4WD Internet Magazine
The world's premier 4WD magazine since 1995
Home    Search    Invite    The Archives    Help    Contact Us Signup    Login

Click here to sign up to 4WDOnline.com Network for free!


4WD News October - December 2000

The [front page] carries current 4WD articles. The 4wdnews index and archive is [here (click)].


<<<Jan 2001<<< >>>July-Sept' 2000>>>

December 2000: Take a [look back] at 4WDs in 2000.

31 December 2000: An Audi R8 won the `Race of 1000 Years' in [Adelaide].

December 2000: The [Australian Four Wheel Drive Radio Network] http://4wdclubs.sofcom.com/au/an4wdrn/ (AN4WDRN) has a new [email] address info@vks737.on.net.

December 2000: "In one of the most difficult announcements in GM history, General Motors announced today that the Oldsmobile Division will be phased out over the next few years." [-GM]

December 2000: [Wolfgang J. Verwuester] General Manager of Verwuester Versandbuchhandel, Verlag Wolfgang J. Verwuester, Am Leopoldsgrund 106, A-8055 Graz, Austria, tel: ++43 (0)316 2933253, fax: ++43 (0)316 2933254, sends email that the company is a motorbookseller in Austria and [can] sell manuals, catalogues and owners' handbooks for all Steyr-Puch cars, Haflingers, Pinzgauers and motorcycles, also in English.

26 December 2000: Jean Paul Desgaches of France sends news of his two wheel drive motorbike which he would like to commercialise.

triathlete

December 2000: Kia has the new naming rights to the Australian Formula 1 Triathlon Series which starts in January 2001. Right, in front of the Sydney Harbour bridge and a Kia Sportage 4x4, Olympic silver medallist, Michellie Jones, and Kia Automotive Australia's Managing Director, Ric Hull, celebrate Kia's sponsorship of the Kia Formula 1 Series.
Round 1 - January 7, Geelong, Vic', Round 2 - February 3, Manly, NSW, Round 3 - February 25, Gold Coast, Qld [-Kia]

December 2000: stay safe over Christmas: The Victorian road death toll is headed to be something like 10% worse than 1999, and police will be out in force with booze busses etc.. Also coming to a street near you, a new speed camera using high-speed film which does not require a flash-unit and will therefore be less likely to be spotted.

December 2000: The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that new car registrations fell by 1.8%, seasonally adjusted, in November but are still 4.5% up on November 1999, as the after effects of the GST-boom wear off.

December 2000: Great Australian Roadtrains, in a newsagents near you for $7.70.

22 December 2000: Temperatures fell, and so did rain, up to 50mm in some parts of Victoria - some flooding.

21 December 2000: Temperatures in Victoria have been hovering around a pleasant 27°C, until 40-ish heights in the N.W. yesterday. However, 40°C is forecast for Melbourne today, and the CFA has imposed a day of total fire ban across the state.
Earlier in the week, fire-fighters controlled two major fires in the west - at Mt. Helen near Ballarat, and at Stawell.

20 December 2000: Fuel prices should fall in coming weeks, as the price of crude oil is now under US26/barrel, and the Australian dollar has strengthened against the US$. But what's the betting that prices will stay high over the holidays?

16 December 2000, by email, news from Emu Creek, NSW:
Coming up is the Xmas and New Year period and we have some great news for those of you who have kids, even the bubs. We are offering you and your partner the chance to take off and leave the kids with us for a couple of hours relaxation or driving. Yeah, we have the new "Emu Creek" coloring-in books, cricket sets, ball games, etc, etc for the kids so you can take off on your own knowing the kids are safe in the hands of the Emu Creek family. This service is informal and free of charge and designed to make your stay more enjoyable. It will be offered on set days and at set times. Please don't hesitate to call us for more info on this new service as all kids are catered for.
A couple of storms in the last few days have the creeks running again and the school holidays are going to be a blast, plenty of water and the tracks have really settled in with very little dust, even on the new tracks. Talking about the new tracks, we are having track finding days over the school holiday break and we don't care what experience you have or what vehicle you drive, you will love this novel way of exploring the new tracks.
New Year's Eve will see some great costumes, the theme is "come as your favourite cocktail"* - you don't have to dress up, but if you do you will be in the draw for the best cocktail award. The long weekend in January will see the first of the "2001 Mud Drags Series", bookings are essential if you wish to attend. On the weekend of the 6th & 7th January we will open up the mud drags track to all for a practice before the start of the series, all are welcome to have a go, you will love it. Wash down pumps will be set up for you to get the crap out after you have strutted your stuff and had a ball.
- Neil & Megs Lennard
* How many Bloody Marys, I wonder?
Also see the [4wdcalendar].

December 2000: Globalization has another victim - General Motors Vauxhall (UK) is to close its Luton car building plant in 2 years. GM has several factories in Europe, has a new "buddy" in Fiat, and Luton is old, cramped and has below average productivity. Luton builds the small to medium Vectra which is due for replacement (in Europe) soon, so that's that. Prime Minister Tony Blair is not pleased, particularly after the Rover hiatus, and with Ford recently deciding to end car production at Dagenham (see [earlier]). Vauxhall has another factory, at Ellesmere Port, which builds the small Astra; the workers are said to be nervous. Frontera 4x4 will continue to be built at Luton (for how long?).
Meanwhile, GM Holden has begun importing a 2.6 litre V6 Vectra into Australia

December 2000: VFACTS figures for November show Toyota (.au) in a total of 15,160 sales, ahead of GM Holden on 14,860. Sales for the year to November are 140,671 and 139,105 respectively.
At the luxury end, 606 Mercedes Benz C-class were sold in November. The company total being 1,132 for the month, and 8,738 for the year to the end of November.

December 2000: Some [news] of new vehicles for the Detroit Motor Show in January 2001.

12 December 2000: GM Holden is expected to announce tomorrow a new engine plant in Melbourne to build a world V6 engine for GM cars.
13th: They did.
And the Holden Coupe first seen in 1999 is set to be called the Monaro - was there ever any doubt?

-

December 2000: The Ford Transit van (4x2), right, arrives in Australia this month. These are very popular delivery vans in the UK and Europe.

12 December 2000: The remains of tropical cyclone Sam are inland near the WA-NT border, bringing rain to Alice Springs.

10 December 2000: Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen won the 2000 Race of Champions on the Canary Islands. It is knock-out event of head-to-head runs for rally drivers in a variety of cars over three heats, ending in a final between the two fastest drivers.

8 December 2000, Neil Linger tells us about a UK company, Prodrive, which has developed a torque distribution system. Active Torque Dynamics (ATD) uses wheel sensors, 4WD and front, rear and centre differentials to direct torque to each wheel as appropriate to control understeer or oversteer.
...and... Honda is to show an SUV concept vehicle at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2001. The Honda Model-X (~Gen' X etc.) has aspects of the Hummer (H2) about it.

December 2000: Victorian petrol stations are replacing leaded petrol with lead replacement petrol (LRP). LRP has the same octane rating (96 RON) as leaded petrol. The various brands use different anti-valve seat recession additives. Lead raised the octane rating and also protected against the recession of exhaust valves into cast-iron (non-hardened) valve seats. It is thought that LRP will be available for 5 to 6 years only.
Charles Aarons (Charlie) from Anchorage Alaska writes: [I have] 3 old Dodges (2 diesel conversions), 2 [...] Landcruisers and an expedition Ford F350 diesel crewcab. [...] despite the fact that leaded petrol has been banned in the US for a decade or more, most old motors seem to have survived - the old Dodge flathead sixes for instance. When people do overhaul heads, however, they do put in hardened valves. But all in all it hasn't been the mechanical disaster that was predicted.

