Mystery Pickup A Mahindra Mule
Eagle-eyed reader Christian Dickerson snapped a photo of a prototype pickup truck near Golden, Colorado. "It is a compact truck; however, it looked like it was riding on 1-ton axles. Also, on the front fender the badge read, 'Powered by Fire-hawk.' It looks to me like an International, but is it military, and were those 1-ton axles?"
Compare Dickerson's on-the-fly spy shot to this factory photo and you can plainly see that he caught a Mahindra pickup. What looked like 1-ton axles were (we hope) necessitated by all the torque coming from the diesel engine under the 'Hindra's hood. Could "Firehawk" be a camo red herring or the brand Mahindra will use to market its powerplant? Pontiac is dead, but we'd guess GM still holds the trademark on the Firehawk name.
BFGoodrich Wins X Games Gold
Granted, Tanner Foust's Ford Fiesta isn't the kind of off-roader we usually feature, but we thought this was cool. At the recent X Games in Southern California he won a gold medal in the Rally Car class, and then went on to bag another gold in the SuperRally event. Foust and his competitors weren't just sliding around dirt berms. His Ford, and its BFG g-Force Rally tires, also had to survive 70-foot jumps to win both races.
Orange Madness!
What sounds like a new smoothie flavor is actually a limited-edition Sportsman XP 850 ATV from Polaris. The $9,999 ATV features Polaris' Electronic Power Steering, 14-inch cast aluminum wheels, and an 8.2-gallon Lock & Ride front storage box. This is one of several limited-edition ATVs and side-by-sides recently introduced by Polaris for 2011, each tailored for a specific outdoor niche. While orange looks good in photos, we're drawn to the Browning Edition, another Sportsman XP 850 with Pursuit camo, a 2,500-pound winch, work lights, and a gun scabbard. Find out about all the new Polaris models at www.polarisindustries.com.
New Camper Trailers from Mopar
In an industry first, Jeep-branded camper trailers are now available through Mopar, Chrysler's performance parts division. For "casual" campers (Jeep's word) there's the Jeep Trail Edition camper, with all-aluminum construction, trailing-arm suspension, 32-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain tires, 12 inches of ground clearance, and an available pintle hitch (a 2-inch ball is standard). If your wheeling is more hardcore, the Jeep Extreme Trail Edition camper offers a heavier frame, 15 inches of clearance, 35-inch BFGs, full skidplates, and high-mounted fenders. Both campers are fitted with Wrangler Rubicon 17-inch aluminum wheels with the 5-on-5 bolt pattern, so they can use most Jeeps' spare tires.
When the aluminum top is unfolded, there's 76 inches of headroom inside. A queen bed and a foldout sofa will hold four campers.
The trailers are available as Mopar accessories through Jeep dealers. The MSRP for the Trail Edition camper is $9,995; the Extreme Trail Edition sells for $11,995. Both are available in several colors.
Calendar
•Oct. 30-Nov. 1: Mojave Road Adventure, by Badlands Off-Road Adventures. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
•Nov. 6: Stoddard 250 desert race, Barstow, CA, by Mojave Desert Racing. Info: www.mdrracing.com
•Nov. 12-14: Bronco Daze, Palm Canyon Resort, Borrego Springs CA. Info:
www.earlybronco.com
•Nov. 12-14: USMC Birthday Bash & Veteran's Day Run, Superlift ORV Park, Hot Springs, AR. Info: 501/625-3600, www.orvpark.com
•Nov. 13-14: Beginning Off-Road 4x4 Skills Clinic, Hungry Valley SVRA near Gorman, CA, by Badlands Off-Road Adventures. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
•Nov. 15-16: Getting Started Off-Road 4x4 Skills Clinic, Hungry Valley SVRA near Gorman, CA, by Badlands Off-Road Adventures. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
•Nov. 17-21: SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race, Ensenada to La Paz, Baja California, Mexico. Info: 818-225-8402, www.score-international.com
•Note: If you have a 4WD event you want us to publicize, please send the date, location, a description of the event, and contact info-phone numbers and/or email/website address-to Calendar, 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245; fax 310.531.9368; email 4wheeloffroad@sorc.com. Please submit your info at least four months in advance of the event due to our press lead times.