How do you guys think the recently-passed fuel economy bill is going to affect the off-road hobby, if at all?  

i don't know, but if the big three can even get close to the milage and performance that the 600hp 60mpg hummer gets (in the other post by eaglescout), it probably would be a moot issue.  

I think there will be a ripple effect.  Off-roaders will still go off-road, but closer to home most of the time.  There will still be pilgrimages (Moab, Tellico, the Rubicon) just as there have been for some time.  I also think we'll see a surge in popularity of Samurais and Toyota pickups.  Jeeps will remain popular, but I'm willing to wager more owners will stick with mellower tire sizes so that big-displacement V-8's won't be required to turn said tires.

Smaller engines don't always equal better fuel economy.  You can ask anyone who's run a Toyota 22R or 22R-E four-cylinder coupled with 5.29 axle gears and 35-inch (or larger) tires.  This combo often nets 10 mpg despite the four-cylinder motor.

Novak Adapters has a great writeup under "Knowledge Base" on its website concerning engine swapping and fuel economy.  It flies in the face of many fuel economy and engine swapping notions and exposes them as the myths they really are.  Check out www.novak-adapt.com.

I can see a new quest for vehicle-building strategies that add up to a lighter-weight vehicle.  This could include using fiberglass body panels, thinner-wall rollcage tubing (where sensible), and paying closer attention to the weight of a given wheel-and-tire combo.

Aerodynamics might get a closer look, too.  While there's nothing aerodynamic about most worthy off-road vehicles, it might become more popular to have removable light bars on top, and to carry more cargo behind the vehicle instead of on top.  

Hey, Esanchez,

Please refresh my memory about the particulars of the new bill.  

If memory serves, it stipulated a new set of fuel economy standard to be implemented within the next ten years or so.  Is that correct?