8 December 2000: Tropical Cyclone Sam strengthened to category 5 (top of the scale) as it cruised around off the NW W.A. coast. This is very early in the season for a such a strong cyclone. It may cross the coast soon.

December 2000: North American car makers report lower sales - which is consistent with a slowing of the US economy and, some say, a possible recession coming up, or not.
[Economist (defn): Someone who can predict the past 50% of the time.]
Anyway, DaimlerChrysler's profit for one is looking "not good" and their shares which have traded as high as US$78+ in the last year have recently been around US$38 or $39 (E46 something).

December 2000: British workers at Ford's Dagenham plant are resigned to the loss of car production there, not going on strike. Ford intends that Dagenham will become a major diesel engine plant.
(See bad news for Vauxhall Luton [later].)

December 2000: There are reports, or rumours, that Mercedes Benz is planning a four wheel drive version of the C-class to compete with the Audi Allroad, Volvo Cross Country etc. Mercedes have done this sort of thing before, e.g. getting Steyr to do the 4WD conversion of the E-class 4MATIC (4x4) c1996.

December 2000 by email:
Recent US prices for AWD cars, MPVs, and SUVs (not pickups), including the Suzuki XL7, which features standard seating for seven passengers. Other new nameplates being added by the begining of summer in the US market include Isuzu Axiom, Jeep Liberty, Chevrolet Avalanche, and Jaguar X-Type (all prices US$ and include AWD if it is an option).
Acura
MDX34,995
Audi
A4 1,8T 4dr26,690
A4 1,8T Wag.27,840
A4 2,8 4dr31,540
A4 2,8 Wag.32,540
A6 2,8 4dr36,590
A6 2,8 Wag.37,900
A6 2,7T 4dr40,050
A6 4,2 4dr49,950
A8 4,2 4dr SWB62,750
A8L 4,2 4dr LWB68,450
allroad Wag.42,450
S4 4dr39,450
S4 Wag.41,050
S8 4dr SWB73,050
TT 180 3dr33,400
TT 180 roadster35,200
TT 225 3dr36,650
TT 225 roadster39,450
BMW
325iX 4dr29,560
325iX Wag.31,970
X5 3,0i39,470
X5 4,4i49,970
Cadillac
Escalade(01)46,925
Escalade(02)50,690
Chevrolet
Astro MPV cargo23,648
Astro MPV pass.25,711
(includes base, LS, and LT trims)
Avalanche SUTN/A
Blazer LS 3dr22,770
Blazer LS 5dr27,370
Blazer LT 5dr29,725
Blazer Trail 5dr32,725
Suburban 150029,602
(trims include base, LS, Z71, and LT)
Suburban 250031,545
Tahoe28,587
(trims include base, LS, Z71, and LT)
Tracker 2dr16,785
Tracker 5dr17,405
Tracker ZR2 2dr18,635
Tracker ZR2 5dr21,000
Tracker LT V6 5dr21,680
TrailBlazerNA
Ventura VersaTrakNA
Chrysler
Town & Country LX31,490
Town & Country LXi33,335
Town & Country LTD37,815
Daewoo
KorandoNA
Dodge
Durango29,335
(includes base, Sport, SLT, SLT+, R/T, and SS Shelby trim levels)
Grand Caravan Sport30,355
Grand Caravan ES32,875
Ford
Escape XLS 5dr19,810
Escape XLT 5dr21,360
Explorer XLS 5dr27,595
Explorer XLT 5dr30,480
Explorer EB 5dr34,995
Explorer LTD 5dr34,790
Explorer Sport 3dr24,460
Explorer ST SUT25,035
Expedition XLT 5dr33,430
Expedition EB 5dr41,115
Excursion XLT 5dr38,210
Excursion EB 5dr41,735
GMC
Prices same as Chevy. Jimmy=Blazer, Safari=Astro, Yukon=Tahoe, Yukon XL=Suburban, Envoy=TrailBlazer
Honda
CR-V LX19,590
CR-V EX21,190
CR-V SE23,240
PassportNA
Hummer
H1 2dr76,762
H1 4dr Open SUT84,608
H1 4dr Close SUT91,553
H1 5dr95,404
H1 HatchbackNA
Hyundai
Santa Fe 20,234
Santa Fe GLS21,234
Santa Fe LX21,434
Infinti
QX436,075
Isuzu
AxiomNA
Rodeo S23,824
Rodeo LS26,489
Rodeo LSE31,950
Rodeo Sport S 2dr18,930
Trooper S27,690
Trooper LS31,284
Trooper LTD33,333
VEHICross 3dr31,045
Jaguar
X-TypeNA
Jeep
Cherokee Sport 3dr21,465
Cherokee Sport 5dr22,500
Cherokee LTD 5dr23,970
Grand Cher. Laredo29,855
Grand Cher. LTD35,080
LibertyNA
Wrangler SE15,475
More later but, FYI, the XL-7 is priced from $20,299 for the Standard to $24,999 for the Touring. All models, as stated earlier, feature seating for seven along with a 2,7 litre 170bhp V6. - carorvan
Also see 9 Oct'.
Oops, nearly forgot to say:
Sofcom recently moved next door (to #644) and up (to level 16) in search of more space:
Software Communication (Australia) Pty Ltd., Level 16   644 Chapel St., South Yarra, Victoria 3141, Australia
tel: 6 13 9826 8300,   fax: 6 13 9826 8336
(Mail still forwarded from previous address.)

