ICON CJ series

You may remember my SUV Showdown poll last July, in which the Land Rover Defender crushed the competition as the best SUV on and off the road. On my wrap up post, I mentioned one of my personal favorites, the FJ series by ICON. ICON is a Los Angeles-based company which takes old Toyota Land Cruisers, strips them down to their frames, and completely rebuilds them with all new components. Old Land Cruisers are amazing on their own, but these are simply incredible.

I recently noticed that ICON is now offering a line of CJs. CJs (including the most well-known models, the CJ-7 and CJ-8) were civilian versions of the Willys jeep, and the predecessor of the Jeep Wrangler. Like FJs, CJs are awesome in their own right, but the ICON versions are true off-road monsters.

Like the ICON FJs, the CJs are available in both "old school" and "new school" styles.

Old school

New school

Interested in one? Hopefully you've got pretty good credit because the two CJs that are currently available for sale on the website are $96,000 and $101,000, respectively. If that's a bit of sticker shock for you, just look at some more awesome pictures and wish for the day that you finally win the lottery.

Volvo 850R

Most people would consider the Volvo 850 to be a pretty mundane (yet somewhat preppy) grocery-getter. Nothing to really take note of other than its unremarkableness. However, from 1995 to 1997, Volvo released a special edition of the 850, the 850R, that was a bit more of a head-turner.

The 850R (known as the T-5R when it was introduced in 1995), had a more race-like body kit, a larger spoiler on the back, a sport suspension, Alacantra suede and leather seats, 17-inch alloy rims, and a turbo engine that was tuned to 240 HP--18 higher than the 850 T-5's 222 HP. The T-5R is perhaps best known for the cream yellow color that it was offered in, but the 1996 and 1997 models were only available in black, red, and white. But really, what other colors could you want? Plus, it was available in a wagon (though I prefer the sedan).

I had the pleasure of owning one of these for a couple of years. A black one. I have to say, I loved that car, and would love to get one back some day. However, the combination of low-profile tires and the ten year old sport suspension were not a good match for the awful pot-holed roads of Birmingham, and the car really took a beating. Plus, taking it into the shop every six weeks or so for some $300 repair wasn't the kind of thing I was looking for as a college student/recent college grad.

I have one picture that I took with the car before I sold it, and tried to find it to post here, but couldn't track it down. I hope that you enjoy looking at the rest of these photos, though (which are not mine).

Porsche 944

Photo credit here

If I were in the all-too-common scenario where someone offered to give me my choice of any non-911 Porsche (not including the Cayman), my choice, hands-down, would be the 944.

Photo credit here

Built between 1982 and 1991, this car just oozes 80s awesomeness, without being as obnoxious as other 80s sports cars like the Lamborghini Countach. While it isn't as fast the 928, it does come in a turbo version, and seems like it would make a great daily driver with plenty of fun leftover.

Photo credit here

Besides, if it was good enough for Jake Ryan in Sixteen Candles, how can you go wrong?

SUV Showdown: Land Rover comes out on top

(I misplaced the image credit for this; if this is yours, let me know)

With 35 votes or 59% of the total votes cast, the Land Rover Defender has been crowned King of (Off-)Road, with the Land Cruiser following up in second. While I'm not really surprised that this was the winner, I did find the overwhelming margin to be pretty interesting. The Defender is an excellent truck with a great off-road reputation, and badass looks to match. The Anglo-factor is also another great selling point, and what could be better than pretending to drive around your Scottish country estate while sitting in traffic on the interstate? Also, the ability to get rear seats that face to the middle (see below), it pretty awesome.



However, I will state that in spite of its awesomeness, the Defender did not get my vote. No, my choice (along with 9 other people with equally impeccable taste) went to the Mercedes G-Class.

Image from here

Yes, it is true that this truck has become a popular choice among rap stars and soccer moms with way too much money to blow (both of who seem to be pretty prevalent in Buckhead), I think that it has several things going for it. First, it is a pretty unique vehicle. While the Defender isn't exactly a common site on the road, I think that the Mercedes might have it beat out slightly. Second, it has military origins as (according to Wikipedia), it was originally a proposal for a light military truck and is used by a number of armed forces (as documented on the Wikipedia page). Military roots are never a bad thing for an SUV (though maybe some shouldn't really be driven by the general public **cough** Hummer **cough**). Third, its off-roading abilities are pretty bona fide since it sports three locking differentials. Now, to be honest, I'm not completely sure how those work, but I do know that off-roaders are big fans, and the ability to get them on a stock vehicle is a pretty big deal.

Getting back to the style aspect, as one reader did point out, they may seem a bit too refined, especially if purchased brand new right off the showroom floor. However, I think if one was to buy one that was about 15-20 years old that has had some of the shine taken off of it with wear and tear, it could look a bit more understated and masculine.

Anyways, thanks to everyone who voted and left comments.

Honorable Mention: ICON


I don't think that this competition would have been complete without at least mentioning the ICON. While I didn't include it in the original vote because it is technically a Land Cruiser, the ICON is essentially an old Land Cruiser built from the ground up with brand new technology and parts right here in the US. Limited to just 24 units per year, they're a *little* pricey, tipping the scales around $100,000 (and up, depending on specifics), but they are available in three models (above) and in two body styles ("Old School" and "New School;" I'll leave it up to you to decide which is better). Anyways, make sure to check them out and add to your "If we ever come out of this recession..." list.

