2006 AMA Motocross Championship - Carmichael extends championship ...

Mcnews.com.au, Australia - Jun 19, 2006RRicky Carmichael took two straight wins and his third consecutive AMA Toyota Motocross race of the 2006 season on his RM-Z450 at Sunday s Budds Creek AMA ...

Story Co. Sheriff s Office given needed piece of equipment

Times-Republican - Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald, standing at the podium, is presented with a Polaris Ranger offroad vehicle Friday. The vehicle will be utilized by the sheriff s office anytime there is a need for off-road activity. NEVADA A Polaris Ranger six-by-six

Segway Glides Towards IPO?
Tech Dirt - Too big bulky and dangerous to ride on a sidewalk- too small and fragile to ride on a road- can't handle steps well- and cannot go offroad. There is really little use for Segways- they're really just an

Improved Engines for some Offroading SUVs

For the 2007 model year, GMs popular midsize trucks, the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Hummer H3 SUV, will get new, larger-displacement inline four- and five-cylinder engines. The new Vortec 2.9L I-4 and Vortec 3.7L I-5 deliver more horsepower and torque than the engines they replace, giving the vehicles increased performance. The Vortec 2.9L DOHC four-cylinder with variable valve timing (VVT) replaces the previous 2.8L four-cylinder and delivers 185 horsepower (138 kW) and 190 lb.-ft. of torque (258 Nm). The Vortec 3.7L DOHC five-cylinder with VVT replaces the previous 3.5L engine and is rated at 242 horsepower (180 kW) and 242 lb.-ft. of torque (328 Nm).
The 2.9L engine produces approximately 6 percent more horsepower and 3 percent more torque than the previous four-cylinder, while the 3.7L offers a substantial 22-horsepower increase and 17 lb.-ft. more torque than the previous five-cylinder engine. The 2.9L is standard in all 2007 Colorado and Canyon models except 4WD Crew Cab; the 3.7L engine is standard in 4WD Crew Cab models and available on all others. The 3.7L engine is the only engine offered on the 2007 Hummer H3 and H3X.

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Making Repairs On the Trail

There is nothing worse than being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no tools.

- As off-road enthusiasts, most of us enjoy modifying our vehicles to make them perform better. We will often do vehicle maintenance as well, even though it is a less-exciting aspect of working on our rigs. We typically prefer to do wrenching at home, usually on a clean garage floor at a temperature that is comfortable for us. What we would rather not do is lay on our backs doing repairs on a cold, muddy trail in the middle of nowhere with a less-than-adequate set of tools and spare parts. However, if you venture out onto into the backcountry, sooner or later you’ll likely have to deal with a fix-it situation. Three things can help get you moving again: tools, spare parts, and ingenuity. Obviously, if your vehicle is completely immobilized such that no manner of effort can make progress, you may be left to catch a ride or hike out, returning later with the supplies needed to rescue the vehicle or make repairs. If the problem is minor or can be repaired with a few spare parts on hand, then you’ll probably be on your way in no time with minimal fuss. It is a good idea to carry at least a basic set of tools when traveling out of close proximity to a repair shop or tow truck. If possible, a separate tool kit specifically devoted to your vehicle is a good way to go. That way, it’s always with the vehicle wherever you go, and if you resist borrowing tools from it, you know it will always be complete and ready for use. Having it on board at all times also means it’s available should you need it on the road, at a friend’s house, or should you be scouring a junkyard looking for parts.

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The New Range Rover Get Updates

I have to say I like what Land Rover is doing here.

- Land Rover engineers have improved the flagship Range Rover model for 2007 to enhance its legendary off-road reputation. For 2007, Range Rover gets Terrain Response, the system that first appeared on the LR3. Terrain Response simplifies off-roading by providing a single knob to control ride height, engine response, traction control and locking differentials, depending on which of five terrain settings the driver chooses. Range Rover also gets an optional rear electronic differential, and all naturally aspirated models come with the performance suspension used on supercharged models.

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Full Size Off Road Beast

This truck is a work of art. It makes my truck look like a tonka toy.

