Autoblog

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Jayco's Australian division has released a new motorhome called the Platinum. With it's ultra-Euro-looking Fiat Ducato cab, the Platinum cuts quite a profile. (Seriously, the Ducato's front end looks like something out of a sci-fi flick.) According to the manufacturer, it'll get an impressive 19.5 MPG out of its 154-horsepower/295 lb-ft 3.0L turbodiesel. Priced at $114,900 AUD (around $94K USD), it's packed with all the latest creature comforts and amenities, including external speakers that allow for maximum chillout mode under the machine's rollaway awning when you're camped somewhere in the Australian wild.

Still, for all its apparent advantages, it lacks that certain je ne sais quoi possessed by the backyard-special Edsel...

Press release after the jump. Wanna see Jayco's American offerings? Click here.

[Source: Jayco Australia]

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The treasure trove that is eBay Motors continues to produce. Today's big find is the 1958 Edsel Ranger motor home conversion you see here. The forward half of the erstwhile sedan has been fused to a 60's-era camper trailer that sleeps up to six, according to the seller. (Unfortunately, no pics of the living space are included.) Said to be a big attention-getter wherever it goes (no surprise there), the patriotically-colored Edselbago has visited 48 states. Power comes from a 390 Ford V8 hooked up to a C6 transmission with a floor-mounted shifter. ( The Edsel's steering-wheel-mounted Teletouch pushbutton tranny is now just for show.) Claimed weight is 7,000 pounds, and the whole package is apparently good for 15-16 mpg. Best part: it can be yours. As of this writing, the high bid's $1,958 (someone's being clever), and the seller's reserve hasn't been met. Get in on the action by clicking here.

[Source: eBay]

Here's a totally different flavor of Corvair that wasn't mentioned in our recent Reader Ride feature. The Ultra Van is a true Corvair, according to the Corvair Society of America (CORSA), even though it didn't roll off a GM assembly line. The Ultra Van is more akin to a cabin cruiser on the inside and a DC-10 in construction, with a happy-looking front-end, to boot. In case the picture has somehow left you scratching your head,UltraVan really is is a motorhome.

Power comes from a Corvair drivertrain and the structure is made from aluminum ribs with an aluminum outer skin, creating a rigid tube. The interior looks an awful lot like something you'd see in a Chris Craft of the same era. Without a frame underneath to get in the way, there's a ton of space in these things! The similarity to aircraft construction is no accident. UltraVan designer David Peterson was an aircraft designer frustrated that he had both a camping trailer and boat that he wanted to use during the same trip. In essence, the UltraVan grew out of the idea of just putting a drivetrain into a trailer. The Corvair had just debuted at the time, offering the perfect power unit for this application. The vehicles ended up being light enough to use regular car tires and return respectable fuel economy despite their large size (efficiency always makes you feel smarter than the next guy). We can't get over how roomy the UltraVan is, nor how lovingly the legacy has been cared for by legions of admirers.

Of course, we want one.

[Source: The UltraVan page via Hemmings Auto Blogs]

Oklahoma-based Newell Coach Corp's latest motorhome, the P2000i, sells for over a million dollars. It's built on a special-made chassis and is powered by a 600-hp turbodiesel. Once parked, four sections expand outwards to maximize interior space. It's said to be one of the most luxurious motorhomes on the market, a favorite of car dealers, businessmen and race car drivers.

So what does this have to do with Porsche, you wonder? Newell contracted Porsche Engineering, the German sportscar maker's consultancy arm, to help modernize the P2000i. With a custom suspension? Nope, that was done by ZF (commonly know for their transmissions). Did Porsche have some hand in the engine, then? Wrong again, that's made by Caterpillar (as far as they get from making sportscars, Porsche hasn't started producing diesels just yet). Maybe a Tiptronic transmission? No, the tranny comes from Allison. Porsche's contribution was the redesigned front end, with Xenon headlamps and "European" styling. (Yeah, that's it.)

Newell has a dealer network to sell its motorhomes, but you can purchase one directly from the factory if you prefer (and have a million bucks to blow on an RV). Newell builds about 40 a year, and each one takes about 10 months to build.

[Source: Automotive News - sub.req.]

Have you ever noticed how many Saturns are towed behind motorhomes on our nation's highways? The reason is because most Saturns are part of a small group of vehicles that don't require the installation of a lube pump to circulate the transmission fluid in order to be towed with all four wheels on the ground. The problem is that most people who are wealthy enough to own an upscale RV wouldn't be caught dead in a Saturn under normal circumstances.

German RV manufactuer Volkner Mobile has developed a solution to this problem that's currently being shown off at the International Caravan Fair in Dusseldorf, Germany. The motorcoach on display features a mobile garage situated between the front and rear axles that can stow lower cars like the BMW Z4, MINI Cooper convertible and Mercedes-Benz SLK. The system introduces your vacation cruiser laterally into the RV's belly on a slideout platform and can accomodate vehicles up to five meters in length. No more hauling Saturns or renting Mustang convertibles when you get there.

[Source: Daily Times via Winding Road]

We hereby nominate the Wothahellizat built by Australian photographer Rob Gray as the Most Bitchin Thing on Wheels for 2006. Being a nature photographer, Gray and his wife, Chris, often spend long stretches of time out in the Australian wilderness and needed a vehicle that would be part condo, part off-roader, no compromises. The couple is able to spend months at a time out in the field with the 6x6 Wothahellizat thanks to a list of features that's too long to list.



Some of the highlights include an over-cab bedroom with hydraulically operated roof, a self-supporting deck that folds into the back, a "garage" large enough for two mountain bikes, eight roof-mounted solar panels, a real toilet, and anything else you would expect in a regular motor costing somewhere in the six-figure range. If you're in the market, Gray is willing to part with the Wothahellizat for around USD $250,000, which isn't unreasonable.

For more information on the Wothahellizat visit its website, and check out a full gallery of pics and a complete spec list after the jump courtesy of Rob Gray.

[Source: RobGray.com]