The Garage Blog

The Garage: Your daily dose of automotive news, reviews and motorsports coverage

  • About
  • Archives
  • Contact
    • A word about guest posts

Archives for November 2011

Nissan Looking to Trim Models?

November 28, 2011 by Tom Williams Leave a Comment

In an article from Automotive News, an organization that caters to automotive media and industry types, reported that Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has hopes of raising Nissan market share here in North America, but not by adding models for greater appeal, but by possibly scrapping some. He did not name any models, but the bottom line as I heard it was looking for overlap, and weeding out undesirable cars. Which got me thinking-what Nissan cars could be at risk? And what are their chances of survival?

Pathfinder

It’s hard to believe, I know. The Pathfinder was huge for Nissan, and a significant player in the SUV market throughout the 1990’s. But that was when the SUV reigned supreme. Buyer’s preferences have shifted, however. Realizing that off-roading is an unlikely venture, buyers have migrated to the more car-like crossover, and the proof is in the numbers. For every Pathfinder Nissan sells, more than two Muranos go out the dealer’s doors. Considering the current Pathfinder has been with us since 2005, the vehicle is practically ancient, and seemingly forgotten by Nissan. That lack of development is a troubling sign that Nissan may be on the fence of the future of the Pathfinder.

Xterra

The Xterra is just as old as the current Pathfinder-the last time a new model was introduced was in 2005. So, once again we have a relic residing in the Nissan line, with no news of an upcoming replacement. It’s also the slowest selling SUV/CUV in Nissan’s line. But the Xterra sits on the same platform as the Frontier and Titan, which makes it cheaper to keep on going.  While a slow seller for the brand, the Xterra gives Nissan some street cred for being a legit old school SUV capable of doing off-road duty. Given its ties to Nissan’s trucks, and the rugged image it provides the brand, I stand to reason that the Xterra’s future may not be guaranteed, but the reasons for keeping it around outweigh forgo scrapping it.

Maxima

Like the Pathfinder, the Maxima is a long-time member of the Nissan family, and it’s hard to imagine not having it around. But the Altima has taken the place as Nissan’s mainstream mid-size sedan, easily outselling it by a 2:1 margin. Given the raging success of the Altima, I’m left a bit confused of where the Maxima fits in Nissan’s portfolio. While the Altima dukes it out with the Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry, does the Maxima go head on with their larger cars, namely the Taurus and Avalon? The message from Nissan is blurred, since it continues to market it as a ‘four door sports car’, a tag that fit years ago. But today, with front-wheel drive and a boring CVT transmission, the Maxima hardly comes off as to what I’d consider to be an honest sports sedan today.

Nissan airs a TV commercial where a guy awakes to find his wife is expecting a baby. He then stands in the driveway, gazing longingly at his Nissan 370Z. He then ‘pulls’ the car, transforming it into a Maxima. Let’s be real. If I owned a 370Z and needed a car with a back seat, and did not want to give up on performance, Nissan already builds that car, and it is not the Maxima. It’s called the Infiniti G37. Rear or all-wheel drive? Option of a manual tranny or a 7-speed automatic? The G37 is the obvious choice. If Nissan wants to continue with the Maxima, it needs to seriously rethink just who they are targeting.

cube

The cube is a tough one to figure out. We sampled one, and generally came away impressed. But I’m an automotive journalist who tends to like something new and different, and the cube does just that. While I applaud the cube for its individuality, it is the market that ultimately speaks. The notion of a small, boxy utility vehicle is a distinctly Asian innovation that did get some traction in the North American marketplace. But Honda has abandoned the Element, and the once popular Scion xB has seen its sales dwindle. The Kia Soul enjoys a good level of success, and is highly promoted by Kia with their catchy hamster TV commercials. In comparison, Nissan does little to promote the cube. Despite its lack of sales volume, Nissan indicated they remain committed to keeping the cube in the current product line, for now at least.

Murano CrossCabriolet

Again, a vehicle that really leaves us scratching our heads. The Murano CrossCabriolet, the first convertible crossover looks like an answer to a question no one ever asked. While The Garage has yet to sample one, the automotive media has bashed the car in reviews. While I’m all for niche marketing, this car just goes to an extreme that I simply cannot rationalize. If Nissan wanted to add a drop top to its line, I feel their money would have been much better spent on taking the Altima Coupe and turning that into a convertible, not to mention filling the void when Toyota cancelled the Solara coupe and convertible.

Mr. Ghosn’s remarks struck me as quite interesting, not because Nissan is not selling well, but because they are. As a whole, Nissan is a fairly successful car company. In the small sedan market, the Versa completely dominates. Nissan is on a roll with the Altima, selling over 222,000 cars in the US by the end of October, an increase of 18% from a year ago. The Rogue and Murano crossovers are also sales successes. But in the hyper-competitive car business, there is always room for improvement, and I can see where Mr. Ghosn is thinking of the ‘less is more’ concept. What vehicles remain is unknown, but it is definitely food for thought.

 

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailSkyline GT-R to be branded as Nissan Default ThumbnailReview: Nissan cube Krom Default ThumbnailReview: Nissan Rogue Default ThumbnailIMPA Test Days 2011 Wrap Up Default ThumbnailReview: 2011 Nissan Juke

Win a the Ultimate Rally Experience with Crazy Leo at Tall Pines

November 21, 2011 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

The Rally of the Tall Pines. An icon on the North American rally scene. The final major motorsports event of the year.

