Tag Archives: desert

BMW

360 levels of freedom: The MINI Cooper S Convertible in Palm Springs.

Palm Springs. In the center of the desert and extremely cool — that is Palm Springs. Countless date palms, scorching springs and turquoise-blue swimming swimming pools with views of the encircling peaks of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation Park make this place a well-tempered wellness oasis. From October to May, a lightweight breeze from the canyons carries a nice cooling breeze to the sunlit metropolis streets. Numerous cafés, bars and resorts invite you to benefit from the incomparable local weather and the freedom-loving ambiance. That’s how laissez-faire goes in American.

What could possibly be higher than opening the electrical tender high in a sporty-elegant MINI Cooper S convertible (gasoline consumption mixed in l/100 km: 6.6-6.2 (WLTP)/CO2 emissions mixed in g/km: 151-141 in response to WLTP). All it takes is eighteen seconds at a velocity of as much as 30 km/h. The wind is blowing in your hair and the standard MINI open-air go-kart feeling will increase the sensation of freedom when driving south on Palm Canyon Drive.

Between swimming pools and palms.
As early because the Nineteen Thirties, Palm Springs was thought-about a retreat for Hollywood stars within the desert. Here, far-off from the curious eyes of the paparazzi, they have been capable of chill out in a pleasantly dry local weather with views of the spectacular panorama. It’s no marvel that the biggest variety of mid-century fashionable structure and design classics on the planet is situated right here.

Even right now, fashionable villas in expansive bungalow type characterize the picture of Palm Springs. With its elegant gear, the MINI Cooper S Convertible is an ideal match for the dignified backdrop of town. The incomparable look of the convertible is additional emphasised by the unique encompass of the radiator grille and the entrance and back lights in high-gloss piano black.

“The Movie Colony” is situated not removed from downtown. It’s not with out purpose that the district bears its identify. The historic villas of quite a few Hollywood stars are situated right here, together with Walt Disney, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Leonardo di Caprio and Elizabeth Taylor. They all appreciated the discreet and carefree ambiance on the swimming pools and below the palm timber, that are consistently swinging within the wind. The all-round view from the MINI Cooper S Convertible not solely gives an unobstructed view of the subtly designed mid-century structure as you drive previous. Right behind, rugged mountain ranges rise on the horizon round Downtown Palm Springs and contribute to the valley’s distinctive ambiance.

From right here, a breezy journey alongside Indian Canyon Drive takes you to the Palm Springs Art Museum and its vital assortment after simply a short while. With over 12,000 fashionable artworks and a singular assortment of works of structure and design, it stands for the varied tradition of Palm Springs.

A inexperienced oasis below the open sky.
After so many cultural impressions, it’s time for a brief break. Thanks to quick overhangs and compact outer dimensions, the MINI Cooper S Convertible matches simply into one of many common parking areas within the shade. Fortunately, the unparalleled open-air feeling in Palm Springs is retained even outdoors the Convertible. Because not solely the climate, but additionally the various culinary scene in Palm Springs invitations you to take pleasure in one of many many terraces or in one of many typical poolside cafés. The fashionable Californian bistro Lulu’s is centrally situated between the principle roads in downtown Palm Springs and is a favourite for lovers of prolonged brunches. From sandwiches and contemporary salads to French-inspired delicacies, you will discover the whole lot you need right here.

After the cease, the journey continues in direction of the nationwide park. The tall date palms line the road and supply cooling shade. They are the calming trademark of the subtle metropolis and create a deep inexperienced distinction to the wild mountain panorama that surrounds Palm Springs. In the late nineteenth century, palm timber have been imported from the Middle East. Since then, they’ve been producing candy dates right here below excellent weather conditions, that are used to organize scrumptious shakes in lots of bars within the metropolis.

