Driving in Winter Wonderland Takes Preparation

After two of the worst winters ever in many parts of the country, the Car Care Council suggests that motorists take a little extra time now to make sure their vehicles are prepared for the unexpected when weather arrives.

 

“The last two winters brought record-setting snowfall. That may sound like a winter wonderland, but many motorists experienced breakdowns because they did not take preventative measures to make sure their vehicles were ready for the elements,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “Taking the time now to have your vehicle checked will help you avoid getting stranded in sub-zero temperatures and facing a costly repair bill.”

The non-profit Car Care Council recommends checking the following areas of your vehicle so it is road ready when severe winter weather strikes.

• Check the battery and charging system for optimum performance. Cold weather is hard on batteries.
• Check the antifreeze. As a general rule of thumb, clean, flush and put new antifreeze in the cooling system every two years.
• Check that heaters, defrosters and wipers work properly. Consider winter wiper blades and use cold weather washer fluid.
• Check the tire tread depth and tire pressure. If snow and ice are a problem in your area, consider special tires designed to grip slick roads. During winter, tire pressure should be checked weekly.
• Check the oil and filter and be diligent about changing them at recommended intervals. Dirty oil can spell trouble in winter. Consider changing to “winter weight” oil if you live in a cold climate. Check the fuel, air and transmission filters at the same time.
• Check engine performance before winter sets in. Winter magnifies existing problems such as hard starts, sluggish performance or rough idling.
• Check the brakes. The braking system is the vehicle’s most important safety item.
• Check the exhaust system for carbon online casino monoxide leaks, which can be especially dangerous during cold weather driving when windows are closed.
• Check to see that exterior and interior lights work and headlights are properly aimed.

During winter, drivers should keep their vehicle’s gas tank at least half-full to decrease the chances of moisture forming in the gas lines and possibly freezing. Motorists should also check the tire pressure of the spare in the trunk and stock an emergency kit with an ice scraper and snowbrush, jumper cables, flashlight, blanket, extra clothes, bottled water, dry food snacks and needed medication.

Welcome the Fall Season in a Ram Truck

Welcome to fall, a season where Ram Trucks rule the roadways — and the off-roadways. Here are three ways Ram Trucks rule the fall season:A Successful Hunt:

The Ram 1500 Outdoorsman® 4×2 model is designed with features to support hunters before and after a trip into the great outdoors. It’s always hunting-ready, just like you. With Under-Floor Storage, you have extra space in smart places that give you room to secure all the necessary tools for a successful day out on the hunt. The available RamBox® Cargo Management System is an additional secure storage space that’s specifically designed for your hunt — so you’ve got room for all of your gear. With an available EcoDiesel engine providing up to 28 hwy mpg, the Outdoorsman takes you where you want to go, and further.

Get the Job Done Right:When summer vacation ends and the leaves begin to fall, it’s time to get to work. The 2015 Ram 2500 will power you straight through another season of work with up to 800 lb-ft of diesel torque and best-in-class diesel towing up to 17,970 lbs.

Celebrate the Big Game:
Football is a very important part of the season and it just wouldn’t be the same without a good tailgate celebration. Fortunately, the Ram 1500 has you covered for the big game. Legendary towing and hauling capacity are at your service to deliver all your tailgate essentials to the stadium parking lot —fans, grills and coolers. Load up the available RamBox® with ice-cold beverages and you’re good to go for any gameday.

About Our SONJU Chevy-Ford-Dodge Dealership

Our Dealership has built a reputation by providing courteous and honest service. Our customers appreciate the way we do business, and we know you will too. Take a moment to read the info below and find out what makes us an exceptional place to buy or service your automobile. Sonju -- family-owned for over 80 years.

 

Longevity Since 1925 

Firm Roots in Two Harbors: Sonju Motors began as a Ford dealership in Two Harbors, Minnesota, on the scenic North Shore of Lake Superior, just North of Duluth, Minnesota. Alfred Sonju started the dealership in 1925. His son-in-law, Adler Johnson, became head of operations upon Alfred’s retirement in 1966. At that time the dealership was already a Chevrolet-Buick-Pontiac franchise. In 1976 we acquired the Oldsmobile franchise. Then, in 1982, the dealership acquired the Dodge Chrysler, Jeep, and Plymouth franchise.

