s no escaping the impact the rapid shift in consumer demand has had on the automotive industry. Ward’s 2010 10 Best Engines list reads like an Al Gore-scripted porno and in the 16 years they’ve been objectively evaluating engines, this year marks the first time only one V8 unit (from Hyundai, ironically enough) has made the cut. The rest of the selections are smaller, more fuel-efficient units including the frustratingly underpowered 1.8L DOHC I-4 Hybrid from the Toyota Prius.
Fortunately, the rest of Ward’s choices aren’t nearly as boring and include the 3.5L Ecoboost turbocharged V6 from the comeback kid himself (herself?), the Taurus SHO, and the snarling 3.0L supercharged V6 from the Audi S4. The 2.4L DOHC I-4 from the Chevy Equinox also made the list, purportedly thanks to its “groundbreaking” performance and segment-leading efficiency, though it’s reasonable to suspect that pity might have played a small role too.
Hit the jump for the full list of Ward’s 2010 picks.
Some reports have suggested the new pickup truck from relatively obscure (at least to those outside of the farming industry) Indian company Mahindra & Mahindra will be delayed until 2010, but official Mahindra spokespeople stepped forward today to confirm otherwise. Although the global recession forced the company to push their North American launch back by a few months, they still adamantly maintain that their ingaural line of trucks will touch down in U.S. dealerships sometime in 2009. To begin, only two body styles will be available including a 2-door regular cab and 4-door crew cab dubbed TR20 and TR40, respectively. The lone engine option will purportedly be a 4-cylinder common rail diesel.
Why you should care: According to speculation, Mahindra’s primary target will be the legitimate Land Rover crowd (ie: hardcore off-road enthusiasts) and both the TR20 and the TR40 will be geared towards only the most utilitarian functions. Interior amenities are expected to be relatively spartan and all preliminary indicators suggest Mahindra will be providing the modern day equivalent of a W460 (read: all the capability, plus a warranty) – priced at thousands less.
Before you begin feverishly banging out a nasty comment reminding me that the Ford Ranchero was not offered with a diesel option, bear in mind that this is an engine swap. The body is a reasonably well-kept ‘64 Ranchero and the powerplant is an anonymous 6-cylinder diesel unit. The seller appears to know next to nothing about his diamond-in-the-rough, except that he expects it’ll fetch at least $5k and that the 40-gallon-tank is in some way supposed to compensate for the noticeable rust spots and crudely repaired interior (actual quote: “The yellow is sealing foam my bad I should remove that. Oh well you’ll need something to do besides drive a LONG way on one tank of fuel.”). Still, it made my watch list.
Anyone who has followed Volvo with even the most casual of interest is undoubtedly well aware that the Swedish automaker has seen better days. As a European luxury brand, Volvo has struggled in recent years to distinguish itself and its defining features from fellow Tier 1 competitors, but the seemingly endless battle appears to be over. Cresting high on the success of the impressively engineered XC60, Volvo has announced that its next line of attack will include a plug-in diesel hybrid, which is something none of the other Euro boys can currently brag about.
This biggest home improvement job we’ve ever undertaken was successfully completed using a little duct tape and smidgen of caulk, neither of which necessitated the use of anything bigger than a Volvo to transport home from the hardware store. There are, however, those who make a living out of wielding power tools the likes of which we only see in our dreams, and it is for them that the 2011 Ford Super Duty was designed. The integral idea behind the 2011 Super Duty is “bigger and better,” which is clearly demonstrated by the new grille badge that measures over a foot in length (13 inches, to be exact). “The Super Duty is all about power and capability, and we wanted to make that obvious,” explained Brad Richards, exterior design manager.
