RideLust

*Photo Credit: StupidDope.com

Over the years I’ve come across some pretty ostentatious vehicles, but this sucker takes the cake. This is the SportChassis P4XL from Freightliner and it’s the vehicle for those with severe insecurity problems. It used to be that the Hummer H1 was the biggest and baddest 4×4 you could buy, but compared to the SportChassis P4XL, the H1 is like a Tonka toy. What you get with the P4XL is basically a full-sized big rig with limited 4×4 capabilities, loads of interior cabin space and a footprint the size of Montana. For instance the P4XL has a 174-in. wheelbase, 100-in. width and is 264 inches from front to back – that’s stupid big. It’s also four wheel drive, but with a weight of 6.5 tons it’s not exactly fit for any real off-roading. What the P4XL does do however is make a statement by basically telling the world that you simply don’t give a shit about anyone or anything.
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Taylor's very tasteful 2009 Rubicon Unlimited.

Remember my piece on “Rides For The Coming Zombie Apocalypse”? Taylor’s 2009 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited definitely fits the requirements, and I have to admit that I’d take this over my own FJ Cruiser as the ultimate end-of-the-world ride. His Rubicon will get you anywhere you need to go; more importantly, it will get you back home again and he’s only at Stage 1 of his build. So what does Stage 1 include? Read on to find out and to see more pics. Read More…

Image: Pirate 4x4

What do you call a desert race that combines hard core rock crawling and high speed blasts across open desert? One that taxes not only a driver’s ability, but the ultimate mechanical limits of the uber-heavy duty trucks they race? Such a race really does exist, and it’s called “King of the Hammers”. Run annually in the southern California desert, the race is a week long spectacle that draws serious off-road racers and fans alike. Not just a race, the event includes dinners, seminars, vendor displays and even a golf tournament. The highlight is, of course, the King of the Hammers race, held on the second-to-last day of the event. Video below. Read More…

It looks like RAM is taking a page from the import worlds playbook by offering a soon-to-be-released Ram 1500 pickup designed for first time buyers who want to customize their trucks. Possibly to be called the Adventurer, the new truck takes some marketing ideas directly from the new Ram Tradesman that we wrote about earlier by offering a lot of truck for little money. The guys at Ram know that most young buyers will modify their trucks shortly after purchase, so it makes sense to offer them a great inexpensive platform for which to start with.

A blurb from Chrysler’s Press release states:
“We know we have the formula right,” said Ram Truck President and CEO Fred Diaz. “Now we just need a great name that promotes pride of ownership. This new Ram model will be an attractive alternative for a younger or first-time buyer looking for performance at an affordable price. Case in point, it will have more horsepower and a lower base price than our competitors’ entry-level performance cars with the added benefit of versatility and capability.”

Not only do I think that this is a great marketing strategy by Ram, but I have a feeling that it’s going to lure A LOT of potential buyers away from Ford and Chevrolet. Don’t be surprised however if you see them following suit with low budget performance trucks in the near future.

Source: Chrysler

After owning my share of hot rods and custom cars, I can tell you that one very important piece of equipment that is always required is a simple fire extinguisher. Custom built cars are far more likely to go up in flames then a factory built production piece. Shoddy wiring, failed grounds, fuel leaks as well as a host of other problems can lead to catastrophe. If you’re prepared however mishaps can be avoided. The guys in this custom built off-roader are a perfect example. They’re obviously participating in some sort of hill climb and are doing fairly well until their engine takes a dump. Soon afterward a small fire brakes out, then a loud pop and then KABOOM! That sucker goes up in smoke and almost takes the co-driver with it. If they would’ve had a bolt-in extinguisher however, this whole mess could have been avoided. Oh well… maybe next time. Read More…

Car class champion Nasser Al-Attiyah

For the third year in a row, Volkswagen claimed top honors at the 2011 Dakar Rally, which wrapped up this weekend. In fact, the turbo-diesel Race Touareg 3 utterly dominated the car class of the rally, giving VW the podium for the second time since last year’s victory in the Touareg 2.

