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Alton's offering sets new standards for conspicuous consumption

While most automakers are jumping on the trend of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, Alton Manufacturing has taken the opposite route. They've created a whole new vehicle category with their extreme-SUV variant, the "XUV"

The XUV weighs in at an eye-popping 13 tons, and includes such features as hardwood floors, a 42 inch plasma TV, two smaller drop-down TVs, a 42-speaker sound system, custom captain's chairs, and four computer workstations.

Oh, and a train horn too ... in case someone doesn't see you coming.

Based on a modified Ford F-650 platform, the XUV is powered by a 7.2L turbocharged diesel engine built by Caterpillar. The purchase price will set you back nearly 200 gran, a figure that likely pales besides the estimated annual fuel bill.

Autoblog has a short video of Alton's XUV up on Youtube.

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Awesome! I love it!
By iFX on 2/8/2008 5:05:04 PM , Rating: 5
I'm going to buy one and drive myself (and no one else and no cargo) back and forth to the buffet three times a day.




RE: Awesome! I love it!
By Spyvie on 2/8/2008 6:46:22 PM , Rating: 2
Hopefully your state will require you to obtain a commercial driver's license.


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By iFX on 2/8/08, Rating: 0
RE: Awesome! I love it!
By maxpower4738 on 2/11/2008 1:05:50 PM , Rating: 2
Looking at some of the pictures on their website, it looks like some of their vehicles do have air brakes (look for the yellow diamond push-pull switch on the dash).


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By maxpower4738 on 2/11/2008 1:12:11 PM , Rating: 2
Actually, now that i look at it, i can see the air brake switch on the picture in the post. So it does have air brakes.


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By masher2 (blog) on 2/8/2008 8:31:19 PM , Rating: 2
The vehicle needs to be over 14 tons for a CDL to be required. So the XUV slides in just under the limit.


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By PlasmaBomb on 2/8/2008 9:43:33 PM , Rating: 2
In the UK you would need a medium/large vehicle licence. A car licence only applies to vehicles under 3500kg.

Why is the weight requirement for a CDL so high in the state?


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By lagomorpha on 2/9/2008 2:57:46 AM , Rating: 4
The average American weighs 3.6 times what the average English person weighs, it's only reasonable that the weight limits of everything we make here are increased as well.


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By excrucio on 2/9/2008 3:47:53 PM , Rating: 1
great one haha


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By Clauzii on 2/10/08, Rating: -1
RE: Awesome! I love it!
By Clauzii on 2/13/08, Rating: 0
RE: Awesome! I love it!
By Clauzii on 2/13/2008 1:38:42 PM , Rating: 1
And that one was immidiately rated 1, when I posted??

What is going on???


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By mindless1 on 2/13/2008 5:07:35 PM , Rating: 2
Down, for giving a cookie???

I just wrote the same thing to see if it was rated as 1 or 2. I do think the rating system is broken somehow.


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By Clauzii on 2/13/2008 5:20:02 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah, can happen. Never mind, it's just a number then ;)


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By Venatici on 2/15/2008 11:36:43 AM , Rating: 2
Great comeback!


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By JustTom on 2/9/2008 7:24:49 PM , Rating: 5
A vehicle needs to be 26,001 lbs in order to require a CDL ( http://tinyurl.com/33xq74 )and the Alton XUV comes in at 25,999 lbs ( http://tinyurl.com/2tqk6o ).

Obviously the manufacturer was well aware of the weigh limits and came in with 2 lbs to spare.


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By Clauzii on 2/10/2008 7:09:14 PM , Rating: 2
What happens, when 3 tons of stereo gets installed? Can one do that without re-registering as a heavier vehicle? :)


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By maxpower4738 on 2/11/2008 1:00:47 PM , Rating: 2
Actually, its not that the vehicle needs to weigh less than 26,001 lbs to not need a CDL, its GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) needs to be less than 26,001 lbs. Thats how much weight the vehicle is "designed" to carry plus its curb weight. So as long as the manufacturer rates the vehicle at 25,999 lbs, it is under the limit, regardless of how much weight it can really handle.


