4x4 Magazine - August 2020

4x4

NEWS • TECH • DEBATE • TRAVEL • MODIFIED VEHICLES • GREEN LANING DRIVEN Petrol v electric performance as Jag’s i-Pace takes on the Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio

THE UK’S ONLY 4X4 AND PICK-UP MAGAZINE

GRENADIER UNVEILED At long last, INEOS lifts the wraps on the no-nonsense off-roader that’s set to take the traditional 4x4 market by storm

One of the coolest Hilux builds you’ll ever see

£4.99

Seventeen years on… KAP’s Mighty Mouse is back!

AUG 2020

Sensational restored Lambo LM002 – yours for £285,000…

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AUGUST 2020 | 13

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August 2020

CONTENTS

34

“Why build something out of an old motor? If you’re you might as well use as new as possible, if you can”

58

64 | JANUARY 2020

2-3 Contents July.indd 2

30

42

4x4 28/06/2020 11:58

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e

40 12 MAGAZINES FOR THE PRICE OF 3!

Subscribe to Britain’s only 4x4 magazine and save a massive 75% by getting it delivered to your door every month. What’s not to love?

4x4 Scene: News, Products and More…

8 12 14 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 19 22 23 23 23 24 25

INEOS Grenadier New off-road wagon shows its face for the first time Range Rover Special edition model marks 50th anniversary Ford Transit Much-loved van turns into a range of 4x4s and SUVs SEAT Ateca Facelift adds mode off-road attitude Dacia Duster Dual-fuel model added to high-value SUV range Isuzu D-Max Big discounts announced for retail sales while stocks last Green Laning GLASS celebrates 25 years of protecting our rights of way Ultra4Europe New championship will run from the restart to the end of 2021 Ramsden Road Remedial work begins as best-practice approach bears fruit The Wayfarer New group seeks solutions for iconic Welsh trail Derbyshire User evdence sought in bid to prevent yet another lane-grab EGR RollTrac New gold-standard electric tonneau cover launched in UK Rugged Ridge Heavy-duty wings to give your Jeep the zombie-hunter look Machine Mart New manual tyre changer added to vast workshop range Lucas Classic Expanding range of parts for older Land Rovers Ring New range of smart chargers to save your battery Osram Off-road applications among new range of LED lighting products

Driven 26

i-Pace v Stelvio Jag’s slick electric SUV takes on the fire-breathing Alfa

Every Month 4 11 20 46 64

Alan Kidd Does it matter that the Grenadier looks like a Defender?

Coming Soon Trucks and SUVs set to be launched in the near future Calendar Off-road events to enjoy as we emerge from lockdown Subscribe Stay at home and get 4x4 delivered – and save a huge 75%!

Next Month Right, this time let’s get back out there laning again…

Features 30 34 42 50

Lambo LM002 A deep-down resto for the ultimate icon of off-road excess Mighty Mouse KAP’s stunning Jimny re-emerges – now mightier than ever!

Trayback Hilux Superb bespoke build from before pick-ups were all the rage Cummins 110 Land Rover Defender gets a monumental engine upgrade

Our 4x4s 54

Travel

wanting reliability,

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26

4x4 2-3 Contents July.indd 3

Isuzu D-Max GO2 On goes a heavy-duty back bumper from ARB

To Mod or Not? What upgrades do you (and don’t you) need for overlanding?

50

JUNE 2020 | 3

28/06/2020 11:58

4x4 Alan Kidd Editor

W

hen INEOS Automotive teased the world with disguised pictures of its forthcoming Grenadier off-roader last month, someone on its Facebook page grumbled that the SpaceX rocket was built in less time than it’s taken to get the vehicle to this stage. So, here’s a little lesson in creating a new vehicle.

Typically, planning will have started when the previous model is barely out of its launch phase. Major engineering decisions are taken half a decade before the on-sale date. Testing is in full swing a couple of years before launch, and the final prototypes, built to showroom specifications, can be up and running twelve months before first deliveries.

Right now, it’s only three and a half years since INEOS executives dreamt up the idea of building a spiritual replacement for the Land Rover Defender. In that time, the company has had to conduct a feasibility study, develop a vehicle from a blank piece of paper, identify and appoint suppliers, build a production facility… oh, and start work on the vehicle itself.

So. If it’s felt as if INEOS has taken forever to get to the point it’s at now, where it’s able to unveil the first undisguised pictures of the vehicle that will go on sale late next year, I’ve got a theory as to why.

It’s because, to use an age-old phrase, a watched pot never boils.

Ever since you first heard what INEOS was up to, you’ve been desperately hoping that this new 4x4 would be the one you’ve always dreamed of. That it would have the character and ability of a Defender, but without the cramped cabin, sparse equipment and awful refinement.

And when you’re waiting for answers to questions like that, three and a half years feels like a lifetime.

Anyway, many of the answers were already apparent, because INEOS has been candid about its engineering criteria for the vehicle. Ladder chassis, beam axles, big engine, proper mechanical transfer box, low range, locking diffs – it all sounds very, very promising. And now we know what the thing is actually going to look like, it’s more promising still.

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Do we worry about a Bosch ripsaw looking like a Milwaukee ripsaw?

It’s been said that the Grenadier’s styling has been ‘inspired’ by the Defender. And at the press conference when it was unveiled, there were the inevitable questions about how confident the company is of rebuffing any legal challenges to its design. (‘Very confident’ is the answer.)

Whatever, I prefer to see the vehicle’s looks as being inspired by its engineering.

Just as the Defender’s was – and since that engineering is very similar, naturally enough the appearance that comes from it will bear more than a passing resemblance.

That’s the thing. A Peugeot looks like a Peugeot and a Ford looks like a Ford, but those are cars. The Defender was a tool, and so is the Grenadier. Do we worry about a Bosch drill looking like a Milwaukee drill?

Of course, the Grenadier is a tool designed in the late twenty-teens to do the same job as a tool designed in the late 1970s. Which may say something about how ahead of its time the Defender was.

(Not something you hear every day…) But engineering has changed a lot in that time, and interior packaging has come on apace.

My feeling is that that’s where the real revelation is going to be. It’s a revelation INEOS hasn’t made yet, but they’ve told us that the Grenadier’s cabin will be spacious, comfortable and well equipped.

Other very capable 4x4s already have that, of course. But few are as overtly capable as the Grenadier promises to be. If INEOS can nail down the build quality (and they’re taking all the right steps for that) and see it through at a price that’s more old-Defender than new-Defender, this will be the most exciting new 4x4 in a long time.

A final word from me for now. We had intended to bring our Roadbooks back from this month, but it appears that some local authorities are still using coronavirus as an excuse to maintain emergency closures on their lanes. Rather than risk making a ridiculous situation worse, we intend to restart from next month’s issue instead.

Tel: 01283 553243 Email: enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk Web: www.totaloffroad.co.uk www.4x4i.com Online Shop: www.toronline.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/totaloffroad www.facebook.com/4x4Mag Editor Alan Kidd Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Mike Trott, Dan Fenn, Paul Looe, Olly Sack, Robbie Ronson, Barrie Dunbar, Sid Mould, Kaziyoshi Sasazaki Photographers Harry Hamm, Steve Taylor, Richard Hair, Vic Peel Group Advertising Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Manager Colin Ashworth Tel: 01283 553244 Advertising Production Sarah Moss Tel: 01283 553242 Subscriptions Sarah Moss Tel: 01283 553242 Publisher and Head of Marketing Sarah Moss Email: sarah.moss@assignment-media.co.uk To subscribe to 4x4, or renew a subscription, call 01283 742970. Prices for 12 issues: UK £42 (24 issues £76); Europe Airmail/ROW Surface £54; ROW Airmail £78 Distributed by Marketforce; www.marketforce.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure the contents of 4x4 are accurate, but Assignment Media accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor the consequences of actions made as a result of these.

When responding to any advert in 4x4, you should make appropriate enquiries before sending money or entering into a contract. The publishers take reasonable care to ensure advertisers’ probity, but will not be liable for loss or damage incurred from responding to adverts Where a photo credit includes the note ‘CC BY 2.0’ or similar, the image is made available under that Creative Commons licence: details at www.creativecommons.org 4x4 is published by Assignment Media Ltd, Repton House 1.08, Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road, Bretby, Derbyshire DE15 0YZ

© Assignment Media Ltd, 2020

4x4 30/06/2020 17:40

OVERLOADING IS COMMON

YOUR INSURANCE COULD BE INVALID IF YOU’RE OVERLOADED

4x4 Overloading – a problem easily solved What would your thoughts be if you were told your vehicle, trailer and everything carried on it and in it were not insured?

Scary thought isn’t it, but of all the vehicles stopped and checked by DVSA (2015-2016), over 80% were found to be overloaded and/or exceeding the driver’s licence entitlement.

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Try using SvTech’s free Load Distribution Analysis program to check your weights. www.svtech.co.uk/lda

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29/08/2017 14:11

NEW 4X4S

INEOS AUTOMOTIVE LIFTS WRAPS

Form-follows-function styling • Five-door station wagon and double-cab variants, with

N

othing is for show.’ So says INEOS Automotive of the much talked about Grenadier, its spiritual heir-apparent to the Land Rover Defender which is scheduled to go on sale towards the end of next year.

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INEOS has long been clear that the vehicle is intended to be an uncompromising off-road utility truck which will fill the gap left in the market when the old-shape Defender was discontinued. We have long known that it will have a ladder chassis, live beam axles

and a traditional drive train with a dual-range mechanical transfer case, and that it will be powered by BMW engines.

And now at last we know what it looks like.

Unveiled to the world on 1 July, the Grenadier’s styling ‘stays true to

the essence of creating a utilitarian vehicle that will stand the test of time.’ These are the words of Toby Ecuyer, the company’s Head of Design, who originally qualified as an architect who came to INEOS after many years working on the styling of super yachts.

