The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Hyundai Rockstar Santa Fe Concept Isn’t Your Typical Family Crossover

By Miles Branman October 11, 2016

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) knows how to draw out the looniest in people. Frankenstein vehicles from major automakers and tiny tuning houses alike assemble each year in Las Vegas, Nevada. Some are inspired works of art, others are real head-scratchers. Either way, it’s entertaining.

Honda, Toyota, Mazda, and other Japanese automakers have a big presence at SEMA, but recently Hyundai has become more involved. This year, the Korean brand teamed up with Rockstar Energy to build this insane Santa Fe off-road concept. Its official name is the Hyundai Rockstar Santa Fe Concept and it’s as wild as the people who guzzle energy drinks day in and day out.

Hyundai morphed the Santa Fe into a rock-crawling, dirt-running monster mobile by installing a completely new suspension system that increases the ride height for extra ground clearance, adding aftermarket King shocks to soak up bumps, and fitting massive 35-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claw tires on 17-inch, bead-lock wheels. Designed for off-road and military vehicles, bead-lock wheels allow the tire to be bolted to the rim, so it doesn’t come off if deflated. Yea, this thing is legit.

As if the wheel-and-tire package didn’t give the Rockstar Santa Fe enough attitude, Hyundai added LED light bars, rock sliders and bumpers, and a custom roof rack. A winch is also built into the front bumper in case the Rockstar Santa Fe goes exploring alone and is caught without traction. Inside, it’s custom all the way, with leather upholstery and unique hardware.

The 3.3-liter V6 shared with stock Hyundai Santa Fe crossovers was treated to a custom exhaust system and nitrous oxide (or Nos, as the racer community refers to it). The juice should put the Santa Fe concept well past its stock 290 hp and 252 lb-ft of torque specs, but Hyundai wouldn’t quote a specific power output. The Korean car-maker will also bring a 1,000-hp Santa Fe built by tuner Bisimoto to SEMA, so clearly there’s some potential in that engine.

It’s weird to say that the Rockstar Santa Fe Concept is tame, but considering the wild stuff that floats through the Las Vegas Convention Center this time a year, a juiced-up crossover is pretty modest.

Miles Branman developed a passion for cars early on thanks to a neighbor’s collection of rare and exotic vehicles. What…

Auto

Bugatti Bolide: A track-only hypercar for drivers with no racing experience

The Bolide isn't a race-inspired road car, it's a street-inspired race car

Black Bugatti Bolide in the middle of a wide track standing ready to go.

Imagine a car for drivers with no track experience that accelerates past 200 mph faster than a Formula 1 race car. Expensive and not allowed on public roads, the Bugatti Bolide is the ultimate fantasy car. The Bolide doesn't appear to be the V16-powered hypercar in development that Bugatti teased earlier this year because it will build on the brand's proven 1,600 metric horsepower 8.0-liter W16 turbocharged engine.
Also, despite having antilock braking system (ABS) brakes, electronic stability programming (ESP), and road-car niceties not typically found on race cars, the Bolide won't have a future street-legal incarnation. According to Bugatti, "... the Bolide represents a departure from the norm, a shift towards a completely different realm of driving that Bugatti hasn't yet explored in its modern-day history."

That statement begs a look at the company's earlier history when, 100 years ago, it designed and engineered the Bugatti Type 35 solely for track performance.
Why an approachable track-only hypercar matters

Outdoors

Camper van vs Class B RV: How to choose which to buy for your outdoor adventures

Class B RV vs Camper Van - who ya got?

Man building a campfire in front of a Winnebago Ekko Springer camper van.

If you would love to go on road trips and experience the best national parks, there is no better way to do it and still feel comfortable like you’re at home than camping in an RV. Let’s be honest: You will enjoy sleeping on a cozy bed in an RV with an air conditioner more than in a moist and chilly tent. It’s also easier to prepare your meals in an RV because of the refrigerator, and you don’t have to worry about packing and unpacking your camping bags every night or morning.

However, the big RVs can be a headache if you're driving through low-hanging bridges or tight spaces. They’re also more expensive to fuel and maintain compared to smaller-size vehicles. Alternatively, you could choose a Class B RV or a camper van if prefer an RV that strikes a balance between rural camping and big-city adventure. But the question is — what’s the difference between a Class B RV and a camper van? And which one should you buy?
A Class B motorhome is built with all the camping amenities

Auto

John Hennessey reveals the Venom F5’s weirdest engineering challenge

The Venom F5's oddest engineering challenge has to do with Michael Jordan

Venom F5 roadster revolution

During our recent chat with John Hennessey, the founder and CEO of Hennessey Performance, we mentioned one of the more unique engineering accomplishments of the company’s flagship hypercar—the Venom F5. Unlike many high-performance vehicles, the hypercar is built to accommodate larger people, including basketball legend and Venom F5 owner Michael Jordan.

Hennessey says: “Michael is one of our clients. He fits in his F5 like a glove, even with the roof on. He has an F5 Revolution Roadster—so just one of 12. He has just one of two with completely exposed carbon fiber."