Off-Road

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2015 Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² Debuts Hardcore Off-Road Kit, New 4.0L V8TT and LWB Options

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A concept only in name, the new G500 4×4² does what it says on the tin: four-by-four — squared. A giant wide-track design and 37-inch tires run much of the hardcore offroad tech from the AMG G63 6×6, but under the skin of the standard G-Class. This G500 runs the latest 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 from the AMG GT, but retuned to have rock-crushing torque at all times versus peaky high-rev horsepower. Even so, 422 ponies is plenty when riding this high off the earth below! Mercedes calls this a concept, but the G500 4×4-squared is almost a sure-thing for limited-production …

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2017 Rolls-Royce SUV Is Official! #EffortlessEverywhere Is New SuperLux High-Rider

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We have a bit of a jump on this hot news!  Rolls-Royce just confirmed that it is developing an all-new SUV to join the finest motor-car range ever made. After 111 years in the car business, it is a thrill to learn that Rolls-Royce is adapting and thriving in the post-modern world of crossovers. So, what do we know so far? Car-Revs-Daily.com Animated Ghost II vs Rendered RR SUV Transition Very little. We know that the future Rolls-Royce SUV will have a go-anywhere capability, which is code for AWD and ground clearance. We also know that it does not yet …

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Road Test Review - 2015 Nissan Pathfinder SV 4WD 117

Road Test Review – 2015 Nissan Pathfinder SV 4WD

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2015 Nissan Pathfinder SV 4WD Review INTRO The funny thing about most crossovers and SUVs these days is that comfort is generally a very relative term. Sure, you might have every bell and whistle imaginable in the new Escalade, and searing performance in the new BMW X5 M. And while those crossovers might be extreme examples, others in the price bracket also qualify. Vehicles like the Ford Explorer and Dodge Durango, for example, are prime competition for the massive, three-row Nissan Pathfinder. What is one thing that none of the above machines can actually deliver in a luxurious way? Road …

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Mitsubishi Evolander

Concept Flashback – 2006 Mitsubishi EvoLander

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Proof that the Lancer Evolution component set is pure gold where-ever it lives? The 2006 EvoLander concept from Mitsubishi for the 2006 SEMA show. You might think it would be simple or low-budget to complete an upgrade like this. Swap the engine, driveline, brakes, wheels and tires – then slap on some fender extensions and lower the ride height 4 inches. Not the Mitsubishi way. This EvoLander actually runs a turbocharged V6 MIVEC engine and a custom widebody kit with no seams or stick-on mounting points. These are all-new, one-off panels all around — and are extra stunning as a …

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2015 Mitsubishi GC-PHEV – 40 Photos and 4 Reasons This Concept Previews USA-Bound 2017 Montero Full-Size SUV

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  Okay, okay. We can certainly echo your initial thoughts on this design. First reaction at this desk was a blasphemous exclamation. “Sweet Jesus.” Second reaction after thinking we might see a production-spec Montero reborn. But ended up with this? “Holy Mary, mother of God…. what is this evil monstrosity?” But step back a minute. Appreciate its creamy and sily surfaces atop this unapologetically blocky shape. Functional, futuristic, and certainly eye-catching. The nose and tail are absolutely ghastly, but then, the 2016 Outlander shows how cool and chic production-spec nose like could look. With some tweaks, the overall scale of …

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2016 Volvo XC90 Hits 16,000 Pre-Orders So Far + 38 New Dynamic Photos

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  The 2016 XC90 is easily the most important Volvo in the last five years. Scoring a hit with buyers is a make-or-break venture for the much-loved Swedish car brand. A simple refresh with new cabin tech, design and exterior upgrades might have secured a 30-percent sales increase all on its out. The previous scenario assumes carry-over powertrains. Volvo has not taken that route. The new strategy is an all-new platform with standard plug-in hybrid tech, a T6 power level and T8 setup with 400-horsepower. If the old gains might have been modest, the new XC90 is looking set to …

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2015 KIA Trail’Ster Concept Previews Upcoming Soul Refresh + All-New Interior

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The Kia Soul is easily our favorite model in the Kia range – with actual sportiness in the handling and impressive power, there is no other car on the market with such a flexible crossover package. Best of all? The Soul is priced like an economy car, and has almost double the power of the Scion xD and xB. But how to make it a real SUV instead of just a fun and light-hearted crossover? For that, you need all-wheel-drive. KIA has gone theRX450h route here — powering the rear axle with hybrid electric motors. Efficient, compact, and lacking any …

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JEEP Heritage and Icons - Mega Gallery in 113 Rare Photos 98

JEEP Heritage and Icons – Mega Gallery in 113 Rare Photos

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You all know the Jeep story. The GI’s personnel transport system is a legend worldwide for its off-road prowess, but is there a brand trait that more accurately describes Jeep? Yes. We would argue its deliberately simple designs helped the Jeep to excel in three other areas: –build-ability from scratch –durability once assembled –repair-ability once damaged These three abilities make any Jeep a superhero in your driveway and in harm’s way with shells landing nearby.   A fourth ability? Perhaps this new skill should be adaptability. The Jeep brand name itself is evolved from the short-hand for its name, and …

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2012 Jeep Mighty FC 1

Concept Flashback – 2012 Jeep Mighty FC

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The 2012 Jeep Mighty FC is hilarious to behold, and a really cool concept idea overall. Beyond the many Jeep pickup truck conversions and concepts, the Forward Control recreates an actual Jeep production truck from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s. Overall, the Mighty FC builds on Jeep’s very impressive concept repertoire: this truck is not just a runner, but it hit the Moab Jeep Jamboree for some extreme off-road proving. Versus most concept cars that are barely rollers, this is an impressive level of engineering. Two things: How!? and Why!? How? The Forward Control is created by the very-simple-sounding …

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LARTE Design Range Rover Sport WINNER 18

LARTE Design Range Rover Sport WINNER Styling Kit in 26 New Photos

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Updated 2.8.15 The Larte Design WINNER kit for the Range Rover Sport is now available to order!  Who would have thought… seven items to make any RRS so cool and stylish!? There are no shortage of custom upgrades for the new Range Rover Sport, but this latest kit from Larte Design is instantly one of the most distinctive. A gloss black dip for all the trim elements and the new alloys sets the tone, while new bumpers front and rear are fresh and angular like the best supercars.A new pair of white LED DRL’s live in the lower intakes, and …

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2015 Ford F-150 King Ranch STRIKES GOLD! Leads HUGE 54k January 2015 Sales, Up 17% YoY

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The accolades have showered the new Ford F-150 from every direction over the previous few months. Expectations are high, and demand is even higher. Now that shoppers are trying this revolutionary new truck, they are pulling the Buy trigger faster than ever. The new F-150 really is that good. It lives up to and beyond the hype. It is a new era in pickup trucks: tough but light, sporty but comfortable. Luxurious, but hard-working. The King Ranch trim level shares top billing with the Platinum in the new F-150 lineup. These are the boss’s trucks. If the King Ranch lives …

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2015 Volkswagen Touareg TDI 29

Road Test Review – 2015 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Feels Light, Quick and Lux

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 Video First Drive Review: 2015 VW Touareg TDI Clean Diesel INTRO Few people have been more scathing in their assessment of the new Touareg’s extremely light exterior refresh than us. But think about it: when a person gets a facelift, they do not want to be some shocking cat-lady whose new face is shocking from 100 yards away. You want it to be exceptionally subtle. You want to look 2X as fresh and young and modern, but without causing too much attention or interest in exactly how you achieved this fountain of youth. So goes the new Touareg’s refresh for …

