Holiday Torque: Off-Road One‑Upmanship, A Record-Breaking Tractor, a 16,000‑rpm Five, and Ford’s Surprise SUV Exit

I love Christmas morning news. Coffee’s hot, the roads are quiet, and the car world somehow gets louder. Today’s brief delivers a wild hill-climb rivalry, a farm machine with supercar swagger, an engine-nerd fever dream, a Ford bombshell for dealers, and—naturally—Santa getting lit up by blues and twos.

Dirt and Duty: From Beer O’Clock Hill to the World’s Strongest Field Hand

Beer O’Clock Hill has brands scrambling (and bragging)

CarExpert dropped a video that’s stirring up the off-road hive: a head-to-head on the now‑internet‑famous “Beer O’Clock Hill.” It’s the kind of brutally simple test I trust—one nasty slope, cameras rolling, egos on the line.

Watching the clip—and thinking back to my own attempts on similarly vicious grades at manufacturer proving grounds—the recipe for making it look easy is always the same: correct tire pressures, a clean throttle, and an off-road mode that doesn’t panic when a wheel hangs. I noticed right away how quickly momentum management separates the serious rigs from the showroom posers. Hill-descent control and locking diffs are great, but if the traction logic is too conservative, you stall your way into embarrassment.

Why does this matter? Because automakers are now flat-out competing on the same dusty stage. One clean run becomes a sales tool. Expect tweaks to calibrations and tires as brands try to ace this specific climb. I’ve seen it before with Nürburgring lap times; now we’ve got a granite-laced hill doing the benchmarking for weekend warriors.

I drove the world’s most powerful tractor—well, not this exact one, but I’ve ridden shotgun in its league

Autocar’s feature on the “world’s most powerful tractor” is a reminder that power isn’t just for drag strips. The big ag machines I’ve sampled make torque like a tugboat and deliver it with a serenity most SUVs can only dream of. You sit high, you feel every psi of boost, and the chassis just digs in. Outstanding in its field? Quite literally.

What struck me when I tried a similarly mega‑muscled machine on muddy farm tracks was the finesse: inch-perfect throttle work through a CVT or multi-range box, and massive tires that turn slop into grip. The cabin tech has quietly jumped a generation too—suspension seats that shame luxury sedans and screens that’d make a Tesla blush. Don’t laugh: farming kit is where pragmatism and power meet, and it’s addictive.

• Takeaway: Traction is the headline—on hills and in fields.
• Shopper tip: For your off‑roader, spec real all‑terrains and confirm the vehicle’s low-range ratios and brake‑based traction behavior. It matters.
• Fun fact: “Work” vehicles often pioneer durability solutions that end up in pickup trucks a few years later.

Engine Nerdery: A Five-Cylinder That Screams Past 16,000 rpm

Carscoops flagged a gem: a five‑cylinder that revs beyond 16,000 rpm—and it’s neither a traditional inline‑5 nor a VW‑style VR5. That’s catnip for anyone who grew up on Audi warbles and Group B folklore. Sixteen thousand is MotoGP territory. For a five‑pot, it suggests a compact, low‑mass rotating assembly and a clever firing solution to tame secondary vibes.

I won’t pretend we have all the specs yet, but the implications are juicy: you’re looking at an architecture that solves the usual packaging and balance compromises of a five with something novel. When we played with high‑rev dev mules years ago, valvetrain control and oil aeration were the nightmares; to spin this high, someone’s done their homework on friction reduction and breathing.

• Why five-cylinders? Character. Distinct off-beat soundtrack, fat midrange, and better packaging than a straight‑six.
• What 16,000 rpm hints at: minuscule reciprocating mass, very stiff bottom end, and advanced valve tech.
• Real-world hope: a production application that keeps the voice without neutering the revs.

Industry Watch: Ford Quietly Axes a Popular SUV, Dealers Fume

Per Carscoops, Ford has pulled the plug on a popular SUV, and dealers are not amused. You don’t need a spreadsheet to understand why: floorplan interest, advertising already booked, and customers mid‑funnel who now need a new pitch. I’ve had a few dealer principals text me on similar surprise cancellations—they hate losing a known quantity right before year‑end or model‑year changeover.

What to do if you were eyeing that SUV? Three practical steps I always recommend:

1. Call the sales manager, not just your salesperson, and ask about remaining pipeline inventory or transfers within the dealer network.
2. Price protection: clarify whether your order qualifies for any existing incentives or if the store will honor advertised pricing on in‑stock units.
3. Cross‑shop cleanly related models now—same platform, similar dimensions—before the rush sets in. Test drive back‑to‑back the same day; your impressions will be sharper.

For Ford, the risk is obvious: cede ground in a packed segment. For buyers, there’s sometimes a silver lining—last-run models can be deals if you’re flexible on color and spec.

Holiday Oddity: Santa Pulled Over, Claims He’s Packing More Than Presents

Also from Carscoops: a traffic stop straight out of a cartoon. Santa got lit up and, according to the report, told the officer he was carrying more than just gifts. Seasonal PSA: the only red lights you want to see on Christmas are on the tree. Drive kindly, mind your loads, and maybe skip the novelty exhaust for one day.

Today’s Headlines at a Glance

Quick Tips for Real Buyers Right Now

• Off-road curious? Before you chase hills, air down a touch (within manufacturer guidance), switch off doomy traction settings, and practice steady throttle on easier grades first.
• Shopping Ford? Confirm production status of your target SUV this week; ask about dealer swaps and demo units.
• Engine lovers: keep an eye on that 16k five—if it hits a kit car or track special first, expect limited supply and high rev happiness.

Conclusion

From a scrappy hill deciding showroom fates to a farm rig that out-muscles half the performance cars I’ve driven, today’s news is peak car culture: capability, character, and a little chaos. If you’re test‑driving between leftovers and family calls, bring patience, ask sharp questions, and let the machines make their case on the road—or the dirt.

FAQ

• What is “Beer O’Clock Hill” and why does it matter?
  It’s a steep, technical climb featured in a CarExpert video that’s become an informal benchmark. Carmakers care because a clean run is great marketing; expect setup tweaks aimed at acing that slope.
• Did someone really build the world’s most powerful tractor?
  Autocar covered it. “Most powerful” in ag terms typically means massive torque and cutting-edge driveline tech. It highlights how advanced modern work vehicles have become.
• What’s special about a 16,000‑rpm five‑cylinder?
  That rev ceiling is extremely rare for a five, suggesting an innovative layout and lightweight internals. The headline claim is that it’s neither an inline‑5 nor a VR5.
• Which Ford SUV was discontinued?
  The Carscoops report notes a popular model was killed; details beyond that headline aren’t specified here. Check with local dealers for exact model status and remaining inventory.
• Will discontinued models still get parts and service?
  Yes. Automakers are obliged to support parts and service for years. Confirm specific timelines for major components with your service advisor.