Using a glass/foam/glass layup is not all that uncommon in the composite world. My aftermarket top has chopped glass, foam, and glass - with some other reinforcement - it has a dynamic load rating of 600lbs. It is only slightly heavier than the stock top, but much stronger. I have some very light weight kayaks and canoes that use fiberglass, carbon fiber, or kevlar cloth as the outerlayers with the foam core. My old competition boat was about 21lbs (using a mix of all three fabrics where each one's attributes are the most beneficial), and my kevlar 17' canoe is probably just over 30lbs. Not saying they are super durable though, they are high performance competition boats. The problem with hand laid vacuum bagging is it is kind of labor intensive - which makes the method fairly expensive. Sure, it would have been cool if my hard top was 50lbs lighter (not as if you are going to save any weight on the windows or hardeare), but not so cool to increase the price by several thousand.
Scout Motors - who are your competitors?
- Thread starter Harumph
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I like this feedback but heading of thread is “who are your competitors”. Might be better to move it to a thread more related to tops. Not the end of the world but others may be missing it and could have good feedback to your thoughts. Just my thoughts FWIW
Here’s a new one, for me at least. The “thar.e”
electrek.co
It’s based on the vw meb platform.
let the bad puns commence!
This is the rugged electric 4x4 SUV we've been waiting for, and it's not a Jeep Wrangler
Meet the new all-electric Thar.e rugged SUV concept. The electric 4×4 looks like a modern-day Jeep Wrangler EV, but it’s...
electrek.co
let the bad puns commence!
I stared at that for a while. It looks strange…kinda like how when people lift crossovers like a Highlander or pilot. By that I mean how the body rides on the chassis.Here’s a new one, for me at least. The “thar.e”
It’s based on the vw meb platform.This is the rugged electric 4x4 SUV we've been waiting for, and it's not a Jeep Wrangler
Meet the new all-electric Thar.e rugged SUV concept. The electric 4×4 looks like a modern-day Jeep Wrangler EV, but it’s...
let the bad puns commence!
I think there are certain aspects that are cool. A bit too futuristic for me and screams “we benchmarked/stole Jeep design cues but better than some I’ve seenHere’s a new one, for me at least. The “thar.e”
It’s based on the vw meb platform.This is the rugged electric 4x4 SUV we've been waiting for, and it's not a Jeep Wrangler
Meet the new all-electric Thar.e rugged SUV concept. The electric 4×4 looks like a modern-day Jeep Wrangler EV, but it’s...
let the bad puns commence!
One thing I think is very successful is the hidden rear doors. At first glance it looks two door but brain say
i get what you are saying. I think part of that is it’s SO high but the wheels/tires are NOT a good proportion. I also think the rear well sheet metal just bulges too much. Ride too close to a biker and you might clip them it sticks out so far
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I am responding to this for two reasons: It is talking about the younger demographic, and scout competitors. I just turned 25 this month, but I have owned a scout and grew up in the back of many of my dad's. Scouts literally were my childhood, it was my dad's only hobby to wheel these things all weekend, and work on them all week to get them ready for the next weekend. I may be an abnormality in the younger demographic, but I do not want this to be just a grocery getter. I fully intend to buy one of these upon release, and take it directly to the trails. I hope to spend an equal amount of time on pavement as I do in the dirt, just as I grew up doing. Knowing a few of my friends, who did not grow up like me and were far wealthier, and were into other things, they love the new bronco. It is their way to enjoy something in the summer with the top down, and it gives them looks as they drive by in it, that is pretty much it. They have no clue about bronco heritage, scout heritage, or any vehicle that was not made before 1998.
As far as competitors go, PLEASE do not make this compete with the Bronco Sport, Defender, Blazer, Grand Cherokee, etc. Those are NOT off road vehicles, they are pavement princesses (as we called them back when I was younger).
Please make the new scout off-road capable. Not like the Hummer EV where it is extreme in every way shape and form, or a rivian that is capable enough but sticks out like a sore thumb on trails because of how incredibly luxurious they are. But something I can hunt in, take to my father-in law's cattle ranch, take camping in the cascades, or take to my local hill-climbing trails. The bronco does this well, as it offers a base model that is not capable of doing those things, but appeals to younger people who cannot afford or simply do not want the higher off road trims. Then you can upgrade it to the point of surviving the apocalypse.
