If you had a blank check and the brief to build “The closest thing to a life-like R/C car that you could,” what would it look like? While the outcomes of such a thought exercise are myriad, I’d bet many of you would end up with something that looks an awful lot like this creation from California-based design firm SV Vintage.

Meet the SV Rover, a purpose-built desert racing truck that pushes the boundaries of what an off-roader can do—so much so that the company is boldly proclaiming it to be the world’s first “Hyper Truck.” The SV Rover is loosely based on the design of a classic Land Rover Defender, but to say the two share anything in common is like saying my 75-lb Golden Retriever is “loosely based on” Mystik Dan, the thoroughbred horse that took home this year’s Kentucky Derby.

This two-seat, rear-midengined monster truck wears carbon-fiber bodywork that shrouds a fully bespoke, custom-fabricated tube chassis and space frame with all sorts of neat engineering tricks. In fact, in the walk-around video below, founder and CEO Joe Scarbo explains that the original goal for the SV Rover was to build a truck that was compliant with the Trophy Truck regulations for the SCORE international off-road racing series. It just so happened that once the truck’s development phase was complete, the thing could be legally driven on roads—in California, at least.

The SV Rover first debuted at the F.A.T. International ice race in Aspen, Colorado, earlier this year. If the Scarbo Vintage name sounds familiar, recall that the outfit is also responsible for a Corvette-engined mid-60s F1 tribute car, aptly named the SVF1, as well as the bonkers SV RSR 911 restomod race car.

So what all is hiding beneath that bodacious bodywork? The magic really starts with the suspension, arguably the most important system for an off-road vehicle. The SV Rover boasts inboard pushrod suspension at both ends enabling 30 inches of wheel travel at each corner. The ride height is fully adjustable thanks to a four-corner air-ride system that compliments the massive, remote reservoir dampers. The system enables you to optimize ground clearance for rock crawling, where you want as much space as possible between your vehicle and the earth, and for off-road racing, where a lower center of gravity is better suited to desert hijinks.

More than just the damper system, though, the brilliance here is in how the suspension works with the chassis—or rather, as part of the chassis. The front and rear differential carriers are both chassis nodes, meaning that the suspension components bolt into those carriers rather than to other points on the chassis. This technique is common in R/C cars and gives the resulting machine increased wheel travel and articulation—Scarbo cites the Traxxas Revo as a big influence for this design.

Unlike those R/C cars, though, the SV Rover had to make room for actual passengers in the interior. To accommodate the added packaging constraints, the front dampers are positioned ahead of the inboard rocker arms instead of behind them, like you’d see if you popped the bodywork of one of those Traxxas cars.

On the other side of that little passenger compartment, you’ll find the business end of this brute. Scarbo Vintage will build you an SV Rover with your choice of two very distinct powertrains. Your first option is an 1100-hp supercharged V-8 setup with a 65-gallon fuel tank positioned beneath the cabin area. If you’d rather, you can also spec your SV Rover with a 750-kW EV powertrain that draws from a 75-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that, conveniently, sits in that same protected enclosure below the floor. The V-8 will get an 8-speed paddle-shifted automatic transmission, while the EV variant does without a dedicated gearbox. Scarbo says that for the V-8 configuration, the total weight for the SV Rover will still ring in below 4500 lbs, which is pretty impressive.

Both powertrains will propel the SV Rover in two-wheel- or four-wheel-drive, selectable by the driver. The two-speed transfer case is divorced from the transmission and positioned in the front in both configurations, but the choice was made specifically to accommodate the EV drivetrain. The front and rear differentials are selectable locking, depending on your crawling or cruising needs.

Despite all that capability, the interior of the SV Rover looks like a fine place to spend some time. The fully digital cockpit incorporates two screens—a 12.3-inch unit ahead of the driver and a 12.8-inch unit off on the center of the dashboard for multimedia duties. There are even a few comfort amenities such as power-locking doors and windows, and climate control.

So, what will all this goodness run you? Unsurprisingly, it won’t come cheap. Pricing starts at a heady $1.5M, though each vehicle is configured for a specific client, so the final price tag could ring in a bit lower or much higher, depending on what the buyer wants. At least it’s not a lump sum payment, however; Scarbo Vintage says each build will take about 10 months to complete. A deposit of $500,000 is due upon completion of your order, with another $500K due when the rolling chassis is fitted with the suspension and drivetrain components. The remaining balance is due when a client takes possession of their SV Rover.

Be sure to check out the walkaround video below, where Scarbo reveals all sorts of interesting tidbits about what went into building such an audacious machine.

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How does a simple act of kindness suddenly explode on an international scale? How do you face the pain and discomfort caused by a global pandemic and meet it with positivity? How does a lifetime of loving an antiquated but charming off-road engineering philosophy catapult you from an ordinary enthusiast to the originator of a Jeep phenomenon?

Allison Parliament considered none of these questions on that fateful summer day in July 2020, when she set a rubber duck on the hood of a Jeep Wrangler in an Ontario parking lot. The only reason she did it was because she wanted to write a nice note for the owner, and she didn’t have a piece of paper. So she wrote the message on a rubber duck she had handy (more on that later), thinking little of it.

Four years on, hundreds of thousands of Jeep fans are trading ducks like playing cards all over the world. The act of placing a duck on a Jeep has become a verb: “ducking.” On Instagram, searching #duckduckjeep will return more than a quarter of a million results, with other variations of the hashtag pulling about the same. A tiny act of kindness morphed into a movement in what felt like months, and Parliament, the center of the craze, has had her life radically transformed as a result.

It is impossible to look back at 2020, and Parliament’s story, without acknowledging the pandemic. At its peak, Covid-19 affected practically every normal aspect of human society. Both the virus and the measures to address it sowed divisions and discord. For Parliament, though, her main focus was caring for her grandmother. Parliament resolved to make the day-long trek north from her Alabama home to southeast Ontario to be with her aging relative. “She was up there alone, in her late-80s,” Parliament says. “For seniors, being alone can be [the cause of] early onset dementia. It can do a whole bunch of things to their mind when they’re not active. I didn’t want that for my grandma because she helped raise us while my mom was going through breast cancer. Grandma and Grandpa gave us everything, so I wanted to do the same for her.”

Parliament had recently taken delivery of her dream car, a 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, which was the realization of a lifelong fascination with the stick-axled, seven-slatted go-anywhere machines that permeated her upbringing.

Her uncle, Gregory Anderson, a small-town lawyer from Ontario, was a serial hobbyist with a penchant for restoring old vehicles. During early summers, Parliament would join her great aunt and uncle on their farm for a few weeks. She quickly learned where Anderson was most comfortable—in the garage—and adapted to that context in order to foster a better relationship with him. “He was a very sweet man, but he was easier to talk to when you were working on a vehicle with him,” Parliament recalls.

Anderson, who died in 2012, revived many classics, from Mustangs to Model Ts to military vehicles, but the Jeeps caught young Parliament’s fascination the most. “He used to take us out anytime we’d ask in the summer in the Jeeps, since they didn’t have the tops, and we’d roam around the thousand acres they owned. He took us everywhere, he loved every moment he got with us, and he was a big part of my life in a lot of ways,” she says. “Losing him was really hard.”

More than just an incubator for Jeep fandom, however, Parliament’s time in the garage with her great uncle became a metaphor for how she came to view the automotive hobby as a whole. “He opened a door, especially I think for me as a child, to know that girls could be into cool cars, too.” To this day, her efforts around inclusivity within the Jeep community echo that sentiment and aim to pass such an important truth to the next generation.

Those foundations eventually led Parliament to chase a Wrangler as her dream vehicle. But just as important was her understanding that loving those who cared for you often means going the extra mile—or in this case, thousands of miles. Ready to face the dystopian context of the time, she pointed her Wrangler toward the Canadian border and her final destination: Grandma’s house, in Orillia, Ontario.

On her way north, some 13 hours into the trip, she stopped to get gas in Woodstock, Ontario. As she got out to fill up, she heard someone yelling. Fatigued from the drive, she didn’t think much of it. “All of a sudden I had this man in my face screaming at me, pushing me into my Jeep, yelling at me to go back to my own country.”

Though born in Canada, Parliament lived in Alabama at the time, and her Jeep was plated as such. Maybe it was paranoia that provoked the altercation. Maybe, wound drum-tight by Canada’s particularly strict lockdown restrictions, the man had simply snapped.

No matter what, it was a hostile, particularly un-Canadian interaction in a country known for its friendliness. “I am Canadian-born, Canadian-raised,” Parliament says. “Much of my extended family still lives here, including the grandmother that I was on my way to care for.”

Without even filling up, she got back in her Jeep and drove away. The whole thing scared her. Her partner talked with her over the phone, doing his best to calm her down over the next half hour it took to find another gas pump.

She finally arrived at her destination and began the government’s mandatory two-week quarantine for foreign visitors. At the end of that period, she headed out to a small shop near Bancroft with a relative. Even just going shopping, at that point, felt like a novelty. 

Parliament came across a gaggle of rubber ducks in the shop. Planning to prank her partner by hiding them throughout the house they were staying in, she bought them. “I needed to laugh again, to feel safe,” she says.

As she left the store, she saw a kitted-out Wrangler parked near her own. She liked it and wanted to leave a small token of appreciation and approval. “Jeepers are kind of crazy, and a compliment on your Jeep is always a good feeling,” she says.

She didn’t have any paper with her, but there was a marker in her glovebox. She scribbled a small, simple message onto the only shareable token she had—a rubber duck. 

“Nice Jeep, have a great day.“

Almost immediately, a large man stormed out of a nearby restaurant and headed her way. The gas station fiasco flashed in her mind. “What are you doing?” was the man’s firm and accusatory opening salvo.

He picked up the duck and read its message. The bristly demeanor cracked, and a smile flooded his face. “He thought it was a great thing, said it made his day,” Parliament says. After chatting with her about Jeeps for a few minutes, the man suggested they take a picture of it and put it on social media. Unsure of what to say in a caption or how to tag the post, Parliament suggested #DuckDuckJeep. Maybe it would go around town and make a few people smile and then it would die off, she figured.

Instead, it blew up. Weeks later, a Massachusetts newspaper called, seeking an interview with the woman who had started the Duck Duck Jeep craze. Then another call from another outlet. Then another.

The duck was out of the proverbial bathtub. Parliament started a Facebook group that today has about 76,000 members. Other unofficial pages sprung up, many also boasting high five-figure memberships.

It wasn’t long before Parliament, a self-described introvert, got recognized in public. “Around Christmas time that year, I was doing some shopping when a lady recognized me,” she recalls. “I remember just putting everything down and very quietly disappearing. I went and hid in my Jeep, waiting for it to all blow over.”

It didn’t. At all. Soon, Parliament had companies reaching out with offers to outfit her Jeep. Then the events came calling. When the Wabash Jeepers out of Terra Haute, Indiana, asked her if she’d be willing to attend their annual pink ride, a fundraiser event for breast cancer, Parliament made her “first and easiest yes.”

Parliament’s aunt succumbed to the awful disease at 32, and her own mother was diagnosed at 33, while pregnant with Parliament’s youngest sibling. “She had [my brother] on Monday, then she went in for surgery on Friday of the same week.”

As more and more clubs came calling, despite her introversion, Parliament decided that she had a responsibility to harness her—and the phenomenon’s—popularity and use it as a force for good. She quit her lucrative job as a financial professional and founded a nonprofit organization around the act of Jeep ducking; “Ducking for Teachers” helps support local teachers by providing funds to purchase desperately needed school supplies.

***

Last summer, I met up with Parliament and Jason Klatt, her close friend and the resident mechanic of Official Ducking Jeep, at Toledo Jeep Fest, an enthusiast gathering in northwest Ohio. Toledo also happens to be the home of the Stellantis plant that produces the Wrangler and the Gladiator. For a single weekend in August, the area overflows with more than a thousand Jeeps, coming from as far away as Brazil and Colombia. Nearly all of them are customized in some fashion, ranging from mild to triple-take wild.

It was early Saturday morning, but the parking lot of the Owens Corning building was already bursting with Jeeps awaiting their orders to file in for an all-Jeep parade through downtown Toledo. Parliament and her crew were parked some distance back from the front of the line. A massive plush yellow duck was strapped to the top of her Wrangler, and dozens more littered the dashboard, the floorboards, and pretty much everywhere else.

Thousands of Jeep enthusiasts of all ages milled about. Speakers blared everything from Twisted Sister to Tupac. Some Wranglers wore massive tires on small wheels—placing function over form—while others wore massive wheels with skinny, street-focused tires. Engines—some stock, some fettled to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars—revved up and down the line. Horns blared for no reason at all. It was as if an electronic rave had collided with a country music festival, which then rolled into a rock show that then barreled through the brick wall of a hip-hop concert, Kool-Aid Man–style. There was dancing, laughing, high-fiving, and, of course, plenty of ducking.

