Check out these Extreme Sand Racers.

What do you get when you have more money than you will ever be able to spend, a lot of open desert to play in, and a desire to kick up some sand? Well these guys from United Arab Emirates decided to go all out and create some insane vehicle. Some of the 6-cylinders are pushing over 1500 hp, and the big V8's are throwing out even more! Watch this incredible drag race over the sand in these suped up SUV's.

Edit 1: Full volume is highly recommended.
Edit 2: To be fair these are more like time trials as opposed to drag races. But still fun to watch.

Enjoy

Watch this Hellcat hit 170 MPH on Ice

I can't imagine that having 707 hp on an ice track would get very good results. But with a little help from some studded tires the Hellcat took first place in it's class at February's Speed Week in Arsunda, Sweden.

So grab your red key fob, strap in with the 5 point harness and watch this Hellcat On Ice!

What does it take to kill a Jeep Cherokee (XJ)?

The answer is a whole-freaking-lot. In the video below a group of guys take their XJ that was used to help build their off road trails and put it to the test after it is no longer road worthy. After broken wheels, run ins with trees, rolling, and a bevy of other torturous events, this XJ just keeps going and going and going.

This video is living proof that the Jeep Cherokee (XJ) is the ultimate post-apocalyptic vehicle to own. The 4.0-liter i6 is truly bulletproof. Forget your Timex watch, the XJ can take a licking and keep on ticking.

My own personal trip down the Jeep rabbit hole.

I would like to take a moment to share with all of my readers the Jeep that made me fall in love with the brand.

This is the 1998 Cherokee XJ that I used to own before I handed it over to my step son when he needed a reliable mode of transportation for work. I traded a 1998 Ford F250 with a rusted out frame for this XJ. Both had almost identical miles and mechanically were in the same condition so it was a straight up trade. When I took delivery it was a bone stock XJ with about 135k on the clock and a severely sagging suspension.

The first thing to go was the broken and ugly side molding. When I took the Fender flares off the screws in the brackets broke as is the way of their people. So rather than fixing it, I figured I would leave them off and see how I liked the look.

The next stage was a completely homebrew lift. Up front I went with ZJ coil springs but I sadly do not remember exactly what shocks I went with. In the rear I went with HD leaf springs for a 2 inch lift (although it ended up giving me more due to the stiffness) and skyjacker shocks. I upgraded all of the bushings and dropped the t-case 1.5 inches to compensate for the added angle on the drive shaft. I made my own brake lines and called it a day.

Once that was all said and done the brakes got a complete overhaul. Everything from the lines to the pads were replaced. Everything that stopped the vehicle was brand new. Of course while I was under there I replaced the steering stabilizer and shortened the exhaust (who needs a muffler anyway!)

Under the hood I got rid of the factory airbox and replaced it with a Spectre cone filter that amazingly fit right onto the stock intake hose. The oil blowoff hose was replaced with an even smaller Spectre filter, because why not? All plugs, wires, the distributor cap and rotor were replaced and the vacuum ball inside of the bumper was relocated to between the battery and fuse box. the fuse box, vacuum ball, and fan shroud were painted the same OD green as the front grille and wheel centers for effect (although I'm not quite sure what the effect was).

While I was under the hood I decided to replace the non working factory fog lights. I wired in a new toggle switch to go with the back up light over ride (more on that in a minute). The fog lights that I used were nothing special, just a pair I picked up on clearance at Advance Auto Parts. I mounted those in the same spot as the factory lights.

In this picture you will see 3 toggle switches. the big one at the top is for the fog lights. the middle one was currently unused, but was going to be for my fan over ride that I never got around to wiring up. The bottom switch was my back up light over ride. As is the case in the XJ, my Neutral Safety Switch was going bad. So what I did to counteract that was wire up a switch that had two different functions. Firstly it would allow me to turn on my back up lights in the event that they didn't come on on their own but would also allow me to turn them on without the vehicle being in reverse if I needed to be back there for some reason. Sadly I never got around to installing the upgraded lights back there...

So that is it. Other than basic maintenance and a few sensors needing replaced that was my first Jeep "build". I hope you like it, I look forward to getting work started o my Commander. I have quite a few ideas now I just need the time and extra money to get them started.

Just how capable is the Mercedes Benz GL(S)?

