1985 Jeep Cj-7--metallic Blue on 2040-cars

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Hendrick wants to put Jeep Wranglers back on the battlefield

The Jeep Wrangler could be headed back to the battlefield. According to reports, negotiations are currently under way with the US Army to adapt the iconical American off-roader for military use. The Wranglers would serve as inexpensive, lightweight, unarmored vehicles that could be more easily airlifted into remote locations than costlier, heavier, and bulkier options. The proposal is not being fielded by the Jeep brand itself or its parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, but by Hendrick Dynamics. The Charlotte-based offshoot of NASCAR racing team Hendrick Motorsports calls its modified Wrangler the Hendrick Commando. Instead of the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 found in most US-market Wranglers, the Commando version employs the 2.8-liter diesel four built by VM Motori, modified to run on any type of diesel fuel or on JP-8 jet fuel to maximize its deployment versatility and comply with the Army's Single Fuel mandate of 2012. It would also support a variety of modular attachments for specific jobs, ranging from machine gun mounts and counter-mine rakes to radar arrays and advanced communications equipment. Hendrick says the Commando could also be deployed by helicopter or in cargo planes. And because it's based on a civilian platform, the Commando would also benefit from the latest advancements introduced by its manufacturer, the parts and service network already in place, and the thorough testing that's already gone into developing the Wrangler for civilian use. Hendrick has reportedly built 14 prototypes to date, including the two-door Commando 2 (based on the standard Wrangler), the four-door Commando 4 (based on the Wrangler Unlimited), and even a pickup conversion called the Commando S. It is not, however, the only company adapting Jeep Wranglers for military application. Israel-based Automotive Industries Ltd has been producing successive versions of the Wrangler-based Storm for use by the Israel Defense Forces and other militaries overseas since 1990. If the US Army awards the contract for the Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) vehicle to Hendrick Dynamics, it would bring the iconic Jeep back to the battlefield where it got its start. The brand and its most prolific model trace their roots back to the Willys MB, launched in 1941 on contract from the US Army for deployment in World War II.

Toyota, Lexus dominate KBB's Best Resale Value Awards

Toyota and Lexus stormed the 2014 Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards, winning a combined 18 categories including best brand and best luxury brand. This marks the third year in a row that both automakers have won the Brand and Luxury Brand resale value awards. In all, Toyota won 11 categories and Lexus won seven.
Honda made a good showing, as well, winning two segments (Accord Plug-In Hybrid and Civic Si) and putting one car on the top-10 Best Resale Value list (CR-V). Chevrolet did even better, winning two segments (with the V6 Camaro and the Corvette) and placing three cars on the top-10-overall list (again, the Camaro and Corvette, plus the Silverado 1500).
The other winners came from Jeep, Dodge, Infiniti, Subaru and Audi. To give you a clearer picture of the Toyota and Lexus domination, their 18 mentions represents more than half of the 34 awards (including the top-10-overall list).

Fiat 500X poised for Paris catwalk

We've known for some time that the new, Fiat-based baby Jeep (which may or may not be called the Jeepster) is set to arrive at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. What we weren't sure of was whether its platform mate, the so-called Fiat 500X, would be doing so alongside or at a later date. Well, according to Reuters, we'll get to see the first all-wheel-drive 500 later this year in the City of Lights.
Yes, we can expect the 500X to arrive at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, according to an official with an Italian trade union. The unnamed source cited retooling at Fiat's Melfi factory, in southern Italy, which currently produces the Grande Punto. It's expected that the newest member of the growing 500 family will replace the Suzuki SX4-based Fiat Sedici, although when the X will go on sale remains an open question.
According to Reuters, both the Jeepster and 500X will be built alongside each other in Italy. Whether the 500X will cross the pond with it's slat-grilled cousin, though, remains to be seen (we're leaning towards yes).