Adler’s two sons, Mark and Terry, took ownership of the family business in 1985. In 1993 Keith McKinzie joined the sales team. Terry took over as president in 1997 when Mark stepped aside to pursue other interests. In 1998 Keith McKinzie bought into the dealership as a partner and in 2001 he increased ownership and took over as active owner overseeing day-to-day operations.

How Chevrolet Domesticated The 2016 Colorado Duramax

• BY SEAN SZYMKOWSKI
• — OCT 13, 2015

• We denoted it in our first drive impressions of the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado Duramax: the truck tries really, really hard to act like a gasoline-powered truck. And we told you that’s for better, or worse, depending on how you like your diesels.
  But, Jalopnik has detailed what exactly Chevrolet engineers were tasked with to ensure a well behaved 2.8-liter Duramax turbo diesel engine for the home team.
  Of course, emissions play a part in the process. An exhaust gas recirculation sucks exhaust fumes back into the engine to prevent them from spewing out of the tailpipe and, right past the turbocharger, the remaining gases head to be broken down through a urea injection. This takes all the awful gases and turns them into nitrogen and water.
  Second is noise. Chevrolet included three acoustic absorbers, extra steel and more deadening beneath the engine to make for that gasoline-truck like experience. It’s quiet, and harsh is not a word that will exit your mouth when piloting a 2016 Colorado Duramax. Complimenting all the sound deadening is a General Motors first: a Centrifugal Pendulum Absorber, or CPA. The CPA smooths out a lot of the rough byproducts diesel engines create.
  According to Chevrolet, the 2.8-liter Duramax has been tweaked for optimal conditions in the truck’s home market. Chevy engineers said the engine is supposed to be very simple to work on compared to many modern engine applications. Cold starts have also been thought about, too. A ceramic tip glow plug in each cylinder of the engine is used to pre-heat the combustion chamber, and a larger battery helps get things going in extreme cold.
  Now, if you like what you’re reading, make sure you head out and buy a 2016 Colorado Duramax if you’d like to see this engine find its way into other GM-branded vehicles
  
  
  Read more: http://gmauthority.com/blog/2015/10/how-chevrolet-domesticated-the-2016-colorado-duramax/#ixzz3oY3lAa69

A deal’s a deal: Uncle buys nephew Jeep Wrangler for graduation

By Mike Driehorst

Note: We were alerted to a brief but pretty cool story and photograph on Facebook, about an Ohio man who kept a deal with this young nephew many years ago to buy him a Jeep Wrangler when the young man graduated from college. After contacting the uncle, Johnny Nation, he sent us the story.

Mario and his father, Mark.

When my nephew Mario Palmisano was 5, he lost his father, Mark in a whitewater accident. As a result, he and his two sisters spent a great deal of time with us growing up in Northeast Ohio. I had a small green SUV in those days. He liked it, but asked if when he grew up I’d buy him a “real” Jeep® SUV. Not a “fake one” like I had. Ha. Ha. I promised I would, if he graduated college. So, he drew up the “contract” and we both signed it.

As you’ll see on the contract (left), sometime around middle school, he was worried I might buy him a Matchbox Jeep toy, so he added a bit in the corner that says “real and full size, expensive.” This has been a source of a lot of comedy in our family.

In 2011, Mario graduated from Willoughby South High School and was accepted to the University of Chicago on a full academic and athletic scholarship for wrestling. I was driving a compact SUV at the time, but traded it in to buy his 2011 Jeep Wrangler, green of course. My goal was to have it paid off by the time he graduated. Mario carried the spare key with him throughout college, and insisted on driving it when he came home for holidays.

Johnny and Mario at Mario’s college graduation.

In June 2015, Mario graduated from the University of Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He was also inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society for being in the top 5% of his class. Recently, Mario took a job with Teach for America in San Francisco.

Where we live is a very rural area and many roads aren’t paved. We also get extreme lake effect snow in this part of the country. A foot or more of snowfall overnight is a regular occurrence here.