Amid this audiovisual hurricane, a few Jeepers approached Parliament. She talked with them for a bit, then signed a half-dozen ducks for them. When the first group left, Parliament slid back toward the circle of her colleagues. Then another group arrived, and like clockwork, she walked out, greeted each one, and listened patiently as they shared kind words about her efforts or why they loved passing out ducks. All smiles, she signed again, then waved as they set off across the parking lot. She was never standoffish, but you got the sense that even though she’d likely had the same interaction thousands of times before, there was still some discomfort for her in the exchanges.

The parade began. Have you ever seen someone realize in real time that they’re about to have a “main character moment,” where a captive audience will be shouting and waving in their direction, even if only briefly? This was that moment for every Jeep—and every occupant of every Jeep.

The volleys of candy started immediately, with Jeepers—some in full costumes, some with flip-flops and cut-off T-shirts, some with garb that matched their rig’s custom paint job—lobbing sweet treats to those who lined the streets. Roll bars became seats in the slow-moving processional, tunes were cranked to irresponsible levels, and doors were often nowhere to be found—in true Jeep fashion.

As they trundled through the streets of downtown Toledo, Parliament, Klatt, and other members of her team lobbed rubber ducks into the crowd. A handful of folks recognized her tricked-out rig, but for the most part, the focus was on the free ducks, not the throwers.

Toledo Jeep Fest organizers reckon that more than 60,000 ducks were handed out over the course of three days, but that number feels conservative based on my time there. Parliament and her crew handed out several hundred on their own, plus thousands of duck stickers.

I expected Parliament to be hounded by Jeepers pretty much the entire time we were together. Like an all-star baseball player on home turf during batting practice or a headline musician leaving the venue after a killer set. While there was an autograph booth for a brief stint, which included folks waiting in line, Parliament was never utterly swamped with fans.

Later that day, I followed Parliament around a park’n’shine event that swallowed nearby streets. She and Klatt were provided with a golf cart in which to cruise the show, along with an event staff member who had been shepherding Parliament through local TV and radio hits throughout the week.

Multiple times, Allison’s sherpa stopped groups of visitors to ask if they wanted a picture with the founder of the Jeep ducking phenomenon. Many folks gleefully agreed, taking time to share their ducking experiences with Parliament. But others had no idea what was being asked of them. Some, even while clutching plastic ducks, stood there in awkward silence not knowing what to say, totally unaware that the ducking thing even had a founder.

There was a strange irony to the whole situation. The custom grew from a single duck to a worldwide phenomenon, all in just a few years. One look across the parade staging area that morning was all I needed to understand how the zeitgeist of modern Jeep fandom had taken this thing and then driven up Mt. Everest with it. These are deeply passionate people; gifted with a new method to express that enthusiasm to each other, was it ever going to end up any other way?

Sometimes a small good thing grows into something greater than you could ever imagine, but the price of that swell can prove a bit unsettling. Understanding and accepting which parts of this new, often unrecognizable beast you’re then responsible for can be complicated; especially when you’re not naturally wired to be the sort of outgoing, bubbly personality that something like ducking embodies.

And there in the eye of the storm was Parliament, a quiet, reserved personality who is open about the fact that she doesn’t like being the center of attention. In fact, there was a visible tension between the overwhelming outward-facing responsibility she felt to represent this now-universal act in a positive manner and her very personal desire to just be another Jeeper enjoying that act. And in among it all, she had to accept that the movement may have overtaken her.

Parliament’s involvement in the world of ducking has only grown more formalized through the years, so resolving that tension may have to wait. Jeep has officially recognized her as the founder of Duck Duck Jeep, with the brand’s former CEO, Christian Meunier, going so far as to endorse her on record at the New York auto show. And while a few folks I talked to at the event seem to recall ducks and Jeeps mingling before the pandemic, nobody had any concrete proof of an official, organized effort existing prior to the one Allison started.

Of course, every movement has its detractors. There’s a small but vocal group vehemently opposed to the act, for several reasons ranging from somewhat reasonable to downright ridiculous. On the reasonable side, some folks feel that plastic ducks are an environmental hazard and that there are other, more eco-friendly ways to show appreciation for someone’s ride. At the other end of the spectrum, some see the whole thing as dumb and pointless, an embodiment of just how “soft” people are now. Parliament has had sour experiences with anti-duckers at events, and there have even been a few news stories that have knocked ducking, calling it “bizarre” or even “pathetic.”

With any act of kindness, the line between a tiny impact and a massive one is often far thinner than anyone can realize in the moment. At the same time, if people aren’t receptive, Parliament doesn’t want to force the issue. On occasion, she runs into someone who has no interest in their Jeep getting ducked. “There are some people out there who don’t want them and don’t like them,” she said. “If that happens, you say, ‘Thank you, have a great day. It was nice to meet you.’”

Though the whole exercise has grown into something no one person or group can control, Parliament wants Jeep ducking to be a source of joy first and foremost. “We want to welcome people into the [Jeep] community. We want people to have a place where they feel safe. A place where you can come and make friends and have friends wherever you are, no matter what’s going on. Sometimes, that’s all people need. The ducks make people feel heard, make people feel seen.”

Parliament acknowledges she has good days and bad ones. “But I know what it’s like to struggle. I have major depressive disorder, which is not something we hide. I take meds every day, but I’ve also always had a huge support system in my family and a few of my other friends that are always there.”

She hopes, in part, to be able to offer that kind of strength to those in the Jeep community who might lack a similar support system. Parliament has taken countless phone calls from Jeepers struggling with mental health issues, and she lends an ear when someone in need reaches out for help.

Parliament feels that the broader Jeep community’s baked-in good vibes and support for fellow Jeepers make the whole duck thing possible. During my time getting to know her she rattled off several stories from her own Jeeping experience about parts, beds, food, and more acts of generosity offered up with no strings attached by fellow Jeepers. Surveying the streets of Toledo that weekend, it was easy to draw the connection. Ducking stays afloat, even post-pandemic, because it fulfills an instinct to connect and share one’s passions with others. People are at their best when they feel lifted up.

At day’s end, festivities dwindled and we said our goodbyes. I walked the few blocks back to where I’d parked the Wrangler Rubicon 4xe, a loaner from Jeep to get me to and from Toledo. Its High Velocity Yellow paint stuck out like a pile of new tennis balls on fresh asphalt, easily visible from 300 feet. As I neared the driver’s-side door, something cheerful and pink caught my eye. 

On the handle was a rubber duck. In the reflection of the window, I caught myself grinning.

***

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Earlier this week, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that a historic salt tram tower in the Saline Valley, part of Death Valley National Park, had been damaged. The suspected culprit? An overlander using a winch to extract their vehicle out of deep mud.

The 113-year-old tower was reportedly pulled over sometime between April 1 and April 24. The tower was part of a 13-mile aerial tram system constructed by the Saline Valley Salt Company in 1911 to transport salt from the Saline Valley to the Owens Valley in-period. This remarkable feat of engineering climbs over 7000 vertical feet, sometimes at grades of up to 40 percent.

Because of its age, length, steepness, preservation, and scenic setting, the tram system is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first four towers of the tram are within the boundaries of Death Valley National Park, while the remainder of the tram’s towers sit on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Tower #1, the fallen structure, is in Death Valley National Park.

Per the NPS report, “nearby tracks show that a vehicle drove a short distance off the legal roadway and got stuck in the mud. Park rangers believe that someone used the nearby tower as an anchor to pull their vehicle out of the mud. The tower toppled over, pulling its concrete footings out of the ground.”

The incident marks another strike against the growing population of folks who want to use their vehicles to explore vast and untamed places. In other parts of the country, such as Moab, Utah, the damage done by vehicular exploration has sparked lawsuits and trail closures that have frustrated many overlanders who feel they’re being unfairly punished for the behavior of a few bad apples.

Though the focus of the tension between vehicular explorers and those who worry about ecological conservation has focused primarily on habitat risk, the destruction of a national landmark ratchets things up a bit—and not in favor of the overlanding crowd.

A salt tram stabilization project was already in the works before this unfortunate event. However, the project manager has not yet determined if that funding can cover the re-anchoring of tower #1.

“I have hiked along sections of this tramway and am amazed by the tenacity it took to build,” said Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “I hope the person responsible for this damage will contact us so we can discuss restitution.”

Park rangers are asking anyone with information on the incident to call the NPS-wide tipline at 888-653-0009 or to go to the online tip website and pass along your information there.

This should be obvious, but it apparently bears repeating: So we can all continue to enjoy the outdoors with our vehicles, stay on the marked trails, people.

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These days, almost any vehicle on the road with even a hint of off-roading pretense sports some combination of boxy styling, tall tires, and hoisted bumpers front and rear. They’re dirt-aggro, in all—or most of—the right ways.

But that wasn’t always the case. Back in the 1990s, things got a little, erm, weird. Case in point: The two off-road oddballs you see here.

Meet contestant number 1, a 1998 Mitsubishi Pajero Jr. Flying Pug, a boxy, topply little thing with a face best fit for radio. The one seen here is part of Mecum’s Indianapolis auction, slated to cross the block on Thursday, May 16.

The Pajero Jr. was an off-road SUV produced for the JDM market exclusively between 1995 and 1998. Riding on the platform that underpinned the contemporary Mitsubishi Minica, a tiny little hatchback also only sold in Japan, the Pajero Jr.’s svelte footprint allowed it to fit under the “small size car” limitations of the Japanese government, thus lowering the tax burden owners would face when they bought the little two-door ute.

Despite the tiny proportions and a 1.1-liter, 79-hp four-cylinder engine, this thing had real off-road chops. Power routes through a wee three-speed automatic transmission that turns the rear wheels by default, but the real four-wheel-drive system offers high- and low-range capabilities.

To drum up interest in the little dirt devil, Mitsubishi created several special-edition versions of the Pajero Jr., including the Flying Pug. (Brief moment of appreciation for the idea of a snub-nosed dog cruising through the air. Probably with a cape, because these little cars are nothing if not optimistic.)

The Flying Pug was the third special-edition Pajero Jr., styled to look like a classic British car. Built from September 1997 to June 1998, the Flying Pug was Mitsubishi’s attempt to capitalize on the rising popularity of older British cars in Japan. The results were … well, not great. The contemporary motoring press criticized the Flying Pug for having an ugly face, and although 1000 units were planned, a mere 139 saw the light of day before Mitsubishi axed the thing due to slow sales.

Styling notwithstanding, this little fella is in remarkably good condition, with the wine-colored paintwork still shining brilliantly, and the gray interior showing very few signs of wear. According to Mecum’s listing, this one has plenty of nice features, including air conditioning, power locks, power windows, tinted glass, and a folding rear seat that gives our little Pugger quite a bit of cargo capacity. The odometer displays 116,044 kilometers, which translates to about 72,100 miles. Our regards to the brave soul(s) who bopped about in this thing.

Tea-time trucklet not really your vibe? Might we interest you in contestant number 2: The 1996 Heuliez Intruder convertible? This one-of-one concept, which debuted at the 1996 Paris Salon, will cross the block tomorrow at Bonhams’ Miami auction, and woof is it a sight to behold.

The shapely convertible bodywork comes courtesy of French coachbuilder Heuliez, a shop founded in the 1920s that spent decades designing buses and commercial vehicles through the 1970s but then turned to cars. Among Heuliez’s body of work are two ’80s rally icons: the Renault 5 Turbo, a mid-engine, boost-huffing, flared-fender Group 4/Group B monster, and the Peugeot 205 T16, a similarly riotous little hatch that nabbed two World Rally Championships in Group B.

This beast, however, is very much not of that ilk. The Intruder rides on the chassis of a Mercedes G320 off-roader—that’s right, there’s a G-Wagen under there. The bodywork is unique from the floorplans up, styled by and constructed under the watchful eye of designer Marc Deschamps. It’s part Tonka truck, part contemporary SLK, part G-Wagen, all absurdity.

Power comes from the G320’s M104 3.2-liter twin-cam inline-six, which is rated for 208 hp. The Intruder retains all the G320’s other running gear as well, including the four-speed automatic transmission; the live front and rear axles; and the locking front, center, and rear differentials. There’s a full 12 inches of ground clearance under there, meaning this thing could really get down and dirty if you needed it to.

The interior is mostly off-the-shelf Mercedes parts, including the seats, although those now wear wild blue leather. The convertible top is fully functional, according to the listing, and can either be stored in the trunk or removed entirely.

After a tour of the show circuit, where the Intruder wore many different paint jobs, including red, white, and the silver you see here, it arrived at DK Engineering, a restoration firm in England. There, the Intruder was treated to an extensive restoration that reportedly cost around $300,000. It was imported to the States earlier this year and is now offered for sale with promotional brochures, extensive documentation of the restoration, and much more.

You could have any old Bronco, Wrangler, or 4Runner for your off-roading exploits, but where’s the fun in that? If you want to go that extra step, perhaps you need a little Flying Pug or (a lot of) Intruder in your life. Variety is the spice … well, you know the rest.

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The next chapter of Mercedes-Benz’s inimitable Geländewagen has finally arrived. Behold, the Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology, a mouthful of a name that we invite you to skip, instead referring to the vehicle as “the electric G-Wagen.”