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By Spuke on 2/12/2008 9:51:05 PM , Rating: 2
The truck itself probably weighs somewhere around 20k lbs.


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By arazok on 2/8/2008 7:47:52 PM , Rating: 5
I'll meet you there in mine. I'm going to let it idle in the driveway every night so it's nice and warm when I get up in the morninga.


RE: Awesome! I love it!
By AntDX316 on 2/9/2008 7:09:17 AM , Rating: 2
lol


...............................wow
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 2/8/2008 5:08:51 PM , Rating: 5
You have got to be kidding me....

Guess every Rapper in the nation will be driving one of these with spinners and neon lights.




RE: ...............................wow
By Vanilla Thunder on 2/8/08, Rating: -1
RE: ...............................wow
By HaZaRd2K6 on 2/8/2008 5:56:34 PM , Rating: 2
Okay, basketball players, too. 'Cause you know they love their extravagant lifestyles...

http://www.thestar.com/article/299119


RE: ...............................wow
By TheDoc9 on 2/8/2008 7:35:30 PM , Rating: 2
That thing looks like a joke. Anyone who buys it will be pimping there ride, it's just to stupid looking to even show a girl or drive down the highway in.

Women the world over will be wondering how small your johnson is if you buy this vehicle.


RE: ...............................wow
By PlasmaBomb on 2/8/2008 9:35:40 PM , Rating: 2
It looks a bit like an armoured car to me...

http://www.macsarmored.com/images/macs%20armored.j...


By Spuke on 2/12/2008 9:53:50 PM , Rating: 2
This truck has been around for quite a while. This is really not that new. The chassis is fairly old and a lot of the "coachbuilders" don't even make these anymore. Most of this market has moved on to Kodiaks and Frieghtliners.


By Etern205 on 2/8/2008 7:59:36 PM , Rating: 1
I seen a minivan once with spinners.
And that sh*t looks retarded!

IMHO the style of the hub caps are a important part to the style of a certain vehicle.


RE: ...............................wow
By amanojaku on 2/8/2008 5:39:31 PM , Rating: 3
My money is on the 4'11" soccer moms with 7 kids. The smaller they are the bigger the car.


RE: ...............................wow
By AntDX316 on 2/9/2008 7:11:08 AM , Rating: 1
because spinners on SUVs cost like 10k for 4 and only people with crazy money and pride would spend 10k on just rims


By wien on 2/9/2008 8:41:13 AM , Rating: 2
I think having pride would rule out any kind of ride pimping.


By SavagePotato on 2/11/2008 5:04:06 PM , Rating: 2
Know a guy that works for caterpillar, was talking to one of the people at Kenworth and they had a guy come in and try to get spinners for a highway tractor.


By onelittleindian on 2/10/2008 2:33:09 PM , Rating: 2
I'm guessing 42-speaker sound system and that electric-blue retro interior is going to appeal more to the rappers than the the 4'11 soccer moms.


By Schadenfroh on 2/9/2008 1:52:53 PM , Rating: 5
Pshh... no one digs spinners any more...

PimpStar is where it is at, yo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt9yl6jmjZQ


By Clauzii on 2/10/2008 7:06:06 PM , Rating: 2
Or maybe BB's needed some new ride... ;)


RE: ...............................wow
By Screwballl on 2/11/2008 8:11:27 PM , Rating: 2
one small problem with that equation... those of us over 6'5 have a limit on the vehicles we can drive. Granted this is overkill, but at least it leaves another option for the rich "height advantaged" people.


By Scware on 2/12/2008 3:47:39 PM , Rating: 2
By marvdmartian on 2/13/2008 11:09:46 AM , Rating: 2
Worse than that, can you imagine a drunk Paris/Nicole/Lindsay/whoever type of starlet in one of these?? Taking out small cars, parking meters, LAPD, etc, as they're weaving down Rodeo Drive, until the police call out the National Guard to take them out.....but not before at least 3 papperazi get their toes crushed!!! ;)


Extravagant hilarity
By MeTaedet on 2/9/2008 10:17:32 AM , Rating: 4
This may very well be the funniest thing I have seen in weeks. Good show.

