500,000 and Counting
GM announced it has produced more than 500,000 rear-drive six-speed automatic transmissions at its Ypsilanti, Michigan, transmission plant. Many of the six-speeds go into sports cars or sedans, but the majority of the heavier duty models go into Cadillac and GMC SUVs as well as Chevy and GMC heavy-duty pickup trucks. These Hydra-Matic transmission variants are the evolutionary successors to the rugged and prolific 4L80-E trannys, which are still produced today at the Willow Run plant. Look for these transmissions to become more widespread as the half-ton models get their version soon.
IT FIGURES - NEWS BY THE NUMBERS
According to SEMA, 86 percent of light-truck owners surveyed answered in agreement to "I customize my vehicle to increase performance." Most (nearly 80 percent) also did customizing as a way to set their truck apart from others and express themselves, while a smaller group--but still more than half--said they prefer to modify for looks rather than performance. With millions of new trucks sold every year, it's no wonder the aftermarket industry is so big.
Looks like we're not the only ones that like the new Tundra (see our "Truck of the Year" coverage in this issue). The Toyota Tundra became the first and only full-size pickup truck to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick Award. To earn this recognition, Tundra had to pass three crash tests: a 40-mph frontal offset crash, a 31-mpg side impact, and a test that simulates another vehicle hitting the stopped subject at 20 mph. To pass the broadside crash test, side airbags were a necessity. To even compete in the evaluation, electronic stability control was required. Among Tundra's standard active safety equipment is vehicle-stability control, active traction control, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, automatic limited-slip differential as well as roll-sensing side curtain airbags with cutoff switch.
2009 Honda Pilot
We're expecting the new Pilot to carry many of the same chassis and suspension advantages the Acura MDX had last year when it made its debut. Look for a powerful 3.8-liter V-6 to be the top-level engine choice. From these angles, no doubt the new Pilot will be bigger, still offer three rows of seats, and carry a version of the Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system that first appeared in the Acura RL and MDX. We're hearing the Pilot may appear at the Chicago or New York auto shows this spring, but not go on sale until later in 2008.
LWB Hummer H2 SUT?
Judging from this shot taken during desert testing, it appears the next-generation Hummer H2 SUT will get a longer wheelbase, with all the extra length going into what looks like a 5.5-foot box. In faux army paint beige, we expect the H2 pickup truck, which could logically be named the H2T, to grow about 22 inches in wheelbase length, to 145 inches. Additionally, after seeing what Hummer has in mind with the H3T (elsewhere in this issue), we'd expect a full complement of dealer accessories to make their way onto this full-size truck as well. As to what heavy-duty frame the new Hummer will use, we'd guess it would be some kind of modified version of the Chevy Avalanche frame or cut-down Silverado HD frame. We'd also point out that if you look closely, the tailpipe looks a bit large, implying this may have the new 4.5-liter Duramax V-8 turbodiesel inside. If that's the case, expect towing and payload numbers to climb as well.
inQUOTES
When announcing the H3T will be built in the Shreveport, Louisiana, plant, GM said the "larger than a midsize and smaller than a full-size H3T is unique for Hummer because it's the brand's first true pickup." Are the four-door open-bed H1 and H2 SUTs true pickups? They are as far as we're concerned, as are the Avalanche/Escalade and others like them.
Darpa
Carnegie Mellon University's 2007 Tahoe 4WD staved off Stanford University's Passat wagon to drive off with the $2 million first prize at the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge. The VW that won in 2005 took home $1 million for second place, and Virginia Tech's Ford Escape, carrying number 32 in memory of those slain in last year's massacre, took home $500,000 for third.
The winner covered nearly 60 miles averaging around 14 mph and stuck to California traffic laws. The vehicle was named Boss, after Delco co-founder Charles F. "Boss" Kettering, inventor of the all-electric ignition.