Autoblog

Isuzu Trail View is Google Street View for off road

Zach Bowman — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Videos, Off-Road, MISC

Isuzu has taken to advertising its not-for-North-America KB pickup truck with a unique initiative. The company wanted to apply the Google Street View philosophy to some of South Africa's more remote off-road trails, and the result is Isuzu Trail View. Using multiple action cameras situated in a 3D-printed housing strapped to the top of the truck, the crew began bouncing along dirt and rock paths, recording all the while. They also shot additional video and worked with experts to provide excellent clips on how to navigate common off-road obstacles.

You can watch the making-of video below, and you can head over to the Trail View site to poke around a few South African trails for yourself. All we want to know is, how long before Jeep does the same here in the US?

Continue reading Isuzu Trail View is Google Street View for off road

Isuzu Trail View is Google Street View for off road originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 May 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Four Wheeler crowns Ultimate Factory 4x4... who wins?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Ford, Jeep, Nissan, Toyota, Off-Road, Ram

Nearly every automaker doing business in the SUV or pickup truck segments offers a package designed to improve the off-road capabilities of its wares. But, of course, not all such factory kits are created equal. How, then, to separate the wheat from the chaff? Gather each of them up and put them through their paces, naturally.

The folks from Four Wheeler and PickupTrucks.com joined forces to run just such a comparison test, with the winner named the Ultimate Factory 4x4. A total of seven vehicles showed up to the fight: the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2012 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X and Xterra PRO-4X, 2012 Ram Power Wagon, and 2012 Toyota 4Runner Trail and Tacoma TRD T|X Baja Series.

With the contestants in place, the whole crew put each vehicle through a battery of tests that included skidpad and acceleration measurements, a hillclimb, a rocky stairstep course and a rock garden. Considering the nature of the beasts, on-road ride and comfort were not part of the routine.

So, which four-wheeler ended up on top? Click here to read the results, and don't act like you're surprised by the victor.

Four Wheeler crowns Ultimate Factory 4x4... who wins? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two guys keep rescuing a Jeep Wrangler in new Discovery show

George Kennedy — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:14:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Videos, Jeep, South America, Off-Road

For the right kind of person, this sounds like an awesome adventure with a Jeep Wrangler. For everyone else, it probably sounds like hell.

Discovery has teamed up with former British special forces soldier Gary Humphrey and self-proclaimed gearhead Bill Wu, and sent them into a remote peak in the Chilean volcanoes. Also heading into the wilderness? A used Jeep Wrangler, airlifted to another location in their general vicinity. Their job? Track down the TJ and use it to get home. What could go wrong?

The show is called "One Car Too Far," and is a five-part series, chronicling the pair's escape from the mountainous region of Chile. The duo encounters the full breadth of Chilean terrain, including alpine tundra, deserts, and humid subtropical regions. Oh, and they have just three days to get out and back to civilization!

The show starts August 19th, at 9PM on Discovery. Scroll down below to check out a preview of "One Car Too Far" for yourself.

Continue reading Two guys keep rescuing a Jeep Wrangler in new Discovery show

Two guys keep rescuing a Jeep Wrangler in new Discovery show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forest road racing Subaru owner gets painful recovery lesson

Zach Bowman — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Videos, Subaru, Humor

Be warned, Subaru fans: this video isn't for the faint of heart. According to the YouTube description, an Impreza owner decided to see just how much his car had in common with the screaming machines of the World Rally Championship by submitting it to a torturous, rocky section of fire road. After somehow enduring 12 miles of abuse, the car struck a rock, gouged its oil pan and came to a stop. The vehicle was subsequently abandoned there for some time, whereupon it was graffitti'd as well as stripped of its stereo and seats.

Fortunately, a few helpful off-road enthusiasts offered to pull the car out of the forest and back to civilization. There was only one real problem: making it to the fire road's exit meant bashing the hapless Subaru across even larger stones, while taking the trail in reverse meant covering 12 times the distance. The recovery team decided to pursue going forward, and mechanical carnage ensued. Call it proof positive that bad things happen to good cars whose owners make poor choices. Hit the jump to see the damage.