4x4 28/06/2020 13:27

NEW 4X4S

ON GRENADIER OFF-ROADER

more to come • Company ‘very confident’ of legal position on similarities to Defender

The company’s buzz-phrase for the Grenadier’s appearance is ‘designed on purpose.’ Intended to be a civilised but uncompromising workhorse for professional users and off-road enthusiasts alike, it was engineered ‘to meet the demands of its future owners for a

4x4 AWAITING PRODUCTS PICS Scene Aug.indd 9

rugged, capable and comfortable go-anywhere working vehicle.’

‘We set out to design a modern, functional and highly capable 4x4 vehicle with utility at its core,’ continues Ecuyer. ‘A design that is “easyto-read,” with no ambiguity about the Grenadier’s role in life. There to

do everything you need, and nothing you don’t.

INEOS is adamant that the Grenadier is a vehicle whose form follows its function. Hence the unmissable resemblance to the old Defender, possibly, whose design brief was exactly the same. The

company says it is ‘very confident’ that the styling revealed on 1 July will survive any kind of legal challenge to its originality.

Shown only as a long-wheelbase five-door station wagon and extended-wheelbase double-cab, the Grenadier will in INEOS’ words be

AUGUST 2020 | 9

28/06/2020 13:27

Aiways Alfa Ro Alpina Aston Audi Q BMW i

NEW 4X4S

So far, INEOS has shown images of the Grenadier as a utility-spec five-door station wagon and extended-wheelbase double-cab. The company has hinted at a short-wheelbase three-door to come, saying there will ultimately be a family of vehicles in its range, and higher trim levels can also be expected ‘a family of vehicles.’ Its traditional engineering means a short-wheelbase three-door should offer nothing in the way of challenges, though at present the company has remained tight-lipped on that.

It hasn’t yet unveiled the vehicle’s interior, either. However the company says it believes its customers shouldn’t be forced to suffer for driving an off-roader and that space, quality, seat comfort and cabin refinement will reflect this. In addition, the Grenadier will ‘meet the expectations of the 21st Century consumer for equipment levels and safety systems’ – company executives talk of modern infotainment

offerings, and send a telling nod in the direction of the original Defender by saying it will be possible to stay warm on board.

Further design features include vertically split rear doors similar to those on the old Nissan Patrol, which open to allow the vehicle’s cargo area to accommodate a Euro pallet. The larger of the two doors holds the spare wheel, while the smaller one can be accessorised with a ladder for access to the roof – whose bars and strips allow a rack to be mounted in place and can also be used for securing loads directly.

Further load-mounting opportunities come from an optional ‘utility

belt’ on the doors and rear body which can be used for attaching loads or accessories such as a jerry cans. A further useful addition is a stowage box for wet and dirty boots and so on, which is integrated into the body and accessed from outside the vehicle.

Further recognising the vehicle’s intended usage, it comes pre-wired for LED bars, work lights, amber beacons and so on. INEOS says you will be able to sit on its front wings, and the images released so far show it with BFGoodrich All-Terrain tyres on steel wheels.

These will be driven via an eight-speed ZF gearbox delivering

Analysis Full technical details of the Grenadier are some way off, however INEOS has confirmed that it will be propelled

by BMW petrol and diesel engines mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. The vehicle’s ladder chassis has been developed by Spanish outfit Gestamp, while its axles are from Carraro – a company whose portfolio features a wide variety of agricultural applications as well as automotive units.

These will be located by a suspension system currently in development by INEOS’ engineering partner Magna. Looking in detail at the images released so far appears to show a five-link rear set-up with unequal-length trailing arms and a panhard rod, however with more than a million miles of testing still to be done there’s a great deal to be finalised between now and the vehicle’s on-sale date.

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full-time four-wheel drive via a dual-range transfer case.

The company says the vehicle was created as ‘a blank canvas for accessories, so customers can tailor the Grenadier to their evolving requirements.’ A wide range of accessories will be offered, but INEOS is eager for the aftermarket to develop equipment for it too – a welcome alternative to the attitude of most mainstream vehicle makers.

This reflects the openness the company has shown since its inception, with a willingness to communicate and lack of unnecessary secrecy. ‘We are delighted to be able to share the design of the Grenadier so early in the process,’ says Chief Executive Dirk Heilmann. ‘Most manufacturers would hold back, but we are a new business, building a new brand, and we want to take people with us on this exciting journey.

‘Showing the design now allows us to focus on the critical next phase of the vehicle’s development, testing its capability and durability. We have a very challenging programme ahead, as we put prototypes through their paces in all conditions, on the way to accumulating some 1.8 million test kilometres over the coming year.

‘From today, the covers are off.

Testing in plain sight, without the need for camouflage wrapping, foam blocks or fake panels is an added benefit.’

4x4 28/06/2020 13:27

NEW 4X4S The Grenadier’s roof, doors and rear body feature what look at first glance like styling elements. These are in fact functional, providing fixing points for equipment and mounts for a roof rack. The rear doors are vertically split, in a pattern which will be familiar to the owners of older Japanese 4x4s

COMING SOON Forthcoming 4x4s due later this year and beyond

‘The Grenadier project started by identifying a gap in the market, abandoned by a number of manufacturers, for a utilitarian off-road vehicle,’ comments INEOS group Chairman Jim Ratcliffe. ‘This gave us our engineering blueprint

for a capable, durable and reliable 4x4 built to handle the world’s harshest environments.

‘But it had to look the part as well. Toby and his team have done a great job in delivering a design that is both distinctive and purposeful.’

What’s Next?

The Grenadier will shortly move in to its main testing phase, with more than a million miles of on and off-road driving to come. Following this, it will be finalised and signed off in time for production to commence in late 2021.

Initial customer deliveries will be in the UK in Europe, via a distribution network which is currently in development. This will be followed by Africa, the Americas, the Middle East, South East Asia and Australasia.

INEOS sees the UK, USA, Australia, South Africa and Germany as key markets. It has previously said that the Grenadier will not be a bargain-bucket vehicle; competitors are likely to be the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Landcruiser, with prices starting at around £30-40,000.

4x4 AWAITING PRODUCTS PICS Scene Aug.indd 11

Aiways U5 Electric SUV Alfa Romeo Tonale Small SUV Alpina XB7 Performance SUV Aston Martin DBX Performance SUV Audi Q5 facelift Medium SUV BMW iX3 Electric SUV BMW X5 M Competition Performance SUV BMW X6 M Competition Performance SUV Bentley Bentayga Luxury SUV Bollinger B1 Electric off-roader Bollinger B2 Electric pick-up Cupra Formentor Performance SUV Ford Kuga Medium SUV Ford Mustang Mach-E Electric SUV Ford Ranger Pick-up INEOS Grenadier Off-roader Jeep Small SUV Jeep Cherokee Desert Hawk Performance Off-Roader Jeep Gladiator Pick-up Jeep Grand Commander Large SUV Jeep Compass 4xe Hybrid SUV Jeep Renegade 4xe Hybrid SUV Jeep Wagoneer Luxury SUV Kia Crossover EV Kia Sorento Large SUV Land Rover Defender 90 Off-roader Land Rover Defender 130 Off-roader Land Rover Defender PHEV Hybrid off-roader Land Rover Defender EV Electric off-roader Land Rover Discovery Spt PHEV Hybrid SUV Maserati Medium SUV Mercedes-AMG GLA Performance SUV Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Performance SUV Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 Performance SUV Mercedes-Benz EQB Electric SUV Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe Large SUV Mercedes-Maybach GLS Luxury SUV Mitsubishi Outlander Medium SUV Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 4 Hybrid SUV Porsche Cayenne GTS Performance SUV Range Rover Evoque PHEV Hybrid SUV Rivian R1T Electric pick-up Rivian R1s Electric large SUV Skoda Enyaq iV Electric SUV SsangYong Korando EV Electric SUV Tesla Cybertruck Electric Pick-Up Tesla Model X Tri-Motor Electric SUV Tesla Model Y Medium SUV Toyota Highlander Large SUV Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid Medium SUV Toyota Yaris Cross Small SUV Vauxhall Mokka Small SUV Volkswagen Amarok Pick-up Volkswagen Touareg R Performance SUV Volvo XC40 PHEV Hybrid SUV

August 2020 November December Summer Autumn Early 2021 Summer Summer 2021 2020 2021 Late 2021 Summer October 2022 Late 2021 2021 Summer Summer 2020 Autumn 2020 Autumn 2020 2021 2021 September March March 2021 2021 2023 Summer 2021 Late Summer Summer June Early 2021 Summer Summer October Summer Late Summer Summer Spring 2022 Summer 2022 Early 2021 September Late 2022 Early 2021 October Early 2021 October Early 2021 Early 2021 2022 July Summer

AUGUST 2020 | 11

28/06/2020 13:30

NEW 4X4S

LAND ROVER CELEBRATES FIFTY YEARS OF RANGE ROVER WITH SUBTLE SPECIAL EDITION

I

t’s 50 years since Land Rover introduced the Range Rover to the world. The original lifestyle off-roader was launched on 17 June 1970 – and it surges into its second half-century in ruder health than ever.

Incredibly, the Rangey is still only in its fourth generation. But few vehicles can have evolved as far in their time. When it started out, it was an alternative to the Series IIA whose lord-of-the-manor image belied the hose-me-out off-road credibility it shared with its more truck-like brethren: today, it’s still a mighty proposition off-road but the levels of luxury and high-tech

12 | AUGUST 2020

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equipment it comes with are unrecognisable in comparison.

On the subject of luxury and hightech engineering, Land Rover has plenty of previous for celebrating milestones with special limited-edition models. And sure enough, what you’re looking at here is the Range Rover Fifty – an ultra high-speccer of which a total of 1970 examples (get it?) will be available worldwide.

Based on the already sumptuous Autobiography model, the Fifty is available in standard and long-wheelbase form and can be specced with either of two unique designs of 22” alloy wheel. Depending on the market, it will be offered with a choice of petrol, diesel and P400e plug-in hybrid powertrains.

Appearance-wise, it’s admirably subtle. The vehicle features a number of exterior trim highlights in Auric Atlas (or ‘black’, to use a name which will clearly never catch on) and there’s a special

‘Fifty’ badge in a script created for the vehicle by Land Rover design boss Gerry McGovern.

