QOTD: Cross Country Cruiser?

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

There are some Q-Ships which are designed to simply eat up the miles. Despite the proliferation of cheap(er) airline tickets, there is definitely a group of people who would rather drive to their cross-country destination than get in a metal sky tube with a hundred other humans. Fair enough.

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it: select a machine for our fictional friend so they can drive themselves from New York to L.A. in comfort. It can be a brand new vehicle, but that stipulation is not a necessity. You’ll see why after the jump.

It’s well known that Jonathan Ward and the team at ICON have crafted some of the finest 4×4 rigs ever to turn a wheel on the face of this planet. In addition to all that awesomeness, they also take on the occasional off-beat build, applying the same level of fastidiousness to it as they do their $222k FJ creations.

Which is why I select this ICON Chevrolet Caprice for our fictional friend, just in case you’ve forgotten the question of the day (it’s okay if you did; today is Monday, after all). Powered by 430 horsepower LS engine, the team left no stone unturned when fitting this car for a life on the highway.

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of 90s GM tat knows the acres of plastic used in the construction of these things, all of which was binned by the ICON team and replaced with finely crafted metals. Even those wheels, which look like stock cop steelies, are actually aluminium and upsized to clear the aftermarket brakes. And that interior? Fantastic. Be sure to click the link below and walk yourself though the picture gallery.

So what’s your unlimited budget pick for a blast across America?

[Images: ICON Reformer]

Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

More by Matthew Guy

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 133 comments
  • Nedmundo Nedmundo on Apr 30, 2019

    I want a nice blend of comfort, performance, range, relative anonymity, and ease of repair if necessary, so I'll go Mustang Ecoboost Premium, 6MT. In the summer, make it a convertible. I want something that can be fixed in just about any town in the good ol' US of A or Canada, and this fits the bill. I learned about this the hard way when my old SAAB broke down in rural Southern Illinois. No bueno. Second choice would be Accord Sport 2.0T with 6MT. Similar virtues as the Mustang, but more practical. Unfortunately, also less fun. If it must be used, a 2G Acura TSX is a good choice, especially with the Tech Package for the good stereo. I have a 2010, and it's the best long-distance road trip car I've ever owned. It doesn't dominate the highway like the old SAAB, but it's bulletproof, efficient, and comfortable. It has 118k miles, and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it cross country tomorrow.

  • Illan Illan on Apr 30, 2019

    ill take my 2013 Chrysler 300c SRT8 . this handsome beast was built just that and have fun

  • ToolGuy This thing here is interesting.For example, I can select "Historical" and "EV stock" and "Cars" and "USA" and see how many BEVs and PHEVs were on U.S. roads from 2010 to 2023."EV stock share" is also interesting. Or perhaps you prefer "EV sales share".If you are in the U.S., whatever you do, do not select "World" in the 'Region' dropdown. It might blow your small insular mind. 😉
  • ToolGuy This podcast was pretty interesting. I listened to it this morning, and now I am commenting. Listened to the podcast, now commenting on the podcast. See how this works? LOL.
  • VoGhost If you want this to succeed, enlarge the battery and make the vehicle in Spartanburg so you buyers get the $7,500 discount.
  • Jeff Look at the the 65 and 66 Pontiacs some of the most beautiful and well made Pontiacs. 66 Olds Toronado and 67 Cadillac Eldorado were beautiful as well. Mercury had some really nice looking cars during the 60s as well. The 69 thru 72 Grand Prix were nice along with the first generation of Monte Carlo 70 thru 72. Midsize GM cars were nice as well.The 69s were still good but the cheapening started in 68. Even the 70s GMs were good but fit and finish took a dive especially the interiors with more plastics and more shared interiors.
  • Proud2BUnion I typically recommend that no matter what make or model you purchase used, just assure that is HAS a prior salvage/rebuilt title. Best "Bang for your buck"!
Next