It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the Jeep Wrangler I bought for Mario. I knew when I made good on my promise to my nephew, I was getting one for myself. Upon returning from Mario’s University of Chicago commencement ceremony, I went to the Great Lakes Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Kingsville, Ohio, and bought one.

I’ve never had any trouble with the brand, plus they’re sporty and practical. I foresee being a Jeep Wrangler owner from here on out.

(Images courtesy of Johnny Nation.)

THE REGULAR GUY REVIEWS: 2016 BUICK ENCLAVE

Oct 13, 2015 01:30 PM EDT | Benjamin Preston
AUTO WORLD NEWS

The kitted-out 7-passenger crossover I drove wasn't cheap, but that's to be expected. In the General Motors hierarchy, Buick is second only to Cadillac in terms of luxury (and maybe equal to GMC). The Enclave delivered on that reputation.

(Photo : Benjamin Preston)

 

At first glance, the Enclave may not look like much. Sure, it's shiny with metallic paint and chrome trim, but it's basically the same thing as a Chevrolet Traverse and wears the unassuming bodywork to match. The signature chrome waterfall grille, portholes and giant 19-inch chrome-plated wheels are hints at what this car is about – comfort combined with a mid-century sense of style.

That's not to say the Enclave isn't thoroughly modern. Sure, the gauges in the instrument cluster are the old-fashioned kind with actual needles and there's only the most basic pixelated display in the center, but that's actually a bit refreshing. In this age of information overload, the Enclave keeps it simple. A small analog clock placed placed at the dash center just above the infotainment screen suggests there are some things more important than high-tech gadgetry. Class and elegance, for instance.

(Photo : Benjamin Preston)

 

(Photo : Benjamin Preston)

Seating is roomy and comfortable. The middle row features reclining captains chairs that fold and stow out of the way. The rear seat is a bit less plush, but its easy for passengers to access and to fold flat for more cargo space. With the rear seats up, there isn't much space left for cargo.

The Enclave devoured highway miles with ease. Its 288-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 and 6-speed automatic transmission moved the big car without too much trouble. Although I could never be sure what sort of fuel economy I was getting (I couldn't find the menu that showed it), a tank of gas lasted a long time and didn't cost more than $45 to replenish. Visibility out of the sides and back of the vehicle weren't all that great, but front and rear corner collision warning sensors with sideview mirror-mounted warning lights help me avoid catastrophes. The forward collision warning system actually helped me on one occasion.  

Photo : Benjamin Preston)

 

(Photo : Benjamin Preston)

 

The Enclave is a heavy vehicle – close to 5,000 pounds, depending upon equipment – and even with four-wheel disc brakes, stopping it takes time. When someone slammed on their brakes in front of me in traffic, I saw the flashing red warning lights on the dash before I saw the errant motorist. The panic it caused gave my brain the signal it needed to command my foot to brake hard immediately. I probably would've been fine without it but I appreciated the help.

Come the winter, the all-wheel drive (this model had it) wil undoubtedly come in handy on New York's snow and ice-covered roads.

Would I buy an Enclave if I had a big family to haul around? It's really nice, but probably not when there are so many less expensive options that offer similar amenities. The Toyota Highlander, Ford Flex and Dodge Durango all have three-row seating and can all be had nicely equipped for less than $40,000. Buick may have a reputation as a prestige brand in China, but it has yet to regain that kind of clout at home.

By the numbers: 2016 Buick Enclave AWD

MSRP: $53,630 (includes $925 destination charge)

Power and drive wheels: 3.6-liter, 288-hp V6 engine, all-wheel drive

Transmission: 6-speed automatic transmission

EPA fuel economy: 18/22 city/highway mpg

Safety: The 2016 Buick Enclave has not yet been rated by IIHS, but the rating for the 2015 model can be found here.

FORD NAMES ''WAKE ME APP'' WINNER OF SYNC APPLINK DEVELOPER CHALLENGE TEL AVIV

More than 150 developers participated in Ford’s first ever Tel Aviv AppLink Developer Challenge October 11-12, 2015. Ford challenged developers to create original apps leveraging the features of all-new AppLink and SYNC 3, including the system’s capacitive touch screen, improved voice recognition and image display capabilities to enhance the in-car experience for customers.

