S80’s all-wheel drive seeks better grip on midwest sales
SHAKOPEE, MN. — WeÂ’ve been known to actually have a touch of snow in Minnesota by mid-October, although thatÂ’s probably not what “Minnesota Nice†advocates refer to when discussing the regionÂ’s quality of life. Volvo officials considered both features – MinnesotaÂ’s quality of life and snowy winters – when it introduced its new S80 sedan.
Instead of summoning the automotive journalists to some flashy resort on the West Coast, Volvo decided to go to the people, the core of its consumers, and introduced the S80 at something called the Volvo All-Wheel-Drive Test, on the asphalt parking lot of the Valley Fair the amusement park in the Minneapolis suburb of Shakopee. The event, held both Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, provided an opportunity for potential buyers to check out the new S80, by look, by feel, and also by putting it through emergency-handling and evasive maneuvers between the cones of a twisty layout, which also included a slippery skidpad.
Volvo officials were careful to warn the drivers that it wasn’t a race, or even a timed autocross event, just the chance to experience the car’s capabilities. Through three sessions each day, most of the drivers came away impressed with the S80, although very few of them tried to push the cars beyond a respectful, careful pace. In short, it was what you might expect from a “traditional†Volvo event. Volvo didn’t intend for the event to be a media introduction, although the company had allowed me to road-test the first S80 to arrive, and also invited me to come out to the introduction. So somebody pushed the S80 to tire-squealing limits.
They heckled me when I nicked a couple of cones on a couple of the hottest laps I made. There was a bit of swaying and screeching in the hardest swerves, but the S80 was always predictable. On the skidpad, you could floor the throttle and feel all four tires grappling with the slipperiness but getting started, almost immediately, and staying in a straight trajectory. Zig-zagging around a slalom, or abrupt switchbacks, were no problem.
When it comes to problems, VolvoÂ’s biggest one is convincing buyers there may be some closet hot-rodders lurking back in Gothenburg in the engineering ward. The Swedish auto company, long known for unparalleled safety characteristics, has only recently started to accompany its ultra-safe vehicles with sporty design, and even high-performance handling.
The addition of a potent, 300-horsepower application to the S60 R midsize sedan, with a turbocharged five-cylinder engine, six-speed stick shift, all-wheel drive, and upgraded handling, was clear evidence as an early-2004 model. Now Volvo bolsters its largest and most luxurious sedan with some tendencies that might best be described as adventurous, if not high-performance.
Aimed at upscale cars such as the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, Lexus ES-300, Cadillac Seville, Lincoln LS, etc., the S80 slipped under the usually-accurate radar screens of several top auto magazines, whose listing of the 2004 cars said the S80 would be unchanged, still with the in-line six-cylinder engine, mounted transversely ahead of the front axle, with front-wheel drive.
The S80 with the six, augmented by the extremely sophisticated “Four-C†suspension from the S60 R. But the big news – and the reason for the Valley Fair consumer introduction – is the S80’s newly available all-wheel drive, only when powered by the turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder. The turbo boost is turned down from the S60 R application to the S80, dropping from 300 to 208 horsepower, peaking at 5,000 RPMs, along with 236 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 RPMs.
One of the benefits of the five-cylinder over the more powerful six is that it takes up less room under the hood, which allows Volvo to install its latest, 5-speed automatic transmission, while the six can only accommodate the 4-speed. The five-speed automatic has a winter mode, to allow starting up in second, and is complemented by four-wheel traction control. Reducing some of the punch is compensated for by the added flexibility of the extra gear, so itÂ’s no drawback that the five-cylinder is the only way to obtain all-wheel drive.
All-wheel drive enhances the safe, sturdy feel of the S80. It reacts quickly to transmit power to the wheel with the best traction, although drivers wonÂ’t feel any lurches or jerks when the all-wheel drive power shifts, just smooth, driving-on-rails precision.
All-wheel drive shows how far Volvo has come. It wasn’t until the last decade that Volvo switched over to front-wheel drive, after traditionally remaining stuck on rear-wheel drive – and “stuck†might be the operative word, in some harsh winter storms. Volvo did install all-wheel drive, but only on its Cross Country wagons, about the time Volvo also abandoned the familiar boxy look by adding curvaceously appealing lines to its sedans.