- The idea behind the 2000 four-door behemoth was to make it functional in every way possible. As part of Fords "Power Professional" theme for the SEMA convention, the Swansons had the dubious task of creating a rig that could not only navigate the often treacherous terrain found throughout many popular U.S. recreational off-road venues, but to also give the truck the tools required for in-the-field reapairs. Fortifying the suspension of the truck with a Superlift 8-inch suspension lift kit was the first point. The straight-axle front suspension received new leaf-spring packs, as well as 2-inch spring hanger relocation brackets. The rear suspension also benefited from a new set of leaf springs and a pair of 3-inch pinion angle-correction lift blocks. Each corner of the new suspension was then damped by a pair of Superlift shocks, which were mounted on dual shock hoops. With a set of 39-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Radial tires and 16x10-inch MT wheels on board, the truck was almost ready for the dirt. Still, the chassis required a few upgrades to protect it from the elements. Go Rhino skidplates were attached to the framerails and both differential housings were treated to aluminum covers by Conn-Fer.
Putting a Super Duty such as this up in the air adds some heft to the overall weight of the vehicle, which obviously slows it down. The Swansons made sure their truck would have no problem in the get-up-and-go department. The healthy Triton V-10 engine was topped off with a Whipple Supercharger. The stock exhaust system was scrapped in favor of a large-diameter system from Borla. Superchips provides the right computer programming to keep the V-10 operating at peak levels, and dual batteries from Optima supply the necessary juice.

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An Unstoppable Chevy Silverado

I could only dream.

- This straight-axled beast of a Chevy Silverado is the personal plaything of Frank Bertao, owner of Full Throttle Suspension. You might recognize the Full Throttle name because its a company that specializes in fabricating hard-core lift kits for hard-core trucks. The crew at Full Throttle routinely performs straight-axle conversions using its own line of parts, and creating trucks that are not only tall, but capable. Full Throttle is just as adept at building IFS suspensions, although you will not find a hint of the factory IFS on Franks Chevy. Franks personal ride is the epitome of that passion: a standard cab pickup that towers above a set of 40-inch tires and is still agile enough to romp mercilessly through the dirt, crushing everything in its path with the strength of a rhino.

We admit that the first time we saw this truck, we pegged it as just another big, lifted disco truck that would fall on its face the first time it hit the dirt. Boy, were we ever wrong. Frank takes great joy in driving this rig from his hometown of Bakersfield, California, to not-so-nearby Pismo Beach for long weekends of climbing the dunes and running the hills. By the time we finished our photo shoot in Barstow, California, which coincidentally happened near the start/finish line of the MDR racecourse, a notoriously rough section of desert, Frank had proven us wrong by flogging his truck over and over again for our cameras. Credit the clean and well-designed suspension system that his company crafted for the truck's off-road prowess and durability. Let us take a look at how this truck gets it done. The first thing you should know is that this truck is lifted 18 inches front and rear from the factory ride height. This would seem to be an overabundance of lift, making for a gangly vehicle, but it is not. Full Throttle went the extra mile to add things such as antisway bars to keep the truck on all four wheels when roosting around obstacles in the dirt. The factory front and rear suspensions are a thing of the past; they were replaced with new axles, housings, and shocks.

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Wicked Chevy 2500 HD Crew Cab

I am not sure "wicked" even begins to describe this crazy Crew Cab.

- All too often we see good intentions that are followed by bad plans, which result in projects that never see the light of day, or just do not work the way they were intended. The plain truth is that it is not that easy to design, build, and ultimately drive your dream. Seeing the light at the end of a tunnel laden with fog and disarray is a tool more powerful than a Scotch ironworker. Adam Garcia, owner of Wired For Sound, a high-end car audio retail and installation shop located in Murrieta, California, is one of the lucky few truck builders blessed with both the vision and means to see his ideas come to fruition. His 01 Chevy 2500 HD Crew Cab is concrete evidence that Adam does it with function and an eye for style that does not cross the line into bling-bling overkill. This is actually the second buildup of Garcias ride, a project that would see a complete disassembly and makeover following its debut on the show circuit. The complete transformation from mild street runner to full-tilt show stomper took just three months to complete, and the results are breathtaking. Adams other company, Wired For Sound Motorsports, is responsible for the suspension mods that boosted the HDs ride height a full 19 inches strong. The front suspension was reconfigured with CSTs celebrated 4-inch lift spindles; a drop down cradle; and wider, uniball-equipped control arms. New fiberglass fenders from Glassworks Unlimited were required for containing the 40-inch-round Super Swamper tires and 20-inch KMC wheels once the long-travel components were joined at the hip with a set of King coilover shocks.

