Americans like tough trucks. While some rigs are straight work trucks or daily drivers, many earn their off-pavement stripes dusting up canyon trails, scaling rock formations or bombing through deserts at speed. Some automakers have embraced these adventurous drivers and produced factory-enhanced 4-wheelers that offer extra off-road grit without sacrificing the creature comforts, connectivity and reliability that have become cornerstones of American motoring. Let's take a look at seven special-edition or ruggedly optioned trucks that have fortified drivelines, long-travel suspensions, lofty ground clearance and aggressive good looks to handle a week of commuting and a weekend of rock crawling.
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X
The extra-rugged Jeep Wrangler is celebrating 10 years on the trail, and Jeep is blowing out the candles with this limited-edition 2014 Rubicon X. The most dominating Wrangler in the lineup, the X is available as a 2-door Wrangler for $36,095, or 4-door Wrangler Unlimited at $39,595. The Rubicon has always had the most robust driveline in the Wrangler line, and the X keeps the ball rolling with a part-time, 4-wheel-drive system that features electronic-locking front and rear Dana 44 axles. These rough-and-ready axles receive power through a Rock-Trac transfer case with a "4-low" ratio of 4:1, which, along with a 4.10 axle ratio, make the X an adept crawler.
Want more? Look at the Raptor's wheels. They can be converted from conventional rims to more serious bead-lock rims by merely unbolting the standard outer decorative ring, dismounting the tire from its conventional position, then remounting it in the proper lockable position with the available bead-lock ring kit from Ford Racing. The F-150 SVT Raptor also sports over-the-top aggressive looks, a 411-horsepower V8 engine and a properly decked-out interior. Raptors have a base price of $44,035, and recently Ford had to up production because these bad boys were clawing their way off showroom floors so quickly.
Beyond the mechanicals, the Rubicon X features beefy BFGoodrich tires mounted on 17-inch Rubicon aluminum wheels painted satin black with polished faces and a red Jeep Wrangler "icon" logo on the inside lip. Blacked-out, steel off-road bumpers toughen up the exterior, with the front bumper featuring removable end caps for added off-road climbing ability. Mopar rock rails up the rugged factor, and a dual-intake Power Dome hood improves engine cooling and gives the rig a more menacing appearance. The X-factor continues inside with exclusive heated black leather seats, an X-exclusive gauge cluster and unique accent treatments that set this Jeep apart.
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
"Brazen," "audacious" and "hardcore" are just a few of the adjectives that pop to mind when thinking of Ford's daring F-150 SVT Raptor. Available in 2-door SuperCab or 4-door SuperCrew guise, the Raptor is easy to spot with its bold, block-letter F-O-R-D stretched across the grille. This truck is a drop-dead serious off-roader outfitted with aggressive all-terrain tires, competition-spec FOX Racing Shox dampers, skidplates and a Torsen limited-slip differential that allows the truck to balance traction between both front wheels. For 2013, Ford began offering a front grille-mounted camera to improve driver visibility when climbing over rocks and other obstacles that might be obscured by the nose of the truck. That's serious.
Want more? Look at the Raptor's wheels. They can be converted from conventional rims to more serious bead-lock rims by merely unbolting the standard outer decorative ring, dismounting the tire from its conventional position, then remounting it in the proper lockable position with the available bead-lock ring kit from Ford Racing. The F-150 SVT Raptor also sports over-the-top aggressive looks, a 411-horsepower V8 engine and a properly decked-out interior. Raptors have a base price of $44,035, and recently Ford had to up production because these bad boys were clawing their way off showroom floors so quickly.
Toyota FJ Cruiser Trail Teams Special Edition
For a number of years Toyota has offered a special-edition FJ Cruiser, noted by its one-off paint scheme. The 2014 FJ Cruiser Trail Teams Special Edition sports monotonepaint and projects a tough, slightly menacing look, accentuated by black bumpers, front grille and door handles. The Trail Teams special edition adds about $8,000 to the price of a 4x4 FJ Cruiser, which has a base price of $28,310 with the manual transmission.
The Trail Teams' styling complements its off-road capability. A Trail Teams package beefs up chassis performance with trail-tuned Bilstein shock absorbers, a rear differential lock and Toyota's Active Traction Control system. Engine, fuel tank and transfer case skidplates and rock rails increase ruggedness, while Toyota Racing Development alloy wheels and BFGoodrich all-terrain tires enhance grip. The Toyota's 4.0-liter V6 engine has been augmented with a cyclone pre-air cleaner, while the interior is trimmed in Trail Teams exclusive gear.
The Trail Teams' styling complements its off-road capability. A Trail Teams package beefs up chassis performance with trail-tuned Bilstein shock absorbers, a rear differential lock and Toyota's Active Traction Control system. Engine, fuel tank and transfer case skidplates and rock rails increase ruggedness, while Toyota Racing Development alloy wheels and BFGoodrich all-terrain tires enhance grip. The Toyota's 4.0-liter V6 engine has been augmented with a cyclone pre-air cleaner, while the interior is trimmed in Trail Teams exclusive gear.
Chevrolet Silverado Z71 Off Road
All-new for 2014, the Chevrolet Silverado is taking its game up a notch with new High Country and Z71 packages. The Z71 moniker represents a longstanding off-road package for the 1500 series pickups from General Motors, for both Chevrolet and GMC trucks. Prices for the Silverado range from $34,345 for a regular cab Z71 rig to $40,805 for a 4-door crew cab setup. The package includes specially valved Rancho monotube shocks, a heavy-duty air cleaner, an underbody transfer case shield, an automatic locking rear differential, all-terrain tires, a trailering package and hill descent control.