The new S80 looks very similar to the 2003 model it replaces, and adding all-wheel drive and the well-proven five-cylinder will only help its image. The S80 is smooth, if not neck-snapping, with the five, and it holds pace at any freeway speed with ease while delivering startling fuel efficiency in real-world driving. I drove the first S80 to arrive earlier, and while pushing it pretty hard, I got 29.7 miles per gallon, which beats the EPA estimate of 27 MPG for sustained highway mileage. The EPA city estimate is 20, but I got 27 in combined city-highway driving.
Another big surprise is the price. While the S80 has enough refinement and firm comfort to compete with the best mid-luxury cars, its base price is $37,200. The test car was $42,525, outfitted with options such as leather seats, a power glass moonroof, power passenger seat, special seventeen-inch alloy wheels, a dynamic stability-control upgrade, and bi-Xenon headlights, which have reflectors that tilt up and down, so the powerful beam trajectory covers both high or low beams.
The S80 adds another notch on Volvo’s safety tradition, with high-strength steel surrounding the passenger compartment, airbags to cushion the front occupants, all the way up to head-height, with the side curtain, and the seats – unsurpassed for firm comfort – have pretensioning safety harnesses and anti-whiplash headrests.
So repeat Volvo buyers might be hesitant to floor the gas pedal, while new Volvo customers will find it pleasantly responsive. In either case, the new safe and secure S80 is now further armed with all-wheel drive – even if snow flurries don’t bother Upper Midwesterners until December.
(John Gilbert writes weekly columns and can be reached by email at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Sioux preview double ‘Parise factor’ to beat UMD 3-2
GRAND FORKS, N.D.—Sometimes the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game is just a nice way to give two teams the chance to work out the practice kinks before getting serious about the season. But this year, the game took on a more significant tone, because North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth are not only great rivals, but figured by most to be top contenders to preseason pick Minnesota during the WCHA season.
The game at Ralph Engelstad Arena figured to be North DakotaÂ’s high-scoring offense ignited by sophomore center Zach Parise and high-scoring winger Brandon Bochenski against UMDÂ’s pestering defensive concept, built around sophomore goaltender Isaac Reichmuth.
So how did it work out? North Dakota rallied for the last two goals to win 3-2, and it was no surprise that the first Fighting Sioux player into the interview room was named Parise. The surprise was it was not Zach Parise, a prime threat to win the WCHA scoring championship, but Jordan Parise, ZachÂ’s older brother in real life, but his younger brother scholastically.
Zach did his thing, to be sure, with a magnificent 2-on-1 set-up to Bochenski – the other guy most likely to win the scoring title – to gain a 2-2 tie, leaving it up to freshman Drew Stafford to score the game-winner, with 3:43 remaining.
But at several points, North DakotaÂ’s chances were up to Jordan Parise, North DakotaÂ’s freshman goaltending prospect. His biggest test was a toe save on Nick AndersonÂ’s second-period breakaway, and nine of his 20 saves came in the third period.
“All the freshmen stepped up,†said Jordan Parise, deferring any praise. But he also affirmed that the Sioux goaltending picture must include the rookie whose only nickname so far is “JP,†after his famous, former NHL-playing dad.
The crowd was announced at 10,399, although there were a lot of empty seats on the evening following a huge, last-second 29-28 football victory for North Dakota over St. Cloud State, after the Sioux trailed 28-3 at halftime. Compared to North DakotaÂ’s upset of previously unbeaten St. Cloud, the hockey victory was not really an upset and was only an exhibition, but it was at least as hard-fought — literally.
Several after the whistle scraps led to only two disqualifications among several potential DQs, as Mike Prpich of the Sioux and Marco Peluso of UMD sparred in a battle common to pro hockey but rare in college. They skated away from everyone, casting aside sticks, gloves, and face-masked helmets before a free-swinging tussle that drew an ovation from the crowd. “Not that I condone fighting,†said North Dakota coach Dean Blais, “but that WAS a good one.Ââ€
Both teams fought hard to score, too. Reichmuth stood firm with 24 of his 31 saves in the first two periods for UMD, while Jordan Parise had less work, with 12 of his 20 saves in the third period. Parise got the UND call, after returning veteran Jake Brandt was suspended for a game for a misdemeanor violation regarding stolen pull-tabs in his hometown of Roseau, Minn.
