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Mercedes Lilienthal

@mercedeslilienthal.com
82 followers 93 following 181 posts

Journalist, PR/marketer, roamer and gearhead. ✍️📸: @nytimes.com, @forbes.com, OVR mag, etc. Making positive differences with words and cars.

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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 03/07/2026
We're done with June's overland rallies, so we're switching to road rallies! Two builds, two vehicles, one team. That team is us, as Team @crankshaftculture.com. We'll travel over 10,000 miles competing in two major road rallies and overland adventures in the U.S. and Canada. Stay tuned, tons soon!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 01/07/2026
We’re BACK with the Turbo Baja Build! We're in collaboration with Rally Innovations, involving ZENSPEED students. We’re building this Baja for the Colorado Adventure Rally! Follow along on this one epic Baja Build, thanks to passionate Project Partners. More coming soon!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 01/07/2026
MAJOR NEWS! We’re collaborating with Rally Innovations, along with a team of Valencia High School Students from ZENSPEED, to build this 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness for the Alcan 5000 Rally! Follow Crankshaft Culture and Rally Innovations as we build this Forester to tackle tough terrain!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 22/06/2026
Our mighty Jimny Wide transformation is DONE! An amazing job by expert installer Roadrunner Protective Films & Graphics installing the following XPEL products: •XPEL Moss Green Color PPF wrap •XPEL Armor on rocker panels •WPF windshield protection film Next? Reinstalling roof rack and accessories.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 21/06/2026
Our 1998 Suzuki Jimny Wide is getting a major makeover. Dropped it off at expert installer Roadrunner Protective Films for a full XPEL color wrap and more! Documenting the process and grand reveal comes next.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 16/06/2026
MAJOR NEWS: Two builds, two rallies, and one heck of an overland adventure! Crankshaft Culture and Rally Innovations, with students of California’s Valencia High School org, ZenSpeed, are building two one-of-a-kind vehicles for us to use for two major rallies and one heck of an overland adventure!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 01/06/2026
We're at Kindred Motorworks in San Francisco and just spent the day with their EV Bus Tailgate Edition prototype! It got ALL the stares. We toured the Kindred Motorworks manufacturing headquarters, too. Lots going on. Video and articles about our experience coming soon!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 31/05/2026
Our time at Kindred Motorworks was all things EV! @andylilienthal.bsky.social and I got the insider look at their early-stage prototype, a reimagined EV Bus Tailgate Edition. We saw this iconic classic's features, EV system, and more. Next up? We take to the streets with this one-of-one EV machine.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 31/05/2026
We continue coverage of our time at Kindred Motorworks! Here we get the lowdown on their EV chassis setup and how it relates to their current vehicle lineup. It's fascinating! Next up? We get to drive their one-of-one Kindred EV Bus Tailgate Edition prototype! More on that soon.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 30/05/2026
We're at Kindred Motorworks in San Francisco! We were invited to tour the Kindred Motorworks manufacturing headquarters and drive an iconic one-of-one EV restomod. First part: touring the factory and learning how they construct ICE and EV Broncos, Porsche 911 EVs, and VW T2 all-electric busses.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 18/05/2026
My latest for the @nytimes.com is in print today (which includes a photo taken by @andylilienthal.bsky.social)! Full-color, full-page spread. Grab a copy at your local bookstore or grocery! It's in the Business Section on page B2. Online version currently on The New York Times' homepage, too.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 09/05/2026
UPGRADE: We lifted our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek with BILSTEIN! Our local shop in Tigard, OR, Primitive Racing, installed Bilstein B8 TerraSport shocks and beefier King overload springs in the rear and Bilstein B8 TerraSport struts and OEM Impreza springs in the front. Awesome even stance, rides great.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 09/05/2026
Who's headed to Overland Expo West? We'll be giving talks (plus covering as media). We're hosting daily sessions in the Subaru booth, our TransAmerica Trail Crosstrek Wilderness will be there, too! Also talking TransAmerica Trail and traveling in Nordic/Baltic countries as Overland Expo speakers.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 19/04/2026
Our plans changed over the weekend and we had to cancel our trip to cover the multi-day Olympic Rally in WA. However, we had the chance to show our 1998 Suzuki Jimny Wide at yesterday's Avants Portland Weird and Wacky Car Show! Lots of interesting rides there. Expanded video via our YT channel!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 16/04/2026
Our right-hand-drive JDM Suzuki Jimny Wide got a major upgrade: a Front Runner Outfitters Slimline II platform rack! Excited to mount accessories, which includes a double jerry can holder, a MAXTRAX Minis mount, Wolf Pack Pro storage box holder, and an essential bottle opener. More to reveal soon!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 25/01/2026
My first day in Saudi Arabia was STUNNING. An open day before heading off to cover the 2026 Dakar Rally turned into an amazing adventure filled with wonder and excitement. Hegra. Maraya. Harrat Viewpont. What happens afterwards? DAKAR RALLY and Defender! 🏁
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 24/01/2026
