By Any Other Name

It's official, with a little help from my parents. The Grand Cherokee shall be known from this day hence, as Oakley (With the runner up being Sexy Beast which shall still be used from time to time.) So let it be written, so let it be done.

Do Not Pass Go

If I ever get in trouble with the Sheriff of Nashville, I'm all set.

Progress

Now fast forward to 2014. My new JGC has a straight V8 that makes 360 horses, goes 0-60 in 6.6 seconds, requires regular gas, and weighs 4,700 lbs. At more than a thousand pounds heavier, with a bigger engine, and using gas with less octane so far it gets 3 MPG better efficiency then the Infiniti. That's while hauling itself to 60 in only .7 of a second slower than my little coupe. Now still, that's not tremendous gas mileage, but considering the difference from 9 years ago you wonder how far we could be if the car companies had taken efficiency more seriously sooner.

Great 8

Being a "car guy" I of course had to get the big V8, there's just no replacing the throaty rumble and acceleration you get from it when compared to test drives in the V6. It would be even better with a Corsa cat-back system, hint hint, but I digress. One thing that interests me the most is the progress of automotive science. You see my 2005 Infiniti had a turbo 6 that made 280 horsepower, went 0-60 in 5.5 to 5.9 seconds depending on your source (I never timed it myself), required premium gas, and weighed 3,416 lbs. It averaged 18.8 MPG over it's lifetime.

Room To Spare

There was some concern whether the big SUV would fit in my low hanging garage at work. I was fairly confident since I had seen a Ford Explorer, a Land Rover, and another JGC parked there but still. No problemo.

Bill G.

See Bill C. below.

Bill C.

Wired magazine recently ran an interesting article with Bill Clinton and Bill Gates talking together, including a really great picture of each of them. As a fan of both men, I just wanted to preserve those pictures on my blog. I wish the flash hadn't faded them out a little, this doesn't do how detailed and vibrant the images in the magazine were justice. Oh well.