Nitro gives Dodge a forceful new midsize SUV entry
Auto manufacturers were slow to recognize the fact that women decide on the majority of automotive purchases in the United States these days. While some are tailoring their newer models toward a softer side, Dodge is almost bucking the trend by coming out with the Dodge Nitro midsize SUV, a vehicle that screams “macho†from every one of its squared-off, rugged-demeanor corners.
But the Nitro might be onto something. Nobody does concept cars better than DaimlerChrysler, and one of the hits of the 2002 auto show circuit was the Dodge M80 concept pickup that showed off a strikingly squared look that got strongly favorably reaction. It made good sense to make use of the design, and it became the basis for the Nitro, which takes the pickup style and squares off the rear, over four doors, while retaining the high-arching wheel openings.
The new Dodge Nitro comes into the midsize SUV segment at an interesting time – when consumers are turning away from large SUVs and are downsizing in search of better handling and fuel-efficiency – by offering a large and roomy interior inside a fairly compact exterior, all at a price comfortably in the mid-$20,000s.
Statistically, women represent 55 percent of buyers of such midsize SUV purchases as the Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox, and Nissan Xterra, and the Nitro aims at attracting 55 percent male buyers, with its crosshairs grille, square, muscular corners, and wheels stretched out to the extremities of all four corners. The entire demeanor of the Nitro may be aimed at Dodge’s testosterone-dominated image, but even that it intriguing. Industry experts are quick to stress that men shy away from a vehicle perceived as a “chick car,†while women are less restrained and are often bold about seeking vehicles with a macho image. Who is to say that modern women shouldn’t want active-lifestyle vehicles every bit as eagerly as men?
An assortment of executives, engineers, designers and marketing folks addressed the issue at the media introduction of the Nitro in San Diego by stressing that the corporate aim is to attract male buyers – one Dodge official used the term “athleticism†four times in describing the Nitro’s personality – without losing any interested female customers.
The Nitro fits in between the larger Durango SUV and the new and compact crossover Caliber, and will share a platform with the new Jeep Patriot. The beauty of modern-day platform sharing is that a basic chassis can underpin a variety of vehicles that might have no resemblance, but it makes production more cost-efficient. The Nitro looks like no other DaimlerChrysler or Dodge vehicle, and perhaps most important to its future is a reasonable price and the inclusion of some neat, contemporary features.
The basic SXT starts at $19,885 in 2-wheel drive and $21,395 as a 4×4, while the SLT starts at $23,295 for 4×2 and $24,805 for 4×4, and the top R/T at $25,900 for 4×2 and $27,630 for 4×4, including destination. The Nitro 4×4 models have part time and full time 4WD, and full-time 4WD is standard on any 4×4 model with automatic transmission. A part-time system is standard on all stick shift models. Nitros are just now, as October passes, being distributed to dealerships nationwide.
Two V6 engines power the fleet. The SXT and SLT have a base 3.7-liter with 235 horsepower at 5,200 RPMs and 210 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 RPMs, and fuel economy of 18 city and 24 miles per gallon highway by EPA estimates. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, while a 4-speed automatic is optional on the SXT, and standard on the midrange SLT.
The top Nitro R/T has a 4.0-liter V6 that is a longer-stroke version of the 3.5 V6 that has been the standby for all sorts of previous Dodge/Chrysler vehicles, including the former Intrepid on up through the current non-Hemi Magnum and Chrysler 300 models. Increasing displacement with a longer stroke boosts power to 260 horsepower at 6,000 RPMs and 265 foot-pounds of torque at 4,200 revs. The only transmission on the R/T is a new 5-speed automatic, with an AutoStick slot to manually control shift points.
An entirely new suspension, independent front and five-link rear, and tuned rack and pinion steering give the Nitro driver firm command, and enhances the feeling of precision control while maintaining ride consistency even while loaded or towing a trailer. A performance suspension has revised stabilizer bars, springs and shocks, and 20-inch wheels are optional to enhance handling. A sport suspension is available to firm up the ride even more. The base SXT has 16-inch wheels, with 17s optional, while the SLT gets 17s standard with bright silver 20-inch wheels optional. Those big 20s are standard on the R/T.