As always, The Garage Blog will be there to bring you the sights and maybe even some sounds of the 2011 Rally of the Tall Pines in Bancroft, Ontario. You can be there too, for a rare opportunity to get up close and personal World class rally cars and their drivers. Best of all, it is free!

Of course, the best way to see the event would be to spend a few bucks on the Tall Pines VIP pass which includes transportation to and from the stages, food and special perks along the way. Perks like heat! They even throw in a bunch of official Tall Pines swag. For just $145 it is one of the best deals in all of motorsport and sells out every year. To learn more, visit the VIP program page.

The 2011 running of Tall Pines promises to be the biggest ever, with 60 teams entered ranging from classics to open class monsters. Along with the usual Subaru and Mitsubishi suspects, we’ll also see new Ford Fiesta rally machines. Add in a vintage Volvo, a Corolla and even a Datsun and there should be some great drifting action all day long. Mother nature is hard at work freezing the ditches solid and laying down a bit of snow to make things more challenging for the drivers, more exciting for the fans!

If you are really feeling lucky, you should enter Crazy Leo’s contest over on his Facebook fan page. The Crazy Leo VIP Rally Experience is like the VIP program on steroids. The winner gets a ride with Crazy Leo in The Beast, an open class Subaru WRX, during Friday’s shakedown stages. The prize also includes admission to Leo’s Tall Pines after party, complete with free beer!

All you need to do is submit your favorite rally photo to chris@crazyleo.net and you will be entered in the contest. Better hurry though, the contest closes on Wednesday at 10 pm.




Regardless of how you choose to watch the event, you HAVE to go to Bancroft this Saturday to check out the action. Come early and dress warm!

Photos from the 2010 Rally of the Tall Pines

Related posts:

Default Thumbnail2010 Rally of the Tall Pines is next week! Default ThumbnailRally of the Tall Pines on Friday Default ThumbnailPat Richard takes the win at Tall Pines Default ThumbnailGallery: 2010 Tall Pines Rally Stage A5, Iron Bridge Default Thumbnail4 camera onboard view of Pat Richard attacking Tall Pines

Jason White voted most popular driver

November 21, 2011 by Todd Lewis 3 Comments

November 21, 2011. Sun Peaks, British Columbia racer Jason White has been one of the most well liked participants since arriving in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in 2008. There’s always a crowd looking for autographs from the #21 A & W Dodge driver during each race weekend. So it’s really not a huge surprise that Jason White to have been voted the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Most Popular Driver for 2011.

All summer race fans were encouraged to vote for their favourite driver in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series by logging onto the NASCAR Home Tracks website. Following the tabulation of the votes NASCAR informed the winners by tweeting congratulations to all of the Regional Series winners including Jason White, Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

This recognition is very special for Jason White and his #21 A & W Dodge team. “This is such an honour for me” said White. “To have thousands of race fans take the time to cast their votes for me means a lot. Without all the race fans from coast to coast we wouldn’t be able to do this” added White.

This past year White went out of his way to get closer and more involved with the Canadian race fans. “I always try to spend as much time with people at the race track and sponsor appearances as I can” explained White. “We made a real concerted effort this season to keep them updated on everything happening with the #21 A & W Dodge team through social media as well and we got some very positive feedback that the fans appreciated that” he stated.
[Read more…]

Related posts:

Tough Break For Jason White in Toronto Kennington gets bumped from behind at ICAR Team Mopar battles all weekend at Circuit ICAR Joey McColm begins 2011 NASCAR season with Race Time Radio on board JASON WHITE SHOWS SPEED IN MONTREAL

NASCAR – Smoke Holds Off Edwards For the Race and Championship Win At Miami Homestead Putting Bookends on Johnson’s Reign

November 21, 2011 by Jay Tomchuk Leave a Comment

Tony Stewart celebrates his second win of the chase with his team in Loudon New Hampshire - Image courtesy of JDTImages

The last man to win a championship who was not named Jimmie Johnson was Tony Stewart.  Now Stewart is also the first man to win a Championship in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series since Johnson’s reign of 5 consecutive championships.  Winning an amazing 5 out of 10 chase races and making every lap count, especially the last lap at Homestead Miami Speedway, Tony Stewart proved that he was the one to beat all along.  With the points ending in a tie between Edwards and Stewart, it was the wins that made a difference.  When NASCAR polled their fans to ask them what they wanted to see, the number one answer was for wins to make a bigger difference in the end result.  Well you can’t make wins any more important than they were yesterday.  If either Stewart or Edwards won the Ford 400, they would win the championship, regardless of what happened with the other guy.  Stewart won them both, while Edwards finished second in both the race, and the championship.

“We said all week, we just go out and win the race, we didn’t have to worry about what he did — and that’s what we did,” Stewart said in Victory Lane, as the skies opened up once again. “If this doesn’t go down as one of the greatest championship battles in history, I don’t know what will.”

Stewart had been relentless with his trash talk for the last 3 weeks, giving Edwards as much to think about as he could, but he was courteous in the end as he spoke about his competitor in Victory Lane.

“Great guy, and we’ve been giving him a rough time this week, but it was all in an effort to do what we did and that’s to win this championship,” Stewart said. “But it shows how classy a guy he is. He was the first one to me over there [to offer congratulations], and he just said, ‘Promise me one thing: You’ll enjoy this, and I hope you and I are in this position again next year.’