“Jordan Parise made two saves right at the start, then on that breakaway, he gave us a chance to win the game,†said Blais. “Reichmuth played good for them, but you expect that, because heÂ’s proven heÂ’s one of the best in the league.Ââ€
Reichmuth was primarily responsible for harnessing the big Sioux line of Zach Parise centering freshman Brady Murray and Bochenski, which contributed 13 missiles to North DakotaÂ’s 34-22 shot advantage. He also blanked all eight North Dakota power plays, while UMD went 1-for-6.
For good measure, UMD opened the scoring when Tim Stapleton glanced one in off the far pipe for a shorthanded goal five minutes into the game, meaning the Bulldogs outscored the Sioux 1-0 during the eight Sioux power plays.
Nick Fuher tied it 1-1 when he mishit a 4-on-4 set-up from Colby Geneway and the change-up fooled Reichmuth midway through the first period. Then the teams battled at 1-1 until early in the third.
Junior Lessard put away a Tyler Brosz power-play feed for a 2-1 UMD lead to open the third, but the big Sioux line regained the tie when Parise got the puck from Murray, and ducked up the left boards for a 2-on-1. Parise, who had faked a pass to Bochenski before shooting one off the crossbar on a second-period 2-on-1, learned the easier route to a point by moving in for a shot, then passing across the crease, where Bochenski chipped in a deflection at the right edge.
Bochenski, who scored 35 goals last season, has the resident best Sioux scoring hands, but he might have an understudy in Stafford, whose game-winner came 10 minutes later, when he shot quickly in traffic from point-blank range after Quinn FylingÂ’s pass out from behind the net. “HeÂ’s got great hands,†said Blais. “Stafford might still be 17, or else he just turned 18, but heÂ’s got great hands, and we need some guys who can finish.Ââ€
The finish was not pleasing to UMD coach Scott Sandelin, but he shrugged it off. “It was just like I expected,†he said. “Some good, some bad, and it got a little sloppy defensively out there. But there was a lot of intensity, and thereÂ’s going to be a lot of these games – just like last year.Ââ€
Costly audio system has 2004 Acura TL for wrapper
SEATTLE, WA. — On October 6, audiophiles and common music fans alike can check out the newest boundary for contemporary audio systems. In fact, customers will even be able to purchase the system, for $33,000.
OK, so $33,000 may seem a bit excessive, even for the greatest audio system ever devised, but in this case, you happen to get the system encased in a very good automobile — the Acura TL. The completely renovated mainstream mid-luxury sedan from HondaÂ’s upscale branch, every Acura TL will come with the ELS 5.1 DVD Surround Sound audio system as standard equipment. The system was designed by Elliot Scheiner, in collaboration with Panasonic.
The car can command full automotive attention by itself. It is aimed at recapturing the lead in the mid-luxury segment, which has been gobbled up by an expanding array of vehicles, including BMW 3 or 5 Series, Lexus ES, the Audi A4 or A6, Mercedes C230 and Volvo S60 or S80. With a complete departure in appearance, the 2004 TL has a wedgy, edgy look to it, more like the newly introduced and smaller TSX sports sedan than the somewhat mundane styling that plagued the outgoing TL, and more seriously inhibited the larger RL.
The new TL also has power and performance to back up the new look, with 270 horsepower – up 45 over the past TL and up 10 over the Type S sports model of the old TL – and it is available with a six-speed manual transmission or a manually-controlled five-speed automatic. A larger and much more stylish interior, improved safety and electronic wizardry, and a more responsive driving “feel” make the new TL significantly improved.
On top of that, while competitors are rushing to revert to rear-wheel drive, Acura is a cinch to increase market share across the snowbelt states by retaining front-wheel-drive on the flashy new TL. Even with the slickest traction-control, the simple fact remains that in slippery conditions the rear drive-wheels spin when you step on the gas, as if attempting to pass the front wheels. With front-wheel drive, the rears simply follow where the fronts lead.
So the Acura TL can take its place among the numerous improved and impressive mid-luxury sedans. That brings us back to the audio system, which stands alone.
Think of the person with the finest ear for sound technicalities. It has to be the audio engineer who sits in the control room of a studio or concert hall, determining the absolute best intensity and separation of every voice and instrument, then encodes his finely-tuned preferences onto the next CD we might buy. Obviously, some sound engineers are better than others, and Elliot Scheiner is one of the best, having mixed albums by the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Van Morrison, and on and on.
