WOW! A guy over at Great Lakes 4×4 snagged some great shots of a European Wrangler CRD undergoing some cold weather testing.

Even better, it’s plated as a manufacturer’s vehicle, and, in his words “five guys ran him off” while snapping pics - seems like we might be getting the diesel Wrangler sooner than later! Excellent news.

Pic credits to MuddyPaws over at Great Lakes for posting these up. He’s got more pics posted including a great shot of a 2 door Unlimited model…

I wonder if that intake will become this year’s “must have” mod? …and it’d be great to know if Jeep did anything to reposition the oil filter on the 2.8 litre engine. In the Liberty is was dangerously exposed from the underside and could have been very easily damaged when offroading. I’m sure the aftermarket would have sprung to the need and created a special skid for it, but really, the best solution would end up being a relo kit and stand alone filter.

Jeep(R) and Marvel Comics Invite Consumers to Create Their Own Jeep Adventure by Helping Write an Online Comic Book Featuring the All-New 2007 Jeep Patriot Compact SUV

Online adventure story called “The Patriot Factor” - All-new Jeep Patriot helps four heroes outfox villains and solve a mystery - Consumers can register on the Web to submit story ideas at Jeep.com - Participants can receive original artwork, authorship credit and copies of printed book

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — In a nationwide promotion for the all-new 2007 Jeep(R) Patriot compact sport-utility vehicle (SUV), the Jeep brand and Marvel Comics today announced “The Patriot Factor,” an on-line adventure comic book whose story line will be provided by consumers.

The four young protagonists of “The Patriot Factor” are thrust into an adventure whose success depends, in part, on their 2007 Jeep Patriots. Beginning at noon (EST) on Feb. 8, readers can propose action and dialogue for the panels of each chapter of “The Patriot Factor” at www.patriotfactor.com, (which also can be reached from the brand’s main Web site, www.Jeep.com). A team of reviewers from the Jeep brand and Marvel Comics will select the best submissions. In addition:

- Participants whose ideas are selected as inspiration for the 20-page,
online comic book will receive the original illustrated panel created
by accomplished Marvel artist Bing Cansino. They also will be listed as
authors in the printed book, which will be 28 pages. (The additional
pages are the front and back covers, and advertising.)

- The first 100,000 fans who register online by providing their contact
information will receive the 28-page version of “The Patriot Factor.”

“At a base price of $14,985, the 2007 Jeep Patriot is designed to attract a younger customer who has always wanted a Jeep but couldn’t afford one,” Jay Kuhnie, Director-Jeep Communications, said. “With the explosion of online communities, the expansion of the comic book genre into film and video games, and the continued popularity of comic books, ‘The Patriot Factor’ is an excellent way to introduce the Jeep Patriot to and engage our target audience with the product and the Jeep brand.

“While there have been online comic books before, ‘The Patriot Factor’ is unique because it uses product integration to help initiate and sustain a creative collaboration between artist and reader,” Kuhnie said.

Robert Sabouni, Vice President of Business Development, Marvel Entertainment, added, “The huge Marvel fan base is a very active community. Our readers are always getting in touch with us and providing comments on fan sites about our various comic book series. This project is really exciting in that it provides our legions of fans, and fans of the action genre in general, with a unique interactive experience enabling them the rare opportunity to directly impact a comic book story.”

To kick off the story line, Cansino has completed the first five pages of “The Patriot Factor.” How the adventure unfolds after that will depend largely on the imagination of consumers.

The story takes place in an unnamed large city. It begins when Ryan Singer, an acclaimed electronic musician and producer, composes a song using a musical structure based on a series of numbers he overheard two strangers whispering. The story kicks into high gear when the strangers later show up at Singer’s loft, apparently intent on mayhem. Quickly pulled into the story are Singer’s wife, Natalie, and his best friend, Joe Starks. A fourth character, Mason Black, is the behind-the-scenes majordomo of the trio, providing them advice, encouragement and gear, similar to Charlie in the 1970s hit TV show, “Charlie’s Angels.”

The first five pages of “The Patriot Factor” will go on-line first; 15 additional pages will be added in the coming weeks. The panels on pages six and seven are blank, awaiting reader input. They will be writing toward the first panel of page eight, which also is available for viewing. After Cansino illustrates pages six and seven, using the selected consumer suggestions, he will also complete page eight. The process then repeats itself: Online viewers will be given pages nine and 10 to fill in, guided by the opening panel on page 11, and so on through completion.