This past June I was sent to Birmingham, Alabama to spend 3 days with Mercedes Benz at their facility. One of the things that we did while there was get driven through an off-road course that showcases just how capable the GL (now the GLS) actually is. The course was broken up into two separate segments. The first was a typical ORV path complete with steps, puddles, rocky climbs, and sharp bends. The second part was more of a mountain trail with steep inclines that wove themselves through thick forest while traversing over slippery roots, mud, and rocks. The whole course culminated in a 75% downhill slope on a gravel covered trail.

To start we went up a small hill with steps carved into it and while it was (obviously) bumpy, the GL had no issue climbing itself up the steps. After that we went onto the offset trail that is designed to make sure that at all times the vehicle is only on 3 wheels. This is to show exactly how rigid the unibody design of the GL is. At one point, with one wheel high up in the air, our driver stopped the vehicle and opened his door to show that there is no body torque or other pressure twisting the vehicle.

The next part of the first segment was all slippery slopes covered in rocks, muddy inclines, a quick jaunt through a simulated water crossing, and a rather tight rock covered U-bend. I have to admit that the turning radius of that U-bend was pretty small and my old Jeep Cherokee XJ would have had a hard time cutting through it. The GL, however, had zero issues making that turn.

The second part of the course was, as stated above, just a twisty hill climb through thick forest, the end of which was a very steep downhill slope. Check out the video below of our descent.

While I wouldn't expect anyone to be doing any rock crawling in their GL450 it is still an extremely capable off-road vehicle. I most definitely was surprised at what it was able to do. To be fair 99.9% of GL owners would never even consider going anywhere that wasn't paved, it is nice to know that they could if they wanted to.

Just another BAD ASS Power Wagon!

Just bringing you guys another offering from the guys at Legacy Classic Trucks. This time I wanted to show a range of vehicles from them. The first is what they do best. Power Wagons.

Then to follow up here is a Toyota Expedition Land Cruiser. While it isn't their normal work, it is still a well built machine.

Battlewagons for the win! Subaru vehicles are the third most off-roaded vehicles.

In a 2013 J.D. Power study it was found that 29.5% of all Subaru's sold were used for off-roading purposes. To be fair anything not on pavement is taken into account, even a dinky little two-trail. Regardless, it is still a pretty impressive number and Subaru isn't behind by much. The two brands ahead of Subaru for off-road use is Ram in second with 30.2% and Jeep with 31%. To put everything into perspective, Land Rover is all the way down the list at a mere 20%.

What makes all of this even more interesting is that when you look at just Subaru's, the Outback by itself has an off-road use of 34.7%. This doesn't seem like much but when you look at just Jeeps the standout vehicle (according to the study) is the Grand Cherokee* at 21.1%.

In an interview with Autoblog Michael McHale, Director of Corporate Communications for Subaru, said "Subaru owners are 190 percent more likely to do outdoor activities..." .

So there you have it. As a current Jeep owner and previous Outback owner I can honestly say I am not all that surprised but to see it officially acknowledged is pretty great. I know the folks over at /r/battlewagon won't be surprised either but I am willing to bet that /r/4x4 and certainly /r/Jeep and /r/cherokeeXJ will disagree. Either way one thing I have learned over the years is that while you will have elitists in every group, the off-road community as a whole is just a great thing to be a part of.

*data collected is based on new vehicle sales

credit for video goes to /u/PitBullTherapy on reddit.com/r/battlewagon

Top nine vehicles for Overlanding (in no particular order)

What exactly is overlanding you may be asking yourself. To put an actual definition on it I would call it a self-reliant travel to a remote destination where the journey to get there is more the goal than the actual destination. Think of it as a road trip but without the roads, or at least without paved roads. What separates overlanding from off-roading is the core activity itself. Generally speaking when you are off-roading you are with a bunch of your friends and their rigs and making a day out of it. When you are overlanding you are going somewhere. To quote Doc Brown, "Where we're going, we don't need roads."

When you scour the internet looking for overland rigs most of what you will find is well above the $10,000 mark and some rigs can get well up into the hundreds of thousands. What I have done here is put together a list of vehicles that can, for the most part, be obtained and outfitted for overlanding with a budget of $10,000. They are in no particular order, just a list for you to think about.

