The car is based on a stock RAV4 LE, but the interior has been gutted to reduce the vehicle’s weight by 500 pounds. Additionally, Millen and his team replaced the vehicle’s standard 17-inch steel wheels with a set of 15-inch alloy wheels with BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires. Millen also added TEIN suspension components on both axles to provide improved cornering in all conditions.
The Rally RAV4 still features the same engine as the production RAV4 LE—a 2.5-liter four-cylinder good for 176 horsepower and 172 lb-ft of torque. The front-wheel-drive RAV4 competes in the 2WD Open Class division. So far, Millen and his navigator/fiancée Christine Fate have won four out of five class titles in rallies they have entered in this vehicle.
When pressed as to why he didn’t modify the stock RAV4 further, Millen explained, “I’ve driven just about everything Toyota has to offer, and I’ve been very impressed with the RAV4’s performance in spite of the fact that it’s very stock. We never imagined it would do so well right out of the box.”