(Editor’s note: The following is from Mercedes-AMG and is offered to explain why there are two distances that much be timed for lap records on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany’s famed racing circuit that has become the world standard.)
The Nürburgring-Nordschleife is regarded as the most difficult racetrack in the world and is included in every new development by Mercedes-AMG. A record lap is therefore the most demanding test of the qualities of a sports car. The times are determined for two track alternatives – 12.8 and 12.944 miles long.
Since 1997, the 12.8-mile circuit has been the measure of all things. The specialist magazine sport auto from the Motor Presse Stuttgart publishing house drives this circuit as part of their so-called “Supertest.”
For historical reasons, the short straight at the T13 grandstand – from the turnoff from the Nordschleife to the Grand Prix circuit to the exit of the Grand Prix circuit onto the Nordschleife – was not included in the timing. The starting line is therefore at the end of the T13 grandstand in a northerly direction and the finish line is at the beginning of the T13 grandstand in a southerly direction. Therefore, no complete lap is measured after the flying start. The total length of the course is exactly 12.8 miles.
Nordschleife track layout, with the ‘stadium’ circuit in the lower left corner | Nürburgring track illustration
In 2019, the official Nürburgring lap was added. It was organized by the operating company “Nürburgring 1927 GmbH & Co. KG” and is 761.155 ft longer, because the start and finish line are identical here, also on the T13 section, so a full Nordschleife lap of 12.944 miles is driven and measured with a flying start.
Numerous conditions must be met for both record times to be recognized: In addition to timekeeping with calibrated photoelectric sensor technology, official record attempts and attempts to achieve a lap time are always accompanied by a notary.
In addition to monitoring the timekeeping, the vehicles and the tires are also inspected and approved by the notary. The classification of the vehicle classes is based on the official categories of the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (“Kraftfahrtbundesamt” KBA).
With a Ford small block under its hood, the little roadster was transformed into a jungle beast
One of the benefits of having more than 35,000 cars for sale on ClassicCars.com is that there are always a few deals out there to be found if you take the time to really search the site.
The Sunbeam Tiger was a joint effort from the UK’s Rootes group, which owned Sunbeam and Carroll Shelby. A bit like the Cobra idea, Shelby took the Sunbeam Alpine, shoehorned in a Ford small-block V8, beefed up the suspension and driveline, and created a car that was a serious performer for its time.
Having driven a few of these cars, I know they are the epitome of fun to drive, and feel even faster than they really are.
This Tiger is offered on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Alsip, Illinois, and it looks to be a nice driver-level example. The seller describes the Tiger as having a super nice-running Ford 260 V8 engine with a stock Ford/Holley 2-barrel carburetor, Girling power disc brakes and a 4-speed manual transmission.
The Tiger has had the same owner since 1987, the ad says, and it is well-documented with complete service records and records from a late-1980s restoration. The Tiger includes its correct tonneau cover and stock Motorola AM radio, and it is running on Western Superlite aluminum wheels.
The older repaint looks decent but is starting to show it’s age, while the black seats look to be in great condition as does the wood dash, with all of the Jaeger gauges functioning. Even the fabric top looks to be in decent condition.
There was a run up on prices for Tigers a few years ago with cars changing hands for more than $150,000, but over the past 18 months, values have dropped a bit, making it a good time to consider one of these cars.
This Tiger with an asking price of $39,000 looks to be a very strong deal, and offers a lot of real 1960s-era Shelby-performance sports car for the money.
Sure, if you were to completely restore this car, you probably would be upside down quickly. But as a car to buy, drive and enjoy, this Tiger offers quite a lot for the money.
With all the clone Tiger examples out there, this car would require a thorough pre-purchase inspection to make sure it is authentic and not an Alpine conversion. In my research, the chassis number shown in the ad does correspond with Tiger chassis numbers, so this car seems to be authentic and simply an excellent deal.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
For the past few weeks, our editors have been taking turns featuring vehicles available for sale on the AutoHunter online collector car auction website that was recently launched by ClassicCars.com.
This week it’s my turn and, as is the case each week, these selections are made by the editor’s personal preference. And my personal preference this week is to proclaim the 1957 Dodge Custom Sierra station wagon as the coolest thing yet advertised on AutoHunter.