Scheiner appeared at AcuraÂ’s media introduction of the TL sedan for 2004 in suburban Seattle, and gave a soft-spoken but heartfelt explanation of what and why such an audio system exists. Scheiner said heÂ’s always wished others could hear what he hears.
“I just make records,†Scheiner said. “I’m in the control room, in perfect conditions, without moving. We went from analog recording on vinyl, to eight-tracks, to cassettes, and to CDs. Now we’re moving on again, with DVD Surround. Every time a move has come in the music world, it has been motivated by cars.
“When I did the 1994 Eagles Reunion album, the quad [quadrasonic] was simulated. Surround sound was the new frontier. I did the Fleetwood Mac ‘DanceÂ’ album in surround sound. It proves that old music has new life, and new music is something different. I thought that from the standpoint of clarity and definition, with discreet multi-channel imaging, we could give the listener the opportunity to be in the control room.Ââ€
Movies are now on DVD audio, which is why the sound in theaters is amazing. There also are about 600 DVD audio discs on the market, which can be played through the speakers of home DVD systems. DVD audio has something like 500 times the resolution of normal audio CDs. The ELS system — named after Scheiner’s initials — takes DVD sound out on its own, on the road, in the perfect-placement of an automobile interior.
Scheiner was advised to go to Panasonic, and they collaborated on his amazing new technique. At Panasonic, Mark Ziemba was the lead systems engineer to coordinate ScheinerÂ’s wizardry, his own skill, and AcuraÂ’s new sedan. Ziemba made sure where the front speakers were, with tweeters on the dashboard, other speakers in precise placement in the doors, an 8-inch subwoofer and other large speakers on the rear deck. Coordination of the eight speakers had to be perfect, including a 225-watt amplifier, XM Satellite radio, an active and amplified rear glass antenna, and five-mode steering wheel controls.
Ziemba got what he wanted. So did Scheiner.
“On the Eagles Reunion album, there are 14 guitar parts on ‘Hotel California,Â’ †Scheiner said. “I wanted people to hear them all. I put somebody playing a certain instrument where I wanted him, where the band wanted him, and where I wanted everybody to hear him.Ââ€
After the next dayÂ’s introductory drive, some skeptics among the automotive journalilsts had to be pulled from the cars where they wanted to stay to keep listening to the DVD demonstration CDs.
“I canÂ’t believe I got to work on this,†said Scheiner. “I mix records. ItÂ’s been a thrill to work on this, and itÂ’s a thrill to see this car here. No question, this is the best audio system ever put in a car.Ââ€
No argument there. Familiar music, now on DVD audio discs, exposed elements that had previously been so subtly blended into the whole as to be unnoticed. You can hear a musicianÂ’s fingers touch the strings of his guitar before actually strumming, as well as the full, rich tone he produces. If the system was an option costing $2,000, or $5,000, it would be noteworthy. The fact that it is standard equipment on every 2004 TL is going to hoist the competitive level of mid-luxury automobiles to unprecedented heights.
Meanwhile, the sounds only complement the performance and handling of the TL, which is so good, and so sporty, that there no longer will be a Type S sporty model.
Use of high-strength steel in key locations has increased the TL’s torsional rigidity by 24 percent, making it stiffer than the BMW 3 Series, according to Chris Dendis, AcuraÂ’s body-chassis chief engineer. Double-wishbone suspension, Brembo four-caliper disc brakes, and four-channel skid control help emergency handling, and the car attains much improved sound-deadening because of plastic sound-absorbing mats located between strategic areas and the exterior, and 3MÂ’s Thinsulate, deployed to block sounds from reaching the interior.
The voice-activated navigation system is the only option on the feature-laden TL. It has 7 million points of interest, and is voice-actuated via 293 recognized commands.
Styling touches include an angular rear, with dual exhausts that have trapezoid-shaped trumpets. The TL went from a sunroof that was smaller than the competing Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, and Infiniti models to the largest in that group. Shutter-controlled high and low beam headlights shine 50-percent farther down the road, and the 18-LED system in each taillight is much quicker responding to brake input. Standard Bluetooth wiring allows hands-free cell-phone use, without even using the cell phone, as long as itÂ’s on board and has been coded into the system.
Also noteworthy are the increased interior room in all dimensions, and the increased safety has supplemental side-curtain airbags to protect occupantsÂ’ heads, and top ratings for front, side and offset collisions. It even has collapsible hood hinges and fender brackets designed to cushion pedestrians who might be hit by a TL.
