INTRODUCING THE OFF-ROAD DUDE RANCH SEGMENT.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. Now that we’re immersed in the fading twilight of the ICE Age, two distinct trends are merging: High-performance sports cars, supercars and muscle cars catering to enthusiasts occupy one half of the ICE hemisphere. while with gonzo pickups, tricked-out SUVs and hot-rodded off-road vehicles of all stripes make up the other. (The mainstream gray area consisting of endless crossovers? I’m not counting that; it’s just so much rolling wallpaper that blends into the woodwork.)

While we’re waiting for the promised euphoria of the EV Age to come to fruition over the next ten years, the real action for manufacturers will be in maximizing the profits from the build-out of their ICE-powered machines. (Even though some manufacturers are insisting we’re all going to be in EV heaven in no time, the reality, as I’ve stated repeatedly, will be something quite a bit “less than” and totally dependent on establishing a viable infrastructure and actual affordability. And no, $75,000.00 electric pickups do not count.)

As high-performance cars get harder and harder to come by, either because of price, or scarcity, or both, the cash generation is in what I’m calling the Off-Road Dude Ranch segment, where off-road capability – which will, in fact, rarely if ever get used to even 1 percent of capacity – is the calling card for near-term profits.

You only have to look at the coming Ford Bronco Raptor (see “On The Table” -WG) to see where this is going. I’ve seen Bronco Raptors around town for months now, and there’s no mistaking it when you come upon one. It’s a seriously aggressive, bad-ass off-road monster, which is exactly what the new legions of Off-Road Dudes and Dudettes will be looking for. They may never come within 3,000 miles of Baja, but knowing that they could attack the off-road canyons and desert washes if they wanted to is just the kind of magic elixir they’re looking for, even if they probably won’t even traverse so much as a parking lot curb during their ownership.

I get why the latest manufacturer focus is full-zoot rough riders and all-terrain mashers. Sort of. After all, that’s what they think people want in order to attack the Canyons of Costco and the Home Depot hollers. Even if you aren’t planning to go to Moab next week, you could if you wanted to, right? And therein lies the hook. The “hook” that auto manufacturers have exploited since people traded in their horses. (Back then the hooks were: You could sit on the front row at Indianapolis in your BelchFire8, if you wanted to; or you could qualify for Le Mans in your SuperSqualo Meteor, if you wanted to. And even now: You could qualify for an IMSA GT race in your Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, if you wanted to.) Those hooks are lethal, and highly profitable.

And now, with this burgeoning Off-Road Dude Ranch segment, it’s happening again, with an entirely new set of parameters. Extreme, track-focused high-performance is out (or fading away with stratospheric prices and a large dollop of unobtanium), replaced by rugged, off-road performance. Every manufacturer worth its 22” off-road wheel package (FYI: the Bronco Raptor has 37” off-road tires) is offering off-road performance versions of their various charges, whether they're needed or not. Beyond the usual suspects – Chevrolet, Ford, Ram, Toyota, Land Rover et al. – GMC, for instance, is offering an entire lineup of AT4 off-road-oriented spec vehicles. Which means it’s now officially an epidemic. The new Bronco Raptor is just the latest salvo in a battle that is heating up by the hour. I expect to see more and more of these extreme off-roaders come to market, because it is what’s red hot right now.

(The lives of manufacturer PR minions have changed dramatically too. Once upon a time they used to book racetracks all over the country for the latest “fly-in” press events to tout their newest high-performance charges. Now? They’re scouring exotic landscapes previously only attainable by mule to stage press events designed to demonstrate the off-road capabilities of their latest BelchFire SuperPounder trucks and SUVs. These PR minions are being forced to trade in their obligatory black pants and white logoed shirt outfits for canteens and wardrobes designed for the desert scrub brush aesthetic. So, there’s that.)

The times are getting crazy. So crazy, in fact, that some journos are actually criticizing car companies for even bothering to offer sedans or traditional hatchbacks, believing that we’re supposed to be driving all-SUVs-and-jacked-up-pickups-all-the-time now. The other journo camp is firmly entrenched in the EV-centric “Why are you still building ICE vehicles at all?”

But manufacturers don’t exist for the edification of auto journalists. They’re in the business of projecting trends and then taking advantage of them. And then making cargo ship loads of ca$h-ola. And they’ve been pretty damn successful at it.

As for the real world, consumers are just worried about the fundamental affordability of vehicles in general, which is why Ford’s Maverick pickup is the most important vehicle that company makes, even more so than its jacked-up Broncos and electrified pickups and crossovers.

Does any of this make any sense? Maybe. I get the profitability thing, and I applaud the latest bit of creative automotive Hose-O-Rama going on, but there are still consumers out there who just want a decent vehicle for a decent price. I strongly believe that there are plenty of car buyers out there who happen to like sedans and hatchbacks, including me. They’re fun and efficient instead of ground pounding and lumbering. It’s just a different style of motoring. Are there fun SUVs and crossovers to drive out there? Sure, but that doesn’t mean everyone has to have one, or want one. 

As I’ve said repeatedly since Day One of this website, the automobile business is first and foremost a fashion business. It is consumed by trends, fads and what’s perceived as “hot” at the moment. And before we’re immersed in the Next Big Thing – the coming EV Revolution – these vehicles designed to take us on adventures to nowhere are going to be the thing until further notice, which is not exactly good news in my book.

And that’s the High-Octane Truth for this week.