Toyota has unveiled the new Land Cruiser at the Frankfurt Auto Show - it certainly looks different. Personally, I’m a fan and the new off-road capabilities sound interesting. The Land Cruiser does have a lot of electronics packed into it (how many different screens are in the dash?) which could pose a problem on the trail.
Autoblog has some great photos.
- Chuck
Scott took the brand-new Overland Jeep out for a spin and I snagged a couple of shots of the action:
It’s a pretty cool vehicle. The guys at Mopar did a great job on this one.
- Chuck
The fine folks at Jeep and AEV were kind enough to provide Expeditions West with this very, very cool Overland Edition Jeep Rubicon. Here’s a teaser image:
Toyota has released a new teaser image in anticipation of the 2010 4Runner’s debut. Toyota will be unveiling the 5th-gen 4Runner on September 24th at the Texas State Fair.
It’s hard to get a good feel for the vehicle but the tires and ground clearance are very enticing.
Here are the images:
And here’s a link back to the original article.
- Chuck
Pangea Expeditions has posted an article offering a look at AEV’s J8 Milspec:
“While in Prescott for the Overland Expo, we had the opportunity to get a sneak peek of the upcoming American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) J8 MILSPEC. At first glance, this vehicle looks like a stock Jeep JK Unlimited, but the similarities end with the body shape. The vehicle is similar to the J8 “Sarge” truck that made the rounds at auto shows in 2008. The J8 MILSPEC is built as a CKD (Complete Knockdown Kit, ie kit car) from a MIL-spec heavy-duty Egyptian Jeep Wrangler LWB. The vehicle is delivered to the customer as a rolling chassis, with drivetrain installation done by the end user. Engine choices are either a 5.7L HEMI gas engine or a 2.8L common-rail Turbo Diesel engine.” Check out the rest of the article and a photo gallery here.
Sagen Media and Expedition Pictures have produced a video of the J8 Milspec in action. The video features EW’s Scott Brady behind the wheel. View it here.
Great looking vehicle!
- Chuck
Here’s another question and answer session I had with Graham Jackson. You may have read about his London to Cape Town expedition in the very first issue of Overland Journal. Graham is very involved with Overland Training and is also coordinating many of the educational aspects of the Expo.
Q: Name and location?
A: Graham Jackson and I am from Louisville, Colorado.
Q: What type of vehicle do you drive?
A: Land Rover Defender 110
Q: What sparked your interest in overlanding?
A: Sparked my interest in overlanding? I grew up doing it. My parents…I grew up in South Africa and my parents had Land Rovers. We went out to game parks on family vacations. That was it.
Q: What was the first overlanding vehicle you owned?
A: I owned? Land Rover Defender 90.
Q: What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had in your vehicle?
A: Driving from London to Cape Town. A nine month experience.
Q: What’s been your favorite/trip/region/location to drive in?
A: I’d say my favorite region is a toss up between Botswana and Mauritania. Specifically the Ocavanga. The wildlife is…everything is spactacular about it. It’s 4 wheel drive access only and very few tourists go there. The camps don’t have fences around them. In other words you can die, that’s what makes it fun.
Q:What do you think is the most exciting aspect of the overland expo?
A: I would say meeting all the cool people that are going to be there…like Jeremy Edgar. I’d like to meet that cat. I think it’s going to be all about the people. That and it will be a lot of stress off my shoulders.
Graham and his truck.
- Chuck
I’m back with another feature on the vehicles of Expeditions West. This is just another appetizer until the main course is served at the Overland Expo. Enjoy!
The G-Wagon
Scott and Stephanie’s G-Wagon. This is definitely a stylish rig - the boxy frame is as European as it gets. This vehicle was present on my Overland Training course and it is more then capable of pulling it’s weight.
ARB Branded H3
ARB Branded Jeep
These two beauties come from the fine folks at ARB. The H3 is a beast and check out the wheels on the Jeep.
2 Wheelers
Check out these bikes that just happen to be laying around the shop. Adventure motorcyclists aren’t going to be left out in the cold.
Work smarter, not harder.
Here we’ve got Bobby and Tim making sure the JP and James Roy’s Tacoma sparkle and glisten.
I hope everyone enjoys seeing what’s going on around the shop. Check back for more.
And don’t forget to follow the Expeditions West twitter at http://www.twitter.com/expeditionswest
Chuck
Greetings everybody, my name is Charlie Nordstrom and I’m going to be covering the Overland Expo for Scott. Check back daily for news, photos, interviews, and video leading up to and during the Expo.
The first Expedition Portal member dropped by today - Mr. Paul Robinson. Paul was able to sit down with me for a little question and answer session and stick around long enough for me to get some photos of his awesome vehicle.
Q: Alright, let’s get started. Can you tell us your name and where you’re from?
A: Paul Robinson from Houston, TX
Q: What’s the make and model of your vehicle?
A: 2006 Range Rover Sport
Q: What sparked your interest in overlanding?
A: I’ve always done a lot of road trips and a fair amount of traveling. The two kind of intersected one day and I decided that it was time for an SUV that could take me to places I had never been before. I learned about the off-highway piece by joining the Houston Land Rover Club. the guys in this club are very patient with new people. I started doing events and soon I started doing more extreme events and I started going further and further off-road.
Q: What was your first vehicle?
A: This one.
Q: What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had in your vehicle?
A: I had a very nice trip last year which was a combination of doing the Great Divide and going through places like Black Bear Pass and Poughkeepsie Gultch and the off-road trail near Ouray. then we went to Moab and did the White Rim Trail. we spent two days camping there. I have all the Clint Eastwood songs on my iPod and i put them on as I drove through the Canyonlands. that place is spectacular and I would go back there in a heartbeat.
Q:What’s your favorite region/trail/location to drive?
A: Anyplace with nice scenery. Mountains, desert, remote areas. The White Rim Trail.
Here’s the accompanying photo gallery:
I’d like to thank Paul for taking the time to drop by the shop and spend a little time here. I look forward to meeting many other Expedition Portal members.
For all you Twitterers out there, follow the official Expeditions West twitter account at: http://www.twitter.com/ExpeditionsWest .
-Chuck