Who Drives Buddy, anyways?
Buddy is owned and driven by award-winning automotive journalist Emme Hall. You can find her work in publications like Car & Driver, Overland Journal, SAE Engineering and OVR Magazine. Online she’s been published on CNET, Edmunds, MotorTrend, Jalopnik, TechCrunch, The Verge, Ars Technica, Inside EVs and many more!
Emme will get behind the wheel of anything, but she is especially interested in where EVs meet the dirt. She pioneered the EV class in the Rebelle Rally by driving the first Rivian R1T off the production line. She helped Volkswagen get an ID4 to the finish line at the NORRA Mexican 1000 and had a quick go in an all-electric rock crawler.
Emme piloted Buddy to a finish in the Desert Challenge at the King of the Hammers, racing with the big 1400 trucks. They took second in class at Battle at Primm but have yet to get a finish at Rage at the River. In October of 2026 the duo will make history yet again by racing the NORRA 500. First Miata to race Baja, baby!
Buddy is joined in Emme’s garage by a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata, a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and a 1969 Baja Bug.
Buddy’s Build List
Full cage
Full skid plates
Recaro seats
Mastercraft Safety five-point harnesses
Rugged Radios communications
Fuel Safe 12-gallon fuel cell
ProEagle bottle jack
Rigid Industries lighting
Garrett turbocharger
Flyin’ Miata intercooler
Mishimoto radiator
Fox 2.0 shocks with reservoirs
Hypercoil springs
Paco Motorsports rear upper control arms
Custom front upper control arms
Perry Parts 3D printed bump stops
15-inch Basset wheels
29-inch BFGoodrich KO2 T/A tires
Bad wiring