Jeep News & Rumors
• Sadness: Dan Knott, who was pivotal in development of the Grand Cherokee and SRT vehicles, has passed away at age 51. “I will always remember how his child-like smile lit up the room when we talked about vehicles like the Viper or our Jeep brand,” said Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne. Sounds like he could have been any one of us.
• We told you last issue about the new blacked-out Altitude model for the Compass, Grand, and Patriot. Add the Wrangler Unlimited to the list. It’s based on the Sahara and has a body-colored hardtop, black-meets-red interior, special wheels with black spokes, and other black accents. It’ll have an MSRP of $33,740.
• Jeep is the official vehicle of USA Basketball. Doesn’t that make about as much sense as the basketball being the official ball of Jeep? Guess one ball has to be, so why not that.
• Some ’10 Wranglers with the auto trans are being recalled because the skidplate has been deemed too close to the catalytic converter and could collect debris, which could ignite and you could have yourself a fireball. Dealers will replace the skidplate with a “skidbar.” Chrysler will notify affected owners.
• As we went to press there were only 60 spots remaining in the Jeep Jamboree Platinum Club. For $325 per year, you get sign-up privileges, special invites, clothing, and more. Head to jeepjamboreeusa.com.
• Hi there, UK. Jeep has finally given you an online source for Jeep accessories: accessories.jeep.co.uk. “We know Jeep owners spend time on the Internet so we wanted to ensure we were giving them a really worthwhile website,” said a spokesperson in what sounds like 1992.
Hazel’s a Twit
Our emperor, Christian Hazel, joined the Twitterverse. He may unjoin once he sees this.
Reader Quote Without Story*
*As seen on Jp’s Facebook page
Quote Without Story
“It’s time to let go of the collapsible windshield.”
—Automotive News blog entry called “Would Wrangler design tweaks rile the faithful?” (Well, would this one? Tell us on the Jp Facebook page at facebook.com/jpmag)
Industry News
• Win free fuel: As a nod to the new ’13 Ram 1500, Ram Trucks is holding the Ram Gallon Guarantee sweepstakes. Grand prize is 500 gallons of fuel (given in the form of a Visa gift card), while the other prizes are 32 gallons (the biggest fuel tank you can get on the new truck), also done Visa style. Enter at
ramtrucks.com/gallonguarantee.
• You can now get many of the in-demand Miller welding and cutting products and accessories at store.millerwelds.com, notably plasma cutters, MIG and TIG welders, and helmets.
• More sizes have been added to the Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ mud tire lineup: 285/75R16, 305/70R16, 315/75R16, and 285/70R17.
Auto Graphs
• You know how everyone in government wants to ban cell phone usage behind the wheel? Apparently everyone in government now isn’t sure which agency runs that element of our lives.
No, not an app for playing...
No, not an app for playing doctor.
• The Auto Accident app is available from the Apple App Store. You get instant assistance from live operators, a step-by-step guide on what to do and what info to gather, and service providers in the area, including tow truck companies and healthcare providers. It’s a freebie from Platinum Peak for iPhone and Android.
• The Department of Transportation is looking into a request in Manhattan to implement a parking ban on weekend nights because the light of day reveals all sorts of discarded items from, um, well, let’s just repeat the New York Post’s headline: “Manhattan residents want parking ban because of sex in cars.”
Why the world is falling ...
Why the world is falling apart.
• Xinhua news agency reported that Beijing authorities from the Capital Ethics Development Office were none too pleased with the booth babes from the ’12 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, saying they had a “negative social impact” and it was “vulgar publicity.” We would completely agree if we weren’t into being socially impacted by vulgar things.
• The Society of Automotive Engineers did a comprehensive study of turn-signal use and learned it’s more about turn-signal not-use. Data was recorded for 12,000 vehicles that were either turning or changing lanes, and the neglect rate for lane-changers was 48 percent; it was 25 percent for turning vehicles.
• Is the manual transmission hep again? Take-rates seem to say yes.
• According to the 2012 edition of the AAA Your Driving Costs report, it costs about 59.6 cents per mile (or $8,946 per year for 15,000 miles of annual driving). When the report was first issued in 1950, it was 9 cents per mile.
Your Jeep things to do wi...
Your Jeep things to do with.
1st Coal Mountain Jeep Jamboree, Coal Township, Pennsylvania,
jeepjamboreeusa.com• August 4: Getting Started Off-Road Driving hosted by Badlands Off-Road Adventures, Hungry Valley SVRA, Gorman, California, 4x4training.com
• August 5: Advanced Beginner Off-Road Driving hosted by Badlands Off-Road Adventures, El Paso Mountains, Mojave, California, 4x4training.com
• August 9-12: 15th Rubicon Trail Jeep Jamboree, Rubicon Trail, California, jeepjamboreeusa.com
• August 13: Rubicon Trail hosted by Badlands Off-Road Adventures, Rubicon Trail, Lake Tahoe, California, 4x4training.com
• September 13-16: Jeepstock hosted by Midwest Jeepthing, Southern Missouri Off Road Ranch, Seymour, Missouri, midwestjeepthing.com
• September 14-16: 20th Annual Midwest Willys Jeep Reunion hosted by M.V.P.A., Truman Hotel, Jefferson City, Missouri, midwestwillysreunion.org
• September 22: HD2 Family Off-Road Expo hosted by The Gillard Group, Victorville Motor Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Dealership, Victorville, California, thegillardgroup.com
• September 22-23: 3rd Annual Iowa All Breeds Jeep Show and 4x4 Swap Meet, Story County Fairgrounds, Nevada, Iowa, iowajeepshow.com
• September 27-30: Australian Jeep Jamboree hosted by Sydney Jeep Club, Rydal, New South Wales, Australia, jeepjamboree2012.com.au
• September 30: White Knuckles 4x4 Swap Meet hosted by White Knuckle 4x4, Enumclaw Exposition Center, Enumclaw, Washington, whiteknuckle4x4.org
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