The Snowpocalypse, it could come any year, better be prepared!
As the icy doom of the Snowpocalypse continues to close schools and turn roadways into skating rinks, it’s only natural that talk in the C/D office turned to the ultimate vehicles to get us through this modern Ice Age. Here are our top picks:
1. Tracked Model T
In the early 20th century, most rural mail carriers relied on horses and sleds for mail delivery, but a few enterprising folks came up with kits to convert automobiles for snow duty. Given the rugged nature (they still use Model T pickups for general maintenance on the grounds of the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village) and ubiquity of the Ford Model T, it was only natural that the majority of the professionally manufactured kits would be aimed at Ford’s legendary T. It may be crude, but its bag-of-hammers simplicity will come in handy when the only tools you have to perform a repair are a pair of vice grips, a reel of baling wire, and the wisdom of the Inuit.
2. Vintage Bombardier Snow Coach
Even if you hate winter, you still have to love the retro-modern look of the Bombardier Snow Coach. Originally diesel-powered and used in Canada’s most unforgiving polar terrain, a handful of these track-driven coaches have been updated and adopted for use in and around Yellowstone Park. Roll into town during a blizzard—to get a Blizzard, maybe—in one of these babies and locals will be positively convinced the snow-Martians have landed. But they’ll probably still ask for a ride.
3. Volkswagen Touareg Tracked “Snowareg”
Take an already capable snow vehicle—VW uses Touaregs as rescue and recovery vehicles at its winter driving facility in Sweden—and outfit it with tracks, and your ready to ride out the Snowpocalypse in leather-lined comfort. Protip: Don’t forget the Grizzly Bear CDs, bearskin rug, and peppermint schnapps for midnight rendezvous with snow bunnies while waiting for the sun to return.
4. Ken Block’s Insane Ford F-150 SVT RaptorTRAX
There’s not much to say here beyond what we’ve already stated in previous coverage: As tracked vehicles go, this is the top dawg on our list for performance, but sneak attacks are out of the question.
5. The Fordson Snow Motor Tractor
Why bother with tracks or tires when you can simply use a dead-nuts reliable screw drive? Not only will you be a hit with the steampunk crowd, you can julienne a helluva salad with the giant, auger-like torpedoes it rides on. Just make sure to keep your extremities free of the working bits—bloody stumps are totally out this year.
6. Snowmobile
Duh, they call them “snowmobiles” for a reason. (OK, some call them “snow machines,” but you get the point.) Many brands are available, but you can’t go wrong with Ski-Doo’s Expedition SE. With a hearty 1200-cc 4-stroke under the hood and room for a passenger and some survival gear, you have plenty to smile about as you blast past miles of stuck and abandoned cars on the highway. Suckers!
7. De Havilland Beaver
When travel by land fails, take to the air. Sky jockeys have been outfitting the storied single-engine Beaver with skis for decades, landing them in the coldest places on earth. If that isn’t enough of a recommendation, consider that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police use them for patrol, although it’s not clear if the Mountie or the horse flies the plane. Regardless, as a dependable aircraft with a long and storied history and quirky appeal, it offers one advantage that trumps the rest: You can fly the hell out of the Snow Belt, put ’er down in Key West, and run up one mother of a bar tab.
8. LiteTrax SnowTrax
With the all new Commercial Series, this little powerhouse will keep you warm and dry all the way over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house. There’s too much good to say about this snow machine, Click Here to see the full specs and features.
From all of us here at Lite Trax, have a safe and fun new year! And don’t get caught in a Snowpocalypse!
This article was originally written by Car and Driver