Silverado outfitted for hot pursuit, F1 to Vegas (for real), Mopar’s new turbo-six out-tows Hemi?
Chevrolet outfits Silverado for police fleet duty
Intake: Chevrolet is now offering a Silverado Police Pursuit Vehicle to shore up its law-enforcement fleet portfolio alongside the long-running Tahoe PPV. The pickup will be based on a crew-cab, short-bed 4×4 and built to handle multiple roles from pursuit to patrol. Every Silverado PPV is equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission and 5.3-liter V-8 engine and uses 16-inch rotors with Brembo brakes up front. Its four-wheel-drive capability is enhanced with the Rancho shocks from Silverado’s Z71 suspension, along with a locking rear differential, skid plates, and an available two-inch suspension lift for 11.35 total inches of ground clearance. An upgraded electrical system with a 220-amp alternator and additional accessory switches will help tend to whatever electronics are added by upfitters.
Exhaust: Law enforcement sales are one of the few volume sales channels about which manufacturers like to brag, and it can be a lucrative part of the business, as thousands of police departments across the country maintain fleets. The Silverado PPV package seems like a lot of utility rolled into one pickup with heavy-duty parts inside and out. If these are well maintained by city fleets and sold when they hit a mileage milestone, these models might make for great used vehicles the same way that Crown Victoria and Caprice sedans once did. Please go easy on drilling holes in the roof for lights and antennae; we’d prefer if ours didn’t leak.
The new BMW M3 Touring was a skunkworks project born in a winter wonderland
Intake: BMW has lifted the curtain on the development of its eagerly-awaited M3 Touring and revealed that it was conceived by a small team of engineers after they’d been ice driving in the M3 and M4. In order to convince BMW bosses a prototype was built using G80 M3 and G21 3-Series Touring donor cars. The result was known internally as the G81 and nicknamed “Bielefeld.” While grafting the front end of the sedan onto the Touring body was relatively straightforward, the rear required extensive work due to the difference in track width. New haunches were designed and a rear bumper was pieced together from the two donor vehicles. All that hard graft paid off when the show car was presented to BMW management who unanimously agreed it should be built. The story of this First Prototype is told in a short YouTube documentary (above), which is part one of a series on the M3 Touring, so don’t forget to tune in for more.
Exhaust: If you needed proof that BMW’s M Division was staffed by gearheads, there’s nothing better than this. The under-the-radar project was developed by just four engineers whose passion pushed the M3 Touring into production.
F1 bets it all on Las Vegas
Intake: Last night, amid the sparkling lights and dancing fountains of the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, Formula 1 announced their plans to compete in the Sin City come November 2023. The Las Vegas Grand Prix will be the third US date on next year’s F1 slate, joining Austin, and Miami. Unlike the other two events, the Vegas race will be held at night. Drivers will tackle a 14-turn, 3.8-mile street course under the neon glow of Las Vegas and its iconic strip–which comprises the track’s fastest segment. This will mark the first time the US has hosted three grand prix since 1982, which coincidentally was the last time F1 raced in Las Vegas. Nevada’s desert jewel is quickly becoming a professional sports mecca, as evident by their five-year-old hockey team, an NFL team in its sophomore season, and now the F1 date. Vegas’ sports nuts rejoice; you’ve hit the jackpot.
Exhaust: Viva Las Vegas! No doubt riding the wave of American interest, F1 was smart to triple-down on another stateside grand prix. Given Vegas’ reputation as a tourist destination and the proximity to the West Coast, this race will likely be well-attended. Those who make the trip will watch F1’s greatest tackle the high-speed street course, which looks rather epic in the renderings debuted last night. In fact, the new layout makes the 1980s temporary track in the Caesars Palace parking lot look like an autocross course. We look forward to learning more about F1’s newest grand prix, and November 2023 can’t come soon enough.
David Brown Mini Remastered gets amped up with Marshall
Intake: David Brown Automotive has banded together with Marshall Amplification to mark the amp maker’s 60th anniversary with a run of limited-edition remastered Minis. As you can see from the teaser images, Marshall’s trademark gold grille is front and center on the Mini, while inside the switchgear is designed like amp dials and the pedals feature play, skip, and pause icons. Audiophiles will also be blown away by the hefty Marshall amp that’s built into the cabin. Now that’s what we call a tune-up.
Exhaust: If you like your Minis turned up to eleven, then the good news is that David Brown recently announced its cars are available in the U.S.A. through Florida importer Bespoke Imports.
Hurricane 3.0-liter inline-six towing numbers leaked?
Intake: The Fast Lane Truck reported that Mopar.com leaked an addendum to the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer’s owner’s manual that included specs on the upcoming 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six. The notes indicate that the Wagoneer version would require 91 octane fuel, suggesting that it is the high-output variant of the newly announced turbo six mill. The towing ratings, which match those of the 6.4-liter Hemi V-8, peak at a burly 10,000 pounds in Max Tow configuration. Finally, the manual noted that there’s a turbo timer function built in that will run an electric pump for up to 20 minutes after engine shutdown to keep the turbo cool. We’ve since checked at Mopar.com for the document, but if it was up, it’s not there now.
Exhaust: We’d speculated that the Hurricane would see Wagoneer duty. This leak, if true, would cement that. However, we wouldn’t have guessed that Jeep would tap the high-output version for its second-biggest SUV, or that the six could go toe-to-toe with the 6.4-liter Hemi. We would have guessed that the 87-octane, low-boost version might be the one selected for truck and SUV duty; that said, putting the high-power option into Jeep’s flagship SUV is a bold move that proves how much confidence Stellantis has in the new turbo six.
