While starting to design a wild new special edition for an existing UTV manufacturer Robby Gordon and Todd Romano started to formulate some really high-tech ideas based on their years of off-road racing experience. The deal for the special edition units for the existing manufacturer fell through, leaving Robby and Todd free to incorporate there wild ideas into something new. Here is our Speed UTV El Diablo Test Drive.
So, what happens when you have a man who has driven the most cutting-edge technology in off-road racing, IMSA, IndyCar and NASCAR; and a man who spent his life living and breathing off-roading from mountain bikes to Trophy Trucks, and helping shape the performance UTV industry as you know it today? You get Robby Gordon and Todd Romano teaming up to build from the ground up, Speed UTV.
Except for the PCI radio and intercom system, and the Kicker Audio sound system absolutely everything was designed in-house by Gordon and Romano. By everything we mean the suspension, the body, the integral rollcage/chassis, the engine and transmission, the electronics… you get the idea.
Speed UTV El Diablo Test Drive
Driving the Speed UTV
When Robby Gordon offers you a chance to take a Speed UTV out in the dunes on a test drive you pack your bags and head for Coos Bay, Oregon, and the UTV Takeover now in its tenth year.
Upon arrival at the Speed UTV compound there were several kinds of different Speed UTVs from two and four seaters to Robby and his son Max all out racers, and the utility pickup known as the El Diablo. Robby referred to the El Diablo as “bone stock”, but that does not seem to be the proper description since even the basest model Speed UTV has an advantage in engineering over anything else out there. But, for the sake of argument, yeah, okay, it is stock.
Speed UTV El Diablo Test Drive
Driving Impressions
The El Diablo is a two-seat chassis with an extended four-foot by four-foot bed and eight-inch-high sides for hauling up to 750 pounds of whatever you deem important for your off-road outings. The El Diablo also is capable of towing up to 1,500-pound utility trailers. Standing back and staring at the body lines and the chassis lines it just looks fast. This UTV has some serious curb appeal. As I would find out soon enough, it does not just “look” fast.
Max Gordon lead the way out of the maze that is the UTV Takeover compound at Boxcar Hill Campground. Once we turned onto the sand Speed UTV race technician and pit manager Todd Lopez gave me some advice about how to use the sequential gearbox and what gears to use once we were rolling. Then he told me, “Just follow Max.” Really? Max, despite his young age, is an experienced racer in everything from UTVs to Stadium Trucks to Trophy Trucks. I promised to do my best.
We started by shifting the three-speed Continuously Variable transmission (CVT) into first gear, just do I could get an idea of the gearing, and first is one deep gear, designed for a serious tug when you are fully loaded or towing something heavy. I pulled the gear lever back again to enter second gear which for the Speed UTV is probably the primary gear. There is a third gear in there, but I was warned that you only use that above about 80 miles per hour. The crowded dunes and short line of sight meant I would never be using that gear. That definitely did not mean there was a lack of fun to be had.
We cruised passed a crowded area and found some open dunes and that was when Max became a dot in the distance. I put my foot down, hard, and that in-line two-cylinder, four stroke, turbocharged engine brought all 225 horsepower on smoothly and Max grew larger in my sight. The El Diablo was flying over the dunes and sucking up the bumps with ease thanks to 22-inches of wheel travel on each corner of the double wishbone suspension. You could also feel how the sway bars were working to stabilize the ride. Shocks tuned from experience with every terrain imaginable made the ride pretty cushy.
Max lead me off the open dunes and into some very tight and twisty smaller dunes with heavy vegetation and this was where I thought I was going to hurt Speed’s UTV and possibly an employee. Max disappeared around a corner carrying good speed, but he was in a smaller Baja Bandit, with a racing upgrade to 300-horsepower. Coming around the corner the road narrowed even further, and drop-offs lined both sides of the road, and I was already sideways headed for a hole that was lined with tree trunks. I hoped that all 225-horsepower was available as I stabbed the throttle and easily turned opposite lock and maybe prayed a little, but the El Diablo pulled back onto the trail and got Todd and I out of the danger that I put us into trying to keep up with Max.
We kept snaking our way through the small dunes until we came to some real monsters which the El Diablo climbed with ease. As we sat at the top of the big dune and I realized that this was as close to a race car as I have ever driven. No wonder why, the cage and chassis that surrounded me was in actuality an FIA legal structure recognized by most of the top sanctioning bodies around the world. The suspension was designed by men who knew what it took to race in Baja and Nevada and the Dakar Rally. All of that was in this tidy package.