Yes, I’m of an age when I grew up riding in the third row of my family’s station wagon (a soft shade of yellow-painted 1960 Chevrolet), and it was one of two cars in which I’d later learn to drive (the other being my grandmother’s ’57 Ford sedan).
Station wagons have retained a soft spot in my heart, and this 2-tone, finned, chromed and Hemi-powered Dodge is cool, and then some. It even has a Spectator badge, an indication that there’s a fold-down third row seat.
Yes, I know Chevrolet Nomads are coveted by collectors, and Ford’s 2-door station wagon of that era, the Ranch Wagon, also is popular. But if you really want to stand out at the car show, you want to consider this 1957 Dodge Sierra, which not only is a 2-door station wagon but 2-tone as well, and with an incredible set of tailfins.
Oh, and yes indeed, it’s got a Hemi, a 354cid V8 fed by a pair of 4-barrel carburetors. And for good measure, it carries a surfboard on its roof rack.
The wagon is done in Sunfire Yellow and Glacier White over a 2-tone interior in the same shades (the exterior also features some red pinstriping on the rear quarter panels). The V8 is linked to a 3-speed Torqueflite push-button transmission. The wagon has power steering, electric rear window, aftermarket air conditioning and updated radio. The wagon rides on factory steel wheels with polished hubcaps and white sidewall tires.
This vintage Pontiac offered on AutoHunter has been owned by the same person since it was brand spanking new, and even comes with its original factory build sheet. Pontiac’s Firebird was redesigned for the 1979 model year and featured a quartet of headlamps, full-width tail light panel, body-colored mirrors and urethane bumpers at both ends.
This car came out of the factory in black over gray with red side stripes and a prominent Firebird on its rear flank.
The car retains its original 350cid small-block V8 linked to a 3-speed automatic transmission. The car has been driven only 49,000 miles since new. It has a Positraction rear axle, power windows, brakes and steering and air conditioning, and it rides on 15-inch Rallye wheels.
Inside, there are bucket seats covered in black velour and a 3-spoke tilt steering wheel with the Firebird logo. And an 8-track player.
This right-hand-drive car was produced by Daimler in Coventry, England, but was imported into the United States at some point and currently resides in Riverside, California. It has a 2.4-liter inline 6-cylinder engine and 3-speed manual transmission.
The elegant British sedan was restored 8 years ago and repainted in its factory shade of black. The seller reports that the braking system was recently refurbished with new parts. The engine also was serviced and the car got new tires. The interior is done in red vinyl and has a full-width wooden dashboard.
This stunning pickup was restored in 2016 in maroon with a red-and-gray interior. It has an upgraded electrical system, new interior, wood-lined bed and polished artillery-style wheels. It looks gorgeous in the photos that are part of the AutoHunter display. The Thriftmaster 235cid inline 6-cylinder engine is not original but came from a 1957 Chevy. The transmission is a 3-speed manual.
There was a time when the stars of the television series Bonanza were featured in Chevrolet commercials. In 1979, Chevy put the Bonanza name on a special year-end sales package for its C30 pickup truck and one of them is listed on AutoHunter.
The Bonanza package entailed a chrome grille and special badging. Done in Cordova Brown over Santa Fe Tan, and with a tan cloth interior, this pickup is powered by a rebuilt 454cid V8 linked to a 3-speed automatic transmission.
Originally sold in the state of Washington and retained by its first buyer for around 30 years, the truck also has the Scottsdale trim package and the camper package with its longer bed and tie-downs for a slide-in sleeper shell, as well as larger mirrors, heavy-duty power brakes, and auxiliary fuel tank. It also has air conditioning, trailer brake, power steering, cruise control and a sliding rear window.
So, you want a vintage off-roader but you want something other than the usual Bronco or Wrangler and you want to be able to take your friends and relatives along for an adventure. AutoHunter has just what you might want with this 1970 Toyota FJ40 that has a pair of rear bench seats.
Power comes from a 3.9-liter inline 6-cylinder engine linked to a 3-speed manual gearbox. The vintage off-roader is painted forest green and has a black cloth top, front-mounted winch, full-size rear spare tire and diamond-plated running boards and rear bumper access step.
OK, so those are my choices. But there’s plenty more to peruse on the AutoHunter website. Help yourself.