“So much class. A great guy.”

Even though Edwards had led the most laps and looked to have the dominant car all day, Stewart overcame his own on track troubles and took the lead with 37 to go, and never looked back.  Edwards, the ever gracious competitor, summed it up with his comments.

Carl Edwards during a Q&A session before the race in Loudon New Hampshire - Image courtesy of JDTImages

“They beat us fair and square,” said Carl.

“That was all I had at the end. My guys did a really good job. We led the most laps, and Tony still managed, him and (crew chief) Darian (Grubb), to do a good job with their strategy.

“That’s all I got at the end. That’s as hard as I can drive.”

“It was just so unbelievable, it’s like a movie,” allowed Edwards, whose runner-up finish was good enough to give NASCAR its first championship tie. . . . but not good enough to overcome the tiebreaker — Stewart’s five wins to Edwards’ one.

“I was very, very impressed with Tony,” Edwards said. “For all the talk and chest-pounding he did, I could see that he was nervous about this, too.”

“They had to perform at a very high level and I honestly thought there was a good chance they would make a mistake, of him overdriving, trying too hard. And they showed a lot of mental toughness to be able to watch us go lead the first half of the race essentially and not panic and not make mistakes.”

“This was a race, and it came down to strategy on the pit stops and restarts and everything it should come down to. I’m not going to lie, I was hoping he’d run out of fuel there at the end. But he didn’t. I’m sure that he’s going to enjoy this championship — and I’m hoping we’re going to be back in this position again next year. I learned a ton.”

“I told my wife, if I can’t win this thing I’ll be the best loser.”

“It was fun. I plan on winning about the next 10 of these. That’s how I feel right now. I’d like to start right now again and do it every day for as long as I live. That’s how much fun it was.”

“I just wanted to make sure that Bob knew that I believe he’s the best crew chief here, and that he will be my crew chief for as long as he wants to be, and that I’m behind him and his decision 100 percent,” Edwards said.

Stewart became the first Owner/Driver to win a championship since Alan Kulwicki did it back in 1992 and joins a very short and elite list, with the only other name on it being Richard Petty.

Struggling through on track issues early in the race, the Stewart-Haas team put their Office Deport Chevy back together and overcame having the front

Tony Stewart during Driver intros at Loudon New Hampshire - Image courtesy of JDTImages

end punched in through the rad, numerous pit road issues, some bad pit stops, and in the end made a fuel mileage gamble that put Stewart in a great position on the final restart of the race.

“One thing I learned about this team is that everybody dug deep and never gave up,” Stewart said. “I’ve got the best team in the business. We said all week we had to go out and win the race; it didn’t matter what he [Edwards] did. After the way those first 109 laps went today, I told my guys it was going to make these guys mad when we come back twice and still kick their butt.”

“Man, I feel like I passed half the state of Florida today — 118 cars is a lot of cars to pass in one race and to do it under the circumstances and pressure we had today, I’m very proud of that,” said Stewart.

“I would have to say this is one of the greatest races of my life.”

A few other back stories that seemed to get lost in the Championship battle were the moving of Kasey Kahne to Hendrick Motorsports, the drastic improvement of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s performance under the tutiledge of Steve Letarte, and the fact that Darian Grubb, Tony Stewart’s crew chief, has no idea where his future lies.

Darian Grubb announced in the media center just before Stewart himself arrived for Q&A, that 10 weeks ago before the race at Chicagoland, he had been told that after the season they would be discussing the direction the team would be taking, and that he may not be included in that direction.  Despite knowing for the past 10 weeks that he may be out of a job, Grubb performed at the top of his game and  gave Stewart everything he needed to win 5 out of the last 10 races, and put the team in championship form.

Kasey Kahne pulled of his first win in a RedBull car with only 2 races left with that team.  Kasey will be moving to Hendrick Motorsports and driving the #5 car replacing out going driver Mark Martin.  Kahne will be sharing a garage with Jeff Gordon and will have the all powerful Hendrick equipment under him as he starts the 2012 season.  Other rumors in the garage around Hendrick is that Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson may be splitting up.  Although only rumor and conjecture at this point, Rick Hendrick did make a ton of significant changes at the end of the 2010 season, which resulted in varying performance improvements in his drivers through out the 2011 season.

The most obvious of those improvements was the performance of Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally making the chase after missing it twice in the seasons before.Jr. looked to b4e a much more confident driver through out 2011, more the man his fans remembered before the tragic loss of Earnhardt Sr. 10 years ago.  With Steve LeTarte being the biggest cheer leader in Jr.’s corner, Jr. looked to be gaining in confidence all season long and although they stumbled early in the chase and fell back to 9th in the standings, he rallied with his team behind him to finish 7th over all, his best placing since coming to drive for Hendrick.  Fans are hoping for more improvements in the seasons to come, especially the breaking of his winless streak sometime in the 2012 season.

