By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Throw this one in the category of cars you don’t expect to run into at a NASCAR race–this bizarre vee-dub was randomly parked off to the side in the garage area at Fontana on Sunday, probably one of the pre-race parade vehicles. It had a dual-carbed V8 fitted into the not-very-functional pickup bed. Interesting choice for a ute conversion. More pics below the jump!

Continue reading "Did This Used To Be a Squareback?" »

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Just think of this, and you’ll feel better. Thanks to Katakuna for the tip!

By Ron Honig

WaytooFurious

It’s nice to see car makers that are proactive when faults are found with their cars. Unlike the recent example set by Toyota, it’s good to know that you can still count on some organisations to do the right thing, and save themselves a heap of trouble in the process. Australia’s Holden has recently announced a recall of 34,000 utes as there is the possibility that their tailgates might open unexpectedly while in motion. The chances that this will actually happen to anyone are slim, but in the event that it did, it could pose some obvious hazards to anyone driving behind the defective vehicle. Get the full story at the Age.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out RDP Motorsport’s amazing Ute, which has been near or at the top of Top Rides for the last few weeks. Incredible!

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

This guy decided to chop his 240 SX into a handy ute. It’s clearly a work in progress, a little rough around the edges–but unlike a lot of the home-brew conversions I’ve seen lately, it doesn’t look to be the handiwork of a total meth addict. See more pics below the jump!

Continue reading "SX-Camino" »

Check out this crazy BMW M5 Ute, which was finished a few days ago by Stuart Appleby in Australia. Jalopnik has a huge gallery of photos. Stuart definitely needs to update his website, but then again, it looks like he’s been pretty busy.

When Pontiac decided to going ahead with production on their version of the Holden Ute, they were stuck on what to name it. So a few months ago they set up a web site to let the public submit their ideas for names. It was a nice idea, and showed that GM really cared what its potential customers thought. Well now the long wait is over, and it’s official—GM has released the name of their stateside "ute" and the name is…

Pontiac G8 ST

As in, the name that they were going to call it in the first place. Do you feel as cheated and let down as I do? After 18,000 submissions to the web site, GM apparently thought we were all a bunch of rubes and went with its concept name anyways. All I can say is, thanks to the watering down of the American auto industry, we will never have another new exciting product name or a color other than silver.

I’m very picky when it comes to homebuilt "Utes," "El Caminos," or whatever you want to call them. They’re not all gems in my eyes, but this one—this one I like. First off, I have always liked Studebaker Champions and so it’s already got my vote for using one as a platform for this project. He gets bonus points though for keeping the flares from the rear quarter panels of the Stude, which to me makes the conversion complete. Add on what looks to be 18" Dayton knock-offs, and this car just does it for me. I think with a few more mods, this could be one killer ride. I’m thinking an air bag system, carpeted or wood bed floor (because let’s face it, you ain’t haulin’ much more than a cooler full of beer and a lawn chair) and a few engine dress-up items to complete this unique ride. What do you think? Can a bodyshop cross-breed be cool, or does this just scream Island of Dr. Moreau?

He’d certainly be up for a Darwin Award had he perished, but this would-be firebug lived to see another day after dousing a ute in gas and then setting himself on fire along with the vehicle. Some cops hosed him down with a fire extinguisher as he fled flaming down the street. Let’s hope he learns his lesson and leaves all those nice Australian cars alone from now on. Full story at the Herald Sun. Thanks for the tip, Ron!

I read John’s recent story on the homemade Jaguar ute that was up for sale on Craigslist with some interest. This idea is nothing new in Australia, where people have long produced hand-made Utes based on Jags, Mercedes, even Bentleys. And unlike that Craigslist Jag, the homemade utes that I have seen actually looked like they could’ve come from the factory. Perhaps this is because the Ute rates highly in our national psyche, and is seen more as a cultural icon than as either a workhorse or a fashion statement. In fact, we hold the world record for having the most Utes gathered one site: a total of 6235 of them assembled last year at the annual Deniliquin Ute Muster. This festival is held each year and would not be the same without the many home-built Utes that our country is known for. Check it out.