Traction and stability control, with electronic roll mitigation, are standard on every Nitro. The traction-control system is an all-speed device, engineered to transfer torque from either left or right wheels on the same axle whenever wheelspin is a threat. Roll mitigation goes beyond stability control and uses the brakes to slow a specific wheel or wheels to prevent the Nitro from going past the danger point where the computer interprets the threat of a rollover by reading vehicle speed, vehicle yaw rate, and the speed with which the steering wheel is turned.
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To help stop, all Nitros come with 4-wheel disc brakes with antilock, standard. For safety, the roll-detection system can deploy side-curtain airbags in the event of a rollover, and multiple sensors can also pop the side curtains if a side impact is severe enough. Normal frontal airbags operate off sensors that can clarify the weight of the front passenger and inflate at a variable rate.
The 3.7 engine is adequate, and the 4.0 has a lot of punch to handle normal midsize SUV requirements, but more important in the segment might be the interior features that men and women, boys and girls, can all appreciate.
A touch-screen navigation system with voice commands, and a 20-gigabyte hard drive that can contain 1,600 songs of your choice, or even photos, start off the technically advanced features. The audio system includes a single CD player and MP3 plug. An optional rear seat video system allows separate movies, music, or MP3 selections, via folding headsets, and they can be enjoyed from split, 60/40 rear seats that recline. The NitroÂ’s audio upgrade is an Infinity unit with a 6-CD player, eight speakers and a subwoofer, available in SLT or R/T models. Another option is hands-free communication, and you can choose to have remote start installed.
All kinds of little cubicles and compartments are located around the interior, and a key element is a reversible rear cargo floor, which lifts to reveal a 4-inch deep storage bin. That cargo floor also could play a vital role in picnics, trips to the beach, campground functions, or good-ol’ tailgating. You can slide it out, 18 inches, to extend over the rear bumper for easy loading – and also to hold up to 400 pounds. You’d have to eat an awful lot at those picnics and tailgate parties to threaten that limit.
Distinctive styling, multiple features, versatility of engines, transmissions, and standard/optional equipment, enhance the Nitro’s stand in the marketplace, especially at prices that can easily be kept in the mid-$20,000 range.
Gophers miss Gambucci-style Hall of Fame dynamics
It was flashback time, when the University of Minnesota lost a 3-1 game to Maine in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame commemorative game at Saint PaulÂ’s Xcel Energy Center. The Gophers lost all four of their centermen from last seasonÂ’s WCHA season champions, and speculation that it may take some time for new scorers to emerge to replace the likes of centers Ryan Potulny, Phil Kessel, and Gino Guyer were substantiated when only freshman Jay Barriball tallied in the game.
Maine had opposed the Golden Gophers on that same rink in the 2002 NCAA championship game, when the Gophers rallied in the closing seconds to tie the game, then won its first national title in 23 years in overtime. But that wasn’t the primary reason for the déjàvu.
The reason became more evident the next day, when the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony had a decided “Golden Oldie†Golden Gopher flavor. Former Minnesota coach Glen Sonmor, now a radio analyst for Minnesota, was co-emcee of the induction luncheon, and Gary Gambucci, one of Sonmor’s former players, was among those being inducted.
It doesn’t seem all that long ago that Gambucci was flying up the ice of old Williams Arena, playing the game at his own particular hyper-speed as another in the long line of Iron Range standouts wearing the big “M.†For one thing, Gambucci still looks much too young to have skated for the Gophers 40 years ago. But that’s when it was.
Sonmor took over Minnesota from the legendary John Mariucci in 1966, right after Gambucci had become one of only three Gopher players ever to lead the team in scoring as a first-year player.
“Gary was an absolute joy to coach,†said Sonmor. “He was a great player, and a great teammate.Ââ€
Gambucci grew up in Eveleth before his family moved to Hibbing, where he starred in high school hockey. “Then I got the chance for a scholarship at the University of Minnesota, where I got to play for two legends, John Mariucci and Glen Sonmor. It was the greatest experience of my life.Ââ€
Gambucci, a speedy, darting forward, was joined as Hall newcomers by Mike Milbury, former Boston Bruins defenseman who moved from general manager to vice president of the New York Islanders this year. Milbury furthered the college perspective of the weekend, because he grew up in the Boston area and played at Colgate before making it with the Bruins.
