We might have called this photo gallery Sean and Kevin's Excellent Adventure, or a Tale of Two Columbuses (Ohio and Indiana), but it's really all about the new Cummins heavy-duty lineup, the X Series, and the ‘Four Strokes of Genius’ event where we were briefed on the new features and improved performance that truck buyers can expect.
Cummins Inc. on Friday unveiled the three new EPA 2017-compliant engines during a special event at the Transportation Research Center (TRC) proving grounds in East Liberty, Ohio; the X15 efficiency and X15 performance models - due to go into full production in jan. 2017 - along with its new medium displacement X12 engine, due to go into production in 2018.Â
At the 4,500-acre proving grounds on Saturday, Cummins let members of the press put the X15 and X12 engines through their paces, with trucks equipped with both the new engines as well as older Cummins models made available for "riding and driving" in a variety of scenarios; everything from engine braking deceleration tests on a one-mile straightaway to acceleration-cruising speed-deceleration runs on the facility's 7.5 mile oval track and low-speed maneuvering through a slalom course set up on a skid pad. (Skip to here for the Day 2 photos)
After two busy days at TRC near Columbus, OH, for the , the company invited members of the international media to hop on the bus and travel across the stateline to Columbus, IN, for a visit at Cummins Inc.’s global headquarters, then for a quick trip north to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the NASCAR Brickyard 400. (Day 3 photos, including the interesting collection on display at Cummins HQ, and some shots from the race, begin here.)
Photos and text by Fleet Owner Executive Editor Sean Kilcarr and American Trucker Editor Kevin Jones.