Chances are, any pedestrian close to be hit by a new Acura TL might only be trying to get closer to hear the spectacular tunes.
(John Gilbert writes weekly automotive columns. He can be reached by e-mail at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Herbie irreplaceable as dreamer, schemer, and friend
ItÂ’s been a couple of days now, but it still hasnÂ’t sunk in. Herb Brooks canÂ’t really be gone.
Ever since that moment on Monday afternoon, when my cell phone rang during an auto-writing trip to California, and I was informed that Brooks had been killed in a one-vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 35 just south of Forest Lake, there has been a haunting, unrealistic feeling about accepting the fact that Herbie is dead.
If he hadnÂ’t become one of my best friends over the last 40 years, in a relationship where we felt mutually comfortable sharing confidences about any subject, I would still feel the emptiness of his loss. As a Minnesotan interested in hockey, there is a grief that wonÂ’t go away, because Herbie was the single icon who has taken the game to heights others canÂ’t imagine. There is not going to be another like him, who can take a player, a team, a state, a country, and a world, and lift them to a special plateau.
But he was my friend, and that makes it harder to accept. He was a unique, special person who made distinct impacts on my entire family almost as if we were part of his family. Most people wonÂ’t be able to comprehend what his loss will mean to his wife, Patti, or to his son, Danny, and daughter, Kelly, and their young families. But my family can, because the loss is almost as gripping to us, and to people everywhere who understand the sport of hockey and its impact on the emotions of Minnesota.
HerbieÂ’s funeral will be Saturday morning, at the St. Paul Cathedral. Maybe by then, IÂ’ll be able to accept it, to rise from the grief and celebrate the fantastic things this man achieved, while trying to overcome the emptiness of knowing only a few of his objectives that will now be forever undone.
I first met Herbie just after he had finished his college hockey career at the University of Minnesota, in the days when he was an assistant coach to Glen Sonmor at Minnesota and played for U.S. National teams and the Olympic teams of 1964 and Â’68. He was a fluid, smooth skater who understood the game from his proud days as an East-sider at St. Paul Johnson. But his scope of the game was different, even then.
He didn’t believe that hockey had to be played in the traditional Canadian manner which became the standard NHL style – up and down lanes, dumping the puck and chasing after it so feverishly it made you wonder why you gave it away in the first place. The European style of puck-control, played particularly by the Soviets, seemed so much more logical.
And yet, he appreciated the effect of hard-socking bodychecks and fiery spirit in place from the best elements of the North American game, which replaced the EuropeansÂ’ total devotion to skating and emotionless discipline. He dreamed of combining the two into a hybrid system that, at that time, existed only in his fertile mind.
When Brooks became head coach of the Gophers in 1972, the team was in shambles. He reassembled it, and, over seven years, raised it to heights that will remain incomprehensible to younger fans, who justifiably celebrate the current two straight NCAA championships won by the Gophers. The game was more ferocious then, played at a higher caliber in the WCHA with ageless Tier I Canadian junior hockey graduates allowed to participate freely. Against players of a caliber that college hockey wonÂ’t see again representing Denver, North Dakota, Michigan Tech, Michigan, and a dozen Eastern colleges, Brooks built homegrown teams mostly right from high school and inspired them to win the first three NCAA titles in Gopher history, in 1974, Â’76 and Â’79.
A year later, the whole country adopted Herbie when he hand-picked a gang of college players and took on the world – literally. Everyone knows he achieved the impossible with Team USA in 1980, beating a Soviet Union team that absolutely was the best ever to play the game – a team potent enough to have humiliated the best National Hockey League all-stars just one year earlier, and which had demolished Team USA 10-3 in Madison Square Garden as a stopover exhibition on their way to Lake Placid.
How could wide-eyed young men named Pavelich, Harrington, Verchota, Broten, Baker, Schneider, Christoff, Christian, McClanahan, Ramsey and the rest beat men named Tretiak, Kharlamov, Petrov, Mikhailov, Maltsev and other Soviet legends who ranked among the best men to ever play the game? Simple. It was the magic of Herb Brooks. U.S. captain Mike Eruzione has said that Brooks always believed Team USA could beat the Russians and win the gold. IÂ’m not sure of that, but he didnÂ’t have to believe it, as long as he could convince his players that he believed it, so they should.