MINI Cooper S Convertible: driving pleasure with unobstructed all-round visibility.
On the curved path to the west, the route repeatedly gives fascinating views of the quite a few canyons. The automated sports activities transmission of the MINI Cooper S convertible additionally enhances snug open-air driving pleasure. And with 178 hp, the automobile accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, making the path to the Tahquitz Canyon on the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains quick. Just a couple of minutes from Palm Springs metropolis heart, alongside a gorgeous climbing path, you will discover historical rock carvings of the Cahuilla natives and a powerful 30-meter excessive waterfall. This proximity to nature makes Palm Springs so enticing for a lot of guests and allows various, energetic sightseeing.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway rewards you with a very spectacular all-round view of the rugged mountain panorama and into town. Over a size of 4 kilometers, the cable automotive provides breathtaking views of the Chino Canyon. A particular spotlight is the rotating gondola, which rotates round its personal axis as soon as through the journey. Once on the nearly 2,600 meter excessive summit, guests can expertise their white marvel through the winter months, as a result of there may be common snow on this heigh within the San Jacinto Mountains — whereas the palm paradise within the valley is only a quick open-air journey away.

News

Watch Colby Raha Build the World’s First FMX Spine Ramp

Right now, someplace in High Desert, California, there sits a protracted straight part of jumps that ends with an impediment we have by no means seen in FMX—a backbone ramp. It’s all because of the truth that FMX and motocross rider, Colby Raha, teamed up with Claybourne to make this a actuality.

Raha has 9 X-Games medals, with six of them being gold. But earlier than he took the world of FMX by storm, he rode BMX bikes, and it is clear that Raha’s background in BMX nonetheless influences the way in which he rides a FMX bike.

And now it may affect the way forward for the sport itself.

Building the Ramp

In 2020, Raha grew to become the primary particular person to grind a rail on a full-sized bike, and in 2024, he was the primary particular person to leap a man-made backbone ramp.

It was an idea that’d been in Raha’s thoughts for just a few years, and the design was pretty easy: construct a 20-foot excessive, 30-foot huge backbone ramp utilizing A-frames constructed by phone poles. Although the design is straightforward, the construct was one thing international on the planet of FMX, that means it wasn’t assured to work.

With the assistance of Claybourne, it took Raha and a gaggle of buddies one of the best a part of per week to assemble the ramp, which wanted a kicker on the prime to provide a dust bike a combating likelihood of constructing it over. Raha’s background in development and experience in ramp constructing ensured the crew created one thing that regarded prefer it may work.

Did It Work?

As with any good two-part collection, the primary episode leaves us on a cliffhanger. Raha hits the ramp for the primary time, and issues do not look good. To discover out whether or not the backbone ramp was an total success, take a look at the second episode under.

Raha Ramps

Raha does some completely insane city FMX tips and has a YouTube channel devoted to it. I’m not advising that you just observe in Raha’s footsteps and leap over dashing trains, however you should purchase the identical ramps he makes use of in his movies at Raha Ramps and do with them as you please on personal property.

Unfortunately, there is not any signal of a manufacturing backbone ramp on the market. Yet. But tell us within the feedback if backbone ramps are a characteristic you’d wish to see shifting ahead in FMX. 

Motorsport

This Ford Bronco DR Is Ready For Baja, And You Can Own It

Not lengthy after Ford introduced again the Bronco, it introduced the Bronco DR, a desert racer inbuilt partnership with Multimatic Motorsports. It makes the Bronco Raptor look shy and weak. This one, chassis quantity 13 of fifty, is up for sale at Bring a Trailer, and it is prepared to go straight to Baja.

The public sale notes that true mileage is “unknown,” nevertheless it seems this Bronco DR is undriven. It even comes with the unique protecting cowl for its two Recaro bucket seats. The unique construct sheet notes that this DR comes with the elective Baja package deal, which BaT says consists of rock lights, sirens, and LED mild bars. Base worth for the DR was $295,000, and this one’s been optioned as much as an unbelievable $393,405.


ToyotaUk

Team Toyota: The Rebelle Rally Rundown

Team Toyota ventured into the Mojave Desert for the Rebelle Rally, a unique women’s off-roading challenge, where they put their skills to the test over 1,400 miles of rugged terrain. The challenge pushed the teams to rely solely on traditional navigation methods, with no modern technology like GPS or electronic devices.

