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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
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Shelby Hall's New Racing Team Set To Debut At NORRA Mexican 1000
Shelby Hall has launched her own independent racing team called Shelby Hall Off-Road (SHO). Shelby Hall, third generation off-road driver and granddaughter of Off-Road Hall of Famer Rod Hall, has never shied away from an adventure. By the time she was born, Shelby's father and uncle were competing, and her mom was a part of the race team. Shelby's parents ran an off-road driving school, and she and her sister tagged along. Many times, Shelby's father Josh Hall took her for a spin in the school's racing truck, his daughter urging him to go faster. After years of driving with her grandfather and charting her own course as an off-road competitor at prestigious events like The Mint 400, the Rebelle Rally, and the Baja 1000, Shelby has launched her own racing team, Shelby Hall Off-Road (SHO). The new team is set to compete in the upcoming National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) Mexican 1000 with Shelby co-piloting a Ford Bronco DR with her teammate Brady Melin. "Racing is in my blood," Hall says. "It's an incredible feeling to launch my own team while carrying forward the traditions my grandfather established. The Mexican 1000 is where so much of our family history was written, and I'm honored to continue that legacy on these same challenging Baja trails." Shelby Hall and Brady Melin, co-drivers for the NORRA Mexican 1000. SHO's Ford Bronco DR is a limited-production, factory-built, off-road racer. The 4x4 is designed for high-speed desert racing, and Shelby and Brady will be putting it to the test as the first privateer team to race one. Brady isn't just Shelby's teammate; he is her significant other, and the two have spent quite a bit of time dreaming about this moment. 'I trust him with my life, and it's just going to be so much fun to to embark on this together,' Shelby says. 'We've been in the trenches working on this for a long time.' The SHO shop is in Huntington Beach, California, not too far from where Shelby and Brady live. 'Brady is super laid back,' Shelby says. 'I'm a little more high strung, and so I think that we compliment each other really well. We have a blast in the race car together; he feels comfortable with me and I feel comfortable with him.' Brady is also a master mechanic, and Shelby describes him as a 'MacGyver type" fix-it person. 'If you're out the desert and something goes wrong, he will be able to put something together to get us to our next pit,' Shelby says. Shelby Hall's off-road truck, the Ford Bronco DR. Shelby clearly loves being off road, and she adored hanging out with her late grandfather. They raced together and he pushed her to learn and excel in their family business. When he passed away in 2019, Shelby felt lost; Rod was her best friend, her mentor, and her business partner. Above all, he was her beloved Papa. 'Now I'm launching my very own team, which is something I've been dreaming about since I was a kid,' Shelby says. 'It's something that I didn't know if I'd ever be able to do with without my grandpa.' The back of Shelby's race truck reads 'honoring the legend Rob Hall' on the back. If Rod were still here on this Earth, he would surely be glowing with pride. 'Right before my grandfather died, I was hanging out with him and we were chatting about life,' Shelby remembers. 'He said, 'Shelby, how are we going to get you your own race team?' It would be so cool to be able to show him that I made it happen. And I think he would just be so excited to watch, follow along, and be our biggest cheerleader.' Watch for more from Shelby Hall Off-Road. She's well on her way on her own legendary journey.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Fast, Fun and Fabulous: Our Guide to Being a Car Girl
I'm not a car girl. I'm not obsessed, I don't change my own oil and I don't live for barn finds that I can restore. And the last time I tried to remove a lug nut I nearly ruined my back (not to mention my manicure). However, I love cars. I love to drive. I love discovering the new technology cars offer. I love meeting the women (and men) who are innovating the auto world and I love finding cars that make life better. This story is 100% human researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. So, I've become a car girl. I've learned how to view cars differently than enthusiasts do and appreciate what makes them interesting (hint: it's not all about horsepower and torque). I've learned to appreciate how they empower us as women, how the right car can make parenthood much easier, and how, as we've always known, a car can be the key to freedom. The modern definition of 'car girl' is very different than it might have been even a few years ago. And that's a good thing; everyone who spends $30K or $40K or more on a car should ensure that they love what they're spending their money on—not to mention valuable time in. So here is our guide to being a car girl. This may be the thing that makes many women—me included—turn off to car culture: The insistence that I need to change my own tires if I have a flat, if I need to replace a tire, if I need to swap out all seasons for winter tires. Anyone who says that is flat out wrong. Yes, you need to know how a tire is changed, what it costs and what is involved so your car is safe and don't get ripped off. This goes for oil changes, windshield wipers and any other routine maintenance and emergency issues. Having a plan for these things, such as a AAA membership or roadside assistance plan, is