The late Milt (Curly) Brink, also from Eveleth, was also honored, and he played st St. MaryÂ’s College in 1930-31.
Yet another collegian, Lane MacDonald, who played at Harvard but had a pro career cut short by recurring concussions, was also officially inducted after being voted in a year ago.
While oldtimers might recall Brink for his smooth, heads-up skating style, both Milbury and MacDonald had a major impact on Minnesota’s hockey history. Milbury played at Colgate, then made it with the Boston Bruins, who went on to not only beat, but totally intimidate the Minnesota North Stars, year after year. As a rugged and willing defenseman, Milbury remembered those times, and also the game in which coach Glen Sonmor ordered the Stars to make a stand, right there in Boston Garden. They did, and while they lost the game, the record-setting penalty fest of that memorable night inspired the North Stars to later defeat the Bruins in a playoff run that reached the Stanley Cup finals.
MacDonald, a star at Harvard, won the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegian one year after Robb Stauber had won it while tending goal for the Gophers. By chance, Stauber’s Gophers faced Harvard in a sensational NCAA championship game at the Saint Paul Civic Center. Harvard ultimately beat the Gophers in overtime, but a spectacular moment came when just-crowned Hobey winner MacDonald scored a magnificent goal on Hobey winner Stauber.
But it was Gambucci who stirred the memories of Minnesota hockey fans most on induction day. He came out of Hibbing High School, and, in his first year, led the Gophers in scoring with 23-17—40 in 28 games, on a second-place Minnesota team — the last team coached by John Mariucci. When Sonmor took over, the Gophers dipped to eighth, but Gambucci scored 17 goals, tying for the team lead. In his senior year, the Gophers climbed to fifth and Gambucci was All-American and led the team with 29 assists to go with 17 goals.
At that time, college players, and particularly U.S. players, were scarce in the NHL. The Montreal Canadiens claimed Gambucci for their negotiation list, and he recalled going to the Montreal training camp.
“There were 95 players at camp, and one was a U.S. college guy,†he said. But he got a chance to skate on a line with Jean Beliveau – a highlight in his memory.
The Vietnam war took him from the Canadiens, but Gambucci got a chance for further stardom on U.S. National teams in 69, Â’70 and Â’71. The 1971 team was laden with college standouts, and coached by Murray Williamson, in preparation for the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.
That 1971 U.S. team played an all-star team from Quebec that included Guy Lafleur, Richard Martin, and numerous other future NHL standouts, before 18,000 fans in the Montreal Forum. Canada jumped to a 2-0 lead, but the U.S. came back to stun Canada 5-3, as Gambucci scored two goals and two assists. For that season, Gambucci scored 51-50—101 in 50 games, leading Keith (Huffer) Christiansen, (69 points), Craig Patrick (65), Henry Boucha (57) and Tim Sheehy (57), while Mike (Lefty) Curran was in goal. Those other five names are significant, because all five are already in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
Those other five also led the U.S. to the silver medal at Sapporo, and Gambucci said it was his biggest mistake to pass it up and sign a pro contract with the Minnesota North Stars. He later became North Stars rookie of the year, and the next season he signed a contract to jump to the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the old World Hockey Association – where Sonmor was general manager.
“Going from the North Stars to the Fighting Saints was like going from a stuffy country club to Animal House,†Gambucci said. “I was with the Saints only a year and a half, but I got enough stories to last a lifetime.Ââ€
Gambucci and his wife, Roseann, raised three daughters in West Bloomington, and heÂ’s remained a staunch supporter of the University of Minnesota hockey program. Since his history includes high school, college, and pro hockey with both the North Stars and Saints, he has pretty well touched all the bases for a Minnesota hockey star.
