Articles

  • RealTruck Releases BAK Revolver X4ts Cover

    RealTruck Releases BAK Revolver X4ts Cover

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    RealTruck, Inc., a leader in the production of functional aftermarket accessories and a popular online destination for truck, Jeep®, Bronco®, and off-road enthusiasts, and a partner on our ongoing 2018 Lexus GX460 build project, has unveiled its latest product, the BAK Revolver X4ts bed cover. This innovative cover, designed for a variety of pickup trucks,…

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  • Why are two Byton K-Byte prototypes sitting in a California driveway?

    Why are two Byton K-Byte prototypes sitting in a California driveway?

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    Co-founder of Hooniverse Tim Odell lives in Fremont, California. While walking through his neighborhood, he noticed something a bit off in one of the driveways. There sits not one but two Byton K-Byte prototypes. What the hell is going on here? Byton was a Chinese company headquartered in Nanjing, China. It was started by former…

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  • 2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar Quick Review: Form Over Function

    2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar Quick Review: Form Over Function

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    If the Range Rover is the financial statement of a vehicle in Land Rover’s ever-growing catalog, then the Velar is a fashion statement. Everything about the Velar’s existence comes by way of or at the expense of form over function, which manifests in its glorious curb appeal while simultaneously shooting itself in the foot on…

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  • My ’67 Ford Mustang Project NONWICK: Engine OUT!

    My ’67 Ford Mustang Project NONWICK: Engine OUT!

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    I wasn’t planning on pulling it this day. But when I glanced in the engine bay, I could see that the only things keeping it connected to the car were a linkage and the engine mounts. So I hooked up my hoist, removed the remaining connected bits, and started cranking. And here we are… the…

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  • 2018 Lexus GX460 Build Project: Talons Garage Skid Plates

    2018 Lexus GX460 Build Project: Talons Garage Skid Plates

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    An off-road vehicle is nothing if it can’t survive the time it spends on the trail. Armor, specifically in the form of skid plates and rock sliders, are vital pieces of protection for the vehicle’s drivetrain and running gear. While some vehicles come armored to the gills bone stock, the Lexus GX460’s factory protection is…

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  • 2024 BMW X5 M Competition Quick Review: A Practical Monster

    2024 BMW X5 M Competition Quick Review: A Practical Monster

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    Fast SUVs used to be the laughing stock of the enthusiast world, vehicles deemed silly and pointless, but they’ve been a hot topic for well over a decade now. The first BMW X5 M launched in 2010, a time when a performance-oriented family hauler meant tradeoffs galore for a mediocre outcome, but the vehicle has…

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  • 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N: Street and Track, Ready

    2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N: Street and Track, Ready

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    If you were thinking of getting a daily driver that you could also take to the track, I’m sure for most of you reading this, an EV isn’t part of that discussion. Hyundai wants to change the conversation, though, and thus the automaker has cooked up an EV for the enthusiast. At least, that’s the…

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  • 6th generation toyota 4runner debuts as 2025 model with new Trailhunter trim

    6th generation toyota 4runner debuts as 2025 model with new Trailhunter trim

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    The last time the world saw an all-new Toyota 4Runner was only a few months into President Obama’s first term. Obviously a lot has transpired since then, but the 5th generation 4Runner endured from 2009 through 2024 largely unchanged short of trim, tech, suspension, and appearance changes; at its core, the truck remained very much…

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  • Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound – Surprisingly Great Off-Road

    Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound – Surprisingly Great Off-Road

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    The Defender 130 was initially the JLR truck that piqued my interest the least. That’s because the 110 is the perfect size for me personally. I don’t need or want a three-row SUV, but more cargo room is a nice thing to have. So, the arrival of the D130 in Outbound spec has caught my…

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  • 2024 Nissan Frontier Hardbody Edition Review: midsize truck time capsule

    2024 Nissan Frontier Hardbody Edition Review: midsize truck time capsule

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    Retro is all the rage, perhaps now more than ever. The new Mustang has 1980s Fox Body gauges, the new Land Cruiser harkens back to its ancestors, the new Nissan Z has 300zx-influenced taillights, and so on. Given the strong sense of nostalgia in the automotive community as of late, it’s unsurprising that Nissan draped…

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  • 2024 Lexus TX 500h F Sport AWD: Review

    2024 Lexus TX 500h F Sport AWD: Review

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    Sometimes, in this business, you see a model name come across your desk and think, “Meh, I already had that.” In this case I just reviewed the 2024 Lexus TX 350 a few months ago. However, this TX 500h F Sport Performance Luxury is a different thing altogether. Well, I mean, it’s the same, but…

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  • 2024 Honda Passport Trailsport AWD: Review

    2024 Honda Passport Trailsport AWD: Review

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    The Overland market is huge and growing at the moment. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus on a dollar figure, but it’s estimated that around 30-40 million people are into the trend worldwide. Kamil and I spent the weekend with some other journalist types at Overland East a few years ago, and it was…

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  • 2024 New York Auto Show – Photo Dump

    2024 New York Auto Show – Photo Dump

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    Remember auto shows? The big auto shows like Detroit, L.A., Chicago? Perhaps Geneva or Munich? Yeah, in the last six years or so they got greatly reduced. I blame the speed of the media, instant access to news, lazy auto journalists, and cheap auto makers. And that killed the attendance, too. But the shows still…

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  • Everything that’s wrong with my 2003 Lexus GX470

    Everything that’s wrong with my 2003 Lexus GX470

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    In the studio pictures I shared in my original post about this new to me Lexus GX 470, this beast of a machine looked impressive. But things are not always what they seem. No matter what the seller may say, there will always be some additional issues with a car that is over two decades…

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  • 2023 Dodge Hornet GT Plus AWD: Review

    2023 Dodge Hornet GT Plus AWD: Review

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    It’s been over a decade since Dodge has had a compact SUV in its lineup. The Dodge Nitro left showrooms in 2012, leaving a hole in the smol-SUV segment. Dodge is part of Stellantis, which means they have access to the FCA Small Wide LWB 4×4 platform. It has been the basis for the Jeep…

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  • 1967 Ford Mustang Project NONWICK – Pt 3: Removing the Transmission

    1967 Ford Mustang Project NONWICK – Pt 3: Removing the Transmission

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    I’m diving more deeply into any past project I’ve owned, at least while under my own supervision. My 1967 Ford Mustang is now separated from its radiator, starter, driveshaft, exhaust, and now the transmission. It took a few days of work, mostly because I’ve got a full plate of other work, a day job, a…

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