Autoblog

VW 9.150 ECE armored robot bulldog...er...truck

Alex Nunez — 2008-07-10T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Etc., Commercial Trucks, Volkswagen

Click above for 16 high-res images of the 9.150 ECE.

Volkswagen Brasil's commercial arm released the 9.150 ECE armored truck back in February of this year, but it's been off of everyone's radar until today, when photos began making the internet rounds. Looking like a giant, wheeled metallic bulldog that could transform into a giant talking robot at any moment, the 9.150 ECE is powered by a 4750cc inline four-cylinder turbodiesel mated to a five-speed transmission. Power is a modest 150 horses, but peak torque is a stout 405 lb.-ft., delivered between 1,600 and 2,000 rpm. It clearly needs that low-end grunt to haul a full payload of duckets. We call for VW to import a civilian version to North America posthaste. After all, the civilian-trim Chevy Kodiak, International CXT, GMC TopKick and Ford F-650 could use a little competition. How do you say "Das Auto" in Portuguese?

Gallery: VW 9.150 ECE Armored Truck

[Source: VW Brasil]

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Enthusiast's tractor brings Porsche back to its roots

Noah Joseph — 2008-07-08T17:35:00+00:00

Filed under: Commercial Trucks, Porsche, Special/Limited Editions

What do Porsche and Lamborghini have in common? Well, a lot. To begin with, both make highly desirable sports cars, and after the former bought up a serious stake in Volkswagen, which in turn had bought the latter, both are now under common ownership. Both have produced insanely powerful sport-utilities and both have built tractors. Lamborghini started out making tractors before Ferruccio's infamous run-in with Enzo Ferrari, after which he started making sportscars. The rest, as they say, is history. Porsche, on the other hand, started out in the opposite direction, producing sportscars before eventually moving on to sport-utes. But back in the 1950's, Porsche made a series of tractors as well. Now one enthusiast has brought it around full swing with this unique Porsche tractor.

The machine started out as a 14.5hp Partner lawn mower before its owner went to town, taking apart the engine and painting it yellow, fitting a custom stainless-steel exhaust, a fire extinguisher and a tachometer crafted from a 911 oil filter, then painting the body "Grand Prix Weiss" with "Idischrot" red accents. The result? Well, it won't be setting any Nürburgring lap records, but we'd be happy to see it face off against an old Porsche Diesel Super tractor to see which could mow The Green Hell fastest.

[Source: The Car Connection]

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Thieves steal gas from U-Haul, refill with water

Jeremy Korzeniewski — 2008-06-27T08:32:00+00:00

Filed under: Etc., Commercial Trucks

We've seen our fair share of gasoline thefts as of late, and it seems that more are to be expected as the price for a gallon of gas continues its upwards trajectory. The latest scam affects moving companies such as U-Haul, which is now reporting that some renters of its trucks are using up the fuel in the tank and refilling them with water. Other less ingenious criminal minds are simply resorting to the age-old tactic of siphoning gas from the delivery vehicle's tanks.

One U-Haul employee in Olympia, Washington reports that she has seen "five or six [instances of] water in fuel [tanks] last week." Because water does not readily mix with gasoline, some renters have been able to go uncaught as the deed isn't found out until the next user gets the truck. In that case, major repair bills starting around $2,000 are necessary. Let's just hope that thieves looking to score some free gas at U-Haul's expense don't begin using the drill method.

[Source: KATU.com]

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Mercedes introduces new Zetros military truck

Michael Harley — 2008-06-24T13:26:00+00:00

Filed under: Etc., Euro, Commercial Trucks, Mercedes-Benz, Military

Click on the above image for a Zetros photo gallery

Mercedes-Benz chose the International Defense Exhibition Eurosatory 2008 in Paris, a show we don't normally attend, to introduce their new Zetros truck. The model pictured above is the Zetros 2733 A 6x6, offering permanent all-wheel-drive to all three axles and the ability to haul nearly 10 tons of equipment and supplies. If you just don't have that much stuff, Mercedes also offers the Zetros 1833 A 4x4, a two-axle derivative with a reduced load capacity. Both versions offer go-anywhere capabilities with exemplary off-road manners and the ability to be upgraded with state-of-the art armor for protection against mine and ballistic attack. While you'd expect the Zetros to handle like a wet noodle, the German automaker insists the Zetros has been designed with the driver in mind, adding "...the ideal seating position behind the front axle delivers intuitive car-like handling." Since we don't have a Zetros planned for an "In the Autoblog Garage" review, we'll just have to take their word on that.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz Zetros Off-Road Truck

[Source: eMercedesBenz]

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New low-emissions London Black Cab to be based on Mercedes-Benz Vito Traveliner

Jonathon Ramsey — 2008-06-19T06:58:00+00:00

Filed under: Euro, Commercial Trucks, Mercedes-Benz

Londoners could be swapping out black cabs for black vans pretty soon. EcoCity vehicles, through its subsidiary KPM-UK, has worked with LTI, the maker of the famous black cab, for almost 20 years. Now EcoCity has signed an agreement with Mercedes-Benz to produce cabs out of Vito Traveliner vans, which produce lower emissions than the LTI offering.