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailNASCAR – The Season is Almost Upon Us. Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Kenseth Wins Another With Martin Runner Up as Late Race Call Wins The Race Default ThumbnailNASCAR- David Ragan Finds the Front Row at the Brickyard Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Stewart Makes it 2 For 2 in Championship Chase and Takes the Points Lead in the Standings Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Jimmie Johnson Takes the Checkered Flag and Proves He Is Always Relevant in the Chase

NASCAR – Homestead Miami, Edwards, Stewart, There Can Be Only One

November 20, 2011 by Jay Tomchuk 1 Comment

Edwards and Stewart will face off for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship today at Homestead Miami Speedway

Carl Edwards is driven, determined, and ready to race.  If he wanted to send a message to the only other man who has a chance at winning the championship, he has definitely started off in the right direction.   Running the fastest laps in second practice, and setting the fastest lap during qualifying and taking the pole with an average speed of 175.467 mph Edwards plans on leading the field to the green, and hops to stay there for the checkered.

“Awesome, guys, that is the way to come and perform!” Edwards radioed to his crew after his qualifying laps. “Good work today.”

“It was hard to tell from practice how big a battle you’re going to have,” Edwards said. “Our car was balanced well, qualifying trim was balanced well, so no hiccups yet, so that’s nice.”

It’s easy to see how a run like that has built up his confidence but Edwards still has a reserved outlook on today’s race.

“We still have to go out and win the race,” Edwards said. “I know how tough those guys can be, so I’m not counting anything yet. We’re just gonna keep our heads down and work hard and go get the best we can.

“If anything, this is just good for our morale and for everybody to go sleep easy tonight and know we’re gonna have a good day on pit road, know we’ll hopefully be able to run out front and not get caught up in anything. But, truly, I understand that we still have to go run this race, and anything can happen.”

“This is going really well so far, and hopefully this helps us all race,” Edwards said. “We didn’t need to qualify poorly here, [get] a poor pit stall, have some little thorn in our side the whole race. So hopefully this helps us through the whole event.”

Edwards had a tire issue at the beginning of the second practice round, cutting the tire as he headed out for his first run.  This led to him making fewer laps than Stewart, but didn’t slow him down on the track.

“We ran the first practice completely in race trim, and we felt that was the best strategy for us,” Edwards said. “We actually had a cut in the right rear tire after the first run in the second practice. So we had two sets of sticker [new] tires, which we would normally run three or four runs total — a couple on the first set and one final sticker run — but once we looked at that tire, we realized we couldn’t use it again.

“In a way, it probably helped us from tuning the [car] out of contention.”

Stewart however tells us not to etch that trophy with Edwards name on it just yet.

“You [media] need to look at the time sheets — [Edwards] put up a fast lap,” Stewart said. “His lap times fell off pretty hard, in the one long run that he did. And looking at that, that’s why I’m still really confident that what we did [Saturday] was the right thing. Our times don’t fall off as hard as his did.

“Whether they’ve got something figured out for [Sunday] that they didn’t show — who knows? After looking at the time sheet I felt a lot better about what I was seeing. But to look at that sheet it doesn’t tell the story of the [final] session [because] I felt like the two best cars were [Dale Earnhardt Jr.] and [Kasey Kahne]. They were 22nd and 26th and we were sitting there 24th.

“The guys I think we’re going to watch for the race win [Sunday] are the guys that were back there in the same general vicinity where I was at, looking at the times that were consistently the best in that second session. I don’t think looking at the time sheets tell the accurate story of what’s coming up [Sunday].”

“We didn’t have a pole-winning car today, but our No. 14 Chevrolet is pretty good in race trim,” said Stewart, who ran 52 laps in Saturday’s second practice session, focusing on race runs.

“I’ve won 13 poles in 13 years, and I’ve won [43] races now, proving that you don’t have to do it from the pole, for sure,” Stewart said. “It’s definitely a luxury for him at this point, but don’t start etching his name on the trophy yet.”

So how are the sports analysts playing this one out?

Stewart seemed to have the edge coming into Phoenix, with his previous experience as a championship winner, and the momentum he has gained by winning 4 out of the last 9 races since the beginning of the chase.

Looking at the all time stats for Miami Homestead between these two drivers gives us an interesting feel for how this may play out. 6 Top-10 finishes at Homestead for both Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. The similarities pretty much end there, however: Edwards has six consecutive top-10s, the longest current streak; he has two wins during that span. Stewart only has two top-10s in the past six races; he also had his two worst finishes during that span.

However as we look at the stats for Homestead Miami the edge seems to shift to Edwards.  Since the reconfiguration of this track Edwards earned his 2 wins and 441 laps led, and in 3 of the races in that time span he also led the moist laps.

And even more intriguing is the fact that no driver has won Homestead and the championship in the same year. Jimmie Johnson finished second last year at HMS.  The last driver to win the championship at the final race was Jeff Gordon, but that was in Atlanta in 1998.

Most of the media that I listen to and give weight to their comments, are putting Carl Edwards on top for the final race….  but we all know that in NASCAR, it’s not over ’till the checkered flag is waving.

Stewart has commented that he would “wreck his own mother to win a National Championship”, so how will Edwards deal with that type of aggression is it comes down to it?

“Now that I know how he feels about it, I guess that’s pretty easy for me to decide,” Edwards said. “I think it was neat to hear Tony talk about it. It is a national championship. This is a huge deal. This is a big race.”

“Let me put it this way: I would only do it if I thought the other guys would do it to me. That’s that.”

Here is a list of all the possible outcomes could play out, thanks to the researchers at NASCAR.com.