Jeep Cherokee (XJ) 1987-2001
If any of you have read any of my other posts you will undoubtedly know that I am a Jeep guy. My daily driver is a Jeep Commander and I had a nice Cherokee XJ that I sold to my son. There are two things that any Jeep enthusiast will tell you. One, the Jeep 4.0-liter Straight Six engine is a bullet proof work of art. They are reliable and easy to work on should the need arise when you are out and about. Two, "It's a Jeep Thing". There aren't many places that you can't take a Jeep and Jeep lovers will take any chance they can to let you know exactly where they have gone. Depending on where you live a stock XJ can run you anywhere from $500 to $6000 based on the current condition and mileage. The nice thing about any Jeep really, is that there are no shortage of parts available to customize and outfit your rig. You can spend as little as $400 piecemealing a lift together or you can drop $4000 on a lift kit. Either way you can get the job done.

Suzuki Samurai 1985-2001
The Suzuki Samurai is another all terrain vehicle that has no shortage of after market parts available. Although small, this "cute ute" is very capable. A quick search shows that these can be found for as low as $1000 while some that were already built up had a price tag of over $20,000. It is not uncommon to see a Samurai that has been stripped down to nothing more than a frame with a steering wheel, engine, drivers seat, and transmission zipping through trails and or sand dunes. Much like the XJ, the Samurai is another vehicle that has a very devoted group of owners.

Ford Ranger XLT 1998-2011
Unless you get one through a site like Craigslist or one that has been ridden hard and put away wet, expect to get into one of these machines for just under the $10k budget. Because of their popularity and ruggedness, most Ford trucks hold their value quite well. Available with a 2.5-liter SOHC i4 or a pushrod 4.0-liter V6, the Ranger had any option to meet your needs. While the i4 may not have had the power of the V6, it had a slightly better gas mileage for those long overland trips. As with any of the other pickup trucks on this list, the availability of a cap for the bed was perfect for when you needed a place to sleep on your trip and didn't want to bust out the tent.

Toyota 4 Runner 1995-2009
1995 to 2009 covers both the third and fourth generation of the Toyota 4 Runner. Sharing a chassis with the Land Cruiser Prado, the third generation 4 Runner was available with either a 2.7-liter i4 or a 3.4-liter V6. Both engines were more than capable to get you through whatever terrain you are wanting to go. Much like the Cherokee, the 4 Runner in stock form is highly capable for all of your overland needs. That does not mean you won't have a good choice of after market upgrade options at your disposal.

Subaru Outback 1994-present
Some of you may be thinking that since the Subaru Outback doesn't belong on this list because it is not a truck. I assure you that, and anyone who has owned one can attest to, the Subaru Outback may be able to perform right along side any of the vehicles on here. Sure, it won't have the suspension travel necessary for rock crawling, but how often are you really going to need that much travel? I miss my Outback. If there was any vehicle, other than my Jeep that I had the utmost confidence in when it came to off road capability, it was my Outback. While the after market lifts for Subaru's aren't as plentiful as for say, a Jeep, they are out there. If you have any doubt as to what these things are truly capable of take a trip over to Battlewagons and see what can be done. Subaru;s hold their value pretty well so while you may not be able to find a new one for under $10,000 you can definitely find an older model well within that price range.

Toyota Tacoma 1995-2004
Admittedly I don't know much about the Toyota Tacoma other than the very rabid fan base they have. Affectionately referred to as Taco's, these are just as plentiful in my area as Cherokees, just as nicely priced. While the Toyota Tacoma is quite adept at traversing all terrains in it's stock form, you would be hard pressed to find one (at least in my area) that isn't already outfitted for off road use. Known the world over as the Hilux, the first generation Tacoma is available in the US with a 2.4-liter i4, a 2.7-liter i4, or a 3.4-liter V6. Just like the Ford Ranger, one of the things keeping the Tacoma in the top tier for overlanding is the bed.

Isuzu Trooper 1991-2002
The second generation Trooper was a complete redesign to keep up with the changing landscape of the SUV market. Pre 1996 the Trooper still used a part time four-wheel drive system requiring the manual locking in of the hubs. Next to the Vanagon, the Trooper is one of the more rarely spotted vehicle in my area making the prices when you do find them for sale relatively high. Stock from the factory the Trooper is pretty capable for whatever you need it for.

