These Are the Best Mods for Your Off-Roader Truck or SUV

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Off-roading is a deep, very muddy rabbit hole. If you’re new to it, there’s a lot you can learn, and more still to learn, especially with regard to modifications. A modified truck or SUV is an insanely common sight on the trails for a reason. If you’re into the game, it’s best to educate yourself on the best mods, and which ones to skip. Owners often modify their trucks, and should you want to make changes to yours, these are the best.

A skid plate for your truck is a great place to start

Installing a skid plate | Joe Amon via Getty Images

Surprise, trails are just that: trails. They’re often full of low to the ground debris that makes traversing them fun for some, and a nightmare for others. A boxer keeps their hands over their face for a reason, and your truck or SUV should do the same. That’s exactly why the first thing you should do when modifying a car for off-road use is put a skid plate on your car, and hopefully keep the skids out of your pants.

Moreover, they’re usually on the cheaper side to fit. Heck, you can order a Toyota 4Runner with a sick “TRD” skidplate right from Japan. Though, the parts may not be overnighted. This one is under $500 buckaroos shipped. It’s a (relatively) cheap, effective way to get on the trails and make sure your truck can stay there.

Adding a roof rack increases backcountry usability

A roof rack full of road bicycles
Bikes stored on a roof rack | Lionel Bonaventure via Getty Images

Speaking of staying there, you’ll likely want to take a few things with you on an off-road excursion. Sometimes, those things may not fit in your truck or SUV. No worries, simply throw it on the roof like that deer your dad bagged when you were a kid. However, there’s a better way to do that than just some ratchet straps and a few scratches in your paint.

A roof rack is definitely the most versatile mod on this list, and simply can’t be left out for that reason. They’ll be on the pricier side, with a roof tent easily coming up on $1500, but well worth it for the ability to sleep in it. Or, you can get a basket on up there, and haul around all the shovels, bags, jerry cans, or children you want (please don’t put kids in a roof basket).

Tires are the best mod for your off-roader

A set of off-road tires used in the Dakar rally
Dakar-spec off-road tires | Franck Fife via Getty Images

Finally, that leaves us with one of the best mods for your off-roader: tires. You won’t really be getting anywhere without a good set of off-road tires, but they’ll certainly be the most expensive item on this list. Expect a good set to run you around $2100. That said, it’s easily the best thing you can do for your ride, full stop. If you throw all three of these relatively cheap mods on your potential off-roader, you’re sure to be 99% of the way to an excellent off-road rig.

RELATED: These Convenience Modifications Make Your Car Better to Drive Every Day

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This Porsche Model Had Massive Sales Growth Despite the Pandemic

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Porsche has been around the block a few times. Okay, maybe more than a few times. They know how to sell a car over in Stuttgart, and the brand’s 718 models are a great indication of that. Both the Cayman and Boxster are based on the same platform, which the brand calls the 718. You can really see the similarities in the image below. Basically, a Boxster is a Cayman with no roof, and a Cayman is a Boxster with a roof. It’s classic platofirm-sharing, and the German marque made it work.

Porsche’s 718 models are oddly retro

The 718 Boxster and Cayman | Porsche AG

Perhaps, then, it’s that, as well as how unexpectedly retro the pair are that have helped their sales stay so strong. More on the sales in a minute. Let me pontificate here for a moment. No, the pair of small sports cars are not outwardly retro, both in appearance and performance. In GT4 trim, both are 911-fast. As in you’ll get where you’re going faster than any cop. Also, the sports car.

No, the pair are retro in other ways. Take, for example, the inclusion of a manual transmission. Porsche included one, despite the manual gearbox being a relic of the past. Sure, people like me (a nerd) like them, but the majority of new Cayman and Boxster models come with Porsche’s excellent PDK auto ‘box. That’s not all, either. The whole format is retro. There used to be a plethora of small, sporty coupes for sale. But the segment is dead save for a few examples.

Sales increased during the pandemic

A red 718 Cayman overlooking a bay
The very red 718 Cayman | Porsche AG

Perhaps that’s because these two are just so damn good. In reality, the 718 models are good enough to make the segment obsolete. Price excluded, that is. Despite that price, the Porsche 718 models experienced a massive spike in sales over the last year. Just a reminder, the world stood still for about a year, while the sales figures didn’t.