I don't know why you, Masher, have it in mind to so beguile the readers here - the GOP-loving, science-denying-when-its-conclusions-are-inconvenie nt, rubish and churlish readers - when they've presumed upon your unmistakable passion for truth time and time again, resorting to berating you when you force them to the conclusion that they do not have a moiety of the understanding and intellect that their delusions of grandeur have led them to believe. (Two salient examples being the Scientology-and-masher's-support-of-it thread of a few days ago and the denouncing-the-conclusions-of-Einstein-by-appeals-t o-a-sort-of-common-reasoning-because-surely-we-are- smarter-than-he thread of a number of weeks ago. Those were frightful; I had thought much better of techies than that. Once more the principle that the reckoning of stereotypical depictions disposes us to reach inaccurate conclusions is bolstered.)

I hope I don't come across as too fawningly complaisant here. It's just that I've been wanting to give you a few kudos for some time now. The only thing you ever receive is the injustice of having ridiculous and inane arguments presented to you and then being said to have to always have the last word and be right when you've deftly and expeditiously cut down the churls' mind-bendingly stupid positions.

I hope you won't allow yourself to become too discouraged.




RE: Extravagant hilarity
By masher2 (blog) on 2/9/2008 3:37:24 PM , Rating: 2
Thanks...and don't worry. I'lll only get discouraged if everyone starts agreeing with me. :)


RE: Extravagant hilarity
By DeepBlue1975 on 2/27/2008 12:41:53 PM , Rating: 2
I agree with you :D


By Captain Orgazmo on 2/8/2008 9:18:05 PM , Rating: 5
This just in:

Porsche announces it is resurrecting its discontinued since 1945 line of off-road capable urban luxury vehicles aimed at the soccer-mom-bent-on-conquering-Europe demographic. Coming in at 57 tonnes, with 23 litre V12, and an 88 mm main gun, the all-new Porsche Tiger is sure to live up to its namesake.




By gaiazov on 2/11/2008 9:05:28 AM , Rating: 2
I love it.


Wow...
By JasonMick (blog) on 2/8/2008 5:16:09 PM , Rating: 2
...And I thought the Subaru xHead concept @ NAIAS was ugly...

This thing gives it a run for its money.




RE: Wow...
By HaZaRd2K6 on 2/8/2008 5:55:02 PM , Rating: 2
You mean the Suzuki xHead? =P

Subaru did have that god-awful B9 Tribeca, but thankfully they re-styled that after the first try failed miserably.


RE: Wow...
By porkpie on 2/8/2008 6:51:16 PM , Rating: 2
I think its pretty stylin' myself. I'd be tempted to get one, if they cost about 1/4 as much.


It's U-G-L-Y....
By Clauzii on 2/10/2008 7:13:52 PM , Rating: 2
And what is it with all that space above the back wheels? It is not that it's used for anything. Unless one drives to destroy the side skirts of course.




RE: It's U-G-L-Y....
By masher2 (blog) on 2/10/2008 7:58:52 PM , Rating: 2
I think Alton installed a lift kit simply to give the driver a higher, more commanding point of view.


RE: It's U-G-L-Y....
By Sulphademus on 2/11/2008 8:56:52 AM , Rating: 2
The blue dash is pretty tacky.

The seats look awfully comfy though.


By Erudite on 2/12/2008 2:49:34 PM , Rating: 6
This vehicle does not weigh 13 tons. It has a GVWR of almost 13 tons. GVWR should not be confused with curb weight, which is how much the vehicle alone weighs.

A definition of GVWR:

quote:
The value specified by the manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a vehicle. The GVWR of a combination vehicle is the GVWR of the power unit plus the GVWR of the towed unit or units. In the absence of the manufacturer's GVWR label affixed to the vehicle, the registered weight or the actual weight, whichever is greater, shall be the GVWR.


From: http://ncrules.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2019a%20-%20...

