Enter Tomcar: The new incredibly awesome sponsor of UA Baja Racing.  A few Fridays back the team and I drove up to Phoenix to visit Tomcar’s local manufacturing facility and man, were we blown away.  Before we divulge any details, here is a little history about Tomcar…

Tomcar started off looking for a way to bridge the gap between ATVs (quads) and Sport Utility Vehicles.  ATVs, inherently dangerous for the inexperienced rider, do not feature a roll-cage for protection and they lack seatbelts, for obvious reasons (I don’t know anyone who would want to be strapped to an ATV while it rolls down a hill).  Riding ATVs can be tiring, especially over long distances and through rough terrain.  Sport Utility Vehicles are high in price and are often limited in travel because of their size.  Enter Tomcar, the bridge in the gap.

The Tomcar was invented about 30 years ago to be used by the Israeli Border Patrol in combat zones.  What the Border Patrol asked for was a vehicle capable of traversing any type of terrain at a steady 25 miles per hour.  Tomcar not only birthed a vehicle capable of going 25 mph over rocks, ruts, jumps, etc, they also made it virtually indestructible.  Certain parts of the Tomcar are literally bulletproof, which makes sense for a vehicle being used to scout the border in a war-zone.  

Tomcars are made in one, two, and four seat models, powered by a variety of engines ranging in power and price.  Tomcar placed a high level of importance on making parts simple and easy to replace, just look at their cars.  The engine bays can accommodate whichever engine the buyer wants, just swap out the engine tray.  The exterior can be custom painted, in house, to your specific requests.  A plethora of add-on specialty accessories are also available to make your model unique, or more capable in extreme off-road situations.  When I first heard about them I was in disbelief.  I didn’t know of any companies that mass produced vehicles similar to what we built.  I’ve heard of Polaris Rangers and the Rhino, those vehicles are mass-produced, but envisioned more as a work vehicle or light terrain vehicle.  The Tomcar can be used to haul farm equipment, a full grown male Elk, bales of hay, you name it… while going over rocks and ruts and unimaginable terrain. 

Nearly every part used on the Tomcar is manufactured in-house.  Rims, one piece frame/roll-cage, shocks, swing-arms, knuckles, brakes…  All custom made by Tomcar.  The best part about having everything made by a single manufacturer is when something wears down or breaks.  Say you blow a seal on a shock.  Tomcar builds their own shocks so they are familiar with rebuilding them, or they have the part in stock for replacement.  There is no run-around with calling other manufacturers, parts not fitting together, etc.  

Now this is cool.  When you see a vehicle accelerate you expect to see the rear end squat down and the front end lift up, right? Well yeah, that’s just how vehicles conventionally work.  Not Tomcar… When Tomcars accelerate the rear end lifts up.  Call it crazy, call it cool, I don’t want to explain the physics but I will tell you that it does work.  Not only is it different, it’s also helpful.  Say you get the bottom of the car stuck on some rocks (not that Tomcars get stuck, but stick with the example).  When you go to accelerate the car the back of the vehicle lifts up, creating more clearance from the ground.  Combine that with the dual chain-driven swing-arms and you have one helluva drive train.  The durability of the setup is also a great factor.  Slam one of the swing-arms against a rock?  Okay, it’s nearly indestructible... big deal.  What happens if you slam an A-arm into a rock, yeah, crud… typically bent metal and messed up camber/geometry.

So how does Tomcar play in to what we do here at UA Baja Racing?  If you haven’t put two and two together yet let me tell you this: Tomcar equals our Baja SAE vehicles, only slightly larger, more powerful, and mass produced.  With Tomcar’s generosity we will be able to use reliable components on our new vehicles, and also get an inside look on how design teams function in the industry.  I’m excited for the year to unfold; we have a lot to work with and a ton of potential.  Big thanks to Tomcar!

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