NUTS&BOLTS
25 Years Ago...
Ford introduced the Ranger compact pickup. Seven months later, Henry Ford II retired as a company executive and officer, and, one year after the Ranger, the Bronco II made its debut. Despite no major redesigns for more than a decade, the Ranger still holds its own in compact pickup sales, nearly matching the much more recent Colorado/Canyon, and outsells the Frontier and larger Dakota.
An Original Ad Spotted online...
"1996 850R. Red, 70K miles, ipd ecu, end links, exhaust, Konis, ipd swaybars, 100% original."
Detroit Iron No Contest, for Now
Nissan and Toyota have scaled back plans for building heavy-duty versions of their full-size pickups. Various reasons have been cited, including the business case, but strangely not mentioned is $3/gallon gas.
Consumer Reports Top Picks
Many automotive buyers not characterized as enthusiasts use Consumer Reports for purchase decisions. Do you see a pattern in its Top Picks "trucks" for this year?
SMALL SUV: Toyota RAV4
MIDSIZE SUV: Toyota Highlander Hybrid
MINIVAN: Toyota Sienna
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7
For 2008, the Grand Cherokee is getting a new 4.7-liter V 8 for 2008 with more horsepower (at 305) and more torque (334 pound-feet) than the Dakota (290 and 320, respectively). We expect it to be smoother and get better fuel economy, too.
Click here to read more about the 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee!Touareg 2: The Sequel
The new Volkswagen Touareg 2 receives a minor redesign for the 2008 model year, plus engine upgrades, some of which are new. The base engine is now a 280 horse, 3.6 liter V 6 FSI; the 4.2-liter V 8 gains 40 horsepower; and the V 10 TDI returns with 330 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. While the V 10 isn't 50-state legal, you can expect a California-friendly Bluetec V 6 diesel by the end of 2008.
Click here to read more about the Volkswagen Touareg 2!
Tribeca Gets Nose Job, More Horses
You spoke, Subaru responded: For 2008, the Tribeca (no longer B9) got a makeover. It now has a Pacifica-like nose, plus other minor styling updates. In addition, the 3.6 liter boxer engine puts out more power. The previous F 6 offered 245 horses and 215 pound-feet of torque; the new one has 256 and 247.
Click here to read more about the 2008 Subaru Tribeca!
LEGALWATCH - Barrett-Jackson Sues to Halt Defamation
Along with the Keith Martin brouhaha at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, one Michigan consignor who was not satisfied with the $300,000 his 1970 Hemi 'Cuda brought chained and locked it where feature cars are parked after crossing the block, allegedly plastered it with signs claiming the sale was void due to "auction irregularities," and said bad things about the Barrett-Jackson company. Scottsdale P.D. and B-J's own personnel documented the damage.
From there, it went to the Internet and, according to Barrett-Jackson, to more than 20 "automotive-related online blogs." In turn, Barrett-Jackson has filed a lawsuit that aims to protect its 36-year reputation by seeking to "correct the untrue information that has been published and by filing suit against the responsible party on six separate counts, including defamation and breach of contract."
In the event litigation may become memorabilia at an auction in the future, copies of the lawsuit can be obtained by contacting the clerk of the U.S. District Court in Phoenix or at www.azd.uscourts.gov.