• If Edwards finishes ahead of Stewart, Edwards win the championship.
• If Stewart wins the race, he wins the championship.
• If Stewart ties Edwards, Stewart wins the championship.
• If Edwards leads a lap, Stewart needs to finish four spots ahead of him if Stewart doesn’t lead a lap.
• If Edwards leads the most laps, Stewart needs to finish five spots ahead of him if Stewart doesn’t lead a lap.
• If Stewart leads a lap, he needs to finish two spots ahead of Edwards if Edwards doesn’t lead a lap.
• If Stewart leads the most laps, he needs to finish one spot ahead of Edwards if Edwards doesn’t lead a lap.
• If both Stewart and Edwards lead a lap, Stewart needs to finish three spots ahead of Edwards.
• If both Stewart and Edwards lead the most laps, Stewart needs to finish three spots ahead of Edwards.
• If Stewart leads the most laps and Edwards leads a lap, Stewart needs to finish two spots ahead of Edwards.
• If neither Edwards or Stewart lead a lap, Stewart must finish three spots ahead of Edwards.

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Kesolowski Earns Second Career Win, Earnhardt’s Fuel Gamble Plays Better Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Stewart Makes it 2 For 2 in Championship Chase and Takes the Points Lead in the Standings Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Kyle Busch Gets His First Pole at Watkins Glen Default ThumbnailNASCAR- Greg Biffle Takes the Pole And Feels Like He Can Win It Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Matt Kenseth Sets the Pace in Phoenix, Stewart Keeps Up the Trash Talk, Edwards Keeping Cool

A new milestone for The Garage Blog

November 18, 2011 by Gary Grant 6 Comments

When I began “working” in automotive media in 2001, I hoped that it might lead to my exit from the car industry. It has taken a long time, but between photography and freelance writing for publications like Autoblog Canada, that has gradually become a reality.

The next step is a big piece of the puzzle, as I have just been accepted as a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, otherwise known as AJAC. This likely won’t change things around The Garage Blog too much, other than a new logo beneath my name on our about page.

For new readers, this is an indication that we are a publication that can be trusted and takes our responsibility to our readers seriously. We have always endeavored to bring our readers quality content and reviews that mean something to car buyers and we will continue to do so.

Related posts:

The Garage visits AJAC TestFest

Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

November 14, 2011 by Tom Williams 1 Comment

It is without question that one of the darkest days in the history of Chrysler was when they were forced to their knees in front of the US Congress, begging for a hand out or face bankruptcy. During this time, Chrysler had to make a case for itself-in other words, give Congress a reason why they should be saved, and a key factor was future products. Chrysler was broke, and instead of an auto show and a highly choreographed, flashy intro, a Powerpoint presentation showed a new Grand Cherokee was in development. No booming techno music, cocktails and appetizers. Just a request for a loan.

Chrysler got the loan, and ownership from Fiat. The Grand Cherokee is the first all-new Jeep, post bail-out. Now, the Grand Cherokee has always been a successful car for Jeep, but always compromised. Buyers loved the rugged looks, legendary reputation for off-road ability, but had to put up with so-so interiors and unremarkable on-road manners. Does the new Grand Cherokee maintain what it built its name on and address its past weaknesses? Read on…

Jeep Grand Cherokees have traditionally been well-styled vehicles, but the last generation with its hard edges and lack of character left me cold. Fortunately, the Grand Cherokee has ditched its ‘Men’s Warehouse’ duds for Brooks Brothers. Make no mistake, the Grand Cherokee is one classy ride, showing a level of refinement that simply outdoes any Jeep of the past. Yet it loses none of its inherit ‘Jeepness’. Jeep designers deserve a round of applause for crafting a Grand Cherokee that would please most Jeep diehards, yet adds an air of sophistication that is bound to lure buyers from other luxury SUV’s to seek a closer look.

 

A long time Achille’s heel of past Jeep Grand Cherokee’s has been an interior that seemed to lag years behind its competition, beset with sub-standard materials and lackluster build quality. With the new Grand Cherokee, forget all of what you thought of Jeep interiors of the past.  There is an attention to detail that is unrivaled to any Jeep of yore. Instead, you are ensconced in a leather and wood lined interior devoid of hard plastics, exposed screws and massive panel gaps. The transformation of the interior from past Grand Cherokees is staggering. Finally, the Grand Cherokee is a no excuses luxury SUV.

The Grand Cherokee is available with a choice of two or four wheel drive, as well as V-6 and V-8 models. The base 3.6L V-6 is rated at 290hp, and is paired with a five-speed automatic. The EPA figures you should get 18 MPG in combined city/highway driving. The V-8 is optional-the 5.7L V-8 is good for 360hp, and is paired to a six-speed automatic. For fuel economy, expect 15 MPG combined city/highway. As for towing, the V-6 can handle up to 5,000 lbs, while the V-8 can haul 7,200 lbs. The Garage had the opportunity to sample both V-6 and V-8 Grand Cherokees this year. Realistically, the V-6 offers enough oomph to do the job for what most buyers will ask of the Grand Cherokee. I suspect this engine could squeeze out better mileage if paired to a six-speed automatic. As for the V-8, it attacks highway on-ramps with authority, and passing is a breeze. You won’t go wrong with either engine.