I cannot pinpoint the exact time that the smile wore off my face, but it was into the next day I am pretty sure.
Speed UTV El Diablo Test Drive
Upon Reflection
The dunes were filling up, so we decided that a gentler cruise back toward Boxcar Hill was in order to be safe. Still, we traversed the taller dunes and let that magnificent suspension suck up the holes and bumps that drifting sand makes on the Oregon Coast.
I looked around at the Polaris, Segway, Can Am and Arctic Cat drivers around me and they would all just stare at the Speed UTV with what I would imagine was envy behind their helmets and goggles. There is no end to the curb appeal of the El Diablo.
Other things that impressed me about the Speed UTV was the beautiful dash layout with lots of pertinent information displayed right in front of you. The suede steering wheel had a great feel to it. The five point safety harness is what you would find in a proper race car with camlock attachment. The ease of entry and exit from the chassis is great for bigger people like me. As much fun as it was in the dunes, I am dying to be able to try a Speed UTV out in the desert.
It really is the advantages that the Speed UTV has over the competition. No other UTV has hydraulic steering, everyone else uses electric steering. No one else uses front steer spindles which allows for no track change throughout the wheel travel arc. In the design of the Speed UTV there were 51 brand new US Government Patents awarded to Robby and Todd. Without changes you can run anywhere from a 32 to 35-inch tire. The 225-horsepower engine can have the in-house designed ECU reprogrammed easily to run on E85 and produce 300-horsepower.
Speed UTV El Diablo Test Drive
The Future
You are probably salivating at the thought of getting your own Speed UTV. But patience needs to be a virtue because currently there is a one-year backorder for new builds. Although Todd Romano points out that occasionally ordered vehicles do not go to the seller for either life change reasons or financial reasons. So, check with Speed, there might be a build you would like sooner.
Soon there will be two new builds joining the El Diablo, El Jefe and the Baja Bandit chassis. A kids Speed UTV chassis is coming up for pre-order in September, with delivery by Christmas. While the Chief Operating Officer of Speed UTV was a little tight-lipped about it, he let slip they were looking at a 50-60 horsepower engine in the reduced size chassis. Also, in September look for an announcement about a V-8 powered Speed UTV. No official announcement of the powerplant that will occupy the UTV, but with Gordon’s known ties to Chevrolet one can imagine that at least to start there will be some kind of LS engine involved.
Speed UTV El Diablo Test Drive
The Specs
| MODEL TYPE | UTT |
| MSRP(US) | BASE $33,500 LE $45,499 | RG $47,999 |
| DEALERS | Speed UTV |
| WARRANTY | 6 Months |
| INSURANCE | |
| ENGINE: | |
| ENGINE BRAND NAME | Speed 999 Turbo |
| ENGINE TYPE | In-Line |
| CYLINDERS | 2 |
| ENGINE STROKE | 4-Stroke |
| HORSEPOWER (BHP/KW) | 225 to 300 |
| COOLING | Liquid |
| VALVE CONFIGURATION | DOHC |
| DISPLACEMENT (CC/CI) | 999 |
| STARTER | Electric |
| FUEL REQUIREMENTS | 92 Octane |
| FUEL TYPE | Gas |
| FUEL INJECTOR | Yes |
| CARBURETOR | No |
| CARBURETION TYPE | Fuel Injected |
