Suzuki Heritage
Possibly the coolest vehicle turned up at the Suzuki press conference, a 1972 LJ20 Jimny-essentially, a forerunner to the Samurai. The Samurai, of course, was pulled from the North American market 20 years ago after Consumer Reports characterized the vehicle as a rollover risk. This tiny little jeeplet, part of a series produced between 1960 and 1981, had no doors and the cutest little axles we've ever seen. We were hoping to hear Suzuki say they were bringing back the Samurai, but no dice-it ain't gonna happen.
Suzuki Concept
These days, Suzuki's SUV is the Grand Vitara, shown here decked out with adjustable coilover shocks with attached reservoirs, 31x12.50/15 Interco Thornbird tires, Baja rack, winch, rock rails and a custom MX-style exhaust. The whole idea, said Suzuki spokesmen, was to remind everyone of Suzuki's long history in the off-road market, and continued large-scale participation in the powersports arena. Either way, we wanna testdrive one.
Toyota Baja 4Runner
This would be the very same 2010 4Runner driven by Ivan Stewart in the Stock 4x4 class in last November's Baja 1000, still covered in Baja dirt. It is, of course, hardly stock. The rules allow for upgrades like General Grabber 35x12.50R17 tires on 17x8 Fuel forged alloy wheels, Bilstein racing shocks, Hella lights and horns, Hawk brake pads, Eibach front coilovers, Old Man Emu rear springs, an ATL fuel cell, Redline synthetic lubricants, and TRD exhaust.
Afghanistan Special
Think of it as a Humvee on steroids. The Oshkosh Medium Tactical Vehicle, or M-ATV, is designed to be a durable solution to getting troops to battle zones and back again in almost any kind of terrain. It has Oshkosh axles, Marmon-Herrington transfer case, Allison 3500 SP transmission, and a 370hp Caterpillar C7 engine. The independent suspension is set up according to a 30-percent on-road, 70-percent off-road profile using 395/85R20MichelinX radials with central tire inflation capability. The rig seats four, plus a gunner. The integrated all-terrain system has four settings to handle a variety of challenges.
The Big Ugly
And then, when the going gets really tough, our troops can bring out the MRAP-the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle. It's built by Navistar for the armed forces to withstand ballistic arms fire, mine blasts, IEDs, and nuclear, biological, and chemical environments. Even though it was on display at the Auto Show, the marines in the booth were touchy about photography. They specifically forbade any shots of the interior, the V-shaped hull that deflects blasts, or the engine, a Navistar MaxxForce D 9.3L I-6. What are they hiding? Probably a trick independent suspension and blast-attenuating seating. Navistar has produced 6,444 MRAP vehicles, 1,222 for Afghanistan.