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ETC: Convertible 2013 Range Rover Autobiography is safari luxe

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Land Rover, Luxury, Off-Road

2013 Land Rover Range Rover convertible - front three-quarter view

The idea of a convertible SUVs remains attractive enough that manufacturers are still trying to figure out how to make it work – case in point, we recently heard that Range Rover continues to debate production of the Evoque convertible. On that note, the folks at Newport Convertible Engineering, lately of Acura TL convertible fame, have given us a look at what a 2013 Range Rover Autobiography looks like with its top removed.

Unlike the Evoque convertible concept, there’s quite a bit of structure left above the shoulder line. It still looks like one of the nicest ways to see lions, tigers and bears from a safe distance, or take a tour of the Champs-Elysée or Tokyo’s Ginza district.

For now, the issue with every topless SUV that isn’t shaped like a box is what they look like with the top up, and the convertible Range doesn’t escape the quandary unscathed; the only two that do escape are the Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender, because they’re shaped like boxes. As a second vehicle for your rain-free third home in Scottsdale or South Africa, however, it could be the thing.

Convertible 2013 Range Rover Autobiography is safari luxe originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog goes on an African safari, Subaru-Style

Filed under: Etc., Crossover, Subaru

… And Learns To Love The Ostrich

2014 Subaru Forester XT in South Africa

Subaru may be the ostrich of the Japanese auto industry.

When one thinks of a safari, they naturally draw pictures in their mind’s eye of wild animals, like lions, elephants and giraffes. I’m no different, and it was with visions of long telephoto lenses over vast runes and dunes that I embarked on a 19-hour plane ride from Phoenix, Arizona to Plettenberg Bay in South Africa, camera gear in tow.

My particular safari through the wilds of South Africa included none of those things, however. Sure, I did spy a random baboon or two (they didn’t seem particularly friendly), several other unknown primates and some random wild cattle, but the trip I found myself a part of centered around a rather unexpected South African specialty: the ostrich.

Never heard of an ostrich safari? Well, neither had I, and my trip wasn’t exactly a ‘safari’ in the classic sense – I wasn’t riding around through the African plains in an open-top Land Rover with guides pointing out the various wildlife for my picture-taking pleasure – but I did drive to and fro over the hills and dales of Africa’s southernmost tip, and I did see plenty of flightless fowl. I ate some, too, and it was as deliciously different from chicken as you can imagine, with lean red meat (the other red meat?).

All of this got me thinking… Since I was ferrying myself around in one of a flock of Subaru Forester crossovers, perhaps the prevalence of the strange birds made sense. Consider: If Toyota, Honda and Nissan are the Japanese equivalents of the lions, elephants and giraffes you’d expect to see on safari, it may not be a stretch to consider Subaru the ostrich; the outsider struggling to prove it belongs in the same conversation as the big boys. If you don’t buy the comparison now, follow along as we compare and contrast Subaru – and the Forester in particular – with the ostrich in several unique and unconventional ways, starting with its looks.

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Autoblog goes on an African safari, Subaru-Style originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xplore Jeep Wrangler hits the trail at the Moab Easter Safari

Filed under: Aftermarket, SUV, Jeep, Off-Road

Xplore Jeep Wrangler

Xplore Jeep Wrangler takes on Moab – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve seen the Xplore Toyota FJ Cruiser at SEMA, and we got a sneak peak of what the company has in store for the Jeep Wrangler. Well, that Wrangler is finished, and Xplore decided the best place to unveil it would be in Moab. Smart decision, seeing that Jeep lovers from all over the country would be descending to that area for Jeep’s annual Easter Safari.

Xplore has taken the standard Wrangler and pumped it up a few notches. Offering up to four stages of customization, this Jeep Wrangler has checked nearly all of Xplore’s option boxes. Upgrades can be found inside and out, and include custom wheels, a Mopar exhaust and intake setup, Bilstein shocks, Xplore badges and seat embroidery, OME suspension and a host of ARB parts.

As with the FJ Cruiser, the purchase of an Xplore-outfitted vehicle comes with a one-year National Parks and Monuments pass and the Xplore newsletter. A portion of the proceeds received from parts or complete vehicles is donated to the National Parks Foundation. Xplore wants you to explore, and they’re putting together vehicles that will get you doing just that. Check out the press release after the break.

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Xplore Jeep Wrangler hits the trail at the Moab Easter Safari originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 May 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Six Jeep models get the Mopar Makeover for 2011 Safari in Moab

Filed under: Performance, SUV, Crossover, Jeep, Off-Road, Racing

Mopar Compass Canyon Mopar Cherokee Overland Mopar off-road Grand Cherokee
Mopar Wrangler Blue Crush Mopar Wrangler Renegade Mopar Wrangler Pork Chop

Six Mopar-tuned Jeep models – Click above for high-res image galleries

Jeep has a big year ahead of it. After finishing 2010 with a 24-percent increase in global sales versus 2009, Chrysler’s off-road capable brand is looking for even more in 2011. To make Jeep even more motivated, the brand is also celebrating its 70th anniversary later this year, and it unveiled an entire lineup of new Special Edition models at the Detroit Auto Show back in January.

Jeep also plans to show six new Mopar-tuned models at the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, from April 16 – 24, and we have the full monty from every model. There’s a ‘pork chop’ that went on an 850-pound diet, a 6.4-liter Hemi V8-packing Rambler, a diesel-packing Cherokee Overland and more.

We’ve got detailed descriptions along with full image galleries of each Mopar-tuned Jeep after the break for your viewing pleasure. So what are you waiting for?

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Continue reading Six Jeep models get the Mopar Makeover for 2011 Safari in Moab

Six Jeep models get the Mopar Makeover for 2011 Safari in Moab originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeep offers sneak peak at Moab Easter Safari vehicles

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Jeep

jeep renegade concept rendering

Jeep Renegade concept rendering – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you’re a Jeep fan, than it’s time to get excited ,because Easter is almost here. Why Easter? ~~Eggs and candy!~~ Because it signals the return of Jeep’s Moab Easter Safari. This event is often a showcase for new products and concept vehicles from Chrysler’s off-road brand.

In the past, Jeep has used the Moab Easter Safari to show off concept vehicles like the Lower Forty, Wrangler J7 and Trail Boss, Patriot Extreme and even the “Moparized” Ram Power Wagon. This time around, for the 45th annual Safari event, Jeep is feature two new vehicles that invoke visions of an older period in Jeep’s history: the Jeep Renegade and the Jeep “Porkchop.”

These are just two of the six vehicles that Jeep is bringing to Moab. The Easter Safari runs from April 16 through the 24.

Gallery: Jeep Moab Easter Safari Vehicles

Jeep Renegade Moab Easter Safari Jeep Porkchop Moab Easter Safari

[Source: Jeep]

Jeep offers sneak peak at Moab Easter Safari vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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