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Truck-maker to sell giant pick-up

Slugman

Frankenbike
Apr 29, 2004
4,024
0
Miami, FL
Now this is just F'ing ridiculous... can't wait to see some soccer mom in one of these, drinking her coffee and talking on the cell phone while the kids are fighiting in the back.

http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/13/pf/autos/monster_truck/index.htm?cnn=yes

Navistar starts marketing cement mixer-based truck that dwarfs the Hummer and the F-350.

September 13, 2004: 12:45 PM EDT
By Chris Isidore, CNN/Money senior writer

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - For the driver looking for more of a pickup -- one that dwarfs the Hummer and Ford F-350 -- Navistar has just the ride for you.

The CXT, the new monster pickup from heavy truck maker Navistar.
The new CXT, short for commercial extreme truck and built from the same platform as the heavy truck maker's typical tow truck or cement mixer, will be sold starting this week by Navistar's International Truck & Engine subsidiary.

At 258 inches, or 21-1/2 feet long, the CXT's about 4-1/2 feet longer than the new Hummer H2 pickup, and about 2 inches longer than the F-350 Crew Cab. But it really towers over what's on the road now is in height, at 108 inches, or 11 feet, a foot above a basketball rim and more than two feet taller than the Hummer or the F-350.

"It's not going to fit into the standard garage," said Mark Oberle, a spokesman for Navistar, based in Warrenville, Ill., outside Chicago. "We can see it a as a vehicle for business people who want to make distinct impression. For personal use, it's for people who want to make a statement."

One of the statements: the buyer has a great deal of money to spend. The price for the CXT ranges from about $93,000 to $115,000 fully loaded, with such creature comforts as a DVD player and leather upholstery.

Buyers will also have to have a fair amount of money to fill it up -- it's projected to get between 6 and 10 miles per gallon of diesel fuel.

The vehicle weighs about seven tons empty and can carry another six tons in its truck bed. What Navistar doesn't see is the vehicle being mass-produced.

It expects to sell only about 50 this year and doesn't expect it to challenge the market niche of the H2 sport/utility vehicle, which saw sales of 34,529 last year.

By comparison, the Ford F-series, which includes everything from the nation's best-selling vehicle, the F-150, up through the F-350, had sales of 845,586 vehicles last year.

Navistar first showed the CXT at the Mid-America Trucking Show, the industry's premier event, in March. It has sold a few already, and starts marketing the vehicle to the general public this week. But Oberle said he doubts the marketing effort will include television ads or other mass market efforts.

The vehicle will be available through International Truck's 345 dealerships, which operate 850 locations nationwide. Oberle said he couldn't say how many dealers will be ordering the vehicles.
 

Tenchiro

Attention K Mart Shoppers
Jul 19, 2002
5,407
0
New England
I think they underestimate the people around here. I know of three seperate people at Microsoft that commute in Unimogs and could easily afford one of these.
 

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
a Friend of mine has a F650 (similar chassis) that has been converted with a 4 door cab and Navigator interior. It is a bada$$ head turning machine. It also tows his Race car/mountain bike race trailer nicely.
 

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
One of the statements: the buyer has a great deal of money to spend. The price for the CXT ranges from about $93,000 to $115,000 fully loaded, with such creature comforts as a DVD player and leather upholstery.

Buyers will also have to have a fair amount of money to fill it up -- it's projected to get between 6 and 10 miles per gallon of diesel fuel.

The vehicle weighs about seven tons empty and can carry another six tons in its truck bed.
Holy Cripes! LOL Even I can't stomach that for a "family car" Though I have seen similiar offerings in the retired RV hauler market...custome one offs.

$100K :think: that sounds about right :confused: :D carries 6 tons in its bed.....That is a LOT of groceries. LMAO

I think the Navigator and Excursions are over kill....then this hahahaha
 

Slugman

Frankenbike
Apr 29, 2004
4,024
0
Miami, FL
Motionboy2 said:
Man if Mel gibson had that thing in Lethal Weapon that house would have come down WAY faster
with the entire mountain side...

I just hope you need a special licence to drive that thing... I see people around here who can barely handle their explorers!!!
 

