In 2007 we were a tiny bit disappointed that Nissan chose not to bring an Xterra to the IMPA Test Days. We were delighted that the X made an appearance at the 2008 event and even more delighted to catch it on video for our views.

Check out the sloppy, wet, wheel lifting action after the break. Be sure to use the full screen, as this is shot in full HD!
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Hoping to recreate the buzz that the legendary 2002 built for BMW some 40 years ago, designers created a new, small Beemer. The 1 series. Early on, there were a few skeptics who said the car was too expensive to be a modern 2002. As reviewers began driving the car though, we began to hear rave reviews. Some even thought the car eclipsed the big brother 3 series when it came to fun factor. Here in The Garage, we remained somewhat skeptical. Until that is, we drove a 135is.

Attractive in a modern BMW sort of way, comfortable, responsive and fast as hell, the 1 Series has raised the bar for small performance cars. It even has a back seat the kids won’t squawk about.

Enough reading, let’s get on with the video. After the break of course!
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Originally developed as a light weight military vehicle during WWII which soldiers loved due to its incredible off road prowess. Perhaps no other vehicle being sold today still embodies the spirit of the original model more than Jeep’s Wrangler Rubicon. While the Unlimited model we tested earlier this year has all the creature comforts a family needs, the 2 door Rubi is likely the most capable off road truck that Jeep has ever sold. It boasts most of the fun features of the longer truck, but with usable space for two, though the back seat has limited usefulness. Just ask Crash, who not elegantly climbed into the rear bench seat while we were filming. I just wish we had caught his entrance on camera!

We tested the Wrangler Rubicon at the International Motor Press Association’s 2008 Test Days. Mother Nature smiled on the off road day by soaking the course with rain the day before we hit the trails to ensure some muddy goodness for the cameras.

See the video after the break
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Last year, The Garage visited the annual International Motor Press Association Test Days held in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. We took a bunch of photos and wrote almost as many track and off road reviews. This year, we decided to take a slightly different approach. Video. Why let the NNN folks have all the fun!?

And so, yours truly and Scott Simmons took to the hills armed with full HD capability and got to work. Ok, so it may not look like work, but we did actually have some loose plans in place. We have off road tests, on road test, track tests and even had some autocross and drift action.

Of course, putting all this together takes more than a bit of production talent and that’s where Scott’s specialty lies. He doesn’t give himself enough credit though, as he’s a much better camera guy than he lets on. This first segment is a hard hitting, action packed piece that will give you a taste of what we have coming down the pipes.

Enough of my babbling now, grab a cold beverage, crank up the speakers and check out The Garage Blog’s first IMPA test days video.

The Garage Blog at IMPA Test Days 2008 from Scott Simmons on Vimeo.