Think about it: In a seven-year span, from 1974 through 1980, Brooks coached three NCAA hockey championship teams, one NCAA runner-up, and completed the run by directing an Olympic team to the greatest sports upset and sports accomplishment in competitive athletic history.
It is winning that will define Herbie historically, including his successful NHL terms with the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Minnesota North Stars, and part of an interim season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. But winning is an unfortunate measuring stick. A better one was how those teams played, how they were inspired, pushed, conned, coaxed and driven to personal peaks by Brooks, proving that success is best measured when athletes contribute their individual best to a teamÂ’s collective success.
Some of his best players, even Olympians, didnÂ’t see the Brooks magic. He drove them too hard, to achieve something that ultimately seemed within their grasp all along. “All he did,†some of them said back then, “was let us play.†They didnÂ’t learn until later the value of playing for a coach who selected them for their talent, pushed them to expand their abilities beyond their own perceived limits, then blended it all in a web of improvisational tactics that repeatedly brought spectacular results. He called it, simply, “sophisticated pond hockey.Ââ€
He was at his best building, creating and then demanding more, always more, from the elements he started with toward what only he perceived. If his projections were higher than his observers, or even his players, too bad – Herbie’s teams were always Herbie’s Teams, and they did it his way.
He was just as tough off the ice, sometimes almost blindly pursuing his objectives. Herbie was the most critical voice in American hockey, and he challenged the USA Hockey organization many times. USA Hockey could often just ignore, or blackball, a critic here or there, but they couldnÂ’t do that to Brooks. Most recently, Herbie battled USA Hockey to forget about selecting a few elite players at great expense with two Ann Arbor development teams, and to instead invest that same money to develop a broad base of excellence among hundreds of young prospects.
He had visions of paving the way to make U.S. hockey development rise to the level of the worldÂ’s best, ranging from structure to conditioning to practice regimens to game tactics. While his favorite style is the opposite of the dump-and-chase, chip-it-off-the-plexiglass game that now reigns at the top of North American hockey schemes, he was pragmatic enough to know that dumping the puck into the opposing zone could be excellent as a tactic, even if it was repulsive as a style.
Often at odds with USA Hockey, they joined forces again in 2002, and Brooks returned to coach Team USA. It was fascinating to watch Brett Hull, Jeremy Roenick, Mike Modano and other brilliant NHLers respond willingly, almost gleefully, to Brooks and become the best team all through the Olympic Games at Salt Lake City – undefeated until the Gold Medal game, when an awesome but underachieving Canadian team rose up to beat the U.S.
Most people celebrate that Silver Medal, but Herbie never did. He knew his team fell short. Just barely short, but short, nonetheless.
Herbie was 66, but he never showed signs of slowing down as director of player development for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and as an icon for Minnesota and U.S. hockey excellence.
But to our family, he was just Herbie. His effect on my whole family was indelible. When my wife, Joan, worked at a physical therapy clinic, Herb came to her for treatment of his occasional aches and pains, and he always insisted that she was the only one who could relieve his agony.
His phone and ours were identical except for the last digit, and since we called each other frequently, every few weeks the phone would ring, Joan would answer, and the voice would say, “…Patti?†Then Herb would realize he had dialed our number instead of his own, and they’d talk for a half-hour. When I called, it was usually for a specific purpose, but if Patti answered, we’d invariably end up with a lengthy conversation, whether Herb was there or not.
When my older son, Jack, was a youngster, Herbie asked him to be his teamÂ’s stick boy. He was excited to haul sticks and stand on the bench with a Minnesota jerseyÂ’s sleeves hanging well below his fingertips at old Williams Arena, watching some memorable performances as the first two Gopher championship teams came together.
When my younger son, Jeff, was a 7-year-old Mite, Herb, knowing he had learned something about the game from scrapping with his older brother, let him into his hockey school for 9-10-year-olds. Herb came and sat with me in the Roseville Arena seats to watch for a few minutes, just as a goalie who was at least a foot taller got behind Jeff in line for drills. The goalie pushed the little kid, then pushed again. After being shoved several times, suddenly Jeff whirled around and socked the big kid, right on the goalie mask. Herbie erupted in laughter. He loved to repeat that story over and over in my presence. Even in that instance, you could tell he enjoyed the little guy smacking the big one.