With 579 hp, 859 lb-ft of torque, an independently controlled electric motor for each wheel, and heaps of luxury- and off-road-minded tech, the G 580 with EQ Technology electric G-Wagen looks to poised to continue this nameplate’s prodigious capability and its halo-vehicle ethos. Let’s dig in.

The new electric G-Wagen sits atop a modified version of the steel ladder frame used by the gas-powered version. Modifications to the frame allow the massive, 116-kWh lithium-ion battery to sit inside the rails, helping to lower the G’s center of gravity, which is always a plus for an off-road vehicle. (A low C/G helps on-road, as well.) Mercedes hasn’t announced range figures yet, but it says that via DC fast-charging, the battery can go from 10 percent to 80 percent charge in as little as 32 minutes.

Mercedes went to great lengths to protect the pack from the sort of damage possible in hairy off-road conditions, the sort that this vehicle is designed to tackle. (More on that in a bit.) The battery pack is housed inside a torsion-resistant casing that uses a one-inch-thick carbon-fiber bash plate on its underside: surely an expensive piece to replace should you ding it badly enough. Mercedes engineers chose to use carbon not only because of the material’s strength, but also because of its light weight compared to a similar plate of aluminum or steel. The carbon plate, according to Mercedes, weighs just 127 pounds; a similar plate made of steel would weigh three times as much.

Immense off-road capability is part of the G-Wagen‘s ethos, and approaching the question of capability from an electric standpoint enabled engineers to employ some truly wild solutions. Each wheel on the electric G-Wagen is powered by its own 145-hp electric motor, the first time a series-production Mercedes has used “individual-wheel-drive.”

Two motors and a single inverter are fitted at each end of the vehicle in a housing that mounts to the frame. Each motor has its own transmission capable of a 2:1 gear reduction, thus giving you a low-range crawling ratio. Combined system output rings in at 579 hp and 859 lb-ft of torque, and Mercedes says the electric G-Wagen can hit 60 mph from a standstill in just 4.5 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 112 mph.

While the gas-powered G-Class employs actual lockers for the front, rear, and center differentials, such mechanisms aren’t needed on the electric one. Instead, the electric G-Wagen will feature “virtual lockers,” which will precisely meter out torque to each individual wheel on the fly to simulate certain locked-diff conditions. Control of these virtual diff-lockers is entirely automatic, meaning drivers won’t have to pick and choose which ends they want to be bound up in the middle of a hairy situation.

The suspension setup loosely mimics that of the gas-powered G-Class. The electric G uses an independent layout with double wishbones up front and a solid axle in the rear, just like the other Gs, but the rear axle on the electric one is a De Dion design, chosen because it better accommodates the electric motors. Adaptive, adjustable dampers will come standard on all electric G-Class models.

The sum capability of the new motor setup, the new suspension layout, and that low center of gravity afforded by the battery pack is thus: Mercedes says the electric G-Wagen can climb “100-percent” grades on “suitable surfaces,” which means it can scramble up 45-degree slopes. Ground clearance between the axles is 9.8 inches, and maximum fording depth is 33.5 inches: Both figures best those of the gas-powered G-Class. Approach, departure, and breakover angles are 32, 30.7, and 20.3 degrees, respectively. (Mercedes hasn’t yet released those stats for the gas versions.)

In addition to three on-road drive modes (comfort, sport, and individual), there are two off-road modes, “trail” and “rock.” Rock mode will trigger that 2:1 gear reduction mentioned earlier and restrict the vehicle’s top speed to 53 mph.

By programming each wheel’s motor to work independently, Mercedes’ engineers were able to work in some neat features that could be useful off-road—or at Hollywood curbside parties. The first is known as “G-Turn,” which will rotate the vehicle on the spot by turning the wheels on either side in opposite directions. It sounds useful in theory, but you can only activate it if your electric G-wagen is on a specific type of surface (flat, covered with a loose substance) and if you initiate a long, unintuitive sequence of vehicle commands. Safety is the best reason for this narrow use case, of course; but, despite Mercedes’ best intentions, we won’t be surprised if some owners scrub a few tires showing off the feature to their friends on pavement.

The next function is called “G-Steering,” which reduces the turning circle of the electric G by spinning each wheel’s motor to rotate the vehicle over the inside rear wheel, eliminating the need for multi-point turns in certain situations.

The modern G-Class is famous for cosseting its inhabitants in a truly lavish cabin, and the electric G-Wagen continues that tradition. All versions of the G 580 will feature the latest iteration of Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system as standard. Here, the system will operate via dual 12.3-inch screens, one in the center and one in front of the driver.

There are unique features such as an “Off-Road Cockpit” that will provide an overview of the most relevant off-road information and allow quick access to functions that enhance this thing’s exceptional off-road capability. One such function is the “Transparent Hood,” which will utilize the 360-degree camera to project a virtual view of what’s in front of the vehicle, allowing the driver to precisely place the big G while navigating tricky parts of a trail.

When it arrives in the United States for the 2025 model year, the electric G—erm, G 580 with EQ Technology—will be offered in just one configuration, the “Edition One.” You can have yours in five paint colors: South Sea Blue Magno, Moonlight White Magno, Moonlight White Metallic, Arabian Grey, or Obsidian Black Metallic. Predictably, for a special edition vehicle, it will come with stylistic flourishes, such as blue trim inserts on certain exterior bits, blue brake calipers, blue carbon-fiber interior accents, and more.

Two packages that will be optional on later versions—the AMG Line and Night Package—will come standard on the Edition One. Between the two, upgrades include 20-inch AMG 10-spoke alloy wheels painted in black, tinted exterior lighting elements, black exterior mirrors, special Silver Pearl and Black Nappa leather for the interior, and more.

How much will all of this cost? Mercedes hasn’t released pricing information yet, but you can expect it to be priced like a luxury status symbol. For those fortunate enough to get ahold of one, what’s on offer looks sure to impress.

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Sneaky sneaky, Toyota. In an Instagram post released today, the ToyotaUSA account gave us our first glimpse at the forthcoming, sixth-gen 4Runner. At the end of a gallery showing a shot of each of the five previous generations, a sixth image shows the baby blue tailgate of a yet-unseen model.

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There’s not a lot to go on here, but we can deduce a few things. First, it appears that the rear of the new 4Runner is quite square. Judging by the cut of the tailgate, we expect that this door will be hinged at the top, rather than at the side. (A rear door that opens upward wouldn’t be new; the current car, which has been in production since 2009, also has a tailgate that opens this way.)

There are whiffs of the Lexus GX 550, mostly in the tucked lower bumper that should aid departure angles. The taillamps of the new 4Runner appear very similar to the ones found on the new Land Cruiser, and while the GX features a neat light bar that spans the width of its caboose, we’d expect the 4Runner’s rear end to do without that.

On the outgoing generation, the 4Runner badge sits above the license plate, centered across the tailgate. On the new model, the name will sit below the plate, reaching farther to the edges thanks to added space between the letters.

Relative to the Land Cruiser, the 4Runner’s rear end seems hiked up a bit more; perhaps Toyota intends this model to be the most capable off-road SUV in its lineup? Tough to say, but since the existing 4Runner is a favorite among those who like to get dirt and mud on, well, everything, don’t expect Toyota to dial back those capabilities for the new model.

The new 4Runner will ride on Toyota’s TNGA-F platform, the same body-on-frame architecture that underpins the Tundra, Tacoma, Land Cruiser, Lexus GX, and Lexus LX. Currently, two powertrains motivate these offerings: A 3.4-liter, twin-turbo V-6 that’s sometimes paired with a hybrid system, or a turbocharged, 2.4-liter four-cylinder, also occasionally offered with hybrid tech.

We can only speculate on the powertrain, but it seems reasonable to think that the new 4Runner will use the hybrid and non-hybrid versions of the turbocharged four-cylinder engines that power the Land Cruiser and the Tacoma. Cross your fingers, but the Tacoma does offer a manual transmission on non-hybrid versions, and we might get lucky enough to see that gearbox offered on the 4Runner. For manual-equipped Tacomas, output of the unelectrified turbo four drops slightly—by 8 hp and 7 lb-ft—compared to automatic-equipped versions. If rowing your own in a 4Runner requires a similar sacrifice, fine by us.

Expect to hear more about the new 4Runner later this year. We’re thinking it will debut in full in either the late fall or the winter of this year, if not in 2025. When it finally does break cover, you can bet we’ll have detailed coverage.

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It’s always fun to look back a decade or two and survey the automotive industry landscape with the added perspective afforded by the passing of time. Often, these exercises remind us that despite whatever today’s CEOs are spouting off at their keynote speeches in Davos, the challenges facing the auto industry don’t look all that different through the years.

Case in point: this Retro Review from Motorweek, discussing the then-brand-new Lexus GX 470. At the film’s opening, charismatic host John Davis drops the famous Field of Dreams line, “If you build it, they will come” as he talks about the situation facing the GX upon its debut. Faced with an unprecedented array of choices in the luxury SUV market, would Lexus’ decision to toss another hat in the ring prove intelligent or cannibalistic?

That question sounds familiar—the 2024 GX 550 faces similar inquiries today. With the addition of the TX unibody crossover and the company’s decision to mount the GX and the LX on the same body-on-frame TNGA-F platform, it initially seemed to us that three three-row luxury offerings from one automaker might be too much. Having now driven the GX 550, the LX 600, and the TX350, we can say that there are enough differences between the three to allow each one to carve out its own market niche.

Back to the Retro Review in question. Aside from the market conditions, it’s also enjoyable to simply look at how far a single model such as the GX has come in its lifetime. In 2003, the GX’s 4.7-liter V-8 made 235 hp and 320 lb-t of torque. Today’s model manages 114 more ponies and 159 more lb-ft from a twin-turbo V-6 with just 3.4 liters of displacement.

Even more interesting to me is the discussion around the older model’s off-road abilities. Davis talks about the full-time four-wheel-drive system and how it’s plenty capable off-road as you see the rear end of the GX 470 bounce over some rocky terrain. But note those fixed running boards—in the first and second generations of the GX, Lexus still made concessions to on-road comfort. The new generation, particularly with the Overtrail and Overtrail+ models, can finally place off-road capability at the forefront of its selling proposition. (Even if, like the older ones, most of them will probably see road-going duties for most of their lifespan.)

At the end of the short review, Davis notes that Lexus was hoping to crest the 20,000 unit annual sales mark. A quick Google search shows that the 2003 model year covered that objective handily, moving over 30,000 examples of the luxo-ute. Beating estimates by 50 percent was a serious win, and it proved that Lexus had a compelling formula in its hands.

The new model, by retaining its body-on-frame construction, would appear even more outdated in today’s market than its predecessor did over 20 years ago. Car-like SUVs were already gaining traction back in the early 2000s, but today, they’re a dime a dozen. But with the uptick in interest around off-roading and the clear advantages that this chassis design offers, the new GX might be positioned even better today. Lexus hopes to clear 33,000 units in the first full year of sales, and despite tougher economic headwinds, we think that number is plenty doable.

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In yesterday’s installment, we drove our vintage SUVs from the birthplace of the International Harvester Scout in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Super Scout Specialists in Enon, Ohio. In this article, we go off-roading in Kentucky and head to the night’s stop in North Carolina, en route to the groundbreaking of the new Scout Motors plant in South Carolina. -Ed.

We left Enon on a Monday afternoon in our five vintage International Harvester Scouts, headed south towards our overnight stop in Lexington, Kentucky. We had probably spent too much time at the original, closed-down International Harvester plant in Fort Wayne that morning, and even more at Super Scout Specialists, and we needed to make ground.

That’s difficult when your vehicles can barely top 50 mph. So slow was our entourage that we didn’t pass a vehicle—a struggling old Mitsubishi on Interstate 40—until Tuesday afternoon. We sped by at maybe 55 mph, but we were going downhill. Much of this leg of the trip was spent just trying to stay out of the way and hoping that our Scouts—the oldest from 1967, the newest from 1979—would make it to Tuesday night’s hotel, in Asheville, North Carolina. (One of them did not.)

First, we had to get to Lexington.

I had started the day in the Siam Yellow Scout, a 1978 model with a 345-cubic-inch V-8 and a Borg-Warner T19 four-speed manual transmission. It belonged to Sean Barber, who owns Anything Scout, a parts and restoration shop in Iowa. Barber also owned the red 1967 Scout and the Glacier Blue 1979 model.

The jacked-up white 1975 Chevrolet-powered Scout II restomod is owned by Scout Motors and was built by Riptide 4×4. It had a massaged 6.0-liter V-8 with headers, a General Motors automatic transmission, a four-inch lift, and 33-inch tires. It was very loud, but in a good way.

We took mostly two-lane roads until we reached Interstate 75. From there, it would be a pretty direct trip to Kentucky. The yellow Scout was a pleasure to drive, well-sorted but still original. The long-throw transmission was truckish, which is OK because the T19 is a truck transmission, but easy to drive. With just one paint job in its life, the yellow Scout was everyone’s favorite.