PUBLISHED: My thoughts on the new 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness. Will this improved and capable AWD attract buyers, or will its polarizing design keep the masses away? Click below to check out my in-depth first-drive review via OVR. 📸: @mercedeslilienthal.com tinyurl.com/tfmsa3yv
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 24/01/2026
It took 5 airlines, 6 flights, multiple 5+ hr. layovers, 3-hour delay in Dubai, and 52 total hrs. travel (not incl. an overnight in Dubai) to get to AlUla, Saudi Arabia from Minneapolis, then home to Portland, Oregon to see the world’s greatest rally raid: Dakar Rally. Do it again tomorrow! 🏁
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 18/01/2026
My first full day in Saudi Arabia was filled with unexpected adventures and fast new friends. We toured Hegra, an ancient Nabataean city and Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mayara, the world's largest mirrored building amidst Saudi Arabia's desert landscape. Harrat Viewpoint, too.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 02/01/2026
The anticipation is REAL: I'm headed to the 2026 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia! I'll be covering three accomplished Land Rover Defender teams + DEFENDER DAKAR D7X-Rs at this year's Dakar Rally, competing in the new ‘Stock’ category for production‑based vehicles. Stay tuned to @crankshaftculture.com!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 01/01/2026
We, @andylilienthal.bsky.social and @mercedeslilienthal.com, wish you Happy New Year! May your 2026 adventures be safe, happy, and healthy.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 16/12/2025
Just like that, we're in WI! We traveled 2,208 miles from OR to the cheese state and tested a 2025 Kia America Sorento X-Pro SX Prestige AWD SUV. We randomly bumped into friends and talented auto journalists kicking off the #OperationFrodo Beagle rescue project. They're taking 20 rescue dogs!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 14/12/2025
Day two of our OR to WI cross-country trek with a 2025 Kia Sorento X-Pro SX Prestige AWD is done! This comfortable cruiser took @andylilienthal.bsky.social and me, from Pendleton, OR to Rawlins, WY. Check it out!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 14/12/2025
Road trip review with a 2025 Kia America Sorento X-Pro SX Prestige AWD! Headed across the US with Kia's three-row SUV. Will it tick all our boxes for a comfortable, powerful, and spacious road tripper? Stay tuned as we head OR to WI (and back)! @mercedeslilienthal.com @andylilienthal.bsky.social
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 07/12/2025
Gear Garage: Wanna stay warm? We reviewed the Cotopaxi Fuego Max Down Hooded Jacket. Mercedes tries the Sienna/Fjord colorway. See how it stacks up against cold weather by checking out our feature via crankshaftculture.com. Link to jacket: cotopaxi.pxf.io/YR5VnK. #cotopaxi #affiliate #gearreview
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 06/12/2025
Gear Garage: If you need a roomy, stylish, and warm puffy, we reviewed the Cotopaxi Fuego Max Down Hooded Jacket. First up? Men's in Woods/Fatigue. See how it stacks up against cold weather by checking out our feature via crankshaftculture.com. Link to jacket: cotopaxi.pxf.io/jeERyb #affiliate
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 20/11/2025
My 2026 Subaru Outback feature article via OVR Magazine is LIVE! I peel back the many design layers of the all-new 7th gen Outback. I provide first impressions of its drivability/tons of stats. With 30 years in, do you love it or would you leave it? Tell us below! 👇 www.ovrmag.com/vehicle-feat...
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 18/11/2025
Here are some sneak-peek interior photos I took of the all-new 7th gen 2026 Subaru Outback. Would you rock it? Article after the embargo lifts!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 16/11/2025
I attended the 2026 Subaru Outback first-drive event in Sedona, AZ! The all-new 7th gen Outback has been redesigned from the ground up with customer and enthusiast feedback in the automaker's forefront. Tech and driving impressions embargoed still, article via OVR Magazine soon!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 09/11/2025
More Subaru updates! We're testing Thule's latest roof box. The Motion 3 (large size) carrier sits atop the company's WingBar crossbars and fits our 2022 Crosstrek (MT) perfectly. Multiple design updates. Impressions and our review later. @crankshaftculture.com @andylilienthal.bsky.social
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 08/11/2025
We've been reviewing the 2025 Ford Maverick XLT Hybrid AWD. Frugal, compact, and practical, we employed it for a dump run, bringing nealy 300 lbs. of old wood and spent antifreeze to the local dump/hazards site. @andylilienthal.bsky.social @crankshaftculture.com
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 02/11/2025
We got new all-terrain tires for our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek (MT): BFGoodrich KO3s! We've never had an issue with any BFG sets we've run. So, when it came time for new rubber for our Subie, we opted for the new 215/75R15 KO3s.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 24/10/2025
If you missed our live radio show with @opb.org, @andylilienthal.bsky.social and I got you covered! We were on Think Out Loud with Dave Miller. This show is OPB’s daily conversation covering news, politics, culture, and arts. Our topic? Our 2025 Alcan 5000 trip and TSD road rallies.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 23/10/2025
@andylilienthal.bsky.social and I will be live on the OPB Think Out Loud show with host Dave Miller tomorrow! Tune in at 12:00pm Pacific via audioplayer.opb.org (or 91.5 FM on your radio) as we talk all things Alcan 5000 Rally and beyond. Driver: Andy Lilienthal | Navigator: Mercedes Lilienthal
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 22/10/2025
POST-TAT RECAP REEL: last half of Day 29 of the TransAmerica Trail, we finish our 29-day, 15-state run! We had challenges. Would we, driver @andylilienthal.bsky.social and me navigator @mercedeslilienthal.com finish? Would the Subaru complete our 7,163-mile-long trek (3,184 dirt, gravel, and rocks)?