important. Trying to change a flat on the side of a busy highway is silly—and dangerous. Read: Easy Car Diagnosis & Repair: RepairPal to the Rescue Though we love it if you do. Some of our favorite car girls are not only handy with a toolbox, but they love being able to fix an issue, make an upgrade and the feeling of accomplishment that doing it yourself imparts. Annika Carter modifies and races her own cars. Bogi Lateiner builds cars from the ground up and leads a team of of car girls who work with her; her builds are features on TV shows and auto industry confabs. Shea Holbrook races and leads a team of women who race. Patrice Banks started her own all-female garage to both fix cars and teach women to fix cars. Read: 11 Common Car Maintenance and Repair Questions, and How to Know: Mechanic, Parts Store or DIY? From Rebelle Rally, the longest off-road rally in the US, and the most challenging as it doesn't allow phones or GPS, in which more than a hundred women compete each year, to female racers like Shea Holbrook, Loni Unser, Tatiana Calderón and Sara Price who defy the odds and the critics on the track, women are carving out a space in the sport. I'll admit, I love track driving. I mean really, really love it. But being in a field of cars moving at 100 MPH or more, trying to pass, watching the systems, tires and time, all at temperatures that can soar past 120 degrees and doing this for hours on end every day? That takes dedication I'm not sure I have. Which makes me admire these women all the more. And there are a lot of great stories these days. Consider Jaguar Land Rover, which, with $8 billion in investment from owner Tata Motors, rose out of the ashes of bad ownership experiences to be regarded as one of the most beautiful and most copied car brands. The Land Rover Defender inspired a whole new era of design and the Range Rover continues to be the dream car of the one percent. And consider Dodge, long the American muscle car icon, it had lagged in visibility behind the Ford Mustang and others until it took on the challenge, increasing power and performance in models like the Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye. Now, the Dodge Challenger Daytona is charing into the next era of performance with an electrified version that I can attest, is simply stunning. Car are an assemblage of a gazillion little details, from design language (think aerodynamic roof lines and muscular fenders) to safety and driving technology to cabin comforts. Then, there are nuances such as the difference between a turbo and supercharger (turbo draws extra power from the exhaust system, supercharger draws extra power from the engine) and each has its benefits and compromises (turbo is more fuel efficient than a supercharger). A car girl knows the details of her car's features and equipment, what each does and why they are good to have. From adaptive cruise to lane keep assist, head up display to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, know what features are offered on a model, those that are not and why it's good to have (or not). Many cars are offered in different engine sizes and the horsepower and torque output are important numbers to know. Horsepower represents speed and torque represents pep. Combined, they are the experience you have when hitting the accelerator: the car gets up to speed fast, or it takes its time. Smaller engines are great for in-town driving and fuel economy. But bigger engines are simply more fun. If you go for the thrill and power, know what it's capable of (towing capacity, for instance) and how to make it do that. Electric cars are the future of fun and efficiency. Electric-powered cars have one or two motors, though some have more, and are not only silent, but incredibly fast. And while some critics call them soulless, we can attest, that isn't true. Porsche Macan Electric, Dodge Challenger Daytona and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N all prove the contrary. From uber-popular SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe and the Hyundai Santa Fe, to brands with a lot of iterations—looking at you, Mercedes-Benz—it's important to understand what's in a name. Model name, specifically. Chevrolet's model lineups tend to be easy to follow, LS and LT are the basic models, RST adds sport details, Z71 adds off-road abilities and Premier and High Country are the top of the line. Mercedes-Benz models can get complicated and that's before you've considered AMG packages or actual AMG models. Like most car brands, trim names tend to apply across the brand. So with Hyundai, Calligraphy is the top model of Santa Fe and Palisade, though expect to see it on more trims in the future—it has proven quite popular. It's the car girl conundrum: we like a lot of cars. We may still need a Toyota Sienna or a Jeep Grand Cherokee L for carpools and road trips, and still want something that makes our soul soar. So, consider a purely fun car for those solo drives or dinner out with friends. A Nissan Z or a Mazda MX-5 not only looks great in the driveway but will make your time away from the kids all the more special. A luxury car sends a strong message: I can afford what I want. But don't take luxury for granted; luxury car features are more sophisticated and tech-focused than ever. Sure, a finely appointed interior with real leather upholstery and Alcantara suede are nice, but what other features are part of the package? Head up display? Night vision? Massaging seats? A supercharged engine? And, does the manual mode work with paddle shifters or the gear shifter, or do you have a choice? Driving a stick shift is a lot of fun. If you want to learn, don't be afraid to ask someone to