Awesome Off-road

We love when a concept car pushes the boundaries, and the Audi AI:TRAIL quattro does just that. It’s an electric, all-wheel drive off-roader with seating for four, helicopter-like visibility, oversize tires, and a suspension that’s ready for rugged trails. Plus, its battery pack is designed to provide exceptional range for off-grid adventuring.

R/C car experts Traxxas show off an awesome jumbo-sized model, an incredibly detailed 27″ long trophy truck designed to take on any terrain you can throw at it. Its tube frame chassis, suspension, and 4WD system is inspired by real desert racing trucks, and it can hit speeds over 50mph.

Designed for easy riding on rugged off-road trails, Polaris’ new General crossover packs a 100 hp engine, a wide 64″ footprint, and an impressive 13.5″ ground clearance for riding over just about anything. The XP 1000 is the two-seater, while the XP 1000 4 seats four. Both models can tow and haul up to 1500 pounds too.

We spent some time in Wyoming putting GMC’s 2020 trucks through their paces, including the Sierra 1500 AT4 on a dirt and rock course. It has a 2” lift, a 2-speed transfer case, Rancho monotube shocks, skid plates, a locking rear diff, and is now available with a 3.0L Duramax turbo diesel, making 277 hp and 460 lb-ft. of torque.

We managed to get our grubby little paws on the Ford Performance F-150 Raptor, and were blown away by just how good this truck is at everything. It hauls ass, handles any terrain, and offers a supremely comfortable ride on-road thanks to its new Fox suspension. Read on for our full take on this monster of a truck.

Lambo built this one-off concept car after cutting its off-road performance teeth with its Urus SUV. The Sterrato is basically a rally edition Huracán, with a 1.9″ lift, skid plates, a widened stance, and LED light bars. It packs four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, and its vehicle dynamics system has been retuned for off-road handling.

We recently spent the day at one of our favorite off-road spots in the Midwest – Badlands Park in Attica, Illinois. There, we were given free-reign to explore acres upon acres of challenging terrain behind the wheel of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator, and 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon.

All that remains from the Disney Princess Power Wheels Jeep is its pink plastic shell, but The Grind Hard Plumbing Co.’s latest build is simply awesome. The tricked out one-seater now has a 50hp CRF 450 dirt bike engine, and an off-road suspension, making for tons of fun in the dirt.

Recently we went to Moab, Utah with our friends at BFGoodrich to check out the sights and sounds of the Easter Jeep Safari. Held every April, Jeeps from all over the country descend on the remote desert town to hit the trails, see old friends, and live the Jeep life.

Rocking race-ready aluminum Walker Evans Velocity shocks, strengthened axles, and other reinforcements, the latest Polaris RZR is ready to dominate every kind of terrain with its 72″ stance, 32″ ITP Coyote tires, and powerful 168 hp engine. Comes in 2-seat and 4-seat models.

We’ve spent quite a bit of time on- and off-road with the latest Jeep Wrangler, and it’s the best one yet, offering easier removal of body parts, better on-road handling, tons of modern tech, and still as capable as ever. Read on for some of our favorite aspects of the new Wrangler.

People often use the terms 4-wheel drive and all-wheel drive interchangeably, but that’s just wrong. The Team O’Neil Rally School explains how the two types of drivetrains differ. Proper 4x4s might be better at off-roading, but modern AWD systems are typically more versatile.

Polaris collaborated with High Lifter Products to create a variant of its Sportsman XP 1000 ATV that can easily take on them muddiest terrain. The ATV has High Lifter tires, custom wheels, mud specific transmission, stiffer springs, a rack-mounted radiator and more.

After putting some mud on the Toyota TRD Pros, we headed to the dusty Nevada desert to put the 2019 Tacoma, Tundra, and 4Runner TRD Pros to the test as part of our collab with the Trail Trek Tour. The rocky trails were no match for the FOX shocks each vehicle now sports.

We spent a day off-roading in Toyota’s latest Tacoma, Tundra, and 4Runner TRD Pro series. All three now ride on rugged FOX shocks and are ready to take on just about any terrain you can throw at ’em. Check out our running footage, then read on for more.

Upping the ante on of Polaris’ most thrilling 2-seater, the RZR XP 4 Turbo S has space for 4 riders, a 72″ stance, 32″ tires, 16″ of clearance, an active suspension with 25″ of travel, 168 hp, and strengthened components, all tuned for the ultimate in off-road performance.

Off-road racer RJ Anderson teamed up with snowboarder Torstein Horgmo to frolic about Lake Tahoe’s Donner Ranch Ski Resort, with UTV Underground’s modded 2018 Polaris RZR XP Turbo-S tossing snow everywhere, and Torstein boarding perilously close to the UTV.

Customizer APR took a stock 2.0L turbo 2018 Volkswagen Atlas SUV and bestowed it with 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, a 1.5″ lift kit, rugged Toyo Open Country tires, custom brakes and exhaust, giving this big AWD grocery getter improved off-road chops.

Watch as a Russian off-road vehicle called a Sherp rolls effortlessly over a partially-frozen lake, seemingly defying physics by not sinking through the softened ice. Apparently it has something to do with the vehicle’s paddle boat tires. See more Sherp antics here.

Velocity Restorations transformed this 1979 International Scout II into an orange off-road monster. It packs a 6.2-liter, 430hp LS3 crate engine, a lifted suspension, front/rear sway bars, 35″ Nitto Trail Grappler tires, TR beadlock wheels, and a custom roll bar and bumpers.

We joined up with a team of men’s lifestyle and automotive experts in the woods of Virginia to see if seven everyday crossover utility vehicles could handle a rugged off-road course, and to pick our favorites. Read on for our top picks and the overall winners from the first Trail Trek Tour.

While it’s certainly not as capable as Howe & Howe’s personal tank, this highly-modded Arctic Cat Wildcat 4 1000 ATV from Israeli outfit Plasan is actually a military-grade machine. It features a roof-mounted weapon system, B6+ composite armor, and room for 3 occupants.

Taiwanese EV maker XING Mobility is showing off a wicked prototype – a 1341 hp compact sports car capable of handling both on-road and off-road terrain. It’s got a four-wheel drive system with torque vectoring to help it corner like a go kart, and is expected to do 0-to-62 in 1.8s.