I’m not sure how to respond to the news about you being named the recipient of the 2011 Bob Akin Award by the Road Racing Drivers Club. You’ve managed to parlay a 30-year a career in “government work” at the private sector’s expense by pretending to represent both the Department of Interior and the US Senate Appropriations Committee. This has provided you with both the interior motives and the funding to support a covert career in motor sports at taxpayer expense. And I suppose all those “race weekends” never included Fridays. Oh, I get it . . . in Washington DC, Fridays are just the first day of the weekend. And if by some chance, a weekend stretched into a Monday, well, one of your annual 85 days of vacation time would suffice.
Autodromo has a collection of the coolest watches we’ve ever seen for the motoring enthusiast. These watches capture the essence of Italian cars and truly are “instruments for motoring”. Check out the collection on their website here.
Mention the snow word to most enthusiasts and the first thing out of their mouth is likely to be: “I’ll drive the beater.”
But I grew up in Queens where ice and snow are as common as NY pizza . . . and I enjoy both. My first forays into the world of cold, low-coefficient driving came behind the wheel of a 1963 Chevy Biscayne 6-cylinder. The family car. I snuck out one night when my parents weren’t watching and drove to a large, vacant parking lot. There, on that expanse of asphalt, covered with about three inches of virgin snow, I discovered the exhilaration that led me into a life of living on the edge . . . and beyond.
The 2011 Jeep Patriot may be no Wrangler, but it represents the direction the brand MUST take to stay relevant. For the consumer, it means a crossover that does many things well, especially for those who want versatility that will pay dividends in EVERYDAY driving, rather than those few moments on the Rubicon trail.
When the Patriot was introduced along size the Compass, it resulted in a collective groan from Jeep enthusiasts, watching the brand’s iron-strong off-road reputation being smelted right in front of them.
As hard as it was to hear for those who loved the unrivaled capabilities of the Wranglers and Cherokee’s of the world, Jeep needed the Patriot and Compass to survive. As the SUV craze turned into the crossover land grab, Jeep needed an entrant. It found two, actually, in the Patriot and Compass. These two 5-passenger crossovers that share more DNA with the Dodge Caliber hatchback then they do a Wrangler.
The major setbacks for the Patriot were not its off-road prowess (or lack thereof). Rather, its sub par interior and rough ride (especially for such a road-borne SUV) were its major hindrances. It was a common thread for almost all Chrysler products going into the recession and when the auto industry took a nosedive, people favored well-designed import brands like Kia, Hyundai, and Subaru. The Patriot and Compass were no different, and sales suffered as a result.
Since the bailout (and Fiat’s new ownership of the Chrysler brand) Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler models are quietly and quickly being improved, starting with the interior. The Patriot that we tested is no exception. The once clunky, and ill-fitting panels of the earlier Patriot have been replaced. This new cabin doesn’t blow it away from the competition, but finally puts it on an even playing field. (that competition includes the Kia Sportage and Subaru Forester). The layout of controls has not been changed, rather the fit, finish, and actual design of the new dash, instrument cluster, and center stack blend for a cabin that’s easy on the eyes, and an easy place in which to spend the daily commute.
Trims for the Patriot are the Base($15,995), Latitude ($19,695), and range-topping Latitude X ($22,195), which we drove. Complete with the $3,700 customer preferred package, that featured heated seats, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, and a trip computer with compass and ambient temperature readouts within the gauge cluster. IPod-toting drivers should get a lot of use out of the standard audio input jack and the center-stack located 115-volt wall-style power outlet is great for anyone looking to charge a laptop on the road.
Our test model also featured the optional $650 Media Center 430- CD/DVD/MP3 player, complete with 30GB hard drive (which can store up to 6,700 songs), all operated via a 6.5-inch touchscreen display. Match that with the $375 Uconnect package, featuring Bluetooth, USB input jack, and 1-year Sirius subscription, and you have a crossover highly routed in real-world utility.
The rear pop-out flashlight is something of an easter egg, and will prove useful when camping or tailgating. I don’t suggest trekking to the Rubicon Trail to camp, though- that’s where the Patriot runs into trouble.
Base power for the Patriot is a 2.0-liter inline-4, making 158 horsepower, while the uprated Latitude gets a 2.4-liter inline-4 putting out 172 horsepower. That smaller engine will get you the better fuel economy, but you’ll be struggling to make it up to highway speed. If you want any semblance of power, go with the 2.4-liter.
The Patriot is available in both front and all wheel drive forms (Jeep calls it 4WD, but lets be serious, people). A FWD Patriot is a great choice if its space and fuel economy you’re after. If you live in an inclement region, one of the two all wheel drive models would be advised. To be precise, its two AWD-to-transmission combinations. Power is sent through either a 5-speed manual, and two continuously variable transmissions. The CVT II is an $1,100 option, while the CVT with off-road crawl ratio we tested is a $1,050 option. The latter setup gets the “Trail-Rated” accolade, and works simultaneously with the downhill descent control to bring some actual off-road chops to the Patriot.
For when Patriot meets an obstacle in the road or a seriously degraded dirt road, Off-Road Crawl Mode is engaged by putting the CVT into “Low”, and lifting up on the lever located at the bottom of the center console. It won’t turn the Patriot into a Wrangler Rubicon, but it WILL get the Patriot through some relatively rough terrain that some other road-going crossover drivers may have to think twice about. It is Trail Rated, but I would say just barely.
That moderate off-road prowess comes at a cost. The all wheel drive CVT Patriot gets 20 miles per gallon city, 23 miles, highway. That’s not very impressive. The best performer in terms of MPG’s is the base 2.0L with front wheel drive and the 5-speed manual gets 23 miles per gallon city, 29 highway. Nothing to write home about, but still, near 30 MPG’s is respectable.