teach you. Here's a guide to that, and also, what you need to know to prepare. And if you don't want to learn, that's OK too. A lot of men don't know how, either. If you do want to learn, it's best to have a manual transmission car to drive regularly—see above: second car in the driveway—so you never lose the skill. Here is our list of great inexpensive stick shift cars. People can get geeky about cars and their details, so it's OK to pick your level of interest and change the subject when you (or the person you're talking to) hit it. And, cars can get complicated; you might know more about yours than other people want to hear. Being a knowledgeable car girl and a fanatical enthusiast are not the same thing, whether you're talking about cars or the finer points of the Louis Vuitton Speedy. More must-reads: Tasks Are More Fun in the 2023 Polaris Ranger Crew XP 1000 Texas Edition Road Trip: Discover the Treasures of Southwest Virginia
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Meet Sara Price: Stuntwoman, X-Games Medalist, and Dakar Rally Competitor
She started competing in motocross events when she was just 8 years old, and now she's racing across the desert on a team funded by none other than mega movie star Will Smith. She's won the X-Games, raced off-road and performed movie stunts: driver Sara Price, 32, turned pro half a lifetime ago at 16, now driving four-wheeled vehicles in world class competitions. All along, she says, running the epic Dakar Rally has been her dream. In 2024, Sara finally reached Dakar as an independent and made a name for herself as the first American woman to win a stage. In the process, she also caught the attention of power sports company Can-Am and competed for their factory team in the 2025 Dakar Rally. The Dakar spans 5,000 miles and 14 days of relentless desert terrain across Saudi Arabia, a notoriously challenging feat. This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. The Dakar Rally requires not just focus but obsessive attention to detail to figure out where to collect points and where to go next. 'The Dakar Rally is the pinnacle of off-road, period,' Sara says. 'It's the toughest race in the world. To get there and experience and do it, there is nothing that comes close to it.' She's not kidding. The dunes seem endless against the Arabian sky, and sand is strewn everywhere. Competitors are exhausted, physically and mentally, and tension can run high. 'It's two weeks of unrelenting misery,' agrees Ford's Jay Ward, who works closely with Ford's Dakar team. Still, that doesn't stop people like Sara from going out there and proving they can finish. She says one mistake she often sees is when competitors push too hard and don't anticipate the long haul. She's focused not on being the first vehicle out of the gate, but gaining on the competitors in front of her. Read: Rebelle Rally: Empowering Women Off Road Dakar Rally is Sara's priority, her everything, her dream come true, she says. She intends to win the Dakar Rally at some point. Meanwhile, Sara is working on her winter gig: racing electric hydrofoil boats. She grew up at the crossroads of desert terrain and a watersports-ready river, and now Sara and Ricky own a property they named Rip and Dip Ranch. 'We rip across the desert and then take a dip in the river,' Sara says with a grin. 'Being able to race boats and cars really is the dream.' She doesn't simply relax and enjoy a casual boat race, though. Sara's team owner, actor Will Smith, star of movies like The Pursuit of Happyness, Enemy of the State, and Hitch, has skin in the game. He doesn't race with them, but Sara says she gets him into the boat every now and then. Read: I Went Off-Roading in the New 2024 Jeep Wrangler, and It Blew My Mind Piloting two and four-wheel racing machines across multiple terrains is one thing – Sara's also an entrepreneur as part owner of the Rip and Dip Ranch and her own off-road motorsports team. This multi-talented motorsports competitor made history as the first-ever factory-supported female racer under Monster Energy Kawasaki before taking on the Dakar. Even with a lot of experience and notoriety under her belt, Sara had to work hard to secure a sponsorship for the desert rally. To compete in Dakar, the budget you need is 'astronomical', Sara says. Finding a partnership for financial and moral support was key. She says being patient and trusting the process got her through it, and in the end, Can-Am signed her to a team. 'This has been a dream of mine since 2015, and I spent every dollar in my bank account to get here,' Sara says. 'You never know what's going to get thrown my way. There's no guide for being completely prepared. Read: From Marketing to Speed – Shea Holbrook Ob What It Takes to Cross the Finish Line When she's not piloting a powerful side-by-side in the middle of the desert, Sara is a stunt driver for movies, television, and commercials. Did you see Jumanji: The Next Level, starring The Rock and Jack Black? Sara was the stunt motorcycle rider for Karen Gillen, who played Ruby Roundhouse in the movie. It's clear this stunt professional/rally driver/boat racer is a tenacious, driven woman. And while she makes it look easy, it's anything but. 'I wish more people would ask about what it really takes,' Sara says. 'People don't get to see the back end, and behind the scenes, it's a lot of work they don't see.' I have a feeling we're going to see a lot more of Sara's success in the coming years. And we'll know just a fraction of the hard work she's completing to get there. More must-reads: Tasks Are More Fun in the 2023 Polaris Ranger Crew XP 1000 Texas Edition Road Trip: Discover the Treasures of Southwest Virginia