If you want to make one of these stand out in a crowd, Land Rover is offering it in three Heritage solid paint colours: Tuscan Blue, Bahama Gold and Davos White. These will only be available in ‘extremely limited numbers’, so bid high or face a lifetime of slumming it in Carpathian Grey, Rosello Red, Aruba (silver) or Santorini Black.

Obviously, it won’t really matter what colour you’ve ordered it in once you’ve had it wrapped to look like the bath taps in a Dubai hotel.

Which is the fate that’s bound to befall some of these very special Range Rovers, such is the vehicle’s

popularity in lands where wealth is measured in how crassly gaudy you can be.

This tiresome fact could of course be seen as yet another measure of the Rangey’s epic success during its first fifty years. What started as a genteel workhorse for lords of the manor has become a globally recognised status symbol and possibly the only car ever to inspire copies by Bentley, Rolls-Royce, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

What will the next fifty years hold?

Apart from big profits, obviously.

It’s hard to imagine what the Range Rover Hundred will look like when it’s launched on 17 June 2070 – but we’ll take a punt and say it won’t have a hose-out interior.

4x4 28/06/2020 13:27

• Frame - Powder Coated UV Stable Dark Grey Hammerite Finish • Doors - Powder Coated UV Stable Light Grey Smooth Textured Finish • Other Colours Available to Order • Locks - Black • Solid Side Doors • Front Panel - Fixed Clear Glass • Rear Door - 4mm Toughened Glass • Roof Rails come as standard • Pressure Equalizer Vent Load Bearing to 2500kgs

CANOPY ACCESSORIES • LED Lights • Aluminium Cupboard/Sidelockers • Wolf Box Holder • Jerry Can Holder • Brushed Stainless Steel Table • Table Storage Roof Bracket • Insulation - Roof & Doors • Tailgate Dust Kit • Drop Down Shelf • Eye Hooks • Sliding Windows In Side Doors • Air Vents/Dog Vents • Roof Cross Bars

38 | FEBRUARY 2020

TOR Folios and classifieds.indd 48

PHONE: 01299 250174

E-mail: enquiries@apbtrading.co.uk

4x4 02/06/2020 15:38

NEW 4X4S

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE IN THE MODEL MIX AS FORD CREATES RANGE OF TRANSIT SUVS

Seven seats as standard • 2.5-litre hybrid with 42.8mpg • All-wheel drive with Trail mode

Y

ou probably thought you’d seen everything when Ford announced that it was going to create a Mustang SUV. But there’s more – in the shape of the Transit SUV. Typically of all things Transit, it’s complicated. Some manufacturers are content with launching one vehicle at a time, but what we’re looking

at here is seven different new models. Yes, we really did say that.

There’s the Transit Trail and the Transit Custom Trail. There’s the Transit Active, the Transit Custom Active and the Tourneo Custom Active. And later this year, there’ll also be the Transit Connect Active and Tourneo Connect Active.

Got that? Good, because it’s not going to get any better.

Trail models are designed for ‘owners and operators whose work takes them to challenging terrain away from normal roads.’ Some have all-wheel drive, with a locking centre diff as well as Slippery and

Mud/Rut options on the drive mode dial, while others have front-wheel drive with a Quaife limited-slip differential to help maintain traction on unmade surfaces.

Looks-wise, these models get unique 16” alloy wheels, black cladding around the bumpers and side panels and a back grille with the emphatic ‘Ford’ badging you’ll know from the Ranger. Inside, you get leather, air-con, auto lighting and a heated windscreen.

The Trail spec level is available in van and double-cab-in-van versions of the Transit and Transit Custom, powered by a choice of 2.0-litre

diesel engines putting out 130, 170 and 185bhp.

So that’s the tough-guy work truck. Ford’s already familiar Active badge, meanwhile, is applied to Transit, Transit Custom and Tourneo Custom, giving these models a dose of SUV styling along with the option of getting further into the wilds courtesy of the aforementioned Quaife LSD. These models get their own alloys too, only this time they’re 17” in diameter. Roof rails come as standard, as does a unique mesh grille, and there’s extra cladding on the arches, lower body, rear bumper

Seat unveils facelifted Ateca with more off-road inspired styling SEAT HAS INTRODUCED a series of updates to the Ateca, including a styling facelift and a new Xperience trim level – which the company says ‘gives the SUV a more robust and off-road character.’ As before, the vehicle is available with all-wheel drive – though this is limited to just one petrol and one diesel engine, in each case the most powerful of its kind, with automatic transmission as standard.

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The new Xperience model is set apart by its styling, with black front and rear bumpers, body-colour wheelarches and aluminium-effect side mouldings and lower valance. The vehicle doesn’t gain any extra off-road technology, though it does include a new instant-clear windscreen.

Elsewhere, the Ateca gains an updated engine range, featuring better fuel efficiency, as well as the latest in high-tech driver aids and safety assistants.

4x4 28/06/2020 13:27

NEW 4X4S

and mirror caps to complete the SUV image.

Inside, you get part-leather seats and, in the Tourneo Custom Active, a blue instrument panel. This Transit-sized people carrier is already a practicality monster, with rear seats that can slide, rotate or come out altogether to offer monumental carrying capacity. Once again, there’s a choice of 130, 170 and 185bhp engine outputs; you can opt for manual or automatic gearbox, though the LSD is only available with the former.

Between all the various models in the new ranges, customers can choose between different lengths and wheelbases, roof heights and body styles, with panel van and double-cab in van options on offer in addition to the Tourneo Custom MPV. The smaller Transit Connect and Tourneo Connect will both also gain Active models later in the

year, in case all this choice wasn’t already enough.

Listing all the various prices would take forever, but the Transit Custom is priced from £29,250 and £30,000 in Trail and Active guise respectively. The Transit Trail starts at £35,685, while the Tourneo Custom Active ups the bar to £37,950. These prices are all before VAT is added, and where the LSD is optional it’ll cost £550, again plus the dreaded.

The range might be complicated but the message is simple: these are vehicles with all the usual Transit virtues, some extra traction on top and a dose of cool styling to seal the deal. ‘The Active and Trail models demonstrate how versatile and capable the Transit range can be,’ says Ford’s Hans Schep. ‘From businesses that operate off the beaten track to families who want a vehicle as adventurous as they are, there is a Transit to suit every need.’

Dacia adds dual-fuel option to Duster model line DACIA HAS INTRODUCED a new dual-fuel powertrain across its entire UK range, including the Duster 4x4. The new TCe 100 Bi-Fuel engine is a 1.0-litre turbocharged unit which can run on both petrol and LPG, with the latter held in a tank located where the spare wheel would be – meaning no impact on boot space.

What you don’t get from the vehicle is all-wheel drive, which is a bit boring as there at 4x4 models at the top of both petrol and diesel line-ups. Still, Dacia says that compared to the most similar petrol model, the dual-fuel Duster will save around 11% per year in CO2 emissions and a typical £2400 in fuel over the course of four years’ ownership. Sounds like a no-brainer when you see there’s only a £400 price walk between them; you’ll pay from £13,195 for the Bi-Fuel Duster in Essential form, with the top-end Prestige model lifting the bar to £15,895.

• Dacia has also launched a new incentive scheme to kick-start the action in its dealerships. Called ‘Three Months on us’, this is a cashback scheme giving customers the equivalent of their first three monthly payments when buying a vehicle with RCI finance.

The promotion is available on PCP and HP schemes when financed at 6.9% APR, with zero deposit, on vehicles which are available from stock – including the company’s excellent-value Duster 4x4.

Isuzu is currently offering discounts of up to £2000 off the price of a D-Max pick-up. The offer, which runs until 31 July, applies only to retail customers and is available while stocks last

The paint palette is extended to ten different options, too, and each model in the revised range has its own unique design of alloy wheels.

4x4 AWAITING PRODUCTS PICS Scene Aug.indd 15

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Aiways Alfa Ro Alpina Aston Audi Q BMW i

RIGHTS OF WAY

Green Lane Association celebrates 25 years of working to protect Britain’s rights of way

green lanes The magazine of the Green Lane

Association

£2.00 where sold

1995 2020

A

uarter of a century ago, a group of green lane users from a club called GLOW (Green Laners of Wales) recognised the need for a national organisation to counter the growing pressure on Britain’s rights of way.

Green laning was already a controversial subject in the early 1990s.

A number of lanes had already been closed, most notably the legendary Monks Trod in Mid-Wales, and local indignation was growing – usually without reason, but sometimes in response to commercial mud-plugging operations the likes of which would be unthinkable today.

Out of this grew a concerted campaign, led by wealthy landowners and supported by an assortment of users’ groups motivated by the opportunity to get more of the countryside to themselves, which sought to have green laning made illegal.

Characterised by extreme dishonesty, Summer 2020 blatant hypocrisy and a total unwillingness to compromise, this campaign has been active ever since – with no end of powerful support aiming to help it achieve its aims.

It’s almost certainly the case that had those few GLOW members not taken up the cudgel on behalf of Britain’s rights of way, all motor vehicle use would long since have been made illegal. Fortunately, however, that was the moment when the Green Lane Association was born – and though it’s been a bumpy ride at times, since then it has grown into an organisation capable of mounting a spirited and effective defence of motor vehicle rights.

Unquestionably, the lowest point came when GLASS was still young.

Following Tony Blair’s victory in the 1997 General Election, the Countryside and Rights of Way Act was passed in November 2000; this created the concept of Restricted Byways, which in turn came into force via the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act in 2006. The biggest ever mass removal of rights of way in British history, this was exacerbated by a last-minute deal in the House of Lords which removed an exclusion for dual-status routes – an affront to the democratic process which

resulted in around half the country’s green lanes being lost overnight.

GLASS has been candid in admitting that it was caught out by the manoeuvring which preceded this disgrace – and clear that having learned from the experience, back then, when it was still in its infancy, it won’t let the same thing happen again. This was seen in late 2013 when the government proposed its Deregulation Bill – a piece of legislation designed to simplify the way laws are made. Anti-4x4 campaigners attempted to hijack this by lobbying the responsible committee to insert clauses that would prohibit motor vehicle access to all remaining byways and unsurfaced roads – something which might well have happened had GLASS not been alert to the situation.

GLASS has also been at the heart of the battle to save individual lanes from closure – something which has become very common in the wake of NERC when applications are processed to add unclassified county roads to the Definitive Map as rights of way. The way the legislation is framed means that local authorities can refuse to give a lane the correct byway status if it doesn’t receive enough user evidence from before 2004 – a requirement which is of course loaded heavily against motor vehicle users, and one which has led to the demise of a number of muchloved trails. Were it not for the work the Association does in countering anti-4x4 manoeuvrings throughout the process, these would just be the tip of the iceberg.

All this costs money, and fundraising has been a major part of GLASS’ activities during its first 25 years. In addition to the legal work required to fight lane closures, it organises working parties to repair lanes (often as a result of damage caused by illegal off-roaders, though mainly because of neglect and poor maintenance), and it has made a number of donations to local au-

thorities to help pay for major works required to keep lanes open.

Most of all, however, GLASS is a hearts and minds organisation. Its network of reps present a human face to rights of way officers, local residents and other users alike.

‘Going to court isn’t the only answer,’ says founder member Dale Wyatt. ‘It’s all about building relationships at a local level, getting on your Local Access Forum and making a difference. If you start working on projects and help out other user groups, you’ll be amazed how attitudes can change.’

Membership of the Green Lane Association costs £44 a year – more than the typical off-road club, and a price which is sometimes quoted as a reason not to join. It’s necessary to unlearn what you think you know about value for money here, though – because the more you give, the more GLASS is able to do on your behalf. As Dale puts it: ’For those that say GLASS isn’t worth the membership fee, then I ask, what voice do you have to government? To local councils? To landowners? To National Parks? The answer is very little.’

By providing that voice, GLASS has almost certainly kept green laning alive during its 25 years to date. NERC was a crime against the countryside by those who pretend to care for it, but its ancient rights of way, those who use them and those whose businesses are aided by our trade are now safer than they were before small group from the Green Laners of Wales got together and decided to stand up against the forces of greed.

‘Now is a time to work together,’ says Dale, ‘not stick your head in the sand and hope everything will be okay. The Green Lane Association has been proving the value of working together for a quarter of a century – and it can be relied upon to keep doing so until every heart and mind has finally been won over.

In addition to a monthly e-bulletin, GLASS publishes its Green Lanes magazine twice a year. The current issue celebrates the organisation’s 25th anniversary with a wide variety of articles old and new; in keeping with the way GLASS conducts itself, it’s a smartly presented and very professional piece of work and an absolute credit to all those involved in its creation

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EVENTS

Ultra4Europe doubles up for epic two-season championship in wake of Covid cancellations

the time has

come

and bring metaphorical clouds over the sunny weather, there remain a million reasons to be grateful.

As a GLASS rep (Surrey, should you ask) I find there is a significant sense of duty.

Although in reality we are not the caped guardians of the lanes, nor TRO fighting superhero protectors of rights of way, it can certainly feel that way at times. There is such a sense of disappointment – hurt, even – upon seeing yet another bloody photo of damage on an ancient byway and surely all responsible Green Laners feel the same. We can only look at the evidence and think - What is WRONG with these people?

How dare they? As we all know, the issues have been discussed until we are blue - or green - in the face.

Goodness only knows what is going on behind our backs

during this closure. The good guys stay at home while the selfish carry on regardless as their asbo tyres rip up the verges we treasure. There may be quite a lot to do when Covid-19 clears off. Brace yourselves - duty will call. Volunteering, paperwork, TRO objections, begging and probably some paying out (if we have anything left) might all be necessary to keep the network alive.

Today, like many freelances, pretty much all my work has stopped. This week I have been super grateful for a three day job standing on motorway junctions photographing the astonishing quantities of junk that the Highways Agency and passing drivers leave behind - turd in a pizza box anyone? I guess it pays the bills and I even got recognised on the A3 by a passing 4x4 Facebook community friend - pretty much the only person I interacted

with on that entire, sordid project.

That’s it for me, work has finished.

Now, as the nation’s worker’s, we await, perhaps without much faith, the various government grants and payments that have been promised, and whilst twiddling our thumbs we may hear the call of duty again.

Today, late March, there certainly seem to be plenty of opportunities - local Facebook support groups, borough wide planning, assisting meals on wheels charities, foodbanks, odd jobs, volunteering with the NHS, keeping an eye on the neighbours, 4x4 response and many more.

This is a time of international challenge. Historians will look back and see the corona crisis as a global turning point with consequences those of us currently living through it can only guess at. These are tough times and it’s not always easy to know what is best to do in response, but I’d like to hope that those of us capable

13

LARA

of it will use this opportunity to step up and work. The vulnerable, the overwhelmed, even the illinformed and the stupid have needs and these days they might be significant.

Responsible green laning is about doing the right thing and protecting precious assets for future generations. Let’s apply the same logic to help our neighbours and our nation as our combined backs are truly against the wall.

We all relish the stories of sacrifice and conquest that since childhood we have read in books and watched in the movies. During this crisis our own wins might be trivial and our sacrifices relatively small, but the time has come to pull together for the greater good in whatever form that takes for us.

Tragically, as things progress it may even mean waving volunteering goodbye and staying at home. For weeks. Doing the right thing is always the right thing.

ANNIVERSARY

Modern life in the UK is tough for millions, made even more challenging by the fear and consequences of this unseen viral enemy.

We ‘Glassists’ are by and large some of the lucky ones - for a start we have a car, often a second one and enough money to run it. We all know why we green lane - the views, the air and the sense of freedom and escape, chugging along the road less travelled in a vehicle that is often still running (on a good day) only because of our personal fettling. There are few feelings to beat it, and now it’s clear that we won’t be going anywhere for a while I really notice that significant loss.

There is a byway shaped hole in my life!

Thankfully, when you analyse it this is a short term ban of a lucky privilege, and as much as its absence may disappoint us

(via TW2).

GREEN LANE ASSOCIATION 25TH

Bob Dylan’s 1978 album Slow Train Coming, his first since his dramatic religious conversion, was advertised with the line ‘Well worth the wait’. I thought it was a good album myself, a rewarding experience. It is a shame the same cannot be said of that other slow train that has just pulled in, the ‘lockdown express’, the arrival of which means we are isolated in our homes. There is nothing particularly positive to say about this particular experience - or at least not at first glance.

For some it will be truly horrible. Teenagers, for example, can be difficult and parents will no longer be able to breathe a sigh of relief when school takes them away for a few hours. Even worse, some of those parents will lose the respite from an abusive partner, usually granted while they are both at work - not this month.

12

GREEN LANES SUMMER 2020

Words: Stuart Boreham. Photo: JJ99

34 years and counting…

Alan

totally

sport, and the system works well.

There was no evidence given as to why the rules should change, rather some subjective references to nuisance and illegality. This all happened just before the start of the competition season in Spring.

Through LARA member organisations we polled all competition clubs for a prompt report about all their events on a particular weekend. We said to tell us about any complaints they got. Then we wrote to the planning authority for each place where an event happened and asked how many complaints they got. You probably will not be surprised to know that with dozens of events on that weekend you could count complaints on the fingers of one hand, and all but one of these related to cowboy motorcycling anyway. We took our findings to the Minister and it all went away. The issue came back again some years later, and this time, armed with Freedom of Information powers we stopped that one in its tracks too.

Over the past 10 years LARA’s income has declined to the level where we remain worthwhile and effective, but inevitably constrained in what we can do.

We threw maximum effort at the Deregulation Bill in 2014 because

we knew that the ‘antis’ intended to to accept that even the smallest try to use this as a stalking horse club trial (if it touches public paths) for taking away the unsealed roads must have both council and MSUK we retained after the NERC Act in authorisation. What started in 2006. Again, we came through that, Wales has spread into England, and with the Minister instead setting up we have worked with councils and a Motoring Stakeholder Working national parks in trying to get the Group (MSWG) to look at the whole processes, conditions and costs issue objectively. Then a Committee down as much as we can, and we of the House of Lords started to believe that the outcome is better investigate the effectiveness of than it could have been. parts of the NERC Act 2006, and Cash-starved highway authorities again the ‘antis’ were there in the are currently less keen to go for blink of an eye, trying to get the traffic orders, although we have rights of way provisions revisited no difficulty with proportionate and extended. traffic management. With not Then Brexit came along. The a lot happening on the national MSWG, and the Stakeholder government scene, we have been Working Group (SWG) dealing taking the opportunity to revisit and with implementation of the expand the reports and guidance Deregulation Act 2015, were put available on LARA’s website, but do on hold over 18 months ago. The not be fooled – the threats will come Rights of Way Review Committee back again. Nothing is more certain. followed these into abeyance, while One last point. LARA has had DEFRA countryside officers were Honorary Chairmen (no female redeployed. Whether all or any of post-holder as yet) from car sport, these come back remains to be motorcycle sport, and trail riding, seen. but not yet from the 4x4 world. Is it Since 2014 LARA has been back time for GLASS to find a candidate? working where it came in: rallies and enduros in Mid Wales. After nearly 50 years when the MSA Alan Kind was LARA’s main officer (now Motorsport UK) authorised from 1986 until he took about three years events on the ‘road’, and local away, returning around the turn of the century. authorities authorised events on Other contracted officers over the years public rights of way, we now have include David Kersey, Caroline Garfield, Tim & Mary Stevens, and Dave Tilbury.

Shropshire, from a

Oliver reflects on his journey to date in 4x4 ownership and how GLASS has helped him explore his new hobby .

Words and pictures: Oliver Evans

Following the cancellation of this year’s King of France event, Ultra4Europe has announced a new format for the remainder of the 2020 season. Instead of finishing 2020 with one or possibly two meaningless events, the organisers have created a new championship which will run from the resumption of racing through to the end of 2021.

‘All predictions point to us still being allowed to run the BFGoodrich King of Britain,’ said the organisers in a communique to drivers during the UK’s lockdown period. ‘It will be close, but we should be allowed to race.

So to carry on with the madness of 2020, our 2021 series starts in July and we will have a six-race European Championship. It gives the back half of the year a purpose and makes sure you all race hard.

‘Therefore our 2021 season will begin with the BFGoodrich King of Britain – and we aim for it to be a mega celebration. We also plan to make the 2021 BFGoodrich King of France the best Ultra4 race we have done in France ever!’

The organisers intend to run all their normal classes at the upcoming King of Britain, as well as a special category for traditional winch challenge vehicles. ‘On top of this,’ they say, ‘there will also be a separate course built for all the comp safari style racers out there. We have all missed a lot of racing this year. What a way to kick-start 2020 with everyone coming together and racing for the weekend.’

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GREEN LANE ASSOCIATION 25TH

GREEN LANES SUMMER 2020

ANNIVERSARY

different perspective

ANNIVERSARY

there was a lot of post-industrial regeneration money sloshing about.

Most of these sites never realised their ambitions and potential, and the Teesside (Langbaurgh) site was believed to have swallowed more than £2,000,000. It is still there and operating, and so maybe it was a good investment in the long term?

These projects, where we worked closely with the Sport Council Regional offices, led to a significant grant award from the Sports Council, and for a period spanning the turn of the century LARA was well funded and, in my view, gave very good value for money.

It was around this time that we scored what is probably our most effective ‘win’, although it is seldom really win or lose, but rather adapt and fit in. Out of the blue there was a government consultation on proposals to withdraw ‘permitted development rights’ (PDR) for motor sport events. Every weekend there are dozens of motor sport events that take place on farmland, or old quarries, by permission of the owners. This is a change of use of the land, and to avoid the need for every event to have to apply for planning permission, PDRs provide deemed planning permission for up to 28 days a year (only 14 for racing). This is crucial to competitive

GREEN LANE ASSOCIATION 25TH

Officer, and we set about building a presence on the national forums and committees, and made sure that motor sport and recreation (that is competition, and recreational driving) had a view in responding to consultations, putting forward our own ideas where appropriate.

It might sound a bit lame, but ‘just being there’ is so important over the long term: if the House of Commons Rights of Way Review Committee (as it was then) had a meeting and we were not there, then who was going to watch our back?

As LARA matured through its first few years we engaged with a lot of individual cases – more than now, because this is largely a resources issue – dashing around the countryside to try to head-off noise abatement notices, appear at public inquiries, and talk with council officers to avoid anti-motor policies. In conjunction with the Trail Riders Fellowship and Byways and Bridleways Trust we formed a team to oppose the proposed Ridgeway TRO on Sundays and bank holidays.

Successfully, too, but we’d gladly live with those proposals instead of the post-NERCA situation we have now.

But you cannot see the future.

For our first decade we put a lot of time into the development of ‘trail parks’ – off-road driving sites – when

21

LARA is the Motoring Organisations’ Land Access & Recreation Association, and it was set up in a side-room meeting at the Motorcycle Show in 1986. The Motor Sports Association and the principal motorcycle organisations were the prime movers, while the Association of Rover Clubs (now ALRC) and the All Wheel Drive Club came on board within the next couple of years.

GLASS succeeded the AWDC in 2003.

What brought these organisations together? It was a conjunction of a number of threats in an increasingly hostile environment for recreational motoring. Moto-cross (scrambling) had increasing pressure due to noise. Trail riding was under regular attack from walkers’ groups, with the Great Ridgeway being a particular issue. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 had started to make BOATs a political hot potato just as recreational 4x4 driving took off from a low base. Car rallying in Wales also came under critical scrutiny, and the MSA decided that it needed to stand with the twowheelers and start to engage with land managers, other countryside users, government departments, and agencies.

And that is just what we did. LARA appointed me as its first Principal

20

GREEN LANES SUMMER 2020

Kind tells the story

33

DustDoring set

up to Nether Cerne (SY6698-03) which presents a steep climb and then opens up to an incredible vista – certainly one of my favourites and lends itself to yet another photo opportunity (cue Shazz )! A couple more lanes and we were at another favourite, Upcerne (ST6203-02) which again has a nice climb leading up to another incredible view over a valley. This was to be our lunch stop, and it would be difficult to find a better one.

After lunch, we headed west and drove some great little lanes before arriving at Common Water Lane (ST4402-02). This can be tricky at the eastern end as loose boulders and rocks means you have to pick your line carefully, especially those vehicles with a lower ground clearance. We then travelled down to Bridport for a few more lanes before arriving at Knowl Hill (SY4992-02). I decided we would descend rather than ascend, but it does not take away the beauty of this sunken lane. “It’s like Jurassic Park” came over the radio, and I have to agree, with the ferns growing out of the side and

the overhanging trees and foliage, disappointment was that the ice it does have an air of another world cream van that usually trades from about it. Then onto the impressive there had already left.

Eggardon Hill UCR (SY5295-03) I would like to thank Shazz for where you gaze with amazement at the brilliant photos she took of the the Iron Age Hill Fort that dominates trip and the great company of the the northern sky line. Two Gates others which has cemented lasting (SY5493-02) followed, and although friendships. short, gives the most amazing view Geriant Thomas has now become over the west Dorset countryside. an accomplished laner and has set The last lane was Parks Lane up a group ‘Gentle Lanes Wales’ (SY5580-04 & SY5587-01) which which promotes GLASS and helps traverses over Ashley Chase and those, particularly SUV’s and again lends itself to some fine shinies, looking for non damaging countryside views. The lane passes lanes.

Chappel Coppice and if you ever I continue to support GLASS Rep, pass and have time, it is worth Rob Elliott here in Dorset as well as taking a wander through the woods the ‘Dacia Duster Explorers’, who to the derelict chapel. It certainly again fully supports and promotes has an eerie feel to it and there GLASS, and we actively encourage are often offerings left by those of anyone who wants to start green ancient belief systems. We headed lane driving to join.

South towards Abbotsbury Castle I look forward to another Duster and just before you reach the excursion later this year, perhaps B3157 you are met with another Wiltshire this time. astounding view of the Chesil peninsular and Portland in the Lanes driven: 23 distance. We pulled into the layby Miles driven: 110 at the top of the hill just as the Time taken: 11+ hours sun was setting. It really could not New GLASS members: 2 have been a better day, the only Smiles: plenty

2020-2021 Ultra4Europe programme

ANNIVERSARY

point. I started planning a few weeks arrived at Moreton Ford (SY8089before, drove some of the question 03). I was so pleased it had been dry mark lanes to make sure they were leading up to this as it meant that a going to be suitable and loaded my standard Duster could pass the ford route up to Viewranger ready to go. within its wading depth, and it is I had also taken some PMR radios as always exciting to drive this for the I knew not all had access to CB. first time. And for me, it’s nice to see So here we were in the National the anxious smiles on the drivers’ Trust car park under the shadow faces. Getting there early meant of Corfe Castle, sun shining down, the picnickers and paddlers had not exchanging pleasantries and arrived en masse! All cars passed admiring each other’s vehicles through without an issue and a where I gave a brief outline of great sense of achievement was what was to be expected today. felt by all.

It was going to be a long day at We made our way toward the approximately 12 hours, allowing for north of the county and to the only lunch, photos and the obvious calls lane I had a slight doubt about. of nature. We set off at 8.00am to This is known locally as ‘Cock a Leg a great little UCR known locally as Lane’ (ST7702-02), dubbed so by Rollington Hill, (SY9781-02). This is Dorset GLASS Rep, Rob Elliott, as a nice easy climb and descent with those driving monocoque chassis stunning views at the top, an ideal vehicles will lift a rear wheel up, ice breaker. We then made our way similar to canine watering a tree, on around to the ‘Crown Jewels’, Corfe their descent. I had nothing to fear Ridgeway (SY9482-03, SY9382-03 as all vehicles drove with caution & SY9281-02) which was a little and passed through without any more challenging, but so incredibly issues, only the joyous amazement rewarding. The vista at the top is of watching the vehicles in front of just breathtaking, and being a clear them momentarily turning into 3WD and sunny morning it made it so cars! special. A few more lanes and we A bit of a tarmac stretch took us

GREEN LANE ASSOCIATION 25TH

Although I had led a few trips around Dorset, this one was going to be the longest and most exciting to date. I rose early on 12th May 2019 to a glorious sunrise coupled with the fact that we had a sustained dry spring, so conditions couldn’t have been better. Joining me were Geraint Thomas, Geraint Ap Dewi and his wife Angela, Nick Worsfold with co driver Pat and Dorset GLASS’s own professional photographer Shazz Hooper. What made this especially exciting was Geraint, Geraint & Nick were all Duster drivers, so we were going to have 4 Dusters in 1 group and Shazz in her Jeep Renegade. Now I am fully aware of group guidelines and I must point out that the route was mainly dry, popular lanes were to be driven early as not to interfere with walkers or cyclists and these are very low impact vehicles. Seeing as both Gerraints had travelled down from Wales and Nick & Pat had travelled from Devon, I wanted to make the day as special as I could, but also bearing in mind that they had not had a vast amount of green lane driving experience up to that

rep. Pictures: Shazz Cooper.

July 2020 September 2020 May 2021 June 2021 July 2021 September 2021

King of Britain King of Poland King of Spain King of France King of Britain King of Poland

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GREEN LANES SUMMER 2020

Words: Mervyn Taylor, Dorset assistant

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RIGHTS OF WAY

Remedial work starts at last on Ramsden Road as all-user solution bears fruit

Pictures: Green Lane Association and Friends of Ramsden Road

W

e’ve highlighted the ongoing work on Ramsden Road before on these pages.

And you needn’t be surprised to see it appearing again in the future, because this superb green lane overlooking the Holme Valley is quickly become a beacon of best practice in rights of way management.

In some parts of the country (most notably just south of the Holme Valley, in Derbyshire and the Peak District), local government in its various forms appears to be openly hostile towards motor vehicle users, refusing to accept that we may be part of a solution and preferring to pretend that the criminal element is the only kind of 4x4 driver than exists. Kirklees

Council has proved pleasingly open-minded about its approach to managing Ramsden Road, however – despite the sad fact that the same criminal element has been at work here in the past, causing damage to land adjoining the right of way in a number of places.

The byway itself has suffered damage from water erosion, too, making it very uneven in places. This led to Kirklees imposing a closure order in 2018 which was subsequently revoked following action by both the Green Lane Association and the Trail Riders Fellowship.

As confrontational as this may sound, the situation improved very rapidly. Kirklees’ response, which sounds almost unbelievably enlightened compared to some local

authorities’ behaviour, was to organise a public meeting and invite all interested parties to attend.

This saw councillors, landowners, local residents and representatives of all user groups discussing the issues surrounding the lane – and resulted in the formation of the Friends of Ramsden Road.

If you’re familiar with the activities of the similarly named Friends of the Peak District, whose anti-4x4 rhetoric is tantamount to hate speech, the name might have you fearing the worst.

However this is an organisation whose name is not some sort of hollow joke – its purpose is to plan repairs to the byway and oversee maintenance in the future, to ensure that the right of way remains open for all users to enjoy in the future.

The group, whose work is fully funded by Kirklees Council, is made up of local residents and representatives from across the full spectrum of user groups. Since its formation, it has drawn up a plan for a phased programme of repairs which commenced in May. This initial work is intended to improve drainage on the highest part of the route, thus preventing water from eroding the surface as it runs downhill. Initially, a new drainage ditch has been created and blocked and broken culverts have been repaired, with the intention of taking rainwater away from the surface of the road.

With this part of the work complete, the group’s hope is that repairs on the steeper part of the track leading down the hill will be sustainable in the longer term.

These repairs will cost more than the initial drainage work, however, and will likely require a fundraising effort to top up the budget set aside by Kirklees Council.

This ongoing success story illustrates the great things that can be done when ‘friends’ really does mean friends – and proves that there’s no need for the divisive petty politics and outright hate that blights the rights of way network in some parts of the country. ‘The Friends of Ramsden Road has, since its formation, proved to an effective group, with user groups who sometimes find themselves in opposition all working together in harmony for the benefit of all,’ says Alex Davidson, West Yorkshire Rep for the Green Lane Association. ‘GLASS are proud to be a part of it.’

The initial phase of work on Ramsden Road has concentrated on drainage improvements to the upper part of the route. These include a new drainage ditch and repairs to culverts which had become blocked or broken. The intention is that with this done, repairs to the surface further downhill will be less vulnerable to the water runoff that damaged them in the first place

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RIGHTS OF WAY

New all-users group seeks to protect The Wayfarer THE WAYFARER has been in the news a great deal lately. One of Britain’s longest and most scenic rights of way, the unsurfaced road between Llandrillo and Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog is currently closed to traffic while awaiting repairs on a short section where wooden sleepers carry its surface over a bog – however neither this, nor the strict lockdown conditions which persisted in Wales long after England started to open back up, has prevented isolated incidents of illegal use.

The lane, which is around seven miles long, lies in two different local authority areas, and this too has caused issues with its repair.

To help address this, and in response to what she calls ‘understandable anger’ at the illegal use, the Green Lane Association’s Denbighshire Rep Lauren Eaton has formed a new group called Friends of the Wayfarer. Inspired by Friends of Ramsden Road, this multi-agency initiative is aimed at bringing together all user groups, authorities and individuals who have an interest in the lane. Lauren hopes it will ‘stop the cross-user bickering and help find a mutually beneficial way forward’ – an aim which every decent person will share.

‘I have been working hard with locals, landowners, Denbigh and Wrexham councils, Natural Resources Wales, the police and others for months in order to protect and repair this iconic route,’ comments Lauren. Friends of The Wayfarer is designed to bring that work to fruition for the benefit of all – if you are interested in getting involved, drop her a line at lauren.eaton@glass-uk.org.

Further call for user evidence in fight to save trio of Derbyshire lanes DERBYSHIRE HAS BEEN THE SCENE of some monstrous green lane closures over the last decade or so, with a seemingly endless series of popular and sustainable rights of way lost to pretty politics, greed and sleazy self-interest. And the fight to save what’s left goes on.

The latest set of well used and eminently sustainable public roads to face the axe are New Lane, Bulltor Lane and Broadway Lane. Situated near the village of Taddington, these are best known as the western part of the old route through Brushfield – which itself was administrated out of existence a few years ago in circumstances that would have been laughable if they weren’t so tragic.

Naturally, Derbyshire County Council has decided that these roads should be reclassified as bridleways, therefore stripping them of the motor vehicle rights which people have been enjoying for many decades. To help prevent this, the Green Lane Association is seeking user evidence from anyone who drove these lanes before 2006. In particular, says Chris Mitchell, GLASS Rep for Derbyshire, any evidence that can be obtained of use during the 1980s and 1990s would be particularly valuable.

‘Please seek out that friend or relative who used to drive/ride these lanes and ask them to contact me, or email our team at ue_derbyshire@glass-uk.org and we will send them the forms to fill in,’ says Chris. ’I can’t over-emphasise how important this is to help prevent these lanes being downgraded. If we do nothing these sustainable and scenic lanes will be lost.’

A GREEN LANE NEAR PIMPERNE in Dorset has been rescued by the sharp-eyed observations of a local rights of way user and the hard work of GLASS Rep Rob Elliott. The lane, which runs north of the village, is a Byway Open to All Traffic for most of its length and an Unclassified Road for a short section at one end. Rob was alerted to problems on the lane when a GLASS member told him the BOAT section had gained Restricted Byway signs – and that locked gates had appeared at both ends of the UCR. Hours of painstaking research showed that there had been no change to the lane’s legal status. ‘I make no apology for my cynical suspicion that this was a systematic attempt by a landowner to quietly close a vehicular

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right of way in the hope that it goes unnoticed,’ comments Rob, who contacted Dorset Council – and got an almost instant response.

Dorset’s Highways department is now investigating the locked gates, which are of course illegal, while their Rights of Way colleagues have apologised for the incorrect signage.

‘Please keep an eye on these lanes at Pimperne and make a point of using them once the gate has been removed,’ says Roby. ‘Please refrain from stopping, causing a nuisance or going racing past the area where the byway passes behind Paradise Farm – we do not want to be giving people a reason to apply for a TRO and close the byway.’

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CALENDAR KEY

P Off-Road Playday

G Green Lane Convoy Tour

A Overseas Adventure Travel

S 4x4 Show

Dates for playdays are shown up to the end of the month following the magazine’s on-sale date. Dates for green lane tours are shown up to approximately three months ahead, and for shows and overseas adventure tours up to a year ahead, space permitting Important: We are continuing to publish this calendar throughout the coronavirus crisis as it’s not known when the restrictions in force at the time of publication will be relaxed.

The only way to be sure if an event is still taking place is to contact the organiser before travelling; this is always the case, but it’s more important than ever in the current situation.

We take great care over the accuracy of this information, but accept no responsibility for the consequences of any errors

10 July

18-19 July

31 July – 3 August

15 August

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Cotswolds

Overland G Atlas Wessex

/ Storm Jeeps A Ardventures Marquenterre, France

Events G UKLakeLandrover District

11 July

19 July

1 August

15-26 August

and Tracks G Trails County Durham

Off-Roaders P Burnham Tring, Hertfordshire Explore Off Road P Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent Frickley 4x4 P Frickley, South Yorkshire Malvern 4x4 Spares Day S Malvern, Worcestershire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire Monsters P Mud East Grinstead, West Sussex Events S UKNorthLandrover York Moors

Landrover Events G UKLincoln and Belvoir

Adventure A Onelife Pyrenees

1-2 August

16 August

G Trailmasters Wales

Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent Frickley 4x4 P Frickley, South Yorkshire Muddy Bottom P Minstead, Hampshire Protrax P Tixover, Northamptonshire Events G UKEdenLandrover District

11-12 July Adventure Tours G 4x4 South Wales

11-24 July

A Ardventures Balkans 12 July Rochford and District 4x4 P Essex, Rayleigh, Essex P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

13-14 July

22 July – 5 August Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

25 July

P Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Kirton Off Road Centre

1-15 August Overland A Atlas Italian Alps

2 August 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire 4x4 P Parkwood Tong, Bradford Wood P Picadilly Bolney, West Sussex

8-9 August

17-23 August

A Landtreks Pyrenees 21-23 August

G Coast to Coast

Trails and Tracks

World Overland G Lost Wales

25-26 July

13-19 July

G Protrax Wiltshire

G Protrax Wales Landrover Events G UKWiltshire

A East Pyrenees

26 July

8-23 August

22-30 August

Leisure P Cowm Whitworth, Lancashire P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex Valley 4x4 P Thames Harbour Hill, Berkshire

A Ardventures Galicia, Spain

Adventure A Ardent Alps

9 August

23 August

Rochford and District 4x4 P Essex, Rayleigh, Essex Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

Landtreks

13-22 July 4x4 Adventures A Active Alps

16-17 July Landrover Events G UKCumbria/Yorkshire

18 July Off-Roaders P Burnham Tring, Hertfordshire Landrover Events G UKYorkshire Dales

20 | AUGUST 2020

AWAITING PRODUCTS PICS Scene Aug.indd 20

10-24 August

22-23 August

G Protrax Wiltshire

24 August – 4 Sept

A Trailmasters Morocco

28 July – 9 August

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

26-31 August

A Landtreks Pyrenees Coast to Coast

10-29 August

World Overland A Lost Alps

Peru Safari

4x4 Adventures A Active Botswana

4x4 28/06/2020 13:29

CALENDAR 27 August

19 September

18 October

28 May – 11 June 2021

Events G UKDalesLandrover and Eden District

Events G UKTyneLandrover and Wear

Landrover Events G UKLincoln and Belvoir

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

29 August

19-20 September

18 Oct – 5 Nov

19 June – 4 July 2021

Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Landrover Events G UKNorthumberland