So, its clear that the Patriot is not a rugged example of a long line of sold off-roading machines. Traditional Jeep? No, but the Patriot is, a capable everyday runabout that has what it takes to trudge through inclement road conditions. Fact is, those likely to look at the Patriot will never push it to the bounds of its soft-roading capabilities. Taking that into consideration may not ease the gripe of those diehard Jeep enthusiasts.
What should ease the pain is in knowing that the Patriot is a competent vehicle, and fully capable of selling well. The Patriot, and for that matter redesigned Compass, and Grand Cherokee (all vehicles that Jeep diehards would argue water down the brand) all must do well to ensure Wranglers will keep being built for decades to come.
January 2011 saw the unveiling of a very efficient, logically useful, polymer technologies expanding, 313 mpg on a gallon of Diesel fuel, two-seater car.
Meet the Volkswagen XL1 which was debuted at the Qatar motor show. The car, which has been dubbed by VW as the world’s most economical car, features an 800cc TDI two-cylinder diesel engine linked to an electric motor (emitting just 38 grams of carbon dioxide per mile).
One might think that this engine is way too small, but the performance of this torque-strong Diesel approach delivers acceleration from 0 to 60mph in 11.9 seconds … and a top speed of 99mph which is good enough for any large metropolitan area freeway system.
The VW XL1 gets an additional advantage due to a reduction of weight (just under 1,753 pounds) based upon a newly patented approach for the manufacture of the Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) parts called the Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process.
Further weight savings were made through the extensive use of lightweight materials that include magnesium for the wheels; ceramics for brake discs; and aluminum for dampers, steering system and brake calipers.
The Volkswagen XL1 is expected to make its commercial debut in Britain and Germany in 2013 with no present plan to introduce this ground-breaking 12 foot long (just under four meters) and 3 foot 10.46 inch (1.18m) tall (the same size as a Volkswagen Polo – and sits lower off the ground than a Lamborghini sports car) green machine to the United States/North American marketplace.
My time spent at the Larz Anderson Museum has been quite fruitful so far this Summer. First, with the classic delights of British Car Day, and then with the thoroughly modern experience of getting behind the wheel of the all-new Porsche Boxster Spyder, its safe to say I’ve had my share of thrills.
That paled in comparison to what was to greet me Sunday June 20th (last Sunday). German Car Day was in full swing, and it was enormous. On the drive up to the museum, Porsche 356 roadsters could be seen darting up back roads in packs. Entering the grounds, I was greeted with the largest collection of cars ever to turn out for the German Car event (the largest single show was one of the past iterations of the Tutto Italiano, taking place August first this year). (more…)
Last week, members of the New England motor press, including yours truly, were treated to automotive wares old and new, as historic automobiles set the stage for some face time with the latest Boxster from Porsche. The setting was the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, the stone and mortar structure is a masterpiece made for a spectacular location. Any automaker choosing this site for a press event surely must keep their product in high regard.
The vehicle in question on this evening was the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder. What another version of the Boxster? Oh, but its so much more. The Spyder is a holistic approach to lightening the vehicle in the name of a more pure driving experience. Most notably, the convertible top has been completely gutted, and replaced with a makeshift canvas bikini top. It is held down by tension hooks on the corners of what is one of the prettiest rear cowls I’ve ever seen. That lack of a power top resulits in a 46-lb weight savings, and that’s just the beginning. (more…)
Spending time around classic British roadsters is good. Seeing them on the lawn of a historic auto museum styled after a French Chateau is even better. That was the setting for British Car Day 2010, part of a series of meets for various automotive genre put on by the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA. As the oldest Automotive Museum in the country, this non-profit is home to vehicles such as a true “horseless carriage” built by Winston in 1899, but the story on this day was outside, on the Museum lawn.
I was immensely pleased to see a full helping of Jaguar E-Type roadsters(above), their long hoods and elegant lines captivating young driver’s imaginations long before Lamborghini’s were status quo for automotive pinup. It was fascinating to see those classic E-Types placed along side their successors, XJ-Coupe(below left), which was produced for only three years (’75-’78), and the XJS (below right), which was produced up until 1996. The black one seen here is an aggressive-looking XJS V12, “post-facelift” model, as they are called after 1991. (more…)
I got an email from Oscar Koveleski the other day. Actually, I get a lot of emails from Oscar, but this one was special. Oscar, for those of you too young or too old to remember, was an amateur sports car racer from Scranton, Pennsylvania who took on the likes of Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme and Jackie Stewart in the original Can Am series. He never won a ran in the series, but he and teammate Tony Adamowicz, running year-old McLarens were frequently the highest-placed independents, which was quite an accomplishment. Oscar won an SCCA National Championship in 1970 behind the wheel of the same 1969 McLaren M8B that he raced in the Can Am series that year. Oscar’s 1971 racer was Bruce McLaren’s 1970 Championship car. (more…)
Yesterday in WheelsTV I gave you a rundown (Actually it was a walkdown.) on some of Continental’s innovative technologies. But I saved one for special mention today: Continental’s Accelerator Force Feedback Pedal (AFFP). It’s one of Conti’s Human-Machine Interface (HMI) technologies, and I was able to evaluate it on a BMW 3 Series. Instead of having the driver watch an upshift light on the dash or listen for a tone, the AFFP vibrates or adds a counterforce as feedback to the driver to educate his right foot in driving more efficiently to save fuel and reduce emissions. Pedal vibration and/or counterforce are fully tunable. This technology can also be integrated into several other Conti safety technologies, as for example, providing feedback to the driver of his current distance to other vehicles. (more…)