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2016 Nissan TITAN XD in 35 New Photos

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You know that the Nissan Titan is the sixth-ranked truck in US sales, and has been for years. But we’d wager you did not know exactly how far the Titan lags behind the top-five trucks: the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, RAM 1500, GMC Sierra and Toyota Tundra. Per The Wall Street Journal’s report today, the 2014 calendar sales of the Nissan Titan were less than 15,000 units. In total. For the whole year. Versus the Ford F-150’s 750,000 2014 sales, the Titan made up just 2-percent with its paltry 15,000-unit tally. The Titan peaked around 2006 with around 80,000 sales …

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2015 Nissan Juke NISMO RSnow Trax Concept Reignites Juke-R Halo Effect

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We recently gave the Juke-R concept from 2012 a hall of fame write-up – extolling the incredible global awareness the GT-R/Juke hybrid created. The next step? A new Juke RSnow Trax – highlighting the new Juke LED boomerang lamps and new projector-beam lights up front, which are fresh for the 2015 model-year. This machine was created as a support car for an ice-driving school, with the tires replaced by individual tank-like treads. The rubber and steel-spiked treads spin in sync with the new hubs up top, controlling a contact patch that is 50X larger than four tires. This upgrade can …

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1964 Amphicar 770 1

Mecum Florida 2015 Curio – 1964 Amphicar 770 Was First Car-Boat Hybrid

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What classic 1960s American car was half boat, half convertible and cost as much as one of each? Which was a devastating turd of slowness on both pavement and lake-water? That would be the 1964 Amphicar!  And while the critiques of this 43-horsepower hum-bug are all too real, there is a special charm about the machine. It did actually operate as a slow-moving vehicle suitable for both land and water. With a bit of refinement on the theme, it is easy to envision this as the first of many far more sophisticated dual-purpose machines. In reality, it was only a …

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Houston Auto Show Customs - Top 10 LIFTED TRUCKS 21

Houston Auto Show Customs – Top 10 LIFTED TRUCKS!

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If there is one memory of the Houston Auto Show that really sticks with you, it is the dominance of lifted trucks. Tuners, custom shops and even new-car dealerships all are deeply into the custom truck business. We have little idea who the tuning companies are who created all these beasts, so we’ll just label them by the base machine they started as from the factories when tuner branding is not available. 1. RAM 2500 Bolt Locks If the challenge is to be tallest, this Ram definitely won. Seeing its handler come down from the cabin was shocking. He literally …

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Mecum 2015 Florida Faves - 1962 Willys JEEP Utility Wagon 9 - Copy

Mecum 2015 Florida Faves – 1962 Willys JEEP Utility Wagon

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  Despite being painted like the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, this Willys Utility Wagon is actually really cool and special. This machine, of course, was a Willys and not a Jeep by name. But in spirit, it shows what Jeep could be as a commercial and civilian machine in a post-war world. In terms of charm, the wood paneling outside is real, and also lines the roof of the cargo bay. Very cool.   1962 Willys JEEP Utility Wagon       1962 Willys Utility Wagon Lot L215// Mecum Auctions Kissimmee 2015 // Jan 16-25 High Bid: $21,000 1962 Willys Utility …

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silverados

2015 Chevrolet Silverado Rally Sport and Custom Sport Trucks + New Midnight Edition Preview

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The 2015 Silverado packs four special editions for 2015: the Texas Edition, upcoming Midnight Edition and the just-launched Rally Sport and Custom Sport Trucks. The Midnight Edition will bow in Chicago next week, while the Texas Edition has been on sale for a month or so already. In between are the new RS and Custom Editions — which we caught up with in Houston. They look good and are a cool way to have a distinctive and customized rig – right from the factory with warranty intact and lifetime durability for the paintwork and finishes.     2015 Silverado Midnight …

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1970 Ford Bronco V8 Pickup 33

Mecum Florida 2015 Favorites – 1970 Ford Bronco V8 Pickup

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What is it about these 1970s Ford Bronco’s? There is just something so crisp and charming about their utilitarian design. Along with nearly no front and rear overhangs, a short wheelbase and heavy off-road hardware — the Bronco was just totally overprepared and over-strong for most road duties. It was like a heavy-duty, 2500-payload beast trapped in the dimensions of one of today’s mini crossovers. This red pickup hardtop with roll bars and a 302-cubic-inch V8 was fully restored with a body-off upgrade to new diffs, plus new air conditioning. 1970 Ford Bronco V8 Pickup      

2015 Jeep Wrangler Willys Edition 3

2015 Jeep Wrangler Willys Edition in 20 New Photos + Freedom Edition Preview

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The new Willys Edition Jeep Wrangler looks very, very cool and desirable with its gloss-black grille and wheels. The Freedom Edition with a dark grey grille and military star is pretty cool too, mind you. That being said, Jeep Wranglers have never struggled to be ‘cool.’ They have always been cool as hell. But these minor factory customizations just might spark a must-have sentiment in shoppers. Even after deciding on a Freedom or Willys Edition, the doors and roof options are still plentiful!   2015 Jeep Wrangler Willys Edition      

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Houston Auto Show – Camp JEEP – Animated Action Sequences!

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The Houston Auto Show brought some really cool drive experiences inside the convention center this year: with Camp Jeep a real highlight and crowd-pleaser. It might not seem realistic to simulate off-roading with ultra-steep ramps, buck-board surfaces and steeply tilted later angles. But based on the screams and smiles of drivers sampling Jeep hill-descent-controls and off-road prowess, we’d say the internal thrills and G-forces are authentic! Enjoy these two brief sequences of the Grand Cherokee and Cherokee making their ways down a 45-degree ridge. Smooth and under control, like true off-road pros. Houston Auto Show – Camp JEEP – Animated …

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1973 Ford Bronco 7

Mecum Florida 2015 – 1973 Ford Bronco 302ci V8 Custom Off-Roader

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Editing these photos, we just saw the $24,000 sticker on the windshield and kept thinking what a great buy this was. All these off-road parts would tally about $20,000 even in crates off the truck. A rusty original Bronco might be worth $24,000 by itself…. so obviously to get both in perfect, restored and custom condition would be quite a steal. Alas, $24k was the high bid — and did not meet the reserve. The one good thing!? That means this very cool truck is still available for sale.   1973 Ford Bronco            

Mecum Florida 2015 Favorites - 1987 Volkswagen SYNCHRO 4x4 TurboDiesel Westfalia 11

Mecum Florida 2015 Favorites – 1987 Volkswagen SYNCHRO 4×4 TurboDiesel Westfalia

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A VW Vanagon with, get this: – factory Synchro 4×4 – Westfalia full camper van setup inside – turbodiesel engine from the factory with five-speed manual – and 45k original miles Those four, folks, are a very rare combination in the US market. Any suriviving VW Vanagon — or bus, for stoners — is relatively special these days. But a 4×4 with these cool off-road upgrades like the steel bumpers, rally lights, custom nose detailing and four-pack of round headlamps, plus tinted brake lights!? Very, very cool. For me, the only thing that would make this VW cooler would be …

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Mecum Florida 2015 Favorites - Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser 1

Mecum Florida 2015 Favorites – Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser With Matching Trolley!

