Latest news with #Hell'sRevenge
Edmunds
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- Edmunds
The Toyota 4Runner, Land Cruiser and Tacoma Turned Hell's Revenge Into a Piece of Cake
Three Toyota off-roaders vs. one challenging trail Despite being fairly new to off-roading, I was able to safely traverse all the obstacles and different terrains I encountered in all three Toyotas I drove. The Land Cruiser and the 4Runner TRD Off-Road Premium are the two vehicles that can be pitted directly against each other. Both vehicles are SUVs and ride on Toyota's TNGA-F platform with the same suspension setup and hybrid powertrain. I also drove the Tacoma TRD Pro, which bears many similarities to its siblings but in truck form. Hell's Revenge hits you with a stunning challenge right off the bat: a narrow uphill path — also called a fin — that welcomes you at the trailhead. From the parking lot, the hill looks intimidating, but once you initiate the climb, you instantly begin to enjoy the ride and appreciate your surroundings. Every obstacle we encountered shouldn't be taken lightly because the consequences can be severe. Soon after descending, we came across uneven ground with rocks and boulders on both sides and a narrow path that served as the ideal route to avoid damage. All three trucks put their suspension systems to work and wheeled through this without any fuss. As we kept motoring along, we came across boulders and steep hills we had to carefully climb to reach higher points and continue. The Toyotas once again got up and over with ease. The Land Cruiser's 32-degree approach angle came in handy in these instances because it avoided hitting most obstacles altogether. The 4Runner's significantly lower approach angle — 19 degrees — was noticeable as I tapped the front skid plate more than once. Departure angles on all three vehicles were sufficient, but one thing that irked me was the rear mud flaps on the Land Cruiser. Every single time we had a steep descent and came to flat ground, the mud flaps would make contact. Of course, those can be removed, and I highly suggest you do so if you plan on taking it off-roading. The Tacoma is longer than its SUV siblings, but it still managed to get through tight spaces and turns with the only issue being the trailer hitch that kept scraping on steep drops.
Motor 1
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
It's a Jeep Thing. I Finally Understand
"Turn hard passenger. Ease it up, steady, steady on the throttle. Keep it going, let the Jeep do the work!" That's Nena Barlow, multi-time Rebelle Rally champion and professional off-road instructor, guiding me up a particularly hairy climb on Moab's infamous Hell's Revenge trail. At least, I think that's what she's saying—it's hard to hear with the blood pumping in my ears. This isn't an automaker's off-road test track, one specifically designed to show off a new model's prowess while keeping everybody safe in the process. This is legit Utah slickrock, with rubber marks rising and falling along sandstone ridges, often with two-hundred-foot drop-offs on either side. Barlow's first words of advice? "Look straight ahead. Don't look down." I take them to heart. Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 I'm driving a four-door 2025 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe with cloth seats. It lacks the disconnectable swaybars, front-facing camera, and locking front differential many other Jeeps on the trail have, but the 4xe hybrid still has no problem climbing, crawling, and crunching along the trail in near-silence—punctuated only by metallic thuds and pings as I clumsily bang the Jeep's armor-plated belly on rock ledges. I lose track of how many times this happens; Barlow assures me that at crawling speeds, I'm not doing any harm. Still, I'm squeamish about damaging the $62,520 Wrangler. At this point, I should admit: I've never been a fan of the Jeep Wrangler. As cars, they're primitive, often expensive (see: $62,520 for cloth seats), and require constant steering corrections just to drive straight at highway speeds. And that's the point, apparently. Jeep owners, I thought, were mall-crawling bro-dozers willing to put up with awful driving dynamics, bare-bones interiors, and a steering phenomenon called "death wobble" in order to park atop snowbanks at Wal-Mart. As the saying goes, it's a Jeep thing. I didn't understand. Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Enter Moab. An adventurous town of 5,000 full-time residents, hemmed in by two national parks, Moab is a world-class destination for hiking, mountain biking, and taking pretty Instagram pictures of rocks. But every Easter weekend, its population quintuples as roughly 20,000 Jeeps descend from across the continent. On the Hell's Revenge loop alone, I saw license plates from as far away as Vermont, Minnesota, and British Columbia. Moab is as central to Jeep's identity as perhaps any other place, including the beaches of Normandy and Stellantis' world headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Red Rock 4x4 Club has organized the core Easter Jeep Safari event for 59 straight years, and each year for the past two decades or so, Jeep corporate tricks out drivable concept cars for the event. But it's more than a party or a car show. Jeep brings its vehicles and accessories here for trail testing, as well as gathers customer feedback. It's here, out on the trail, where I start to understand why the Jeep is such a beloved icon. Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of brightly painted Jeeps pass our slow-moving convoy, giving waves of appreciation as we pull over to let them by. The builds are deeply individual, and several even have names stickered on hoods and windows. Plenty of folks brought the family—kids and dogs range in mood from tail-wagging enthusiasm to utter exhaustion. But out here, everyone is family. Tools, snacks, and stories flow back and forth, and the audience on Hell's Gate's 'Hecklers' Hill' cheer for each Jeep (and even a daring Bronco) that makes the climb. It's easy to be cynical about all this. An event that centers around the ownership of an expensive, limited-purpose vehicle is inherently exclusive. And Jeep brought me to its flagship cultural event in hopes I'd walk away with a positive opinion of its brand. But perhaps more than any other car event I've taken part in, Easter Jeep Safari seems to transcend materialism in search of something greater: Genuine community rooted in shared experience. There are night trail rides to stargazing spots and sunset campground barbecues. With the picturesque cliffs of Moab as a backdrop, there's a lot of just hanging out to enjoy. Given our intensely work-focused culture, I get why people come back here year after year, just to disconnect for a few days with friends. There's also a lot less bench racing and stat-sheet obsession than I've observed in the sports car scene. The only metric that matters here is 'did you make it up the hill?' And really, all these Jeeps are capable enough to answer affirmatively. Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 Jeep let us off-road its hand-built concept cars on a short loop trail, which tells you everything you need to know. What other automaker would assemble a group of journalists, toss them the keys to a fleet of unproven cars, point at a rock ledge and say, 'Have at it?' Eyebrow-raising name aside, I loved the J6 Honcho, a two-door pickup with a six-foot bed. It looks like a shortened Gladiator, but in reality, it rides on a four-door Wrangler platform. But my favorite was the Bug Out, a stripped-down Gladiator 4xe outfitted with power banks and a hammock for ultralight camping. Overlanding builds typically pack everything and the kitchen sink, and a lightweight camper with everything you need and nothing you don't is a statement on leaving no trace. Photo by: Jeep Photo by: Jeep Photo by: Jeep The more I drove the production Jeeps, the more I liked them, too. From the full-bore roar of the Wrangler 392 to the near-silent rock crawling of the 4xe, each variant had its own distinct charm and personality. In a world of homogenous, interchangeable crossover blobs, a Wrangler says its owner is adventurous, proud, and maybe a little stubborn. Who doesn't, on some level, want their car to make a statement about them? In recent years, Jeep has leaned into its military heritage to an extent that I would call "cringe." But with concepts like the Bug Out, Jeep proves it can look forward to a more hopeful America, not just wistfully back. Forget the "angry Jeep eyes;" the Wrangler is a deeply optimistic vehicle, and one we need right now. In many ways, the Wrangler represents an America we collectively no longer believe in, and that's a shame. No, it's not a particularly good car, at least if your daily commute consists of highways rather than mud bogs. But I respect its capability and commitment to what it stands for. So I won't roll my eyes when I see a Jeep trundling along at 50 on the highway (as long as it's in the right lane). I won't groan about inefficiency, loose steering, or a lack of amenities. There are many 4x4s, but only one Jeep, for better and for worse. And I finally understand why. Photo by: Maddox Kay | Motor1 The Latest From Jeep 2026 Jeep Compass: Everything We Know 2025 Jeep Wagoneer Overland Edition Is the One You Want Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Forbes