Gambucci was introduced at center ice before the Minnesota-Maine puck-dropping ceremonies at Xcel Center. His presence didnÂ’t help the Gophers much against a strong Maine outfit, but Gambucci is patient. He figures the Gophers will be in title contention in the WCHA, and heÂ’ll be there to watch them, as usual. Only now he will watch as a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
Shelby GT500 is a future-retro car for all seasons
The song “Urge for Going†has remained my favorite since I first heard it, back in the late 1960s. Written by Joni Mitchell in her most sensistive era, it flows with undulating melody through verses that discuss the inevitability of another winter, which “gobbles summer down.†She adds, wistfully, “IÂ’d like to call back summertime, and have her stay for just another month or so, but sheÂ’s got the urge for going, and I guess sheÂ’ll have to go.Ââ€
You don’t have to be a nostalgia buff to appreciate that song, because it remains valid, year after year, just as you needn’t be overdosing on nostalgia to appreciate the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 – a contemporary hot rod for all seasons. But maybe best left to dry pavement.
The two intertwined in my consciousness because in October, as the annual fall foliage color change hits its peak in Northern Minnesota, I always wish time would pause for a while. This year it was especially true, because on the peak weekend of dazzling color in October, I was driving a bright, hurt-your-eyes yellow, 2007 Ford Shelby GT500. It wore a pair of broad white stripes from its hood, over its roof, and down its tail, enhancing the yellow, which was as bright as the brightest gold leaves.
The car, the season, and the song made me recall that one of the first cars I ever road tested was back in February of 1969, when I drove a 1969 Mustang Shelby GT350 from Minneapolis to Hibbing for the Region 7 high school hockey championship game. Afterward I drove from Hibbing to Duluth, as the bright moonlight sparkled off the white snowbanks against the dark, midnight sky. As I cruised down Superior Street that was properly deserted in post-midnight, midweek fashion, the only two vehicles running were two Corvettes, parked at opposite curbs, while their drivers met in the middle of the vacant street to talk.
They stopped talking and looked as I approached, with a car unlike anything previously seen on that street. I drove past them with the rich exhaust burbling out through two centered tailpipes, looking straight ahead and acting cool, before stealing a glance in the rearview mirror to see both guys standing, hands on hips, staring after the apparition as it faded into the darkness.
The new Shelby GT500 is similarly special, and attracts a similarly awe-stricken response. FordÂ’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT), which has built several top-flight performance specialty cars for the company, most recently the Ford GT, built the Shelby GT500. The best thing about SVT is that building a car that will go fast is important, but no more important than upgrading the tires, wheels, suspension, brakes, exhaust, interior controls, and every component, to put all ingredients on a par with the engine upgrade.
ThatÂ’s going some, when the engine is as special as the ShelbyÂ’s. It is a 5.4-liter version of FordÂ’s 4.6 V8, built by hand, each by a pair of Ford engineers, whose signature appears on a tab attached to the cylinder head. It is a cast iron block with aluminum heads, special pistons, and a special induction system, topped by a supercharger, which blows a highly compressed blast of air into the intake manifold. Supercharging is an old trick, but rarely has it been done better than here, where it coaxes 500 horsepower at 6,000 RPMs and 480 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 RPMs, out of the Shelby GT500.
As you step on the gas, and rev the engine, you feel refined power in each stop of six-speed manual transmission. It has been clocked at such speeds at 4.5 seconds 0-60, 10.3 seconds 0-100, and about 30 seconds 0-150, up near its governed limit of 155 mph.
Running the revs up generates something more of a turbine-like whine as the supercharger works up its boost, than a mere roar. It is an impressive sound, one you can hear best in second gear. YouÂ’d better not try to hear it too high in anything beyond second, or you could attract an unneeded escort.
This sucker is fast, and it is a tribute to the SVT boys that it zaps around corners and stops and steers with such precision.
The nose is very heavy under the big engine, which means there is less weight over the rear tires, which you can light up pretty easily, if youÂ’re into that sort of thing.
The seats are excellent, so you have plenty of firm support for long trips, or for hard cornering. Instrumentation is very good, and I particularly like the brushed silver trim around the gauges, which is far better than the bright silver of the basic Mustang GT which attracts your eye but delivers enough glare to make the gauges difficult to read at a glance.