• Ford hosted its first ever SYNC® AppLink™ Developer Challenge in Tel Aviv to challenge and educate developers and entrepreneurs to create new applications and ideas that enhance the in-car user experience
• Wake Me App, created by a duo of programmers, earned the grand prize out of nearly 50 submissions from both individuals and teams
• The Wake Me App team leveraged Ford SYNC AppLink application programming interface to create an innovative app that monitors drivers for signs of drowsiness

TEL AVIV, October 12, 2015 – Ford selected “Wake Me App,” an app that monitors drivers for signs of drowsiness, as the winner of the Ford SYNC^® AppLink^™ Developer Challenge in Tel Aviv. The 24-hour hackathon, October 11-12, included more than 150 app developers, and was co-sponsored by WeiserMazars LLP. The winning app was chosen by a panel of judges representing Ford’s technology development team, venture capital and even auto racing.

“Tel Aviv has an amazing base of tech developers, and the talent and creativity we saw from the participating teams has been remarkable,” said Scott Lyons, business    and partner development, Connected Vehicle and Services, Ford of Europe.  “Wake Me App stood out because of its innovative use of the new SYNC AppLink developer tools that leverage vehicle information to create dynamic apps in the car.”

Wake Me App monitors drivers for signs of drowsiness in specific stages, and issues escalating alerts accordingly.  Developers Pavel Kaminsky and Shay Mishali leveraged the latest set of AppLink application programming interfaces and the new capabilities of SYNC 3 to create the app.

At signs of driver drowsiness, the App performs an escalating-level of alerts to make the driver aware of his/her condition, including audible chimes, changing the radio volume, and even automated SMS messages and phone calls to the driver’s contact list.

Other winning apps included Red Alert (second place), an app which alerts drivers in Israel to a potential national security threat, and Karpoolz (third place), a multi-family carpooling app for parents to manage their kids’ afterschool and social activities.  One app received an honorable mention, Green Light, which gives a countdown to upcoming traffic signals.

Ford challenged developers to create original apps leveraging the features of all-new AppLink and SYNC 3, including the system’s capacitive touch screen, improved voice recognition and image display capabilities to enhance the in-car experience for customers.

As grand prize winner, Kaminski and Mishali received from Ford a brand-new 2016 Ford Fiesta, NIS 75,000, $7,500 USD in services from WeiserMazers LLP, and the winning app may one day be offered to Ford drivers whose vehicles are equipped with SYNC 3.

Second place was awarded NIS 44,000 from Ford and $5,000 USD in services from WeiserMazers LLP. Third place received NIS 22,000 from Ford and $2,500 USD in services from WeiserMazers. Honorable Mention received $3,500 USD in services from WeiserMazers.

Ford will also host its first-ever AppLink Developer Challenge in Europe during Nov. 2-3 in Dublin, Ireland. More information about Ford’s developer program is available at developer.ford.com.

Shay Mishali(L) and Pavel Kaminsky(R) of Tel Aviv pose with their new 2016 Ford Fiesta, the grand prize in Ford’s first ever Tel Aviv AppLink Developer Challenge. The pair created “Wake Me App,” a unique solution to address the problem of drowsy driving.

Pavel Kaminsky(L) and Shay Mishali(R) were named the winners of Ford’s first ever AppLink Developer Challenge in Tel Aviv. The team created “Wake Me App,” and took home the grand prize: a new 2016 Ford Fiesta and $19,500 USD in cash.

Wake Me App monitors drivers for signs of drowsiness in specific stages, and issues escalating alerts accordingly.  Developers Pavel Kaminsky and Shay Mishali leveraged the latest set of AppLink application programming interfaces and the new capabilities of SYNC 3 to create the app.

App developers enter hour number 18 of Ford’s 24-hour Tel Aviv AppLink Developer Challenge, held October 11-12, 2015. More than 150 developers participated, and the winning team received a new 2016 Ford Fiesta and a $19,500 cash prize.

