Auto Industry News: Naked ATV Ride Turns into Police Chase, a Sweet Mini Jeep, and Rome Set to Ban Diesel
Police Chase Naked, ATV-Riding Man on the Interstate—now that’s an attention-grabbing title. Nope, it’s not a “gotcha headline” and yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. When Kansas City police finally pulled Jonathan A. Menth over, his explanation for the naked joyride unsurprisingly involved some (ahem) substances, but also included details about being “held captive” by a man named Jeffery before escaping on ATV. If I had a nickel for every outlandish story… Anyway, for anyone with a four-wheeling crew, you know it will consist of some whacky characters. But this guy makes even the most daredevil, derelict mudding buddies look like acquaintances from church. Let’s keep Menth away from the Mini Jeep….
The Mini Jeep You Didn’t Know You Needed
Indian automaker Mahindra is shaking up the side-by-side off-road game with a mini Willys lookalike, called the Roxor. Though it is not officially a Mini Jeep, Mahindra was licensed to import and later build Willys Jeeps after World War II. And luckily for us, it looks like they’re calling back to their origins with the boxy-bodied Roxor. Under the hood is a heavy-duty turbo-diesel 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. It generates 62 horsepower and 144 lb-ft of torque. It also features a five-speed manual transmission/ Dana T18 two-speed transfer case. Now there are sure to be some gripes about the fact that its top speed is 45 mph, but I think consumers are more concerned with the stuff this thing will be able to climb.
Rome Banning Diesel Cars By 2024
Another day, another city kicking the diesel industry in the you-know-what. Rome, in conjunction with other major European cities, plans to ban diesel cars from center city in six years. Similarly, Paris has said to be shooting for the same goal by 2025, so perhaps the year jump is a power move in the tourism trenches. Or maybe they really do care about environmental effects… Because since diesel vehicles have approached 60% of Italy’s vehicles, Roman air quality has declined. Considering Rome’s notoriously congestive traffic, it might not be such a bad move. What do you think?
High Art Kentworth Build
A world without diesel — if you need to rid that bitter taste out of your mouth, then here’s the build for you. Walt Moss tackles his projects like a modernist painter, and this stream of consciousness, masterfully executed Kentworth rig is no different. Take a look! Walt constructed this massive build with custom frame rails from PG Adams and a subsequent drop frame. In the middle, he put a Caterpillar C15 engine. It cranks out 1,000 horsepower and 2,600 lb-ft of torque. Walt even has the truck up to 131 mph! And if it wasn’t such a passion project, this thing could probably out-pull and outrace anything lined across from it.
Around the Circuit
Kevin Harvick is having himself a season, folks. For the second straight week, Harvick nabbed the checkered flag, dominating the competition in Las Vegas. Kyle Busch took second place in front of his hometown crowd (but did win the Vegas truck series event a few days ago), and Kyle Larson placed third. Not only that, but Sunday’s victory was his 100th total victory across all three NASCAR series. While the season is young, Harvick has kicked in the door. He currently sits first in the overall standings, with Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney in second and third respectively. The field will hit Phoenix week for the TicketGuardian 500.
