Off-Roader

As far as SUVs go, the Land Rover Defender has been the talk of talks in recent times. That is a big achievement, given the variety of SUVs. Not to mention the crazy demand. We already know that, for 2022, the Defender will get a 5.0-liter V-8 engine with 525 horsepower (391 kilowatts) and 461 pound-feet (625 Nm). We expect this to be the familiar from Jaguar 5.0-liter supercharged V-8. However, this will not be the top version for long, as something bigger is coming. This, of course, being the Defender SVR, which will reportedly put out in excess of 600 horsepower, from a BMW engine.

The Ford Bronco has been at the Wrangler’s throat ever since it was conceptualized. Targeted to take it on from all the sides, the Bronco came out all guns blazing. However, Jeep has made some smart and methodical strikes to some of Bronco’s most vulnerable areas that have skewed the results back in balance. For starters, there was the announcement of the V-8 Wrangler hours before the Bronco’s much-anticipated debut. Then there was the adoption of electrification in the form of the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid. While you can get the V-8 conversion, you can’t get a plug-in hybrid setup installed on the Bronco, thus giving the edge to the Jeep product.

While the off-roading prowess of the Bronco is as good as – if not better – than the Wrangler 4xe, the on-road performance is not. To test this out, the folks at The Fast Lane Car decided to test this out by pitting the two for a series of straight-line races.

Nostradamus had predicted that the world would come to an end in 2012. Hollywood even gave us a blockbuster “2012” and everything, and here you are, reading this. Regardless, say an Apocalypse does come, would your Defenders, Wranglers, and G Wagon’s cut the mustard?

Rivian has been around for a long time now and we know almost everything about its upcoming products, the R1S SUV and the R1T pickup truck. They are essentially the same product in two different body styles. While the deliveries of the products have still not begun, Rivian has been teasing a lot of new specs and technology lately. The company’s CEO, RJ Scaringe, recently tweeted a 25-second video of the R1S successfully attempting a steep climb in Moab, Utah. Now, whether you like it or not, this is mighty impressive!

The Chelsea Truck Company, by KAHN Design, is synonymous with giving some truly astounding makeovers to Wranglers, Defenders & G Wagons. They recently took the wraps off of their latest mod, based on the Jeep Wrangler, which looks really menacing. As ever, they have created something really special with the Black Hawk variant for 2021.

The Acceler8 YouTube Channel pit a Ford Bronco against a Jeep Wrangler on a drag strip. The SUVs go head to head in two races, and a surprise third race. Keep reading to find out which one is faster.

Audi is planning to participate in the 2022 Dakar Rally with what has to be one of the most extreme off-roaders we’ve seen so far this year. The RS Q E-Tron is an EV, yet there’s also a TFSI gasoline engine borrowed from DTM that serves as a range generator that will allow it to run constantly without charging. If this is the reason Audi decided to ditch Formula E, then I have to admit that I whole-heartedly agree with its decision.

The Grand Wagoneer name is making a comeback after three decades. But, for fans of the old one made until 1991, Texas-based Vigilante, which specializes in restoring vintage Jeeps, has now created a resto-mod of the classic Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Vigilante has managed to retain the Grand Wagoneer’s well-known iconic styling.

Hennessey, the famous Texas tuner and producer of some absolutely insane automobiles, adds another special edition to its repertoire, this time based on the Ford Bronco. It’s not their first, as they debuted the full-fledged Ford Bronco VelociRaptor with a 750 horsepower V-8 engine last October. This is, however, that VelociRaptor’s little brother.

If you have an inclination towards 6x6 trucks, there’s a good chance you would’ve heard of Apocalypse. Remember the Hellfire 6x6? After building a six-wheel-drive truck based on the Jeep Gladiator. the aftermarket company has now taken a bigger truck under its wing for a similar build – presenting to you, the Apocalypse Warlord, a 6x6 truck based on the Ram 1500 TRX.

There are high chances you would’ve heard of the name ‘Ineos’. It is a U.K.-based petrochemicals group. You must have even seen the name across the Mercedes F1 cars, America’s Cup team boats, and also ‘Ineos Grenadiers’, a cycling team previously known as Sky.

Now, Ineos has dipped its toes into the automotive segment and has come up with an SUV called Ineos Grenadier. The SUV is heavily inspired by the yesteryear Land Rover Defender. While it may look the part, is it as hardcore as the original model? Carfection finds out.

EV-olution has led to the emergence of several new startups. This includes Rivian, Lordstown, Lucid, and Bollinger to name a few. All of them either have pickup trucks, SUVs, or sedans. While they are trying to cater to every major segment, there’s one company that has decided to do something different and go off the road.