2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 4x4

BY MIKE FITZGERALD

Drive Editor Kansas City Star

The new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is the kind of vehicle where a front winch is definitely not out of place and probably should be standard equipment.

After all, we’re talking about a 4X4 that now comes with a Torx tool kit for removing the cloth top and the four doors.

The 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 4X4. Judy Revenaugh

This convertible Jeep comes in two-door Wrangler or four-door Wrangler Unlimited versions. They are offered in Sport, Sport S, Willys Wheeler, Freedom Edition, Sahara, Rubicon, Altitude, X and Rubicon Hard Rock models. My test vehicle for the week was a Sunset Orange 2015 Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 4X4.

The only engine available is a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 with 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Jeep says that the oil sump was designed to provide oil to the pump even at extreme vehicle angles, and the alternator was placed up high so the vehicle could maintain its water-fording capability.

That, in essence, is what the Wrangler Unlimited is all about – going off-road. It’s not that the Wrangler doesn’t have any creature comforts: it does, and they make it a serviceable daily driver. But off-roading is in the Wrangler’s DNA (the Jeep is famous for its service in World War II), and it’s designed to adapt to just about any task you can throw at it.

Besides removing the Wrangler Unlimited’s four doors and Sunrider Soft Top, the front windshield can be lowered and secured against two rubber bumpers on the hood for a full open-air experience, although at slow speeds.

In addition to a five-speed automatic transmission, the Wrangler Unlimited has an AutoStick feature which allows for manual shifting, which can be useful when towing or driving on slick streets.

For the most traction, including going off-road, the Sahara model offers standard Command-Trac Shift-on-the-Fly part time four-wheel drive with four operating modes: 2H (two-wheel drive high range), 4H (four-wheel drive high range), N (neutral, which allows the vehicle to be towed) and 4L (four-wheel drive low range).

Also standard is a Dana 44 heavy duty rear axle, a Dana 30 solid front axle, 3.21 front and rear axle ratios and skid plates for the transfer case and fuel tank.

All of that gives the Wrangler its go-anywhere adeptness. One might think that its rugged attitude might carry over into the cabin, but the interior is notable for its comfort and technology. So instead of cloth seats and an AM dial radio, you get comfortable leather, heated front seats and a nine-speaker Alpine sound system, a 6.5-inch touch-screen display with voice recognition, navigation and satellite radio.

That will allow you to drive it on the highway, although that’s not playing into its strength. While the ride is acceptable, the cloth top lets in a lot of road and wind noise at highway speeds.

Cargo space is good. There is 31.5 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seat and 70.6 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. The rear seat headrests fold automatically so the 60/40 rear seats can fold without moving the front seats.
Warranty

Three years or 36,000 miles; five-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Price

The base price of the Wrangler Unlimited Sahara is $32,795. Options include the leather, heated front seats, an Electronic Vehicle Information Center, tire pressure monitoring display, five-speed automatic transmission, hill descent control, Premium Black Sunrider Soft Top, an Alpine nine-speaker sound system with all-weather subwoofer, satellite radio, 40 GB hard drive, 6.5-inch touch-screen display with navigation and a remote start system. The sticker price, including destination, was $40,020.


Mike Fitzgerald’s email address is mfitzgerald@kcstar.com


2015 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED SAHARA 4X4

ENGINE: 3.6-liter, 285-horsepower Pentastar V-6 with 260 pound-feet of torque

TRANSMISSION: Five-speed automatic with Command-Trac Shift-on-the-Fly part time four-wheel drive.

WHEELBASE/LENGTH: 116/184.9 inches

GROUND CLEARANCE: 9.7 inches

CURB WEIGHT: 4,294 pounds

BASE PRICE: $32,795

AS DRIVEN: $40,020, including options and destination

MPG RATING: 16 miles per gallon in city driving, 20 on the highway

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/cars/article31734909.html#storylink=cpy

Cold Chamber Chills Jeep® Renegade at FCA US Headquarters

Renegade On Ice

How cold is it? Try 40 below zero.

