In the memory of off-road cars which will never know what dirt is.

[gnasha]

My dear brothers, we are all reunited here today to commemorate the memory of those off-road vehicles which will never have the chance to, one day, fulfil their purpose on this world, eat some of mother nature mud. Prisoners in our city, retrained on our motorway, those poor little thing will be forever stuck on the "get the kids to school" journey. What kind off twisted mind could ever though one day of taking a 2 tons vehicle, which had the aerodynamic of a wardrobe, which require a full tanker to itself and take the space of at least five minis, into town. Off road on roads… Is it me or something doesn’t sound right here. Putting road tyre on an off road is like clipping the wing to a bird, it just make no sense.
And all that suffering only in the name of fashion and vision of himself. Oh yeah they look so trendy in their 4x4, sure that everybody thinks they just come back from the Paris-Dakar. Feeling so secure in those tank cocoon overlooking all the other insignificant road users. They will argue is not for that and yes one day they will need it to go on some forest path…Hum, I didn’t know you could encounter rocks the size of Japan on Forrest Path. I leaved in the Alps and I was going with 406 TD on forest path, nobody need an Hummer to pass over pebbles. I even saw 911s going on forest path.
This has even given birth to one of the most ridiculous type of vehicle in the motoring history, the all road vehicle. All those X5, Cayenne, Touareg are neither brilliant off road and on road, or should I say not bad on the road as this will be their only playground. So this bring this question in my mind, why the need to have the look of an off-roader and a ground clearance of a three storey building if the only crossing you will do is speed bump?
So have a thought for all the Land-Rover, Landcruiser, Jeep, Hummer, Range-Rover, etc, kept on the black ribbon of our shallowness just so their interior leathers doesn’t get wrecked.

[ccc880]

[TexasF355F1]

[ETW 355]

[2strokebloke]

Originally posted by ETW 355

[Neutrino]

Originally posted by gnasha
My dear brothers, we are all reunited here today to commemorate the memory of those off-road vehicles which will never have the chance to, one day, fulfil their purpose on this world, eat some of mother nature mud. Prisoners in our city, retrained on our motorway, those poor little thing will be forever stuck on the "get the kids to school" journey. What kind off twisted mind could ever though one day of taking a 2 tons vehicle, which had the aerodynamic of a wardrobe, which require a full tanker to itself and take the space of at least five minis, into town. Off road on roads… Is it me or something doesn’t sound right here. Putting road tyre on an off road is like clipping the wing to a bird, it just make no sense.
And all that suffering only in the name of fashion and vision of himself. Oh yeah they look so trendy in their 4x4, sure that everybody thinks they just come back from the Paris-Dakar. Feeling so secure in those tank cocoon overlooking all the other insignificant road users. They will argue is not for that and yes one day they will need it to go on some forest path…Hum, I didn’t know you could encounter rocks the size of Japan on Forrest Path. I leaved in the Alps and I was going with 406 TD on forest path, nobody need an Hummer to pass over pebbles. I even saw 911s going on forest path.
This has even given birth to one of the most ridiculous type of vehicle in the motoring history, the all road vehicle. All those X5, Cayenne, Touareg are neither brilliant off road and on road, or should I say not bad on the road as this will be their only playground. So this bring this question in my mind, why the need to have the look of an off-roader and a ground clearance of a three storey building if the only crossing you will do is speed bump?
So have a thought for all the Land-Rover, Landcruiser, Jeep, Hummer, Range-Rover, etc, kept on the black ribbon of our shallowness just so their interior leathers doesn’t get wrecked.

[Jimster]

I really get sick of people saying the Cayenne and Touareg are incapable offroad- THEY ARE UP THERE WITH THE BEST PEOPLE!!!!! The press have been saying the same as me for god-knows how long- just because people won't take them offroad- doesn't mean they can't do it

[ccc880]

So do you think they are as good as a jeep, land rover, or hummer?