With 93-percent of the London taxi market owned by black cabs, we wouldn't expect to see Traveliners dominating The City any time soon. For EcoCity, it was more about offering a more environmental choice for drivers and customers. Former mayor Ken Livingstone was a big proponent of that, if you'll remember. And for the city of London, it could mean less of the brown stuff in the air. The Traveliner taxi will be launched next week, and go on sale shortly after.

[Source: The Telegraph via Carscoop]

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A visual history of the BBC "TV Detector" van

Alex Nunez — 2008-06-09T19:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Commercial Trucks, UK

To subsidize the BBC's programming, UK residents are compelled to pay a TV licensing fee (this is what we also call a "tax") if they choose to watch television programs in their homes. To encourage compliance, the Beeb invented the myth of the "Television Detector" van, which supposedly contained powerful antennae that were capable of zeroing in on any house that was watching television without a license. Hell, they could even tell what show you were watching, according to the ominous TV commercial we've embedded after the jump. Anyway, the BBC's fleet of Television Detector vehicles is really more silly than sinister, and oobject, a site that puts together interesting themed gadget lists, has a gallery of TV detector trucks as they appeared through the years. We wonder if there are secret field-ops TV Detector trucks in the U.S. "Got 'em. They're watching Top Gear." Remember, while you watch the BBC, the BBC is watching you.

[Source: oobject]

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Cross-bred Caddy: Volkswagen Caddy Carrera Cup Edition 2.0TDI R

Damon Lavrinc — 2008-05-30T19:32:00+00:00

Filed under: Euro, Commercial Trucks, Porsche, Volkswagen

Click above for a gallery of the VW Caddy Carrera Cup Edition 2.0 TDI R.

The link between Volkswagen and Porsche is about to get stronger, but VW's Swedish contingent has already created a special edition to honor the alliance. The VW Caddy has lived a staid life as a popular work truck in Europe, but the Swedes apparently think it could be so much more. So it's releasing 250 Carrera Cup Edition Caddies outfitted with black, 17-inch wheels wrapped in 225/45 R17 rubber, a new body kit, red-on-white paint scheme with Porsche's signature "Carrera" text, two-tone leather sport seats, a leather steering wheel and shifter. The 2.0-liter TDI mill is putting out 140 hp and 236 lb.-ft. of torque and with a fire extinguisher mounted on the diamond-plate floor boards, we think we might have found the perfect track-day accomplice to join that GT3 RS we've been building in our dreams.

Gallery: Volkswagen Caddy Carrera Cup Edition 2.0TDI R

[Source: Carscoop]

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Cleanup on I-80: Oreo spill snarls traffic in IL

Alex Nunez — 2008-05-19T12:32:00+00:00

Filed under: Etc., Commercial Trucks

Snacks should be readily available for crews cleaning up an overturned tractor trailer 50 miles south of Chicago on Interstate 80. The rig in question was hauling fourteen tons of Oreo cookies, and when it tipped, the trailer's roof ripped open, spilling cases of the cookies onto the median. As you can see in the video we've embedded after the jump, a traffic backup thicker than a Double Stuf's filling ensued. Local authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident, but Autoblog has received unconfirmed reports that Keebler elves were spotted fleeing the scene.

[AP via Breitbart]

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Rumormill: Dodge to replace Sprinter will full-size van from Nissan

John Neff — 2008-05-15T09:28:00+00:00

Filed under: Commercial Trucks, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge, Nissan, Rumormill

We've heard through the grapevine that another element of the collaboration between Chrysler LLC and Nissan, in addition to the latter giving the former a small car and the former giving the latter a pickup, is that Chrysler will be ditching its Daimler-sourced Sprinter commercial van in favor of a rebranded Nissan van by 2011. As we already know, Nissan is planning on producing three new light commercial vehicles for the U.S. at its plant in Canton, Mississippi, and it will be sourcing some engines for its new LCVs from Cummins. Thus, we would also expect to see the familiar sight of a Cummins diesel under the hood of Dodge's version, as well. Will we discover even more sharing between Chrysler and Nissan as time goes on? Our sources say these companies aren't finished raiding each other's parts bins by a long shot.

