Photos by Glen Davis
Feature: Rough Riders
April 1, 2004
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Land Rover
displayed remarkable intestinal fortitude in handing the keys to $75,000 cars to
a group composed primarily of off-road neophytes, but its faith was rewarded
when—despite relatively intense 4x4 activity—each car returned without so much
as a scratch. My compatriots who owned Land Rovers were suitably impressed with
just what their cars were capable of, and the rest of us were highly tempted to
visit our local dealer. (Click image to enlarge); function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The Adventure will reconvene at Moab this
October and updates on ongoing, worldwide programs are available at Land Rover’s
web site. If you would like to get a jump start on off-road training, consider
Land Rover’s year-round driving school at the Greenbrier resort in West
Virginia. (Click image to enlarge)
Land Rover
800.FIND.4WD
www.landroverusa.com
Sorrel River Ranch
Resort and Spa
877.359.2715
www.sorrelriver.com
Greenbrier
800.453.4858
www.greenbrier.com
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A Real Humdinger
As I spent an early Sunday morning driving an H2 down to Orange County,
Calif., for a Hummer Happening, I figured the dealer-sponsored off-road
experience would draw 10 or 15 Hummer owners at most. But as I approached the
Irvine Lake location, I noticed a disproportionate number of H2s (and a few H1s)
heading toward the same spot. Upon arrival I was directed into a queue of at
least 50 Hummers. Some were customized, most were stock. The lion’s share of the
participants fell into the predictable 30-to-50-year-old male demographic, but
many had brought their families—and even their dogs—along. And this was just one
of four sessions that weekend. A Happening, indeed. (Click image to enlarge)
After a briefing from
off-road experts, we were off. The natural terrain was not quite up to snuff and
so Hummer re-created obstacles that gave the vehicles a chance to flex their 4x4
muscle. We spent a couple of hours experiencing almost every challenge driving
off-road has to offer in easily digestible portions, and I acquired some measure
of credibility by driving a mud-coated Hummer back into Beverly Hills. I didn’t
wash it until a few days later when it was time to give the H2 back to GM.
Hummer Happenings are designed for owners, but anyone can splash through the
mud at Hummer’s Driving Academy in South Bend, Ind.
Hummer
800.REAL.4WD
www.hummer.com
Hummer Driving Academy
866.831.9547
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