30 November 2000: Another petrol dilution scandal has broken out in Australia with reports of fuel being dilued with e.g. Naptha which attracts no duty, and of leaded petrol being diluted with unleaded petrol. Such practices can lead to major engine damage e.g. by lowering the octane rating. There have been calls for random testing of fuel quaility.

November 2000: Jim Murcott's Advanced Driving Centre is again conducting its annual pre Christmas Safe Driving Clinics. For the past 18 years, the Centre has conducted the Clinics at Sandown International Raceway, Springvale [Victoria] at huge discounts to encourage motorists - young and experienced - to increase their knowledge and understanding of driving. Normally priced at $225.50, the full-day clinics are offered on set dates for $143 (GST inclusive)- a discount of $72.50 (incl. GST) - during December. [...] The Clinics, backed by 3AW and Holden, must be pre-booked and will be held in December on Saturday 9, Tuesday 12, Wednesday 13, Thursday 14 and Saturday 16.
Inquiries and bookings can be made to Jim Murcott's Advanced Driving Centre on 03-9804-3400.
(Philip Bernadou has recently been appointed the Centre's General Manager. He was instrumental in founding the Porsche Owners Racing Association (PORA) in 1987 and became Chairman/ Administrator from 1987-1994 of the Australian Porsche Cup. In 1995 he was appointed Assistant Clerk of Course of the Challenge division of the Mobil 1 Round Australia Trial.)

28 November 2000: Mitsubishi (au) has announced a capital injection of $172million ($au) by its Japanese parent in the Adelaide (au) car building plant, so the latter's future is probably secure for at least 3 to 4 years.

27 November 2000: Warming up - the first 40°C day of the season at Mildura in N.W. Victoria, with more of the same forecast for tomorrow.

26 November 2000: Walgett in northern New South Wales is expected to experience heavy flooding before the end of the week as water from the heavy rain in southern Queensland and N.E. NSW moves down-stream [-ABC].

November 2000: Sadly, Peter Bradley reports the death of Steve and Wendy [Maddison], UK 4x4 enthusiasts and proprietors of Maddison 4x4, in a motoring accident.
Also see [5/6/2001].

November 2000 by email: Vescoflex is a range of heavy duty shackle bushes for off road use in 4x4 vehicles, made by a small South African company. Where they have suitable sizes, they would be happy to air parcel post them to people around the world, or alternatively provide material for do-it-yourself machining.