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We’re back from some epic adventures last week, and eager to share the wealth of 3000-plus photos taken along the way. We counted at least four FJ40 Land Cruisers at the Mecum 2015 Auctions in Kissimmee Florida, but this sunkissed red example with knobby off-road tires and matching trailer stole our vote. It sold for $35,000. It is interesting to note that the new TRD Pro Tundra echoes this Toyota grille script almost exactly for 2015. Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser  

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Houston Auto Show – 2015 GMC Sierra Elevation Edition in 20 New Photos + Pricing From $35k

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  Updated 1.23.15 With Pricing and 20 New Photos The Sierra Elevation Edition is one cool black 1500 on the Houston Auto Show floor! Just as we snapped these 35 new photos, GMC revealed the pricing of this new factory custom– with an enticing $34,865 base for the rear-drive V6. It is great to see the double-decker LED lights as standard on the Sierra Elevation, despite them not being lit in these photos. 2015 GMC Sierra Elevation Edition Pricing: 4.3L 2WD: $34,865 4.3L 4WD: $38,795 5.3L 2WD: $35,960 5.3L 4WD: $39,890   2015 GMC Sierra Elevation Edition     PREVIOUS …

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2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro 8

Houston Auto Show – 2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro In Black/Black

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 When the bright orange TRD Pro Toyota Tundra first was revealed and arrived in dealers a few months back, did you ever think of how amazing it would look completely blacked-out? Everything on this big Tundra is black: badges, grille, running boards, headlights, wheels — everything. Stunning in person and a great truck flagship for the front of Texas Toyota showrooms.    2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro   Houston Auto Show Tickets Admission $12 for adults. There is an ATM on-site. $5 for children 6 to 12 years old; children 5 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult. …

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Houston Auto Show – 2015 Jeep Renegade Inside and Out in 45 New Photos

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The Renegade is the second Jeep we have absolutely hated upon first sight, but really warmed up to as the style sunk in and was seen in the flesh. Visiting the Jeep stand at the Houston Auto Show this week confirms the cool and chunky stance of the Renegade, as a right-sized compact SUV. The ultra-traditional tall windshield and functional upper bodywork maximize cabin and storage space, with the Jeep heritage styling cues at once both very modern but also classic. If the new Cherokee is almost Cayenne-like in its swoopiness from the rear three-quarter angle, the new Renegade harks …

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2015 Peugeot 2008 DKR Rally Racer – Tech Specs and Pre-Dakar Photos

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The Peugeot DKR prototype currently blasting through the Chilean sahara on the 2015 Dakar rally has been a bit of a wallflower before the race. Few official photos of the truck have been seen. The mid-engine, rear-drive off-roader is an evolution of the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak car, but raised dramatically for its new Dakar mission. The same team that created the LeMans 908 HDi FAP cars have created both of these latest racing Pugs, and all have shared the primary super-diesel engine power. This 3.0-liter twin turbo-diesel is a total torque monster: it pushes out 590 pound-feet of …

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Dakar 2015 – IVECO Making Big Gains With One-Two Finish on Day 11 in T4 Trucks Class

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These Dakar press releases are always a bit confusing due to how long and how many stages there are in this grueling race. We are wrapping day 12 today, with two more to go. The T4 trucks class is always a fun one to watch because the vehicles are simply so gigantic. To see a 10-ton truck do flying leaps and landings is an unfortgettable spectacle, to be sure. Italian Iveco has been moving up the charts late in the Dakar 2015 race, but still languishes about 7th in overall truck rankings — behind the huge volume of Kamaz, Renault …

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2015 Dakar Rally – Peugeot 2008 DKR – 100-Photo Action Gallery

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In the previous Dakar article today about the MINI Countryman All4 team, we noted how their action photos from the event took the cake for sharing the race excitement with the rest of us. After a bit of digging, we’ve found a real treasure-trove. Photos and videos so amazing they make MINI’s effort look a little silly and amateurish. Who could deliver this? None other than the racing powerhouse Red Bull. Videos, photos, interviews – all numbering in the hundreds. All with production values that are ready for 4K HDTV. Most of the MINI team is powered by Monster Energy, …

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MINI Countryman Team Looks Set for Dakar Four-Peat

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MINI has been dominating the Paris-Dakar rally in Chile for the last four years running — and that dominance looks set to continue this year. The MINI squad is up about 30 minutes ahead of the next-quickest team as we enter day 12 of the race. The major competition in the form of the very-cool Peugeot 2008 DKR is still in the game, but with only one truck left. One of the DKR Pugs crashed out early in the competition. So will MINI sweep the competition again!? Watch this space. But when it comes to amazing action shots from the …

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xc90r

2016 Volvo XC90 R-Design Is Damn Sexy Swede

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When the Volvo XC90 debuted earlier this year in Stockholm, we were floored by its super luxurious cabin and extremely smart PHEV powertrains that actually deliver huge horsepower — and mileage. The 400-horsepower T8 is far ahead of any other seven-seat hybrid SUV, and is the world’s first plug-in seven-seater. But to be honest, the style of the normal two XC90’s — one body-colored and one with off-road pieces unpainted — seemed extremely frumpy and dull. The XC90 R-Design helped a great deal in those stakes, but it is always hard to get a sense of a car from renderings, …

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titan

2016 Nissan TITAN Hopes to Quadruple Sales With HD Style and 5.0L Cummins Diesel

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You know that the Nissan Titan is the sixth-ranked truck in US sales, and has been for years. But we’d wager you did not know exactly how far the Titan lags behind the top-five trucks: the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, RAM 1500, GMC Sierra and Toyota Tundra. Per The Wall Street Journal’s report today, the 2014 calendar sales of the Nissan Titan were less than 15,000 units. In total. For the whole year. Versus the Ford F-150’s 750,000 2014 sales, the Titan made up just 2-percent with its paltry 15,000-unit tally. The Titan peaked around 2006 with around 80,000 sales …

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hyundai santa cruz concept

2015 Hyundai Santa Cruz Concept Explores SUV Pickup Crossover

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  What is this Hyundai Santa Cruz? A pickup/SUV? Think of it like a Honda Ridgeline, but perhaps tilted a bit more toward the SUV side of things versus the pickup truck? The Hyundai Santa Cruz concept revealed minutes ago in Detroit is certainly a headscratcher.Not least because the Honda Ridgeline has been a bit of a dud, despite a new model coming for 2016 for Honda. The best way to think of the concept is a look at Hyundai entering new truck segments in the future, as well as a snapshot of the brand’s latest design ideas in the …

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tacoma trd offroad

2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road Trim Is Mid-Size Raptor-Hunter

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Lots of action in the new 2016 Tacoma range this year. Along with the leather-seated Limited trim come two new TRD packages, with this TRD Off-Road trim level particularly captivating. Huge 35-inch tires, mud-friendly detailing and the AccessCab shown here are all very new and cool indeed. The lift and suspension tweaks for the special-wheeled TRD Off-Road package make it the only mid-size truck capable of going everywhere a Ford Raptor can on the rough stuff. The sandy Moab color help reinforce the Tacoma TRD’s Moab credibility, as do the fender flares and unique grille versus the Limited. A new …