“Even though Jeep Patriots will be driven by the protagonists, ‘The Patriot Factor’ is not intended to be an adventure story about the Jeep Patriot,” Kuhnie said. “Instead, we want consumers to tell us how the capabilities and features of the Jeep Patriot will help this one-of-a-kind adventure story move forward.”

In one scene, for example, Starks finds a clever use for the vehicle’s flip-down rear speakers that helps chase away the “bad guys.”

Among key elements of the project:

- The plot of “The Patriot Factor” is drawn from the
action/suspense/thriller genre with cues inspired by authors like Ian
Fleming, Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum.

- “The Patriot Factor” and its four characters personify the core values
of the Jeep brand: freedom, adventure, mastery and authenticity.

Based on the Jeep Patriot concept vehicle first introduced at the 2005 International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany, the 2007 Jeep Patriot is a modern interpretation of traditional Jeep styling. Jeep Patriot combines the packaging and interior flexibility of an SUV with the performance, handling, fuel economy and price of a compact car or small pickup. Safety features, such as standard side-curtain air bags and standard Electronic Stability Program (ESP), add to Jeep Patriot’s tremendous value.

All-new Jeep technology gives Patriot more capability than any other vehicle in its class. The Jeep Patriot will be available in the United States and Canada in three drive configurations: front-wheel drive, Freedom Drive I(TM) (a full-time, active four-wheel-drive system with lock mode) and Freedom Drive II(TM) Off-Road Package (a full-time, active four-wheel-drive system with low range that provides true Jeep 4×4 Trail Rated(R) capability).

“The Trail Rated Jeep Patriot is the most capable 4×4 in the compact SUV segment,” John Plecha, Director-Jeep Marketing and Global Communications, said. “Jeep Patriot’s capability, combined with its classic Jeep design, interior flexibility and terrific fuel efficiency, will attract new buyers to the Jeep brand.”

So, while I was looking for a magazine on Porsches today (planning for my mid-life crisis in a few years. ), I found this brand new magazine.

It’s focus is Jeeps and the Jeep lifestyle.

Now, I was skeptical when I first picked it up - I mean isn’t there enough print rags targeting Jeep owners already?

Well, turns out this one has legs. Jrations is well thought out.

It’s basically the same format as all the rest - normal size, glossy pages, full color. The same compliment of excellent advertisers you’ll see in all the other mags, plus a few niche guys possibly taking advantage of lower ad rates due to this being a new-ish pub.

I snagged issue #4 from my local newsstand, and when I sat down, I expected to see the usual mix of Jeep junk I’ve grown accustomed to when reading JP magazine.

Man, was I off the mark.

They covered it all:

Overall, this new magazine easily outshine JP Magazine. No stupid “junkyard build up to fit 44″ tall tires on an oddball Jeep in here”. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE oddball Jeeps, and I like the capabilities of something that big & built, but really, it’s just not something I could reasonably fit in my life.

Well, I say it outshines JP Magazine, but really, it’s just my opinion of it. It’s much more “me” than JP has become. It’s everything I’d want in a magazine focused on this niche. I’m willing to bet there are tens of thousands of others out there just like me, too. This new magazine isn’t as “hard-core” as some others, but most Jeep owners aren’t “hard-core” either. They like the lifestyle, the image and to tinker a bit here and there. They love the brand, it’s history and the image it portrays - all of this is showcased in this new magazine.

Get out there, get a copy, support this one folks - it’s everything the Jeep lifestyle needs in a print publication. It features great rigs, how-to articles, gear you should have, safety tips, Q & A on tech stuff, and loads more.

I’m pretty happy I slapped the coin down for this one today.

Disclosure: For the record, the folks over at Jrations have no idea about this article. I plan on contacting them so they will know, but right now, as I write this and post it, they have no knowledge of my thoughts on their magazine - so no, they didn’t pay me to do this.

The making of video of how they got the jeep on the wall at the Jeep booth during the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It’s pretty impressive to see a 2007 Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited parked vertically on a wall of rock. The video explains the making of this addition to the auto show booth and what it took to do it safely.

Man, this little video is great! About 10 minutes of archival footage that outlines the history of the origin of the original Jeep - told in the first person.