Continue reading Forest road racing Subaru owner gets painful recovery lesson

Forest road racing Subaru owner gets painful recovery lesson originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler to let you build your own Dodge Ram Runner

Zach Bowman — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Truck, Dodge, Specialty, Off-Road

2011 Ram Runner - Click above for high-res image gallery

Attention Mopar fans: If you are tired of your Blue Oval counterparts flaunting the desert-crushing ability of their new F-150 SVT Raptor, Chrysler has something to share with you. The company is now offering a Ram Runner conversion kit for the Ram Trucks 1500.

If you've got the cash lying around, you can bolt enough pieces to your pickup to embarrass the FoMoCo bird of prey over open sand. In order to go full-out, you'll need $13,270 for the Stage 2 suspension kit that includes the same three-inch diameter internal-bypass Fox Racing shocks used in the Raptor, aluminum A-arms and a mighty lift. The whole shebang is good for around 14 inches of suspension travel.

Don't put away that checkbook just yet. Chrysler is offering up everything from a slick tube bumper, fiberglass fenders front and rear, a unique hood, cold-air intake system and a special exhaust. Each of those pieces carries a price tag of around $1,000 or more with the exception of the cold-air intake. That little guy goes for a more manageable $466.

All told, if you wrap in the $29,075 it would take to bring home a Ram 1500 ST Quad Cab four-wheel drive, you're looking at a final price tag of $49,554. A figure like that might just be enough to convert a few Dodge fans to the way of the Raptor. Hit the jump for the press release.

Gallery: SEMA 2010: Ram Runner

Gallery: 2011 Ram Runner

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Chrysler to let you build your own Dodge Ram Runner

Chrysler to let you build your own Dodge Ram Runner originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Leaping SEMA truck proves the meek and well engineered shall inherit the earth

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Truck, Videos, Chevrolet, Humor, Off-Road

This doesn't end well - click above to watch the video

Oh dear. See that big bad truck up above? It's about to jump over some dirt. The landing is not going to go well. How not well? According to our sources you are looking at $350,000 worth of truck. We're not modified truck experts, but we'd be willing to guess that the truck is worth substantially less than $350,000 after said jump. Speaking of jumps, you should make our jump to watch the video and then read the world's quickest technical break down of exactly what went wrong. Tip of the desert flap hat to Brad!

Continue reading Video: Leaping SEMA truck proves the meek and well engineered shall inherit the earth

Video: Leaping SEMA truck proves the meek and well engineered shall inherit the earth originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog talks hot wheels with Ford's Performance Vehicle leaders

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Truck, Hatchback, Ford

Fans of Ford's American SVT and European ST and RS models will have plenty to look forward to in the next few years. As part of the company's One Ford program to consolidate its platforms and designs, SVT and TeamRS have been brought together under a single organization led by Jost Capito. Earlier this week, we sat down for lunch with Jamal Hameedi and Hermann Salenbauch to discuss what is going on and what we can expect to see in the next few years. Hameedi is the Chief Nameplate Engineer at SVT and Salenbauch is the director of Advanced Product Creation and Performance Vehicles. We've already seen some of their handiwork in the form of the 2010 Shelby GT500 and F-150 SVT Raptor, but we'll come back to those in a bit.

We already know we'll be getting a new Focus in laet 2010 or early 2011 that's common with the Euro model we've been craving for years. Naturally, the question of the new Focus RS came up. While no one would commit to anything, there were plenty of smiles to go around and Hameedi and Salenbauch were more than willing to talk enthusiastically about the new sports hatch that is launching right now in Europe. Continue reading after the jump.

