Of interest to exactly...

Well, I better not try to guess.

In any event, I was hauling the brood to school this morning when I spied an interesting brace of vehicles up on a car hauler headed the same way I was. Two big boxy looking panel vans, brand new, high roofs, and the label DODGE on the back end. What the!?! Looked nothing like the familiar Ram/Tradesman van that's been cranked out since 1971--looked like a cross between the full size Chevy/GMC van and a shipping container.

I figured this must be something really new--the other label on the rump said Sprinter, so when I got in the morning, I found out that ONCE AGAIN I was outside the loop on the new vehicle thing. (Too many car magazines, not enough truck news, I suppose.)

In any event, these things are the replacements for the soon to be extinct Ram van--they've been made by Mercedes-Benz in Dusseldorf since 1995, but are new to America for this year. They are powered by an MB five cylinder, common rail direct injection turbo-diesel. They come in three different wheelbases, two roof heights, in cargo and passenger guise, and they come in pretty colors, too. It is supposed to be assembled in a new DaimlerChrysler plant near Savannah, but I don't think this has been finalized yet.

There is apparently a big following for this sardine can in Europe, and this site has a ton of information. (The Iglhaut-Allrad 4x4 version does look kinda neat, in a Tonka-truck sort of way.)

Anyway, say goodbye to the old sin bins.

And what were these doing in the middle of Trussville? Going down to Southern Comfort Conversions is my guess--someone's going to have themselves a mighty capacious tailgating accessory.
posted by Terry at 4:56:00 PM