I later transitioned to the 1979 Tamarak Bronze Rallye edition Scout II—the Rallye equipment consisted mostly of big, white Rallye decals and white spoked wheels. This Scout belongs to Navistar, the company that was left when International Harvester went out of business. Volkswagen bought Navistar in 2021 in a deal worth $3.7 billion, which, incidentally, is how it acquired the Scout name and is able to use it for Scout Motors, the startup that will build the electric model at the new plant in South Carolina.

This Scout had been sitting for years, possibly decades, having begun life as a test mule for the IH Scout prototype program in Fort Wayne, and had never been sold. It had the deluxe (plaid) interior, air conditioning, and an AM/FM radio that wouldn’t hold a station. There was a seat belt but no shoulder harness.

The gas gauge didn’t work—didn’t work in any of the Scouts I drove, for that matter—and the speedometer was off by at least 40 mph. There was also a lot of play in the steering, which made staying in one lane a challenge. But the 345-cubic-inch V-8 and Chrysler Torqueflite 727 three-speed automatic transmission seemed to operate in harmony. Everything else that worked, which admittedly wasn’t much, was gravy.

Because of the faulty gas gauges, none of us knew what mileage we were getting, only that it wasn’t very good. We stopped for gas a lot. As we neared Cincinnati, the skies began to darken—it was getting dark anyway—and about the time we crossed into Kentucky it started to rain. Scouts were not known for their windshield wipers, so I held off as long as I could before turning them on. Finally, I had to, and the results were pretty streaky. It was pouring by the time we reached our hotel in Lexington.

***

Tuesday morning was crisp but clear, with last night’s rain completely gone. I got into the Glacier Blue 1979 Scout II, which also had a 345-cubic-inch V-8 and a 727 Torqueflite automatic. It also had a working AM/FM radio, and listening to the stations I was able to pick up, I was seriously missing Sirius/XM satellite radio.

It was time for some off-roading, so we left Lexington and headed southeast for Beattyville, Kentucky. It did not go exactly as planned. We turned right, down a narrow paved road that soon became dirt, and were just getting underway when we came to what looked like a river. It was a small creek when the Scout Motors team mapped out the route, but with last night’s two-inch rainfall, there wasn’t any way we could continue—we had no clue where the trail was under the water. The lifted white restomod Scout dipped in a toe and promptly withdrew it.

We backtracked and tried to go in from a different angle. No luck—that way was rained out, too. The third time was the charm. We headed toward the Daniel Boone National Forest, near McKee, and found a trail that was wet but not flooded. We locked in the Scouts’ front hubs, shifted into four-wheel-drive, and proceeded.

It was there that the Scouts shook off their 40-plus years of obsolescence. No, they didn’t have electronic traction control, automatic descent control, or even antilock brakes, but they had what was needed to get the job done: Good tires, V-8 power, and low-range gearing that would pull out a tree stump.

We made a couple of water crossings, the second one pretty deep, thanks to the rain. All the Scouts took the creek in stride; a newer white Chevrolet Silverado apparently didn’t. The pickup had made it through and another 50 feet up the narrow trail, where it appeared to have died. It sat exactly in the center of the trail, hood up, no one around. We barely had room to drive around the Chevy, but we were feeling pretty smug when we did.

We continued on, eventually reaching a campground with a rustic but unlocked bathroom. After that, the trail ended with a fence and a locked gate; we decided we were hungry and headed to a restaurant. As Robert Frost would say if he were on the trip, we’d have miles to go before we sleep.

***

If Tuesday morning was fun—and it was—the afternoon and evening were all about getting to Asheville, North Carolina, about 238 miles away, according to Mapquest. We headed southwest through the Appalachian Mountains, eventually picking up Interstate 40 in Tennessee, then Interstate 81.

It was a slog on the Interstates—we’d pass 18-wheelers going uphill, and they’d pass us back going down. As it turned dark, it became harder to stay in formation. Were those Scout headlights behind me, or something else?

Well after dark, each set of headlights belonged to something else. The last two Scouts in our caravan—the white, Chevy-powered restomod and the 1967 red Scout—weren’t keeping up. Turned out that one of them had stopped, and the other one stayed behind to help.

Surely, I thought, it was the 57-year-old, red SUV that had broken down—the hilly Interstates had to be tough on it, even though it had a small V-8. But I was wrong. Sean Barber and his wife Heather were in the red Scout, and they stopped when the white one pulled over.

The Scout Motors driver and passenger in the white Scout had slowed when they smelled smoke, and then there was no power. The culprit was a fried electronic control unit. And as good a mechanic as Barber is, without a spare ECU, nobody could fix it. I had not driven it yet, and frankly, I was OK with that: The modern transformation really didn’t speak to me the way the original Scouts did.

They called for a tow truck and waited. Two hours later, it showed up, loaded the Scout, and headed for Charlotte, North Carolina, where Scout Motors stores the restomod Riptide Scout. Towing fee: $1500. Looking at our inventory, it would likely have been voted The Scout Least Likely to Break.

But it did. We would not see the white Scout again.

Tomorrow, join us as we set off to the groundbreaking for the Scout Motors plant in South Carolina.

***

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Hot on the heels of the Ineos Grenadier SUV, which is reaching customers now, and the start of production for the Quartermaster pickup, Ineos Automotive has announced its third model, the Fusilier. While Grenadier and Quartermaster—at least in the U.S.—will be powered by BMW straight-sixes, the Fusilier will offer a very different source of motivation: battery electric power.

Actually, there are two flavors of electric power on tap: You can order your Fusilier with a purely electric powertrain, or you can opt for an electric powertrain that includes a small, gas-powered engine that powers an onboard generator to feed charge to the batteries when an outboard charger isn’t available. (Think of a similar layout to that of the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger pickup.) Power and displacement figures for the range-extender version, according to Ineos, will arrive this fall.

The decision to offer a range extender here feels significant. Though plenty of automakers are insisting that electric off-roaders are sufficient with batteries alone (Jeep’s Recon EV, for example, is clearly sculpted as an electric successor—or sidekick—to the rugged Wrangler), there are still concerns about the possibility of being stuck on a trail with a dead battery, nowhere near a vehicle charger.

Ineos, on the other hand, is taking a more measured approach.

“We’re excited to bring our electric 4×4 to market but we are beginning to understand the clear limitations of battery electric in certain situations,” explained Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS. “We believe the addition of a range extender electric to our line-up will offer our customers a very low emission drive without the range anxiety drivers of electric vehicles experience today.”

Like the Grenadier and the Quartermaster, the Fusilier will be developed in conjunction with Magna Steyr, the Austrian supplier responsible for nameplates like the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the Toyota Supra. To ensure the smaller SUV can cut it when the going gets rough, Ineos will work with Magna Steyr to put the Fusilier through a testing program on Austria’s Schöckl mountain near Magna Steyr’s vehicle assembly facility in Graz.

While the Fusilier shares some design language with the Grenadier, it’s going to be considerably shorter (about 47 inches, according to Automotive News Europe) and a little lower than the latter. Chassis-wise, the Fusilier will consist of an electric skateboard platform topped with a steel body that features aluminum doors and closures, presumably for the hood and rear hatch. A steel underbody will protect the batteries.

No word yet on battery sizes, targeted range figures, or power numbers. Expect to hear more about those later this year.

Ineos Automotive’s COO Hans-Peter Pessler told AN Europe that the company is targeting an annual production total of 40,000–50,000 units, with a 50:50 mix between the pure EV versions of the Fusilier and those with the range extender.

While Fusilier production was reportedly slated to start in 2026, the late addition of a range extender option will likely push that target into early- or mid-2027, according to Ratcliffe.

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At the Chicago Auto Show later this week, Nissan will unveil a special-edition Frontier pickup that celebrates the brand’s class victory at last fall’s NORRA 500 desert race. The Frontier Forsberg Edition will get a bevy of factory-backed bolt-ons to increase the midsizer’s off-road chops and can be fitted to any four-wheel-drive-equipped Frontier from the 2022 model year or newer.

So, what does the $9999 MSRP Frontier package get you? Visually, truck owners will gain access to special 17-inch beadlock wheels, rock sliders to protect rockers, a new low-profile roof rack with integrated LED lighting, Forsberg Racing decals for the bodywork, and a special Forsberg Racing Limited Edition badge inside the truck.

Functionally, the Forsberg package delivers a NISMO off-road kit that features a slight lift, forged upper control arms, high-performance shocks, a NISMO cat-back exhaust, and knobby Yokohama Geolandar X-AT off-road tires size 265/70 to wrap those beadlock wheels.

The package is the result of a collaboration that took place last year in which Nissan partnered with Chris Forsberg, one of the brand’s factory-backed drivers for Formula Drift, to develop a Frontier outfitted with the NISMO parts mentioned above that would take the flag at the grueling NORRA 500 off-road race. Forsberg, along with Yokohama teammate Leticia Bufoni, entered the 2023 race in the stock production class and wound up taking first in class. It also happened to be the only vehicle in the class, although plenty of race entrants in other classes didn’t make it to the finish.

“We took a stock truck outfitted with NISMO Off-Road parts and drove it from the shop in Southern California to the event, raced across the Baja desert for 500 miles, and drove it back home without an issue,” said Forsberg. “It’s thrilling to know that more drivers will be able to experience a taste of the rugged performance that propelled our success in the NORRA 500.”

The kit looks the business, particularly on the Pro-4X trim pictured here. When we first got a taste of the new Frontier, which was completely redesigned for 2022, we were charmed by the way it retained a utilitarian, workhorse vibe while the competition seemed to be increasingly striving towards high-tech and luxury-oriented concepts.

With the Forsberg Edition kit, the buyers will be able to take delivery of a seriously capable machine right out of the box. It’s the second special edition that Nissan has bestowed upon the Frontier, the first being the charming, retro-cool Hardbody Edition that scores heritage-styled 17-inch wheels, retro decals, a sport bar for the bed, and more for $3890. Whether you want to splash 10 grand for real capability or less than half that for some throwback charm, Nissan’s doing a superb job keeping its midsize pickup interesting in a market that’s perhaps never been more competitive.

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If you think that automakers are content to let the aftermarket suck up profits from off-road enthusiasts, think again. Over the past half-decade, we’ve seen nearly every marque try its hand at something with meaty tires, hoisted suspension, and a skidplate or six. The roster has only gotten bigger and better: Ford’s Bronco is back and buzzing, the Jeep Wrangler has never been more impressive, and the full-size truck wars have officially left the pavement. Even supercars are snorting dirt like it’s going out of style.

If the space interests you at all, the Lexus GX is almost certainly a familiar sight. These machines have always excelled where the going gets rough, but since the GX’s inception in 2002, its reputation as an off-roader and overlander has been inextricably tied to the aftermarket. Beloved for their bulletproof reliability and sturdiness, the GX is often treated as a blank canvas for custom and off-the-shelf adventure parts. With the new Overtrail and Overtrail+ trims, that well-regarded trail capability is finally the focal point of Lexus’s own strategy.

As we’ve written about previously, the GX is able to go in this direction because a new model—the three-row TX—fulfills Lexus’ need for a luxurious, on-road-focused SUV.

Our first date with the 2024 Lexus GX 550 took place in Tucson, Arizona, at the vehicle’s official press launch. We spent the day rolling through desert trails and over nearby highways and roads, sampling a few of the six trims offered on the new GX (Premium, Premium+, Luxury, Luxury+, Overtrail, and Overtrail+). At the end of the day, the Overtrail variants were the ones that most held our attention.

Added to the base price of $77,250 (including a $1350 destination fee), the options list on the $80,915 GX 550 Overtrail+ you see here was relatively modest: $350 for bi-tone paint that adds a blacked-out roof to contrast the sandy Earth (flat tan) paint; a 21-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound system for $1140; a head-up display for $900; and a few other small-ticket options. An MSRP north of $80,000 is no small sum, but for what you get, the price feels right. (To learn about the trim-specific features of the Overtrail and Overtrail+, click here.)

Specs: 2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+

• Price: $77,250/$80,915 (base/as-tested)
• Powertrain: 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-6, 10-speed automatic transmission
• Horsepower: 349 hp @ 4800–5200 rpm
• Torque: 479 lb-ft @ 2000–3600 rpm
• Layout: Full-time four-wheel-drive, four-door, 5–7-passenger body-on-frame SUV
• Manufacturer-estimated fuel economy: 15 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, 17 mpg combined
• 0–60 mph: 6.5 seconds
• Competitors: GMC Yukon AT4, Land Rover Defender 110, Chevrolet Tahoe Z71

Toyota and Lexus are nearing the back half of a gargantuan product turnover, with everything from the Tacoma to the Land Cruiser to the LX and GX entering new generations. All of the aforementioned vehicles (and then some) now ride on Toyota’s TNGA-F platform, a global architecture underpinning everything built by Toyota or Lexus with a body-on-frame architecture. According to Lexus, the new frame is 20 percent stiffer than its predecessor.

Atop that new frame sits what might be Lexus’ best-ever SUV design. Gone are the days of a massive spindle grille creating a visual black hole at the nose of the vehicle. The new metal is more cohesive and avoids veering into hyper-aggressive territory. The linear, geometric shape has whiffs of the new Land Cruiser—the upward turn of the beltline on the second-row door looks exactly the same—but you’ll forgive the similarities because, well, they both look fantastic.

