NHTSA Director May Target Performance Vehicles article

http://performancebiz.com/newsletter/nhtsa-director-may-target-performance-vehicles

NHTSA Director May Target Performance Vehicles Fri, 04/09/2010 - 10:06 | by PB Editor

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator David L. Strickland has announced the appointment of John Dinkel to the newly created position of director of vehicle efficiency and performance.

In his new position, Dinkel will be responsible for advising the NHTSA on issues related to vehicle efficiency and performance and making recommendations on regulations “to reduce the current proliferation of excessively high-performance vehicles,” according to a press release.

“While the NHTSA recognizes that President Obama’s soon-to-be-adopted fuel economy regulations will require all vehicle manufacturers to place additional attention and resources on overall energy efficiency, we have also noted a distressing increase in vehicles and engines with what can only be considered to be environmentally unfriendly levels of horsepower,” Strickland said in the release.

Dinkel, who currently resides in Irvine, Calif., has spent his entire career in the automotive industry, having earned two degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and worked for both Ford and Chrysler before moving into a career in automotive journalism, including 20 years with Road & Track magazine, according to the release.

Dinkel’s initial attention will be directed toward the creation of revisions to the Motor Vehicle Emissions Federal Test Procedure. The primary new element of the proposed rulemaking is a Supplemental Federal Test Procedure (SFTP) designed to address shortcomings with the current FTP in the representation of aggressive (high speed and/or high acceleration) driving behavior and rapid speed fluctuations, according to the release.

It is expected that fuel economy and emissions will be measured during wide-open throttle (WOT) runs from 0-60 and 0-100 mph and from 0 to the vehicle’s top speed. In addition, measurements will be conducted at proposed steady-state speeds of 80 and 100 mph for all vehicles and at 120 and 150 mph for those vehicles capable of reaching these excessive speeds. A factoring system will be developed to incorporate the results of these tests into each manufacturer’s overall CAFÉ certification performance, the release states.

“During his career in the auto industry, Mr. Dinkel has conducted instrumented testing on thousands of vehicles. He also has a background in racing and instrumentation, having developed the first computerized road testing equipment while working at Road & Track,” Strickland said.

Dinkel will assume his newly created NHTSA position on April 15.

I hope that this is a joke.

How does the government justify a 70 MPH speed limit and fuel and emission testing at 100 MPH?

glueguy wrote: I hope that this is a joke. How does the government justify a 70 MPH speed limit and fuel and emission testing at 100 MPH?

glass half full-they're going to raise the speed limits glass half empty-they're idiots

It must be true. It is just like the Government to do something to screw over the sporting community.

This sounds almost retarded enough to actually come from the gov't. I hope everyone loves their new Lada with it's 69mph gov't imposed top speed.

We need to get a car enthusiast elected to president. This isn't change I believe in.

you are kidding right? Emissions are what come from your tailpipe no matter the speed. I don't see a ban... I DO see lowered mileage ratings for the makers, and as such other lower ratings as well.... carbon credit might be part of the whole.

In essence this makes the manufacturers tell the truth... THE WHOLE TRUTH.

Besides... this has little to do with GRM folks, it is new car, not rebuilt, redesigned, redeveloped by the owner

I don't see any announcements on http://www.nhtsa.gov/ of a "director of vehicle efficiency and performance" being appointed or anyone named John Dinkel. Seraching "John Dinkel NHSTA" on Google first brings up the OP's site and Hannity, whom I wouldn't trust to report a man saving a kitty from a tree without somehow blaming it on Democrats.

According to this article, John Dinkel is a former Chrysler exec and R&T editor, wrote a bunch of books including on the Miata, RX-7, and RX-8, and has race in the SCCA before.:

http://www.bentleypublishers.com/author.htm?id=45

Something tells me a former editor of R&T would not be up for this position.

Until I see a reliable source for this piece, I'm going to take it like I took the supposed ban on recreational fishing: A lot of hyperbole with no substance.

glueguy wrote: A factoring system will be developed to incorporate the results of these tests into each manufacturer’s overall CAFÉ certification performance, the release states.

So manufacturers need to make two different cars. A 1L diesel snoozemobile, and a gigantic twin turbo V12 gas sucking monster. That will balance it out!

It is so unbearably sad that we have so little faith in our government to actually LISTEN to the wants of its people that we actually think this might be true. If it is true we shall gather all followers and march on the capitol.

The people shouldnt fear the government, the government should fear its people.

I've been reading Dinkel for years. He's a goofball, often referred to as the "Carmudgeon".

This is a joke.

Dinkel's Twitter site:

http://twitter.com/carmudgeon

Apexcarver wrote: It is so unbearably sad that we have so little faith in our government to actually LISTEN to the wants of its people that we actually think this might be true. If it is true we shall gather all followers and march on the capitol. The people shouldnt fear the government, the government should fear its people.

It's also unberably sad that people have so little faith in our government to actually THINK THIS IS TRUE.

E-

I should have fact checked this beyond checking that the release date wasn't April 1, which was what I originally thought. I also remembered Dinkel's name as a longtime journalist and being in the industry. Bad decision to trust it based on a link from the PRI Magazine email.

aeronca65t wrote: I've been reading Dinkel for years. He's a goofball, often referred to as the "Carmudgeon". This is a joke. Dinkel's Twitter site: http://twitter.com/carmudgeon

What an interesting self-promotional effort.

Hmmm it looks like we made it to Jalopnik...

http://jalopnik.com/5526310/how-an-ex+road--track-editor-fooled-the-car-world

Oh Jalopnik, you're soooo smug.

If memory serves they bit pretty hard on the Winding Road's fake "Blue Devil."

I didn't like the: "This didn't stop Grassroots Motorsports and Classic Motorsports from reproducing it."

GRM/CM did not reproduce it, it was posted in the forums.