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tacoma limited

30 New Photos! 2016 Toyota Tacoma Delivers Big Tech Upgrades, LED DRLs + New Limited and TRD Trims

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Updated 1.12.2015 Thrilled to share the full details of the upcoming Toyota Tacoma, which packs all-new engines and transmissions, a full redesign outside and in, and even a new range-topping Limited trim level. The biggest news for the best-selling Tacoma is the addition of six-speed automatics for the base four-cylinder trucks and the top 3.5-liter V6. The new transmission promises a quicker sprint time as well as a near 15-percent jump in fuel economy all by itself. But it is not working solo. The new V6 is very special indeed, with a truck-first combination of direct and port fuel injection …

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2017 Ford Raptor Is EcoBEAST! Cool New Style, Much Quicker and Even More Bad-Ass

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It is very rare to have a truck’s front suspension A-arms be a styling detail that lights up your eyes from the front, but the 2017 Raptor proves the exception. The truck shows off its tough and rough off-road equipment and suspension from all sides, especially dead-on from the nose. Here we see the Raptor’s trademark honeycomb grille and giant FORD letters writ large, paired with the super-cool new LED lighting from the top F-150 Platinum trims. Here the lamps are exposed and free of a clear shell — the better to show off the box-LED style and also to …

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2015 Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE

Update2 – 360HP Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE Is Sporty PHEV Crossover Concept

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The Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE has arrived today with sporty looks and a five-passenger cabin that is about the size of the BMW X6 inside and out. The concept runs a 3.6-liter V6 plus a large hybrid power unit with EV-driving ability. Its style is an important preview of the production CrossBlue, a Passat-based seven-seater set for assembly in Tennessee beside its sedan cousin. We are likely to see this style replicated near-exactly on the large CrossBlue, but in a larger and blockier roofline layout. This design is production-ready in almost all ways, with the actual Cross Coupe a possibility …

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alpha-t

Concept Flashback – 2001 Nissan Alpha-T

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Nissan is giving journalists a first look at the 2016 Titan pickup today in Detroit at a football viewing party, and we wish we were there to see it! To set the stage, it seems timely and relevant to share Nissan’s first full-size pickup truck concept: the 2001 Alpha-T. Definitely a product of its moment in time, but also a bit stylish and adventure-bound in its style — even almost 15 years since. 2001 Nissan Alpha-T Jan. 8, 2001 Nissan Explores New Territory with Radical aT Concept – First Foray Into Full-Size Truck Market Makes ‘Big’ Statement     Nissan …

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Bugatti-SUV-Grand-Colombier-by-Ondrej-Jirec

Bugatti SUV Design Concept by Ondrej Jirec

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In the original article toward the bottom of this page, we explore an online rendering of a Bugatti Veyron-style SUV, plus created our own janky lift of the official Galibier concept from Bugatti. But neither of the below ideas is really as avant-garde as Bugatti would seek for any Super SUV with its EB logos attached. College of Art Center of Design student Ondrej Jirec has a very cool idea for a Bugatti SUV. Grand style, grand pace, and the name? The Grand Colombier. A nod to the explorer Cristobol Colon — who we Americans know as Christopher Columbus — …

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subaru rally cars 2015

2015 Subaru WRX STi Rally Racecars + Outback SuperGT First Rescue Operation

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Three distinct Subaru’s here: the WRX STi for the Japanese Rally Championship, the WRX STi for Global Rallycross and lastly the custom SuperGT support Outback. The Japanese rally spec appears purest and most like the production car, aside from chassis bracing for the roll cage, a roof vent for the drivers to get some air, and a slightly taller ride height on rally-sped wheels and tires. The Global Rallycross car is interesting: it wears a much wider front-end and bumper that acts as a bit of a flexible splitter. This seems able to take impacts and also be a decent …

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2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71

HD Road Test Review – 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 is 200k-Mile, 2025 TOTY

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2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 Review Spending a week in this Ocean Blue Chevy Silverado is enough to make anyone a truck guy. Effortless capability and strength have always been key elements of the Silverado, and continue for 2015 — even as the rest of the truck becomes far more tech-savvy, comfortable and fun-to-drive. The Z71 LTZ 1500 trim of the test truck brings the best style and equipment to the table, and really helps show the Silverado in its best light. The upgraded cabin for 2015 is packed with cool goodies: some standard like the 4G LTE wi-fi, and …

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tacoma

2016 Toyota Tacoma Is Official: Butch New Design + Rugged Capability

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The full batch of 2016 Tacoma images are now all online – with the truck looking fresh and butch up front. A large grille and more deeply-stamped creases and curves give the new Tacoma a bit of the 4Runner’s style kudos, plus new headlights with an LED accent not even the 4Runner enjoys. 2016 Toyota Tacoma    

s60 xc

Volvo S60 XC Marks Return of the SUS!

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The SUS lives! Sport Utility Sedans are a rare breed indeed. Only a few hundred of the original Subaru Outback Sedan were made and sold in core Subie markets like Vermont and Colorado in the late 1990s. Volvo’s new S60 XC entry will head to Detroit and then nationwide as a fun niche model for the brand. The Cross Country style actually looks amazing on the S60 sedan shell – and we’re eager to spot the rare and elusive SUS Volvo in the wild later in 2015…! Volvo S60 XC Volvo takes Cross Country brand into sedan territory Volvo Cars …

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lr defender2

Land Rover Honors 2015 Defender Retirement with Trio of Special Editions

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  Heading back to the start 65 years ago, Land Rover has created a fantastic Earthen honor to its founding model: the Series I. The legend of this truck actually started in the sand. The salty ocean fringe medium was actually where the first engineering sketches were drawn. Long after the waves washed the shape away, the product of those ideas is now a global icon in off-roading. This brief video shows the latest Defender sand drawing on the English coast – as etched by three new 2015 special-editions in a 1-kilometer-wide shape.     Among the new Heritage, Adventure …

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nomad colors

2015 ARIEL Nomad – Exclusive Digital COLORIZER

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This Ariel Nomad is a very cool piece of news – even as CES is in full swing and Detroit is starting to build momentum ahead of press parties starting on Sunday. We’ve spent a bit of time in photoshop to create an exclusive color visualizer for the new Nomad — with our skills obviously best able to create bright, Skittles-style shades. We’ve also lightened and darkened the wheels for a few ideas of what the gloss-black optional rims might look like. This car seems like it is *perfect* for the X-raid class of rallying, and as such there are …

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3.3s 2015 ARIEL Nomad – Tech Specs, Options and Full-Throttle Testing Video!

