January 2015 | Volume | 8 Issue 1

In 2011, James Hart and Lauren Neel took off from San Francisco and headed south of the border seeking adventure in their 1st generation 4Runner. TCT Magazine interviewed them about their fantastic journey. This is the first of a 2-part series.

The vehicle we searched high and low for, to transform into an overland rig, was a 2007 Lexus GX 470 with KDSS and heated seats. We finally found it at a dealership in Scottsdale AZ. It was stock, had 109,000 and was in like new condition. We believe it had always been a commuter used solely on pavement. The undercarriage had not one scratch or ding; we were confident it had never even seen a gravel driveway, let alone a dirt road or trail. Luckily we were about to change that drastically. In my opinion we traded up: traded to a more capable vehicle than the hot rodded, lowered BMW sedan that got stuck in our flat concrete driveway in a quarter inch of snow the past winter. We left the BMW sitting at the dealership as we drove the Lexus away. Lexy, as we now affectionately call our GX 470, joined the Adventure Driven family in the spring of 2014.

When Krish is not tacking on meaningless miles daily driving his extremely well built Toyota Tacoma, he’s pushing his truck to its limits in the California deserts.  From the long-travel front and rear suspension to the cage work front to rear, this 2006 Toyota Tacoma is built to handle the abuse of desert racing while keeping its ability to comfortably handle daily driving responsibilities.

I had a chance to pick Krish’s brain a bit to see what the driving force behind this impressive build was…

This issue is about a week late, but no apologies from us! We're very excited to be the first publication to send out full coverage of the all new 2016 Toyota Tacoma! Of course, that's not all there is to the January 2016 issue....our editors and contributors have put together one of the best issues we've ever seen!:

• Four Wheel Campers Tested & Reviewed
• South American Overland Adventure in a 1st Gen 4Runner
• Chasing the Baja 1000 with Canguro Racing
• Expeditions 7 Greg Miller Interview, Part 2
• SEMA 2014 Photo Shoot
• 80 Series Horn Repair
• Overland Preparation
• 3rd Gen 4Runner Build
• Ironman's new Suspension Prototype
• Addicted Bed Rack Review
• Three Seasons with Lexy (a GX-470 Build)
• Outdoor Griddle Comparison
• 2014 Toyota Overlander's List
• 4Runners in Uwharrie
• The Desert Limo (Tacoma Build)

Don't delay, get your copy now!

You can also get TCT delivered straight to your iPad via the TCT Magazine app. At just $2.99 per issue, or $9.99 for an annual subscription, it's the best way to experience Toyota Cruisers, Trucks, and SUVs. We include videos & slideshows for many articles, and everything is fully interactive!

We're also excited to welcome a new sponsor for this issue: Give a warm welcome to A.R.E. 

To get your copy of the January 2015 issue: FIND US ON: Twitter | Facebook