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West Coast Chevy 3500HD Dualie

There is no mountain high enough and no valley deep enough for this bad boy.

- If you happen to live on the West Coast, specifically Southern California, theres a good chance you have seen this truck. Its impossible to miss, and owners Doug and Kent Pielemeier are a mainstay in the local custom-truck scene. For the last few years, the father-and-son team have single-handedly turned out some of the sickest purpose-built on- and off-road trucks we've ever seen and have routinely been the subject of magazine articles. Dougs last project was a late 90s Chevy extended cab that began life as a beaten-down 2WD freeway cruiser and ended up a straight-axle beast that would smoke the living daylights out of the 39-inch Super Swampers it was wearing. That truck, as all the projects that came before it, was entirely crafted inside Kents aircraft painting shop in Chino, California. The story behind Up on 46s is similar but on a much grander scale. Kent picked up the white-colored 01 Chevy 3500HD dualie from a local insurance auction with the express intention of building an enormous show truck. The only stipulation that Doug had was that it needed a giant set of wheels and tires. The duo immediately set their sights on building one of the only 2WD trucks to ever clear a set of 46-inch tires. Doing so would not be easy, but nothing the Pielemeiers have ever set out to accomplish has been, so they continued on, undaunted by the task at hand. The backbone of the massive 29-inch suspension lift is a system of drop-down brackets that Doug and Kent designed and had laser-cut from cold-rolled steel plate. The brackets did not attach to the original control-arm mounting locations like the production lift kits we are all used to seeing these days. Kent cut away all the original suspension mounting locations and then welded the new lift into place. Next, a set of control arms were scratch-built and MIG-welded together, with holes punched out to save weight. The arms and spindles pivot on 1-inch uniballs. Because the guys had never built a truck of this magnitude before, nor had they seen an IFS lift of this size, choosing a coilover shock system and the appropriate spring rates was left up to the good folks at King Shock Technologies. King responded with a pair of 3-inch coilovers with 900-pound dual rate springs. The coilovers are mounted on custom upper hoops that are welded into the framerails of the truck.

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Nissan Xterra making Splashes

Nissans second-generation, third-iteration rig looks the part. Its about six-and-a-half feet tall, indicating theres plenty of room for your rock-climbing gear. Its got the signature, huge-diameter-pipe roof rack for strapping down your para-glider. Theres even that storage binnacle up top, made from plastic even GM would turn up its pocket protector at, for your dirty spandex. Sure, more weight up top increases the chance of a rollover, but the Xterra comes with a built-in first aid kit. It even has steps carved into the rear-bumper so you can get to all your junk. Though, for most Xterra owners, the bumper grooves are too high off the ground to actually step on. In fact, my biggest gripe is that the Xterra looks like a sneaker. (High-top Vans, to be precise.)
Inside, Poochie the dog is not yelling, "To the Extreme!" The plastic HVAC knobs are laughable in a $30,000 vehicle, especially one intended to spend its life bashing heads with boulders. The head unit looks even cheaper. However, the cabin is refreshingly sparse, devoid of mega-buttons and flashing lights. The seats are, well, theres a reason the word "flimsy" is an auto-journo cliche; they support as well as a dwindling trust fund. There are two large knobs below the seats, but I had no idea what they did. I could not get them to turn, either. The back seat is big enough to make out in, and there is hella space behind the rear seats for more of the aforementioned gear. Even better, with the rears flipped down, an Xterra owner is presented with 65.7 cubic feet of space, all covered in non-slip, easy-clean rubber. I hauled potting soil and garden lattices around like a champ.


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Customized Jeep Wrangler

Jeff Mansell from Ormond Beach, Florida modified his 1993 Jeep Wrangler. Let us take a look at what he has done.