Jeff was out in Bellingham, Wash., Joan and Jack were in the Twin Cities, and I was on a work-related trip to CaliforniaÂ’s Napa Valley on Monday, August 11, when the hockey world stopped spinning. Jeff happened to have the TV in his apartment that afternoon and the Xtreme Sports, or whatever, that was on was underscored by a crawling line that read, tersely: “US Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks killed in car crash.Ââ€
It was only minutes before we all talked to each other by phone. We all choked back tears, some of us better than others.
Everybody, not just hockey zealots, can take inspiration from Herb Brooks and his inner drive to succeed – every day and in any endeavor. But from now on, it’s going to be a lot tougher, because Herbie is gone, incomprehensible as that may be. And there is no one who can ever take his place.
Titan loaded and ready to invade full-size pickup turf
YOUNTVILLE, CALIF. — Nissan executives insisted that it was a complete oversight when they selected the Silverado Winery for a Napa Valley dinner meeting earlier this week, during the automotive media introduction of the new Titan pickup truck. The dinner was at the Silverado Winery. I asked if they were unable to find an “F150 Winery.Ââ€
The irony, of course, is that the Titan is the first truly full-size pickup truck ever built by a Japanese company, and it is invading the hallowed territory dominated by the Ford F150, the Chevrolet Silverado and the Dodge Ram. At the same time, Nissan unveiled the Pathfinder Armada sport-utility vehicle, a full-sized SUV built on the Titan platform and aimed directly at the Chevy Tahoe/Suburban and Ford Expedition market.
Both vehicles appear to have the potential to make serious inroads in both segments. For Japanese companies to do well in the SUV field is not surprising, given their history, but the full-size pickup segment is another story, because even ToyotaÂ’s success with the Tundra has created the impression that Japanese companies arenÂ’t interested in building true full-size pickups. The Titan shatters that illusion.
The Titan pickup will be built entirely in the U.S., assembled at the new $1.43-billion Canton, Miss., plant where the just-introduced Quest minivan shares the building, and with its powerful new 5.6-liter V8 engines built at another entirely new facility in Decherd, Tenn. Production will start in October, with the first Titans finding their way to dealerships in December. Pricing will be announced later, but it will probably range from $20,000 to just over $30,000, like the competition.
Bristling with innovations – such as a stylishly-sculptured exterior, 168-degree opening rear door on the King Cab and luxury-car rear seat features on the full Crew Cab, and factory sprayed bedliner – the Titan rolls up its sleeves for the challenge of heavy duty. The 5.6-liter V8 has 305 horsepower and 379 foot-pounds of torque and a standard five-speed automatic transmission, and has a towing capacity of 9,500 pounds. The 379 foot-pounds is class-leading torque, and 90 percent of it is attained before the free-revving engine gets to 2,500 RPMs.
The Titan is swift and smooth with the chain-driven dual-overhead-camshaft V8 and exceptional suspension. It handled both curvy highways and rugged gravel roads in the mountainous area flanking Napa Valley with equal poise. Styling is subjective, but the bulging fenders and aggressive front end are impressively blended.
The main challenge, Nissan executives concede, is one of perception. Nothing is more traditionally American in the automotive world than full-size pickup trucks. They have been called the truly unique American vehicle, because other countries simply havenÂ’t seen the need for trucks that haul the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers all across the United States. Japanese manufacturers have built very good mini and compact pickups, but their crowded streets and regulations prohibit any demand for full-size half-ton pickups.
In the U.S., full-size pickup trucks went from being workers to commuter vehicles, following the SUV trend by adding extended-cab rear jump seats, then full “crew cab†rear seats. Their vastly increased popularity was accompanied by enormously increased profitability for Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge.
For the 2002 model year, Ford sold 813,701 F150s, continuing its headlock on the position of being the largest-selling vehicle. Chevrolet sold 651,846 Silverados to rank No. 2, and Dodge sold 396,934 Rams to continue its surge among the top four vehicles sold in the country. General Motors also sold 202,045 full-size pickups under the GMC brand name.
Chevrolet, it must be added, sold 89,372 Avalanche specialty trucks as well, boosting total Chevy sales to 742,218, and, of course, the GMC is basically a resurfaced Chevy pickup with a few different features, and combining them all would reach 944,263 – eclipsing Ford’s pride without even dipping into the Cadillac Escalade version of the Avalanche. Toyota invaded the segment somewhat carefully with its Tundra, which is best described as “near-full-size,†a few years ago and found immediate success with a well-crafted and high-tech pickup. Toyota sold 99,333 Tundras in 2002, a solid number, to be sure, in what clearly is the major league of profit.
