2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport Utility 2-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Car Club USA: Louisiana Mudfest

There's nothing quite like mudding. Big tires, huge power, and crazy-wild gearheads that like to throw down on a mud pit almost as much as a thirty rack of Coors. In the latest, and some might argue greatest yet episode of Car Club USA, we head to Louisiana to throw some dirt at Mudfest. As Louisiana's one and only Mouth of the South puts it, "If you don't mud ride... go to Texas I guess." Joining The Mouth and friendly rivals The Most Hated Mud Sluts, we dive in. Beyond the obvious V8 blasting and tractor-tire spinning, those who know best describe Mudfest as, "Good cooking, good friends, good fun, and a lot of partying." It's a motorsport spectacle unlike any you're likely to find up North or out West, though no less impressive to behold. Follow along with the fun, the impromptu drag racing, the trash talking, and the mechanical madness. And find out why, at Mudfest, "if we don't tear it up, we ain't done it right." Each Car Club USA episode features a different car club or event from across the US, where passionate owner communities gather to share automotive experiences and embark on incredible adventures. From Main Street cruises to off-road trails, catch all the latest car club activity on Autoblog. Chevrolet Ford Jeep RAM Truck Off-Road Vehicles Car Club USA Videos autoblog black

Toledo continues fight for Jeep Wrangler production, despite mayor's death

Where will the next-generation Jeep Wrangler be built? That's an open question, but it's one that the city of Toledo, OH desperately wants to be the answer to. The city suffered a major blow, though, with the death of Mayor Michael Collins earlier this month. Collins had been the city's biggest champion during talks with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, before suffering a fatal heart attack on Feb. 6. But Collins' tragic death isn't dampening the city's desire to carry on as the home of the Wrangler. "The mayor's passing is tragic. But on Monday, when I came to work, I knew exactly what I needed to do and exactly what needed to be done," the city's director of development, Matt Sapara, told the Detroit Free Press. According to the Freep, Sapara said Toledo and the state of Ohio have delivered an outline of a development plan that would give FCA the ability to buy an extra 100 acres to expand the factory. This is to help accommodate FCA's targeted output of 300,000 to 350,000 next-generation Wranglers, up from the 240,000 the factory can make now. "Our target in the proposal is to provide a way to increase the production capacity to a number that allows Fiat Chrysler to meet its business model," Sapara told the Freep, adding that the land could be available later this summer. FCA, meanwhile, has shown a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards Toledo production, with CEO Sergio Marchionne openly discussing the pros and cons of continuing to build the Wrangler south of the Michigan border. "We are going to take a very hard look at this without ignoring what these guys have done," Marchionne told the Free Press at last month's Detroit Auto Show, adding that he'd like to keep production there, provided the cost of retooling is comparable to relocating to another facility. Related Video:

2019 Jeep Cherokee reveals a much more normal face

Since we started seeing redesigned Jeep Cherokee prototypes, we've suspected that the crossover would lose its controversial split headlights and pointy grille. Finally, we get a good look at a mostly uncovered test car, and it confirms that the new Cherokee will look quite conventional. The obvious change is the headlights. Instead of the slender daytime running lights at the top next to the grille, and the actual illuminating headlights lower in the bumper, all of the elements are integrated into single housings on either side. They're somewhat rectangular now, looking more like those on the Compass and the Grand Cherokee. But you can still see the same hockey-stick shaped LED running light design in the new lamps. The grille has changed, too. It looks much more blunt than the sharply creased, almost pointy grille of the current model. It also looks as though it may extend farther down than the current version. The rest of the Cherokee is very similar to the current model. The flanks are virtually unchanged, as is the interior, and the tail sees only minor changes. The most significant is the move of the license plate from the bumper to the hatch. The taillights' shape hasn't really changed, but the white section is now broken up by black lines, and the red element looks darker. We expect to see the Cherokee refresh soon, possibly by the end of the year. Related Video: