By alley - Dec 29, 2015, 11:28 AM ET

VIDEO: ON THE LOOSE, ep. 7. DUB gets a taste of the rally RAV4

Turning Toyota's RAV4 into a class-winning car is only part of the job for driver Ryan Millen. Just as important is getting the message out there that the compact crossover SUV is delivering the results in near-stock configuration.

So when the opportunity came to spend a day of two- and four-wheeled fun with DUB magazine founder Myles Kovacs (RIGHT), Millen leapt at the chance to demonstrate the car's capabilities and compare notes with a key influencer.

In the latest On The Loose, the pair head to the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area, near Gorman, Calif., to not only drive the RAV4 rally car, but to let loose with some dirt bike action, too.

"It's a no-pressure day," says Millen. "We're going to hang out, ride a little motocross, and have Myles get behind the wheel of the RAV4 and hopefully enjoy the experience. It's just cool to be able to show off what the RAV is capable of, so I'm looking forward to it."

DUB is much more than just a car culture magazine and website; it's a trend-setter and buzz-builder for the all-important youth demographic, and Kovacs' own enduring enthusiasm for cars, music and style remains central to everything it does. It's that enthusiasm that brought him to Gorman to try the RAV4 and get Millen's take on being fast on the loose stuff. But first it's time to climb aboard Yamaha's latest WR250 off-road bike.

"You know, everyone assumes that because I own DUB magazine I race Ferraris," says Kovacs. "But I've never raced a car on the street in my whole life. I'm a two-wheeled guy – I've been riding motocross since I was 11 years old, and I have a passion for moto."

Check out how the pair got on, and what they learned from each other, in On The Loose, Episode 7, "I want to learn from the champion."

The back story: Ryan Millen (LEFT), son of rally legend Rod and a 2014 SCORE Tecate Baja 1000 class winner, has switched to stage rallying this year in a production-based 2015 Toyota RAV4 LE.

Not an obvious choice? You could say that, but 30-year-old Millen wouldn't have it any other way.

The family-friendly, compact crossover SUV competes against rally-honed machinery, including Mini Coopers and Ford Fiestas, in a number of West Coast-based events during the 2015 season.

Sure, it's a challenge, but taking a different approach is what makes it such a compelling project. And Millen is confident that the road car RAV4 is a capable platform from which to develop a competitive rally racer.

RACER.com likes to do things differently, too, so we're following Ryan as he builds, tests and races his RAV4 with our On The Loose video series, plus blogs and feature stories through the year.

The rally RAV4, built to 2WD Open Class rules, sports a stock transmission and a stock 2.5-liter, four-cylinder, double-overhead cam engine that pushes out 176hp and 172lb.ft of torque. Millen and his crew removed more than 500lbs of stock weight, while adding a roll cage, gravel-spec rally tires, and upgrading to front and rear TEIN suspension.

Stay tuned for upcoming episodes of On The Loose. Meanwhile, for more on Ryan, check out

ryan-millen.com

, and to find out more about the 2015 Toyota RAV4, go to toyota.com/RAV4.