offroad
Latest
The Jeep Gladiator is for truck buyers craving adventure
The Gladiator is essentially a Jeep Wrangler with a bed strapped onto the back. During my tests, I found it to be capable on both dirt and asphalt. But it's not for everyone.
VW's latest plug-in hybrid is built for off-roading
Most plug-in hybrid vehicles are better-suited to the streets than mud and rocks, but Volkswagen thinks it can make an exception. Its just-unveiled Tiguan GTE Active Concept mates a 148HP gas engine with two electric motors to provide an environmentally responsible off-roader. It can drive 20 miles solely on electric power, even in rough conditions, but has that conventional engine to provide extra grunt and range (580 miles total) for long expeditions.
Land Rover EV prototypes tread lightly uphill, recharge on the way down
Instant torque feels delicious on the highway, but it could be an even bigger asset in an offroader. Land Rover has been experimenting with electric versions of its Defender 110 for a while now, and claims its latest prototypes benefit from a reduction in wheel spin due to the single-speed motor, making them more adept at climbing and less likely to churn up the environment. The prototypes don't necessarily stand out in terms of raw specs: they're 25 percent heavier than turbodiesel models, with lower horsepower and torque ratings, and with a range of just 50 miles. They try to make up for it in other ways, however, with the ability to deliver up to eight hours of slow, grueling off-road time, where range is secondary to staying upright, and by exploiting Land Rover's Hill Descent Control feature for faster recharging through regenerative braking. There's no plan to bring an EV Defender to market any time soon, or to run the Dakar gauntlet like some rivals have, but the prototypes are due to make appearance at the Geneva Motor Show before being tested for painful-sounding "specialist applications" later in the year.
OSCar eO build finally finished, electric offroader prepares for the mountains of South America
It's been a few months since we first heard about OSCar eO and its plans to tackle the (arguably) most difficult task in motorsport: make it from the start of the Dakar Rally to the finish. Well, the race starts in about a month and a half, and the Latvian team building the rugged EV has finally finished its arduous task. Aside from countless welds to create a formidable frame, there was also plenty of wiring and programming involved in getting the range-extended EV ready for the coming off-road battle. Winston Battery packs provide 52kWh of juice to the electric motor, which can produce up to a massive 335kW of power on command. Should a lead-footed driver tap into that tire-shredding ability too much, a 60kW generator driven by a Nissan V6 is there to pick up the slack. You may be wondering just how hard it is to build a machine that can conquer the Andes while powered by humble electrons? Find out for yourself in the video after the break. [Thanks, John]
Scarpar off-road powerboard coming December 2011, just in time to replace Santa's sleigh
It's been a little over two years since we first came across Scarpar's all-terrain powerboard, and now it's just about ready to hit the streets, or mountains, or whatever. The Australian startup is currently accepting reservations for its surprisingly powerful electric skateboards -- now in two flavors. Scarpar's Model X comes equipped with two 1.5-kilowatt DC Motors and tops out at 28MPH, while the Model S offers two 750-watt motors and hits 18MPH. You can reserve one now for $500 or $600, depending on how much power you want under your feet, but be prepared to shell out either $2,800 or $3,800 when it's finally time to buy. Scarpar expects the things to ship sometime in December, so don't go making any summer vacation plans for you and your new off-roader just yet. [Thanks, Alex]
Brammo taking its electric motorcycles offroad in Vegas next week, puts Zero on notice
You remember the Enertia, right -- that sweet electric motorcycle from Brammo? Well, a few years back the company slapped some dirt bike tires on this silent cycle (seen above) and taunted the world with the possibility of an Earth-friendly offroad ride. Such a creation never made it to market, sadly, but it looks like the company may finally be ready to deliver. The bike hounds over at Asphalt & Rubber were digging through the AMA MiniMoto SX supercross race list of entrants when they spotted the Brammo name... which is odd since the Oregon-based company's current vehicles are all street-only affairs. Guess Zero Motorcycles better watch its back, there may be new challenger for king of the electric dirt bike hill. We won't have to wait long to know for sure -- the Brammo team will be launching its latest creation through the muddy, hairpin turns at the South Point Arena in Vegas next week.
Electric TH!NK FROST concept vehicle makes snowmobiles cringe
Look, we love taking off through the snow-covered trails of Grand Teton National Park as much as anyone, but we can't say with a straight face that we'd rather take a snowmobile through there than one of these critters. Designed by Anders Gloslie, the TH!NK FROST is an electric vehicle crafted specifically to operate in arctic environments. Based on current drawings, the all-wheel drive contraption can lug two Eskimos around at a time, though there's no mention of a hybrid version for those looking to take long range excursions. Commercialization, please?[Via DVICE]
THQ stays on the off-road racing bandwagon with Baja
This console generation has had no shortage of off-road racing games, from some that were terribly fun to others that were just terrible. While not completely bankrupt of merit, MX vs. ATV Untamed certainly edged closer to the latter end of this spectrum, especially compared to the likes of Motorstorm or DiRT, though this has not dissuaded publisher THQ from keeping at it. Today the company announced a new off-road racer named Baja, currently in development at 2XL Games, a new studio founded by -- surprise surprise -- the devs behind the MX vs. ATV franchise.Set for release on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 this August, the off-road racer will include support for 4-player split screen gameplay, as well as up to 12 players online or over a LAN. And for those with setups that far exceed our own, the game will also support multiple-screen panoramic view. THQ has also confirmed that the game will include some 40+ different vehicles, as well as the ability for players to upgrade off-road rides using "a full array of upgradeable options with hundreds of authentic parts." Still, with an emphasis on arcade-style racing, it seems as if 2XL is attempting to strike some sort of balance between over-the-top and authenticity, something that, in our experience at least, rarely turns out well.
Championship Off Road Racing goes HD for 2008 season
Racing fans will be getting even more HD this season, since Championship Off Road Racing has announced it will be live in HD for the 2008 season, on SPEED HD and NBC. The season kicks off April 26th in LA, no word on if they follow NASCAR's lead and place in-truck HD cams (with the beating they take, we'd be very surprised if they did).
Jeep USB flash drive
So maybe this USB drive isn't the the cutest, the biggest, the smartest, or even the weirdest, but how can you deny the Jeep drive's rugged allure? Oh sure, perhaps it's just a fickle attempt to overcharge for a cheap accessory, but whatever the case, EDGE Tech Corp has unveiled these presumably trail rated jump drives to store your maps, hiking trails, emergency contacts, and nearest parts dealers just in case cruising off-road leaves you in a pinch. Aside from looking rough and tough, these USB 2.0 drives seem barely more durable than your run-of-the-mill versions, claiming "shock resistance" as the lone rugged attribute. Considering the absurdly high prices -- $29.95 for 256MB and $44.95 for 512MB -- we can't really understand why these would be appealing, but maybe "it's a Jeep thing," so we wouldn't understand. [Via USBDriveSoft]
