Off-Roader

Believe it or not, Nissan is no stranger to rally racing. Back in 1996, the Japanese company raced at the Paris-Dakar Rally with a modded Terrano, albeit with zero success.

However, back in 1970, Nissan took a Datsun Bluebird 510 and made it into a rally car - dubbed the 1600SS - that won the East-African Safari Rally. One year after, in 1971, Nissan came back with a safari-style version of the 240Z. It, too, won the rally. That particular car is celebrated today with a one-off build based on the 370Z.

We’ve seen Jay Leno’s YouTube channel feature all sorts of vehicles of various shapes and sizes over the years. Somehow, we’re used to the man getting to drive every wheeled machine out there that’s destined for civilian use. That’s why seeing Leno next to a Ferret armored car just made our interest pique.

California-based Singer is known for doing impressive restoration work to classic Porsche 911s, but what it’s revealed today essentially takes the company to an all-new level. The 964-gen 911 you see here isn’t a 911 Safari, not by any means. It’s actually what Singer calls “The ACS.” If you’re not familiar with the name, ACS stands for All-Terrain Competition Study, and as you can see, Singer has turned this 911 into an ultimate off-road rally weapon.

The Christmas season is over and done with, but that doesn’t mean the fun of building Legos is going to stop. The toymaker is ringing in the new year in style with two fresh products that are going to excite monster truck fans the world over.

Hold on to your seats, Lego builders. Two of the most iconic monster trucks in history — Grave Digger and Max-D — have now been immortalized in toy bricks. The two trucks fall under the Lego Technic line, and each kit costs only $19.99. It’s only been a few days, but with the release of these two Lego Technic kits, it’s safe to say that 2021 is off to a really solid start.

Jeep is finally giving us a V-8-powered Wrangler, for the first time since the nameplate was introduced in 1987, but it will cost a pretty penny.

According to a recent leak, the 2021 Wrangler Rubicon 392 will start from around $75,000, which is a massive premium over the regular Rubicon and a sticker that puts it above the Grand Cherokee SRT.

It’s been a while since FoMoCo’s train-pulling PR stunt came to further hype the arrival of the all-electric Ford F-150. As Ford has been rather tight-lipped lately about its full-electric pickup truck, we thought we’d have a look at what we know up until this point and what we should expect expect from the electric F-150. Here’s what we can report for the time being.

Those of you that are familiar with Frank Stephenson’s ever-growing YouTube channel know the former designer’s blunt, straight-to-the-fact manner of giving the verdict on a particular design. Only this time around, he dissects the Tesla Cybertruck, one of the most polarizing cars to reach the public’s eye in recent times.

The Cybertruck was unveiled more than a year ago and in typical Musk fashion, it shook the internet then split it in two: those that loved the edgy pickup and those that loathed it. Care to know Franks’s Stephenson’s opinion?

Nissan has updated its flagship SUV, the Armada for the 2021 model year. Since this is a mid-cycle facelift, tweaks are minimal, but there are some noteworthy changes to mention. The biggest highlights include a bump in horsepower up to 400 (vs. 390 in the current model) and the introduction of a new 12.3-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Wi-Fi connectivity. Towing capacity for Nissan’s flagship SUV carries over at 8,500 pounds.

The 2021 SEMA Auto Show is going the virtual route because of the coronavirus pandemic. That’s a bummer for those who were looking forward to their annual pilgrimage to Sin City, but automakers have long adapted to the situation. Instead of attending auto shows like SEMA to unveil their newest creations, automakers have now gone digital, showcasing their latest offerings online.

Ford is one of those companies, and tonight, the Blue Oval is hosting “Ford Auto Nights,” a special webcast where the automaker plans to unveil its 2021 SEMA Auto Show lineup. That lineup includes the F-150 Limited Hybrid SuperCrew by BDS Suspension, a project truck that Ford created in partnership with BDS Suspension to showcase the automaker’s all-new Pro Power Onboard mobile power generator.

The new Land Rover Defender is a very capable vehicle, but purists surely miss the old one. The old Defender had a different aura and charm, something that the new one will probably never be able to match it. Although numerous aftermarket companies are restoring and rebuilding it, the fact is that the same models are in circulation. But, that’s about to change now.

Aftermarket specialist Bowler has been granted the license to use the iconic Defender shape in the next phase of development for all-terrain performance cars and rally raid vehicles. In case you have apprehensions about another company building the classic Defender, let me tell you that Land Rover purchased Bowler last year. So this is as good as Land Rover building it.

Mini owners aren’t exactly off-road nuts, not even when their cars come fitted with Mini’s ALL4 all-wheel-drive. That, however, might change with a little input from Dakar Rally specialist X-raid.

The team behind Mini’s resounding victories at Dakar is now using its rally and motorsport expertise to beef up your Countryman. You know, in case grocery-getting becomes boring.

The only chink in Bronco’s armor is the missing V-8 engine under the hood. Although Ford matched the Jeep Wrangler in every aspect, dare I say, even better in some, the lack of a V-8 will be a deal-breaker for some folks. However, aftermarket tuners have grabbed on to this opportunity. PaxPower was one of the first companies to announce a Bronco V-8 and soon many companies jumped the wagon. The latest one to do so is Hennessey Performance.

Hennessey has announced that it will be building a VelociRaptor version of the Ford Bronco with a V-8 mill that will churn out 750 horses. This will be a limited-edition build and will cost around four-times the cost of a standard Bronco. Is it worth it?

Post the big debut, the Ford Bronco and its urban-alter ego are busy with various other activities. The Bronco Sport recently won the 2020 Rebelle Rally in its category in stock condition, and now Ford has announced the Bronco will don the emergency vehicle outfit to support the National Forest Foundation.

Ford has teamed up with Filson, an outdoor outfitter, to develop the Bronco Wildland Fire Rig Concept. It is customized with firefighting equipment and Ford will donate two examples for the cause.

Chelsea Truck Company has returned with another Jeep Wrangler rendition called the Protest Edition. Although the name could be considered slightly controversial, the changes made to the SUV are pretty neat. Nothing under the hood has been changed and it is stock, which means all the changes are cosmetic only. This Wrangler is a right-hand-drive model and is brand-new, unlike some of the examples from Chelsea lately that have had previous owners.

Himalaya is known to create builds of timeless vehicles. One of them is the Defender, with which the aftermarket company has had a love affair for a long time. Last year, Himalaya worked on the new Defender to create a special edition called Spectre. Now, the company has laid its hand on the renowned moniker to build a 650-horsepower beast that inducts itself into Himalaya’s flagship Summit Series.

GM dropped a major bomb earlier this year when it announced the return of the buried moniker, the Hummer. However, what surprised folks even more was that Hummer, known to be a gas guzzler, was now being presented as a sober vehicle that doesn’t drink anymore. But, despite this opposite-end-of-the-spectrum reincarnation, what didn’t change was its monstrous size and the attention-grabbing persona.

The automaker unveiled a few teasers during the Superbowl earlier this year and had plans to reveal the supertruck sometime in May. But, courtesy of the pandemic, the plans went haywire. Now, the company has finally taken the wraps off this beast and given us a few details. So, is the GMC Hummer EV worth the hype?