22 November 2000 Chrysler Group: the "2001 Jeep (r) Grand Cherokee has won one of the most prestigious awards in the four-wheel drive vehicle market segment, [USA] 4-Wheel & Off-Road's `4x4 of the Year' award." [...] "The competition included the Chevrolet Silverado LT 2500HD, the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, the Ford F-150 Super Crew, the GMC Sierra 2500HD, the Mitsubishi Montero and the Nissan Frontier Crew Cab SC." [...]

November 2000: Ford Australia plans to begin importing "super duty" F250 and F350 trucks in mid 2001. Engines will range from a 5.4 litre petrol V8 to a 7.3 litre turbo charged and intercooled diesel V8. Two wheel drive and four wheel drive vehicles, built in Brazil, will be imported. The F350 has a payload of 2500kg. Towing capacity is almost 4 tons. The F150 is not in the plan because the Ford Falcon ute has a similar (or better) load capacity.

21 November 2000: There is extensive flooding through NSW; check before you set off.

November 2000, Neil Linger points out that the Suzuki XL7 (?based on the XL6?) goes on sale in the USA in December from US$20.2K (4x2), ~$25K (4x4), with a 2.7 litre V6, and 110" wheelbase the biggest Suzuki 4x4 yet.

loa 184 in, track 59 in, 170hp, 178 lb ft -->

17-26 November 2000: Sydney Motor Show.

17 November 2000: 350mm of rain in Mackay, Queensland has, as you might expect, caused flooding. There could be more.

14 November 2000: Independent driver Jean-Pierre Strugo, driving a Mercedes Benz ML430, won the "Marathon Trophy" drivers' title in the T1 group for "series cross country vehicles" group of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies. There were nine events in 2000 involving France, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Russia, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates. In the FIA World Cup overall rankings, Jean-Pierre Strugo came fifth in a field numbering well over 100 drivers. [-M.B.]

11-12 November 2000: Historic Commercial Vehicles, Scoresby, Vic.

November 2000: Gust sends email about PREP (Pressure Relieving Engine Protection) spark plugs. Apparently these have a deliberately built-in weak link so that they release pressure under a (calibrated) combination of high temperature and/or pressure. This is said to prevent damage from over-heating and, of interest to four wheel drivers, from hydraulic stalling. More: www.
(I must say that my preference would be to keep the water out in the first place.)

y2k

November 2000: Mercedes Benz (Daimler Chrysler) has been developing alternative power systems such as the fuel cell (Necar 5) very strongly and hopes to have passenger cars on sale by 2004.

November 2000: Campers from [Trakka] (au).

November 2000: The motoring clubs - NRMA, RACV, RAASA, RACQ, RACT, AANT and RACWA - have made their choices in the Australia's Best Cars Awards. Mitsubishi's new Pajero GLS is the best 4WD, and the Nimbus is the best people mover. "On the road, the Pajero delivers class-leading ride, handling and steering, and braking, attracting consistently good scores. In this respect it makes the LandCruiser feel like a truck."
GM Holden Commodore `Acclaim' is the best family car. Among the sports cars, Honda S2000 won its class. The Hyundai Accent is Australia's Best Small Car. Holden Astra is the best mid-size car under $25,000. Subaru Liberty RX is the best mid-size car over $25,000 and the Forester (Ltd) is the best recreational vehicle. VW Passat V6 is the best luxury car under $56,000, and Mercedes Benz E320 (3.2L V6) is the best luxury car over $56,000.

9 November 2000: The Korean car maker Daewoo was declared bankrupt [more...]. Ford recently withdrew its bid to buy Daewoo but GM ~ Fiat are still thought to be interested.
Holden (GM) in Victoria makes engines for Daewoo and the company has "taken a holiday" and is asking for 300 staff to "take the package" in the wake of the Daewoo collapse.

y2k+1

November 2000: The Dodge Durango will get the option of a hybrid power system in 2003.

