On the Set of XP1K, the Most Insane UTV Gymkhana Ever

When Mad Media invited me to witness the making of XP1K, my invite was vague: "Polaris RZR, Gymkhana, 125 degrees in the shade, and awesome catering." They could have had me at food, but my recent affinity to jumping quads in the backyard and Mad Media's history of epic videos drove me to return an emphatic, "Yes, I'll be there!" 

After taking three planes and a long drive down US 10 in the middle of desert, I was convinced that I was in the wrong place and, at any moment, tremors would emerge from the sand and gobble me up. But I was in the right place, as the EMTs pulled up and said, "here for the video?" I realized that this was not some backyard BBQ. 

Polaris RZRs are not quads. They are some close cousin, whose roll cage and seated position can carry the illusion of safety and whose name "Utility Terrain Vehicle" might sound like "all work and no play." But don't forsake UTVs, especially not the RZR, for these are beasts made of adrenaline-pumping guts and glory. And they are flying off the shelf with a renaissance of privater racers. Racing, in general, in the last 30 years has really only been accessible to those with money. But now, with the cheaper price of the RZRs and other vehicles in it's class, these UTVs are becoming today's Baja Beetles. With a few mods to a stock RZR, it's an instant racer. 

During shooting breaks, I was able to take out the new 2014 RZR, XP 1000 (also known as the White Lighting), and it was wicked fun. With 107 horses and the ability to switch from 2-wheel-drive to 4-wheel winding up and down the fire roads and long desert straights, it blew my mind with it's controled lack of control. 

The stock XP 1000 has about the same power-to-weight ratio as a Golf GTI, but for the XP1K video, they wanted to do something special. So, with the help of Walker Evans racing, they tweaked this, added that, and doubled the horsepower, giving the RZR roughly the power-to-weight ratio as a Lamborghini Murciélago or a Corvette Z06. That means it's the most powerful UTV ever.

In picking somebody who could handle the monster RZR for the XP1K video, R.J. Anderson was an obvious choice. He grew up in a race-minded family with father Randy, who is a legend in race suspension and design. R.J., who is only 20, has numerous wins under his belt in the Lucas Oil Off Road series in several different classes. R.J. crushed the Gymkhana course, with not so much as breaking a sweat. In fact, the only thing he did break was the world record of longest UTV jump.

As the sun went down on my epic adventure, I reflected my day over the most delicious tacos from Bull Taco. I realized that no matter how I tried to sum up my experience in words, only the video itself would have the same impact, so without further adieu, I give you XP1K: 

Once you've finished, take a look at some of our exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from the set, and the official photos of the vehicle. 

When Mad Media invited me to witness the making of XP1K, my invite was vague: "Polaris RZR, Gymkhana, 125 degrees in the shade, and awesome catering." They could have had me at food, but my recent affinity to jumping quads in the backyard and Mad Media's history of epic videos drove me to return an emphatic, "Yes, I'll be there!" 

After taking three planes and a long drive down US 10 in the middle of desert, I was convinced that I was in the wrong place and, at any moment, tremors would emerge from the sand and gobble me up. But I was in the right place, as the EMTs pulled up and said, "here for the video?" I realized that this was not some backyard BBQ. 

Polaris RZRs are not quads. They are some close cousin, whose roll cage and seated position can carry the illusion of safety and whose name "Utility Terrain Vehicle" might sound like "all work and no play." But don't forsake UTVs, especially not the RZR, for these are beasts made of adrenaline-pumping guts and glory. And they are flying off the shelf with a renaissance of privater racers. Racing, in general, in the last 30 years has really only been accessible to those with money. But now, with the cheaper price of the RZRs and other vehicles in it's class, these UTVs are becoming today's Baja Beetles. With a few mods to a stock RZR, it's an instant racer. 

During shooting breaks, I was able to take out the new 2014 RZR, XP 1000 (also known as the White Lighting), and it was wicked fun. With 107 horses and the ability to switch from 2-wheel-drive to 4-wheel winding up and down the fire roads and long desert straights, it blew my mind with it's controled lack of control. 

The stock XP 1000 has about the same power-to-weight ratio as a Golf GTI, but for the XP1K video, they wanted to do something special. So, with the help of Walker Evans racing, they tweaked this, added that, and doubled the horsepower, giving the RZR roughly the power-to-weight ratio as a Lamborghini Murciélago or a Corvette Z06. That means it's the most powerful UTV ever.

In picking somebody who could handle the monster RZR for the XP1K video, R.J. Anderson was an obvious choice. He grew up in a race-minded family with father Randy, who is a legend in race suspension and design. R.J., who is only 20, has numerous wins under his belt in the Lucas Oil Off Road series in several different classes. R.J. crushed the Gymkhana course, with not so much as breaking a sweat. In fact, the only thing he did break was the world record of longest UTV jump.

As the sun went down on my epic adventure, I reflected my day over the most delicious tacos from Bull Taco. I realized that no matter how I tried to sum up my experience in words, only the video itself would have the same impact, so without further adieu, I give you XP1K: 

Once you've finished, take a look at some of our exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from the set, and the official photos of the vehicle.