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Updated 1.6.2015 If anything, the real-life Ariel Nomad is even cooler than last week’s teaser renders indicated. Power is a stout 235-ponies, the Yokohama 35-inch mud tires are insane, and the options list will make you start drooling onto your touchscreen. Is there any downside to the ultra-light yet super-strong Ariel Atom chassis concept being applied to an off-roader? Not that we can think of. A heated windshield is even offered. The rear-engine playfulness and handling joy seem to apply themselves perfectly to the Nomad’s off-road mission — as well as guaranteeing traction for sprints and heavy braking. The 100-kph …

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2002 Dodge M80 Concept

2002 Dodge M80 Concept Was Faithful Remake of 1940s Power Wagons

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  Remakes and retro redesigns were all the rage in the early 2000s – and Dodge had a whopper in its back catalog eager for a modern restyle. The Dodge Power Wagons of the 1940s became quite a symbol of American might both domestically and abroad thanks to their plentiful presence in the US Army ranks. This remake is a little less jokey than the Chevrolet HHR or SSR, but still feels relatively more than 12 years after its debut. That is the Catch 22 of retro designs, as any New Beetle owner can explain thoroughly. 2002 Dodge M80 Concept …

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LARTE Design Launches Flashy New Range Rover Sport Upgrades

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There are no shortage of custom upgrades for the new Range Rover Sport, but this latest kit from Larte Design is instantly one of the most distinctive. A gloss black dip for all the trim elements and the new alloys sets the tone, while new bumpers front and rear are fresh and angular like the best supercars.A new pair of white LED DRL’s live in the lower intakes, and an F1-inspired rear central brake light shines bright red from the lower bumper. The new three-pod grille insert is a fresh take on the RRS style – and is one of …

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2008 Jeep Renegade Concept Was Off-Road EV Speedster

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The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles concept parade continues unabated! Here we have the 2008 Jeep Renegade concept — which was a brave look at what a wider, lower and EV-powered Wrangler might look like. The exposed doors and organic surfaces, along with integrated fenders, meld well with the chopped windshield glass. Overall, the Renegade concept showed a modern form language whose lighting elements are seen on the upcoming 2015 Renegade small crossover. 2008 Jeep Renegade Concept

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Concept Flashback – 2005 Jeep Hurricane Was Twin-HEMI Warthog-Fighter?

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As the Jeep Hurricane started spinning in its own wheelbase length on the stage of the 2005 Detroit show, the crowd nearly forgot all about the truck’s real trump card. Or pair of Kings. A giant HEMI V8 at each end of the Hurricane promised otherworldly off-road power and movement precision. Sure, this vaguely recalls the Peugeot Hoggar from a few years before, but much more closely resembled the HALO video-game machine known as the Warthog. As the Halo game franchise has evolved, the Warthog has too. In 2010, the military machine fantasy even earned a spot in Forza Motorsport …

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ariel nomad

2015 ARIEL Nomad is Off-Roader With ATOMic Lightness and Speed!

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Thrilled to see the latest move from Ariel Motors in the UK: an off-road version of its legendary Atom sports car! This new variant is called the Nomad and is based on the latest Atom 3 running gear — but with a totally new roll-cage/chassis combination, a huge suspension upfit and giant dune-munching tires. A windshield is also in the mix on the teaser shots. This will be helpful for keeping the mud and sand out of your face! 200-horsepower is the output from the rear-engine Nomad, with rear-drive keeping things just a few hundred pounds up on the flyweight …

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Latest G-Class Widebody by German Special Customs Is Classy and Subtle, But Still Super Lux

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When it comes to upgrading your G-Class Mercedes-Benz, the widebody exterior treatments from German Special Customs are some of the best and most realistically desirable. We love their latest bright blue over dark charcoal wheels. The monchrome exteior is much wider and far more modern than the factory model – but is not too over-the-top about becoming such a custom brute. The widebody fits the G400 CDI, G500, G550 , G63 and even the G65 AMG — or is also available on a per-piece basis. Installing all together is highly recommended so you can paint and color-match everything at the …

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shleby raptor

575HP SHELBY RAPTOR – Animated Colors and Options Guide

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The Ford  RAPTOR off-road special is the biggest hit among shoppers since the F-150 Lightning of the 1990s. Performance street trucks like the Ram SRT10, Silverado SS and GMC Cyclone appear to be taking a backseat to baja-ready machines like the Tundra TRD Pro and the stock Raptor. But with the huge popularity of the Ford dune-blaster comes a bit less excitement and exclusivity for owners. Enter, Shelby American. You can equip and buy a custom Shelby Raptor as new or retro-fit these cool parts to an existing truck. Highlights in the full $17,000 Shelby upgrade are the Whipple supercharger …

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KAHN Design Range Rover RS600 Is Private Haven in Snow White/Gloss Black

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KAHN Design will make you turn-key stunner like this or help you upgrade your Rangie a la carte via Kahn wheels, grilles, trims and styling pieces over time. Either way, the results are definitely unique and striking. The level of vulgarity and hints of criminals behind the wheel goes up dramatically with any kind of matte or monochrome paintwork, so this white/black stunner is a great balance. Flashy and classy in all the right ways. There are widebody flares on this car, and totally unique front and rear bumpers as well. The design of these pieces is so well-integrated and …

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hoggar

Concept Flashback – 2003 Peugeot Hoggar Was Twin-Engine 4×4 a la 2015 DKR Racer

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Here is a fun look at a dune buggy from Peugeot more than a decade ago. The brand had long ditched its  off-road-race pedigree through the 1990s, and with it any available 4×4 powertrains. The only way they could make this little cabrio a true 4×4 involved some very unique engineering. In what is a strange and exponentially more complex arrangement than a prop shaft, the Hoggar has twin four-cylinder turbodiesel engines. Both mounted transversely – with one on each end. Think of it like the noses of two Peugeot hatchback’s joined by a chromoly chassis in between. It is …

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2015 Silverado HD CNG 6.0L Bi-Fuel V8 is a Natty G Revolution!

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This energy revolution will not be televised. It will rarely draw stares or have other drivers following you to ask questions. The 2500HD CNG is all-new from Chevrolet this year and marks the beginning of a potentially game-changing new trend in heavy-duty pickup truck efficiency. As nice as a diesel engine’s extra 25-percent fuel efficiency is, what about a powertrain package that doubles overall range and can be flipped between gasoline and compressed natural gas at the touch of a button? If there are no CNG filler stations on your route, simply run the truck on gasoline and enjoy is …

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RM Arizona 2015 Preview – 1989 Lamborghini LM002 – The Off-Road Countach Is USA Street Legal

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A bit less of a legend than the 037 Lancia? Perhaps. But almost as appealing. After 25 years to appreciate the LM002’s overt masculinity, dreamer-spec engine and mechanicals, and before-its-time superlux offroader credentials — the LM002 looks like a new shape of timeless classic supercar to us. The biggest news about this Lambo Rambo besides its very fresh paint and excellent interior condition? It is finally old enough to be driven legally in the United States! It might even be time for John Rambo Jr. to hit the big screen, with this his on-screen battle truck….   1989 Lamborghini LM002 …

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2015 Unimog U218 and U423 Upfit Showcase: 4 Seasons Hero in 30+ Configurations!

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When investing in a hard-core heavy truck like the new Unimog U218 and U423, you might have one or two general usage scenarios in mind. But once you realize how unstoppable and customizable the Unimog platform is, what was once a snow-plow or fire rescue truck is suddenly an all-purpose hero. Pull a freight train?  Check. Agriculture tractor-replacement? Dumptruck? Extreme landscaper? Check, check, check. Here is the incredible Unimog in 150 photos showing some of its most popular upfitted uses. A handful of the photos are the previous-gen trucks  – which can be told apart based on the grille. The …

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2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro Wins Its Baja 1000 Full Stock Class + SEMA Pro Truck Showcase

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The lightly race-prepped TRD Pro Tundra is back from Baja — with a win! The TRD Pro Tundra jumped and roared its giant V8 the 1200 miles to the finish line in first place, then cruised home the 1000 miles back to the start line for good measure. Was it showroom-fresh upon arrival back to Toyota headquarters in Torrance? Not exactly!  A huge gash in the sheetmetal and rear fender shows the fury of racing. But the fact that the TRD Pro Tundra continued on its mission is impressive. A solid achievement and vote of confidence in the new TRD …

