Author: Tabitha

For a different driving holiday, try off-roading on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, with someone else’s vehicle. Wide Open Excursions will put you behind the wheel of one of its 35 custom-built, open-wheel, 175-horsepower cars similar to those competing in various desert races staged in California, Nevada and Mexico. Experienced group instructors communicate via two-way radios and continually advise on conditions ahead as well as how to drive the Subaru-powered buggy in a safe, but quick manner. Prices start at $530 per person for a one-third day session, up to $5,500 for a four-day event. Get all the particulars and make reservations…

That’s what The Sleuth’s sources are reporting. Apparently inspired by the open-top Ariel Atom that uses various Honda-made turbocharged four-cylinder engines, the Japan-based automaker has filed patents for a similar, but smaller cycle-style machine. That model will apparently be based in the Honda’s 2015 2&4 concept, but will reportedly use an all-electric powerplant instead of the 2&4’s 1.0-liter four-cylinder motorcycle engine and will have a curb weight of 900 pounds. The single- or dual-seat street-legal vehicle will likely cost much less than the $64,500 that the makers of the Ariel Atom charge for their base model. If, or when, it…

Automotive bullies won’t be kicking sand in the Toyota Yaris’s grille much longer if rumors of a hot spin-off model are true. The name currently assigned to this amped-up sub-compact is the GRMN, which stands for Gazoo Racing Masters of Nürburgring . Gazoo is the name of Toyota’s motorsports team. The Yaris will get a supercharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder that makes 205 horsepower, or nearly 100 ponies more than the standard non-supercharged engine. Other goodies will include upgraded suspension and brake components, racing-style wheels, aero body kit with roof spoiler and special paint. Although the GRMN is not yet 100 percent…

When the BumpStep from WeatherTech is installed in place of a standard two-inch hitch receiver, you get protection for the bumper of your car or truck. The BumpStep (as a step) also allows easier loading and unloading of your roof rack or pickup bed. Once it’s attached to your receiver, the injection-molded (plastic) step can absorb plenty of punishment and, as a cargo step, it’s sturdy enough to support up to 300 pounds. Its theft-deterrent design includes a stainless-steel lock screw and clip. Order one for $50 from www.weathertech.com.

The artisans at Weld House Metalworks repurpose old car and truck hoods and roofs of automobiles from the 1950s to the 1980s. The result is a wide variety of unique home and office furniture and accessories for sale. For truck-like dependability, the company’s line of coffee tables is constructed using steel tubing for the frames and legs. Weld House doesn’t respray the tabletops, it does apply a clear coat to protect the original patina. Coffee tables start at $1,350, but other items such as dining tables and bed frames sell for up to $3,000 or more. You can scope out…

Audi showed a Q8 plug-in hybrid utility vehicle at the recent Detroit Auto Show that it said presages a production model in 2018. The full-sized ‘ute’, 16.5 feet long will have a fuel-efficiency equivalency rating of 102.3 mpg. The powertrain uses a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine with 333 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and an electric motor. Combined, they produce 442 horsepower. It will have an all-electric range of 37 miles. Says emerging technologies newsmagazine New Atlas, total range is estimated at 621 miles (1,000 kilometres) when both the fuel tank and batteries are full. The Audi Q8 concept…

Lifetime carbon emissions from the world’s first production hybrid minivan, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid, will be 24 percent less than that of its standard V-6-internal-combustion sibling says its maker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. FCA released calculations at January’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Mich., showing that compared to the previous Chrysler Town & Country minivan, greenhouse-gas emissions are 31 percent lower from the Pacifica plug-in hybrid. The plug-in hybrid’s 33 miles of all-electric range (more than most urban buyers drive in a typical day) makes the difference, FCA said. FCA says that the lifetime carbon output from…

All-Fit Automotive is a company markets custom-fit, yet inexpensive, front and rear lower lips and side skirts to your vehicle to change its appearance and provide paint protection. The flexible rubber-like material comes in various lengths and in 1.5-, 2.5- and 3.5-inch widths (which equates to the size of the lip you want). You can also select from black, silver, pink, red, dark gray and white. Installation uses 3M’s peel-and-stick Heat Bonded Tape along with screws and washers that attach underneath the lip at 12-inch intervals. Pricing begins at $120 for 30 feet of the 1.5-inch-width material in black (some…

The Rally Fighter from Arizona-based Local Motors is tough and powerful enough to go virtually anywhere, even if it’s not four-wheel-drive. It has been designed using 3-D imaging to create the composite body and other components. The buyer will need to complete about half of the assembly work (brakes, suspension, interior components, etc.) and oversee the installation of the 430-horsepower Chevrolet V-8 and automatic transmission into the tubular-steel space frame. The result is a 3,950-pound rear-wheel-drive 2+2 coupe that can be driven on the street or elsewhere. If you can scrape together about $100,000 and free up a week’s time,…

The idea of hybrid pickups and larger vehicles is catching on with aftermarket outfitters have taken on the cause. Recently, Workhorse of Loveland, Ohio, unveiled its own electric pickup with a range of 80 miles, and a 300-mile-plus range using an onboard gasoline-engine power generator. Now, Boston-based XL Hybrids has pulled the wraps off its XLP product line, an upfit for half-ton pickups. The company says the system delivers a 50 percent improvement in overall fuel economy. Its XLP solution will build on the existing XL3 hybrid powertrain introduced in 2013, which has logged more than 35 million miles in…