Zero to sexy. Not our witty...
Zero to sexy. Not our witty slogan.
* There might be a Hummer H4 for '08 or '09 that'll be targeting the Wrangler buyer. Create your own visual.
* Coors Brewing in Colorado is using beer waste (oxymoron?) to make about 1.5 million gallons of ethanol, a gasoline substitute.
* XM Satellite Radio is playing around with "Dynamic Parking Information" technology, which might be able to spot the number of parking spaces available in a lot and relay that info via the vehicle's navigation system.
* The National Insurance Crime Bureau has released its annual list of most-stolen autos, and the good news is that a Jeep didn't make the top 10 for 2004. However, if you also own an '03 Dodge Ram, a '94 Chevy C/K pickup, a '97 Ford F-150, or an '88 Toyota pickup, you better go look out the window.
* Vermont is going California. The state will tighten its grip on greenhouse emissions, translating into all '09-and-later vehicles sold there having to meet higher fuel-efficiency requirements to reduce emissions output, such as carbon dioxide.
* California is going California. We hear remote sensors and video cameras are going to be used to measure pollution as vehicles move through roads and freeways in Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, and San Bernardino. A letter to fix or scrap will follow.
* NHTSA has said nay to carbon-monoxide systems being required to appear in new automobiles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration thumbed-down a petition for it to become a regulation.
* Yahoo! has kicked off Yahoo! Autos Custom, which uses online tools and services designed to make you a smarter enthusiast. You can find personalized gallery pages, simple ways to look for parts, and a whole community vibe so that you never have to feel alone again. Meanwhile, Google Base is a new service aimed at helping you find used-car ads.
* It's 35 for the airbag -- we're talking years. The importance of driving with an airbag (or 10) was determined in 1970.
* Survey says: The annual global color popularity survey that's run by PPG Industries found that silver yet again ranked as numero uno for year cinco running for North American vehicles for the 2005 model year. White was second, while the lighter shades of brown and yellow were next, followed by red, blue, and black..
* Superlift now has 4- and 1 3/4-inch lift kits for the Wrangler Unlimited: www.superlift.com.
* The BFG Mud Terrain tire should get a redesign in 2007, and it's rumored that it'll look similar to the Krawler.
* Oh, and about that Krawler: Several Trophy Trucks in the Baja 1,000 will be running a version of the luggy Krawler (the Brawler?). Looks similar but with slightly less tread and perhaps more sidewall strength. Some claim they'll be using the Krawler as is. Will it hold up, or will the tread lugs succumb to the wheelspin and rocks? Dunno.
* Word on the street is that JeepSpeed will be opening up another division to add to the Cherokee Sportsman and Pro. Can you say JeepSpeed race Wranglers? The longer-wheel-based Unlimiteds will surely shine.
Hot: JeepSpeed Wrangler Unlimited
Not: JeepSpeed CJ-5
Really Not Hot: Rock buggies ... yet again!
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