Autoblog

For three weeks in a row, now, we've brought you a new Autoblog Podcast courtesy of the B-Team. Here's episode #96 of the Autoblog Podcast, where Chris Shunk, Sam Abuelsamid, and Dan Roth kibbitz over some morsels of recent news. There's the requisite trip to the Autoblog Garage to start things off, then we move into actual discussion points like the CTS Wagon, a gasp of life on the Ford Ranger front, the massive confusion around Cerberus and Chrysler, and Hyundai's nose-thumbing at Toyota's hybrid technology. Remember to send in questions, comments, and suggestions for ways to mark the passing of upcoming episode #100 to podcast at autoblog dawt com. See you next week!

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While we wait for the F-150 SVT Raptor to be unveiled, Ford is offering European customers a sporty truck of its own: a Ranger with stripes! Although some media are labeling this the Le Mans edition, Ford's own release (which you can see after the jump) doesn't mention the name of the race anywhere. Nor should it, because a compact truck has about as little to do with endurance sports-car racing as a lampshade, except maybe if you're trying chart your own path out of town when the 24 hours are up and the roads are closed.

We use the term "iconic" a lot here, but the Performance Blue with twin white stripes running up the hood, over the roof and down the tail has become an icon for Ford performance vehicles, particularly on the other side of the pond. And that's pretty much all that sets this special edition Ranger Wildtrack apart from the standard production version, aside from some optional equipment – like ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, air-con and an off-road data pack – bundled in as standard. However, the stripy Ranger will only be offered in limited numbers, so European customers had better either act quick or get out the whitewash and paint roller.

[Source: Ford]

Boats are typically thought of as a hole in the water into which you hurl money. It looks like this Craigslist seller realized that he was really after a boat only after sinking considerable time and money into an extensive automotive gene-splicing experiment gone horribly wrong. Take one Jaguar XJ, add half a Ford Ranger Splash, season with a carbureted 305 and stir in a steering wheel cover that's vaguely reminiscent of calimari. Bake only halfway, frost with black, and serve. In all fairness, the small, limited resolution shots on the listing show a vehicle that actually looks better turned out than the recipe for confusion stew might suggest. Whether it's truly nice, or just another 50/50 curiosity would be interesting to find out. At least you won't have to pay to dock it – and with the GM powertrain, it'll likely be far cheaper to maintain than the Evinrude on your pontoon boat.

[Source: Craigslist]

One little fact buried in the linked piece about Ford's $2 billion UAW savings is this: the Ranger is dead come 2009. It has been known for a while that the Twin Cities Plant in St. Paul, MN that makes the Ranger would close, and the closure date has been pushed back one year, to 2009. The Cleveland plant that casts engine blocks will also close that year. Credit goes to Automotive News for teasing out these new nuggets of info.

We wrote earlier about possible rescue scenarios for the Ranger, but it looks like the Ranger mine has been shut down and sealed off. Mulally has said that Ford will be more forthcoming about its plans at the Detroit show, so anything is still possible. However, after 26 years, it looks like the compact pickup truck thrill is gone. For you Ranger fans out there, the tune you're looking for is "Taps."

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

Though the launch of Toyota's new full-size Tundra pickup has been a rocky one, the Japanese juggernaut is taking notes, learning on the fly and will undoubtedly not make the same mistakes twice. Perhaps after studying its domestic competition in the full-size truck market, Toyota noticed an untapped strategy that the Big 3 have allowed to languish – the entry-level pickup. Mike Levine from Pickuptruck.com is reporting that Toyota is seriously considering adding a two-door unibody pickup to its Scion lineup with a design inspired by the Fuse Concept that debuted at the New York Auto Show last year.

More details after the jump.

Thanks for the tip, Judd!

[Source: Pickuptruck.com]

There's a theory that only men comfortable with their manliness can get away with wearing pink. Whether you buy that or not, Ford's tough little Ranger pickup is trading its plaid shirt image for the pink livery of Salford, UK.

The city just purchased a fleet of six pink Ranger 2.5 TDCi Regular Cab 4x2s fitted with tipper beds for their street-cleaning department.

Salford's Public Relations Officer Ian Andrew tells us, "Yes, magenta is our colour! We want our city to stand out and for people to recognise when the city council is providing them with services."

Situated about 200 miles north of London, Salford prides itself on having an eco-friendly image, with 60% green space, 30 miles of rivers and canals and 112 ponds and lakes. And that's why the six pink Rangers will be burning biodiesel for their five years of service.

"The Rangers are superb," said Salford City Council's Transport Manager Terry Dixie. "Our concern is with paper bulk, rather than weight. This provides an opportunity to reduce vehicle size. The Ranger is less expensive than a conventional 3.5-tonne tipper vehicle, provides superior fuel economy and its robust design promises a long life."

Read Ford's press release after the jump.

Voting is open for The Truth About Cars' first ever Ten Worst Automobiles Today (or TWAT) award that we told you about earlier in the month. The initial list of more than 120 reader nominations contained predictable TWAT-eligible autos like GM's ancient minivans, uh, sorry, Crossover Sport Van, a couple of Saturns, several DaimlerChryslers, and a few Korean models. Some vehicles that were nominated but didn't make the list included highly-respected vehicles like the Toyota Camry, Pontiac Solstice, Ford Focus and Honda Fit.

Using a highly refined proprietary system, TTAC staffers trimmed the candidates to 20. Voting for the Ten Worst Automobiles Today is now open until Wednesday. See the 20 TWAT candidates after the jump.