For those that prefer wikipedia:

quote:
A gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the maximum allowable total weight of a road vehicle or trailer that is loaded, including the weight of the vehicle itself plus fuel, passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue weight. In the United States, two important GVWR limitations are 6,000 pounds (2,721 kg) and 8,500 pounds (3,856 kg). Vehicles over 6,000 pounds are restricted from many city roadways (though there is some dispute about whether this restriction is for actual curb weight or GVWR), and vehicles over 8,500 pounds do not have to display EPA estimated fuel mileage or a Monroney sticker nor are they subject to state emissions testing.


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_vehicle_weight_...

I thought the distinction should be made.




Mobile "Command" Center
By Keeir on 2/9/2008 5:32:16 AM , Rating: 5
With the 42" Plasma, and the 4 computer stations.... this seems more like a Mobile "Command" Center than a personal car.

I wonder which politician or celebrity will be the first to show up at a rally against global warming in one of these things




Disgusting
By DingieM on 2/11/2008 11:24:03 AM , Rating: 1
Is it me or are the american companies good at making useless and completely INefficient and UGLY things?

I can imagine a little ignorant american woman driving that thing to the supermarket because "it gives her a safe feeling".

Just had to say it.

America, I hope you wake up some day...




RE: Disgusting
By nbachman on 2/12/2008 4:01:07 PM , Rating: 2
It is going to take a lot of noise to wake up two continents.


RE: Disgusting
By Spuke on 2/12/2008 10:12:48 PM , Rating: 2
This isn't a new vehicle. It's been around for quite a few years. Given its expensive (starts around 90k), the market is extremely small. Besides, believe it or not, a vehicle this size is too big for most people. Dualie pickups do the job for 99% of the towing crowd. I've only seen these pulling huge boats and monster trailers. Your average soccer mom won't be driving this.

BTW, if you tow anything with this truck you would be required to get a CDL. The weight requirement includes trailer weight.


When's the hybrid coming out?
By darkpuppet on 2/11/2008 12:57:28 PM , Rating: 2
Can't wait till next year when they offer the hybrid version.

'cause even if it burns the equivalent of a 747 at full throttle, as long as it has batteries, it's gotta be good for the environment, right?




By darkpuppet on 2/11/2008 12:59:49 PM , Rating: 3
p.s. Technically speaking, many SUVs including the Escalades, H2s, etc aren't street legal on residential streets (they're supposed to be capped at 3 tons)..

http://www.slate.com/id/2104755/


Give me 2
By zombiexl on 2/8/2008 9:14:03 PM , Rating: 2
one to store at home and one half way to the gas station so i can jump in it when i run out of gas (or diesel).

Honestly though it sill looks too much like a Ford to me. Not that I don’t like fords, just dont like their trucks (and most of their cars).




RE: Give me 2
By Hoser McMoose on 2/9/2008 8:04:05 PM , Rating: 2
It IS a Ford.

The vehicle is based off the Ford F-650, part of Ford's Commercial Truck line, just modified to carry people and crap instead of doing real work.


CSI Miami's new car?
By wordsworm on 2/9/2008 2:04:36 AM , Rating: 2
For a long time I've scratched my head over the reasoning behind CSI having a Hummer to get around in. I can't help but wonder if it's an ad for an oil company. If so, I can see them getting this new beast for the show.

Personally, I think this monster is just big enough to be designed as a limo for the over-the-top class.




RE: CSI Miami's new car?
By Hoser McMoose on 2/9/2008 7:56:41 PM , Rating: 2
Generally speaking if you can really obviously see a particular brand name or logo in a TV show, the company who owned that brand/logo PAID for it to be there.

I can pretty much guarantee you that GM is paying CBS a good sum of money to have their Hummer featured prominently, likely requiring a certain number of seconds of screen time per episode as part of a contract.

Apple does this a LOT too, which is why you see so many Apple laptops in so many TV shows.


Pepsi commercial
By Spivonious on 2/11/2008 10:24:40 AM , Rating: 2
This reminds me of that Pepsi commercial last year with Puff Daddy/P. Diddy causing everyone to get pimped out Pepsi trucks.