November 2000: Auto Ascii reports on the Toyota Kluger, a new 4WD SUV at the Tokyo Motor Show and based on the Toyota Harrier (RX300) 4x4 platform.

November 2000: The Daihatsu Terios, the (very) small four wheel drive, gets a make over.

7-9 November 2000: Firefly Special Vehicles Limited are showing the Firebex 6x6 at `Fire 2000' at G-Mex, Manchester. The company are also releasing details of its new vehicles: "Firewolf" a forward control cab fire truck, "Firehound" 4x2 forward control cab fire and rescue vehicle and "Attacker" a new range of 6x2, 6x4 & 6x6 fire and rescue vehicles.

November 2000: Neil Linger tells us that a Kinetic suspension system may yet be seen in a Merc' or a Jeep 4x4.

November

November 2000: Hyundai Santa-Fe (right) will challenge the Honda CR-V (currently the best selling 4WD in Australia!) and the like.

November 2000: The Toyota LandCruiser 100 Series has won the best petrol category and the Prado TX turbo-diesel has won the best diesel category of Australian 4WD Monthly's Year 2000 Awards.
See the best car awards [above].

4 November 2000: Torrential rain caused flooding in many parts of England. Peter Bradley writes from [Yorkshire...].

October 2000, Neil ursine date net --> Linger:
ft.com reports that Land Rover is to send many of its staff to Europe, particularly to Spain (que?) and Germany, for (re-)training to improve quality and reduce costs. New owner Ford is said to be disappointed at the state of Land Rover.
This maybe partly political - the bad guy / nice guy trick - to soften up the work force for unpalatable changes, however more than one (small) company known to 4wd.sofcom.com with dealings with Land Rover under its previous owner used to grumble about the situation in L-R.

October 2000: Suzuki Jimny gets dual airbags and air-conditioning as standard, and a dohc engine.

October 2000: News of the Rainforest Challenge 2000, happening 25 November - 5 December 2000.

October 2000, email:
[...] we believe that your readers would be interested in EZ Grip. The original EZ Grip mud flap hanger received its United States patent this summer. EZ Grip allows flaps to snap out without tearing. Then, drivers can replace the flaps themselves in seconds! The part that off-road four wheel vehicle owners will like the best is that they can remove the flaps as necessary and easily replace them when they want to get back on the highways.
EZ Grip uses standard mud flaps and no modifications are necessary to attach the EZ Grip to trailers.
- info@ezgrip

25 October 2000: It started raining in Victoria on Monday (23rd) and it has been raining on and off ever since. This is not unwelcome after a very dry year, with most dams only half full. However, there has been some flooding, with the threat of more in the NW when the run off from the alps reaches the plains. If this keeps up, it is quite likely to put back the opening of four wheel drive tracks in Victoria, most of which are nominally scheduled to open on 2 November.

Kruses

19-22 October 2000: National 4x4 Show, Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Southbank (with Fishing and Great Outdoors Expo') includes the Hyundai Santa-Fe 4x4 and the new six cylinder Subaru Outback. Tom Kruse and his Badger are there (students of Australian history will know what that means).

18-29 October 2000: British International Motor Show, NEC Birmingham.

18 November 2000: Are we nearly there yet (dad|mum)? "REX (Rear Entertainment Xtreme) is a fully integrated system that offers a choice of a Nintendo games deck, video player or DVD. The system is linked to a rear-facing colour screen, located between the front seats and operated from a fully-integrated control panel. [...] A REX unit with the Nintendo games deck and video player will retail for $1995, while the DVD player costs an additional $800." [-Ford au, for Ford Falcon AU/AUII]