[Source: Wouldn't you like to know]

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Nissan 360: Day One from Estoril, Portugal

Jonathon Ramsey — 2008-04-29T11:58:00+00:00

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Commercial Trucks, Supercars, Nissan

Click the image above for more hi-res shots from the first day of Nissan 360

Nissan is holding its second ever Nissan 360 event in Cascais, Portugal as we speak. The two-day Nissan (and Infiniti) product extravaganza gathers every product produced by the company from around the world, and we're here to drive them all. We were in the Infiniti group yesterday, so we tooled around the Portuguese coast in rides like the FX50 and EX35, which we've already had a chance to drive on American soil. We also took the Speed -Racer-worthy GT-R for a spin or three around the Estoril race circuit, and got a ride with a pro driver at the wheel.

The only Nissans we got our hands on were the Large Commercial Vehicles, a Clipper JDM van, and a two-generation-old, authentic Nissan Cedric taxi complete with fare receipt printer. But stay tuned, because we'll be right back with first drives of impossibly cute Nissan city cars like the Cube, Moco, and Micra, among others. In the mean time, feel free to check out the gallery of hi-res shots from our first day in preparation for more to come.

Gallery: Nissan 360 - Day One

Travel and lodging for this media event was paid for by the manufacturer.

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Hyundai i10 Ice Cream van hits sweet spot

Noah Joseph — 2008-04-28T15:26:00+00:00

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, Minivans/MPVs, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Commercial Trucks, Hatchbacks, Hyundai, Toys

Click to view more of the Hyundai i10 ice cream van

We can come up with all manner of criteria for evaluating a car at any level: design, performance, spec sheet, ride, features, technology, value... but the one factor that trumps all others, what it all really comes down to, is how it appeals to our inner child. At the heart of it, that's why we love Lamborghinis and HUMMERs and Mustangs... and this particular Hyundai i10. It's just a treat.

The ice-cream van conversion wasn't made for Good Humor, although it certainly put us in that state of mind. It was created as a promotional tool for the British launch of the i10 by auto innovator Andy Saunders, the same guy who gave us the neo-Picasso Citroen 2CV and the ground-hugging Fiat 126, among others. While the Poole, England-based customizer has come up with many creative designs before, we doubt any of them would get children running after it down the street like the Pied Piper. Have a look at the images in the gallery below and pick out something delicious on us.

Gallery: Hyundai i10 ice cream van

[Source: theCarfanatic.com and AutoTrader.co.uk]

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Cutting room floor: The 2009 Dodge Ram that could've been

Chris Shunk — 2008-04-18T07:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Commercial Trucks, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge

Click above to view more high-res sketches of rejected Rams

Chrysler is in the battle of its life to regain its competitiveness here in North America, and there is perhaps no vehicle more important to becoming profitable again than the 2009 Dodge Ram. The Pentastar put in a lot of elbow grease to get this truck just right, and the end result is improved power and efficiency, more storage, and a more refined look than the current truck. We like the design of the new Ram, but the production truck unveiled in Detroit was just one of many designs sketched by Chrysler artists.

Friend of Autoblog Mike Levine at Pickuptruck.com got his hands on many of the designs that led to the Ram we'll see in showrooms this fall, and the sketches range from interesting to bizarre. If you take the photo above, for instance, you can see where Dodge was trying to conceptualize nifty storage solutions. The forward-leaning cross-hair grille and integrated bumper had already taken shape, too. Check out our gallery below that includes some exclusive pictures of rejected Rams, and visit PIckuptruck.com to see even more.

Gallery: Rejected Dodge Rams

[Source: Pickuptruck]

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Nissan entering light-duty commercial market in U.S. with three new vehicles

John Neff — 2008-04-07T15:59:00+00:00

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Commercial Trucks, Nissan

Big news from Canton, Mississippi today. Nissan North America has announced it will be entering the Light Commercial Vehicle business in the U.S. in a big way. Seeking to fill up excess capacity at its plant in Canton after production of the Quest minivan and Infiniti QX56 is sent elsewhere, Nissan will debut three new LCV vehicles over the next three years that will use a pair of newly designed Cummins diesel engines and transmissions from ZF. The Canton plant will receive a $118 million makeover to produce the vehicles, but will continue to produce the Altima sedan, Titan pickup and Armada full-size SUV in the meantime. Nissan's current dealer network will sell and service the LCVs, which will also require some retraining in preparation.