The late Sean Connery might have been the best-known actor to star on the big screen in the role of Bond, James Bond, but there were others, including Australian-born George Lazenby, who portrayed 007 in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969.
The movie also starred Diana Rigg as Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo and featured — no surprise — an icy, dicey high-speed car chase with the Contessa’s Mercury Cougar being pursued by the forces of evil.
That Cougar XR7 convertible, complete with Kneissl skis mounted on its trunk, will be offered for bidding December 16 when Bonhams stages its annual Bond Street Sale in London. The auction house expects the car, being offered at auction for the first time, to sell for £100,000 to £150,000 ($133,000 to $200,000).
Movie images courtesy www.007magazine.co.uk
Bonhams says the car has undergone a complete restoration and is one of three XR7 convertibles used by Eon Productions in the filming of the movie.
“Early research suggests that this example was used in the ‘barn scene’ when James Bond, played by George Lazenby in his only outing as 007, proposed to Tracy as they sheltered in the car from a blizzard,” Bonhams said in its news release.
The auction house adds that the car was a special order delivered to the UK in February 1969. It is one of only 127 XR7 convertibles for the 1969 model year powered by a 428cid Cobra Jet V8 engine.
“However,” Bonhams notes, “the Cougar was in a far from red carpet condition when it was purchased by the vendor, initially for its engine, from an advertisement in the classified advertising magazine ‘Exchange and Mart’ in the late 1980s.
“Upon discovering the car’s illustrious past, he embarked on a ‘nut and bolt’ restoration, bringing the Cougar up to concours standard over a 30-year period.”
Tim Schofield, head of Bonhams’ UK motor cars department, added, “This unique Cougar… is not only an important piece of film history but also a stunning example of a 1960s muscle car.
“We are sure it will leave the saleroom stirred if not shaken.”
In what is being called the “Lighthouse project,” Volkswagen and the Greek government will turn the island of Astypalea into a model for climate-neutral mobility. Under the plan, all transport on the island will become electrified and the island will switch to renewable power generation, the partners said in their announcement.
The goal, said Herbert Diess, chief executive of the Volkswagen Group, is to demonstrate how “e-mobility and connected mobility services will significantly improve the quality of life while contributing to a carbon-neutral future.”
“Politics, business and society have a common responsibility to limit climate change,” he added. “Our long-term goal is climate-neutral mobility for everyone. And with the Astypalea project, we will explore how to realize that vision.”
“I strongly believe in partnerships. Governments can’t deliver on their own and the private sector isn’t the answer to every question,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek prime minister.
Konstantinos Fragogiannis, the deputy minister of foreign affairs, explained: “Today is a great day for Astypalea, the Dodecanese Region, the Aegean Sea and all of Greece. Today we are launching the first ‘Smart Green Island’ project in our country, which marks a major change in our outlook.
“Electric transport and a holistic, green and sustainable action plan will have a positive impact on the everyday life of the island’s inhabitants. Combined with a pioneering public transport system, we are turning futuristic ideas into reality. Today Greece shows that it is ready to adopt groundbreaking, innovative and flagship investments that take society to another level of connectedness, smart sustainability and innate usability.”
The heart of the project is a new transportation system with digital mobility services, including an all-electric year-round ridesharing service to replace the island’s bus service.
Meanwhile, the island’s vehicle rental business will transition to a vehicle-sharing program that includes electric-powered scooters, bikes and cars.
“This alone will help to significantly reduce the vehicle fleet on the island,” the partners said. “In total, some 1,000 electric vehicles shall replace about 1,500 vehicles with combustion engines.”
Commercial vehicles will also switch to electric power, as well as police and emergency-service vehicles. Volkswagen will install its Elli chargers at 230 places across the island.
Astypalea is located in the southern Aegean Sea. It spans more than 38 square miles, has a resident population of 1,300 and annually attracts 72,000 tourists. It currently has a bus system that includes only two electric-powered vehicles.
“Climate change poses an existential threat to humanity,” the announcement quotes Margo Oge, former director of the office of transportation air quality for the US Environmental Protection Agency and current member of VW’s sustainability council.
“E-mobility, in conjunction with renewable energy, will help reduce the worst impacts of climate change. There is an Aristotle saying: ‘It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.’ The Astypalea project is a light in the darkness and will help demonstrate the future of clean mobility.”