We’re talking about Vanderhall, a U.S.-based EV manufacturer that has come up with an electric off-roader called Brawley. It has been around for a decade and has three-wheeled autocycles like the Venice, Carmel, and Edison in its portfolio, but this is its first four-wheeled EV. The Brawley is expected to arrive sometime next year and will start under $35,000.

The Mercedes-AMG G63 is quite popular, but the G65, not so much. The automaker discontinued it in 2018, but offered 65 examples as part of the farewell ‘Final Edition’ before drawing the curtains on it. The folks at ArabGT managed to lay their hands on one of these 65 examples and pit it against the G63 Edition 1. Well, this is probably one battle that every G-Class enthusiast has always wanted. Do you think the G65, with its mighty 12-pot mill, can beat the eight-cylinder G63?

After dominating the off-roading niche for decades together, the Jeep Wrangler finally has a true-blue competitor in the form of the new 2021 Ford Bronco. The revived Bronco came out all guns blazing to step up to the apex predator of the segment. The companies have been trying to go one-up against their respective rival, but it still seems to be as close as ever.

Jeep has made a move once again by coming up with an Xtreme Recon package for the Wrangler. This takes the off-roading capabilities to the next level, just like the Sasquatch Package does for the Ford Bronco. To quote from George Villiers’ play from the 17th century - “Ay, now the Plot thickens very much upon us.” Indeed!

When assembly of the Hummer H1 was ceased in 2006 not many have been able to purchase a brand new one. But, there are a few that are in like new condition, liek the one you see here. Canepa along with Predator performance was commissioned earlier this year to improve and restore this Hummer H1 Alpha to mint condition, and let’s just say, it’s better than new.

Since the mid-80s the Land Rover’s Defender’s name has stood for one of the most original and indestructible off-road vehicles in automotive history. Over the past 70 years, the model known solely by its brand name has only bee discreetly improved - until incompatibilities with pedestrian protection ultimately sealed its fate in early 2016.

The yesteryear Ford F-150 Lightning was one heck of a truck, especially in its second generation. It came with a supercharged V-8 mill that was officially the world’s fastest production truck at that time, hitting a top speed of 147 mph in a run in 2003. Now, no one in their right minds would swap this engine for something else, but the folks at Hoonigan did; and we love it!

Presenting, the Ford F-150 Frightening: an SVT Lightning that’s now powered by the 2JZ engine from the Toyota Supra. The team took it to a dyno, and the results are quite impressive for a shop truck.

The 20th century Land Rover Defenders are a hot commodity today. A lot of tuners and aftermarket companies undertake restomod operations and give the erstwhile model a modern twist. AutotopiaLA has uploaded a video of a project done by Fusion Motorsport wherein a 30-year old red Land Rover Defender went under the knife. It came out with fresh skin, a new look, and even a new heart. Neat job, huh?

Land Rover Defender is one of the toughest SUVs that money can buy you. The automaker reminded people of the same when it decided to send a fleet of Defenders to the Alps as support vehicles for the Red Bulls X-Alps adventure race. The Defender will be used to ferry people and supplies around, and will also act as recovery vehicles for the athletes.

What’s the best way to get someone’s attention? Scream? I guess that’s what Toyota thinks because it just launched an off-road trim of a pickup truck in a bright lime shade! Neither ‘Off-road’ nor ‘pickup truck’ can be associated with a lime exterior shade. But, Toyota seems to have done that with the 2022 Tacoma TRD Pro.

The 2022 Tacoma TRD Pro arrives in this new exclusive shade with some more off-road enhancements like an increased suspension lift, new shocks, etc. Sweet, huh?

When you hear Toyota, some of the first words to come to mind are reliable, boring, hybrid, or if you’re into the 4X4 scene – rugged. The Toyota Land Cruiser is, to this day, one of the most iconic 4X4s out there. What most people don’t know is that there is a bigger “Cruiser”, made by Toyota – the Toyota Mega Cruiser. Chris O’Neil is an enthusiast YouTube channel, named after its creator, in which “he does stuff with interesting vehicles”. In this case, he gives a detailed overview of the obscure boxy SUV.

It’s not been long since Ford launched the electric 2022 F-150 Lightning. There are a lot of talking points about it, but the highlight is its price. Ford had announced in the past that it isn’t looking at building EVs costing more than $100,000. This meant that the truck would top out in the high five-digit figures, but no one expected a sub-$40,000 starting price before federal tax credits. Account for the state incentives along with it and the effective price falls under $30,000 in some states!

Motor1 compiled a list of the prices after factoring in the incentives and discounts and it looks like the F-150 Lightning will be the cheapest full-size truck you can buy today!