The outgoing GX had a mishmash of body lines and surfaces that never melded, resulting in a busy, not-quite-right profile. By contrast, this one feels resolute and whole, from the angular hexagonal wheel arches to the conservative but cohesive front and rear ends. It’s as if Lexus’ designers finally nailed the GX appearance that can both attract new customers and give longtime fans something both familiar and fresh.

Relative to the outgoing GX 460, the new GX 550 is larger in almost every dimension. Overtrail variants are 4.52 inches wider, while the other trims gain just 3.74 inches of width. The wheelbase grows 2.4 inches, now up to 112.2 (which, not coincidentally, is the same wheelbase as the LX 600), and overall length increases to 197.05 inches, up nearly 5 inches from the old GX. Unless you’re parking your new GX 550 next to an older generation, though, that added footprint isn’t apparent.

From the inside, the growth is even less noticeable. Forward and lateral visibility are remarkable, thanks in part to that lower beltline and an A-pillar that’s been pulled rearward to stand the windshield more upright. The hood features a depression in the middle flanked by bulges on either side, which makes placing the GX’s nose a cinch. To help occupants better gauge just how tilted they get on a trail, the GX’s dashboard is almost perfectly flat, with a low, uniform height across its entire width.

It is possible to configure a GX 550 to seat anywhere from five to seven passengers. The Overtrail and Overtrail+ trims hold just five butts, removing the third row entirely. Good riddance, at least for adult passengers; we forced ourselves into the third-row seats in another test car and found them quite punishing. A 112.2-inch wheelbase and a solid rear axle are not conducive to comfy way-back seating.

The new generation of the GX is powered by a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V-6 that churns out 349 hp and a whopping 479 lb-ft of torque. Those figures are up from the outgoing V-8-powered model, which produced just 301 hp and 329 lb-ft of torque. Power routes through a 10-speed automatic transmission to a full-time four-wheel drive system with a locking center differential across all models. Overtrail and Overtrail+ models get an additional locking rear diff. Towing figures are stout: Four of the six trims can pull over 9000 pounds, and the remaining two (Luxury and Luxury+) can still manage 7600-plus. By comparison, a comparably equipped GMC Yukon AT4 tops out at 8200 pounds. The previous generation of GX could pull 6500 at most.

Call me a Luddite, but I adored the dead-simple 4.6-liter V-8 in the outgoing GX. It was a thirsty, not especially powerful engine, but it felt unhurried and largely effortless in its GX application. Thankfully, the new powertrain feels even more unstressed. There’s enough giddyup to keep the driver entertained (0–60 takes just 6.5 seconds, down 1.3 seconds from the outgoing model), and the 10-speed automatic operates seamlessly in the background on throttle. We did, it should be said, feel the occasional clunk while coasting down to a stop.

Our morning drive was through a modest trail system carved through a nearby ranch. The (very) mild path was designed to lift the GX into the occasional three-legged stance and highlight the added wheel articulation from the Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS). The system can lock and unlock the front and rear roll bars in low-speed situations (read: crawling through a trail) to stretch the wheels downward and maintain those precious contact patches. At higher speeds, it re-engages the bars to help keep the GX poised in the corners.

I got the sense that we were barely scratching the surface of what the GX Overtrail+ could do. The knobby 33-inch tires, developed in collaboration with Toyo, clawed their way over the muddy rutted trail without a hint of lost traction. On the drive to and from the ranch, the taller sidewalls soaked up pavement imperfections like they weren’t even there. You’ll want an Overtrail if you live somewhere that suffers from potholes. Conveniently, the 18-inch wheels are also the best-looking option by a longshot; the shoes on the other trims leave a lot to be desired.

Unlike the previous GX, there is no height-adjustable suspension offered for this generation. Adaptive variable suspension is offered for Overtrail, Overtrail+, and the Luxury+ trim, the latter of which we also drove and is not pictured here. Our take: the standard dampers felt plenty sufficient.

User interfaces have been the bane of most modern Lexuses, but the new cabin layout improves upon them. (The center stack is an evolution of what’s featured in the compact Lexus NX.) This might be the first time I’ve been glad to see fewer buttons in a new car and more functionality assigned to a central touchscreen. In the older GX, controls to adjust drive modes, suspension settings, or off-road systems were tucked into what seemed like 15 different locations. Here, driving-related controls are concentrated just ahead of the shifter, making them much easier to use. Operating anything else, like the climate control or the radio (note the pair of knobs!) takes place almost entirely on the central screen and can be learned quickly.

Lexus is hoping to move 33,000 GX 550s this year, with the Premium+ trim ($69,250 starting MSRP) shouldering the lion’s share of those units. We’re betting that the Overtrail and Overtrail+ trims pull just as much weight. The automaker says it’s already received a record number of deposits for the new ute, and it’s not hard to see why.

Not only is this new GX exactly what fans wanted from an out-of-the-box capability standpoint, the new SUV will check all important boxes for customers who want a modern, stylish, and solid-feeling mid-size luxury SUV. It has the looks to lure even those who don’t dream of off-grid adventures and the chops to handle the escapades of those who do. If the GX 550 is any bit as reliable as its predecessors (Lexus says that roughly 95 percent of all GXes are still on the road today), this is a winning formula—and then some.

2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+

Highs: Home-run styling draped over an interior that finally feels additive instead of tolerable. Trim-specific features are worth every penny. Still room for the aftermarket to run wild.

Lows: Third row is cramped enough to make you ponder the necessity of its existence. Non-Overtrail wheel designs feel mismatched to the rest of the exterior.

Summary: Lexus finally let GX engineers and designers off the leash, to seriously cool effect. If it’s as reliable as the last generation, the third owner will probably love it as much as (if not more than) the first.

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As die-hard enthusiasts of all things automotive, we do our fair share of diving into the heritage of all automakers. We’ve exhumed plenty of older concepts, rifled through scores of design sketches, and done our best to not only study the creations that didn’t see the light of day but also to hypothesize why they didn’t make it.

But occasionally, sketches of bygone ideas surface that stop us in our tracks. In a recent LinkedIn post, Hans Hedberg, manager of Volvo Heritage, did exactly that when he revealed drawings of an off-road concept drawn up in the 1970s that never made it to reality. (The Facebook version of the post is embedded below, in case LinkedIn ain’t your style.)

According to Hedberg, the sketches were penned by long-time Volvo design manager Gunnar Falck, who was asked by then-CEO Pehr Gyllenhammar to explore the idea of “a rugged vehicle for Africa and developing countries.”

We love the idea of Volvo’s boxy styling set atop something engineered for rougher roads. With hoisted rocker panels, large wheel openings, and an outboard-mounted spare tire, this thing certainly looks ready to rumble. Is anyone else seeing a little bit of Bronco II in the massive windows aft of the doors, or are we crazy?

Above that black cladding running the length of the side profile, check out that bar protruding out above the window. Was that some sort of safety implement, or was Volvo way, way ahead of Subaru’s SVX when it came to oddball two-piece windows?

That front fender line and swept windshield are very 240-esque. However, the 240 didn’t debut until the mid-1970s, and there’s no specific date tied to these sketches, so perhaps these boxy lines precede Volvo’s most iconic nameplate. (Squint a bit, and you can almost see some Malaise-era Lincoln or Cadillac in the lines of that front end; the one photo is even giving us Cadillac Allanté vibes.)

There were no specifics about powertrains noted with this concept, nor any type of internal project code or potential name, all of which leads us to think that these sketches, though striking, never got past the ink-on-paper stage.

Still, it’s hard not to tease the idea out into what could have been. Could Volvo have stumbled its way into a genuine G-Class competitor, backing in first through developing countries (read: with a relatively spartan interior) and then eventually heaping on the luxury fittings to create its own long-lived, antiquated product that sells for ludicrous sums of money?

Alas, it’s a true “who could say” situation. In the ’70s, SUVs were still relatively niche products. Cars and wagons still had the run of things in most markets, a theme that would continue for a few more decades. We’re not surprised Volvo nixed something of this ilk in favor of a product like the 240, which by all accounts was a smashing success over the entirety of its lifespan.

Mr. Falck, your genius was ahead of its time. Shame how often that sort of thing happens.

***

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Lexus has revealed the pricing for its all-new 2024 GX 550, one of a few new SUVs we’re eagerly anticipating for next year. The 2024 GX will be offered in six trims: Premium, Premium+, Luxury, Luxury+, Overtrail, and Overtrail+. (If you’d like to argue that Lexus is actually offering three trims and ritzier versions of each, feel free to light up the comment line below.)

Factoring in a $1350 destination fee, the pricing walk for the first four levels of the 2024 GX is as follows: GX 550 Premium, $64,250; GX 550 Premium+, $69,250; GX 550 Luxury, $77,250; and GX 550 Luxury+, $81,250.

The most interesting versions of the GX, the Overtrail and Overtrail+ trims, are new to the GX lineup and aim to make the SUV more off-road-ready right from the factory. For the regular Overtrail, you’re looking at $69,250, or roughly the same as the GX 550 Premium+. The Overtrail+, meanwhile, will run you $77,250, just like the GX 550 Luxury. Kudos to Lexus’ product planners for not making the most interesting variant of the GX also the priciest.

Those Overtrail models are the ones you’ve probably seen in photographs the most—what does your money gets you there? Overtrail models get three significant mechanical upgrades for off-road worthiness over the other GX trims, starting with chunky 33-inch tires wrapping 18-inch wheels installed right from the get-go.

These trims also get an electronically controlled version of Lexus and Toyota’s Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS) which locks and unlocks the front and rear stabilizer bars depending on the speeds you’re traveling to increase wheel articulation. On the road, E-KDSS will keep the bars locked, making the car more steady through turns. Off-road, at slow crawling speeds, the system will unlock the bars to add wheel articulation, helping you keep your rubber in contact with the ground.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, these trims get an electronically locking rear differential. (The only way to get the e-locker is on one of the the Overtrail trims.) All 2024 GX 550s will feature a full-time four-wheel-drive system with a Torsen limited-slip locking center differential and a two-speed electronic transfer case, but that rear locker is a big leg up for tricky terrain.

Overtrail models also get other “gloverlanding” (glamping + overlanding—we’re rolling with it) niceties such as standard windshield wiper de-icers and headlamp washers, as well as Lexus’ Multi-Terrain Select drivetrain programming which can help manage throttle input, braking, and suspension controls to make safe passage through gnarly trails a bit easier.

Upon launch early next year, Lexus will offer just one powertrain for the GX: a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V-6. The engine will be good for 349 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, massive improvements over the 4.6-liter V-8-powered of the outgoing GX, which could only manage 301 hp and 329 lb-ft of torque.

More interestingly, perhaps, is the prospect of a hybrid version, which Lexus says will arrive later. Expect that one to crib a decent amount of its hybrid tech from Toyota’s i-Force MAX system that’s found in the upper trims of the new Tundra. The previous GX had an F-Sport trim, which often came with racier styling and a much more road-focused presence; perhaps the hybrid will usher in the return of that line? Time will tell. For now, we’re dreaming of overlanding this beast.

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Let’s begin this article with a confession: My search for a rough-and-tumble SUV didn’t start with a Montero. In fact, it didn’t even start with Mitsubishi. I’d venture a guess that a decent portion of today’s Montero owners would share a similar story. In the world of off-roading, more specifically off-roading with Japanese machinery, the hunt almost always starts with Toyota. Far too often, it ends with Toyota as well, and Mitsubishi never comes across a would-be owner’s radar.

Shame, really. Because the Montero deserves every shred of respect it gets in the off-roading community—and then some.

Vintage SUVs are one of the collector market’s hottest segments. Coupled with the growing popularity of RADwood-era cars, many of which hail from Japan, vehicles such as the Toyota Land Cruiser, the 4Runner, and even the creatively named Toyota Pickup are rapidly gaining fans—and value. A side effect of that climb, aside from pricing many entry-level enthusiasts out of great machinery, is that there’s a certain reticence to actually use those rides for the purposes they were built for. By and large, the Montero manages to escape that.

Mitsubishi’s golden years in the 1980s, ’90s, and the early 2000s are the stuff of dreams. Dominance in multiple motorsport disciplines, cutting-edge technology, and compelling offerings across many segments made the Tri-Diamond logo an enthusiast favorite. Toyota and Honda might have dominated the sales charts, but Mitsubishi, along with Nissan, fielded plenty of equally compelling offerings. (The same can’t really be said of contemporary Mitsubishi, and can only barely be said of Nissan today.) Each of the four contributed mightily to what’s widely considered the golden age of the Japanese automobile.

Like the Land Cruiser, the Montero (as it was known in North America, Spain, and most of Latin America) was sold all over the world, though often under the names Pajero or Shogun. Whatever you know it as, it’s impossible to separate the platform from its reputation built through transcontinental rallying, where through the years it helped cement Mitsubishi as the all-time winningest manufacturer at the grueling Paris-Dakar rally.