The first photograph shows the car, from a nice front 3/4 angle, and with a perhaps slightly beyond middle-age couple standing next to the vehicle. They are wearing matching-color shirts, sort of pale blue/green shade, she with her right elbow on the door sill and her right foot on the running board. He standing beside her, their eyes meeting, their faces smiling.
This must be an amazing story, I figured. Who is this couple? What is their story? How does the car figure into that story? Why are they selling it?
I click to the next photo. Again, the car and the couple, this time the man and woman sitting on a blanket with a picnic basket and a sign, or is it a large license plate, sharing the words “The Brastads.”
Click to the next photo. Again, the couple and the car.
OK, I’m hooked. I slide down the page to read their stories, the couple’s and the car’s, only to find this:
“1936 Chevrolet 2-Dr Coupe Hardtop with rumble seat. original steel body. new shocks and valve cover caskets. new radiator. car shows great.”
That’s it, well, except for the “Vehicle Details” section that follows: Savage, Minnesota, white interior, 5,000 miles on the odometer, replacement engine, car partially restored, but running, for sale for $39,000.
Wait! What! That’s all? What about the story?
I should have known better. We never ever, ever run photos of Pick of the Day cars with people, even if some advertisers think some cheesy cheesecake helps to sell their vehicles.
But the photos with this ’36 Chevy aren’t cheesecake photos. Rather, they show what appears to be a loving couple and their car. Oh, to know their story.
Which brings me to this. At first, I picked this car because of its photos. Normally, seeing so little information I’d skip on through the listings to find something else.
But I’m sticking with this car as my Pick of the Day for two reasons:
One — as an illustration of how not to advertise a vehicle, in that we’re into stories here at the Journal and “1936 Chevrolet 2-Dr Coupe Hardtop with rumble seat. original steel body. new shocks and valve cover caskets. new radiator. car shows great” is a horribly inadequate description of this or any other car.
And two — I’m still hooked and desperate to know this car’s story. So if you are the car’s private seller up in Savage, Minnesota, please email me at [email protected] and tell me the story of your car.
For those of you who also have become curious, you can see this listing at Pick of the Day. (And if I do ever learn this car’s story, I’ll share it with you on the Journal someday. Hopefully, someday soon.)
The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee opens a new exhibit, “Off-Road Harley-Davidson,” on November 21.
“In the decades before America paved its highways, early riders had to be prepared for all sorts of terrain: sand, clay or dirt – and wandering those makeshift byways were Harley-Davidson motorcycles,” the museum notes. “Today, it’s called off-road or adventure touring; back then it was just called riding.
“Since 1903, Harley-Davidson motorcycles proved their toughness by riding over wooded hills, through stone-choked creek beds and up mountain sides. ‘Off-road Harley-Davidson’ tells the history of motorcycles designed for rough roads, the people who rode them and the adventures they shared.”
The exhibit also includes the new all-electric LifeWire motorcycle ridden from the tip of South America to Los Angeles by actor and adventurer Ewan McGregor and featured in Long Way Up, an Apple TV documentary.
Also featured at the museum are “Performance Builds from Born-Free,” passion projects from four customizers; “Tex’s Motorcycle,” a painting by Stevan Dohanos, a frequent contributor to the Saturday Evening Post; and “Building a Milwaukee Icon: Harley-Davidson’s Juneau Avenue Factory,” featuring recently recovered architectural drawings and archival photographs.
Simeone, Cal museums temporarily closed
Because of new coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia will be closed until further notice.
It’s the same story on the other end of the country as the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento and the California Ag Museum at Woodlandalso closes until further notice because of a Covid-19 surge.
‘Small Wonders’ at Audrain
“Small Wonders: Mini, Micro, Pedal & Toy Cars” is the title of a new exhibition opening November 21 and running through February 14, 2021, at the Audrain Automobile Museum in Newport, Rhode Island.
The exhibition, featuring vehicles ranging from the Fiat 600 Jolly to the Peel P50 and various World War 2-era pedal cars as well as tin and toy cars by Meccano Dinky Toys, opens with a tour led by museum chief executive Donald Osborn to be shared on the museum’s YouTube channel at 7 p.m. (Eastern) on November 20.