18 November 2000, this one has "been around" but it made ed' laugh:
Once upon a time there was a shepherd tending his sheep at the edge of a country road. A brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee screeches to a halt next to him. The driver, a young man dressed in a Brioni suit, Cerrutti shoes, Ray-Ban glasses, Jovial Swiss wrist watch and a Bhs tie gets out and asks the shepherd, "If I guess how many sheep you have, will you give me one of them?"
The shepherd looks at the young man, then looks at the sprawling field of sheep and says,"Okay."
The young man parks the SUV, connects his notebook and wireless modem, enters a NASA site, scans the ground using his GPS, opens a database and 60 Excel tables filled with algorithms, then prints a 150 page report on his high tech mini printer. He then turns to the shepherd and says,"You have exactly 1,586 sheep here."
The shepherd answers: "That's correct, you can have your sheep."
The young man takes one of the animals and puts it in the back of his vehicle. The shepherd looks at him and asks: "Now, if I guess your profession, will you pay me back in kind?" The young man answers: "Sure."
The shepherd says, "You are a consultant." "Exactly! How did you know," asks the young man? "Very simple," answers the shepherd.
"First, you came here without being called. Second, you charged me a fee to tell me something I already knew. Third, you do not understand anything about my business and I'd really like to have my dog back."
(Does anyone know the 1st teller?)

17 November 2000: The Australian dollar is down at US52c+something. This, together with the continuing violence between Israel and the Palestinians which has sent the oil price up, has lead to suggestions that petrol prices may rise by au5c/L shortly.

13-15 October 2000: 4WD and Adventure Show, Adelaide (SA, au) SW Parklands - [Chris], [www]

13-15 October 2000: The Mitsubishi 4WD Owners Club of Queensland hosted the Mitsubishi 4WD Muster at Imbil, 1hr 45min north of Brisbane, all makes of 4WD being welcome. pambroadhurst bigp0nd c0m Garry --> [www]

11 October 2000: A judge in California ordered the recall of 1.7 million Ford trucks and cars made prior to 1995 on the basis that they were prone to stalling which could cause dangerous situations in traffic.
(You may remember that Ford is also caught up in the Firestone tyre recall.)

9 October 2000, email from the USA:
The The Miami/ South Florida International Auto Show opened Friday. This is the first of America's "BIG FIVE" auto shows. On the 4WD front, there was a lot to see:
Saturn GM --> SUV- Saturn's first-ever SUV is based on the Saturn L-Series (Holden Vectra) sedan and wagon. It features a 138HP 2.2L 4-cylinder with 5-speed manual or CVT automatic, or a 181HP 3L V6 with a 5-speed automatic. The VersaTrak AWD system is optional. Novel features include polymer (plastic) body panels. It will go on sale in fall 2001 at <US$20K, and the name is ... SUV. It will be built at Saturn's Spring Hill, TN, assembly plant. [-Neil Linger]
Isuzu Axiom- This is a very unusual vehicle headed into production. The Axiom, which replaces the Oasis (Honda Odyssey/Shuttle), is one-third SUV, one-third MPV, and one-third station wagon. AWD and a 3.5 litre V6 are standard. It is almost identical to the Isuzu ZXS concept car. It will be built on the Isuzu Rodeo platform at Subaru-Isuzu Automotive in Indiana at a rate of 24,000 a year. The vehicle will not be sold in the UK, Japan, Australia, or Canada. It will only be sold in the US.
Subaru STX- Subaru confirmed production of a Legacy-based 4-door AWD car pick-up. Like the Axiom, built in the same manufacturing plant, 24,000 will be built, of which, like the Axiom, none will leave US borders.
Ford Explorer- Although the redesigned Explorer 3dr debuted a year ago, the 4-door is just arriving. It sports a fresh, but still traditional, look.
Mercury Moutaineer- The new Moutaineer differentiates itself more than ever from the Explorer; it features edgier styling.
Chevrolet TrailBlazer- This all-new SUV, which will seat seven, will slot between the current Blazer and the Tahoe. It will be powered by an all-new 260bhp I-6.
Lincoln Blackwood- Lincoln's new pickup was shown in final production form.
Audi S4 Avant, S8 - New to the US.
The Miami/South Florida International Auto Show runs through 15 October at the Miami Beach Convention Centre, only a few blocks away from world-famous South Beach and Ocean Drive. Keeping with Miami's 24/7 philosphy, the show is open until 11pm on weekdays and 1am on weekends. Nearly 650,000 are expected to attend this year, which would make it America's fourth largest.
- CarorVan, also see 1/Dec' & 1/Oct'