Porsche saw a truly massive 176.61% sales increase year-to-date on the Cayman and Boxster last year, per GoodCarBadCar. Now, maybe, just maybe, the pandemic helped. Those who could afford these easily $70,000+ cars were stuck at home with nothing to do. Surely, that attributed to the spike in sales to some degree. However, other cars in the segment, like the Mercedes-Benz SLC, saw a drop in sales, if not a much lower increase than the twin Porsches.

The Boxster is one of the last great roadsters

The red 718 Boxster on a twisty cliffside road
Open-roof fun in a Boxster | Porsche AG

However, as I said above, the pair are truly fantastic vehicles. The Boxster is one of the last great roadsters, next to the Miata. The Cayman offers the same benefits in a hardtop, daily-drivable configuration that others in the segment, like the Alfa Romeo 4C, struggle to meet. It’s genuinely no surprise to see the cream rise to the top. Hopefully, we can continue to see that, as the roadster formula is something everyone must try at least once in their lives.

RELATED: Porsche 911 Ownership Has a Surprising Upside

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The 2021 BMW Alpina XB7 Definitely Isn’t for Just Anyone

by Gabrielle DeSantis

BMW once dubbed itself “The Ultimate Driving Machine” and remains synonymous with luxury and performance. A bulk of the brand’s popularity commonly rests on performance vehicles, futuristic designs, and features. Its SUVs and crossovers appeal to a broad audience. But other drivers yearn for both the comfort and reliability of a good SUV, like Alpina.

The German tuning company Alpina comes in with its tuned BMW Alpina XB7. Car and Driver reminds consumers that the vehicles deemed outside the realm of BMW’s in-house performance M tuning and designation, like the Alpina, do the performance tuning at a price. 

Alpina’s storied history

2021 BMW Alpina XB7 | BMW Group

Tuning house Alpina has over 50 years of experience making BMWs draw increased performance and handling. Road & Track recaps Alpina’s iconic roots, noting that its relationship with BMW predates the M performance division.

Road and Track summarize, beginning in the 1960s, Alpina originally focused on boring out engines and adding dual carburetors. It was more of a matter of the tuning company taking a BMW and replacing parts with its own.

Today, Alpina and BMW work more closely when it comes to performance tuning. Alpina is no longer an afterthought for spicing up models that could use more zip. BMW works with the tuning house to facilitate Alpina’s models with plenty of lead time.

The Alpina XB7’s performance comes at a price

While BMW’s own M cars, selling at higher price tags than their regular counterparts, Alpina BMWs command even greater costs. The BMW X7’s MSRP starts from $74,900. However, the BMW Alpina XB7 chimes in at a base price of $142,295, with a cost of $156,345 as tested by Car and Driver.

While some drivers may be able to afford a comfortable new X7, the XB7’s cost limits who can own it, not everyone will be able to afford or justify dishing out nearly twice as much money for the luxury SUV of their dreams.

Exterior and interior upgrades to the BMW XB7

Car and Driver noted that the updates to the exterior are minor. The XB7’s changes are new bumpers, quad rear exhaust pipes, and a large Alpina emblem on the lower kidney grille. The base XB7 comes standard with 21-inch wheels and tires, while Car and Driver’s as-tested model donned larger 23-inch rims with Pirelli P Zero PZ4 tires. 

The XB7 carries over the luxurious finishes shared with its baseline X7 counterparts with some replacements and additions to the interior. The Alpina logo replaces the BMW roundel on the horn press, and the instrument cluster display is different. There are also various Alpina emblems throughout the interior on the dashboard and center console. The XB7 also replaces the typical paddle shifting on the steering wheel with Alpina’s trademark button shifting. 

Notable performance increases to the BMW XB7

It delivers on performance with the tuning companies reputation and the XB7’s restrictive price tag. As tested by Car and Driver, it boasts 612 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque to back it up. That’s a jump from the base X7’s 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque.