11-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Take A Look At This Year's Crop Of Wild Jeep Concepts
Jeep's array of seven new vehicle concepts. It's that time of year again: the 59th annual Easter Jeep Safari kicks off on April 12 in Moab, Utah and it's guaranteed to be a spectacular time. With features like Hell's Revenge and Poison Spider carved from Navajo sandstone, Moab trail riders will find everything from easy-breezy to super-challenging options. Jeep likes to take the temperature up a notch with a new batch of concept vehicles every year, and the 2025 version doesn't disappoint. Seven all-new custom Jeep 4x4 concept builds debut at Easter Jeep Safari this year, giving the brand a chance to show off its creative chops. Jeep calls Moab its 'home away from home' and is offering sponsor trail rides in partnership with Red Rock 4-Wheelers club on Tuesday, April 15 (Hell's Revenge) and Wednesday, April 16 (Steel Bender). Take a look at these seven concepts, starting with my favorite: Jeep Rewind Concept If you were a teenager in the 80s in and 90s, you're going to love the Rewind Concept. Wrapped in Grimace purple exterior paint color with custom graphics, the Rewind is splashed with custom retro print inserts that will look 'gag me with a spoon' to some and 'totally awesome' to others. Equipped with a 2.4-liter inline-four engine and a custom mesh sun bonnet, this is open-air freedom at its retro best. Jeep Blueprint Concept Festooned with 35-plus accessories, all labeled with QR codes that lead to the Mopar eStore site and their corresponding part numbers and specs, the Blueprint Concept is a showcase for options. It also includes a Warn winch, 37-inch wheels, tube doors, a snorkel kit, Katzkin leather seat covers, and more. Jeep J6 Honcho Concept The J6 Honcho Concept starts with a two-inch lift kit, 17-inch bronze wheels, and 37-inch BFGoodrich KM3 mud terrain tires. It also includes a box that's 12 inches longer than the standard Gladiator bed. Jeep says it mixes the classic late 1970s Jeep Honcho theme with cJeep Performance Parts and accessories from Mopar. Jeep Gladiator High Top Honcho Concept Staying in the 1970s theme, the Gladiator High Top Honcho Concept includes a DECKED truck bed storage system, a modified front bumper from American Expedition Vehicles, and a color-matched hardtop. Inside, the High Top Honcho sports tan-and-black leather seats, a bright pedal kit, and door sill guards. It has custom painted steel wheels and massive 40-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires, which makes it extra rugged. Especially with the AccuAir adjustable air suspension. Jeep Bug Out 4xe Concept To 'bug out' means to take off, or depart quickly. Jeep's Bug Out 4xe Concept is ready to do just that with a focus on lightweighting. Designed to be a mobile campsite, the Bug Out 4xe Concept is extended by 12 inches with a Jeep Gladiator-style drop tailgate and high-departure rear tube bumper and front half doors. Here's the really fun part, though: it includes a Jeep electric off-road E-scooter that gets up to 40 minutes of continuous use. Jeep Convoy Concept Finished in special-edition matte Ghost Ops exterior paint, the Convoy Concept has chocolate brown canvas half doors and top/bed canopy. Its 40-inch BFG Krawler tires are made for serious off-roading and the 12,000-lb. Warn Zeon winch seals the deal. Jeep Wrangler 4xe Sunchaser Concept This one, I think, is the prettiest one, with a solar flash and satin black two-tone exterior and two-inch lift kit. The roof storage rack looks good in black and adds smart functionality to the Jeep Wrangler 4xe Sunchaser Concept. Even the lighting is a concept: the off-road pivoting light bar accessory concept keeps the trail illuminated.
