Cars are for adventures. That's how I've always seen it. Since I was a kid, my dream machines have always been high-riding, fast four-doors, able to see the country and see it quickly, with enough clearance to explore the most interesting bits.

So the Rivian R2 Launch Package—with its 650-horsepower drivetrain and 9.6 inches of ground clearance—pretty much had my number.

By the time the tester arrived, crowned as it was with an Rivian x iKamper rooftop tent, I was already weak. The media launch for the R2 had already converted me into a die-hard fan. Over twisty mountain roads and wilderness tracks in Utah, the R2 proved to be the go-anywhere multi-tool I've always wanted.

But it's easy to make a car shine on a press launch. The car company runs those shows, choosing the route specifically to make the vehicle look good. Many, many cars lose their charm when I get them on my home turf. So the moment of arrival was one of anxiety.

I had ambitious plans for the R2. The agenda involved a day trip into the mountains for some high-speed canyon roads and a nice work-from-anywhere session in the rooftop tent; a week's worth of errands and around town schlepping; and, most importantly, a 500-mile trek into the Mojave desert for an off-road camping adventure. The R2, with its knobby all-terrains and onboard accommodations, certainly looked the part.

I set off on my trip cautiously optimistic. EV off-roading is obviously elite. But it's a more complicated game these days than the old-school method.

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