- 1993 Wrangler
4.0L / Automatic
4" Lift
etriot Lockers F & R
4:56 Gears
BFG 35x12.5.15 ATs
TeraFlex revolver shackles
Teraflex Quick disconnects
BDS 9500 Stainless Shocks
Braided extended Brake lines
Hesco 2" TBI spacer
Rock-It Intake B
ody Armor front and rear
bumpers / swing-away
Body Armor Rock sliders
Warn M8000 Winch
4 KC 130w Daylighters
TJ Flares
Cobra 40 channel CB
Sony sound system


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Rock Climbing in Colorado Springs

This might be coming to a town near you.

- On June 3 rd, 2006 the Xtreme Rock Racing Series presented by Toyo Tires brought Rock Racing to the Ram Off-Road Park in Colorado Springs, CO. This was Round #2 in the National Points Series Race to determine the top Rock Racer in the Nation. The Ram Off-Road Park is a favorite stop for the teams of the XRRA, the terrain variations are constant, the speeds reached are unmatched at any other rock race site. This years course included banked wall turns, massive climbs and a double jump that was unforgiving to those that attempted the gap and failed. "What a great weekend" said Michael Weaver, founder of the XRRA. "The teams went all out to make Colorado Springs an action packed stop on our hunt for a series winner. With an excellent fan turnout and a vendor row that consisted of Toyo Tires, PSC Steering, Monster Energy, Verizon Wireless, the US Airforce and many others. Ram Off-Road Park is a Rock Racing haven." With a field of the Nations top 28 Rock Racing Teams the action never stopped and mere seconds separated the overall times. 2006 Season Opener winner Shannon Campbell recorded some great course times as did last years Series Champion Peter Wells who had three of the fastest times of the four course event. Locals, Brad and Roger Lovell sure gave spectators something to cheer about and JT Taylors V-8 motor could be heard over the crowds throughout the day as he made his runs. But in the end it was Team Lovells consistent flow and exceptional teamwork that put their Ford Ranger in the winners circle by 17 seconds over 2 nd place Shannon Campbell and 31 seconds over 3 rd place JT Taylor. Rock Racings fast paced timed action includes all the elements that make Xtreme Rock Racing the premier off-road motorsport of the future. Huge jumps, high-speed wide-open sections, followed by technical climbs that test teams and drivers to their limits. XRRA Drivers show why their skills put them in a class all there own.

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Getting Dirty with a Ford Lightening

This craftmanship in this amazing. I love it!

- In 1998, it was time for Andy to give wheel-to-wheel road racing a try. Racing on courses that many of us dream to drive one day, his Acura Integra Type R took the overall points championship in his rookie season. As you can imagine, this was upsetting to the many sponsored vehicles racing behind Andy and his independently owned and raced car. Before his second season was complete, the lack of sponsorship turned his glory on the road into the sale of yet another one of his creations. Encompassed in metalwork is a 351 Ford Lightning-powered motor with AFR aluminum heads, and Comp Cams shooting power through a C6 transmission. According to the dyno, the truck is pushing 380 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. Now it was time to take his experience racing, knowledge of the desert terrain, and modification skills and build the ultimate weekend adventure vehicle. During many of those F.U.D. races there was always one truck that stood out in Andys mind: the ex-Robby Gordon/Frank Vessels Trophy Truck nicknamed Rosanne. The truck was bigger than life to him and seemed to spend more time in the air than on the ground. Taking examples from the TT, he picked up a black 1994 Ford Lightning in February of 2002 and the race was on.
Like most enthusiasts, Andy spent the next few months traveling to different shops around Southern California, gathering information and searching for the right person to take the visions in his head and put them into his truck. Rodd Fantelli of Fantelli Motorsports in Ramona, California, had all the right qualities Andy was searching for. Rodd has been building successful race cars for many years, including several for himself racing the likes of the Baja 1000. With a very trusting hand, Andy turned over his truck and keys to Rodd and waited nearly one year for his new toy to be completed. When the truck rolled out of the shop 11 months later, it was more than he could have imagined. BFGoodrich tires are among the most popular in the desert. Because of the size, weight, and speed that Andy will throw at his truck, he opted for a set of 37x12/5x17-inch Baja TA tires surrounding 17x8-inch Robby Gordon bead-lock wheels. Visit any local desert race and you will find that many vehicles from race trucks to prerunners resemble what we call jungle-gym fabrication. Not Andys Ford - every piece of tubing from front to rear bumper was fabricated with a purpose. If you follow the lines of the cage work, its amazing to see that the welding is consistent throughout the entire truck, almost as if it was built by a machine. The rear of this 1994 Lightning achieves 30 inches of travel through Rodd Fantellis four-link suspension system. Two-and-a-half-inch Bilstein coilovers are combined with 2 1/2-inch Bilstein three-tube bypass shocks and Bilstein Air Bumps to help absorb mile after mile of desert terrain. Here we can also see the installation of dual Fluidyne Transmission Coolers, Blue Top Optima battery, custom 65-gallon fuel cell (Rodd Fantelli), and Curt LeDuc antisway bars. "Vessels"-style fiberglass body panels by Autofab in Santee, California, surround this truck giving it a low-profile look while keeping aerodynamics to a maximum. If you are building a race car or prerunner, what better friend to have than someone who has been dubbed "The Shock God?" The truck was notched, bent, and welded in all the right places but wouldnt be a comfortable ride without having the shocks and coilovers set up correctly. Andy turned to Pete Albano of Precision Shockworks in Upland, California, to properly valve and tweak all four corners of this machine into a harmony of motion. A custom full-floating Ford 9-inch rearend from Camburg Engineering was installed with 35-spline axles and 4.86 ring-and-pinion gears combined with a spool, keeping both rear tires spinning at the same time, all the time. Knowing this prerunner was built with racing in mind, we opted to tackle the Barstow racecourse for our photo shoot. The rough and uncompromising terrain was just what we needed to put this Bad in Black Blue Oval to the test. After wiping the drool from the camera for long enough, Andy offered up his passenger seat. An in-car camera would have been nice to capture ear-to-ear grins, as the suspension made each whoop section feel like nothing more than your average parking lot speed bump. It was easy to see that the geometry and fabrication of his truck was topnotch. Andy's dream had come true.