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2015 Cadillac Escalade Luxury AWD 89

HD Road Test Review – 2015 Cadillac Escalade Luxury AWD – Long Live The King

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INTRO   The 2015 Cadillac Escalade is the ultimate in look-good, feel-good luxury SUVs. After a week driving the Escalade around Georgia and the Carolinas, we really came to love the big truck and never ceased to be amazing by its performance and tech achievements in this fourth-generation model. For many years of the first three generations of Escalade, SUV buyers seemed to bow down to the king Caddy for its prestige appeal — with the actual changes and upgrades from the Denali seeming less-than-complete. The risk of paying the Cadillac premium is that car-guys might see through the blingy …

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2015 Ford Mustang SEMA Showcars – Roundup of All Ten Official Wild Ponycar Customs

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Ford really dominated SEMA this year with about 10 custom F-150’s and Mustangs – not to mention a wicked pack of Transits, Fiestas and Expeditions. The downside of these customs being based on all-new, not-yet-available cars? Many appear not to have been ready until hitting the show glitz. So here is a recap of all the official Ford Mustang customs from SEMA 2014.   2015 Ford Mustang SEMA Showcars Roundup 2015 Ford Mustang by Forgiato   2015 Ford Mustang by Mountune 2015 Ford Mustang by Galpin Auto Sports     2015 Ford Mustang by DSO Eyewear / MAD Design 2015 …

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2015 Ford F-150 Show Trucks – Roundup of All Nine Pimped Pickups for SEMA and LA

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Ford really dominated SEMA this year with about 10 custom F-150’s and Mustangs – not to mention a wicked pack of Transits, Fiestas and Expeditions. The downside of these customs being based on all-new, not-yet-available cars? Many appear not to have been ready until hitting the show glitz. So here is a recap of all the official Ford F-150 customs from SEMA and LA 2014.       2015 Ford F-150 by TS Design   2015 Ford F-150 by Fabtech   2015 Ford F-150 by ADD Pearl   2015 Ford F-150 by The Custom Shop   2015 Ford F-150 by …

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2029 Infiniti SYNAPTIQ Is Spinal Tap – Flying Racecar is F1-Fast + Off-Road-Ready

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The Infiniti entry into the annual LA Design challenge is pretty outstanding – blending future-tech with fantasy to answer to question posed by the contest for this year: how will we interact with cars in 2029? Infiniti’s answer? A spinal lock communications system to allow thought-controlled driving and tech functions. A ‘Spinal Tap‘ if you will — and this one is just as pretend in many ways than the joke band of the same name. However, Synaptiq does offer a highly stylized version of future F1 types of cars in its circuit race setting. The flying and off-road sections of …

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Update1 – 2015 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Concept Runs 2.8L DuraMax Diesel

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  The new Chevrolet Colorado mid-size trucks seem just about pitch-perfect for many reluctant truck buyers. People who want to park easily both in the city and in their garages adore the Colorado’s right-sized approach and also love its Z71 off-road trim levels for added butchness and off-road-ability. The 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine has been confirmed by GMC and Chevrolet as coming to the Canyon and Colorado in a few months — so this ZR2 concept is a blend of real and fantasy. The ZR2 concept truck brings a cool and futuristic front end, revised styling all around the lower sills …

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Update1 – 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 First Drive + Colors Guide

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Updated 11.19.14 With 12 New Photos   Enjoyed a chance to meet the 2015 Colorado Z71 this week, and it is really handsome and macho in real life. Initially, the GMC Canyon seemed like the better-looking of the two, but side by side, the Chevy was my clear preference. A lack of LED lighting in the nose of the Colorado is the only demerit that comes to mind. Otherwise, the wide style and fender flares are rough and ready to get muddy. To be fair, the Colorado Z71 and Canyon All Terrain we compared are the most loaded versions of …

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GLOHH Launches New Sleek LED Taillamp for Range Rover Sport

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Like it or not, the LED light signatures of a car can instantly date it a few years after its release. Just think of how familiar we all are with the glowing dots that lining global highways over the last decade. Range Rover and the first-gen Range Rover Sport are especially time-stamped by their clear-element lighting from the factory. Here is a great way to have OEM-plus quality in a set of replacement taillamps from GLOHH. The solid lines of LED light are a fresh and original — and far more current — rear aspect and light signature for the …

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2016 Toyota Mirai FCV Gets Race-Prepped As Japanese Rally Championship PreRunner

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  The world’s first hydrogen racecar? Not exactly. But certainly one of the first hydrogen rally cars — that is a sure thing. As the course pre-runner for the Japanese Rally Championship in Shinsiro, this TMG-tuned Mirai is a fresh take on the Prius EV and hybrid theme. So, if the Mirai did not actually compete, what is the point? The point is that the Mirai is absolutely ready for primetime. It has been exhaustively crash-tested and this rough-course racing environment is a huge vote of confidence from Toyota in the Mirai FCV’s essential Toyota-ness: the core tenets of Quality, …

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2014 Renault-Dacia DUSTER OROCH Shows 4WD Pickup-Truck Potential For Value Brand

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  Dacia’s line-up of cheap but sturdy models is expanding rapidly. Sure, you know the Logan sedan and the Duster SUV — but there lineup is much deeper than just two cars. The variations on these models mean Dacia now offers its unique brand of low-cost and hardy mechanicals in no less than ten passenger-car models and three light commercial vehicles. Dacia (pronounced “Da-Cha”) models are sold in select markets as Renaults — hence the badges on this car for Sao Paolo. Dacia Logan Pickup The Duster Oroch is a logical extension of the Duster platform — with a short-box …

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Update1 – SEMA 2014 Gallery – TRUCKS and BIKES

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Updated 11.17.14 SEMA 2014 TRUCKS and BIKES        

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2015 Unimog U5023 Gains Even-More-Hardcore Off-Road Equipment Package

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Updated 11.11.14 As if the Unimog U5023 range-topper were not extreme enough for you… the sexy new flagship of the Unimog range can now be equipped with  a special off-roading package shown below. Giant tires and huge new wheel flares mark out the toughest and most-capable trucks in the world. The U4023 and U5023 are the freshest of the Unimog family visually thanks to that sweet new single-bar grille and a Mercedes star logo that is as big as a large pizza — and stares down at you from above eye level! Included below is the full write-up of the …

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Best Base SUV Trim? 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo from $29,000

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We all know the new Jeep Grand Cherokee is the best truck ever to don the seven-slat grille. Watching the SRT GC’s launch control starts are intoxicating, and the latest LED style of a pinched horseshoe in the headlight graphic is very appealing. The top-spec Summit trim even brings some heavenly new open-pore woods and fine leathers to the cabin – but at a price. The top Grand Cherokee’s become quite expensive in the higher trim levels – even kissing $50,000 for the diesel engine in some trims. What about a GC for the rest of us? The 2014 Laredo …

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Concept Flashback – Part Two – 2011 Land Rover DC100 Sport

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PART TWO: The DC 100 Sport Let’s start this one off with a look back – at the Defender’s roots as the Land Rover Series I and later the Series II. Here is Winston Churchill with his.       PREVIOUS In Land Rover’s medium-term product plans, the lineup is broken apart into three main groups: Range Rovers, Discoveries and Defenders. Each will bloom into a sub-brand into its own right, as we have seen with the Range Rover, RRS and RR Evoque so far, and the current Discovery Sport replacement for the LR2 in 2015. This leaves the rough-and-tumble …