Motorbikes featured at AACA
“Motorbike Mania” is the theme of an exhibition at the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where the motorized machines from Coleman, Honda, Arctic Cat and even Montgomery Ward are on display, as is a foldable Valmobile scooter from Japan.
Cross-country Model T
The museum also is hosting a Historic Vehicle Association display, currently showcasing a 1915 Ford Model T driven across the country to replicate a 1915 Detroit to San Francisco trip undertaken by a 21-year-old Edsel Ford.
The museum also is selling its 2021 calendar featuring vehicles from its collection. For details, see the museum website.
Ford museum marks 100,000th digitized artifact
The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan, has announced its 100,000th digitized artifact, a Fordson tractor.
“Digitization of our collection now underpins much of what we do, and helps us fulfill our mission to inspire people to learn from America’s traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation to help shape a better future,” the museum said in its announcement.
“For about a decade, The Henry Ford has been systematically adding artifacts to our website, and today we are proud to announce that we have just added our 100,000th artifact. We are using this opportunity to kick off a month-long celebration during the month of November, and will be giving you behind the scenes looks at the digitization process, sharing fun facts about digitization and our Digital Collections, and counting down the most popular digitized artifacts of all time.
“As an institution that holds artifacts in the public trust, we have always cared for them and documented them. But the amazing expansion of the digital realm over the last decade has given us new ways to expand access to our fascinating and significant stories.
“According to the Pew Research Center, when we embarked on this effort in earnest around 10 years ago, one-quarter of Americans did not use the Internet, only 4 of 10 Americans participated in social media, and American smartphone usage was rare.”
The museum’s first digitized artifact was the 1929 Ford Model A coupe used by Henry Ford.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, reports that it is the first museum in the US to earn Global Biorisk Advisory Council “Star” accreditation, the cleaning industry’s honor for a facility’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Under the guidance of GBAC, NASCAR Hall of Fame has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention and demonstrated compliance with and commitment to the program’s 20 core elements,” the museum said.
“Program elements range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment (PPE) and emergency preparedness measures. GBAC also looks at existing protocols, along with intent and commitment to consistent improvement, ensuring accredited facilities are implementing the best and most up-to-date practices at all times.”
The NASCAR Hall also is decked out for the holidays and offers free admission to children through January 1.
Special events this weekend
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum board will lead a donation-matching challenge through November 23, which means gifts to the museum made by that date will be doubled through the challenge.
The Mustang Owner’s Museum in Concord, North Carolina, hosts a show for fifth- and sixth-generation Mustangs on November 21 and also is collecting Toys for Tots donations through November 28.
Muscle Car City in Punta Gorda, Florida, hosts its monthly car show November 21 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Mark your calendar
The Newport Car Museum in Rhode Island offers discounted admission for AAA members on Black Friday, November 27.
The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, will include vault tours as part of the regular admission fee on November 27.
The National Corvette Museum’s Motorsports Park opens its Wendy’s Twinkle at the Track drive-through holiday light show on November 27.
The Owls Head Transportation Museum hosts a “Holiday AirMail Express” car show from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on December 6 on Runway 17. The event is free but car reservations are required for the socially distanced event.
The San Diego Automotive Museum will feature an electric vehicle exhibit from January 22 to May 22, 2021. Among the vehicles on display will be a 1914 Galt gas-electric roadster that has been on loan and on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The Galt’s regular home is the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa, Ontario, where the car is scheduled to return after its San Diego pit stop.
Does your local car museum have special events or exhibitions planned? Let us know. Email [email protected].
In a classic case of vintage vs modern, a pair of performance Fords – a 1967 Shelby GT500 fastback and a 2006 Ford GT – tied for highest sellers at Mecum’s Las Vegas auction held last weekend.
Each of the desirable sports cars went for $253,000 (all results include auction fees) in the 2-day event that resulted in a $13 million total with 316 vehicles going to new owners for a 73 percent sell-through rate.
The Ford GT in all-black livery
The Shelby is a matching-numbers car powered by a dual-quad 428 Police Interceptor engine, while the GT presented as nearly new, having been driven just 9,581-miles.
The third and fourth top sellers, a 1967 Ferrari P4 replica and a 1968 Ford Mustang GT500CR fastback, also tied at $225,500. Fifth in the standings was another modern collector car, a 2012 Lamborghini Aventador, sold for $192,500.