Overland Show S Adventure A Protrax Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire Morocco Coast to Coast Trailmasters 23 October G Yorkshire Adventure Tours 23 September G 4x4 Shropshire Adventure Tours 24 October G 4x4 South Wales Valleys 26-27 September G Protrax Wiltshire 4x4 Adventure Tours Trails and Tracks G Pembrokeshire G Night run Events 2 October G UKEdenLandrover District 24-25 October G Protrax Wales Adventure Tours 4 October G 4x4 Mid-Wales 4x4 Spares Day 25 October S Newbury Newbury, Berkshire 4x4 and LR Spares Day 4-22 October S Malvern Malvern, Worcestershire 27 October – 13 November A Protrax Morocco Desert and Mountain Safari 10 October A Peru Kuelap / Cloud Warrior Tour Events 31 October G UKPeakLandrover District Events 10-11 October G UKNorthLandrover York Moors (night run) and Tracks 31 October –1 November G Trails North of England and Tracks 11 October G Trails York Moors and Dales UK Landrover Events 15-29 November G North York Moors Safari 11-25 October A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu Safari 3-17 December A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu Peru Safari 22 November A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu Great British Land Rover Show 3-20 April 2021 S Stoneleigh, Warwickshire Safari 12 October A Peru Kuelap / Cloud Warrior Tour Events 18 April 2021 G UKDalesLandrover and Eden British Land Rover Show 17 October S Great Newark, Nottinghamshire and Tracks 22 April – 6 May 2021 G Trails Tyne Valley Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

30 August Leisure P Cowm Whitworth, Lancashire 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire Thames Valley 4x4 P Slab Common, Hampshire UK Landrover Events G Tynedale

5-6 September Adventure Tours G 4x4 North Wales G Ardventures Yorkshire Wolds and Moors Atlas Overland G Wessex

9-24 September

A Protrax Ukraine 11-13 September

S Peterborough, Cambridgeshire Land Rover Owner Show

12-13 September Adventure Tours G 4x4 South Dorset Jurassic Coast Adventure G Onelife Lake District

17-18 September Events G UKEdenLandrover and Tynedale

17-20 September Adventure Tours G 4x4 Coast to Coast (Lakes / Yorkshire)

17 September – 1 October Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

4x4 AWAITING PRODUCTS PICS Scene Aug.indd 21

Peru Safari

A Jaguar Tracks Tour Peru Safari

10-24 July 2021 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

10-24 August 2021 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

18 September – 2 October 2021 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

16-30 October 2021 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

13-27 November 2021 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

3-17 December 2021 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

16 April – 3 May 2022 Safari A Peru Kuelap / Cloud Warrior Tour

7-21 May 2022 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

28 May – 11 June 2022 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

18 June – 2 July 2022 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

9-23 July 2022 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

20 August – 3 September 2022 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

10-24 September 2022 Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

AUGUST 2020 | 21

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PRODUCTS

New gold standard in tonneau covers arrives as Storm Xccessories brings EGR RollTrac to Britain

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torm Xccessories has announced that it is to be the sole UK importer of EGR Automotive’s new RollTrac system. The result of a multi-million pound development programme, this electrically operated tonneau cover is available to suit a wide range of pick-ups – bringing with it new top-of-the-market features and best-ever standards of vehicle integration.

Storm describes the RollTrac as ‘the first fully waterproof, fully integrated electric roll top tonneau cover available anywhere in the world.’ The unit has a programmable ECU, with software created specifically to suit the model for which it’s intended, allowing it to integrate seamlessly with the vehicle’s own power and locking systems.

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That’s just for starters, though.

The ECU’s software is programmed with a failsafe that will prevent it from operating if the vehicle’s battery is low, and the unit has an anti-pinch feature to prevent injury or damage should anything get trapped in its way as it closes. When contact is detected, the cover springs back by 50mm before stopping.

The RollTrac is operated by a set of buttons in the side rails and rear corners of the unit. These are automatically deactivated when the vehicle is locked, securing the cover in place – with twin claw-hook latches and a series of full-length interlocking aluminium slats ensuring it can’t be broken open or cut into from outside.

Another classy feature is soft start and stop, which sees the cover slow down towards the end of its pre-programmed travel. This in turn is calibrated using the on-board

buttons, allowing owners to set it specifically for their own vehicle.

EGR comments that the RollTrac is ‘Australian designed and engineered for global markets’ and that it has been tested in all environments. ‘The EGR RollTrac will perform in Australian tropical wet conditions, to the harsh and dry terrain of South Africa, and the subzero climate of northern Europe.’

The unit has a curved canister to prevent rain from gathering within it, and four water management ports – whose wide apertures are moulded to suit the specific vehicle application, ’not just a clear hose with a clamp around the top of it.’

The cover itself is finished in a scratch-resistant, lightly textured black powder coat and promises to be UV stable, maintaining its appearance over time. All external components are made from aluminium, while those on the inside are

fully serviceable and self-lubricating to ensure their smooth operation doesn’t go off over time.

Alongside the unit itself, EGR is introducing a range of Sports Bar Adaptor Kits, allowing OEM bars to be mounted seamlessly on to the RollTrac. In addition, the system comes as standard with a T-channel along each of its sides, ready to be fitted with your choice of aftermarket racking options – including cross-bars, bike carriers and platform racks. By doing this, you can increase the unit’s load capacity to 150kg.

The EGR RollTrac will initially be available for the Isuzu D-Max, Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger, however there’ll be more applications along to follow soon. It’s definitely a gold-standard item for serious truck users – to learn more, or to find a local dealer, visit Storm Xccessories at www.4x4ni.com.

4x4 30/06/2020 15:50

PRODUCTS

RUGGED RIDGE’S ARMOR FENDERS MAKE FOR A MEANER LOOKING JK

RUGGED RIDGE’S Armor Fenders for the 2007-2016 Jeep Wrangler are made from steel plate and finished in black powder-coat to give them as much protection as possible from the sort of stuff they’ll come up against (literally) off-road. Available for three-door JK and five-door JKU models alike, these heavy-duty wings are designed to sit high on

the Wrangler’s body, allowing the maximum possible clearance for outsize tyres.

Whereas your typical wheelarch extension will be a rounded sort of affair, these have angular bevelled edges – giving your Jeep a look that sits somewhere between a Group B Opel Manta or 6R4 and something out of a video game set

New manual tyre changer from Machine Mart

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hanging tyres has the potential to be very hard work, or the sort of job that sees you scuttling off to your local ATS. With Clarke’s CMTC1 Manual Tyre Changer, you might be able to spare yourself the latter without too much of the former.

Built from heavy-duty steel and finished in a tough powder-coat, the CMTC1 features a bead breaker and demount/mounting tools. It can be used on wheels up to 19” in size, and if you’re planning to go off-road on anything bigger than that you’re obviously rich enough not to be troubled by the price of a visit to your local tyre shed.

Talking of prices, the CMTC1 is available for £214.80 including the VAT. You’ll still have balancing to worry about, but if your vehicle is a dedicated off-roader that’s unlikely to concern you. As normal with Clarke gear, www.machinemart.co.uk is the place to go.

4x4 AWAITING PRODUCTS PICS Scene Aug.indd 23

in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

Up front, the wings are notched to leave room for the Wrangler’s bonnet latches and perforated behind the wheelarch to provide a vent for heat to escape from the engine bay. At the back, a twopiece design features a separate guard for the Wrangler’s tail lights Naturally, the wings can be used alongside Rugged Ridge’s own XHD bumpers and snorkels, as well as the company’s All-Terrain Wheel Liner Kit. In this last instance, Jeep’s own liners can also be used with slight modifications.

The Armor Fenders come with a five-year warranty and are priced in the USA at around $900 per kit. What that translates into over here is for a Rugged Ridge distributor to tell you – to find one in the UK, pay a visit to www.ruggedridge.com.

Lucas Classic invests in expanding range of parts for surprisingly modern Land Rovers

LUCAS CLASSIC recently announced a multi-million pound expansion programme for its inventory of parts for older Land Rovers. This might sound like the sort of thing that’s only of interest to full-on classic boffins – but Landies being what they are, it could be just the thing you’ve been looking for it you run an early 90 or 110 as your off-road toy.

The two parts here, both of which are available through Britpart, are good examples.

One is a water temperature sensor for the 200Tdi engine, the other an ignition switch for the Series IIA, Series III and early 90 and 110.

There’s a lot more besides, with an ever-wider range coming on stream as Lucas Classic expands. These are very specific keep-it-running parts rather than the sort of accessories you tend to see on these pages, but the first rule of off-roading is that it’s no fun if your truck isn’t running so this is good stuff in every sense.

To find out more about the range, head for lucasclassic. com/landrover; to search our your local Britpart dealer, it’s www.britpart.com.

AUGUST 2020 | 23

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PRODUCTS

MILNER OFF ROAD

Ring aids ailing batteries with new range of chargers

Est. 1981

FILTERS • DISCS • PADS • BELTS • CLUTCHES • TYRES • SNORKELS

www.milneroffroad.com TEL: 01629 734411

Mon-Fri: 8am - 5:30pm Sat: 8am - 12:30pm

Old Road | Darley Dale | Matlock | Derbyshire | DE4 2ER | LEADING THE WAY SINCE 1981 | GENUINE & NON GENUINE PARTS | SAME DAY DESPATCH |

Jeep Wrangler Accessories and Custom Conversions: 01482 666491 www.StormJeeps.com

24 | AUGUST 2020

AWAITING PRODUCTS PICS Scene Aug.indd 24

AS THE WORLD EMERGES from lockdown and people start getting back on the road again, you can pretty much guarantee that one of the big winners will be car battery suppliers. Even before your pride and joy had to be parked up for three months without so much as a thought, however, battery failure was already the number one reason for roadside assistance callouts – so if you don’t already have a proper charger in your life, now might not be a bad time to remedy that.

This is particularly the case as, according to research by leading vehicle care specialist Ring, batteries only tend to last between two and three years – not the four they’re meant to.

Ring has a range of three chargers, the top two of which have the sort of capacity you’re apt to be looking for in a typical 4x4. These are the RSC806 and RSC808 Smart Battery Chargers and Maintainers – which the company promises will ‘keep drivers safer on the roads and able to easily restore power to their 4x4s.’

All Ring’s chargers use a seven-stage charging process, are start-stop compatible and come with a large LCD display screen, quick connectors, one-button operation and reverse polarity protection. They have a cold-weather charging mode as well as short-circuit protection, and automatically adjust to long-term maintenance mode when the battery is fully charged. Also, and this is no small matter, they adjust their output to suit the type of battery they’re being used upon.