Changleen

Paranoid Member
Jan 9, 2004
14,904
2,866
Pōneke
'Because you really don't give a fvck about the environment'

or

'when you absolutely, positivley, have to produce more exhaust gasses than your neighbours'

:(
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,257
881
Lima, Peru, Peru
Tenchiro said:
I think they underestimate the people around here. I know of three seperate people at Microsoft that commute in Unimogs and could easily afford one of these.

i would sooooo buy a unimog to mess around in the sand-dunes and in the rain forrest if i could afford it now.

but 21ft long trucks for urban driving??? WTF??? whats up with people buying big cars??? why ???? why the bigger, and the higher from the road your seat the better????????? :rolleyes:

that is just straightforward ridiculous top of the list in my book of "desperately plz world look at me". along with 26´ inch rims, spinners, and undercar neon.

wtf? did their parents left to cry until starvation when kids, and now they need attention???
 

golgiaparatus

Out of my element
Aug 30, 2002
7,340
41
Deep in the Jungles of Oklahoma
Give me e fuhking break!

My good friend was just killed by a semi truck a few months back... now we are going to have them cruizing around in rich residential areas driven by idiot soccer moms on their cell phones and eating frozen togurt at the same time? WTF is wrong with these companies?!?!
 

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
They say they expect to sell like 50 of them in a year....so I doubt you will see to many of them.....though Hollywood will probably have a few on the same block. :D

I can just see Paris Hilton driving that bad boy.........

:rolleyes:

Can't wait for that to hit the news.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
40,224
9,112
eh, like Mtb_Rob_Fl noted people have been doing similar things with heavy duty trucks for a while. i've personally seen quite a few f-450s and f-550s on the highways. furthermore, having driven a 17 foot e350 based uhaul truck from portland to seattle this past friday i don't begrudge the drivers of these trucks their driving experience at all. if they want to drive a behemoth, it's their money.

for all of you saying "it's unsafe :nope: " just realize that the number of these is going to be far less than that of 18 wheelers, let alone "normal" commercial trucks.
 

Slugman

Frankenbike
Apr 29, 2004
4,024
0
Miami, FL
Toshi said:
for all of you saying "it's unsafe :nope: " just realize that the number of these is going to be far less than that of 18 wheelers, let alone "normal" commercial trucks.
And how many of those are driven by "regular" people? With kids in them as a distraction? and in suburban neighborhoods or urban streets like Boston's (cow paths...)?

I really think you should have a special licence to drive anything bigger (weigh based) than an explorer...
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
40,224
9,112
Slugman said:
And how many of those are driven by "regular" people? With kids in them as a distraction? and in suburban neighborhoods or urban streets like Boston's (cow paths...)?

I really think you should have a special licence to drive anything bigger (weigh based) than an explorer...
i don't see this as a problem. the driving skills of people even in normal sized vehicles varies greatly. our licensing system is lax and inconsistent and many people are on the road that shouldn't be, such as the nearly-blind elderly. making assumptions about the driving skills of prospective buyers of these trucks is silly. if anything i'd bet they're more skilled than the average driver since they by definition must be automotive enthusiasts (of a kind :D) to be interested in such an outlandish rig.
 

Slugman

Frankenbike
Apr 29, 2004
4,024
0
Miami, FL
Toshi said:
if anything i'd bet they're more skilled than the average driver since they by definition must be automotive enthusiasts (of a kind :D) to be interested in such an outlandish rig.
I wish I lived where you are then... like I said before, the people around here can barely handle their explorers.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,257
881
Lima, Peru, Peru
Toshi said:
i don't see this as a problem. the driving skills of people even in normal sized vehicles varies greatly. our licensing system is lax and inconsistent and many people are on the road that shouldn't be, such as the nearly-blind elderly. making assumptions about the driving skills of prospective buyers of these trucks is silly. if anything i'd bet they're more skilled than the average driver since they by definition must be automotive enthusiasts (of a kind :D) to be interested in such an outlandish rig.

hmm, i dont think many H2 owners know their car is based on a chevy and not on the mighty hummer.
that alone would be enough for a car enthusiast to not buy the car.

i´ll ask my mom what is the bore and stroke on her car.
she loves suvs. and is an suv enthusiast. so she must know.

they are trendy here too!! oh my god! its epidemic!!!! we are all gonna dieeeeeeee!!!!


anyway, i think there should be a limit on size and weight for the licence. like if you drive something that weights more than 6000 lbs you should get a different licence than that or regular cars.
the inertia alone in those car makes it drive different. let alone dynamics.
 

