'11 Wrangler
With all the hype surrounding the intended redo of the Wrangler's interior, we half expected to see it accented with beer cans and dollar bills. Yet the all-new innards are pretty noteworthy despite the lack of both: the instrument panel and center stack have been redesigned, while new stuff includes storage areas, a lockable console, available heated power mirrors, steering wheel controls, and 12-volt and 110-volt outlets. Among the upgrades made to the Jeep were improved interior noise (as in, less), larger rear windows, more comfy armrests, and the media center now having USB interface and streaming Bluetooth audio. But as it goes with most redesigns, there's something that will be either worshiped by enthusiasts or piss 'em off to epic proportions: the new passenger grab handle. Technically, that's not the questionable part-it's the inlay mounted to it, which reads, "Jeep" and "Since 1941." Jeep, brought to you by Jeep. On these pages we'd also rumored body-colored hardtops; the Sahara (regular and Unlimited) will indeed get that action. And new Wrangler colors for 2011 are Detonator Yellow, Deep Cherry Red, Sahara Tan, Cosmos Blue, and Bright White.
Auto Graphs
•Alabama and al.com provided the account of a woman who allegedly had open gasoline containers around her house because she dug the smell. Three kids also lived there.
•From CBS News/AP comes the story of an Amish teen who took sheriff deputies on a mile-long "chase" after he ran a stop sign on his horse and buggy, then wouldn't pull over. He eventually lost control and flipped the buggy into a ditch, then, uh, hoofed it. He was later arrested for, among other things, overdriving an animal.
•"He is a tool," said Sen-Sgt Bill Gore from the Wangaratta Highway Patrol, according to Australia's Herald Sun, about a 23-year-old driver traveling 131 mph in a 68-mph zone. Wish our cops could say stuff like that.
•Out of Naples Daily News in Florida comes the heartwarming tale of a woman whose car was running like garbage, so she took it to the mechanic, who found condoms in the gas tank. Early finger-pointing was at the neighbors.
•Leasetrader.com has noticed a trend-those who leased a vehicle during Cash for Clunkers are trying to get out of their lease despite being only a year into their five-year contract. A minimum of five years was one of the rebate requirements.
Quote Without Story
"Now, before I make my remarks, I've got to disclose, I'm a little biased here because the first new car that I ever bought was a Grand Cherokee. First new car. Up until that point I had had some old, beat-up used cars-they were not state-of-the-art.And I still remember walking into that showroom and driving out with that new car. It had that new car smell, and everything worked. I wasn't used to that...so I've got some good memories of that car. But I've got to tell you when I sat in this car, this is a better car. This is a state-of-the-art car. This is a world-class car right here."
-President Obama during a visit to the Chrysler Jefferson North Assembly Plant, where the new Grand Cherokee is being built.
Jeep News & Rumors
•The Jeep Channel can be found at the tubey place, and it's loaded with commercials, Jamboree, Rocks & Road Tour footage, four-wheeling tips, and other Jeep stuff.
•There were 14 workers at the Chrysler Jefferson North Assembly Plant who won the lottery with their group-bought ticket. One bought his wife a new Grand Cherokee.
•More Grand: Automotive News reports that the switch to the all-new Grand cost $50 mil, which included expenses for preproduction and testing. As we went to press, there were 70,000 orders for the Jeep.
•Extra Grand: Is it going to take a while for the redesigned Grand to make its way to Europe?
•Bonus Grand: No one has convinced the suits yet that a diesel Grand in North America makes sense. Again.
•Also Grand: In the UK, you can get a limited-edition (250 of 'em) S-Limited, with SRT-inspired innards and out-ards, leather-wrapped stuff, and special Arrowhead 18-inch alloy wheels, among other items.
•Grand slam: The '11 Grand will be among the 55 new-model-year vehicles to receive the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's updated five-star safety rating. More-wicked crash testing will be part of the new program, and there now will be only one safety score for vehicles, as well as the inclusion of any crash avoidance technologies available on a vehicle. Results will be listed at safercar.gov.
•Not Grand: No, the next Transformers movie will not have a Jeep-bot named Rollbar.
It's 1,000,000... but no Sunday...
It's 1,000,000... but no Sunday best.
•Not a Grand: The one-millionth compact vehicle currently produced at the Chrysler Belvidere Assembly Plant was a green Patriot. If you're super-geeky for assembly line or Patriot trivia, then know that it happened on July 28.