This year, 12 Toyota employees made up six formidable pairs of drivers who showcased their driving and navigational prowess, providing valuable insights into the real-world usage of Toyota trucks. The teams operated a fleet of six Toyota vehicles, ranging from some of the company’s most popular off-road options.

Read on to learn more about the Toyota teams that conquered the 2023 Rebelle Rally.

Heather Eich and Allison McGowan
Team 183, comprising Allison McGowan and Heather Eich, claimed the Runner-up Rookie of the Year title. They navigated the rally in a 2023 Sequoia TRD Pro Hybrid, customized by various Toyota departments, including Service Parts and Accessory Development, Product Engineering Tilt Lab, and CALTY Design Research. Both McGowan and Eich, from Toyota Motor North America R&D, showcased their driving and vehicle maintenance skills, having prepared extensively for the event by participating in trainings and internal driving courses.

“When you break it down, there are a lot of skills learned from the Rebelle Rally that can transfer to our work at Toyota and vice versa,” said Eich.

Kara Yde and Susann Kazunas
This year, Susann Kazunas and Kara Yde teamed up to represent the Toyota Tundra Team. The experience provided them with valuable insights into the off-roading capabilities and functionality of Toyota trucks, enhancing their understanding of customer interests.

“I have a newfound understanding of how our trucks are used in the off-roading space,” said Kazunas.

Rie Iida and Silve’a Perelta
Rie Iida and Silve’a Perelta, driving a 2022 Tundra TRD Pro, demonstrated their commitment as they tackled the rally. Iida, a powertrain analyst at TMNA R&D Gardena in California, was inspired to participate in the event after working on an off-road roundtable discussion with organizers of the Rebelle. Perelta, a fuel cell division supervisor, had no prior off-roading experience and underwent extensive training for the rally.

Samantha Barber and Becky Brophy
Samantha Barber and Becky Brophy, Team 152, had a strong performance at the rally, securing a stage win and a top-five placement. Both have been competing together since 2021 and have excelled as a team with wins in previous events.

“The Rebelle Rally this year had new challenges that really put our skills to the test,” said Barber.

Sandra Li and Myra Padda
Sandra Li and Myra Padda, in the 2023 Sequoia TRD Pro, earned the honor of Rookie of the Year for their impressive performance at the rally. Both engineers brought diverse experiences to the challenge, pushing themselves to excel in an unfamiliar terrain.

“The rally this year was definitely challenging with a lot of curveballs, enduros and technical trail,” said Padda. “As a driver, I really focused on Emily’s reminder about ‘Take care of your third teammate – AKA the vehicle.’”

Ai Keskeny and Karli Raimondo
Ai Keskeny and Karlie Raimondo, Team 195, with little off-roading experience, took on the challenge with enthusiasm. Their background in vehicle design provided them with a unique perspective as they navigated the rugged terrain in a 2019 Tacoma TRD ORP (Off-Road Package).

The 2023 Rebelle Rally was an exciting, challenging rally for all Toyota teams, with no mechanical issues and all teams excelling with tire placement and having no flats. With another successful rally in the books, some drivers are already looking ahead to next year.

“Rebelle Rally is an opportunity for personal growth and independence, to connect with a supportive and genuine group of women, to appreciate nature and the world around us, and so much more,” said Brophy. “It has given me the confidence that I can achieve anything, and that’s why I keep coming back.”

Cars

Bizarre Driving Laws You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

In Nevada, a state known for its vast desert landscapes, there is an unusual law related to camels. Many years ago, in 1856, the United States Military decided to use camels as pack animals for a short period of time in Nevada’s deserts instead of horses or donkeys. Unfortunately, this experiment did not succeed and the camels were either released or sold. However, a problem arose because these camels scared local horses, causing accidents on highways.

As a result, it is now illegal in the entire state of Nevada to take a camel on a public highway. It’s worth noting that horses are no longer commonly found on highways either, but this law remains in effect. Surprisingly, it is perfectly legal to drive a camel through the streets of Nevada cities, although the reason for wanting to do so is unclear.