The New Old Adventuremobile

I recently posted about a cool, restored VW Rabbit pickup claiming I could be a truck guy. A commenter aptly pointed out that's technically not a truck. Agreed. But these are. I'm so stoked on these latest Jeep concept vehicles that hearken back to an era off roading before the acronym SUV was ever uttered.

I love this four door, four seat Wrangler pickup called the Brute by American Expedition Vehicles. It's totally reminiscent of a classic, safari-like Land Rover Defender 130CC. All it needs is a green canvas cab over the truck bed. More pics here.

Jeep was recently in Moab showing off this modern-retro interpretation of an 80's era J20 pickup. I especially dig the white steel rims and chrome hubcaps. More pics here.

Finally, my face officially melted the moment I saw this modern, forward control Jeep concept. Also on tour in Moab, this amazing monster is a flawless-looking American-made version of a Mercedes-Benz Unimog or a Land Rover Series IIB Forward Control. More pics here.

I want this thing. It makes me want to crawl rocks and winch something out of a bog. Here's to the new old adventuremobile.

Show Don't Tell

Saw this last week and still diggin'. Check out this great collaboration by my doods Mark Rawlins and Dan Christofferson for Owen Jones. Video by Jacob Hinmon.

Pallet has Personality

I'll often attribute personality traits to companies, such as the place I work or the clients and brands I interact with and love. While eating at SLC's newest restaurant Pallet, I almost instantly knew that this joint not only has personality, it has a personality.
Designed my friends over at the cityhomeCOLLECTIVE, the interior takes on a perfect balance of old and new, modern and classic, simple and complex. I love the communal seating layout combined with some excellent tunes that could have been stripped from my own playlists. When filled with folks, Pallet took on the vibe of a hopping yet intimate dinner party.
My understanding is that all the woodwork throughout the establishment is custom and original, which makes everything feel extremely rich and fresh. You get the definite sensation that Pallet was pulled out of Portland or New York and carefully placed here in SLC... like a present.
A great example of Pallet's personality is how perfectly one of its modern plates plays with the classic flatware. The juxtaposition of these elements creates an eclectic style that just flat out works.
Not only is this place designed to impress, the menu keeps up with the decor. I ordered the salmon, which was seared to perfection. And I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that, though not on the menu, Pallet stocks Bundaberg Ginger Beer. Bonus!

Photos by the cityhomeCOLLECTIVE

The Legendary Ralph McQuarrie

The man that define so much of visual iconography that I grew up with passed away yesterday at the age of 82. Ralph McQuarrie was the the illustrator and futurist for the original Star Wars Trilogy and penned some of the most recognizable characters and vehicles in cinematic history. He designed everything, from Darth Vader's menacing helmet and mask to The Millennium Falcon's rough and tumble exterior.

The Falcon is easily my favorite movie vehicle of all time, because despite not looking like much it truly had it where it counts.

Ralph was also the original designer of the costumes and uniforms for characters like Stormtroopers and the legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett—imagery that is now influencing the next generation of fanboys.

BMW ///M135i Concept

Dear Bimmer gods, please oh please, let this twin-turbo hot-hatch awesomeness come to our shores!