| TRANSMISSION: | |
| TRANSMISSION TYPE | Continuously Variable (CVT) 2 and 3 Speed |
| PRIMARY DRIVE (FRONT WHEEL) | Shaft |
| PRIMARY DRIVE (ENGINE / TRANSMISSION) | Belt |
| REVERSE | Yes |
| HI / LOW RANGE | Yes |
| WHEELS & TIRES: | |
| WHEELS COMPOSITION | Aluminum |
| FRONT TIRE DIAMETER (IN) | 30, 33 & 35 |
| REAR TIRE DIAMETER (IN) | 30, 33 & 35 |
| TIRE BRAND | Speed |
| FRONT TIRE WIDTH | 9.5 |
| FRONT WHEEL DIAMETER | 15 |
| REAR TIRE WIDTH | 9.5 |
| REAR WHEEL DIAMETER | 15 |
| TREAD TYPE | All Terrain ‘S’ Tread |
| BRAKES: | |
| FRONT BRAKE TYPE | Hydraulic Disc |
| REAR BRAKE TYPE | Hydraulic Disc |
| SUSPENSION: | |
| FRONT SUSPENSION TYPE | Double A-Arm |
| FRONT TRAVEL (IN/MM) | 22″ Usable Travel |
| FRONT ADJUSTABLE FORK PRE-LOAD | Yes |
| FRONT SUSPENSION BRAND NAME | RG & LE: Speed Position Sensitive Shocks BASE: Speed Non-IBP Shocks |
| FRONT STABILIZER BAR | Yes |
| REAR SUSPENSION TYPE | Independent |
| REAR TRAVEL (IN/MM) | 22″ Usable Travel |
| REAR ADJUSTABLE Dual Rate Springs | Yes |
| NUMBER REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS | 2 |
| REAR SUSPENSION BRAND NAME | RG & LE: Speed Position Sensitive Shocks BASE: Speed Non-IBP Shocks |
| REAR SUSPENSION MATERIAL | 4130 Chrome Molly |
| REAR STABILIZER BAR | Yes |
| ADJUSTMENT TYPE | Shock Mounted Adjustment |
| AIR ADJUSTABLE | Yes |
| STEERING: | |
| STEERING TYPE | Hydraulic Power |
| STEERING CONTROL | Steering Wheel |
| TILT STEERING | Standard |
| TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: | |
| LENGTH (IN) | 151 |
| WIDTH (IN) | 77 |
| HEIGHT (IN) | 70 |
| WHEELBASE (IN) | 110 |
| GROUND CLEARANCE (IN) | 15.5 |
| DRY WEIGHT (LBS) | 2499 |
| PAYLOAD CAPACITY (LBS) | 750 |
| TOWING CAPACITY | 1500 |
| TONGUE WEIGHT | 300 |
| FUEL CAPACITY (GAL) | 15 |
| SEATS: | |
| SEAT TYPE | Bucket |
| SEAT MATERIAL | Vinyl |
| FOLDING | No |
| HEADREST | Yes |
| NUMBER OF SEATS | 2 |
| NUMBER OF ROWS | 1 |
| GRAB RAIL OR STRAP | Standard |
| EXTERIOR: | |
| FRAME | Steel |
| BODY MATERIAL | Plastic |
| FRONT FENDER FLAIRS | Standard |
| REAR FENDER FLAIRS | Standard |
| FULL LENGTH SKID PLATE | Yes |
| DRIVE SHAFT SKID PLATE | Yes |
| INSTRUMENTATION: | |
| DIGITAL INSTRUMENTATION | Standard |
| CLOCK | Standard |
| TACHOMETER | Standard |
| TRIP ODOMETER | Standard |
| OIL PRESSURE GAUGE | Standard |
| SPEEDOMETER | Standard |
| HOUR METER | Standard |
| TEMPERATURE WARNING TYPE | Gauge |
| FUEL LEVEL WARNING TYPE | Gauge |
| PRICING: | |
| WARRANTY (MONTHS/CONDITION) | 6 / Limited |
| BATTERY WARRANTY (MONTHS) | 0 |
| IDENTIFICATION: | |
| GENERIC TYPE (PRIMARY) | Sport Utility |
| INTRODUCTION YEAR | 2021 |
| DRIVE LINE: | |
| DRIVELINE TYPE | Selectable 4X2 / 4X4 |
| NUMBER OF FORWARD GEARS | 3 |
| REAR UNLOCKING DIFFERENTIAL | No |
| REAR SOLID AXLE | No |
| DIFFERENTIAL LOCK LOCATION | Front |
| PAINT & FINISH: | |
| PAINT | Black |
| DECAL KIT | Custom |
| CONVENIENCE: | |
| POWER OUTLET | Standard |
| SEAT BELTS | 5 point |
| STORAGE: | |
| UNDERSEAT STORAGE | Standard |
| NUMBER OF CUPHOLDERS | 2 |
| BED LENGTH (IN) | 48 |
| BED HEIGHT (IN/MM) | 8 |
| BED WIDTH (IN/MM) | 48 |
| BED CAPACITY (LBS.) | 350 |
| INTEGRAL TIE-DOWN HOOKS | Yes |
| GLOVE BOX / DASH STORAGE | Standard |
| LIGHTS: | |
| LED HEADLIGHT (S) | Standard |
| LED Taillights | Standard |