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 20/10/2025
POST-TAT RECAP REEL: first half of Day 29 of the TransAmerica Trail, Oregon’s Umpqua National Forest and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. It's our 21st wedding anniversary! Total mileage: 7,163 (3,184.3 off-road). Total time: 29 days traveled/317 hrs., 5 min. driven. Total route deviations: 39.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 19/10/2025
POST-TAT RECAP REEL: Day 28 of the TransAmerica Trail, continuing in Oregon where wildfire smoke clears but road closures and newly burnt areas prevail. Driver: @andylilienthal.bsky.social Navigator: @mercedeslilienthal.com Vehicle: modified 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 16/10/2025
POST-TAT RECAP REEL: Day 27 of the TransAmerica Trail, thick in wildfire smoke—an even more challenging day of wildfires in Oregon.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 15/10/2025
POST-TAT RECAP REEL: Days 25-26 of the TransAmerica Trail, westward through Idaho and into Oregon’s wildfires.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 09/10/2025
POST-TAT RECAP REEL: Days 23-24 of the TransAmerica Trail, working westward as we finish Utah and travel into Idaho!
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 09/10/2025
POST-TAT RECAP REEL: Days 21-22 of the TransAmerica Trail, tackling another pass near Moab, Gemini Bridges trail, and other remote parts of Utah.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 01/10/2025
RALLY RECAP: Day 11, the FINAL DAY of the 2025 Alcan 5000 Rally! Smithers to Williams Lake/finish line in BC, two TSDs, Blackwater South and Soda Creek South. Hours driven: 9. •Driver: @andylilienthal.bsky.social •Navigator: @mercedeslilienthal.com •Vehicle: 2026 @honda Passport TrailSport SUV
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 29/09/2025
RALLY RECAP: Day 10, Dease Lake to Smithers, British Columbia, Canada with one TSD competition, Telkwa High Road TSD. Hours driven: 9.75. •Driver: @andylilienthal.bsky.social •Navigator: @mercedeslilienthal.com •Vehicle: 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport SUV
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 27/09/2025
Just came back from the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness and Crosstrek Hybrid launch! Both vehicles were driven on- and off-road in a variety of terrain. Impressions under embargo, but check out details via our Crankshaft Culture saved stories highlights on Instagram! Articles via OVR Magazine soon.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 27/09/2025
I'm at the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness/Crosstrek Hybrid first-drive program! I tested both vehicles on- and off-road. Impressions are under embargo, but first up is the 2026 Forester Wilderness. Stay tuned to articles via OVR Magazine! Footage of me driving: John Faulkner.
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 24/09/2025
RALLY RECAP: Day 9, Whitehorse, YT to Dease Lake, BC, one TSD competition, Miles Canyon, and our 3rd of 4 total optional extreme control routes, Telegraph Creek. Hours driven: 14. •Driver: @andylilienthal.bsky.social •Navigator: @mercedeslilienthal.com •Vehicle: 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport SUV
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 23/09/2025
RALLY RECAP: Day 8, long-hauling it from Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, with one TSD competition, Chena Ridge. Hours driven: 14.75. •Driver: @andylilienthal.bsky.social •Navigator: @mercedeslilienthal.com •Vehicle: 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport SUV
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 22/09/2025
RALLY RECAP: Day 7, Valdez to Fairbanks, Alaska, via the second (of four) optional extreme control, Denali Highway, with one TSD competition, Valdez. Hours driven: 10.25. •Driver: @andylilienthal.bsky.social •Navigator: @mercedeslilienthal.com •Vehicle: 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport SUV
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 21/09/2025
RALLY RECAP: Day 6, Dawson City, Yukon Territory to Valdez, Alaska, with two TSD competitions, Top of the World and Tok! Hours driven: 12.75. •Driver: Andy Lilienthal •Navigator: Mercedes Lilienthal •Vehicle: 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport SUV
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Mercedes Lilienthal @mercedeslilienthal.com · 21/09/2025
RALLY RECAP: Day 5, Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada to the Arctic Circle and back via the Dempster Highway! Hours driven: 12.75. Driver: @andylilienthal.bsky.social Navigator: @mercedeslilienthal.com Event: 2025 Alcan 5000 Rally Vehicle: 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport
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