6 October 2000: The State Governments of Victoria and New South Wales announced an agreement to restore 21% of the original flow of the Snowy River from the Jindabyne Dam, part of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme. It has often been said that the Scheme could not be built today, one reason being that it was begun with marginal legality, another that it would likely fail today's environmental impact studies. Despite its benefits, the Scheme's impacts have included turning the Snowy River into a vegetation clogged trickle, the current release from Jindabyne being just 1% of the original flow. Craig Ingram was elected independent member for Gippsland East at the last Victorian state election on the strength of his campaign for the flow to be restored to 28%, as recommended in a study of the river. Victoria and NSW hope that the water can be "found" by improving the irrigation network to reduce leakage and evaporation, thus not offending the powerful irrigation farmers - mostly in NSW. The agreement is yet to be approved by the Federal Government. which plans to privatise (i.e. sell) the Scheme shortly and an agreement on the Snowy is essential to this process. South Australia, which cops the salinity introduced into the Murray River by irrigation, is concerned that the plan may harm its water quality.

6-8 October 2000
Mid Atlantic Rally [www], a US (Land-) Rover gathering.

5 October 2000: Victorian (.au) truckies are threatening protests and possible blockades over what they say are low freight rates that have not risen in several years.

October 2000: Tibooburra and Innamincka.

sensor

October 2000: Bishop Steering Technology Ltd. reports that it has granted a licence to Robert Bosch GmbH of Germany to produce the Bishop digital Torque and Angle Sensor, a key component of electronic power-steering systems which are tipped to replace hydraulic systems in the future. The Australian company is already a major supplier of steering technology and parts - such as variable rate steering racks.

October 2000, email from the USA:
Land Rover says Defender will return to US
Land Rover's Defender four-wheel-drive sport utility vehicle will return to the U.S. in the next few years, the company said, according to a Bloomberg report.
The Defender is a tough, utilitarian SUV which has not been sold in the U.S. in recent years. Only a few thousand models were sold in the U.S. between 1992 and 1998. The Defender was discontinued here because it couldn't meet U.S. vehicle safety rules.
The move is part of Ford's plans to return Land Rover to profit by 2002 and to boost its annual sales from 168,000 last year to 200,000 in five years, the story said.
Ford acquired Land Rover in May from BMW for $2.6 billion and has folded the company into its Premier Automotive Group, the luxury-car organization that also includes Jaguar, Volvo, Aston Martin and Lincoln.
- CarorVan; also see: 9/Oct' & 15/Sept'

28 September - 15 October 2000: Mondial de l'automobile - International Paris Motor Show, e.g. Audi Steppenwolf, A8 L 6 W12 & TT hard-top, Bugatti EB 16.4, Mercedes Benz 2001 model year G-class 4x4 & C-class coupe, Porsche mid-engined V10, and Volvo VPCC.

>>>7-9/2000 News>>>



Go to the Jan' 2001, 7-9/2000, 4-6/2000, 1-3/2000, 7-12/1999, and 4wdnews archive pages


AddThis Social Bookmark Button

4WD Archive
Archived since 1995
4WD Vehicles A-Z
4WD Gallery
4WD Conversions
Military Vehicles
Travelling Tales
4WD Toys & Models
History of 4WDs
4WD FAQ


4WD Online | Sign Up | Login | 4WD Vehicle Archive | 4WD Gallery Archive | Links Database | 4WD Dating | Help | Contact Us

Top border of the 4wdonline.com site
4WD Online
Copyright © 2008 4WD Online. All rights reserved.