The jump in horsepower is thanks to its upgraded, less restrictive exhaust system and increased cooling for the larger twin-scroll turbos. The result is the XB7 going from 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds. This is massively impressive because it’s as-tested 5,864-pound curb weight.

Alpina’s adjustable air spring suspension and adaptive dampers support the XB7’s nearly three tons, allowing it to traverse terrain with maximum driver and occupant comfort.

It’s undeniable that Alpina takes already luxuriant performance BMWs and elevates them to superstar performance status. The XB7 delivers on fine-tuning but at a cost that makes it out of the grasp for most typical luxury SUV owners.

RELATED: Black and Red Luxury: BMW X5 and BMW X6 Debut Black Vermilion Edition

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Why Aren’t Natural Gas Cars More Popular?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

While electric cars and hybrids are becoming more and more popular, it seems that no one cares about compressed natural gas cars. And although they are cheaper, cleaner, and safer, natural gas cars just never really caught on. So what happened?

Natural gas cars are clean and cheap, but not that efficient

A recently assembled Honda Civic GX – which is powered with compress natural gas. | AFP PHOTO / MIRA OBERMAN

If you’re not familiar with compressed natural gas (CNG) cars, then we’ll bring your attention to the Honda Civic GX. You’re probably not familiar with it, but in short, the Civic GX was a natural gas car in the brand’s lineup from the late 90s to the early 2000s. It was mainly sold as a fleet car for natural gas companies and the like, but it was eventually offered to the public as well. However, no one really bought into the idea of natural gas during the time it was available.

According to OilPrice.com, natural gas is cheaper than gasoline and it’s cleaner-burning too. On top of that, natural gas is safer as it’s lighter than air, which means that it will dissipate quickly in the event of an accident as opposed to the fiery mess that gasoline can make. So why aren’t CNG cars like the Civic GX more popular?

For starters, although it burned cleaner and could be filled up for pennies on the dollar, the Civic GX wasn’t very efficient. According to the EPA, the 2008 Civic GX is rated at 24 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, which is nearly identical to its gas-burning Civic LX counterpart. However, the downside is that the CNG only has an 8-gallon tank, which only allowed for around 170 miles on one tank of gas. In contrast, the Civic LX could get close to 400 miles on one tank.

CNG range anxiety is worse than the electric vehicle kind

A Honda Civic GX (CNG) uses a port normally used for gasoline to refuel with natural gas.
A Honda Civic GX (CNG) uses a port normally used for gasoline to refuel with natural gas. | (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Another reason that CNG cars aren’t more popular is the lack of CNG filling stations around the U.S. You can actually map out your trips and find CNG stations in your area, just like you can with electric vehicle and their chargers. However, natural gas stations are few and far between, which means that when you combine that with the car’s short-range, you’ll experience range anxiety like you never have before.

In fact, I personally got to experience the 2008 Civic GX for a weekend when it debuted. While it was nice to be able to fill up the tank for around $7 (at the time), it only afforded me around 180 miles on the tank. At one point, I found myself sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic in L.A. and staring at the fuel tank needle sitting dangerously close to “empty.”

Fortunately, I saw a blue “CNG” sign on the next exit and followed the proceeding signs to the nearest station. I kept thinking that, had I ran out of fuel, I would have needed a tow truck since it’s not like roadside assistance can just put gas in the car.

Natural gas cars sounded like a good idea, but they weren’t

Keys sit in the trunk of a recently assembled compress natural gas-powered Civic GX
Keys sit in the trunk of a recently assembled compress natural gas-powered Civic GX. | AFP PHOTO / MIRA OBERMAN

While the thought of a cleaner-burning, cheap-refilling Civic, or any other car, sounds like a great idea, its range and efficiency are still important factors. In fact, there aren’t even any new CNG cars being sold at this time. However, you can retrofit a gas-only car with a CNG setup if you want it to be cleaner burning and cheaper to fill up, but it’s most likely not worth the effort. It’s no wonder CNG cars never caught on.

RELATED: Can Fuel Cell Vehicles Explode Like ‘Hydrogen Bombs on Wheels’?

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