Glickenhaus goes off-road

Baja Boot remake really will be made, and it's going to have a V8 as well...

Without context, these renderings may not look like much. But when they're associated with Jim Glickenhaus, he of SCG003 fame, they become a lot more credible. And exciting.

The renderings preview Glickenhaus's reinterpretation of the Baja Boot, an off-road buggy that was devised in the late 60s in response to the new 'Mexican 1000' off-road race (the race that would become the modern day Baja 1000). Jim Glickenhaus purchased one of the original buggies back in 2010, so clearly this is a long-held ambition. The latest Facebook post shows a four-door 'Expedition' version - which will aim to drive up the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile and set a world record - as well as a two-door version called the 'Steve'. Your guess is as good as ours on that one.

Like the original this Baja Boot will use a V8, thought by Motor Trend to be a 5.0-litre, which would point towards it being Ford's 'Coyote' unit as found in the Mustang. MT also says it will have an automatic gearbox, a central driving position, 20 inches of suspension travel and the ability to switch between rear- and four-wheel drive. Which all sounds jolly marvellous, in a kind of grown-up Ariel Nomad sort of way.

Sure, the Baja Boot isn't exactly an attractive object, but that's missing the point entirely. And how pretty did you expect a car named 'Boot' to be? This is about no-holds-barred off-roading, taking whatever path you choose at whatever time you want. When backed with the type of single-minded ambition that has seen the Glickenhaus sportscar project do so well, the Boot adventure has the potential to be spectacular. Stay tuned...