“WeÂ’re going up to the big leagues,†said Jed Connelly, vice president of sales and marketing. “But if youÂ’re going to the big leagues with a big-league fastball, you can be successful.Ââ€
For spring training, Nissan made perhaps the biggest hit of the North American Auto Show in Detroit in January with the unveiling of the Titan, and now itÂ’s ready to dig in at home plate. Obviously, NissanÂ’s intent is to continue its hot streak by hitting another home run with the Titan. To hear the executives talk, however, youÂ’d think theyÂ’re willing to settle for a double or triple.
NissanÂ’s caution might be wise, in a flat market that has been affected by the depressed economy, indending to build 100,000 Titans, staying at the half-ton level, and leaving the larger truck market to Ford, Chevy and Dodge.
“There are two categories of [full-size] pickup customers, traditional and modern buyers,†said Larry Dominique, chief product specialist for Titan. “The traditional buyers are the classic, rural buyers that were highly brand-loyal and bought millions of trucks. The modern buyers are those suburban families who wanted pickups for driving to work, towing boats, and for modern suburban lifestyles. WeÂ’re primarily aiming at the modern buyers, because we know, going in, that a large segment of traditional buyers wonÂ’t consider us, initially.Ââ€
The key, operative word there is “initially.†While it’s true that hard-core truck buyers are extremely brand loyal, especially to the polarized Ford and Chevy camps, Dodge proved a breakthrough was possible. Toyota chipped away, and while the Tundra isn’t full-size, its amenities prove that even traditional buyers can appreciate high-tech advances in a pickup world that has remained mostly conventional. Ford, which has been most progressive among the “Big Three,†just introduced an all-new F150, with many high-tech engine advances.
Nissan, however, has made large advances throughout the industry in the last two years, ranging from the 350Z sports car, Altima and Maxima sedans, Murano SUV, accompanying Infiniti upscale models, and the just-introduced Quest minivan. TitanÂ’s style and appearance might lure modern buyers, but a solid chunk of those 100,000 trucks might be claimed by traditional truck-buyers who see Titans powering right past their brand-loyalty tradition.
In their market research, Nissan noted dwindling interest in short-box pickups and strictly two-seat regular-cabs, so it isnÂ’t building them. Marketing criticism of existing trucks included lack of cargo room, mundane styling, rear-opening doors that didnÂ’t open far enough to allow easy access to rear areas on extended-cab models, and roominess in the second-row seats, so Titan stresses advances on those counts.
The Titan has class-leading headroom both front and rear in the Crew Cab, plus best (40.4-inch) rear legroom, largest interior volume (126 cubic feet). Its class-leading torque and towing capacity are complemented by the greatest ground clearance among large-truck 4x4s at 10.3 inches for the rear axle, and the best approach angle of 32 degrees in front because of the snub-nosed, short overhang.
The full-length boxed ladder frame has three skidplates with double-wishbone front suspension. The floor shifter is gated for side-to-side selection between 1-2 and 4-5, which is handy to manually avoid automatic up and down shifts in various street and work duties. The box a consistent, factory-applied textured bedliner to avoid scratches and the tendency for cargo to slide around, and also has a unique Utili-track channel all the way around the upper inside, with forged aluminum cleats for tie-down versatility anywhere inside the box. A sliding and foldaway box extender, and a lockable bedside storage bin for tools are other neat features.
The King Cab, which has a 6-foot, 7-inch bed, is projected to be 60 percent of Titan sales, with 40 percent full four-door Crew Cab, with a 5-foot, 7-inch box. The base XE worker and off-road model is aimed at 20 percent of sales, with the mid-range SE, which also comes with an off-road package, at 60 percent and the upscale LE the other 20 percent.
The Titan will be beaten to market by the Armada, which insists on the Pathfinder prefix for brand identity reasons, even though the Pathfinder will continue as a popular midsize SUV.
The Armada gives Nissan a complete array of SUVs, as a flagship covering the large-SUV segment. It uses Titan power and handles well on all manner of roads with its independent rear suspension added to the Titan platform. The Armada, shown first at the New York Auto Show in April, is starting production right now, and will be hitting showrooms in just over a month.
(John Gilbert can be reached by e-mail at jgilbert@duluth.com. His website is www.jwgilbert.com.)
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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