There was also a pre-war classic among the top-10 sellers, a 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I convertible sedan that sold at $154,000.
1967 Ferrari P4 replica
There were 431 vehicles offered during the live, in-person auction, which was held under current pandemic restrictions of limited crowd size, social distancing, mask wearing and hand sanitizing. Much of the bidding was done online.
Among the highlights of the auction, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, was the Flintrock Collection, which included the Ford GT and Ferrarti P4 replica, and which resulted in a 100 percent sell-through for a total of $825,000.
The top-10 highest sales for the Mecum Las Vegas auction were:
1. 1967 Shelby GT500 fastback at $253,000
2. 2006 Ford GT at $253,000
3. 1967 Ferrari P4 replica at $225,500
4. 1968 Ford Mustang GT500CR fastback at $225,500
5. 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 at $192,500
6. 1966 Shelby GT350H fastback t $176,000
7. 1968 Shelby GT500 convertible at $165,000
8. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette resto mod at $165,000
9. 2015 Nissan GTR Nismo at $156,750
10. 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I convertible sedan at $154,000
(All results include auction fees)
Next up for Mecum is its live auction November 20-21 at the Kansas City Convention Center, with 600 vehicles expected. For more information, visit the Mecum website.
Even with rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission, Subaru says it’s new 2022 BRZ runs counter to the trend of power over precision and focuses instead on “simplicity and fun.”
And yet, the company’s latest sports coupe does have a more powerful engine, a 228-horsepower, naturally aspirated 2.4-liter boxer 4-cylinder, so that fun should pack a decent punch, especially with the new BRZ launching as the “lightest rear-wheel-drive 2+2 production sports car in U.S. market.”
Subaru says the new version continues the low weight, low center of gravity, precise steering handling and affordable pricing of its predecessor, but adds more power, even better handling, a 50 percent increase in torsional stiffness, as well as a modern interior and improved exterior styling.
The 2022 BRZ will be offered in Premium and Limited trim with a standard 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission, with the automatic getting a new Sport mode to take advantage of the engine’s 15 percent increase in torque, to 184 pound-feet.
Subaru says that while sporty, the new BRZ also is practical with a fold-down rear seat to increase cargo capacity for a mountain bike “or even four race tires and tools for track days.”
Speaking of track days, the car weighs less than 2,900 pounds, thanks in part to the use of aluminum for the roof, front fenders and hood. By the way, the roof has a “subtle” double-bubble appearance, “a nod to vintage racing cars,” Subaru points out, and the front fenders have functional vents designed to reduce drag while releasing hot air from under the hood.
A small fin at the back of the rear wheel arches is designed to enhance stability at speed.
Subaru says the BRZ interior was designed around the driver and has a dashboard display that can be programmed and that changes automatically when the car is in track mode.
Much is being made of the Jeep v Bronco battle for off-pavement supremacy. And now it appears that General Motors might be entering the fray as well as GMC unveils the 2021 Canyon AT4 Off-Road Performance Edition, a specially equipped mid-size pickup truck.
GMC notes that its vehicle “enables customers to confidently venture into rugged off-road environments, all while maintaining the premium comforts they have come to expect from GMC.”
GMC debuted the AT4 version of the Canyon back in January. Standard equipment included an off-road suspension package with advanced hill-descent control and 4-wheel drive with an Eaton G80 rear automatic locking differential and 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires.
The Off-Road Performance Edition adds a factory-installed suspension-leveling kit and removes the front air dam to improve approach angle by more than 35 percent, to nearly 30 degrees.
“This increased approach angle is paired with rocker panel protectors and performance front and mid skid plates to provide increased off-road capability and maneuverability,” GMC says.
“The skid plates are made from sturdy, 5/32-inch aluminum and help protect the lower radiator, front differential, steering gear and oil pan. In combination with the transfer case shield standard on the Canyon AT4, the Off-Road Performance Edition offers the protection to the majority of the truck’s powertrain that off-road enthusiasts expect.”
The trucks also get 17-inch gloss-black wheels and exhaust tip and special badging, as well as a spray-in bedliner and special cabin floor protection.
GMC said the trucks will be available this year. Pricing was not included in the announcement. For more information, visit the GMC website.