I spent a week with the V-6 Grand Cherokee, and a short stay with the V-8 model. As a testament to the Jeep, consider the following. At this year’s IMPA Test Days, the V-8 Grand Cherokee I drove home in had spent all day navigating a difficult off-road course meant to showcase its off-road abilities. When the keys were handed to me, the mud-splattered wheel wells showed this car was put through its paces. After two days of hard driving on road and on a race track, the Grand Cherokee proved to be a delightful, coddling isolation chamber from New York’s Catskill Mountains to my home in Connecticut.  The uncanny ability for incredible off-road prowess, coupled with a luxurious cabin was once the sole domain of the Range Rover. The Jeep Grand Cherokee has now attained the same credibility.

I’ll temper that by saying both Grand Cherokees I sampled were top-spec Overland models. In other words, they were loaded to the hilt. Our 2011 V-6 car had a base price of $41,120USD, the optional Inferno Red Crystal paint, option package with adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and Off-Road Adventure Package brought the tally to $43,845, including delivery. Our 2012 test car starts at $42,995, but with the Off-Road Adventure Package and V-8 brought the tab to $47,010, including delivery.

With the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, one of America’s most respected brands offers a full-size SUV that no longer needs to make excuses for itself. Now a fully-realized vehicle, the Grand Cherokee stands at the top of its class. And definitely a positive sign for what we can expect from future Jeeps.

[nggallery id=430]

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailReview: Lexus CT200h Default ThumbnailReview: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Default ThumbnailReview: 2011 Saab 9-5 Turbo4 Default ThumbnailReview: 2012 Mazda5 Default ThumbnailReview: Kia Optima SX Turbo

NASCAR – Kasey Kahne Breaks his Winless Streak in Phoenix, Edwards and Stewart Will Battle it Out in Miami.

November 14, 2011 by Jay Tomchuk 1 Comment

Kasey Kahne - Image courtesy of JDTImages

It took Kasey Kahne 81 starts to get back into the win column, this time for Team RedBull, and there’s only one race left in his career with the team.  RedBull announced earlier this year that they were leaving the NASCAR world of racing in Favour of their Championship winning success in F1.  But none of those things put a damper on Kasey Kahne’s smile as he raised the trophy in Victory lane.  His excitement was palpable as he beamed a smile from ear to ear, as he talked about how proud he was of his team and all the hard work they put in to give him a good car every week,

“We have great cars,” said Kahne, who will leave Red Bull for a  seat in the #5 at Hendrick Motorsports next season. “I feel like each week I’m going to the race track with as good a car as anybody out there, which has been really nice this season.

“We haven’t won in a while [81 starts]. We put the whole race together and then had a little luck. Everything that falls into winning a race, we had it [Sunday].”

“We’re lucky that everybody kept working hard and has stayed after it, preparing great race cars,” Kahne said. “We’re bringing awesome cars to the track.

“I think it’s just the people. They haven’t given up. They’re doing a great job. We’ve been able to stay focused. I love racing. If I’m in a race car, I want to do the best that I can.”

Seeing that smile on his face just shows what we hope to see more of next year as he starts the next phase of his career in the richest organization in NASCAR.  9 championships have been brought under that roof . 1 for Terry Labonte (1996) 4 for Jeff Gordon (1995,1997,1998,2001) and 5 consecutive for Jimmie Johnson (2006-2010) and with the added strength of Kasey Kahne there are sure to be more in the organizations future.

“It takes time to get familiar with things and the people and working together,” Kahne said.

“To win a race at this level, as competitive as everything is right now, for myself — to see how happy all the pit crew guys were, the guys preparing the race cars at Red Bull — it was pretty cool. Makes you feel pretty good to be part of that.””I’m not sure how Brian and those guys go at it, but he’s been a great teammate,” said Kahne.

“Ryan Pemberton has been great to work with. Always has a ton of enthusiasm. They [were] both in Victory Lane after the race congratulating us. They’re right there in all of our debriefs and things. It’s been a lot of fun working with those guys.””Hopefully it’s not their last win,” Kahne said. “I think we’re going to have a shot next week, too. I’m looking forward to Homestead. It feels great to get a win for Red Bull and get a win in the No. 4 car.”

The big picture story of the race was of course the championship race between Edwards and Stewart.  Starting the race 3 points apart Stewart did everything he needed to do to gain points on Edwards but managed to hold on and finish with the same deficit he came in with.

Stewart dominated the race running up front for more laps than anyone else but in the final laps of the race he just did not have enough to catch Edwards, let alone pass him.  Leading for 160 laps gained him the most laps led bonus which negated the 1 spot on the track he gave up to Edwards on the track.  Edwards for his part did what he needed to do.  Both drivers were in the top 5 all day long, both teams stayed on top of the changes the race track went through, and both provided the kind of race between themselves that the fans have been looking for since the beginning of the chase format.  Having only 2 drivers able to win the 2011 championship has brought a new level of excitement to the sport.  Even bigger than one driver winning 5 times in a row.  We have one driver running for his first championship, and the other a former champion trying to book end Jimmie Johnson’s streak with another of his own, after being the last guy to win a championship before the Johnson era.

Tony Stewart - Image courtesy of JDTImages

Stewart appeared poised to win his fifth race in the Chase before the handling on his No. 14 Chevrolet deteriorated slightly in the final 100 laps.