Toyota Land Cruiser 1984-2015
Starting in 1984 the J70 was introduced. Much like Jeep's war-time pedigree, the Land Cruiser was created as an all around Utility Vehicle. Offered with everything from a soft top version to the troop carrying military version. What ever version you are lucky enough to have in your garage there is no doubt about the rugged capability it offers. Out of every vehicle on this list, the Toyota Land Cruiser is the only vehicle that truly needs no after market mods to make it better. Regardless of the low price tag you can find these for the Toyota Land Cruiser definitely keeps it's own against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz G Wagen, and the Land Rover Discovery.

VW Vanagon 1979-1990
Much like the Subaru you may not feel that the Vanagon belongs on this list. At first glance it appears to be a slightly lifted Mini-Bus but throw a set of snow chains on the Vanagon and it will get you pretty much anywhere you want to go. A quick search on autotrader.com only brought in 12 results country wide under $10,000 but there were some offerings as low as $3000. The biggest difference between the Vanagon and the Mini Bus was the fact that the engine was water cooled which means that it had a heater that actually worked. This is a key piece of hardware to have functional in your overland rig for those long winter treks.

So there you have it, my top nine (in no particular order) best vehicles for Overlanding. What do you think?

Not all Jeep concepts were good. Some were downright hideous.

As you all may know, last week Jeep released photos and specs on their Easter Safari Concepts. It is safe to say that all of them are exactly what we were expecting from Jeep for the 50th annual Easter Safari, which also happens to coincide with Jeep's 75th anniversary. But Jeep hasn't always hit home runs with their concepts. Here are a few that definitely fell flat.

The Jeep II, which looks like a Jeep Golf Cart

 The Jeep Concept 80

The original XJ, aptly dubbed the XJ001. I shudder to think that this is what could have ended up being the Jeep Cherokee (XJ)

Legacy Classic Trucks of Jackson Wyoming are creating absolute perfection.

Yesterday I wrote about the guys at Legacy Classic Trucks of Jackson Wyoming and the awesome Jeep Scramblers they are building. Today I am back with just a small album of another one of their finished projects.

They don't have any information listed on their website about this beast but either way enjoy the pure awesomeness.










All photo's credit go to legacyclassictrucks.com

What is smaller than a Smart and faster than a Tesla Model S?

Commuter Cars Tango T600!



With only 20 examples sold since 2005 the chances of you seeing one of these things on the road is pretty slim, pun completely intended by the way, unless you are personal friends with George Clooney who purchased the first model off the line.

As ugly as they may be, their numbers if they live up to Commuter Cars' statement, are rather impressive.

First is their size. Weighing in at a whopping 3,300 pounds, with 2,200 of that being under the floor, the T600 has the lowest center of gravity of any car on the road today. All this weight is pushed around by a DC FB1-4001 9" motors at each rear wheel that produce a combined 3,000 ft-lbs of torque at low RPM, with a redline at 8,000 RPM. All this power on instant demand means the T600 has a 0-60 time of just 3.2 seconds! That is faster than a McLaren F1 or a Porsche Carrera GT. The T600 has a top speed of 150 MPH and has been recorded doing the 1/4 mile in 12.214 seconds. Oh yeah, did I mention that the total width of the T600 is only 99cm, or just under 39 inches.





Obviously with a total width of 39 inches this two seater has a tandem configuration. According to Commuter Cars, the T600 is one of the safest vehicles on the road. Seeing as how they market it as a vehicle able to ride side by side with another T600 in a single lane, I kind of doubt that, but that is just my own opinion. The hub assemblies and brakes are borrowed from the Mazda Miata and it sits on 14 inch wheels.



Other available equipment is two hitches. One at the rear that accepts a 1.25' hitch for towing a generator cart for extended range. The one up front though... according to the their website the front hitch is for moving airplanes.



The range on these are comparable to other EV's available today. With a charging time of 5 hours using a a 40A 220V receptacle you can get 120 miles with a steady speed of 60 MPH on highway, or 100 miles at 70 MPH. Of course these numbers are based on flat driving and do not take into account for acceleration.