The winner, Qatari driver, Nasser Al-Attiyah, became the first Arab driver to win the Dakar Rally. Al-Attiyah is currently a driver for the Barwa Rally Team in the Production World Rally Championship, and was the 2006 PWRC champion in a Subaru WRX STi. He finished second overall in the 2010 Dakar Rally to VW teammate and WRC champion, Spaniard Carlos Sainz, by a nail-biting two minutes and twelve seconds.  Sainz was off to a strong start early in the 2011 race, but his car suffered mechanical problems which hurt his chances at the title. Sainz finished third overall in the car class. Read More…

The Mopar Ram Runner is Chrysler’s answer to Ford’s stellar Raptor off-road pick-up. When the Raptor was first released it sent other manufacturers scrambling for something that could compete with the blue ovals desert devouring machine. The Ram Runner could be such a truck, if that is, you choose to equip it that way. You see Chrysler is taking a bit of a different approach then Ford, as they want you to actually build the truck yourself. For instance, if you are the owner of a Ram 1500 series pick-up truck you’ll soon be able to purchase every bolt-on part available to turn your Ram into a Raptor killer. Everything from the Stage 2 Ram Runner Suspension Kit for $13,270, to the sport performance hood ($978), to a wicked cat-back exhaust system ($1,135) can all be yours if you have the greenbacks in your wallet. Chrysler’s approach to the Ram Runner tells me that they just have no interest in producing a full-on competitor for Ford’s Raptor. If they did, hell… they’d just build the damn thing and sell it through their dealerships.

Source: Autoblog.com

The Dakar Rally is one of, if not the most grueling off-road event in the world. It pits teams from all over the globe in a race that covers every type of off road terrain there is. Mud and gravel, to some of the largest sand dunes in existence make up a course that will test the constitution of every team member. The vehicles and competitors that run this race are as hard as they come, and their preparation is almost as grueling as the event itself. Vehicles are forced into conditions the likes of which would disable a production vehicle in a matter of minutes, thus these competition vehicles are engineered to the max. The above shows the Czech Dakar Team testing for this years Dakar Rally (currently underway). Their weapon of choice – a Tatra 815 4×4 truck that is powered by a massive Caterpillar diesel engine. This is not some little runabout, but a full on off-road beast that is capable of taking mass amounts of punishment. Watching the Czech Team sling this thing around like a slot car is simply astonishing and something that I think everyone will enjoy.

Source: Dakar.com

I guess it’s true when they say that, “necessity is the mother of invention”, but I have to wonder what this guy was thinking when he pulled this stunt. Isn’t it funny how we sometimes throw caution to the wind in an effort to get from Point A to Point B. I know in my past I may have done some less than favorable things on the road, things that I look back on now and think, “WTF was a I thinking?” This guy though, he’s taking it to an all new level. Apparently the tire on his trailer blew out and instead of waiting for a spare, he figured he’d just show some initiative and wedge a birch tree under the trailers axle. The scary part is, that the trailer is actually towing straight and true. Now while I don’t condone behavior like this, I do have to hand it to this guy for thinking outside the box.

Source: Streetfire.net

PRO’s: Great ride, wonderful handling, massive amounts of room for the entire family and or entourage.

CON’s: Cramped drivers cabin, only partially adjusting steering wheel, high price.

FINAL THOUGHT: A full size American built luxury SUV, that can hang tough with the world’s best.

It’s over 18 feet long, has up to 137 cubic feet of cargo space and with an interior that rivals most high end luxury sedans, it’s one of the nicest SUV’s on the planet. Meet the 2011 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum, the Big Dog of American SUV luxury. When I first picked this baby up from GM’s Manhattan storage facility my first thought was – Dear God is this sucker big, but as you’ll see, its size can be very deceiving. The Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum makes no bones about its in-your-face styling and the fact that it dwarfs everything else in the SUV world. It’s a favorite amongst celebrities, athletes and or anyone who wants to make a statement. As for me, I was just amazed at how good it actually was for its size.
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