Continue reading Autoblog talks hot wheels with Ford's Performance Vehicle leaders

Autoblog talks hot wheels with Ford's Performance Vehicle leaders originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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G500 not enough? Try the Unimog Black Edition

Dan Roth — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Work, Mercedes-Benz

If a G-Class Mercedes stirs dispassionate responses, there may still be a Mercedes for you. While the Gelandewagen is no joke in its own right, Daimler's own ultimate terra bully would roll right over it. Unimogs have been around for about fifty years, and were originally designed as go-anywhere, do-anything work trucks. The U500 Black Edition Unimog is still akin to a vehicular Chuck Norris, but luxed-up to the point that you'd hate to mar the blingy pedals with muddy boots.

England's BigLorryBlog had a chance to bruise the earth with one of these, and found it an object of workmen's desire. The U500 they sampled was not outfitted with any hard labor devices, so the ride was a bit bouncy, but nobody was complaining from the leather clad driver's perch with its own suspension. At €250,000, it's not cheap, but the good stuff never is. Here's what you say when someone questions your buying decision: "Buy the best, cry once. Now get outta my way before I make your Paseo scrap."

Thanks for the tip, Dan!

[Source: BigLorryBlog]

G500 not enough? Try the Unimog Black Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want to save the world? Buy a HUMMER

Dan Roth — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Hummer

Here's a test of your unyielding devotion to all that is cloaked in green. First, let's set the scene. It's the wee hours of the morning, the wind-driven rain is still howling against your house, and you're huddled on the second floor, waiting for morning. You've spent most of the night trying to stanch the flow of water into the basement, and those hours of backbreaking labor with sandbags and utility pumps have left you dog tired, devoid of fight. The power is out, and all you've got is a safety candle and an AM radio, and you're just waiting for the incoming tide to lap off the joists beneath you. With all due respect to Gordon Lightfoot and the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald; the gales of November came early.

Among the general chaos outside, you hear the steady rhythm of an engine. Small blocks always make music, but this time the tune is particularly joyous. At once, you're on your feet, peering out the window. The thrum of 8 cylinders working hard gets ever louder as the vehicle draws near. Could it be rescuers? The National Guard? Looters? All of a sudden, you're blinded by a wash of light as a bank of KC Highlighters gets trained upon your house. You recoil, your eyes taking a moment to adjust to all the candlepower. Who is it?

[Source: Advertising Age]

Gallery: American Red Cross HUMMERs

Continue reading Want to save the world? Buy a HUMMER

Want to save the world? Buy a HUMMER originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the Autoblog Garage: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited

Dan Roth — Thu, 17 May 2007 14:32:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Truck, Toyota

Click photo above to view a gallery of Tundra shots

I wanted to hate this thing. Toyota? Taking on the last bastion of red blooded American pickups? Yeah, right! The domestic manufacturers have kept cranking up quality, capability and refinement levels - who's this upstart think it is, anyway? Not only has the Tundra garnered a metric crapload of commentary, it's ugly. Okay, not to everyone, but it reminds me of that time I got sand in my eyelids. When a Tundra Limited Double Cab unexpectedly arrived wearing a rather appropriate shade of Herman Melville white, I was primed to register severe intestinal discomfort. Dang.

Gallery: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited

Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited

In the Autoblog Garage: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2007 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screw you: Screw-propulsion vehicle coveted by Autoblog

Dan Roth — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology

Oh, the puns for this are absolutely endless! If you're late:"Let's put the screws to it and make up some time." If you're early: "Looks like we have a few minutes to screw around in the parking lot." Like we said -- endless source of amusement. When people get tired of your jokes and tell you to go screw off, this is definitely the vehicle you want to take. Starting life as a Bombardier snow groomer, the likes of which us downhill skiiers have to sometimes dodge, a team of British ~~nutcases~~ thrill seekers really tricked the machine out for it's treacherous journey. They added a screw propulsion system to help drive on snow without getting high-centered, as well as adding propulsion when floating on water. The journey of Snowbird 6, as the ultimate all-terrain vehicle is known, is chronicled at Icechallenger.com. Seems like an awful lot of effort to go roughly 56 miles, but it's cool as hell, just like the moon landing.

