Mack's Titan Boasts Big Power And Extra-Strong Chassis

Sept. 28, 2010
Mack Titan
Titan is built for heavy hauling, one of the new model's intended applications. Ratings for its 16.1-liter MP 10 diesel are 515, 565 and 605 horsepower.

Big power, extra-strong chassis components, bold styling and a posh interior are among features of Mack Trucks' Titan, a severe-service model designed for heavy transport and construction applications. Due out late this fall, the Titan will be powered by a new 16.1-liter MP10 diesel with up to 605 horsepower and 2,060 pounds-feet.

Titan is based on the Granite vocational series, and gets Mack back into the heavy-transport market it left when it dropped the CL long conventional more than a year ago and the RW Super-Liner before that. Titan is "our flagship, the top of the top," said Steve Ginter, the builder's vocational segment product manager who headed the team that designed the new model. He and other Mack executives announced it at Conexpo-Con/Agg show in Las Vegas in mid-March.

The Super-Liner was available with a 998-cubic-inch V-8 —which made as much as 500 horsepower — while the modern 984-cubic-inch MP 10 will produce 105 more horsepower and its exhaust will be 99.9 percent cleaner, Ginter said. The new engine is an adaptation of the D16 offered by Volvo Trucks, Mack's sister company. Like other current Mack and Volvo diesels, the MP 10 will be made by Volvo Powertrain in Hagerstown, Md., while the Titan will be assembled at Macungie, Pa.

The Mack Power 10 will propel the Titan. It is an inline six-cylinder diesel with a single overhead cam, high-pressure fuel injection, and rear-mounted geartrain. In addition to the 605-horsepower/2,060-lbs.-ft. rating, it will also be available at 515 and 565 horsepower with 1,860 lbs.-ft.

High-capacity chassis components will allow Titan to have gross combination weight ratings as high as 300,000 pounds. They will include front axles rated from 12,000 to 20,000 pounds and rear tandems from 46,000 to 65,000 pounds. Frame rails will come in thicknesses of 8, 9.5 and 11 millimeters, with partial or full 5-mm inserts. The MP 10 will be matched with 10-, 13- and 18-speed Mack T300ES transmissions or certain vendor gearboxes.

Titan has high ground clearance to let it pass over off-road obstacles. Its long hood gives the MP10 engine plenty of room, while cooling is aided by placing the cab back and up on the chassis to allow good air flow from under the hood, and for classic looks and excellent driver visibility.

Twin cowl-mounted "growler" air intakes are finished with polished metal and LED lights. They are fully functional, as they minimize moisture and screen debris from reaching the air filter elements, which are under the cab for easy servicing. Piping between the intakes and the elements is smooth and non-restrictive for high-volume airflow.

Titan's large grille surround is fashioned of chromed cast aluminum, complemented by similarly cast headlight bezels. Headlights have impact-resistant Lexan lenses and easy-to-replace bulbs. Chrome and bright finish appliances include air horns; "eyebrows" on the edges of front fenders; sun visor, in 10- or 13-inch widths; skirts; 6-inch-diameter dual exhaust stacks mounted at cab corners; and metal bumper with integrated driving lights.

Titan's cab is made of galvanized steel, and has carefully engineered features to reduce noise and vibration. The interior is available in three trim levels. The cab has numerous overhead storage bins and four-point lighting. The dash is available in woodgrain or brushed nickel finishes. The standard instrument cluster features large, easy-to-read displays and gauges to help keep drivers focused on the road.

The standard Mack Co-Pilot display provides real-time fuel economy numbers with "sweet-spot" indicator and trip data, detailed maintenance and fault summaries, and supplemental sensor readings. The available Lectronix T7000 navigational radio integrates entertainment; navigation; a blind-spot camera display; and vehicle, trip and tire-pressure monitoring systems.

Initial Titan production will be of daycabs; then sleepers will be offered, Ginter said. A 38- to 42-inch box sometimes needed by loggers and heavy haulers is likely to be the first type. Production is scheduled for November.