Poll: SUV Showdown

There are some pretty terrible SUVs out there, but then there are some pretty badass ones. In my opinion, these three are on the top of the heap. Rugged, versatile, boxy, expensive and with terrible gas mileage, these are what you use to run over Priuses.

Since I'm suspecting that few readers here have driven all three of these vehicles, this will be a vote based largely on appearance, or which one you would want to have for a trek through the African wilderness. It should be noted, though, that all three of these have pretty impressive pedigrees, and pretty notorious maintenance issues to match. I've included both 2-door and 4-door/long versions of each to keep it a more level playing field.

Cast your vote in the poll on the right side of the screen and decide which one is King of the Mountain.

Competitor #1- The Mercedes-Benz G-Class



Photo found here

Competitor #2- The Toyota Land Cruiser

Photo found here


Photo found here

Competitor #3- The Land Rover Defender

Photo found here


Photo found here

63rd Running of the Block House Steeplechase

Two Saturdays ago I rode up to Tryon, NC with some friends to attend the 63rd annual Block House Steeplechase. While perhaps a little more casual that the Iroquois Steeplechase, and not nearly as fratty as the Carolina Cup, the Block House was a lot of fun. We had fantastic weather and I'd love to go again next year. It is also fairly affordable compared to the other two. Here are some photographic highlights (since that's obviously what you're here for):


A view of the finish line from our tailgate spot


Another view from the tailgate spot


Some of the hounds that were paraded around before the races started


Part of our motley crew


A shot of Ralph's sweet pants


Charles, probably doing something badass


Two of at least a half-dozen Mercedes station wagons that I saw

Dream Car update: Pre-1992 Mercedes 300TE

Some of you long-time readers might remember my Dream Car post a while bike in which I pined for a 1985 Mercedes 300TD. Well, because I saw how high the price of diesel got up, I started having second thoughts, but after seeing this series of videos from the British car show Fifth Gear, my mind has been changed and a pre-1992 wagon (non-diesel) is top of the list now. Enjoy.

Hot women and Land Rovers: A Match Made in Heaven

Since being in Charleston, I have begun to notice an inordinate amount of hot women driving Land Rovers. This is really a fantastic trend, and one that I hope continues. I'm not sure what it is about that magical combination, but like beer and pizza, it really couldn't get much better. What makes the phenomenon better is that these mysterious women (I have never, in fact, met a woman who drives a Land Rover) do not seem to have a preference for a particular model of Land Rover. Some of them drive Discoveries, some drive Range Rovers, and I'm sure I've seen some driving LR3's (nouveau riche, likely). I can't remember if I have seen the white rhino of their kind, a woman driving a Defender, but let's pray that she's out there somewhere. I should also note that, as demonstrated in the picture, wearing aviators while driving a Land Rover manages to increase the hotness factor exponentially. Let's just pray that these women continue to remain immune to rising gas prices.

A Note to Women:
If you are in the market for a new car, I hope that this post has been beneficial to you. While shopping for a car (the ultimate shopping trip?), I suspect that question has likely crossed your mind "Will I look cute in this car?" Obviously, this is an important question, but let me clear up some misconceptions. Men don't care if you're driving a Mini (no offense Jessica and Elisa), nor do they care, as some extremely misleading news stories have indicated, if you are trying to get great gas mileage by driving a Prius, and they absolutely hate to you see you driving a hot sports car with more horsepower than their own car. They really just want to see you in a Land Rover. "But those cars get terrible gas mileage!" you might say. Think of it this way: the worse gas mileage your car gets, the more successful of a doctor or lawyer (or developer) you are going to attract. And once you have caught his attention with the Rover, marriage is a sealed deal. So really, think of that all-time 4-wheel drive as an investment in your future.

*Generic hot girl photo courtesy of The Sartorialist
*Sweet Land Rover picture courtesy of this guy's website
*Awesome "Photoshopping" skills courtesy of me

Dream car: 1985 Mercedes 300TD

I recognize the fact that most males my age pine after Porsches or Ferraris or other completely unattainable exotic sports cars. My object of desire is a bit more humble. The 1985 Mercedes 300TD, a diesel station wagon, is what my heart is set after. Oh yes, it will indeed have the jump seats in the very back that face backwards. I'm not too picky on the color; the red one from Dan in Real Life was pretty nice looking, but it is hard to beat navy. Please enjoy these various pictures that I have scavenged from the internet:





The money shot:



I have it on good word from cousin (who previously worked as a mechanic at a Mercedes shop) that the diesel versions are much more reliable than the standard versions; not only do they break less, but the necessary repairs that are often required usually cost significantly less than their unleaded gas-consuming cousins. The only obstacle that worries me is the cost of diesel. In spite of the better-than-unleaded gas mileage, with diesel pushing $5 a gallon, and with no drop in price in sight, I'm afraid that the impracticality (that is, the impracticality beyond owning a 20+ year old car) might be stacked too high against the fantastic looks and imitable 1980s soccer mom cache of this car.