The audio system is pretty good, but I admit I didnÂ’t listen to more than a couple CDs because the bright leaves were still on the trees and it was mild enough outside on that weekend to have the windows open, to better hear the great tune being piped out through the large exhaust tubes.
The remarkable thing about the current generation Mustang is that it is a very well-planned extension of the best 1970 Mustang style, allowing you to let the 1971-through 2000 models slip into deserved obsuctiry by comparison. Well, the Shelby is a similar trip, recalling the 1960s era Shelby Mustangs in a fairly awesome manner. There were a number of Shelbys in the Â’60s, and while itÂ’s a point that can be argued through a weekend by Ford devotees, the best-looking ones were either the sleek, stylish 1969 model, which was carried over briefly as a 1970 until all were sold, or the 1968, which had a more brutish, aggressive demeanor.
The new Shelby GT500 looks most like an extension of the macho 1968 model, more blunt than sleek, with the artful touch of two front end pillars, sloping diagonally down and out as they outline the large open mouth of the grille. On the new car, clear glass lenses encase the headlights, for another special touch.
In performance, the Shelby will jump to 120 miles per hour with startling suddenness, if you have some place to do that sort of thing. ItÂ’s a potency that is more implied, and a donÂ’t-try-this-at-home type of thing.
Some of the hot car magazines have run cover stories comparing the Shelby GT500 with the new Corvette. The Corvette almost always wins the comparisons, by an eyelash. The Corvette, of course, is a two-seater, and while its big V8 isnÂ’t supercharged, it also is larger, at 6 liters.
On the other hand, the Shelby GT500 has a rear seat, and yes, it is habitable by humans, albeit small humans, such as children, those under 5 feet in height, or those who donÂ’t mind their knees being up by their ears if they can just ride in the car.
It doesnÂ’t matter if it falls a couple feet, or a tenth of a second, short of a Corvette in a drag race, because you arenÂ’t about to drag race any new Corvettes on your way home from work. It probably wonÂ’t beat a Porsche Turbo, either, or a BMW M6, or an F16, either.
The important thing about the Shelby GT500 is perception. The Shelby GT500 feels incredibly fast, so trust your feelings – it IS incredibly fast.
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The longest suffering Ford fanciers have taken to the new Mustang in continuing large numbers even though the new version is in its third year as a reborn and reconstituted icon. The Shelby GT500 gives those loyalilsts a bigger, badder and more eye-catching icon than the Mustang. But theyÂ’ll have to pay.
The base price on the Shelby GT500 is around $43,000, although itÂ’s pretty easy to option it on up there to about $48,000. Finding one available is another story. Good luck.
It does provide a worthy remedy for various buyers, including nostalgia buffs who can recall the 1960s, or are trying to stave off midlife crisis, as well as younger guys – or gals – who are willing to have their sensibilities blown away by an absolutely sweet hot car, the way an earlier generation let their impulses run away.
The Shelby GT500 is smooth and slick enough to be an everyday driver, even though its looks might imply it should be encased in a large glass booth with floodlights focused on it, except for when you drive it off to the races.
The other place where perception matters most is on the road in real life. I like the look of the latest Corvette, and I think if two Shelby GT500 owners met, they might wave at a Corvette driver going by. However, I would guarantee this new Shelby GT500 would stop any two Corvette owners in their tracks, even if they were standing in the middle of a deserted Superior Street on a midweek, midwinter night, admiring each otherÂ’s Â’Vettes until interrupted by an apparition rumbling through their solitude.
In my perception, of course, the Shelby GT500 in bright yellow is at its perceived peak when the autumn leaves are at their peak, because that was when I got to spend a few days embracing that beauty. On the other hand, even Joni Mitchell canÂ’t stop the seasons from turning, and once all those bright leaves have fallen down, and bully winds have pushed them face down in the snow, there are simply fewer distractions to prevent you from staring admiringly at the Shelby GT500.
If youÂ’ve got the urge for going, there may be no more willing co-conspirator to provide a way to go.
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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