And this week was special as we were in the lead up tot he Dubai Motor Show.
The MotoringME guys brought along a guest, DANTE ZILLI, Head of Jeep Brand - Europe, Middle East and Africa, so we got to the bottom of many Jeep questions.
Surprising to all of us around the table Dante HAS NOT driven the newest Wrangler, yes you read correct.
But we did learn a thing or 2 about the Jeep way of thinking and once you own a Wrangler you will always make excuses for the non Wrangler you are driving but that non Wrangler will never be a Wrangler.
Podcast is ready to download click here.
Here are the show notes.
Lots of talk about the New Wrangler!
DANTE ZILLI
Head of Jeep Brand - Europe, Middle East and Africa
Dante Zilli was appointed Head of Jeep Brand for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region
on August 1, 2016. He is responsible for product management, pricing, marketing planning, priorities
setting in terms of market and profit opportunities and Jeep Brand’s image communication. His task is to improve brand value and achieve the commercial objectives set in conjunction with the Managing Directors of the various EMEA countries.
Previously, Zilli was Head of Product Marketing Jeep Brand EMEA and had responsibility for Jeep
Brand product life-cycle and positioning, development of commercial product launch plans and
communication strategy throughout the EMEA region.
Zilli joined the Company in 2001, covering various roles in the Alfa Romeo brand in different European countries including Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Zilli, who was born in Argentina and holds Argentinean and Italian citizenship, has a BSc in in
Communication Sciences from the Universidad Blas Pascal - Córdoba, Argentina and a Master'sDegree in Advertising & Corporate Communication from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid -ICIE, Spain.
The Jeep ® brand is showcasing three major new models plus two special editions at the 2017 Dubai
International Motor Show. Jeep Grand Cherokee - the most awarded SUV ever - takes the spotlight, with two
premières for the EMEA region; the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk - the most powerful and quickest SUV ever
- powered by a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 engine that delivers 707 horsepower (as per SAE testing
methodology) and the Grand Cherokee 25th Anniversary Limited Edition, a celebration of the model that has
defined the premium SUV market since its launch in 1992.
The all-new Jeep Compass - the most capable compact SUV - is being shown for the first time at a
Middle East Motor Show, and the top of the line Trailhawk and Limited trims, in Spitfire Orange and
Tri-coat Pearl White exteriors respectively, are on display. Both are powered by 172 horsepower,
2.4-litre Tigershark engines linked to 9-speed automatic transmissions.
Two special edition models of the iconic Jeep Wrangler are also making their regional debut in
Dubai; the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Freedom Edition - available exclusively in the Middle East,
and on display with a Firecracker Red exterior, and the Wrangler Rubicon Recon in Billet Silver
with special Mopar ® exterior customization. Both are equipped with 284 horsepower, 3.6-litre
engines and 5-speed automatic transmissions.
Last but not least, Jeep is also displaying the 272 horsepower, 3.2-litre Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
with 9-speed automatic transmission and a Granite Crystal exterior, plus the 180 horsepower, 2.4-
litre Renegade Trailhawk with 9-speed automatic transmission and a Solar Yellow exterior.
What else is going on in the empire of Jeep!
LOVING the Mazda 3, looks like a rich hot hatch!
NOW this Vette is looking good!
2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1 is finally here. It looks vicious, like the already hot Z06 moonlighting as a GT3-spec Le Mans racer. The rear wing looks large enough for light aircraft duty and the front splitter could help ZR1 owners offer snow-plow service during the winter. The engine is so tall that the 755-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8 literally pokes out of the hood. This is the ne plus ultra of any production car ever badged with a bowtie.
At the heart of every Corvette is a rip-roaring, fire-spitting V8. Anything else would be tantamount to treason, causing marches on Bowling Green calling for blood and the ashes of Zora Arkus-Duntov. The new LT5 might be named in honor of the 1990 ZR-1's (C4 had the hyphen) engine, but eschews that V8's dual-overhead cams. Instead, this pushrod V8 uses an Eaton supercharger that's 52-percent larger than the one on the Z06. The throttle body has a diameter of nearly 4 inches. All in, the LT5 makes 755 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 715 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. That's a 300-horsepower leap over the base Corvette.
Next Beetle!
Volkswagen's board of directors will consider plans for an electric, rear-wheel-drive version of its current Beetle as a sister model to the production version of its battery-powered ID Buzz microbus concept and part of the automaker's plans for its initial wave of electric cars.
Board Chairman Herbert Diess told Autocar that the successor to the third-generation Beetle could be based on VW's modular electric MEB platform. Volkswagen is aiming to introduce 30 new electric vehicles within a decade.
"If we wanted to do a Beetle, electrically it would be much better than today's model, much closer to history, because it could be rear-wheel-drive," Diess told Autocar. VW's original, iconic "Bug" version of the Beetle featured a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration when it launched in 1938. The current iteration, which resurrected the Beetle nameplate in 1997, is a more tradition front-mounted engine delivering power to the front wheels. It's also based on the same platform as the Golf.
Diess has also hinted recently at an all-electric Type 181, better known in the U.S. as the Thing. He told Autocar the MEB platform will support up to 15 new electric-powered models, five of which will be sold under the VW badge.
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