On paper the T600 sounds great and it makes you wonder why they have only sold 20 in 11 years. My guess would be the starting price tag of $108,000. Why would you buy one of these when you could get a Tesla Model S for the same price? To each their own I guess. What do you think?

Have $100,000+ you want to spend on a Jeep? Here you go.

Photo credit autoweek.com

Sure, you can special order a Brute that will run you around $100k but it won't be like one of these. Legacy Classic Trucks of Jackson Hole loves building custom beasts, most notably old Powerwagons. They have ventured out and decided to make some custom Jeeps, specifically Scramblers. The Scrambler was an option offered on the 1981-86 CJ-8's although if you bring them any CJ they can convert it to the longer wheel base for you.


Photo credit autoweek.com

The first thing they wanted to do was create a Jeep that was different than all other built up rigs out there. To do so they started with the weight. Your average custom rig weighs up to ~6,000 pounds with all of the added parts, stiffeners, body armoring, and accessories. These Scramblers achieve a curb weight of around 3,300 to 3,400 pounds. To get this weight they replaced every possible part that could be changed over with aluminum.


Photo credit autoweek.com

Of course they leave every part that needs to be tough alone like the axles. Up front you get a Dana 44/60 and the rear gets a Dana One Ton full floating ProRock 60 with optional locker (why would you not get a locker though?).


Photo credit autoweek.com


Photo credit autoweek.com

The shocks on the pictured rig are long travel Kings with bump stops, and it meets the pavement earth on 37 inch Toyo Open Country RT tires.


Photo credit autoweek.com

Should you decide to buy one of these gorgeous rolling pieces of art you get two options for the engine. Either a Chevy LS3 V8 or a Banks 630T turbo-diesel V6. Either way you will get the power and torque you need to get you wherever you are going. Pricing for the V8 starts at $110,000 and the Diesel starts at $125,000. To get yourself into one of these Scramblers you will have a minimum of six months wait. But it would certainly be worth it, wouldn't it?

Prepare for the French to Invade North America

One brand outside of North America that anyone outside of European Rally fans ever hear about is Citroen and Peugot. PSA Peugeot Citroen is the second largest car manufacturer in Europe with over 2.9 million vehicles sold in 2014, however, they have no footing here in North America let alone the USA. That is hopefully going to change.



This year at the Geneva Auto show PSA officials stated in an interview with Automobilwoche, a sister company to Autoweek, that they have plans to expand to new markets one of which they hope to be North America. While the full details of the growth strategy will be announced on April 5 we do know that the DS brand will most likely lead the export growth.



The DS brand is to PSA Citroen Peugeot what Infinity is to Nissan. Using shared parts and platforms to break into the luxury market. Right now the only thing we have on DS is their concept DS E-Tense which is being targeted specifically at taking down BMW and their i8. The E-Tense will put out 402 hp and have a range of 193 miles. The lithium-ion battery will sit firmly at the center of the all Carbon Fiber Chassis



Seeing as how PSA Peugeot Citroen in finally turning a profit again, maybe getting more new brands in the country will be a good thing. I for one would love to see these cars over here because let's face it, this E-Tense is some pretty nice eye candy.

Why the new Jeep Pickup Truck will NOT be based on the Wrangler

All Jeep lovers rejoiced last year when FCA announced that they would be adding a production model pickup truck to it's line up. The going theory/rumor was that it would be based on the Wrangler platform. Lending further credence to this rumor was the statement from Jeep stating that the new truck would be developed alongside the Wrangler in the Toledo, Ohio factory. 

There are two reasons why I truly believe the new truck will not be based on the Wrangler.

1. Jeep already sells the JK-8 kit, which is a package offered to the Wrangler that adds on a short bed. This is offered at any Jeep dealership already.
2. Jeep has already stated earlier this month that the new truck, already in development, won't be a spin off of an existing vehicle from Jeep and will in fact have it's own distinguishable identity.

Of course this is all my own personal opinion and speculation since Jeep and FCA have released no details about the new truck. There are however a couple things that Jeep has said that may add a little more to this discussion. Last week when Jeep release the photo's and information about the Jeep Safari Concepts one thing that was stated was the fact that every concept, while not slated for production, could in fact be created using the existing Mopar Off Road catalog. If you take a look at the Crew Chief 715 and the Renegade Comanche, both have a bed that is different from the JK-8 kit.

