For reasons too numerous to mention, Moab is still very close to the top of my list of favorite places on earth.

I recently had the opportunity to pass through on a business trip (really, I was working) and enjoy some warm weather wheelin’.  I even had the benefit of having Spinny along for entertainment and slave labor.

We enjoyed a blurry night out among the locals, followed by a near-epic day of ‘wheelin that included Klondike Bluffs, Gemini Bridges, and a section of Gold Bar Rim.

The Nismo performed admirably and I finally got to feel the benefit of all the upgrade$.  Proof that I didn’t do it for looks.

Non 4×4 highlights included dino tracks, desert/mountain goats, blooming prickly pears, and the usual canyon country scenery.  Photographic evidence follows.

4×4 Vans are just cool…

It seems there are all kinds of automotive oddities  in the South.  On my current swing through TN and AL I have seen a number of big mudders, a parts and repair house specializing in Fieros, a combination muffler and bait shop and yes, Cooter’s Dukes of Hazard Museum.

No shit, this place actually exists.

No, I did not stop to check it out, but I will admit it was very tempting.  If nothing else, I want to know why the General Lee is a Toyota Tercel.

This weekend project gone too far takes the concept of cooking on the intake manifold to a whole new level.  Looks like an ordinary garage rebuild job, until you flip it open.

Bon Appetit (or something like that).

[via Jalopnik]

Compelling advertising for the Raptor:

Ford trucks and race cars.  Looks like a fun weekend combo.  I just wonder why the F150 is squatting so badly.  A race-prepped RX7 can’t weigh more than 2500 lbs, can it?

This small pickup is reportedly, possibly, allegedly, the new global Ford small pickup variant.  A.K.A. Ranger in the US.

As reported by Pickuptrucks.com the code name is T6 and it seems to follow many of the current trends in the smaller truck market - shared platform, larger/wider than its predecessor, quad cab available, etc.  Sounds (and looks) like a Nissan to me, but that’s a different story.

Here’s the catch:  1.6 Liter with 175hp and 180 ft/lbs.  Seriously?  Can that be correct when all the competition boasts 250+ in HP and torque?

Hopefully the specs will come out better than that and will include good towing and payload numbers.  Here’s to wishful thinking.

[pickuptrucks.com]

The phrase “what’s wrong with this picture” doesn’t even begin to do this one justice.  I don’t know if this is some kind of joke, a photoshop project, or a legitmate debacle, but it’s definitely entertaining.  Take a close look at the photo and then see the gory details at Jalopnik.

[jalopnik]