Want to protect America's national parks? Buy a big, honkin', tricked-out SUV.
The Xplore Adventure Series from Venchurs offers a number of different vehicle customization options that encourage off-road exploration. For each vehicle sold, Venchurs makes a donation to the National Parks Foundation and gives the vehicle owner a free one-year pass to all 392 national parks.
We love the irony of this.
Stage Two vehicles -- appropriate for Lake Havasu -- add tricked-out wheels, Bilstein shocks and a rumbly Magnaflow exhaust. Stage Three is for serious outdoor hooning, with features like a winch, a snorkel, rock-rails, a refrigerator, a compressor and a rooftop pop-up tent. If you're looking to get lost in style, Stage Four offers built-to-order Toyota FJ Cruisers and Jeep Wranglers with custom wheels and paint in addition to expedition-grade options.
For those who never venture beyond the visitor parking lot at Yellowstone (or REI), there are packages available for most cars and trucks so you can get Xplore-branded leather upholstery, floor mats and badges plus the visitor pass and discounts on outdoor gear. We expect to see Xplore badges on lots of Subarus.
“You can’t have one of these in your driveway and not be inspired to get out into the great American outdoors," said Xplore project manager Ron Flint.
It's a real-world example of the observer effect: The SUV helps people access natural wonders, but -- like any vehicle that isn't a silent, invisible, solar-powered hovercraft -- in some way it diminishes the very environment its occupants can appreciate. At least these SUVs have a high probability of being used for their intended purpose.
We just hope that owners remember to be responsible, and to tread lightly.
Photos, Image: Venchurs