The first vehicle will make its official debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January, and Nissan tells us it will be a clean sheet design. Rather than just make commercial-grade versions of the Titan or import any number of the commercial vehicles it sells outside the U.S., Nissan will be designing these three LCVs for the North American market in particular, which suggests a significant investment on its part. The automaker also tells us that the vehicles will likely leave the Canton plant as chassis cabs and outfitted to meet the specific needs of its buyers by third-party companies. With the arrival of the Ford Transit Connect and panel wagons making a resurgence in the U.S., this move makes sense. Also consider that the full-size truck market is falling flat on its face thanks to the new housing market being busted by subprime loans, so finding another niche in the commercial sector to sell vehicles is a good way for automakers like Nissan to hedge their bets.

[Source: Nissan, Clarion Ledger]

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Build your own big rig: International launches configurator for LoneStar

Dan Roth — 2008-04-04T09:57:00+00:00

Filed under: Car Buying, Chicago Auto Show, Etc., Commercial Trucks

Truckers are like motorcycle riders in the way that they invariably customize their rides. It's probably just as challenging to find a bone stock tractor as it is an unembellished Fat Boy. When you're plying the roads as much as the big rigs do, why not have some fun and stand apart from the rest of the crowd and their mudflaps decorated with conformist chrome silhouettes of questionable taste? International's new LoneStar truck will be factory trickable with a new line of Navistar accessories called DoubleSix Customs. While the Autoblog Garage isn't quite big enough to hold an 18-wheeler, we did dedicate the better part of an hour to International's website designing the perfect vehicle for hauling our tricked out fleet of Zastavas.

With International's online configurator, you can start with a basic truck and add a splash of color, a dollop of flames, lots of chrome, and nearly as many lights as Vegas. The DoubleSix name takes its inspiration from the mother road, Route 66, which International is hoping still resonates with those who keep our economy rolling. Our only problem? Lack of the proper license. Try it yourself, you can even upload logos and graphics to design your perfect LoneStar. Press release after the jump.

[Source: International]

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VIDEO: Cadbury ad light on chocolate, heavy on airport truck racing

Noah Joseph — 2008-04-02T19:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Commercial Trucks, UK

Click above to view video

Have you ever watched a commercial and wondered what the heck the ad had to do with the product? Of course you have. But sometimes we don't mind, like with this commercial for Cadbury chocolate. You wouldn't know it was for Cadbury unless they told you so at the end. But follow the jump to view a video that is sure to put a smile on your face - now and every time you look out the tiny portal of a plane as you wait for takeoff. And you thought your teddy bears had fun at night...

[Source: Cadbury]

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Land Rover Freelander 2 Commercial: less sport, more utility

Noah Joseph — 2008-03-30T15:05:00+00:00

Filed under: SUVs, Commercial Trucks, Land Rover, Misc. Auto Shows, UK

Land Rover's versatility is legendary, but its detractors claim that its vehicles' utility has been sacrificed on the altar of luxury. Never willing to compromise, newly-acquired Land Rover has answered with the Freelander 2 Commercial.

The vehicle is essentially the same as the regular Freelander 2, only with some equipment removed and other features added to optimize the little truck's utility. The rear seats and side airbags have been jettisoned, replaced with a solid bulkhead, floor support frame, rubber cargo bay mat, lashing points and other handy features geared towards moving cargo instead of schoolkids. The Freelander 2 Commercial will make its official debut next month at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, England, and will be available in base S and loaded XS trim levels. More details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Land Rover]

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New York 2008: Mark Fields hails a Transit Connect Taxi Concept

Frank Filipponio — 2008-03-19T11:41:00+00:00

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Commercial Trucks, Crossovers/CUVs, Ford

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ford Transit Connect Taxi

Where better than New York for Ford to show off a taxi cab? And what better platform than the company's new Transit Connect van? Ford's Mark Fields and designer J. Mays were on hand for the unveiling of the Transit Connect Taxi Concept, and both were somehow amazed at the applause the concept generated. Seeing as how there were only a handful of us there and that the rest of the crowd consisted of Ford employees, we find it hard to believe there wouldn't be applause aplenty. Seriously though, this is one fun cab. After spending some time in the regular fleet of bumblebee-colored Crown Vics this past week, we can attest that the Transit Connect Taxi has a lot of things that make it a natural improvement over current standard taxis. Our favorite was the panoramic roof that allows passengers to take in tall buildings with a single glance, but we also liked the flexible seating and cargo configurations, as well as the funky interactive infotainment system for the back seat. Although it looks a bit large in photos, the Transit Connect Taxi Concept actually has a small footprint vehicle and seems like it could go four-wide where the Vics can only manage three abreast. Check out the press release after the jump and all of our live high-res pics in the gallery.

