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Aruba Off-Road in a Tomcar
When I visited Aruba last week, I had no idea that I would be taking an off-road adventure. I was psyched for swimming, snorkeling, biking, sailing and chillin' out with a bottle of Balashi, the local beer. Then Sjeidy, my hip host from the Aruba Tourism Authority, asked if I wanted to trek over some sand dunes in a Tomcar with Aruba Off-Road. I was in!
My first impression was that we were getting into a Tonka Toy with harnesses. Our two-seater version had a roof but no doors, a windshield (that makes it street legal), a high ground clearance of 14.5" and 3 gears: drive, neutral and reverse. With bright yellow suspension coils, fat tires and lights that stuck out like bugs eyes, the vehicle looked cute enough to pet. But, it proved to be a serious off-roader that could do 35 miles per hour while running through sand, climbing boulders and descending into stream beds. In one gear! I was impressed.
Our tour started at a country stable only minutes from the Arikok National Park. We were on fabulous rutty roads within minutes moving up to high rises where we could view the entire island (and beyond to Venezuela on a clear day). From there we cut through desert dotted with people-sized cactus to a series of caves with original Indian drawings and up the coast to a natural rock bridge that recently collapsed into the ocean. Our last stop of the day was Baby Beach... milky turquoise waters and a soft white sandy stretch. Could I have gotten all of these places in a Toyota Rav4? Sure thing. But, the Tomcar was a fabulous way to go behind the scenes on this exquisite island.
When I returned to my hotel that afternoon, I started researching the roots of the Tomcar and came up with some fascinating information. Turns out, the Tomcar is tough enough to take on bullets and boulders.
This small off-road utility vehicle was produced in the early 1990's by Yoran Zarchi, head of the Israeli army's special forces vehicles unit. He named it after his son, who is currently a pilot in the Israeli Air Force. Designed to fit into a Sea Knight or Chinook helicopter, the Tomcar is used by the Israeli military to patrol its borders. But, it is also used for recreational fun and commercial tasks like forest management.
The Tomcar was brought to the US in 2001 by a team of four paraplegic gentlemen from Israel who decided to race the SCORE Baja 1000 with a fully hand-controlled Tomcar.
In May of 2005, Tomcar USA started producing the "truck" in Arizona. The Tomcar comes in a variety of sizes (one, two and four seat models) colors and styles with all kinds of cool aftermarket gizmos. It ranges in price from $12,000 to $22,000 for a fully loaded four seater. The miles per hour, depending on the model, ranges from 25- 65 mph at around 20 mpg.
Tomcars have become so popular that the Arizona based Tomcar USA is spreading its wheels to Auburn Hills, Michigan. With backing from German and Israeli investors, the company is gearing up to roll off the assembly line soon with an initial run of 20 vehicles per day.
Hey, who would have guessed that an afternoon joyride in Aruba would lead to a dissertation on the Tomcar?
My first impression was that we were getting into a Tonka Toy with harnesses. Our two-seater version had a roof but no doors, a windshield (that makes it street legal), a high ground clearance of 14.5" and 3 gears: drive, neutral and reverse. With bright yellow suspension coils, fat tires and lights that stuck out like bugs eyes, the vehicle looked cute enough to pet. But, it proved to be a serious off-roader that could do 35 miles per hour while running through sand, climbing boulders and descending into stream beds. In one gear! I was impressed.
Our tour started at a country stable only minutes from the Arikok National Park. We were on fabulous rutty roads within minutes moving up to high rises where we could view the entire island (and beyond to Venezuela on a clear day). From there we cut through desert dotted with people-sized cactus to a series of caves with original Indian drawings and up the coast to a natural rock bridge that recently collapsed into the ocean. Our last stop of the day was Baby Beach... milky turquoise waters and a soft white sandy stretch. Could I have gotten all of these places in a Toyota Rav4? Sure thing. But, the Tomcar was a fabulous way to go behind the scenes on this exquisite island.
When I returned to my hotel that afternoon, I started researching the roots of the Tomcar and came up with some fascinating information. Turns out, the Tomcar is tough enough to take on bullets and boulders.
This small off-road utility vehicle was produced in the early 1990's by Yoran Zarchi, head of the Israeli army's special forces vehicles unit. He named it after his son, who is currently a pilot in the Israeli Air Force. Designed to fit into a Sea Knight or Chinook helicopter, the Tomcar is used by the Israeli military to patrol its borders. But, it is also used for recreational fun and commercial tasks like forest management.
The Tomcar was brought to the US in 2001 by a team of four paraplegic gentlemen from Israel who decided to race the SCORE Baja 1000 with a fully hand-controlled Tomcar.
In May of 2005, Tomcar USA started producing the "truck" in Arizona. The Tomcar comes in a variety of sizes (one, two and four seat models) colors and styles with all kinds of cool aftermarket gizmos. It ranges in price from $12,000 to $22,000 for a fully loaded four seater. The miles per hour, depending on the model, ranges from 25- 65 mph at around 20 mpg.
Tomcars have become so popular that the Arizona based Tomcar USA is spreading its wheels to Auburn Hills, Michigan. With backing from German and Israeli investors, the company is gearing up to roll off the assembly line soon with an initial run of 20 vehicles per day.
Hey, who would have guessed that an afternoon joyride in Aruba would lead to a dissertation on the Tomcar?
Apr 30, 2008 12:48 pm
Categories: The Car I Drove Last Night | Custom Cars and Classic Cars
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