“We just came up two spots shy,” Stewart said. “It was just a little too loose on entry those last two runs there. I thought that Darian [crew chief Darian Grubb] made a really good call there with just gas only at the end and we were able to run Jeff [Burton] down there and get back to third.

“Every point counts right now, and that’s why we raced Carl so hard and Kasey so hard to make sure we led enough laps [160] to lead the most laps [Sunday]. We are going for every single point we can get.”

Stewart said the formula for winning the title is simple.

“Just keep doing what we’re doing,” Stewart said. “We’re going to keep the pressure on him, and we’re going to make him sweat it out.”

Edwards was just as focused and that was obvious  by his comments after the race.

Carl Edwards - Image courtesy of JDTImages

“We couldn’t ask for anything more,” Edwards said. “It’s going to be fun. It’s neat to be able to go to Homestead and race it out. I’m sure these guys [Stewart’s team] are going to be good down there — they’re fast on the mile-and-a-halfs.

“I’m just proud of my guys. They did a great job on pit road. Tony was really fast, and we got our car tuned in, and we were able to go up there and race with them and compete. It was just a good hard-fought day, and I’m really pumped about Homestead.”

 

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Kyle Busch Wins From the Pole at Kentucky for His 99th Career Win Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Kurt Busch Takes the Third Race in the Chase and the Leader Board Sees Big Changes Default ThumbnailNASCAR- Greg Biffle Takes the Pole And Feels Like He Can Win It Default ThumbnailNASCAR – With Stewart’s Win at Martinsville is the Chase Down to a Two Man Race? Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Stewart Takes His Fourth Checkered Flag of the Chase, With 2 Races Left It’s Definitely a Two Man Chase

Non Stop Action For DJ Kennington At Phoenix

November 14, 2011 by Todd Lewis 1 Comment

This past weekend former NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion DJ Kennington competed in both the NASCAR Nationwide and the K & N Pro Series West events at Phoenix International Raceway. Kennington piloted the #80 MacDonald Motorsport entry in the Nationwide series, and the #81 car from Bill McAnally Racing in the K & N event. Both cars featured sponsorship backing from Northern Provincial Pipelines, Whitemud Mechanical, Clark Construction and Mahindra Tractors. It was a long and hectic weekend of activity, but also a successful venture for everyone involved.

The first on track activity on the newly reconfigured and resurfaced track was Thursday afternoon with Nationwide Series practice. Friday was a full day of practice laps beginning with the K & N Pro Series. “I like racing at Phoenix and the Thursday session gave us some time to feel out the new track” said Kennington. “Friday we worked on set up for both cars to make them faster on the new track” he added.
[Read more…]

Related posts:

DOUBLE DUTY FOR DJ KENNINGTON IN MONTREAL Kennington gets bumped from behind at ICAR Top Five For Kennington In Toronto Kennington Finishes Second In Vernon TOP TEN AT TROIS RIVIERES FOR DJ KENNINGTON

NASCAR – Matt Kenseth Sets the Pace in Phoenix, Stewart Keeps Up the Trash Talk, Edwards Keeping Cool

November 13, 2011 by Jay Tomchuk Leave a Comment

Matt Kenseth - Image courtesy of JDTImages

Marcos Ambrose said the slick track was “pretty sketchy”. A.J. Allmendinger said his lap ”was insane.” Jeff Gordon, who won the last race here in February before the repave, called the surface ”treacherous” after qualifying 23rd.  After watching the Nationwide race followed by the K&N West series race yesterday, it looks like we should be prepared for a wreck fest with a chance of a game changer.

Matt Kenseth set the fastest lap to win the pole but qualifying was not without Drama.  Since being on the bottom line is so important, qualifying position means more than just who takes the green.  Tony Stewart was sitting in 7th with Edwards behind him in 8th until Kenseth ran his lap.  As Kenseth completed his lap and set the fastest time for the day, Edwards moved back on spot to 9th giving him the inside row on the start of the race with Stewart being moved back to the outside.  It is only for the first start of the race and there is 300 miles of racing between there and the finish line, but every little advantage has to be counted on a track where no one can predict the outcome.

”That was my plan. I thought, `Man, if we can sit on the pole, that will really help him,'” Kenseth laughed.

”I planned that. I am that good,” Kenseth claimed. ”The bottom is probably going to be an advantage to get started, but it is still 300 miles and I think at some point in the race every car is going to be in the top groove for a little bit.”

A.J Allmendinger - Image courtesy of JDTImages.

A.J Allmendinnger had the second fastest time of the day and he was amazed at how much the track conditions had changed from Fridays practice sessions, to Saturday’s qualifying runs.

“It was definitely a huge surprise,” he said. “Obviously, the sun is out and it’s warmer, but for as much grip as the track had [Friday], you would think maybe it would be [just] a little slower. At night last night I think the quick time was like a 25.50 by Carl, so to be almost a second slower was a huge surprise.

“I was in the hauler watching the first 10 or 15 cars run, and you see Jimmie [Johnson] go sailing off and almost get in the wall. Every car seemed to get looser and looser. At that point you have what you have. We tightened it up from [Friday]. Marcos put up a good lap and fed back what the track was like, so I went in there with an expectation, and my first lap was worse than even I expected. It was definitely a lot different than [Friday].”

The 2 drivers that everyone has marked as the “true contenders” for this years chase have been heard tossing comments back and forth.  Stewart’s trash talk has been keeping his face on camera and and reporters guessing about what he is going to say next.  For example, while still in Vistory lane last week in Texas he quipped “It’s theirs to lose now” when asked about his chances and how strongly he feels about them.