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Concept Flashback – 2011 Land Rover DC100 in 5 Colors and 67 Photos

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In Land Rover’s medium-term product plans, the lineup is broken apart into three main groups: Range Rovers, Discoveries and Defenders. Each will bloom into a sub-brand into its own right, as we have seen with the Range Rover, RRS and RR Evoque so far, and the current Discovery Sport replacement for the LR2 in 2015. This leaves the rough-and-tumble Defender family as the main unseen item in production form. The best idea of where Land Rover is heading is shown in the DC100 and DC100 Sport cabrio concepts from 2011. As image-builders, the Defenders at present are terrific at bringing …

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2015 Range Rover Holland & Holland Edition Is Blue-Blooded Delicacy

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  Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations is busy this fall, with the launch of the RRS SVR now followed closely by this ultimate outdoorsman’s special. The LWB Range Rover Holland & Holland has been a part of the Rangie special edition roster for at least the last two generations, and the partnership is a natural blend of two affluent favorites. The brand overlap makes the custom Range Rover a natural extension for both, with the hunter green exterior complemented by a new grille and custom detailing. Inside is where the real money is spent: the extensive wood veneers are all …

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Ford Rolls Into SEMA With 8 More Mustang and F-150 Concepts

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  Check out the latest from Ford below!   Sorry for the watermarks — Ford press photos are either gigantic or tiny.       Extang 2015 F-150 Extang’s Ultimate Work themed F-150 was built by the Custom Cars and Concepts student class at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, MI. The truck was transformed by a very custom BASF supplied paint scheme designed by KEG Digital Garage. Modifications include Extang’s latest hard folding tonneau cover, Ford Accessory step tubes, Sportliner by BedRug, all-weather floor mats, and a subwoofer upgrade. Bushwacker supplied the truck’s wheel flares, driving lights and headache …

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Chevrolet Silverado Z71 Polaris ACE+ Concept Is Fresh For SEMA

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Surf and turf themes for the Chevy trucks at SEMA! After the Colorado Nautique nodded to a top wakeboard and water-skiing boat-maket, the Silverado salutes Polaris and the Ace+ ATV. The single-seater ACE+ from Polaris is seriously fast and fun — like driving a life-sized RC truck! Most trucks are not big enough to fit an ATV in the bed without part of it hanging off the liftgate, so the Silverado Z71 with its rear cargo bars is a perfect partner for the ACE+. Besides the ATV in back, this concept has black-accented headlight interior elements, a black grille, custom …

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2015 Chevrolet Colorado Nautique Is Wakeboarding Dream Truck

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Another fresh Colorado concept — the Nautique! Sharing one of the latest metal flake color options from the Nautique boat company’s 2015 G21 model, the Colorado Nautique is a perfect match for wet and wild adventures. 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Nautique       NEW 2015 CHEVY COLORADO DESIGNED FOR ACTIVE LIFESTYLES 03/11/14 Concept combo pairs custom Colorado crew cab with Nautique boat, trailer LAS VEGAS – Chevrolet demonstrated the versatility and capability of the all-new Colorado midsize pickup at the SEMA Show today, pairing it with the Super Air Nautique 210 – one of the industry’s most iconic wakeboard boats, …

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2015 Chevrolet Colorado Motocross Concept by By Ricky Carmichael

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Hot off the presses! Great to see a bit more effort from Chevy than the first Colorado ‘concept’ announced a few weeks ago. 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Motocross Concept CHEVY COLORADO PERFORMANCE CONCEPT ENABLES ADVENTURE 03/11/14 Ricky Carmichael helps develop package to demonstrate cargo capability, flexibility LAS VEGAS – Motocross legend Ricky Carmichael has the perfect go-anywhere transporter in the all-new Chevrolet Colorado for his motorcycle, mountain bike and the gear that goes with them. Carmichael teamed with Chevrolet to develop the Colorado Performance concept to illustrate the lifestyle-supporting capability of Chevy’s new midsize pickup truck. It debuts this week at …

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5 New SEMA Ford Transit Vans Are Seriously Cool: From Drifters To Limo-Buses To Off-Roaders!

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  Okay, enough of my bad jokes about SEMA… These are all pretty cool and could feasibly find buyers in various big-van segments: everything from limo-bus to mountain rafting companies would all love to get their hands on these new Transit custom concepts for SEMA. Glad to see the Transit Skyliner made it over from the Paris show!         SEMA Ford Transit Vans         VANDEMONIUM: YOU WON’T BELIEVE HOW FIVE AFTERMARKET SHOPS DESIGNED THE FIRST FORD TRANSIT CUSTOM VANS FOR SEMA 30/10/14  Custom-built project vehicles from five coachbuilders will showcase different expressions of Ford …

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SEMA Ford Expeditions Are Menace II Society! Tjin, DUB and Vaccar Editions Suit All Drive-By Terrains

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  Remember the last article where we noted that some SEMA concepts are so wild you might not want to drive them? One or more of these definitely applies in that category — but all are solid efforts overall. Ford is really showing GM and Chrysler how SEMA works this year! We love that Ford has various styles of many of its models, versus relying on one custom for each product line. If we had to pick one… it would be the widebody by Tjin with the wheels from the DUB edition? All are pretty wild, in truth, with the …

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Updated With Drive Video – 2015 Cadillac Escalade Platinum World Debut in Pebble Beach

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Only in Pebble Beach could the revised Cadillac Escalade take a firm back seat to almost all the other cars nearby! Just a few days after the revised 2015 Escalade debuted its new eight-speed automatic and range-topping Platinum models, there they were on the Cadillac show stand in California! One detail clarification is that all Escalades from now will wear the crest badge, versus just the Premium as one might have surmised from the first announcements. The overall changes are very light and center around the new crest badge — sans wreath. It is a detail thing, to be sure. …

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2014 Fiat FCC4 Concept For Sao Paolo Is Samba Rambo SUV Pickup!

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Lambo Rambo… in Portuguese… is Samba Rambo? This amazing concept from Fiat is called the FCC4 and looks to be about the size of the Jeep Cherokee, but wearing giant rock-crawling rubber and a bad-ass pickup-truck bodystyle. Fresh ideas and designs abound, including the floating C-pillar and wrap-around brightwork of the glasshouse. Inside the roof and bed structure, we see some of the organic bracing seen from Bertone lately — all good stuff. Looks fantastic, and opens new doors to what the Fiat brand can be in the large Brazilian market. Fiat FCC4 Concept    

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2014 Nissan Kicks Concept Is New Sao Paolo Off-Road Crossover

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  In the ‘cars we want from other markets’ category, here is the latest Nissan crossover – the KICKS for Sao Paolo’s auto show this week and next. As far as what the KICKS concept may preview, we would not bet on anything directly coming to the US market in this off-road-able mid-size crossover segment, where the Kicks appears to share much of its mechanical footprint with the Rogue. But the style and design themes shown here are a strong hint at the next-gen Patrol and xTerra SUVs for the global market. 2014 Nissan Kicks Concept Nissan debuts Kicks Concept …

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Ford SEMA F-150 Concepts Are Raptor Thunder and Drifter Lightning