Gallery: Ford transit Connect Taxi Concept

[Source: Ford]

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New York '08 Preview: Ford Transit Connect Taxi - Son of Crown Vic

Alex Nunez — 2008-03-19T00:02:00+00:00

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Commercial Trucks, Ford

Click image for a hi-res photo gallery

In the era of the greener taxicab, the extremely capable Ford Crown Victoria is now gauche. Ford knows this, and later this morning in the Jacob Javits Center, it will unveil a new taxi concept that's about as different from the Vic as you can get. The Ford Transit Connect Taxi that was spied last week combines spaciousness and utility with improved fuel economy and reduced emissions thanks to the 2.0-liter four it packs underhood (no hybrid, though, which would be really big in cities like New York). The yellow exterior is offset with matte grey accents, including the combo fascia/bumpers fore and aft.

Passengers ride in an airy cabin that feels even more so in the concept thanks to a vista roof that looks nice but would probably never make the cut on a real fleet vehicle. Ford and Microsoft's Work Solutions package powers the system feeding content to the 13-inch display facing the backseat passengers. In addition to acting as the meter and electronic payment interface, the display also supplies "infotainment" info, live traffic and weather, and GPS functionality. Folks who still pay their fares with wallet cabbage can send their greenbacks forward through the concept's fancy little orb in the rear partition (Ford calls it "Sputnik").

As good as the Crown Victoria taxi is, its days are numbered as cities move to green up their taxi fleets. If the Transit Connect can handle the amount of punishment the Vic regularly endures, it's a pretty compelling package. Not only is it more roomy and efficient than the Vic, it could probably be made readily accessible for disabled riders, too. Ford is intent on showing a variety of uses for its new Euro-sourced work van, and this seems like a good one.

Gallery: Ford transit Connect Taxi Concept

[Source: Ford]

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VanTastic: 2009 Ford E-Series upgrades

Dan Roth — 2008-02-26T00:09:00+00:00

Filed under: Etc., Commercial Trucks, Ford

Just as Ford's F150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States for decades, their E-Series (née Econoline) vans have also been sales champs since before the dawn of the 1980s. A strong presence in the trades delivers forty percent of the full-size van market to the E-Series. Ford's adding some new features and an upgraded interior to the E-Series for 2009 to help it continue to earn its keep. The full-sizers got an exterior nip and tuck last year, so the biggest body changes this year are rear doors that open wider.

Ford's Work Solutions system is a natural addition, and it makes just as much sense in the work van as it does in a pickup. The biggest news is a revised instrument panel with -- bar the door -- four auxiliary switches. Actually, not having a mish-mash of toggles and rockers drilled through the dash face for aftermarket gear is a nice touch. The panel itself has an uncluttered, no-nonsense layout, though the vents look like they could chew off errant fingers. Also on the new dash is a navigation system, which should lessen the "I'm lost, so I'm going to lunch" calls from contractors. American cargo vans are unsung utilitarian heroes, and Ford doesn't want its class leadership to slip away. Press release after the jump

Gallery: 2009 Ford E-Series

[Source: Ford]

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Dacia launches Logan Pickup in Romania

John Neff — 2008-02-19T12:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Commercial Trucks, Renault

click above to view more high-res images of the Dacia Logan Pickup

You often hear us lament about the lack of a truly small, inexpensive truck for sale in the U.S. market except the aging Ford Ranger, and they don't come much tinier or cheaper than the new Renault/Dacia Logan Pickup, which will start at €7,250 ($10,689 USD) when it goes on sale in Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey this year before expanding into other markets, though not the U.S. The Logan line already includes a sedan, a wagon and even a van, and the new Pickup gives Dacia a vehicle that will likely appeal to both consumer and commercial tradesmen alike. It can carry 800kg (1,763 lbs.) in its bed, accommodate items up to 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) in length, and stow 300 liters (10.6 cubic feet) of stuff behind its seats. Engine choices include a 1.6L gas motor making 90 hp and 94 pound feet of torque at 3,000 rpm, as well as two versions of a 1.5L dCi diesel producing either 70 hp and 118 pound feet of torque or 85 hp and 148 pound feet of torque from 1,900 rpm. The cabin, of course, is spartan and looks as if it were hewn from a single giant piece of plastic, but it gets the job done with no frills.

What say you, is there a market for the Logamino in the U.S., or did the return of the Subaru Brat in the form of the Legacy Baja quench our thirst for such vehicles? Don't think too hard about it as it's not going to happen, but we're having fun imagining the shenanigans we could have with this Romanian export.

Gallery: Dacia Logan Pickup

[Source: Dacia]

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