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Nick Dimbleby
Discovery Concept Vehicle
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Discovery Family
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2014 Jeep Wrangler Willys Wheeler Edition
Jeep Wrangler Willys with Retractable Top
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Mint 400
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2015 Jeep Renegade Latitude and Trailhawk Models
2015 Jeep Renegade Latitude and Trailhawk
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Transparent Hood
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VW Amarok
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X Games
Industry News Notes
DISCOVERY GETTING ITS OWN FAMILY
Well, Land Rover has been busy as of late, so there is lots to talk about in this issue of Around the Industry. We start with Land Rovers statement confirming that the Discovery will get its own family of vehicles, much like the Range Rover trio. Land Rover has confirmed that the all-new Discovery Sport will be the first of the family to go into production, hitting showrooms in 2015. This will be backed up by a new Discovery/LR4, however we are not so sure if there will be a third addition to the family to account for the LR2. Will it be the sacrificial platform for the Disco Sport, or is Land Rover holding a card up their sleeve? They are keeping quiet, but we’ll keep on them.
HELLO “AGE OF DISCOVERY CONCEPT”, ARE YOU THE NEXT LR4
There is no doubt that the venerable old LR4, or Discovery to those Landy purists, is getting a little long in the tooth. However, with Land Rover making sweeping changes right across the line of luxury 4WD vehicles, it seems as though the Disco is finally getting its day. Land Rover released what they call the “Discovery Vision Concept” which automatically throw’s up a couple questions. If this is to be the next LR4, why does it look so much like the Range Rover or even a Ford Explorer? Regardless, Land Rover describes this concept vehicle as the future design language of the upcoming Discovery Family and features an array of innovative new features, while also showcasing pioneering technologies from Jaguar Land Rover's advanced research division. This includes the future Terrain Response system with Remote Control Drive, Laser Terrain Scanning and Transparent Bonnet Head-up Display. Which Disco will this be? We’re not entirely sure, Land Rover are keeping tight lipped, but this does have seating for seven.
MEET THE NEW JEEP RENEGADE
We knew that Jeep and Fiat were working together on a platform to bring a new compact 4WD into the North American market and now we have it. Introducing the Jeep Renegade, the cute little ute that may have owners of the classic YJ Renegade getting a little chuckle. Regardless, the Italian built Jeep will come equipped with a 2.4L Tigershark four cylinder and a nine-speed automatic or 1.4L MultiAir Turbo with six-speed manual. The drivetrain will look much like the Cherokee’s, with Jeep’s Active Drive full-time 4WD with a 20:1 crawl ratio and Selec-Terrain system. A Trailhawk edition will offer larger, more aggressive tires, an inch of lift, skid plating and unique fascia’s that deliver 30.5-degree approach, 25.7-degree breakover and 34.3-degree departure angles. A briefly leaked info on pricing revealed the Renegade might start at $18,595 (USD), which could potentially make its starting MSRP under $20,000 here in Canada. Although this information was quickly taken down and not confirmed by Jeep. Regardless, we must ask the question, are we looking at the first truly capable compact 4WD since the days of the Samurai? Canadian dealers can expect to see the new 2015 Jeep Renegade land during in the Spring of 2015.
LAND ROVER CREATE TRANSPARENT HOOD
While it sounds like the boffins over in Gaydon, England, are getting up to some witchcraft, the fact is they have merged two “not so” state of the art technologies to create one of the coolest features for those who like to roam off-road. Essentially, they are making the front of the car invisible, allowing you can see those stubborn obstacles that the hood usually blocks. Cameras located in the vehicle's grille capture data used to feed a Heads-Up Display, effectively creating a 'see-through' view of the terrain through the hood and engine bay, breaking new ground in visual driver assistance. The technology, named Transparent Bonnet by its creators, hints this advanced technology will soon be implemented in future Land Rovers. The technology enables a driver climbing a steep incline or maneuvering in a confined space to see an augmented reality view capturing not only the terrain in front of the car but also the angle and position of the front wheels. If there is one pet peeve we have on the trail, its lack of vision, so we love this new breakthrough.
IS JEEP MULLING A POWER TOP FOR NEXT WRANGLER?
The biggest feature that our minds are pondering about the imminent redesign of the Jeep Wrangler is whether it will be sporting EcoDiesel power. However, we also get word of a different possible change to the upcoming Jeep. According to Road and Track, Jeep is developing a power-retractable top as an expensive option for the Wrangler. There is no word if the top in question is a sliding canvas rollback or a full convertible hardtop or soft-top. It might be a nice feature for some buyers but would certainly add complexity to a truck already known for its ruggedness. Other developments may irk the faithful, R&T also reports the next model may ditch its folding windshield for improved safety and possibly even get rid of its rear-mounted, full-size spare tire. The new Wrangler won't go completely soft, though, and will reportedly still feature removable doors and solid axles.
IS VW REVISITING THE POSSIBLITY OF A PICKUP IN CANADA?
Back in 2009, VW created the Amarok pickup, and with North America being the largest truck market, VW fans drooled at a German contender to the American and Japanese contingent. However, VW saw the writing on the wall for the midsize truck at that time, and alas, the Amarok never made it to our shores. Yet, in the last year there has been a resurgence in the mid-size pickup. Nissan are making moves to modernize, GM are back in the game, and now there is word that Wolfsburg’s attention may be gazing back at North America once again, but not in the way you might think. The renewed interest in the midsize segment has put the pickup truck discussion back on the table at VW, with North American CEO Michael Horn telling Autoblog, "It's a question mark, but it is starting to be discussed. Let's put it this way: we started to discuss it again and whether it's attractive for us." But those talks may not be about the current truck – "The Amarok is too small for the US," says Horn. Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neußer, head of VW Group powertrain development, echoed his colleague's sentiment at the same Geneva Motor Show roundtable saying, "We are just reworking our truck strategy, and this is part of thinking about it. But the Amarok fits not very well to the efforts of the market." We contacted VW Canada to get their take, and while the answer was a very safe corporate response, it sounds like VW are taking an introduction to the pickup, either mid or full-size, seriously.
STADIUM TRUCKS READY FOR X GAMES
It wasn’t so long ago that the only motorized sport in the X Games was dirt bike freestyle. Since then, rallycars have burst onto the scene with amazing popularity as the event fine tuned itself from national rally competitors to the current Global RallyX series that sees some of the largest names in motorsports compete in highly modified AWD rally machinery. Well, now they have some company as Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks (SST) series has been selected by ESPN to join the complement of sports at the upcoming X Games Austin event, taking place in Texas on June 8, 2014 at Circuit of the Americas. The X Games will be one of 15 rounds currently scheduled for the 2014 SST season. Following the successful inaugural season of the Stadium Super Trucks, the 2014 SST schedule features 10 race venues, all within North America’s top-50 markets, including six venues within the top-15.
McMILLAN CONQUERS MINT 400
The 2014 General Tire Mint 400 presented by Polaris, finished after an incredible day of racing in the brutal Nevada Desert. San Diego native and third generation off-road racer, Andy “Bebo” McMillin and his co-driver Brady Thompson, won the historic race for the second time, while piloting the #6 Unlimited Trick Truck. McMillin, who started the race in sixth place, battled for over six hours with off-road veterans Dale Dondel, Bryce Menzies, BJ Baldwin, Gustavo Vildosola Jr, Pat Dean, Gary and Mark Weyhrich, and a record field of fifty-seven Unlimited Trick Truck teams. The overall lead changed multiple times during the marathon 400-mile battle, making the race an electrifying event for the competitors, as well as the more than fifty thousand fans who showed up to spectate the race. The one hundred mile Mint 400 racecourse loop had a devastating effect on the field this year. Of the 330 starters, only 163 finished within the time limit – making the rate of attrition 49%, for what many in desert racing have long considered the toughest race in the sport. The 2014 General Tire Mint 400, presented by Polaris – Top Ten Overall Finishers:
Driver Elapsed Time
1. Andy McMillin 6:14:29.147
2. Tavo Vildosola Jr. 6:28:54.548
3. Dan McMillin 6:31:41.382
4. Travis Pastrana 6:32:36.175
5. Tim Herbst 6:49:48.674
6. Jon Walker 6:55:37.367
7. Corey Keysar 6:59:20.659
8. Troy Vest 6:59:21.485
9. Jason Ruane 7:13:54.687
10. Brandon Dawson 7:16:18.200