Toyota SUV Powerslides Through Snowy Rally Course
Verifying its worth, the Toyota 4Runner has been a treasured vehicle amongst overland-loving folk for 14 years since its release. Meriting a standing ovation for its remarkable off-road capabilities and utterly dependable performance, its admirers respectively remain for one answer: Can it rally?
Team O’Neil Rally School wants to know whether Toyota’s old SUV can keep up when it takes on the icy circuit of its New England facility during the winter. To test this, they posted a video to YouTube featuring the top-of-the-line TRD Pro model. Unfortunately, the vehicle was held back by the factory-fitted Nitto Terra Grapple all-terrain tyres.
That rubber is perfect for rock-climbing and ploughing through muck, but lacks the traction essential for aggressive snow and ice driving. Presenter Wyatt Knox is perpetually striving for grip in corners and braking areas throughout his experiment.
In spite of the lack of traction, Knox emphasizes the 4Runner’s internal equalization, stiffness, and straightforwardness while maneuvering it around the Team O’Neil handling course. The SUV will spin, drift, and basically whatever you need of it to do, as long as you’re sufficiently tolerant for the tires to obtain grip.
Equipped with good quality studded snow tires, Knox claims that the 4Runner could become a notable player on their rally course. Nevertheless, in its lap time performance it occupies an intermediate place, deemed more speedy than the GR Corolla, yet slower than cars like the Bronco and WRX Subaru.
