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10-31-2018, 07:07 PM | #1 |
Distress over the Hellephant
This Article was published on Wheelwell.
https://wheelwell.com/posts/7wjo/dis...the-hellephant Dodge announced their 1000 hp capable Elephant motor and it marks the end of the Internal Combustion Engine, and the beginning of the end for Personally Operated Vehicles. Its signal is the Harbinger of the End. And here is why. With the increasingly popular movement towards these vehicles, I will call "CUV" or Compact Utility Vehicle or Crossover Utility Vehicle, we have seen a trend that will destroy the commuter car. Ford has even announced them canex'ing their entire line of non-Mustang cars in the US and barring the Tariff movement from this argument, I point the finger squarely at the KIA Soul. Back in 2008, CNN had said that people do not know the difference between the small-sized crossover segment (which I hate using that term) and SUV. Wall Street Journal that same year tried to outline that the CUV marquee was a car that looks like utility vehicles but ride like cars. Now the earliest we had seen of these cars comes from 1948 with the Jeepster and later on the AMC Eagle. For those of you who are younger than 1985 or maybe just deny automotive history is place in today's school History books, the AMC Eagle was the first compact-sized but 4wd vehicle offered in the states. 1979 in fact. This started the seedling for Crossover vehicles. By 1996 Toyota had released the RAV4 which in my high school days appeared more in the hands of young teen drivers more so than the antiquated Crown Victoria's and other full-sized land barges ( I was a Crown Vic owner and as such one of three people in my class with a proper v8 and RWD set up...) It was one of the earliest illustrations of an SUV ocular body on a car platform ( the above-mentioned eagle was more like a wagon placed on a light duty truck frame.. and indeed it drove like one). This mating of two concepts continued even with the Subaru Forester, which by an engineering standpoint was completely pointless when you had the underpinnings of a Subaru Outback but a more verticle seating arrangement and taller greenhouse. Now from a consumer standpoint, it sold like hotcakes at a midsummer fireworks festival. Fast Forward to 2008ridesand as the economic crash was in full swing a small glimmer of light and noise appeared. In the shape of dancing, Hamsters mind you. The "cheap" car company had announced the Soul. inspired by more upright seating positions and on a car chassis, with a small fuel efficient motor, the future came strolling in not with French austerity but with Ebonic vernacular. And boy did it ever. In the coming age where the Honda Civic of this year's production is bigger than the Accord from just 15 years ago. This small nuance of "Crossover Utility" took the US by storm. True to form, it is making the "compact" and "midsize" car segment irrelevant. September 4th of 2018 USA today reported that Nissan, Toyota, and Honda had all reported a 30% decrease in sales of their car line-up over their crossover/SUV line up. My theory is two-faced at its core. For a similar cost, these Crossovers offer a better "feeling" of being protected in an accident, and for the standard dollar, you are getting more. Now we have crash test results to prove the first point a fallacy but that is where engineering headbutts straight into the wall that is "Consumerism". At the end of the month, it does not matter what technology or statistic Chrysler, but the sales. And the sales are pointing towards CUV's. Like the gas price stabilization before the early 00's Americans were buying into the "safer" SUV market, the common housewife would rather tout around town in one vs the cheaper and, let me be brutally honest, less cool minivan (another segment almost dead to the world). Fiat/Chrysler has also jumped the ship on the "car" segment as they weened out their Dart and 200 series, in favor for the truck and SUV, even Jeeps sells in bulk. In fact they are only heavily involved in one type of vehicle.. the Full Size, Rip-snorting, wheel burning, "I'm 47 with two kids, a wife, and 120k in debt, but I want to feel young and invincible again." Charger and 300C. And this brings us full circle. The FCA has unleashed a 1000 hp crate engine to the masses that inevitably will only empty the wallets of Uncle Tadpole faster than a Golden Corral discount for active service members. While thumping their paws on the desk claiming that "it is only recommended for pre-1976 muscle cars" you and I know, why they have to officially proclaim that and we will not broach that subject today. That does offer this one point. What can the automotive world offer now? When any simple non-mechanic or car guy can go into a showroom and pull out an engine that is not only higher hp than most supercars (supercars combine hp with lightweight materials. exotic right?). And then achieve speeds that will book a permanent mattress in your local state penitentiary. What could possibly be next? (^ the future of racing vehicles...) While user interfaces and materials can always be upgraded and new inventions pushed into public hands (remember when the touch-less liftgate became a thing?) we have the standard ICE, internal combustion engine, pushed out to the point we are putting tiny 1.5 liter engines with turbo's into midsized "SUVs" and they are being sold by the buckets. I put SUV in quotations because they are unibody with small engines and no provisions for the 70's standard "Utility." I have even gone so far to say that they are not even SUV's but rather "people movers" much like the station wagon, or van. An ancient title, I know. Add this all up, with the constant onslaught of hybrid cars becoming a stable in society with all-electric cars being refined to a point I have even considered buying one. This leaves us with the sad news. The Internal Combustion engine is dying. Personally Operated Vehicles are next on the block. And finally the Driver... has become endangered. So fellow LugNuts, let us welcome the "Hellephant" Harbinger of the End Times. And have a Happy Halloween! Craig is a sleep-deprived sailor who uses his limited spare time to test drive cars he cannot afford, helps others maintain financial integrity and is an Apostle to the Gods of Speed. PS: Below I have linked to the Hellephant reveal article, USA today's report on falling sales, and Chris from engineering Explained on how Electric cars are more green than buying used gas cars. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/10...e-engine-mopar https://www.thehindupatrika.com/1000...r-classic-car/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...es/1188847002/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RhtiPefVzM @kyrios_nomad #forthebuild #teamwheelwell #lugnut #wheelwellnation #thoughtsofasleepdeprivedsailor #youngamerican #noticemeMOTORTREND #Iamthewarrenty |
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11-01-2018, 10:16 AM | #2 |
Drives: street-legal go-kart Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: bowser's castle
Posts: 627
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cool article! thanks for passing it on.
