MOAB — The newest addition to Moab's motor pool is roughly 9 feet long, seats two, comes with a beefy four-stroke engine, resembles a fancy golf cart, and its available options include top-mounted machine gun, bulletproof windshield and body armor, and high-tech surveillance technology.
For the rocky roads around Moab, the basic-model Tomcar — minus the armament — offers a comfortable, albeit sometimes bumpy ride.
For the intended purpose of the Tomcar, which was for use by the Israeli border police, the preferred model comes fully loaded.
The mini-Hummer was first introduced in Israel in 1990 as a high-performance, highly maneuverable vehicle to patrol highly volatile border areas.
It came as no surprise that someone saw recreational possibilities for the go-anywhere minicar.
A few years ago, Brandon Lake, marketing director for Moab Adventure Center, attended a demonstration by the Israeli automaker for the local sheriff's department.
"I was impressed," he remembered. "They could go anywhere. I felt they were perfect for the terrain around Moab. At the time they were being used for recreation in only one place — Kauai.
"A number of things (about the Tomcar) attracted me. For one, it didn't seem to have much difficulty traveling in very rough country. Also, it was perfect for couples and parents. With ATVs, one person has to ride behind the other. Here, people sit side-by-side, just like in a car. Also, being enclosed, people were out of the elements, which is something else you can't do with an ATV."
He also liked the safety features. The Tomcars come with rollbar, four-point safety seat belts, wide wheelbase (79 inches) and high clearance (13 inches).
The Adventure Center ordered a fleet of Tomcars last year. Lake remembered that when they arrived in the United States they were stuck in customs for two months, "while they checked every component to make sure it met U.S. standards."
Once they were parked in Moab, in June of 2004, they became an instant hit, especially, as he said, among couples and parents.
"Not everyone wants to drive. Not everyone can drive. Some people are happy to let someone else drive while they sit back and enjoy the scenery. And, some people don't like the idea of riding on the back of an ATV, and prefer a comfortable seat and being strapped in by a seat belt," he added.
"For that very reason, parents love the cars. The child is strapped into a seat next to them ,and they don't have to worry about them ridding on the back of an ATV."
When the vehicles arrived, he recalled, a representative from the factory in Israel came to Moab.
"He went out on one of our rides and when he came back he told me that (the Moab area), without question, was the best terrain he'd ridden in. He said he's never seen country so unique, so well-suited for the Tomcars."
Recently, Lake placed an order for a four-passenger Tomcar. It will be, he said, only the second four-seater produced.
It will make it possible, he added, for parents to take more than one child and for larger groups to go together.
While the Tomcar drives like a car — the gearing system has a forward, reverse and neutral — and passengers sit side-by-side, like in a car, the Tomcar can go places a car, and even some four-by-fours, would not dare venture.
Its 12-inch tires and 13 inches of ground clearance, combined with a 725 cc, four-stroke engine, make it possible for the Tomcar to climb and descend over rocky ledges and rough surfaces steadily and easily.
"I've seen the Tomcars go places people wouldn't want to take some four-wheelers . . . but the best part is that with the independent suspension the ride in a Tomcar is much more comfortable," said Bob Ball, a guide for the Moab Adventure Center.
"In fact, people tell me all the time how surprised they are at just how rough the terrain is and how well the Tomcars negotiate it. And, for me, that's part of the fun of this job — seeing people drive over terrain they never thought possible."
Once the Tomcars arrived in Moab, the task turned to one of finding suitable terrain that was scenic, challenging and safe.
"We've actually changed the course this years," said Lake, "to make it a little more challenging, knowing what we know now about the capabilities of the Tomcar."
The tour starts from a building used as part of the set in the movie "Riders of the Purple Sage," located seven miles north of Moab. From there, Ball leads the tour west to Seven Mile Canyon, which starts with a dirt road and leads to the base of the sheer-red-rock cliffs that rise up more than a thousand feet from the valley floor.
A series of switchbacks over a road of broken rock, ledges and shallow gullies cut by rain and wear, leads to the upper plateau and, as Ball was quick to point out, "a perfect view of the world."
"From here," he said, pointing his finger as he talked, "you can see five mountain ranges on a clear day. Over there is Arches (National Park). There's Balanced Rock and Skyline Arch and Klondike Bluff and the Fiery Furnace. There's the beginning of Courthouse Wash, the town of Moab and Poison Spider Mesa. Over there is the starting of Canyonlands (National Park) and Merrimic Butte, and I could go on. It's quite a view from up here."
The drive continues west toward the Merrimic Butte over rugged slick rock marked by an occasional white strip of paint, the only means of identifying the trail without Ball's memory. Occasionally, small valleys appeared in the slickrock that tested the balance of the Tomcars and the nerves of the drivers.
The trail loops to the north, over sandy roads, then proceeded on a gradual descent back to the valley floor, and back to the old move set.
The cost of the trips — Tomcar, fuel, guide and snacks and water included — is $125 for a driver and $65 for passenger.
Currently, the center offers three three-hour tours a day — morning, afternoon and evening. Ball said occasionally he'll do three trips in a day, but that even for someone with his experience "it can be a little demanding."
And, even with this much use, said Lake, there have been few maintenance problems. But then, they were designed for rugged use and dependability, which, minus the armament, make they a perfect match for the country around Moab.
Details:
Length: 111 inches
Width: 65 inches
Height: 64 inches
Wheel base: 79 inches
Transmission: Automatic — forward, neutral, reverse; rear wheel drive
Weight: 1,180 lbs.
E-mail: grass@desnews.com