The Silverado Z71 package also has a unique Z71 gauge cluster, lower bumper and grille openings and available custom 18-inch bright machined-aluminum wheels. Custom Z71 graphics on the instrument cluster and pickup bed, as well as brushed-aluminum sill plates and special interior accents, make this truck not only tough but also stylish.
The Silverado Z71 package also has a unique Z71 gauge cluster, lower bumper and grille openings and available custom 18-inch bright machined-aluminum wheels. Custom Z71 graphics on the instrument cluster and pickup bed, as well as brushed-aluminum sill plates and special interior accents, make this truck not only tough but also stylish.
Nissan Frontier PRO-4X
Nissan's PRO-4X version of the Frontier midsize pickup can be had in King Cab ($29,330) or Crew Cab ($30,220) configurations. The PRO-4X versions feature Bilstein off-road high-pressure shock absorbers; skidplates on the fuel tank, oil pan and transfer case; an electronic rear differential locker; 4-wheel limited-slip differentials and unique machine-finished 16-inch aluminum alloy off-road wheels with fat BFGoodrich Rugged Trail tires.
The Nissan Frontier PRO-4X interior includes PRO 4X-specific bucket seats, a leather-appointed white-stitched shifter knob (manual transmission only) and steering wheel, chrome accent trim and dedicated floormats. All PRO-4Xs also feature PRO 4X badging, fog lamps and body-colored grille, bumpers, outside mirrors and door handles.
The Nissan Frontier PRO-4X interior includes PRO 4X-specific bucket seats, a leather-appointed white-stitched shifter knob (manual transmission only) and steering wheel, chrome accent trim and dedicated floormats. All PRO-4Xs also feature PRO 4X badging, fog lamps and body-colored grille, bumpers, outside mirrors and door handles.
Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
Based on the all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee, the Trailhawk ($29,495) exemplifies Jeep's off-road credibility with a distinctive, aggressive look backed up by hard-hitting Trail Rated hardware. The Trailhawk's standard equipment list includes aggressive approach and departure angles (compliments of the rig's unique front and rear fascias), a 1-inch factory lift, Jeep's Active Drive Lock with locking rear differential, skidplates and signature red tow hooks.
The Cherokee Trailhawk's locking rear differential is selectable in any low-range terrain mode, but it will lock automatically when in certain modes, such as Rock, to maximize what Jeep calls "tractive effort" at the particular tire patch that can support it. The Trailhawk is the top Cherokee — $2,000 more than the Limited and $6,500 more than a base trim. The Trailhawk is a little less adventurous than its Rubicon X cousin, lacking the heavy-duty Dana 44 differentials and giving up some ground clearance, but you do get an SUV driving experience and keep up to $10,000 in your wallet.
The Cherokee Trailhawk's locking rear differential is selectable in any low-range terrain mode, but it will lock automatically when in certain modes, such as Rock, to maximize what Jeep calls "tractive effort" at the particular tire patch that can support it. The Trailhawk is the top Cherokee — $2,000 more than the Limited and $6,500 more than a base trim. The Trailhawk is a little less adventurous than its Rubicon X cousin, lacking the heavy-duty Dana 44 differentials and giving up some ground clearance, but you do get an SUV driving experience and keep up to $10,000 in your wallet.
Toyota Tacoma T|X Baja
The T|X Baja Series is available on both the Tacoma Access ($32,990) and Double Cab ($34,275) 4x4 trucks equipped with the TRD Off-Road package. The Baja bundles a collection of options and one-off accessories that are cheaper than if they were selected separately. The front suspension has been upgraded to include Bilstein race shocks with TRD coil springs that provide a 1-inch increase in wheel travel. The rear suspension is equipped with 50-millimeter piston Bilstein race shocks with remote reservoirs to increase shock oil capacity for greater heat dissipation and damping sensitivity. The rear shock setup adds a 1.5-inch increase in wheel travel.
The Tacoma T|X Baja is motivated by a 4.0-liter 260-horsepower V6 engine with either 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmissions. Active traction control, hill-start assist control and downhill assist control are included on the TRD Off-Road package, in addition to an electronically controlled locking rear differential. Options for the limited-edition T|X Baja Series include BFGoodrich T/A KO tires, bead-lock style off-road wheels with an exclusive gun-metal gray finish, a TRD cat-back exhaust, an increased front ride height of nearly 2 inches and unique Baja Series graphics.
Evan Griffey served as an editor of Turbo & High Tech Performance, a pioneering publication about sport-compacttuning. Today Griffey freelances for Import Tuner, Sport Compact Car, Car Audio and Siphon.
The Tacoma T|X Baja is motivated by a 4.0-liter 260-horsepower V6 engine with either 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmissions. Active traction control, hill-start assist control and downhill assist control are included on the TRD Off-Road package, in addition to an electronically controlled locking rear differential. Options for the limited-edition T|X Baja Series include BFGoodrich T/A KO tires, bead-lock style off-road wheels with an exclusive gun-metal gray finish, a TRD cat-back exhaust, an increased front ride height of nearly 2 inches and unique Baja Series graphics.
Evan Griffey served as an editor of Turbo & High Tech Performance, a pioneering publication about sport-compacttuning. Today Griffey freelances for Import Tuner, Sport Compact Car, Car Audio and Siphon.
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