[2strokebloke]

Originally posted by Jimster
I really get sick of people saying the Cayenne and Touareg are incapable offroad- THEY ARE UP THERE WITH THE BEST PEOPLE!!!!! The press have been saying the same as me for god-knows how long- just because people won't take them offroad- doesn't mean they can't do it

That's the point of this thread Jimmy, nobody is going to take advantage of these vehicles for what they can do!

[Neutrino]

Originally posted by 2strokebloke


That's the point of this thread Jimmy, nobody is going to take advantage of these vehicles for what they can do!

exactly the only things those vehicles will do is bully smaller cars out of the way because of soccer moms in power trips

[Jimster]

Originally Posted by Neutrino

exactly the only things those vehicles will do is bully smaller cars out of the way because of soccer moms in power trips

Fair enough as shitty as it is- we are powerless to stop it

[gnasha]

Originally Posted by Jimster

Fair enough as shitty as it is- we are powerless to stop it

And I think it's gonna be worst. I mean when u see that Porche is doing a 4X4 car knowing it will be sell better only by targeting the type of user we describing here, i think what's only left to us is to
Just imagine what king of GT they could have come with instead off launching the Cayenne program...

[zackiedawg]

Though I agree with you that too many off-road capable vehicles are being purchased which will never be used fo ranything approximating their original purpose...be careful with your quote:

This has even given birth to one of the most ridiculous type of vehicle in the motoring history, the all road vehicle. All those X5, Cayenne, Touareg are neither brilliant off road and on road, or should I say not bad on the road as this will be their only playground. So this bring this question in my mind, why the need to have the look of an off-roader and a ground clearance of a three storey building if the only crossing you will do is speed bump?

I even agree that raised-up, car-based, all-wheel drive SUV crossovers are a ridiculous pointless category of vehicle designed for no other reason than to capitalize on and profit from America's obsession with SUVs.

However, do not lump the X5, Cayenne, and Touareg together. The X5 is most definately an on-road vehicle, with no more off-road capability than a typical AWD car. The Cayenne however goes many steps further with a decent 10" of ground clearance, locking center diff, 2 speed transfer case, air suspension, and very heavy-duty purpose-built frame for withstanding serious twist and abuse off-road. The Touareg goes even further, with separate locking differentials for center and rear, hill descent control, hill hold, water-resistant door seals, greater approach and departure angles, a 24" fording depth, 45 degree breakover angle, 45 degree grade ascent, and up to 12 inches of ground clearance with the air suspension (the Cayenne is still a very capable off roader, but clearly more pointed at on-road performance).

Is the Touareg as good as a Jeep or Land Rover? Depends on the model. I would say a Land Rover Defender, a Jeep Wrangler, and a Hummer H1 will all be slightly better off-road, due to their amazing wheel articulation which VW's independent suspension cannot imitate. However, the Touareg is as capable (or moreso) as the Discovery, Land Cruiser, 4Runner, Grand Cherokee, and Hummer H2.

Though it will be immensely disappointing to know that 95% of buyers of Touaregs, Range Rovers, Land Cruisers, and other capable off-road machines will be driving to ballet class to pick up the kids, then to the supermarket, and home to the shelter of their garage...and never seeing anything further off-road than clipping the curb with the inside rear wheel while talking on the phone.

[letsdrinkvintage]

as for off road... You say the toureag is a better off-roader than a 4runner, and that may be true, with the dual locking differentials and the other bits that you mentioned. However, i think if someone was in the market for off roading, a toureag is not the car for that. It is being marketed as more of a luxury SUV. A 4runner can go anywhere as it considered is an off road legend by many. Personally i would choose the 4runner over a toureag or most other 4x4's any day.

[ToyTundra]

the toureag has more off road oriented features, dif locks and what not, but it still has
Independent Rear Suspension
where's the flex
A 4Runner or even my stock Tundra would 'wheel circles around (or over) it. IFS is weak enough, IRS is asking to get stuck, except for the REAL Hummers of course.