USA Today
09-03-2025
- Business
- USA Today
In this National Park gateway, Trump's cuts, tariff threats inject uncertainty
In this National Park gateway, Trump's cuts, tariff threats inject uncertainty Show Caption Hide Caption What government layoffs at U.S. national parks mean for your next trip The National Parks Service reported 331.9 million visits in 2024, a record high. But the White House has slashed jobs, which could affect travelers. MOAB, Utah ‒ In a normal year, the streets of this picturesque desert town would be filled with SUVs loaded with camping gear, tall-tired Jeeps, mountain bikes ‒ and Canadians. This is not a normal year. "I know lots of people who come fairly regularly. And they're not coming this year," said Stephen Krause, 51, a Canadian tourist from Alberta after parking his Lexus SUV at the grocery store. All along Main Street, the story is the same: Businesses are reporting a significant drop in Canadian tourists angered by President Donald Trump's on-again, off-again tariff plans and his talk of making Canada the 51st state. And potential American visitors are also canceling or worrying about the impact of federal job cuts on nearby Arches and Canyonlands national parks, which draw 3.6 million visitors annually. Trump's initial layoffs, with the promise of dramatically more to come, have shaken some members of this outdoorsy community, where about 6,300 federal employees are spread across the 3rd Congressional District. Advocates worry about damage to National Parks, dirty restrooms and traffic jams around popular attractions, including trails like Hell's Revenge, the Whole Enchilada or Metal Masher. "There's been a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth," said Lorenzo McGregor, 45, the co-owner of Tex's Riverways, which boats canoers and backpackers down the Colorado River into otherwise inaccessible parts of Canyonlands. McGregor said he's been getting a steady stream of cancellations from Canadian visitors citing Trump's cuts or threatened tariffs, estimating about $10,000 in losses already. He hopes the impact on tourism will be short-lived but is making plans to adapt operations if necessary. But others are heartened by the cuts, which they hope will lighten the federal government's sometimes-heavy local footprint. They want the job cuts to be the first step in rolling back some federal oversight of public lands, private development and energy development, especially when it comes to where people can drive their off-road vehicles, a longtime sore spot. Moab got its big start during the uranium boom following World War II, when hundreds of Geiger-counter-wielding prospectors built roads and dug mines to extract the element U92, which by law they could sell only to the federal government. Many of those roads are now off-road trails. Where some public lands advocates cheer when Democratic presidents have named new national monuments and assigned federal workers to manage them, some Utah conservatives remain angry at those moves, hearkening back to the Sagebrush Rebellion invoked by President Ronald Reagan, among others. Like many business owners who deal with federal officials in the area, McGregor said he'd love to see the government reduce what he considers to be unnecessary paperwork and oversight. He's just not sure Trump's cuts are the most effective approach. As an example, he said his newly signed Park Service concessionaire permit requires him to log onto a government website to buy a $6 permit every time he launches a boat to ferry people into Canyonlands ‒ even though the overall permit already governs how often he can launch boats. "I 100% understand the perspective that the government needs to be more responsive," McGregor said. "I just don't know if a Roman salute and a sledgehammer is the right way to go about it." Looking forward to the feds doing 'less with less' As in many western states, Utah has long chafed under the thumb of the federal government, which owns about 68% of the state's land. State lawmakers have periodically floated proposals to force the federal government to turn some of that land over to them or sell it off for development. Portions of that include internationally known parks like Arches, Zion and Bryce Canyon, but also vast tracts of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land, where development and oil extraction are largely banned. The Biden administration sought to further limit development on those lands, angering many locals who believe their economy would be better if they could diversify. Although the 10,000 residents of Moab's Grand County supported Kamala Harris over Trump in the presidential election, Trump won Utah as whole with nearly 60% of the vote, and many elected officials support his efforts to shrink the federal bureaucracy. Congresswoman Celeste Maloy, a Republican who represents the western half of Utah, said that while people often complain about the federal government having to do more work with fewer people, "I'd like to see agencies do less with less." The Blue Ribbon Coalition, a group of outdoor-oriented businesses and advocates, has long battled with the federal government over access to public lands. The coalition has repeatedly sued to force agencies like the BLM over management plans that restrict vehicular access