[Source: Icechallenger.com via PatentPendingBlog]

Screw you: Screw-propulsion vehicle coveted by Autoblog originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TRD Special Edition FJ Cruiser package, Camry hybrid gets $300 bump

Damon Lavrinc — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Toyota

In 2007, Toyota will be bringing to market a Limited Edition model of its popular FJ Cruiser, complete will all the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) goodies.

First off, the limited edition version will be sprayed down head-to-toe, in black paint, nixing its trademarked white roof. The wheels will be coated in an anthracite finish and wrapped with uprated BF Goodrich All-Terrain rubber. To complete the exclusive look, expect the prerequisite "TRD Limited Edition" badges adorning as many surfaces as possible.

Appearance is one thing, capability is another and TRD recognizes that the base model could benefit from a few staple mods to make it a more competent off-roader. The stock suspension will be tossed and fitted with TRD/Bilstein shocks, developed for dirt duty and covered in a red finish. The new shocks are claimed to reduce squat and dive, as well as increase straight-line stability. Another mod includes mating the locking diff with the Active Control computer, which will aid the FJ when rock crawling is the activity du jour. The package will also include a TRD performance exhaust and "rock rails."

The interior will benefit with an array of airbags, including both seat-mounted and side curtain, along with a "multi-informational display" that comes equipped with a temp. gauge, compass and inclinometer.

A total of 3,200 vehicles will be made, with a $7,265 increase in MSRP on manual models and a $7,250 increase on automatic models. The $15 premium on the manual-equipped FJ is purportedly due to the "quick shifter" option.

If you want to see the new FJ in person, it'll be prominently displayed during this year's SEMA show in November.

In the following press release, Toyota also snuck in a $300 increase on its Camry Hybrid, effective October 30th.

Continue reading TRD Special Edition FJ Cruiser package, Camry hybrid gets $300 bump

TRD Special Edition FJ Cruiser package, Camry hybrid gets $300 bump originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 Sep 2006 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A land speed record of the unusual sort

Eric Bryant — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Ford

Most land-speed racing takes place in the deserts of the Southwest United States, but that doesn't mean that all land-speed records are set there. Voyage Concepts' Jason De Carteret lead a team from the Antarctica port of Patriot Hills to the geographical South Pole in just over 69 hours - averaging marginally more than 10 MPH over the 700-mile trek.

The vehicle of choice was a heavily-modified 15-passenger Econoline van, which was converted to a 6x6 drive configuration and outfitted with 44" tall tires. Its 7.3L Powerstroke engine burned 360 gallons of diesel along the way.

The previous record of 24 days was set by Shinji Kazama, who used a motorcycle. Yeah, we don't know what he was thinking, either.

[Sources: Forbes, Voyage Concepts]

A land speed record of the unusual sort originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jun 2006 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeep announces production ready Patriot

John Neff — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 01:42:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show, New York Auto Show, Coupe, SUV, Jeep

This is the kind of sub-$20k SUV we expect from Jeep, rather than the Compass that's barely trail rated to cross the street let alone a rocky fjord. The Patriot, however, will share much of its mechanicals with the Compass, including the 2.4L World Engine four-cylinder that produces 172 hp and 165 ft-lbs. of torque and your choice of either a standard five-speed or CVT transmission. The Patriot can be had in mild mannered FWD trim or with two other more capable off-road packages that do a passable job of impersonating a real Jeep.

The first is called Freedom Drive I and features available full-time, active four-wheel drive with a trick Lock mode that acts like full-time four-wheel drive. The Freedome Drive II package jacks the Patriot up an inch and comes with a second-gen CVT that's got a "low range" mode, skid plates, tow hooks, a full-size spare and such electronic off-road nannies as Hill-Descent Control, Off-Road Brake Traction Control and ESP.

The Patriot will go on sale in the third quarter of 2006 and will be built by the prodigal employees of the Belvidere assembly plant.

There's lots more details on the Patriot in Jeep's full press release after the jump, as well as a full gallery of pics.

[Source: Jeep]

Continue reading Jeep announces production ready Patriot

Jeep announces production ready Patriot originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Apr 2006 01:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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