the ridgeline is such a pile....

It won the BAJA 1000.. stock mini class that is.. Who says a unibody can't take a pounding. :-)

Cool effort from honda..

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2008/11/honda-ridgeline.html

pickuptruck.com said: The Honda Ridgeline unibody pickup has been racing in the Baja 1000 since 2005. Most of the truck remains stock except for the front and rear suspensions. Custom King springs and shocks are attached to fit the stock MacPherson strut front suspension and multilink, independent rear end. The 3.5-liter V-6 and five-speed automatic transmission have been tweaked by Honda Racing. The driveline uses the Ridgeline's standard Variable Torque Management 4-wheel-drive system.

congrats to Honda...

Hunh. That should change some minds.

I test drove a ridgeline. I liked everything BUT the engine (and the fact that the selectable 2WD/4WD is primary FWD, ugh). And, honestly, it wasn't that I didn't like the engine, I just didn't feel it suited the vehicle.

Then again, I'm used to V8s in my trucks and SUVs.

I'm sure the roll cage triangulated to all of the suspension attachment points makes it much more like a tube frame than a unibody. Still, nice achievement from a factory racing team.

stock mini allows for a cage, but you cannot run an all tube chassis.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/featuredvehicles/129_0605_desert_race__honda_ridgelin/photo_01.html

There is tube there.... but a whole lot less than you think.

This A-arm mount looks surprsingly stock...

IIRC, the first unibody to win it's class at Baja was the 1969 SC/Rambler. Yes, a RWD Muscle Car.

P71 wrote: IIRC, the first unibody to win it's class at Baja was the 1969 SC/Rambler. Yes, a RWD Muscle Car.

i have seen pictures of that scrambler and it is hot E36 M3.

I would say the VW Bugs have proven they are cool and unibodys can take a pounding (what is it class 11 or 12 that has basically no mods.. at all...)

D'oh! Forgot about the bug!

For those who don't know about the infamous SC/Rambler...

Stock Hurst SC/Rambler:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambler_American

Basically, an I-6 Rambler won the 500 in 66, then AMC got serious for 69 and entered 6 stock class cars and 2 of the 4WD ones and did very well.

I don't like the ridgeline, and I don't know why... I think its the FWD. That and I would rather have an Oddyssey, it just makes more sense to me.

Congrats to Honda though

Unibody... with lots of pipes connecting it for sure. Still - I love that they ran it and I hope they offer the Baja 1000 option pack next year.

ignorant wrote:

P71 wrote: IIRC, the first unibody to win it's class at Baja was the 1969 SC/Rambler. Yes, a RWD Muscle Car.

i have seen pictures of that scrambler and it is hot E36 M3. I would say the VW Bugs have proven they are cool and unibodys can take a pounding (what is it class 11 or 12 that has basically no mods.. at all...)

class 11 is bone stock beetles with a cage. those guys are nutso

for the limited reinforcing they are allowed to do.. suspension points must remain stock, not shock mount, but A-arm mounts etc are stock.. I think it proves a lot.

I am also a power dork..

run for your lives.

You powers are growing little one.

would still rather have an avalanche in the driveway(8.1 k2500 :D grrrrrrr. yes I've been thinking about it), but I guess its cool everything held together on the honda.

The stock Beetles often finish after all of the major teams have already packed up and gone home. That has to be a depressing finish, one local hooker waving you on in the darkness. You have to love the race I suppose.

alex wrote: Hunh. That should change some minds.

Nope. Not at all.

Does anyone know what the towing capacity is for a "stock" Ridgeline?

1 miata.

SoloSonett wrote: Does anyone know what the towing capacity is for a "stock" Ridgeline?

5000lbs

skrzastek wrote:

SoloSonett wrote: Does anyone know what the towing capacity is for a "stock" Ridgeline?

5000lbs

5K? same as a p71... baja 1000 in a P71 anybody?

Always wondered why i didn't see more P71 rally cars. The concept has been well proven by many a 70's tv show and action movie.

So the Honda won its class -- but only because a stock-full class Dodge Ram stopped and pulled it out of the sticky stuff?

I'm not a pickup-truck snob or anything, but that cracks me up.

I'd soooooooo rallycross my P71