Being such a prolific car on a global scale, the lifespans for each generation of the Montero overlap considerably. Dig into the history of this thing, and you’ll find a lot of instances where “X country got a new Pajero in this year, but the old one soldiered on in Y and Z countries for another half-decade.” (There were also versions licensed and produced by other manufacturers, just in case it wasn’t already tough enough to follow this lineage.)

Generally speaking, however, the first-generation Montero spanned from 1981–91, the second-gen model ran from 1991–99, and the third-generation Montero, the last one sold in the U.S., ran from 1999–2006. We’re going to focus on the second-gen model here.

Throughout the ’90s, the American car market saw a slow but steady growth of rugged, body-on-frame, true 4×4 offerings. Toyota’s Land Cruiser was fresh off the debut of an all-new generation, the much-lauded 80 Series. Land Rover had been making the boxy first-gen Discovery since 1989, and the more luxurious Range Rover would debut mid-decade in 1994. Jeep was in on the action, too, with its venerable XJ Cherokee and the Wrangler.

Mitsubishi had originally pitched the first-generation Montero as a luxury off-road competitor, eyeing the Land Rover Discovery and even the Range Rover as its competitive set. The second-generation Monty backed off the luxury angle a tad, though it was by no means spartan. It claims a number of technological firsts among Japanese 4WD vehicles, including electronically-adjustable shock absorbers, multi-mode ABS, and, most importantly, Super Select 4WD. This groundbreaking tech (marketed in North American Monteros as Active-Trac) utilized a viscous-coupling center differential that offered the advantages of part-time and full-time four-wheel-drive, as well as on-the-fly shifting from 2WD to 4WD at speeds of up to 48mph in most versions. When the going got really tough, the transfer case was also able to deploy 4-high and 4-low, both with a locked center diff.

Styling for the second-gen car softened the boxy first-gen design a bit, canting the windshield and grille back for mildly improved aerodymnamics. In 1998, general export Monteros, such as those headed stateside, received a facelift that included flared fenders, a new grille, new bumper, and more. These models are commonly referred to as “gen 2.5” or “blister-flare” Monteros, and are considered the best looking versions to make it to the U.S.

I’m biased, of course; I’ve called a gen 2.5 ’98 Monty mine since 2021. It wasn’t just the looks I was after—I wanted a capable off-roader that, so long as I continued to care for it, wasn’t likely to strand me mid-adventure. Nearly 25,000 miles and two-plus years of ownership later, the Montero has delivered on that promise.

Together, this truck and I have wandered through everything from Utah’s high desert to the water-logged fall foliage of Ohio’s Hocking Hills region to the sand- and snow-covered forest service roads here in Northern Michigan. And when we get there—wherever “there” is, I’ve never had to back out of a two-track for fear of overmatching my Montero. When the day is done, we simply pop open the tent and call our parking spot home for as long as we choose. It’s opened up adventures to me in a way that none of my previous cars have.

My appreciation extends beyond the fact that the Montero will happily go anywhere—I know that it’s going to get me home, too. You can’t say the same for any 25-year-old, high mileage car that’s regularly used as intended. That it has never failed to start on the first crank and has stood up to all I’ve thrown at it give me the confidence to know I’m just a key turn away from my next adventure.

The root of that dependability is the robust drivetrain. A 3.5-liter, 24-valve SOHC V-6 provided around 200 hp and 228 lb-ft when new, and it paired with a four-speed automatic transmission with an electronically-actuated button-style overdrive. The combination is pretty much stone-dead reliable, provided you’ve kept current on regular maintenance items.

That said, there is one malady that every one of these Monteros suffers from: Due to a poor design, the factory crank bolt will, over time, develop fatigue cracks which can lead to it breaking off in the crankshaft. Luckily, Mitsubishi revised the design for the bolt (twice, actually) and a new one can be found without too much difficulty. If you’re ever inspecting one for purchase, you must ask about the bolt; many of these have had the replacement unit fitted to them already, but if the one you’re looking at hasn’t, you’ve just found the first item for your to-do list.

Another common issue with these engines is that the valve stem seals will harden over time, eventually causing the engine to pull a little bit of oil past the valves in high-vacuum situations, like when you’re idling for a long time. So long as you keep a regular eye on the oil levels (I check mine before every fourth or fifth drive, or after long periods idling), you can simply add a bit of oil to keep things topped off. The fix is a bit tedious and time-consuming, but with a decent set of tools and some time, it’s manageable. As with basically every known failure point on this thing—and there aren’t many—the thriving community surrounding these machines has plenty of walk-throughs and guides for the fix.

Living in Northern Michigan has highlighted this Montero’s winter package, an option that provides some very warm two-mode seat heaters and, perhaps the most desirable option on these machines, the locking rear differential.

Speaking of the rear end, The rear differential in the gen 2.5 had the lowest final-drive ratio (4.27:1; the other generations offer 4.88:1 and 4.63:1, depending on year and package) which helped lower emissions and return marginally better fuel economy, but it also resulted in it being rather sluggish off the line. Getting around town is still a breeze, but you’ll want to plan on-ramp merges carefully.

The cabin is remarkably capacious and presents a commanding view that’s perfect for trail use. The upright driving position can leave you feeling like you’re sitting on a barstool if you corner too enthusiastically (body roll is amplified if, like me, you’re carrying adventure accessories like a heavy tent on the roof). Then again, no one buying a Montero is looking to maximize their lateral g forces. Most folks ditch the folding third-row seats in favor of added trunk volume. The controls are all straightforward and functional, though radio upgrades are a popular mod—as with many vehicles from this era. Driver’s seat wear and splitting in the leather is common, and my example is no different. I’ll be on the hunt for a new seat next year.

Typically, these spotlights tend to focus on the collectibility of the subject vehicle. That discussion is conspicuously absent here because, for the most part, Monteros are still cars that are well-used—often times quite hard. But that also means that prices for them have remained relatively accessible.

While we do not track the Montero in the Hagerty Price Guide, data suggests that interest for the off-roader is increasing. Average insured value (AIV) is on the rise, from $6250 in 2018 to $8900 today. But the list of solid, reliable off-roaders that can be had for mid- to high-four figures is small, and dwindling. I’ve seen plenty of solid gen 2 and gen 2.5 Monteros sell or be offered for sale at figures closer to that $6250 figure in recent months.

Policy count, while only in the double digits currently, is also climbing. The number of Monteros insured by Hagerty has doubled since 2020. Boomers make up half of policies, with gen X and millennials following at 30 and 20 percent, respectively. The share of boomer ownership outstrips their overall share of the market, but gen X and millennials still track with their overall shares.

Still, it seems a bit of a stretch to think the second-gen Montero (or any Montero, for that matter) is going to suddenly catch up to the golden child, the Toyota Land Cruiser. Given that reality, I’d offer this encouragement: Unless you’re hell-bent on finding the perfect, time-capsule Monty to pickle and hold, consider shifting your perspective. The Montero—while remarkably capable, worthy of your respect, and significant for Mitsubishi’s history—is best enjoyed through its use.

There are plenty of attainably priced examples out there and a thriving community of enthusiasts and aftermarket support to make this a perfect platform for the 4×4-curious, the Japanese-vehicle curious, or for those who, like me, can only swing one interesting car with their current budget. It’s modern enough to benefit from diagnostic tools such as OBDII, stout enough to take a little beating without asking too much in return, yet interesting enough to be a great conversation point at your local cars & coffee or off-road rig meet-up.

Find one, point it toward the nearest trail, and make memories that will outstrip any resale potential.

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If you hadn’t been to the annual SEMA show in a while, you might have thought there were fewer off-road builds than in years past, but that’s only because so much of the off-road content was in the recently added West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center. If you didn’t know the new space existed, you’d have missed out on a whole lot of cool products and scores of impressive builds. Since we’ve already shown many of our favorite cars that featured at SEMA, it’s time to highlight some of the amazing truck, 4×4, and overland builds from the massive show.

This 1968 Jeep Wagoneer, built by CAL Auto Creations, rides on a 4×4 Roadster Shop chassis with independent front suspension and a four-link rear. It is similar to one you can buy for a classic Bronco, but it has been custom fit for this application. Power comes from a Chevrolet LT4 V-8 crate engine that is mounted to a Bowler 4L80E four-speed auto. Its body is a unique mix of Jeep sheet metal and custom trim, with an early “rhino” grille that wasn’t offered on the rare Super Wagoneer package this restomod emulates. The trim is custom, in the same vein as a Super Wagoneer, but is made from the unique aluminum pattern used in a 1958 Plymouth Fury.

Inside the Wagoneer, you could be fooled into thinking everything is just restored, as it all looks very similar to a factory Wagoneer, but it’s much more upscale. The Vintage Air controls on the driver’s side blend in seamlessly, and the dash vents, which absolutely look like they belong, take the place of ashtrays. A Dakota Digital dash keeps analog gauges with the exception of small digital displays for warning lights, a trip odometer, and other menus.

The one vehicle that had us most wanting to hit the road for an off-highway excursion was this 1962 Jeep FC 170 built by Roy Wallace. The classic lines of the FC, along with its unique packaging, manage to look great with the simple, modern flatbed and cargo box. There’s a lot of capability in a compact package, and we’d love to see this thing on the trail.

AEV showed off its Sierra Grande concept. The single-cab truck wears custom fender flares over enlarged wheel openings to fit 40-inch rubber on a factory 2500 ZR2 Bison suspension. AEV president Dave Harriton says there’s typically very little demand for single-cab trucks, but AEV builds a few of its Ram-based Prospector trucks every year as a halo vehicle. Don’t expect AEV to offer a flatbed conversion Sierra Grande any time soon, but nearly all of the parts are off-the-shelf, except for the fender flares, and those could be production-ready soon.

It’s not a truck or 4×4, but we have to mention this beautifully rugged two-wheeler. Nathan Reginato built this 1979 Honda Goldwing for long-distance adventure. The fairing is gone, and the stripped-down bike wears waxed canvas luggage from Overland Vehicle Systems. The same material was also used in trim throughout the bike.

ROKBUGY is a VW Bug with some fantastic fabrication work. It sits on a modified Jeep Wrangler Unlimited chassis, and the four-wheel-steer behemoth Beetle is powered by a GM LS V-8. For its SEMA debut, this V-dub was wearing 58-inch Mickey Thompson tires. It had a great spot in the show and drew tons of traffic. We’d have a hard time imagining a trail or obstacle that could stop this beast.

The James Baroud booth was filled with this Jeep Gladiator that sprouted its massive basecamp shelter that was the size of a studio apartment. There’s a rooftop tent penthouse and a privacy shelter for a shower or camp bathroom.

Earthroamer showed off two massive off-road RVs, one based on a Ford Super Duty, and another on a Chevy Silverado medium-duty chassis. Both offered amazing accommodations, with on-board kitchens and bathrooms with a shower.

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Honda announced 2024 model-year updates to the Ridgeline midsize pickup today, including the long-suspected addition of the TrailSport trim level, which promises to increase the off-road-worthiness of the unibody truck.

The TrailSport trim debuted in 2022 on the Passport SUV. At the time, the badge was nothing more than a veneer of adventure-readiness. With the 2023 Pilot, Honda got serious: The Trailsport-spec model got unique suspension tuning, serious off-road tires, and actual underbody armor.

The Ridgeline will get the full-fat TrailSport treatment, which is certainly an improvement, though not a license to book a weekend run to the Rubicon Trail. Opt for this Ridgeline trim (one of four for 2024: Sport, RTL, TrailSport, and the range-topping Black Edition) and you’ll get steel underbody protection; an off-road-tuned suspension with unique spring rates, damper valve tuning, and stabilizer bars; proper General Grabber A/T Sport all-terrain tires; and a unique grille.

There’s still no full-time 4×4 capability, and Honda’s i-VTM4 all-wheel-drive system remains a front-wheel-biased system, but Honda says that its engineers tuned the system at real off-road arenas such as the Imperial Dunes in Glamis, California, and in Dubai. The AWD system is standard on all Ridgelines and can shuffle as much as 70 percent of the engine’s 262 lb-ft of peak torque to the rear wheels. Honda also has a traction management system baked into the AWD running gear that can be customized for different types of terrain including sand, snow, mud, and paved roads.

During our test of a 2021 Ridgeline AWD Sport, we found the AWD system to be plenty capable when managing less-than-ideal conditions. We also came to appreciate the on-road composure that came from its unibody construction, unique in this segment unless you count the smaller Ford Maverick. (Where does “midsize truck” end and “small truck” begin? Discuss among yourselves.)

Ridgeline TrailSports will get a mesh front grille and blackout treatment for the door pillars and exterior mirrors. The front “skid garnish” (read: not a full-on steel skidplate) will be painted Pewter Gray, to match the color treatment on the 18-inch wheels. Other exterior differentiation includes a trim-specific paint color: Diffused Sky Blue, which we’ve seen on the Passport and Pilot TrailSports. It’s the paint color pictured here, and it’s quite tasteful.

Inside, Ridgeline TrailSports get orange ambient lighting and orange contrast stitching on the steering wheel, seats, and door panels. Honda’s TrailSport logo also comes embroidered on the front headrests and the standard rubber floormats.