The Jeep Crew Chief 715 concept

The Jeep Renegade Comanche concept

A Wrangler with the JK-8 kit installed

You'll notice that while there are some similarities, the differences are quite unmistakable. The reason I bring this up is simple, if all of the concepts can be built and the bed is different than the JK-8 kit then maybe this is a glimpse into what we can expect from the new Jeep truck. Who know's. What do you think? Let me know in the comment's down below.

Jeep certainly has not disappointed us this year the 50th annual Jeep Easter Safari

Earlier this week I told you about the teaser picture Jeep released. Now I am back to give you the low down on what else Jeep will have in store for us at the 50th annual Jeep Easter Safari, I promise you won't be disappointed.

First up is the Jeep Shortcut. With it's 2 inch lift, red plaid interior, and it's body-paint-matched steel rims it is no doubt a nod to the CJ-5's of the 70's. In addition to being 12 inches shorter than a standard Wrangler is today, it has Dana 44s in both the front and the rear. 

Next up is the Jeep Trailstorm. I know that there honestly is nothing majorly special about this concept because, let's be honest, every town has one of these built up Jeeps. So what makes this one so special? You can guarantee that the Jeep Trailstorm wont be a mall crawling pavement princess like the one your jock neighbor drives to work everyday.

My daily driver is a 2008 Jeep Commander. I love that Jeep. When Jeep revealed the Commander back in 2005 for the 2006 model year, Jeep enthusiasts everywhere hoped that it would be a true replacement for the old Cherokee XJ that was discontinued in 2001. Compared to the current generation of Cherokee's it is the closest thing we have to those old XJs. So when I first saw the name Commander show up on a list of Jeep Safari concepts I was excited until I noticed the Renegade part in front of it. Don't get me wrong, I kind of like the Jeep Renegade in all of it's "cute ute" glory, but when you compare it to the heritage that Jeep has, it just doesn't really make the cut for me. But I have to be honest that the Renegade Commander concept is actually a pretty nice looking ride with it's 2-inch lift, rock rails, skid plates and a whole load of other Mopar off road parts.

The next item isn't really a concept as much as it is a restoration project. The FC 150 utilizes the original forward cab body, complete with dings and scratches,  mated to a 2005 Wrangler frame. Jeep lovers all over the world will rejoice at the use of the bullet proof Jeep 4.0-liter straight six powering this beast. Along with the Dana 44 up front and the Dana 60 in the rear, this old FC is definitely an off road ready machine.

My personal favorite out of the bunch is the Jeep Crew Chief 715. If you look at past Safari concepts you will notice one trend. Kaiser grilles. Jeep loves using those old school grilles and who can blame them. The Crew Chief is a modified Wrangler Unlimited with a pickup bed in the back. With the Chief's 20 inch beadlocked wheels, onboard air system, a set of winches and more there isn't much you can't do with this Jeep and certainly there aren't many places you couldn't go.

Any XJ owner/lover is probably also a big fan of the Comanche which for all intents and purposes was a 2 seat pick up version of the Cherokee. What Jeep has done now is taken that same concept, only used a Renegade this time around. Honestly it looks as if someone took a Renegade, cut the back of it off and slapped a truck bed to it only to realize that they actually liked the tail light sof the Renegade so they put them back on. My favorite feature of the Renegade Comanche though is definitely the convertible soft top roof. After all, being able to be topless is one of the best parts of owning a Jeep.

Finally we come to the crown jewel of this years Jeep Easter Safari. The Trailcat. This Wrangler has had it's windshield chopped, it's body lengthened by one foot, fitted with a six speed manual transmission and given Dana 60s in both the front and the rear. Oh yeah, and lets not forget the 707 HP 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI under the hood. Do we need a 707 HP Wrangler? Probably not, but do we want a 707 HP Wrangler? Abso-freaking-lutely!

What ever your thoughts are on these concepts there is one thing that is clear. Jeep knows it's fan base and they do listen. For those of you that may be a bit saddened by the thought that these vehicles will never come to fruition have no worries. Most, if not all, of these concepts could be built in your garage with a little bit of fabrication know how and a Mopar Off Road catalog. That's right every one of these concepts uses parts that are already available. So get out your checkbooks and get buying.