Changleen

Paranoid Member
Jan 9, 2004
14,904
2,866
Pōneke
If you own a company, you can write off the cost of any vehicle over a given weight, (I forget what exactly) basically from Explorers, Escalades upwards against tax... So there is a direct government incentive for you to buy one of these penis extentions. Go GW!

Secondly, whilst I agree that these particular vehicles are a 'speciality' (50 a year and whatnot) all they will do is ush the trend for other manufacturers to produce ever larger and more pointless pollution machines.

Finally, I also agree that a bigger problem for you guys in terms of number of deaths on the road is the amount of really bad idiot drivers. 2 particular examples spring to mind - both from Arizona. 1) Old dude totally running an intersection - no braking, no nothing - he clearly just didn't notice it! He was SOO lucky not to nail/get nailed by anyone. He was driving some ancient square looking thing, like a coupe de ville or something, and missed this compact (like a neon I think) by nothing.
2) 89a from Phoenix to Sedona - Torrential rain, 9pm at night in winter - the rain picks up real bad, this guy moves up on this huge 18 wheeler and tucks in right behind it, about 2 feet from the bumper! Like he's sheltering from the rain or something. Jeeze...
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
Changleen said:
If you own a company, you can write off the cost of any vehicle over a given weight, (I forget what exactly) basically from Explorers, Escalades upwards against tax... So there is a direct government incentive for you to buy one of these penis extentions. Go GW!

Secondly, whilst I agree that these particular vehicles are a 'speciality' (50 a year and whatnot) all they will do is ush the trend for other manufacturers to produce ever larger and more pointless pollution machines.

Finally, I also agree that a bigger problem for you guys in terms of number of deaths on the road is the amount of really bad idiot drivers. 2 particular examples spring to mind - both from Arizona. 1) Old dude totally running an intersection - no braking, no nothing - he clearly just didn't notice it! He was SOO lucky not to nail/get nailed by anyone. He was driving some ancient square looking thing, like a coupe de ville or something, and missed this compact (like a neon I think) by nothing.
2) 89a from Phoenix to Sedona - Torrential rain, 9pm at night in winter - the rain picks up real bad, this guy moves up on this huge 18 wheeler and tucks in right behind it, about 2 feet from the bumper! Like he's sheltering from the rain or something. Jeeze...
STFU

:)
 

Slugman

Frankenbike
Apr 29, 2004
4,024
0
Miami, FL
Changleen said:
If you own a company, you can write off the cost of any vehicle over a given weight, (I forget what exactly) basically from Explorers, Escalades upwards against tax... So there is a direct government incentive for you to buy one of these penis extentions. Go GW!
If you qualify as a small buisiness or a farm you can deduct the cost of the 've-hickle' if it is over 6000 Lbs... becasue it qualifies as "equiptment".

However as a small business owner you can do that on most things anyway, as long as you have a smart accountant. My in-laws drive a Beemer and Benz (non - SUV), and both are company write offs. They don't even pay for the gas.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Slugman said:
If you qualify as a small buisiness or a farm you can deduct the cost of the 've-hickle' if it is over 6000 Lbs... becasue it qualifies as "equiptment".

However as a small business owner you can do that on most things anyway, as long as you have a smart accountant. My in-laws drive a Beemer and Benz (non - SUV), and both are company write offs. They don't even pay for the gas.
You can write off all your bike purchases, gas, vehicle, race fees so long as you're "trying to make money" as a rider. That, in effect is a personal business. Even if you dont make any cause you're a Sport rider or something the IRS cant call your dreams unrealistic to my knowledge.
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
41,348
10,277
Tenchiro said:
I think they underestimate the people around here. I know of three seperate people at Microsoft that commute in Unimogs and could easily afford one of these.
I used to see quite alot of Unimog/Pingauzers in the area I used to work. Mainly ones made in the 60's-70's. You would be surprised at how much HP the older ones don't have.
 

Ciaran

Fear my banana
Apr 5, 2004
9,841
19
So Cal
Slugman said:
"We can see it a as a vehicle for business people who want to make distinct impression. For personal use, it's for people who want to make a statement."

Yeah, a statement like, "I'm a freaking idiot with a little penis"
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
Ciaran said:
Yeah, a statement like, "I'm a freaking idiot with a little penis"

You an 'xpert about ween legnth and vehicle size..???

:eek:

There is only one vehicle rule and that's the Jetta Rule for hot chix.