Honda also baked a few updates into the entire Ridgeline lineup, including the word R I D G E L I N E stamped across the trick rear tailgate, which can open traditionally as a fold-down unit or swing out to one side like a big car door. There were tech updates to the interior, too, including a new 7-inch digital instrument panel, standard across all trims, and a new 9-inch color touchscreen for central infotainment duties that can support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

All Ridgelines will also get a new, larger center console with an integrated armrest. The console does away with the folding armrests for each of the front chairs (a feature we quite liked on older Ridgelines, though the added storage is probably a plus), replacing them with a single trap-door-style pad for both front-row occupants to share. A new platform ahead of the cupholders and button-type shifter controls now offers accommodations for two large smartphones to lay side-by-side and charge wirelessly.

All 2024 Ridgelines will begin arriving at dealers this winter. Honda didn’t release pricing information at the time of this writing, so we would expect things to continue along roughly the same lines in 2023: Expect low-trim Ridgeline Sports to start around $40K, and higher-trim versions like the TrailSport or the Black Edition to ring in in the high-$40K mark or perhaps reach just inside the $50K range.

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Ford is launching a new half-day program for its Bronco Off-Roadeo school. It’s the first time that the hands-on driving experience will be open to non-Bronco owners.

For $795, the Half-Day Adventure (not very imaginative with the name there, Ford) will offer anyone who ponies up the cash a chance to experience the Bronco’s adventurous capabilities under the guidance of expert instructors. “While our Bronco owners have loved Off-Roadeo, we’ve been asked by non-owners how they could experience the Bronco’s legendary off-road capabilities,” said Matt Simpson, general manger, Ford Enthusiast Vehicles. “The new Half-Day Adventure is a great way for those to be fully immersed in the Bronco brand and create an unforgettable memory.”

The program will consist of hands-on coaching from trail guides that will help you navigate the Bronco through plenty of rugged terrain, picturesque scenery, and specially-designed training trails. You’ll receive instruction on how to select a line, throttle control, and traction maintenance, all of which are crucial skills to know before venturing off on your own down a rocky two-track.

You’re allowed to bring up toe three guests with you to the program, as well. Participants will also get a little history lesson on the Bronco brand, a chance to view special Bronco gear, and more, because this offering is ostensibly about drumming up interest in potential buyers.

Interested in getting out where the blacktop ends? You can book your reservation for one of three existing Off-Roadeo locations—Horseshoe Bay, Texas, Moab, Utah, or Las Vegas, Nevada—through Ford’s website, broncodrives.com.

Half-day not enough for your liking? Remember, all Bronco, Bronco Sport, and Bronco Raptor buyers get a one-day, 10-hour experience at one of the four Off-Roadeo locations (the three mentioned above, as well as the Gunstock Moutain facility in Gilford, New Hampshire, which as of now, doesn’t offer the half-day course) for free with the purchase of their vehicle.

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SEMA 2023 has officially kicked into high gear. The aftermarket specialty show, held each fall in Las Vegas, offers automakers the chance to roll out their wildest creations and drum up buzz for new models, aftermarket parts, and much more. The public isn’t allowed inside the convention center, but don’t worry: We’re taking a ton of pictures to share with you.

Though some manufacturers have decided to forgo SEMA this year—looking at you, Stellantis—Toyota is very much not one of them. The Japanese automaker went buck wild with its creations, headlined by this brute: the Toyota “FJ Bruiser,” a properly unhinged machine built by the mad folks at the Toyota Motorsports garage.

Meant to capitalize on the hype surrounding the Land Cruiser nameplate’s return to American shores, Toyota calls the FJ Bruiser “an unstoppable rock-crawling beast that can go virtually anywhere.” That might be the understatement of the year.

The FJ Bruiser is based, ever so loosely, on a 1966 Toyota FJ45 Land Cruiser pickup truck, but pretty much the only things that remain from that workhorse are the body panels. Even a few of those have clearly been modified.

Underneath that vintage skin sits custom … well, everything. Toyota Motorsports engineers fabricated a custom frame, as well as a tube-chassis with a roll cage to protect occupants. The trailing-arm suspension features Fox shocks and Eibach springs that locate Currie solid axles front and rear. The 42-inch BFGoodrich tires are mounted to 20-inch Method beadlock wheels. Articulation is appropriately insane: Fully flexed out, Toyota says that the tires will come nearly halfway up the windshield line.

All that rubber demands a powerplant to match. In place of the wheezy but everlasting straight-six that used to come in these trucks, Toyota sourced a modified version of the 358-cubic-inch V-8 from its NASCAR Cup car. Output rings in at 725 horses, all thundering from a custom MagnaFlow exhaust. A race-built three-speed automatic transmission, built by Rancho Drivetrain Engineering, handles ratio swapping.

An Advanced Adapter Atlas triple-stick transfer case enables the FJ Bruiser to crawl in four different speeds for 2WD and four different speeds for 4WD. To illustrate how wide the ratios are: When in its lowest gear, this thing will crawl along at 12 mph while the engine is screaming at 7000 rpm. In the highest gear, that same 7000-rpm mark will see the vehicle hit speeds of up to 165 mph. Yowza.

Crawlers like this, even the King of the Hammers–type vehicles that inspired the FJ Bruiser, tend to wear winches to drag themselves out of sticky situations. Since this is SEMA, not competition, and Toyota was clearly on an absolute bender, winches were shunned as far too conventional. Should you somehow manage to get the FJ Bruiser stuck, particularly in a high-center situation where an obstacle has basically lifted the machine off the ground, thus preventing any of the four tires from getting traction, there is a tank-like track system—yes, you read that right—that will help this brute scurry off of whatever temporarily halted progress.

SEMA, man.

The CAMSO track system can be operated from inside the cockpit with the push of a button; no need to dismount from the FJ Bruiser. Speaking of the cockpit, engineers went nuts there, too. Custom Momo Daytona seats were fitted, reskinned with plaid fabric as an homage to the FJ’s original bench seat. (Imagine trying to tame this thing from a bench seat!) The steering wheel is a vintage 1968 Jackie Stewart championship steering wheel, because why not.

The FJ Bruiser is one of just a handful of wild creations that Toyota is rolling out at SEMA this year, though we’d absolutely label this thing as the automaker’s wildest. Stay tuned, we’ll cover some of our other favorites in short order.

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Here’s a freezing cold take: The hype around overlanding won’t die anytime soon. Not as long as automakers and the aftermarket keep teaming up to build wild concepts like the Sierra Grande by American Expedition Vehicles.

This seriously re-worked GMC Sierra HD looks like AEV’s answer to the question: “What if you took a workhorse UTV like the Polaris Ranger and super-sized it?”

AEV is responsible for some of our favorite off-roaders, such as the Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison. As the foundation of its 2023 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show build, the company chose a GMC Sierra 2500 HD with a single cab and a long bed, a configuration mostly reserved for full-blown work trucks. From there, the Michigan firm went to town.

An eight-foot aluminum bed replaces the factory unit. This material might seem like an odd choice in the states, but aluminum is a popular move among the overlanding community in Australia; adventurers prefer the utility and configurability of a simple boxed aluminum bed, and are happy to sacrifice payload to get it. A truck whose bed has been swapped with a boxed aluminum one is sometimes referred to as an “Aussie build” in the overlanding world.

Though GMC won’t normally allow you to spec the AT4X upgrades (all the good off-road tech) on a single-cab, long-bed Sierra HD, AEV worked directly with GMC engineers to source and fit most of that package’s components—including the trick MultiMatic DSSV dampers, the steering knuckles, control arms, and the rear suspension layout—to the Sierra Grande.

Up front, AEV cribbed the stamped steel bumper from the Sierra HD AT4X AEV Edition, and fitted it with a prototype brush guard for additional protection to the lights and grille. Speaking of lights, four 7000 series off-road lights have also been added, because you can never have too much illumination while out on the trail. Should you get stuck, there’s a ComeUp 12,500-lb winch integrated into that steel bumper.

To ensure the Sierra Grande’s 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V-8 inhales clean air no matter the watery obstacles it may face, AEV fitted a snorkel of its own design. Underbody armor consists of stamped steel plates for the front end, for the transfer case, and more. Prototype fender flares allow the concept to sit on massive, 40-inch BFGoodrich tires wrapped around AEV Salta XD wheels. Between the massive rubber and the AT4X suspension upgrades, the Sierra Grande concept sits 1.5 inches higher than the Sierra HD you’d see in a showroom.

That added height also makes the aluminum box extra useful. Along with a conventional tailgate, you can drop either side of the bed, whose sides don’t rise nearly as high as those of a traditional truck bed, granting easier access to gear stored closer to the middle of the tray. An integrated vertical tire mount allows you to carry a full-size spare without sacrificing departure angle (as a frame-mounted spare would require). A custom AEV rear bumper further trims the truck for maximum nimbleness.

For good measure, AEV also fitted an ARB onboard air system to help air your tires up or down when transitioning from tarmac to trail. There are chucks on either side of the front of the aluminum bed to which you can hook up an air hose and get yourself road- or trail-ready in no time at all. There’s also a 9,500-lb ComeUp winch at the rear, because why just have one winch when you could have two?

The Sierra Grande is the first time we’ve seen AEV swing at that next level of customization for a GM HD truck—think bed removal and heavy accessorizing. In short, a more extensive job than swapping bumpers, wheels, and tires. That said, AEV is no stranger to kitting out HD pickups; the company has offered a cab-and-chassis and tray-bed version of the Ram HD pickups, which it calls the “Prospector,” for some time. A Prospector cab-and-chassis was the platform for another wild creation unveiled earlier this year through a collaboration with European travel cab maker Bliss Mobil.

The Sierra Grande concept will be on display at SEMA later this week in Las Vegas. While it’s just a concept now, don’t be surprised if news surfaces eventually that AEV will begin a production run of Sierra HD AT4Xs with the “Aussie” treatment like this.

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Though typically known for its conservative product cycles, you may have noticed that Toyota (and its luxury brand Lexus) have been busy rolling out entirely new or heavily refreshed models over the past 18–24 months. Stalwarts like the Tundra, the Sequoia, the Tacoma, and even the Land Cruiser have made the leap to hybrid tech and engineering that looks fit for another half-decade or more of service. Lexus rolled out the new GX and LX, along with an entirely new SUV, the TX, and even an all-electric vehicle, the RZ 450e.

The 4Runner, Toyota’s workhorse body-on-frame SUV, will make no such leap for the 2024 model year. Instead, the old but proven machine will make do with just two significant updates, both of them courtesy of the paint department.

The range-topping 2024 4Runner TRD Pro will be treated to a new paint color, dubbed “Terra” by Toyota’s stylists. The earth tone is sure to appeal to those who want to drop a hefty chunk of change for a ready-to-roll overlander. Another color, Underground, will be available for other 4Runner models.

The 4Runner lineup remains virtually unchanged, otherwise. You can opt for 2WD or 4WD on most trims, though the off-road-oriented TRD Pro and TRD Off-Road models offer part-time 4×4 with a manual transfer case exclusively. The 4Runner Limited can be had with either 4×2 or full-time 4×4, the latter of which utilizes a Torsen center differential and a console-mounted switch to engage 4WD rather than a second lever for the transfer case.

Trim-wise, you’ll have the following choices: SR5, SR5 Premium, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and TRD Pro. On the cheaper end, a 2024 4Runner SR5 4×2 will run you at least $41,850, including a $1395 destination fee. At the pricier end, the 4Runner TRD Pro, kitted out with heavy-duty underbody armor, high-tech Fox internal-bypass shocks, Nitto Terra Grappler tires, and more will run you at least $56,315. That’s up just $300 over the 2023 model year‘s TRD Pro asking price. Not bad, all things considered.

Mechanically, while its adventurous siblings have ditched free-breathing engines for turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines often aided by hybrid componentry, the 4Runner will soldier on with a tried-and-true 4.0-liter V-6 making 270 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque sending power through a five-speed transmission. Yes, both the engine and the gearbox are old dogs, but there’s no point in trying to teach new tricks here—especially when, with the new Tacoma, we’ve seen what’s almost certainly ahead for the 4Runner.

Somehow, despite this fifth-gen 4Runner debuting in 2009, it feels as though product updates have arrived even slower than normal. However, viewed in the context of what the 4Runner stereotypically trades on—dead-nuts reliability, a capable platform, and extensive aftermarket support that has had more than a decade to develop every part under the sun—meager changes to a proven formula make all the sense in the world.

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Jeep has partnered with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) to create three new kits for the 2024 Wrangler, the most extreme of which will offer 37-inch tires.

The three packages, in ascending order of insanity, are named as follows: Upcountry, Upcountry+, and Level II. Every upfit kit will replace the 33-inch rubber on the stock Wrangler Rubicon with either 35- or 37-inch tires. The first two kits are also available on the Wrangler Willys for the first time, replacing that trim’s 33-inch rubber with 35-inch tires.

The first rung on the ladder, Upcountry, will bring an AEV 2-inch suspension lift as well as new wheels, 35-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K02 tires, Jeep Performance Parts fender flares, and more. The kit will cost $7476. Upcountry+ will offer a new front bumper, front skid plate, a relocation kit for the integrated front off-road camera, and more, in addition to the lift, 35s, and flares from the Upcountry kit. You’ll pay $11,599 for that option.

