On the coolness scale, scooters probably rank right above wearing Bermuda shorts with dark socks and sandals in the eyes of most enthusiasts. “Real men ride motorcycles” is probably the mantra you’ve heard from the devotees of two-wheeled transport. Scooters, on the other hand, are for eccentric “mods” or other counter-cultural oddballs that revel in dancing to the beat of their own drummer, right?
I recently read a column written by a writer who was a former truck owner and driver. In it, he recounts his recent memories of his big, burly Dodge Ram. Having ostensibly grown up in a more rural area, trucks were a normal part of the culture and way of life for him. But skyrocketing fuel prices forced his hand into buying, of all things, a Hyundai Sonata.
1. Is this your truck?
No! I just stole it, but thanks for asking!
Diesels weren’t that long ago considered almost purely agricultural and industrial engines with exceptions being some models from Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Peugeot puttering down the road. Certainly, none of these, cars or trucks, were known for their pulse-pounding power or acceleration. Although advanced diesel development has been going on for more than a decade in Europe, it wasn’t until recently that hot-rodding diesels became popular in North America. Exactly what sparked the diesel horsepower race (or torque race, more accurately) is debatable, but the ball got rolling with the 7.3 liter Power Stroke diesel in the Ford trucks, followed closely thereafter with a 24-valve version of the Cummins B-series, and then by GM’s modern Duramax diesel. By the late ’90s, there was no question the quest to build the hottest diesel was on. Today, less than 600 lbs./ft. seems tame: the newest LBZ Duramax cranks out a torque coverter-bursting 650 lbs./ft; the upcoming 6.4L Powerstroke is said to match it; and the new 6.7-liter Cummins is forecast to produce that much in 3/4-ton trim.
Lest you think Ford’s “Bold Moves” ad campaign is simply the brainchild of ad agency yuppies, witness one of the boldest moves yet by the Big Blue Oval. Rather than the traditional protocol of moving executives up through the ranks to the CEO position (or moving the most promising member of the family into the seat), the troubled automaker has gone outside its ranks and, indeed, outside of the automotive industry, to tap Boeing’s Alan Mulally.
Remember when the media warned parents not to let their children watch too much television? A venerable tidal wave of experts pointed to TV as dangerous to “family” time, something increasingly rare in today’s busy world. Well, that warning has moved from the family home to DVD players in the family SUV or–gasp!–minivan.
With Ford putting its ultra-lux Aston Martin marque up for sale, there’s been plenty of speculation on who will buy it. Interesting, while names of Russian billionaires and the former head of Ford (Nasser) have been batted about, barely anyone has mentioned Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, arguably the richest automakers at this time. Analysts even reported that Hyundai was a possible contender. (They said no.)
In an interview yesterday, Renault and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn reported that talks with General Motors were “positive”.