Toyota unveiled the all-new 2010 4Runner today, and we have exclusive video of Toyota's newest SUV on the Rubicon Trail!
How did we get video of the brand new 4Runner on the Rubicon Trail when the vehicle was just introduced today? Well, a couple of months ago we were invited to tag along on a clandestine 4Runner durability test. Naturally, we broke out the 'ol Krappy Kam and recorded video whenever we weren't taking still photos. You can see the video by clicking HERE. As usual, it meets the highest Krappy Kam standards.
Other than mud-terrain tires and rocker protection, the 'Runners were bone stock. We started our run at Loon Lake and traveled all the way to Tahoma. One of the vehicles was heavily camouflaged, while the other was representative of what the production 4Runner will look like. Both of the rigs were fitted with components of the "Trail" package. This package feature list is lengthy, but includes stuff like a locking rear differential and Crawl Control.
Our group consisted of a variety of Toyota folks, each with their own list of duties on the trip. Heck, even the 4Runner chief engineer flew in from Japan to be a part of the test. Our first night's camp was at Spider Lake and our second was at Rubicon Springs.
After a dip in the chilly Rubicon River to knock off the trail dust, the campfire came in handy to warm our toes.
So how did the stock 4Runners fare on the Rubicon Trail? Very good, actually. You can read all about our adventure, and the 2010 Toyota 4Runner Trail, in the December issue of Four Wheeler, but we can say that the trucks suffered no driveline damage whatsoever and they were driven 700 miles back to the Arizona Proving Grounds. And that, is pretty cool.