Then on Friday he stated in a news conference that being a former championship winner gives him an advantage, but was very vague about his meaning.

Tony Stewart - Image courtesy of JDTImages

“It’s definitely an advantage. But I’m not going to tell you why ’cause that’s what I’m going to take to the next two weeks with me. We win this thing, I’ll tell you what the advantage is and why. But there’s an advantage.”

When asked directly about their rivalry however they each seem to have their focus where it needs to be.  On themselves, their team, and on what it is that THEY can do, and not so much about what the other guy is going to do.

“I guess it’s a friendly rivalry, if you even want to call it a rivalry,” Stewart said at Phoenix International Raceway. “I don’t know what the true definition of rivalry is, but he’s a good guy to be in a point battle with, for sure. I respect him a lot as a driver and as a person.”

“We get along with each other at the race track,” Stewart said. “We’ve got the dirt racing that we’ve done together at Eldora, and stuff that we like. We talk about that stuff a lot.”

“I feel like we are [in control], to be honest. I think we showed that last week,” Stewart said, referring to his victory at Texas, and Edwards second place finish. “We’re not racing worrying about where they’re at and what they’re doing each day. We’re worrying about our car, what we’ve got to do to be fast, what we’ve got to do to win races and I think we’ve responded to that with our actions on the race track and what we’ve done. So I would like to say we are right now. We’ve been able to battle back from a couple of really bad races in this Chase to be where we are at.”

Carl Edwards - Image courtesy ofJDTImages

Edwards seems calm and collected, not bothered by Stewart’s comments and focused on the task at hand, finishing better than Stewart.

“I think Tony is a guy I have looked up to a lot. He has done a lot of the things as a racer that racers all over the country can look up to,” said Edwards, who at 31 is nine years younger than Stewart.

“I’ve learned a lot about Tony over the last couple years, and have come to respect him as a person. I would say we have a good, competitive relationship. For us, it is pretty neat to be holding off a two-time champ having the best Chase he has ever had. It is neat to be battling with him. If we can continue and hold him off and win this thing, if it truly comes down to the end like I believe it will, [and] I truly believe it will come down to the last lap at Homestead, that is going to feel good that it is Tony. It will feel good that it is a guy that has that many achievements in the garage, in racing.”

“I feel that they have obviously had flashes of great speed, and have won four races, and we haven’t. But the job that we have done, I am very proud of. We don’t have trophies lined up, but the recoveries we have made and consistency we have shown and the ability to come back from really tough days, I wouldn’t have been able to do it a year or two years ago. I am pretty proud of that. At the end of the day we are still leading the points. They have to overtake us and beat us.”

Now who does the rest of the garage think is going to be the winner?  Once again the field is divided so it depends on who you ask.  Either way it’s going to be a nail biter in Phoenix today and the unknown element of the track rears it’s head.  Personally I am giving the advantage to Stewart today because of how much we all know he likes a slick race track.  It suits his style of racing, and no on can handle a sideways car like he can.  Edwards is also good on a slick track, but he does not have the years of experience behind him that Stewart does from driving on dirt tracks across the country, and wining races while doing it.

So where to the rest of the chasers chances lie mathematically?

Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman were mathematically eliminated at Texas. This week, it’s Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and even Johnson who find themselves in a situation where they cannot control their destiny.

If Carl Edwards finishes 34th or better — or Tony Stewart winds up 31st or better — Kurt Busch will be eliminated, even if he wins and receives the maximum number of points. If Carl Edwards finishes 28th or better — or Tony Stewart winds up 25st or better — Gordon is out, too.

Edwards can add Earnhardt to the elimination list with a 26th-place finish, or Stewart can do the same by finishing 23rd. And five-time champion Johnson could win Sunday but be eliminated from contention if Edwards winds up second.

The elimination scenarios for Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick are more complicated, and involve multiple variables too complicated to explain here.

Finally, there is a very slim chance Edwards could make the season finale a coronation. If he wins and Stewart finishes 43rd — and Keselowski, Kenseth and Harvick are all subsequently mathematically eliminated — Edwards would clinch the championship at Phoenix.

 

 

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Kenseth Wins Another With Martin Runner Up as Late Race Call Wins The Race Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Gordon Wins at Pocono For His Second of the Season Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Kyle Busch Gets His First Pole at Watkins Glen Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Marcos Ambrose Takes the Win at The Glen, Avoids the Massive Wreck Fest Behind him Default ThumbnailNASCAR – Tony Stewart Scores the Pole for Charlotte in the Half Way Race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Championship
Next Page »

Advertisment

Find stuff

Recent Posts

  • New Canadian series promises international quality competition
  • INDYCAR Announces Paretta Autosport
  • Carvana Conundrum
  • Honda Loses Some Funk for 2021
  • Review: 2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid

NEW Feature: World’s Fastest Car Review

World’s Fastest Car Review: Volvo Drive Me

May 29, 2014 By Gary Grant 1 Comment

World’s Fastest Car Review: Enviro Dad and the VW Touareg TDI

May 26, 2014 By Gary Grant Leave a Comment

World’s Fastest Car Review: 2014 Mazda5

May 8, 2014 By Gary Grant 1 Comment

Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in