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You know that feeling you get when out with a bunch of scumbags somewhere far from home? Somewhere like Las Vegas at 2am? You get a slight chill on your neck. That nagging hunch that your date is a rapist. These two SEMA concepts from Ford have that vibe. This could be my extreme bitterness at not driving the F-150 yet, but these concepts are not doing it for me. SEMA is definitely an odd show — and Chevy is barely phoning it in with their pathetic Silverado Toughnology. Compared with that, the Ford Deegan 38 off-roader and Vaughn Grittin …

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Concept Flashback – 2004 Toyota MTRC – Off-Road EV Racer With Adjustable Ground Clearance

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Any huge fans of radio-controlled cars out there? Yep, that is what we thought. Almost all of us! The baja racer design of many off-road cars and trucks makes them fast over almost any surface, indestructible and, above all, fun! How to bring that joyful rally racing function to a life-sized prototype? One that can have a wild body shape, self-lifting suspension and a smooth underbody (and big splitters) to maximize downforce? The Toyota MTRC stands for Motor Triathlon Race Car — and employs a variety of very smart techniques for making a life-size RC car. Tandem seating and in-wheel …

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2015 Mercedes-Benz G-Class Edition 35 Celebrates Otto’s 500K Mile World Tour

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  One of the best parts of any trip is the momentous return home. A place you never knew you missed until seeing and feeling all those familiar sights through a dusty windshield up ahead. In the case of ‘Otto’ the 300GD Mercedes-Benz, the journey has been 26 years, 216 countries and 900,000 kilometers in the making. The photos of Gunther and Christine Holtorf’s long, long journey home to Swabia from Germany are absolutely miraculous. The map of their travels is completely unbelievable! The red lines below are not borders — those are their routes! Along the way, Otto and …

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Spec Rendering – 2016 Subaru WRX STi RS500 Coupe

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Just a bit of fun for this Friday afternoon – a potential WRX STi Coupe. We have called it the RS500 in a nod to the previous Impreza RS Coupe of the 1990s, with the 500 a power ooutput of this rally-prepped turbo engine. The exterior changes are extensive, but we aimed for production feasibility over other-worldly style. To this end, the windshield rake stays almost exactly the same, as do the front doors and other hard points up front. Obviously cut out the rear doors, and shortened the wheelbase by five inches to make the RS500 Coupe pivot a …

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2015 Land Rover Discover Sport Enters Production With Uniquely British Launch Art and Events

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Giant flowing art installations in red and blue outside a brutal banking building in London? Check. Off-road course made in astroturf on a river barge up and down the Seine in Paris? Check. Collaboration with Virgin Galactic to shuttle passengers from Spaceport America out to their intergalactic spacecraft idling on the runways? Check. All good stuff to launch the Discovery Sport in style and with memorable flair. This seven-seat Discovery Sport is now in production for first UK customers before arriving in the US market in Spring 2015 as a 2016 model. Check out the details on the Nino Mustica …

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Track Test Drive – 2015 Ford Interceptor Utility at Atlanta Motor Speedway

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 2015 Ford Interceptor Utility Review The irony of driving a 2015 Ford Interceptor Utility hard on an autocross track near Atlanta? Someone we know… recently paid a ridiculously high-priced speeding ticket to the City of Atlanta. But was it an Explorer police truck that pulled that person over? Nope. A motorcycle cop. Which is rare in 2014. Ford notes that more than 60-percent of new police vehicles solid this year were Interceptor Utilities. The Explorer Police upfit is simply the most popular cop car around — and this includes the Dodge Charger and even the Charger V8 AWD. The Interceptor …

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2014 Peugeot Quartz and DKR Prototype Top Paris Concept Reveals

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  Updated 10.9.14 With Debut Video and 20 New Photos! Well here is an interesting surprise! This PHEV crossover concept leverages some of the sexy looks of the 2008 DKR race truck into a production-friendly shape. A 270-horsepower engine powers the front wheels, while the back wheels are driven by a powerful electric motor. The new plug-in setup even allows the Quartz crossover to have a 31-mile EV range when the batteries are fully charged. 2014 Peugeot 2008 DKR Prototype In terms of style, the defining elements of this cab-backward crossover are the long hood and ultra-low roofline. While not …

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Meet BharatBenz – India’s Locally-Made Trucks Seeing Huge Growth Via Combo of Low-Cost + High-Quality

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  Familiar with the American FUBU apparel line? The name stands for ‘For Us, By Us.’ Think of BharatBenz as the ‘FIBI’ of big trucks. For India, By India. Heavy trucks may not be huge business by volume, but for Daimler, they are some of the most profitable. Among the truck lines owned by Mercedes’ parent company are big names like Mitsubishi Fuso, Wester Star, Thomas Bus Lines, Freightliner and Setra. The newest kid on the block? BharatBenz — a locally-made and locally-tailored line of trucks both from and for India. Mercedes engineering and safety foundations are a great shared …

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2015 Porsche 911 GTS Is Quickest Route to Big Speed on Atmospheric 911 Models

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  The Porsche 911 GTS is back for 2015 in the coupe and Cabriolet body styles! It is a pretty light upgrade and equipment package – comprised of standard PASM, Sport Exhaust, Powerkit and Sport Chrono packs. Even so, the performance is mighty impressive: as quick as 3.8-seconds to 60-mph with the PDK and a Vmax of 190-mph.  Both are slightly better than the Carrera S, and far easier to order! Aesthetically, the GTS models ride lower and pack a black rear intake accent versus body-color on the standard 911 models.   2015 Porsche 911 GTS   ENHANCED POWER AND …

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4.3s, 400HP 2015 VENTURI America EV SUV Reaches Limited-Production!

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Exciting news from Venturi in Paris this week! The well-resolved America dune-buggy has a redesigned powertrain and will now grow past concept and prototype stages. Limited-production of the EV off-roader begins in early 2015 — but there is a catch. Only 25 initial copies of this innovative and stylish crossover will be made. Performance stats are looking very impressive, however, and the carbon-kevlar tub will make this thing unstoppable on the rough stuff. And likely a fun canyon-carver on hard surfaces or, gasp, tarmac! TECHNICAL MASTERPIECE   (Sorry for the watermark.) SPECIFICATIONS Like the Local Motors Rally Fighter and many …

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Update2 – Road Test Review – 2015 Lincoln Navigator Driven Back-to-Back with Escalade ESV = Surprise Winner!

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UPDATED 10.9.14 Corrections to the suspension specs of the Navigator Select trim, as well as the name of the LWB Escalade from EXT to its actual name, the ESV. It has been hard to take the new Navigator and Expedition seriously in the face of the newer-seeming Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade. The Navigator seemed to be the slightest of light refreshes versus those all-new models from across town. But after time at the wheel of both the Navigator and the new Escalade ESV — we were strongly leaning toward the Navigator. This surprised no one more than your humble scribe. …

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Chevy Introduces Suburban and Tahoe Texas Editions to Complement Silverado UT Special

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  Looking pretty good! Texans will love the standard features on offer via these special editions. The University of Texas Silverado is particularly special — thanks to that perfectly color-matched exterior and the longhorn styling accents. Tahoe/Suburban Texas Editions Salute the Lone Star State Special package mirrors Silverado model for the largest Chevy truck market 2014-09-25 DALLAS – Deep in the heart of Texas, Chevrolet sells more Tahoe and Suburban models than in any other state and all-new Texas Editions of the SUVs celebrate the Lone Star State’s love for Chevy trucks. The 2015 Tahoe and Suburban Texas Editions go …

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