B6 Armored 2012 Jeepcherokee Overland Summit 4wd on 2040-cars

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Hank the Autodog takes a ride in the long-term 2014 Jeep Cherokee

Autoblog readers, meet Hank, my 40-pound, six-year-old Shar Pei and Staffordshire Terrier mix, a combination also known as a Pit Bull. Pit Bulls and car enthusiasts have a lot in common. They're a little intimidating to your average man on the street, but at the end of the day all they want to do is feel the breeze in their ears. Dogs who love car rides are the ultimate enthusiasts, and Hank especially is a canine connoisseur of cars. There is nothing Hank likes more than to hop in and go for a ride. With an owner like me, he has developed refined tastes when it comes to cars. As our long-term Jeep Cherokee is about to leave the Autoblog Garage, and since the weather is warming back up, it's the perfect time to give our Autodog one last spin in his favorite Jeep. We wanted to see what a car ride looks like from a dog's perspective. Luckily, we have a cache of GoPros and plenty of cars on hand to give Hank one last chance to go for a window-down ride. After many pets, treats, and drives around town, we put together this video montage of Hank's best day ever.

Bring back the Bronco! Trademarks we hope are actually (someday) future car names

Trademark filings are the tea leaves of the auto industry. Read them carefully – and interpret them correctly – and you might be previewing an automaker's future product plans. Yes, they're routinely filed to maintain the rights to an iconic name. And sometimes they're only for toys and clothing. But not always. Sometimes, the truth is right in front of us. The trademark is required because a company actually wants to use the name on a new car. With that in mind, here's a list of intriguing trademark filings we want to see go from paperwork to production reality. Trademark: Bronco Company: Ford Previous Use: The Bronco was a long-running SUV that lived from 1966-1996. It's one of America's original SUVs and was responsible for the increased popularity of the segment. Still, it's best known as O.J. Simpson's would-be getaway car. We think: The Bronco was an icon. Everyone seems to want a Wrangler-fighter – Ford used to have a good one. Enough time has passed that the O.J. police chase isn't the immediate image conjured by the Bronco anymore. Even if we're doing a wish list in no particular order, the Bronco still finds its way to the top. For now (unfortunately), it's just federal paperwork. Rumors on this one can get especially heated. The official word from a Ford spokesman is: "Companies renew trademark filings to maintain ownership and control of the mark, even if it is not currently used. Ford values the iconic Bronco name and history." Trademarks: Aviator, AV8R Company: Ford Previous Use: The Aviator was one of the shortest-run Lincolns ever, lasting for the 2003-2005 model years. It never found the sales success of the Ford Explorer, with which it shared a platform. We Think: The Aviator name no longer fits with Lincoln's naming nomenclature. Too bad, it's better than any other name Lincoln currently uses, save for its former big brother, the Navigator. Perhaps we're barking up the wrong tree, though. Ford has made several customized, aviation themed-Mustangs in the past, including one called the Mustang AV8R in 2008, which had cues from the US Air Force's F-22 Raptor fighter jet. It sold for $500,000 at auction, and the glass roof – which is reminiscent of a fighter jet cockpit – helped Ford popularize the feature. Trademark: EcoBeast Company: Ford Previous Use: None by major carmakers.

Jeep Grand Cherokee in headliner fire probe

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is launching an investigation into 146,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs from the 2012 model year, The Detroit News reports. This comes as the result of the government safety agency receiving three complaints from owners who cited fires inside the Jeep's cabin.
According to the report, NHTSA says:
"The customers reported a burning odor and visible smoke coming from the headliner while the vehicle was being driven. This was followed by flames from the headliner itself. Customers lowered the windows in an effort to clear the smoke but this increased the fire's intensity. All three vehicles had to be extinguished with a fire extinguisher or by the fire department as they continued to burn after the vehicle was turned off."