The big news, however, is the AEV Level II kit. Offered exclusively for the 2024 Wrangler Rubicon, you’ll get the aforementioned front bumper and skid plates, an AEV rear bumper and new tire carrier, a 2.5-inch DualSport suspension lift with Bilstein 5100 shocks, kit-specific satin-black wheels, and those coveted 37-inch tires.

The kit can be applied to both the normal Wrangler Rubicon ($20,049) and the Rubicon 4xe ($22,099). The added cost for the Rubicon 4xe comes from a replacement of the stock 4.10 axle gears to the 4.56 gears found in the Rubicon 392 and Rubicons equipped with the Xtreme 35 package, which were previously the only two avenues to getting 35-inch rubber.

Those vehicular equivalents to heel inserts will boost off-road metrics, to nobody’s surprise. Fitted with the Level II kit, Wrangler Rubicons will now boast 14.2 inches of ground clearance, 37.1 inches of water fording capability, a 50-degree approach angle, a 33-degree breakover angle, and a 43-degree departure angle. Without this kit, the best figures available were 12.9 inches of clearance, 34 inches of water fording, a 47.4-degree approach angle, a 26.7 breakover angle, and a 40.4-degree departure angle.

If the combination of AEV, Wranglers, and 37-inch tires sounds familiar, you’re not imagining things. Last year, Jeep partnered with AEV for a limited run of 300 Rubicon 392s, all created in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Wrangler Rubicon, which came with 37-inch tires. The package proved so popular that all 300 examples sold in fewer than two hours. Proof was, as they say, in the 37-inch pudding; the customers had spoken, so Jeep set about readying a package for more than just limited-run Wranglers.

Based on a cursory glance at any Wrangler on the road, usually rolling on bigger rubber with new wheels, the package makes perfect sense. You can get yours on a first-come, first-serve basis by placing an order through a local Jeep dealer this month. Wranglers optioned with any of the three kits will ship directly from Jeep’s Toledo Assembly Complex to AEV for the upfit.

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For lovers of stout off-road platforms with nameplates that have decades of brand equity behind them: Rejoice! The Toyota Land Cruiser will return to the United States for the 2024 model year. After weeks of anticipation, some timely teaser photos, and a full rundown of its more luxurious sibling, the new Lexus GX, we finally lay eyes on the 2024 Land Cruiser.

So, what exactly are we working with under that geometric sheet metal? Surprisingly, quite a lot of departures from conventional Land Cruiser thinking. Let’s dive into the details.

The new Land Cruiser will ride on the TNGA-F global truck architecture—bones it will share with everything from the Lexus LX 600, to the new Toyota Tundra, to the massive Sequoia SUV, to the hotly anticipated 2024 Tacoma midsize pickup. The ladder-style, body-on-frame design will offer more rigidity than the outgoing 200 Series Land Cruiser, thanks to the tactful use of high-strength steel.

Remarkably, the new Land Cruiser is actually smaller than the outgoing 200 Series model—4.4 inches narrower and 1.2 inches shorter tip to tail, to be exact. That’s in part because the new machine is based on a model called the Land Cruiser Prado, which is sold elsewhere in the world as a smaller, more budget-friendly version of the Land Cruiser. Put another way: The new Land Cruiser is the Toyota version of the Lexus GX; in the past, the Land Cruiser was always the toned-down twin to the larger Lexus LX. (To make things more confusing, there is still a full-size, Lexus LX-esque Land Cruiser sold in other countries as the 300 Series. Clear as mud?)

The shift in approach continues under the hood. Historically, Land Cruisers have always housed Toyota’s burliest and most workhorse-like engines—often the largest in the automaker’s arsenal. Were that continuing here, the U.S.-bound Land Cruiser would boast a version of Toyota’s 3.4-liter, twin-turbo V-6 engine and the accompanying hybridization components that we find on the new Tundra.

Instead, the new Cruiser will employ the 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder found underneath the new Tacoma. All Land Cruisers will get the i-Force MAX hybrid system, which will pair said engine with a 1.87-kWh NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) battery and a 48-hp electric motor integrated into the 8-speed automatic transmission. Total system output is 326 hp and a hefty 465 lb-ft of torque, and all Land Cruisers will be able to tow up to 6000 lbs.

A full-time 4×4 system with a locking center differential and an electronically-controlled, two-speed transfer case with high/low range are standard across the lineup. Front suspension will be a newly-developed double-wishbone independent setup, while out back, you’ll find a multilink solid axle with coil springs. An electronically-locking rear differential is also standard. Underbody armor and rock rails will be offered as well.

Opt for the higher two of the three grades available (we’ll break those down in a moment) and you can also get a front stabilizer bar disconnect that increases the front end’s flexibility with the push of a button. Properly equipped, the new Land Cruiser boasts approach, departure, and breakover angles of 31 degrees, 22 degrees, and 25 degrees, respectively.

About those grades: Toyota will offer just three for the new model. The lowest grade will be named Land Cruiser 1958, then simply Land Cruiser, and finally Land Cruiser First Edition, in ascending levels of cost and content. On the Land Cruiser 1958 and the First Edition, you’ll get round LED headlamps, while on the mid-tier grade, those headlamps will be swapped out for rectangular LED units.

The decidedly boxy, retro styling might take some getting used to, but we’re open to being convinced. There’s a bit of Land Rover Defender in there, which is probably not by accident. Expect those two longstanding nameplates to battle for large swathes of the same buyers, the Landie trading on nameplate prestige while the ‘Yota points to its record of dead-nuts reliability—this particular nameplate even more than most.

Toyota shortened the front overhang to increase trail worthiness, and the pushed-back A-pillar not only looks cool, it also helps with outward visibility. The silhouette looks slender and tall like the 80 Series Land Cruisers of the 1990s. Dimensionally, this new unit is just 1.5 inches wider than those bygone (and deeply collectible) machines.

The cabin seems to strike a commendable balance between functionality and comfort. Land Cruiser 1958 models will suffice with an 8-inch center screen for infotainment and phone mirroring duties, while the upper two trims will score a 12.3-inch screen. Real switch gear (hallelujah) will adjust climate control functions and seat heating and ventilation.

How much will all this retro dirt-chasing goodness cost? Impressively, Toyota says that the 2024 Land Cruiser will start in the “mid-$50,000 range.” This was, according to Toyota, a big part of why the new Land Cruiser feels like a “downsized” offering. Expect those First Edition Cruisers (just 5000 are coming to the North American market) to command hefty premiums over that starting price, made worse by dealers who will inevitably slap “market adjustments” on them.

Ah well. A marked-up Land Cruiser is better than no Land Cruiser at all, or however that saying goes. We can’t wait to try one out.

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More sports cars from Toyota? New CEO says there’s a chance

Intake: On the heels of Toyota Gazoo’s one-two finish last weekend at the six-hour race at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps–Toyota’s third win in the first three races in the World Endurance Championship, with the first coming at Sebring International Raceway in the series’ only U.S. appearance–comes word that we might expect more sports cars from Toyota. Koji Sato, Toyota’s new CEO, hinted to Autocar that Gazoo Racing’s GR models will continue under his leadership, and suggested that even more are in the works. Sato replaced Akio Toyoda, a keen enthusiast and race car driver who now holds the chairman title. Free of the daily responsibilities of running the company, Sato said Toyoda was “also president of the company at the same time as he had a steering wheel in his hand for Gazoo. Now he is only chairman maybe he will have a lot more time to develop cars for them.” Either way, “The Gazoo brand will be acknowledged for the future–and maybe we can even speed it up,” Sato said.

Exhaust: Toyota Gazoo Racing also announced that the cumulative production of its GR Supra GT4 customer race vehicle has hit the 100-unit mark. It reached that milestone about three years after its sales launch in March 2020, which started in Europe and expanded to North America in August, then to Japan and other parts of Asia in October of that year. – Steven Cole Smith

GMC brings the trail-tackling AT4X subbrand to the heavy-duty arena

Intake: Not to be outdone by its bowtie brethren, GMC has just announced two even gnarlier versions of the Sierra HD—the HD AT4X and the HD Extreme AEV Edition. First up is the Sierra HD AT4X, which boasts a 1.5-inch suspension lift, trick Multimatic DSSV dampers, an electronic locking rear differential, 35-inch Goodyear tires, trim-specific upper and lower control arms and steering knuckles, a larger transfer case skid plate, and a unique interior color called Obsidian Rush. To that kit, the HD AT4X AEV Edition adds steel bumpers with integrated recovery points and a front winch, more heavy-duty underbody armor, unique 18-inch wheels, and some special interior and exterior badging.

The new Sierra HD AT4X can be optioned with either the 401-hp, 464-lb-ft 6.6-liter gasoline V-8 or the 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V-8, which delivers 470 hp and a whopping 975 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are mated to a 10-speed Allison automatic transmission. Opt for the diesel, and you’ll be able to tow up to 18,500 pounds. Both heavy-duty off-road luxo trucks are expected to arrive at dealerships this fall. Pricing will be announced closer to the launch.

Exhaust: GMC’s AT4X brand has been a roaring success, thanks to standout tech such as those Multimatic DSSV dampers. It was only a matter of time until the heavy-duty Sierra got the same treatment as the light-duty Sierra and the Canyon mid-sizer. Between this brute, the Ram 2500 Rebel, and the Tremor version of Ford’s Super Duty, the truck wars have truly gone off the road and onto the trails. — Nathan Petroelje

Saab’s successor is for sale and it has a 600-mile EV ready to go

Intake: Engineers from shuttered Swedish car maker Saab have been shut down again, but they hope that their last ten years of work won’t be in vain. Electric car company NEVS was founded by former Saab experts and was close to signing off on its Emily GT—a typically Swedish-styled sedan with a claimed range of 1000 km (621 miles). Smaller battery versions were also planned and the Emily would come with a wireless charging facility as well. Featuring four hub motors making 122 hp apiece, the Emily’s party piece was advanced torque vectoring that could allow it to spin on its axis. “The possibilities for torque vectoring are fantastic,” former Saab engineer Peter Dahl told Swedish publication Carup. “All torque can be controlled. It’s like changing from straight slalom skis to carving skis. In addition, the wheel motors ensure that all backlash is eliminated, resulting in an incredibly direct and solid feeling.”

NEV’s Chinese backers Evergrande Group hit financial trouble in 2020 and the Swedish company is now in “hibernation.” CEO Nina Selander says she is looking for a buyer for the Emily project. “It’s for sale. It’s also a joy to be able to show it. Everything is in place to take it further into production. The prototypes are completely drivable, except that the airbag and auto-braking systems are missing.”

Exhaust: Fellow Swedish-Chinese EV maker Polestar has already taken over part of NEV’s factory in Trollhättan to use as an R&D facility. Could Polestar’s owner Geely come to the rescue of this innovative electric car? — Nik Berg

Marking your Bronco’s off-road exploits? There’s an app for that

Intake: Ford has unveiled a new app for off-road enthusiasts that enables them to scout, mark, and share trail-based adventures. The Bronco Trail App, available on Apple iOS and Google Android mobile devices, is available only to Bronco owners and features 1200 professionally curated off-road trail maps across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. It offers the ability to record photos and videos of your trail exploits, overlaid with vehicle data such as driveline configuration, real-time camber angle and more, to share on social media.

The app has roughly 18,000 miles of existing off-road trails already loaded, which can be filtered by location, length, difficulty, and more. You can mark points of interest along the way such as certain obstacles that require extra focus, or a neat view that the trail offers. Trails are marked through satellite imagery and 2D topographic maps which can be downloaded and saved for offline viewing if you’re venturing out of cell signal. There’s also a real-time tire pressure gauge that compares your current tire pressures to the recommended readings for the trail ahead. The Bronco Trail App is available now for download through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Exhaust: Serious overlanders have several different map apps to choose from, including GAIA maps, onx Offroad, and more, but having something with model-specific touches like Ford’s new app might be appealing to certain Bronco customers. It’s interesting to watch drive data capturing move from the racetrack—think Chevy’s brilliant Performance Data Recorder—to the trails as the attention of enthusiasts turns increasingly to the dirt. — NP

Sales of actual cars are on the upswing

Intake: Car sales–and we mean actual cars–are rallying, according to Automotive News, which is wondering aloud: “After years of decline, the share of cars sold in the U.S. compared to light trucks has stabilized and actually grown. Is it a mirage? Or the start of a trend?” The story points out that sales of cars, which have taken it on the chin as America flocks to SUVs and trucks, appear to be rebounding, despite being essentially abandoned by some manufacturers. Cars represented 21.4 percent of the 3.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. during the first quarter of the year, up from the car’s low point of 19.6 percent at the end of 2021.

Exhaust: The story suggests lower prices of cars may be a factor, after sticker prices have soared in the SUV, van, and truck market. We’re speculating that cars may be more comfortable and more fun to drive than their competition, and more consumers are realizing that. We’ll see if this trend continues. – SCS

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