Any bets on the mileage of this "XUV"? I'm thinking maybe 1-2 mpg city, .5mpg highway.




RE: Pepsi commercial
By maxpower4738 on 2/11/2008 1:11:05 PM , Rating: 2
Most semis get about 5-8 mpg on the highway and are way bigger. Given that this has a Cat C-7, it probably gets around 10-14 mpg.


200 Grand, eh?
By clovell on 2/11/2008 11:26:34 AM , Rating: 4
For that money, any vehicle better have at least one of the following qualities:

0-60 in under 4.5 seconds
Amphibious
Sherman / Bradley
Stealth
Morph into Voltron




By Flunk on 2/8/2008 9:59:58 PM , Rating: 3
This looks like the sort of thing that the enemies in the Captain Planet cartoons would bring out. In fact I think there is an episode were one sells horrible gas guzzlers.

It saddens me to see reality turning into a Saturday morning cartoon. I wonder if Alton execs sit around in dark rooms cackling madly and twirling their moustaches.




Weight
By Etern205 on 2/9/2008 5:49:50 PM , Rating: 3
If I bought this and was driving on the highway and I see a sign that says truck scale. Do I have to weight my truck just like the rest of those 18-wheelers?




Wrecks
By SlipDizzy on 2/10/2008 12:55:38 PM , Rating: 3
At least I know when this thing hits my Honda Accord, the passengers inside the XUV will not be bothered with my impending death.




Not worth the money
By TerranMagistrate on 2/8/2008 9:51:45 PM , Rating: 2
IMO, anyway.

You can purchase a nice Ferrari with that $200K, a car you can be proud to own.




Waste of time and money
By MrPoletski on 2/9/2008 2:57:12 AM , Rating: 2
How sad, really. 100% nob compensation.




What?
By ZJammon on 2/9/2008 9:54:21 AM , Rating: 2
No GPS? Seems like they put everything you could put into a vehicle but forgot something useful. Well in the case of this monstrosity, necessary. Driving one of these you'll need GPS maps with all the gas stations so you can plot your route to the next fill up.




hmm
By Anh Huynh on 2/9/2008 5:02:22 PM , Rating: 2
Can someone say Strip Club on wheels? Just equip it with a stripper pole and you have a mobile stripping unit.




XSUV
By putergoon on 2/11/2008 10:33:04 AM , Rating: 2
Maybe it should be legal to just blow these things up if actually seen on the highway. This is just too extravegant




Wheel arches
By martinrichards23 on 2/11/2008 12:33:12 PM , Rating: 2
What's with the rear wheel arches? Damn that is ugly.




aye
By TomCorelis (blog) on 2/11/2008 4:48:03 PM , Rating: 2
If there were ever a car worthy of being instantly destroyed...




Alton to the Rescue!
By marsbound2024 on 2/11/2008 7:25:10 PM , Rating: 2
Saving planet Earth from certain doom!!!:
http://www.dailytech.com/Solar+Activity+Diminishes...

Or is it certain doom itself?:
http://www.dailytech.com/100+Prominent+Scientists+...




Not by Cat
By bldckstark on 2/12/2008 12:48:05 PM , Rating: 1
This engine is not built by Caterpillar. It is built by International, which was previously named Navistar. Before that it was named International Harvester, but they sold the agricultural business, and the name Harvester.




RE: Not by Cat
By bldckstark on 2/12/2008 12:58:16 PM , Rating: 1
Nevermind. The 7.2L diesel in the medium light duty trucks sold by Ford have an International Engine Company engine in them, but this is the 7.2L Cat engine designed for use in the light medium duty trucks. Yes, the weight classes are confusing. There are light, medium and heavy classifications in the light, medium and heavy duty truck classes. So you could have a light heavy truck or a heavy light truck.


The New XUV...
By jadeskye on 2/13/2008 1:21:08 AM , Rating: 2
Now with 3.4MPG!




"Let's face it, we're not changing the world. We're building a product that helps people buy more crap - and watch porn." -- Seagate CEO Bill Watkins









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