RJ Anderson Backflips a Polaris RZR in Latest XP1K Film
Start your Tuesday with some off-road insanity in the ultimate UTV.
Ken Block may have his Gymkhana, but RJ Anderson is a master of the off-road acrobatics you only find in Mad Media's series of XP1K stunt flicks showcasing his death-and-gravity-defying abilities behind the wheel of a highly modified UTV. We last saw him charging through an abandoned industrial hellscape, jumping concrete chasms and blasting across rusty rail yards. Now he's returned to the rocky scrublands outside San Diego with a brand new trick up his sleeve: an honest-to-goodness backflip. Throw in a circular "Wall of Death" routine, a few signature jumps, and a high-speed whoops section, and you've got a recipe for a good time.
Of course, he's not using some old Mule with a cargo bed. The 168-horsepower Polaris RZR XP Turbo EPS is part of the new wave of ultra-capable off-road UTVs (also called side-by-sides) that's currently sweeping the market. They've exploded in popularity over the last few years thanks to their ridiculous abilities straight from the factory and a thriving aftermarket scene, and this year saw their inclusion in the legendary Dakar Rally for the first time. Still, the one that Anderson is driving is even more jacked than the models you can by from the showroom, featuring high-end modifications from top to bottom including new wheels, shocks, and numerous structural reinforcements added by the folks at Carr One Fabrication.
The track is a mix of natural features and a lot of hard work by the Off-Road Management Group, the team responsible for building the video's signature moments—the "Wall of Death" and the backflip. A different "Wall of Death" was actually featured in an earlier video in the series, but this version has been substantially upgraded, with a motorized entry/exit hatch and a dirt jump on the follow through. And you can see the clever engineering in the backflip ramp, which is designed to collapse a bit at the top to aid Anderson's rotation...but you'll also notice that he manages to smash a camera drone out of the air on the way back down. You know, best laid plans and all that.
Beyond those features, there's a whole lot more jumping, sliding, and scrambling to be had here. The whoops bit is particularly intense, featuring a few moments that almost live up to the name as he literally skips across the top. The XPIK videos just keep upping the ante with each installment—we'll be watching to see what they do next.