So, if you like Jeeps and their history, you’ll love this video - excellent work by the director.

More geared to onroad folks, but they give a decent overview of the newest model.

One thing that stood out to me was the comment one of the guys made about it being a good move they went back to the round headlight grille a “few years ago”. yeah, you could say it’s been a few years since that change…LOL …and yes, this is a review of the 2007 model.

This is some serious offroading - about 10 minutes of it, in fact.

This is the sort of stuff I LOVE - tight, technical and a real test of driver skill, confidence and vehicle awareness.

This is a game of inches, not miles. And sometimes, even inches would be a luxury. (Same the smarmy jokes…)

Amazing what a stock Jeep on street tires is capable of. Granted, this would have been a harrowing plummet had there been loose gravel, sand or shale on the hill.

Still, for all you stockers out there - be amazed:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — DaimlerChrysler Remarketing has named Greensboro Auto Auction in Greensboro, N.C., as Auction of the Year. This is the third time in the last five years that Greensboro Auto Auction has been selected by DaimlerChrysler Remarketing as its top- performing auction.

Greensboro Auto Auction, one of 24 DaimlerChrysler affiliated auctions, was recognized for providing the highest residual values, quality and customer service to DaimlerChrysler and its Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge dealers in 2006.

“Since becoming a DaimlerChrysler affiliated auction in 1988, Greensboro Auto Auction has grown to be one of our largest and best-performing auctions in the nation, and securing this award in three of the last five years demonstrates that,” said Peter Grady, Director - DaimlerChrysler Motors Remarketing. “We greatly appreciate their continued commitment to providing the highest quality vehicles in support of our dealers’ retail sales efforts.”

Greensboro Auto Auction features a 24-lane facility situated on 235 acres. The auction sold 19,350 used Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles in 2006 and is also a member of the National and Southern Auto Auction Association.

DaimlerChrysler Remarketing sells vehicles to all Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers in the U.S., via 24 affiliated auctions throughout the U.S.

…to which I have to say, BFD.

So this announcement is meant to show that DC is thankful to the auction that made it the most money and moved the most units? They “awarded” them what? Seems to me you’re # 1 based on performance, so they moved the most units at the best profits for DC - yippee…all that means is more buyers ended up paying more for used vehicles, IMO.

Too bad - the last Libby CRD I test drove was hardly worth the price tag - and I’m a diesel fan & a Jeep guy. The plastic was cheap, the overall interior design was somehow lacking. Everything was there, but it was like it was molded as one giant piece, cut up and slipped into place.

Oh well - the good news is announcements like this mean there’s still some profits rolling in at DC - better than can be said for GM and Ford these days…

MEDFORD, Ore., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ — For the cost of just one $5 ticket, one lucky participant can win a brand new PT Cruiser from Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Medford. However, five area high schools are already winners.

Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Medford teamed up with Kids Unlimited for the 2nd annual Kids Unlimited-Lithia Give-Away. The partnering organizations began selling the $5 tickets early this year and will continue until the April 7 Grand Prize drawing. A full ninety percent of the proceeds will be distributed among North Medford, South Medford, Crater, Phoenix and Eagle Point High Schools. The remaining ten percent will go to support Kids Unlimited.

“At Lithia Motors we put a premium on giving back to the community,” said Rich Summers, General Manager of Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Medford. “And as residents of the Medford area we want do everything possible to support our schools and teachers in doing their invaluable work, so this program is a natural for us.”

“Last year we exceeded our goal and raised $29,000 for the schools. This year we hope to blow by that number and provide an even greater return,” said Summers. “With the experience and expertise of the Kids Unlimited team, as well as the donated air time and promotional efforts provided by the Radio Medford Group and Charter Communication, we think we can hit even our most lofty goals.”

“The strength of our community is built upon the quality of the youth we develop through our schools, our extra-curricular activities, our sports and our youth enrichment activities,” said Jane McAlvage, Project Manager with Kids Unlimited. “The Kids Unlimited-Lithia Give-Away is a great opportunity to support these programs and we’re counting on the community to come through for us again with strong ticket purchases.”

Funds raised by the Kids Unlimited-Lithia Give-Away are used to support high school programs that link students with quality leadership and enrichment activities.

For more on the program or our dealership, visit us on the web at www.lithiadodge.com.

For more information on Kids Unlimited’s youth programs, visit www.kidsunlimitedoforegon.org.