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11-02-2018, 12:12 PM | #3 |
2ZR swap. DO IT! Ask how!
Drives: 09 Meteoric Metallic HB Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 2,333
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Rant: Frankly, I can't wait for fully autonomous vehicles. Most "drivers" today are just passengers in the left seat. The sooner the controls are taken out of their barely-capable hands the better for those of us that know what we're doing.
Not rant: I see it coming as well. The idea of utility sells, in spite of the lack of actual capability. The Jeep Renegade has comparable ground clearance to a sedan, in spite of its visual cues suggesting otherwise. I grew up with station wagons and minivans and love the actual utility they offer: space to carry stuff! But even with AWD and modest ground clearance, most SUVs will never go anywhere near terrain that will require those things, so it's almost a moot point. People buy things that they _think_ they need, even if there is no real reason to. |
11-02-2018, 12:21 PM | #4 |
Drives: '08 2zr swapped Vios M/T Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Caledonia Ont.
Posts: 2,938
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Welcome to the world of marketing- how to sell a product to people, show them a problem they don't have and offer them a solution they dont need
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No one ever wants to give a Yaris the point by... |
11-02-2018, 01:01 PM | #5 | |
Quote:
In reality I have a theory much like Sam Hill does where privately operated vehicles will be restricted to outer city limits or private courses in the future, eventually, it will be more a novelty than actually necessary. I hope to die before that day. I love the free spirit cars give. even if we have more nannies and things are tightening down. |
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11-02-2018, 02:36 PM | #6 |
Drives: 04 3dr HB and 04 5dr RS Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Brampton
Posts: 142
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Horses are the perfect model for how we will use cars in the future.....they are the cars of yesterday.
Although I think we are at least 20 years away from full self driving "pods". |
11-11-2018, 09:31 PM | #7 |
Drives: 2010 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Kansas
Posts: 871
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I want one...................
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11-12-2018, 12:40 PM | #8 |
Banned
Drives: 2015 Yaris LE 3door 1F7 Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 963
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is this item for sale?
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11-12-2018, 12:41 PM | #9 |
Banned
Drives: 2015 Yaris LE 3door 1F7 Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 963
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IB4 will that fit in my honda/ RX7/ supra/ everything swapped :c
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11-12-2018, 02:35 PM | #10 |
vroom vroom
Drives: lil red 5-door Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Posts: 7,744
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Hellephant Yaris anyone? It'll probably twist itself into a pretzel shape at first application of WOT
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The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish. - Robert Jackson Bye bye 1NZ... |
11-12-2018, 06:01 PM | #11 |
Banned
Drives: 2015 Yaris LE 3door 1F7 Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 963
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well the yaris is unibody so it cant handle more then 250 without chassis bracing and a cage. why the new GRMN has bracing. to prevent twisting otherwise its a wet noodle so no LS for you.
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11-12-2018, 06:01 PM | #12 |
Banned
Drives: 2015 Yaris LE 3door 1F7 Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 963
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are you selling this hellephant engine ?
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11-12-2018, 11:30 PM | #13 |
I wish I where selling one, they got on sale later next year. probably for a smooth 20k a pop
https://www.mopar.com/en-us/store/pe...cessories.html https://blog.mopar.com/hellephant-in...e-hemi-engine/ |
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