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Toyota FJ Cruiser with Racing Coil-Over System

After market parts for the FJ Cruiser are hitting the market and I can not wait to get my hands on some.

- Owning a new off road vehicle usually means having to wait around for the aftermarket products to finally hit the scene. Donahoe Racing’s new FJ Cruiser front coil-over system proves this always isnt so. The FJ Cruisers design creates a great base product for adding on to. Donahoe Racing Enterprises picked this fact up immediately and went to work on the 2007 FJ Cruisers suspension during the pre-production phase. By having access to test their expertise on the early production models, Donahoe Racing was able to develop the first aftermarket suspension package.

That means Donahoe Racing engineers developed a coil-over product with the needs of the brand new FJ Cruiser owner in mind. The design perfects on and off road suspension performance by increasing wheel travel, making it ride height adjustable from 0-3 inches.

And yes, that means if you own a FJ Cruiser, or will soon own a FJ Cruiser, or are in serious contemplation about owning Toyota’s tribute to the Land Cruiser legend, you’re able to experience what trail and highway life is like on higher ground with all its performance peeks, pluses and perks – right now.

Racing Name Becomes an FJ Cruiser Racing Necessity

Kreg Donahoe, son of desert racing legend Bill Donahoe, is the president and CEO of Donahoe Racing Enterprises. The company focuses its efforts and talents into producing off-road suspension systems for trucks and SUVs like the Toyota FJ Cruiser.

Kreg may have started out with a big name, but he started his organization with as little as three employees. Now with over 25 staff members and growing, the company occupies a 10,000-square-foot building in Anaheim, California.

Kreg has worked, crewed or raced with off road legends from Walker Evans to Robby Gordon. He worked at Fabtech while finishing up college, and he put in three years of employment with Walker Evans Racing as a race truck fabricator. He has won 18 off road racing championships as a car builder, prep mechanic, driver and crew chief. His racing resume also includes the 2004 SCORE Stock Mini Championship, a victory at the Las Vegas Primm 300, and a win at the grueling Baja 1000 in his Toyota Tacoma.


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The Land Rover G4 Challenge set for Bangkok

How much fun would this be. Seriously, before I die I want to run in the Challenge.

- The 2006 edition of the Land Rover G4 Challenge will kick off this weekend in Bangkok, Thailand. The 18 competitors, selected from more than 10,000 applicants from around the world, will drive, climb, kayak, abseil, bike and navigate over a 4,000 km route spanning four countries and two continents in 28 days.