BY KEVIN E. FRAZIER

AUGUST 13, 2015

If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.

However, this is the FCA US LLC Climatic Test Facilities in Auburn Hills, where conditions for testing the 4×4 capabilities of a 2015 Jeep® Renegade Trailhawk have been dialed down to a crisp minus 40 degrees.

Coincidentally, 40 below zero is the only point at which the Fahrenheit or Celsius scales agree, and where skin freezes and water is completely frozen; mercury freezes at minus 38 degrees.

Science trivia aside, FCA US  has invested $2.5 million for a new 4×4 dynamometer (dyno)  to bring another industry-leading capability in house.  The cell that houses the new dyno can be chilled to 40 degrees below zero  and create winds speeds up to 100 mph to evaluate how its vehicles perform under blizzard-like conditions or  heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit to simulate  the extreme heat of the Gulf Coast countries.

“Our world-class environmental test center provides dynamic and static testing conditions to simulate the climatic environments that are experienced by our customers around the world,” said John Nigro, Vice President-Product Development, FCA – North America.

The upgraded drive cell consists of a new front dyno that can handle loads of up to 350 horsepower and a rear dyno up to 650 horsepower. The cell also received a significant upgrade in ductwork and exhaust capabilities to accommodate high-output engines such as the 2016 Ram 2500’s 6.7-liter Cummins High-Output Turbo Diesel with a segment-topping 900 lb.-ft. of torque.

“With more 4×4 and all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicles in our fleet than ever, this investment will go a long way to providing the durable cars and trucks our customers expect from us,” Nigro added.

Size MattersThe extreme climate test is one of thousands performed daily at the Chrysler technical Center (CTC), located at the FCA US headquarters. It is the auto industry’s only headquarters building where a vehicle design can go from a napkin sketch to production prototype to advertising campaign – and everything in between – under one roof.

• Except for the Pentagon, CTC the largest headquarters of any kind in North America’s — 5.4 million square feet of floor space. Among its features:
• The aerodynamics testing facility generates the highest wind speeds (160+ mph) of any domestic OEM’s wind tunnel
• Its 129 dynamometer cells run 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• The facility has been running 24/7 since it opened in 1991
• CTC’s current employment numbers (14,000+) represent its historic peak
• The site produces no landfill waste

Buick 24 Hours of Happiness Test Drive

Introducing a better way to take a test drive. On your terms and your schedule. Discover more at http://www.buick.com/happiness

THE 2015 COLORADO GEARON™ SPECIAL EDITION

Motor Trends’s 2015 Truck of the Year® now comes with everything an outdoor enthusiast could want with the Colorado GearOn™ Special Edition.

The Colorado GearOn Special Edition starts with the best available V6 fuel economy†, towing† and payloadcapacities†. From there, Colorado takes things a step further with the patented GearOn cargo system. GearOn’s reconfigurable cross rails, bed divider and tie-down rings allow you to store bikes, skis and snowboards above the bed, giving you room to store smaller gear below.

The GearOn Special Edition will be available Spring 2015, and is offered on Colorado LT models, Extended or Crew Cab, 2WD or 4WD, Short or Long Box, and includes:

• GearOn bars package
• GearOn cargo divider
• GearOn cargo tie-down rings
• Spray-on bedliner
• EZ Lift & Lower tailgate
• Off-road assist steps
• Gloss Black 18-inch wheels
• Black Chevy bowtie on front grille and rear tailgate
• Body-color grille
• Front foglamps
• Rear window defogger
• Remote engine start

For more on the numerous ways you can configure your bed with GearOn, check out the video below.

POLARIS INDUSTRIES INC. ANNOUNCES HIRING OF MICHAEL SPEETZEN AS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (July 13, 2015) – Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) today announced that Michael Speetzen has been appointed Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, effective August 3rd, replacing the retiring Mike Malone. Speetzen has been CFO of Xylem Inc. since 2011, leading the finance organization of a company that does business in over 150 countries and generated 2014 revenue of over $3.9B.