in favor of preserving wilderness. Executive director Ben Burr said he's got lots of friends working for federal agencies, and doesn't want to see people lose their jobs. But the coalition also wants a dramatic shift in land managers' "culture of no," Burr said. "The bottom line is we want these agencies run by great people taking care of the resources we all like to go out and enjoy," he said. "Too often, they see their job prioritizing dirt over everything else. And so you're prioritizing dirt over the American people. They have a big course correction they need to make." Dependent on seasonal tourism About 40,000 federal workers are stationed in Utah, and Trump's cuts have trimmed about 10,000 of those jobs so far, according to some estimates. Before the cuts, there were about 150 permanent and seasonal employees at Arches and Canyonlands, along with regional supervisors for the Park Service, Forest Service and BLM. The average federal employee's salary is about $106,000, according to the Office of Personnel Management and they represent a consistent inflow of income to a county heavily reliant on seasonal tourism. "It's a big story in our town because we're so dependent on federal lands," said Ashley Korenblat, the president of the Moab Chamber of Commerce. Korenblat is also a recreation consultant who co-owns Western Spirit Cycling Adventures. She said the company has already lost at least one $10,000 booking from longtime Canadian customers angry about Trump's tariffs and threats, and she worries more cancellations are coming. And she said the permit coordinator the company works with in Yellowstone National Park got fired or laid off in one of Trump's recent cuts. For outfitters, restaurateurs and hoteliers still climbing out of the COVID-19 pandemic's impacts, the cuts have generated significant uncertainty. It's not just that their friends and neighbors have lost jobs but that tourists who are now making summer vacation plans might not come if they think the parks won't be well run. "I think you're going to see the parks without enough services. It's not going to be good," said Kursat Gokalp, 43, who has owned the Nuclear Bean Coffee Co. food truck since 2018. "If there's no enforcement, no rangers, places might get trashed … (and) if it's trashed, people won't come." After announcing the fulltime Park Service staffing cuts, Trump said he wants to hire about 7,700 seasonal workers this summer, significantly more than the normal number of about 6,300 seasonals hired to help clean toilets, manage campgrounds, direct traffic and collect entrance fees. Despite that promise, the uncertainty lingers. "We were really hoping things would turn around this year," said Steven Allred, 38, the co-owner of 4x4 rental service Moab Tour Company. "People might assume the national parks will be shut down. That's my biggest concern: By far the majority of people who come to this town do something that's connected to the national parks." Allred said in the summer, it would be common to hear French, German and Spanish being spoken inside one of the town's two grocery stores, but those international tourists have been dropping for the past several years, a combination of pandemic travel restrictions and a change of advertising focus by town leaders. He worries what the rest of 2025 will look like for his business. "I'm very hopeful that people won't let this short-term affect them," he said. "There needs to be a little more foresight before you blanket fire people." Tax dollars well spent Inside Arches, which is about five times the size of Manhattan island, there's little obvious sign of Trump's cuts. Later this year the park will shift to a Disneyland-style timed entry system, but for now there's just a single ranger staffing the entrance gate and the visitor center opens at 9 a.m daily. Some of the toilets are closed off with orange cones or other barriers, but there's no sign explaining why. During two days of driving and hiking around the park, a USA TODAY reporter never saw a uniformed ranger or law enforcement officer on patrol, although workers cleaned the toilets each morning and graded a dirt road. The 51-spot Devil's Garden campground is essentially fully booked for the season already, managed by contractors who live on site. Each day, even during the current slow season, hundreds of visitors entered the park to marvel at the eroded sandstone features that include Balanced Rock, the Windows and the most iconic site, the 46-foot high Delicate Arch, reached via a 1.5-mile hike across bare rock and sand. Phoenix tourists Jeannine Acantilado, 62, and Dr. Steven Wolinsky, 61, stopped at the park with their son on a drive back from Colorado. The couple say they have visited many national parks, and while they generally support the idea of trimming the size of government, they worry about park safety and maintenance due to cuts. Wolinsky, making his first visit to Arches, said he's consistently impressed with how well run the National Park system is, given how little it costs, and fondly remembers a recent visit to Zion National Park, further west in Utah. "I thought as a taxpaying American I could get into the park for $35 and get shuttled around – that's a great value," said Wolinsky, a cardiologist. "I felt like my tax dollars were well spent."