Mostly what I am trying to say is please make this compete with the bronco, not the bronco sport. The bronco sport is not an offroad vehicle. Now if you give it lockers, bigger tires, a bumper, and better offroad modes? Nope still not an offroader, not enough ground clearance, not enough size, just simply not enough. Make it compete with the bronco, where the base model is for the grocery getter, but I can also get one that competes with a Bronco Sasquatch, wrangler rubicon, etc.
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@sambown / I like your analysis. I hope you are correct, but when I consider the realities of getting these new Scouts on the streets of North America the denigrations you cite - Pavement Princess & Grocery Getter - Mall Crawler (my addition) - come swiftly to mind. People like yourself and those who would use them off-road in their work will never buy enough to make this financially possible. SM is going to have to sell hundreds of thousands of these to the suburban convenience and ego crowd to be able to equip a small fraction of the production for buyers like rock-crawlers and the linemen, foresters, farmers, geologists, etc. who demand and need tough trucks. The trick for SM will be to develop a core that primarily serves category A yet is robust and capable of being adapted to the needs of category B. // Which gets to me thinking that if there is a Tough Scout variant (for my category B buyers) maybe its sales could take a page from the IH past. If it were sold and supported by truck (Navistar, Traton) and farm/tractor dealers (Case, Kubota, Mahindra) it might provide a dealer support focus and solve the problems (discussed in other threads) of distribution and support.
That’s a really cool take on things. I can support that 100%
Yep, I agree. I absolutely think there should be an off road oriented trim or version. But, I personally do not off road anymore. However, I miss my 1980 Scout II and I can’t wait to see what a modern version with little to no compromises looks like! I think there are plenty of people interested in Scout that will do never do any serious off-roading.
I keep watching videos on the electric scout competitors, and I see them doing a lot right, but also a lot wrong. The two primary vehicles I like to watch videos on are the Hummer EV (Truck and SUV), and the Rivian R1 (T and S). Here are some things I think both get right, strictly in an off-road aspect.
Pros for Both:
- Adjustable air suspension
- Ease of airing down and airing back up (air compressor on Rivian, digitally on Hummer EV)
Hummer EV Pros:
- Rear wheel steering
- All the body cameras
Rivian Pros:
- Lighter than the Hummer EV
Cons For BOTH:
- Super heavy (I know, natural with EV, but 4.5 tons, really Hummer?)
- No TRUE front and rear lockers (So many videos show tires turning with the least resistance)
- Long wheelbases
I will attach some videos below. I like the videos where people compare these vehicles to ICE SUVs we have come to know quite well. The video by edmunds shows the Rivian competes with the Gladiator, and toward the end would likely beat it with a true rear locker. TFLTruck video shows that the hummer is just too wide and heavy allow for any true agility on the trails.
1.) Edmunds - Rivian vs Gladiator
2.) Hummer EV vs Bronco
Lets get some real lockers (as many have stated on this forum so far), and make the size a bit more manageable on the Scout!
Pros for Both:
- Adjustable air suspension
- Ease of airing down and airing back up (air compressor on Rivian, digitally on Hummer EV)
Hummer EV Pros:
- Rear wheel steering
- All the body cameras
Rivian Pros:
- Lighter than the Hummer EV
Cons For BOTH:
- Super heavy (I know, natural with EV, but 4.5 tons, really Hummer?)
- No TRUE front and rear lockers (So many videos show tires turning with the least resistance)
- Long wheelbases
I will attach some videos below. I like the videos where people compare these vehicles to ICE SUVs we have come to know quite well. The video by edmunds shows the Rivian competes with the Gladiator, and toward the end would likely beat it with a true rear locker. TFLTruck video shows that the hummer is just too wide and heavy allow for any true agility on the trails.
1.) Edmunds - Rivian vs Gladiator
2.) Hummer EV vs Bronco
Lets get some real lockers (as many have stated on this forum so far), and make the size a bit more manageable on the Scout!
R1T and R1S have different wheelbases. Also with Rivian you can get 4 motors or 2. I'm not sure it matters given the amount of torque you can send, but the dual motor versions have fewer drive modes in the OFF ROAD SETTING . And let's face it, the Hummer is a buffoon of a truck overcompensating for everything... I don't think Scout has any aspirations to be anywhere in the shadow of the Hummer's ginormous footprint. I wouldn't be surprised a bit if the Scout's footprint was almost identical to the R1S footprint, but we'll see,