As one might expect, off-road driving is the centerpiece of the competition, but the epic event requires much more than driving skill - testing the competitors' initiative, strategy, physical fitness, sporting skills and teamwork.

This years running of the Challenge covers the jungles of Laos, urban challenges in Bangkok and Rio de Janeiro, and the mountains of Bolivia.

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The Ford Bronco Turns 40

It is hard to imagine that the bronco has been around since the 70s.

- When Ford introduced the Bronco back in 1966, no one could have imagined it would have the tremendous effect on the off-roading scene that it did. With its chunky good looks, tough construction and outstanding off-road handling, it inspired owners to form clubs that encouraged the preservation and enjoyment of this highly capable sport utility.
Today, many clubs are dedicated to Bronco ownership, and they will celebrate the vehicles 40th anniversary this year. What is it about this sport utility that creates such devotion, despite the fact that the last one came off the assembly line 10 years ago? We talked to some of the most ardent Bronco owners, including rocker Ted Nugent, to learn more about the enthusiasm they share for Ford’s first sport utility.
Ted Nugent is without question the most famous Bronco owner. Throughout his career, he has been a vocal supporter, even singing its praises on his three successful TV shows.
"On all of my shows, whether "Surviving Nugent" "Wanted: Ted or Alive" or "Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild," I always make sure to make my entrance and exit in a Bronco," Nugent says.
Nugents passion for all things Bronco goes back nearly 35 years, when he bought his first one in 1971.
"It was light green with a white top, and I loaded her up with all of the off-road goodies to satisfy my no-road wanderlust," Nugent says. "I had all the heavy-duty options available at the time, even a Warn winch, and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I was rockin, baby!"
Bitten by the bug, Nugent began buying and modifying a procession of increasingly gonzo Broncos, all in the pursuit of the ultimate off-roading machine.
"I was having the time of my life, penetrating the heretofore inaccessible outback to soothe the savage exploratory beast within," Nugent says.
To Nugent, that is what the Bronco is all about — a way to get back to nature. As a tremendous advocate of the outdoors, a committed hunter and a preserver of natural resources, Nugent spends as much time communing with nature as he can, when he’s not rocking around the world.
"Even with my wild image, though, I have always supported the concept of treading lightly," Nugent says. "When I go off-road with my friends, we are no more disruptive on the trail than a herd of elk. The Bronco represents a powerful force in the huntsman’s life, a way for us to reconnect with the spirit of the wild."

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Nissan is Getting Serious About Their Off-Roading

It is cool to see that Nissan is trying to toughen up its image with some off-road bad boys of their own.

- It seems that full-size trucks must first curry the favor of Texans before they can court the rest of this countrys citizenry. Dodge introduced its Ram Mega Cab Dually in the state and Ford unleashed its 2007 Expedition on unsuspecting Texans attending this years Houston Auto Show. Toyota has eschewed any showmanship and will just build its new XXL Tundra in San Antonio. Nissan has chosen to combat its less than stellar Titan sales by putting on a show in Bridgeport, Texas in order to demonstrate how tough its full-size pickups and SUVs can be. The Japanese company built an off-road course in a rock quarry recently purchased by the town that contained rock climbs, descents, water obstacles, rugged terrain and more. They then gave 80 journalists keys to the Titan and Frontier pickups and Xterra SUV and stood back… way back. We have yet to see any articles emerge from the media event, so we will have to wait and see how many journalists the company converted.

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Toyota Looks to Enter the Off-road Game

This looks oddly like a Hummer H3. I love the safari roof rack adn the clean lines. Time will tell if this is a true off-roading machine.

- “Before sport-utility vehicles became the vehicle of choice for hauling kids and commuting to work,” says Senior Editor Kim Wolfkill, “people actually got them dirty. It was off-road prowess that really mattered, not on-road comfort.” For his report on Toyotas all-new FJ Cruiser, the author did plenty of on-road and off-road driving and found that this affordable ute offers plenty of spirited performance when the pavement ends and on-road manners every bit as good as any vehicle in Toyota’s plentiful sport-ute lineup.

With its cool looks, fun two-tone paint, plentiful standard features and a starting price of only $21,710, the FJ Cruiser is going to be a big-time hit.


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