While You Were Sleeping: Worthersee GTI Meeting, Gilles Sits at Head of Drawing Table and Jeep Wants to Build a Range Rover

by Mark Stevenson

May 14th, 2015 6:47 AM

while you were sleeping worthersee gti meeting gilles sits at head of drawing table

Our European correspondent, Vojtěch Dobeš, is at the 34th Annual GTI Meeting in Worthersee this week. Hopefully he will have some interesting stories to share if he isn’t too distracted by Austria’s fräuleins.

Here’s your news from overnight.

Ralph Gilles, the new head of design at FCA (The Detroit News)

The former head of now defunct SRT is heading back to the drawing board, literally.
Bugatti Chiron Prototype Caught on Camera (AutoGuide)

Goodbye, swoopy Veyron. Hello, hardcore Chiron.
Jeep Plans Luxury Model to Target Mercedes SUVs, Range Rover (Bloomberg)

New luxury model is planned above the yet-to-be-seen Grand Wagoneer we’ve been hearing about.
Celebrating 510 Day In Japan (Speedhunters)

In Colorado, they celebrate 420 day. In Japan, they celebrate crappy old Datsuns people have put on a pedestal for way too damn long.

[Photo: GTI Treffen am Wörthersee]

#Bugatti #Chiron #GtiMeeting #Jeep #RalphGilles #RangeRover #Wörthersee #WhileYouWereSleeping

Comments

Join the conversation

18 of 20 comments

Corey Lewis on May 14, 2015

You did his name wrong, it's Vojta!

Like Reply
- See 5 previous
- Mark Stevenson on May 14, 2015
  
  https://twitter.com/vojtadobes *insert "Czech, do you speak it mother f___er?" SLJ joke here*
  
  Like
- Corey Lewis on May 14, 2015
  
  @Mark Stevenson I was only going by his name as it's always spelled on this site! (I don't use a Twitters, and I only got the LinkedIns about a month ago.)
  
  Like
- Vojta Dobe on May 14, 2015
  
  @Corey Lewis Vojta is abbreviated form of my name - sort of like Jonathan => Jonny, only the full version of the name is completely unpronounceable to English speaking folk :)
  
  Like
- Corey Lewis on May 14, 2015
  
  @Vojta Dobe Ah ha, got it. Thanks!
  
  Like
- ClutchCarGo on May 14, 2015
  
  @Vojta Dobe I got news for ya, Vojta doesn't exactly roll off the tongue of English speaking folk either.
  
  Like
- Corey Lewis on May 14, 2015
  
  @Vojta Dobe We could say VD as an alternative but that's not too flattering.
  
  Like
Corey Lewis on May 14, 2015

Well FCA, let's see if you can make the Grand Wagoneer work before you try for something at a price bracket $30,000 higher, m'kay? Also, this would likely be based on the Maserati Kubang (I bet). What happened to that thing anyway? Or is that one of the things we're not talking about - as Sergio opens a Maserati dealership with no high end SUV but promises a high end Jeep SUV. Edit: I notice it's been renamed the Levante now, which is better than a Kubang, but sounds like a dish washing liquid.

Like Reply
- See 6 previous
- Mark Stevenson on May 14, 2015
  
  Isn't the Levante based on the Grand Cherokee bones?
  
  Like
- Bball40dtw on May 14, 2015
  
  @Mark Stevenson No. It's going be related to the Ghibli and Quattroporte I think. Now we are going to have to play FCA platform bingo again.
  
  Like
- Corey Lewis on May 14, 2015
  
  @Mark Stevenson Nope. And I don't think this is gonna do well, either. Look at it, it's basically a modern AMC Eagle. http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1073662_2016-maserati-levante-spy-shots "The test mule confirms Maserati is sticking with its own platform rather than relying on Jeep Grand Cherokee running gear, as previously planned. The platform is a modified version of the rear-wheel-drive underpinnings found in the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans, complete with Maserati’s own Q4 all-wheel-drive system." Hot mess. Which means the GC platform has to hold the GW AND something larger? Sounds like we need a new platform here. Perhaps the GW can take over on the Durango one, and then use some RAM platform for the Ascent Platinum or whatever they end up calling it. The Jeep Ascent sounds nice though.
  
  Like
- Mark Stevenson on May 14, 2015
  
  @bball40dtw Looked it up. When they first showed the Kubang, it was based on the Jeep GC.
  
  Like
- Bball40dtw on May 14, 2015
  
  @Corey Lewis What about the Alfa versions?
  
  Like
- Bball40dtw on May 14, 2015
  
  @Mark Stevenson Yes, then they decided to get tricky and make Italy happy. Can't have a Maser made in Detroit I guess.
  
  Like
- Corey Lewis on May 14, 2015
  
  @bball40dtw The Alfa versions already exist and have done so for a year. They are just in hiding.
  
  Like
JohnTaurus on May 14, 2015

Love the 510 article. Buddy of mine had one when I lived near Portland. Drove it every chance I got. Dont care so much for the lowered ones, just never have liked that look.

Like Reply
- Ect on May 14, 2015
  
  My second car was a '71 510. Excellent mechanicals for its day, quite peppy, liked it a lot. Sadly, the body was VERY prone to rust. When GM started downsizing in '77, I sniffed that my own car had been downsizing itself for a few years, so I was well ahead them.
  
  Like
Corey Lewis on May 14, 2015

Also while I was sleeping: omygawd https://www.yahoo.com/autos/speedback-gt-the-753-000-c1431544738142/photo-speedback-gt-13-photo-1431543954919.html

Like Reply