Very nicely done! Can’t wait for updates!

The US Military used 200 series models in Afghanistan. I don’t think they were bare bones (they usually had “GXR” badges on them), but they weren’t as pimped out as the US ‘Cruisers. Of course they looked all the more badass with the up-armoring, bullet-proof windows, sniper ports, IED jamming antennas, snorkels, etc.…

“A giant middle finger to physics.” I love this guy!!! And Dubai is freaking awesome! The video title claims to be from Saudi Arabia, but the principle is the same and this is the most insane sand drag save I’ve ever seen. Watch as this Patrol starts to lose it near the peak of the dune. As he starts to roll, watch…

Hey! X-Type!

Gawd thank you!!!

Could not agree more! I probably love this movie more than I should.

Sweet X-Type

Except for the Bentley headlights, that upper center grill opening just makes me think of the Mitsuoka Orochi. Yeah, obviously the nose is different, but the “face” just makes me think of the fish-faced Orochi. Weird.

There’s always going to be “upper class” cars that are X years old and now are priced accessibly (thinking of the E39 or Tavarish’s S-Classes), and I think those will generally remain “classy”, but I don’t think they fit the target of a modern “classless” vehicle. The first key, I think, is that it’s accessible to the…

Could not agree more. Obviously the size aspect was a consideration that I would love for the US market to get away from, but it is what it is. I spent a couple of years in Kandahar, Afghanistan driving a mix of D4D and 2.7 VVTI 5 speed Hiluxes and RHD Hilux Surf (JDM 4Runner) SUVs on base. Those Hiluxes were…

Dat Surf sounds like an older version of the ones we drove in Kandahar...loved those things! Mostly gas V6 models, but a few diesels. The RHD was rarely an issue, even with the manual vehicles (mainly Hiluxes). At first confusion between the wiper stalk and signal stalk, but the big weird element was backing up,…

Correct. According to my Google-fu, the gen-1 Tacoma (MY '95-'04) was essentially a rebadged Hilux, as the USDM Toyota Pickup was before it. Starting with the MY '05 versions of the Hilux and Tacoma, they diverged. Obviously different bodies, interiors and powertrains, but the Taco moved to the new 4Runner's platform,…

Musk, Tim Cook, or Belichick. I actually can't disagree with any of these three or your rationale for choosing them. Nicely done.

Except for the fact that the Hilux and Tacoma are on different platforms with different bodies, interiors and powertrains. I'd rather have the Hilux. Smaller, and the D4D/5m is fun in the dirt.

Good luck trying to kill it. The only weak spot I've come across on that vintage 4Runner is the control arm/ball joints. The dust in Kandahar was notorious for infiltrating every nook and cranny of these vehicles, which consisted mainly of ex-JDM Hilux Surfs, some USDM 4Runners, and a ton of JDM Prados. The saying was…

Beautiful! Nicely done!

OMFG that is hysterical! Please, someone make that logo!!!

As others have noted, in a segment review or comparo, this format works very well.

Dubai is simply insanely epic! As an urban planner, I get to geek out on development projects like the Burj Khalifa, the Mall of Dubai (yes, it is the world’s largest mall...the 2nd largest mall is the Mall of Emirates, about 10 km south on Sheik Zayed Road), and the Palm Jumeriah Island. As a car geek, sweet baby…

Yeah, northbound I-5 is generally a crawl from Del Mar up to Camp Pendleton (and further, if the Border Patrol is running the checkpoint). Southbound has its slow points, but nowhere as consistently painful as northbound.