“Mike Speetzen has just about done it all in his 20+ years as a finance professional and business leader. He has taken a spinoff company public, championed billions of dollars’ worth of M&A activity, mastered the intricacies of transacting international business, developed tremendous capital market and treasury insight, and generated significant stakeholder value for both public and private corporations,” said Scott Wine, Polaris Chairman and CEO. “Mike’s combination of world-class financial planning and analysis, strategic acumen and strong leadership will play a huge role in Polaris’ continued growth, and his proven commitment to improving the bottom line will ensure that we meet our strategic objective of profitable growth.”

Wine continued, “We are extremely grateful for the extraordinary career and significant contributions of Mike Malone, who has announced his intention to retire after over 30 years with Polaris, and are confident that Speetzen will hit the ground running thanks to the strong team and robust financial systems and processes developed, implemented and refined during the Malone era.”

Prior to Speetzen’s role as CFO at Xylem Inc., a publicly-traded spinoff of ITT Corporation’s water services businesses, he served as CFO of ITT Fluid and Motion Controls. From 2007 to 2009 Speetzen was CFO of StandardAero, a privately-owned aerospace company. Mike spent 12 years in positions of increasing responsibility with Honeywell International, formerly AlliedSignal.

Mike, his wife Julie, and their four daughters will be transitioning from Connecticut to the Minneapolis area in the coming weeks. He and his family lead an active, high energy lifestyle. He is also active in the community, having previously served on the local boards of both the YMCA and the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Mike earned his Bachelor’s in Management from Purdue, and his MBA from Thunderbird.

About Polaris®

Polaris is a recognized leader in the powersports industry with annual 2014 sales of $4.5 billion. Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets innovative, high quality off-road consumer and military vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER® and RZR® side-by-side vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles.

Polaris is among the global sales leaders for both snowmobiles and off-road vehicles and has established a presence in the heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycle market with the Victory® and Indian Motorcycle®and Slingshot® brands. Additionally, Polaris continues to invest in the global Work and Transportation vehicle industry with Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), Goupil Industrie SA, Aixam Mega S.A.S., and internally developed vehicles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Polaris Engineered Parts, Accessories and Apparel, Klim branded apparel and ORV accessories under the Kolpin®, Cycle Country®and Pro Armor® brands.

Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII”, and the Company is included in the S&P Mid-Cap 400 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available at Sonju Two Harbors. 

Ram Patents Retractable Pickup-Truck Bed Ramps

 Repost from original article by Robert Sorokanich on Car and Driver

July 15, 2015 at 1:02 pm by Robert Sorokanich 

Original post on CAR AND DRIVER 

Ram Trucks recently received a patent for a truly brilliant, if so far nonexistent, pickup-truck feature: fold-out ramps integrated into the bed of a pickup truck. Damn, why didn’t we think of this?

The patent, titled “Adjustable Loading Ramp System for a Vehicle” and awarded on June 30, was noticed by a tipster who forwarded the info along to the Mopar-mad folks over at Allpar, who first reported on the finding. It describes a system featuring two slide-out ramps that stow in the floor of the pickup bed and also lock into channels at the far end of the folded-down tailgate. Sliders allow the user to adjust the width of the ramps to fit the vehicle being loaded in or out.

Now, there’s a long road between patent and production, and automakers often file patents on ideas that they never end up bringing to market. Sometimes, the design challenges are too great to overcome, while other times automakers patent something simply to prevent competitors from using that particular idea. For instance, Ram’s patent for a two-way tailgate that can hinge from the bottom or the side hasn’t yet appeared in dealerships. And we see at least one unanswered challenge in the design proposed by the patent sketches: It seems like stowing the ramps would be difficult if your cargo was situated over the channels (i.e., if your quad’s tires were resting inside them).

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• Ram Patents Split Pickup Tailgate That Opens Eight Different Ways
• Ram 1500 News, Reviews, Photos, Buyer’s Guide and More
• Everything You Need to Know About the Ram 2015 Lineup of Trucks

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Regardless, we love seeing automakers come up with novel solutions to make it easier to use hard-working vehicles as they were intended to be used. Here’s hoping Ram can bring this idea to production—and help save the backs of the folks who use their trucks to haul vehicles for work and for play.