Retailing at £39.99, the RSC806 has a charge rate of up to 6A, a maximum battery capacity of 110Ah and a 160Ah maintenance mode. This should make it suitable for most 4x4s, but if you want more power still an extra fiver gets you the RSC808.

This is compatible with 12V and 24V systems, offering charge rates of 8A for the former and 4A for the latter. Its maximum battery capacities are 150Ah for 12V and 70Ah for 24V, making it suitable for bigger 4x4s and all the way up to small trucks.

‘While vehicles have evolved and become more comfortable, constant consumption from the likes of heated seats, central locking and navigation systems has increased energy demands, placing additional strain on batteries,’ says Ring’s Henry Bisson. ‘Furthermore, we know that cold temperatures or extreme heat can cause electrolyte in batteries to evaporate, resulting in premature failure.

‘As a leading provider to the aftercare market, we put a great deal of time and effort into the development of new products that can offer additional benefits for our customers. Ultimately, we have developed a product that motorists and car enthusiasts can rely on when they need it the most.’

Convinced? Pay a visit to www.ringautomotive.com, or go looking for the chargers at your choice of automotive retailers.

4x4 30/06/2020 15:50

PRODUCTS

Ford Ranger Big Brake Kit Ad - Jan 2020 - UK.pdf

1

28/01/2020

17:31

BIG BRAKING PERFORMANCE!

New LED range from Osram includes specific applications tailored to off-road use

WITH PEDDERS TRAKRYDER EXTREME BRAKE KITS BRAKE KITS

ADJUSTABLE 4X4 SUSPENSION

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Stainless steel abutments.

For the discerning driver who is particular about how eXtreme Brake Kit. The braking results are staggering with the inclusion of a larger 6 pot caliper design, high tech TrakRyder eXtreme kevlar ceramic pads mated with a 10 slot dimpled and geomet coated larger diameter rotor.

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sram has launched a new range of LED driving and working lights for the 4x4 market. Sold under the LEDriving banner, these offer a variety of performance levels, shapes and beam patterns, as well as various illumination profiles including spot, wide and combo.

The range includes no less than four series from which to choose: Multifunctional, Functional, Slim and Value. The first of these is the one we’re looking at here, as it includes three working lights which Osram says have been specially designed for off-road applications.

The first of these is the LEDriving Cube. There are two versions of this, the MX85-SP (spot) and MX85-WD (wide-beam).

The former offers a hefty far-field illumination beam of up to 110 metres with a 13.5° beam angle,

while the latter throws a beam of up to 55 metres over a usefully broad field of 43.5°.

Next to take the stage is the descriptively named LEDriving Lightbar MX140-WD. Unlike the Cube, which is 12V only, this can be used with 12V and 24V inputs.

It offers wide beam patterns, producing up to 60 metres of powerful far-field illumination, and Osram says its robust and compact design will allow it a lifetime of up to 5000 hours.

All these products come with a five-year manufacturer’s guarantee – the result of a testing regime that has seen the lights prove their worth in terms of performance, water and dust ingress protection and resistance to shocks, vibration and chemical corrosion. To find out more, pay a visit to www.osram.co.uk/ ledriving-lights.

Bigger braking surface means bigger stopping power. With the fitment of the all new Pedders TrakRyder eXtreme brake kit, independent Australian Engineering tests reflected an average improvement in braking distance by up to 14%.

Features: • Stainless steel braided hoses.

• 10 slot and dimpled TrakRyder geomet coated rotors 14”/356mm diameter (OE 11.85”/301mm).

• TrakRyder eXtreme Kevlar Ceramic low dust brake pads.

• TrakRyder eXtreme 6 pot design caliper brackets and bolts.

• 6 Pot, 2 piece aluminium forged calipers.

• High grade alloy steel brake pad insulators.

• Stainless steel pistons.

Specialising in Suspension solutions since 1950 For further information go to www.pedders.co.uk or please contact your local Pedders experts.

01296 711 044 info@pedders.co.uk

* Independent Australian engineering test results proved that at 100kmh the TrakRyder eXtreme Brake Kit system upgrade stopped on average 11m sooner than original distances are reduced by 21%. This kit is suited for 18” wheels or larger. Further details available in store and on our website. Suits Ford Ranger PX & PXII Models.

RLG Tyres

Tyres cheap. Not cheap tyres!!

OFFICIAL STOCKIST

Main supplier of and all major 4x4 tyres

Groundcare • Car • ATV • Tubes • Mobile Tyre Fitting Puncture Equipment & Repairs • Four Wheel Alignment Durrants Farm, Rushlake Green, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 9QB

Workshop: 01435 830664 Mobile: 07710 372672 Email: chris@rlgtyres.co.uk

www.rlgtyres.co.uk

4x4 AWAITING PRODUCTS PICS Scene Aug.indd 25

AUGUST 2020 | 25

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DRIVEN

BEASTIE AND THE BEAUT…

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is our reigning Performance 4x4 of the Year.

How will this old-school petrolhead’s delight fare against the combination of stunning speed and zero emissions dished up by the Jaguar I-Pace?

ON TEST Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio v Jaguar I-Pace

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ars are first in the firing line when it comes to the environment. And of all the many various types of car there are, performance SUVs are probably the first of the first.

Going fast means using fuel.

Being big and heavy means using fuel. Being big, heavy and fast… listen to the car-haters and you’d believe that performance SUVs are single-handedly responsible for turning the polar ice caps into a leftover Mr Whippy.

We have two performance SUVs here. One of them is decidedly old-school in its approach, with a big, highly tuned petrol engine and in-your-face looks. The other is as discreet as they come, sleek to look at and powered by a quiet, emissions-free electric motor.

But both are fast. Eye-poppingly, knuckle-whiteningly, hold-on-tightmother-here-we-go fast.

The Jaguar I-Pace EV400 is a full electric vehicle. Its motors produce

26 | AUGUST 2020

10pp Road Tests June.indd 26

400bhp and 513lbf.ft, with every last drop of that torque on stream from the word go. No need to wait for revs to build or turbos to cut in.

That’s the nature of electric motors: engage, boom. You might have experienced it in a more modest EV like a Renault Zoe or Nissan Leaf.

Their overall performance is nothing remarkable, but when you first floor the pedal they leap from the line.

In a performance EV like the I-Pace, meanwhile, you can be doing, say, 30 or 40mph and just bang down the pedal for a laugh.

There’s no engine noise, just a loud thump from beneath you… and the next thing you hear is yourself screaming (with laughter, ideally).

It’s like being inside a tennis ball that’s just pinged off a keenly taut set of strings: the instancy, and intensity of the acceleration is unlike anything you’ve previously experienced on four wheels.

Then there’s the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Here, a 2.9-litre

turbocharged V6 gives you 510bhp and 443lbf.ft, the latter at 2500rpm.

The power and torque figures are kind of reversed, but that’s just the start. The driving experience is so utterly different to that of the I-Pace, it’s overwhelming.

It’s also brilliant. The Stelvio is our reigning Performance 4x4 of the Year – a title it won in the face of extremely stiff competition from the fast-car royalty.

The Stelvio is never less than quick. Tooling around town or cruising on the motorway, even when you’re not using its mighty performance, there’s a wonderful brooding presence in the background. But there’s a presence in the cabin, too – that of a drive mode dial which, at the end of its travel, contains the word ‘race’.

No-one will ever use a Stelvio for racing. Hardly any will even see a trackday. But, I’d wager, every single Quadrifoglio will spend most of its time in Race mode. Turn the dial

and it grows horns. The chassis tautens up like the haunches of a cheetah stalking prey. The revs squirt urgently upwards as the gearbox leaps to attention.

And the exhaust note, oh my word. Where there was a muted snarl, suddenly all hell is let loose.

It bellows, it rasps, it pops and crackles… finally, one similarity to the I-Pace is that you’ll be screaming with laughter. The grin factor is off the scale.

The numbers say 0-62 in 4.8 seconds for the Jag and 3.8 for the Alfa. Up top, though, the gap is vast: 124mph against 176mph. But then, 24.6mpg (WLTP) and 222g/km are no match for plug-in pennies and zero tailpipe emissions.

So is this a battle between good and evil? Or just two different ways to skin the same cat?

It’s both. And neither.

All you have to do is climb aboard and the differences between the vehicles are apparent. The Jaguar is

4x4 27/06/2020 13:39

plush, slinky and understated, with lots of horizontal facia lines picked out in a combination of silver and black. Buttons are at a minimum; the multimedia screen takes the strain instead, and it too is a thing of great elegance.

The seats are beautifully comfortable, trimmed in Jaguar’s Luxtec faux-leather – which in our book beats the real thing all day long. The rears aren’t especially roomy, though, but they fold down to give you a good, long luggage area. The body shape, and indeed the tailgate itself, are more hatchback than station wagon, so in truth it feels more like a big car than an SUV, but you do get an excellent driving position.

The Alfa, too, it luxurious in its own way – certainly, there’s plenty of equipment, and overall its cabin is rommier than the Jag’s. But there’s a studied rawness to it: huge paddles for the gearbox, a red stopstart button on the steering wheel

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and swathes of carbon fibre trim around the dash, doors and floor console. It doesn’t feel any less special than the I-Pace, but it does feel less unique.

Again, not forgetting that this is an SUV and they’re meant to be practical things, the boot is big and long. The Stelvio’s more traditional shape means an upright rear aperture, so ultimately it’s a more practical vehicle. Ours also had an unexpected bonus for rear-seat passengers: it was equipped with optional carbon-fibre Recaro front seats, whose extremely slender shape frees up a surprising amount of extra legroom behind them.

To be fair, both vehicles are lovely to sit in. Very different, but both utterly pleasing. On the move, of course the I-Pace is the more refined of the two, with its near-silent running and smoother ride. The Stelvio is built for thrills, especially in Quadrifoglio form, and it noses back in front when it comes

to handling. Not that the Jag is any slouch here – it’s taut, direct and very natural – but it’s up against one of, if not the most agile, athletic and supple performance SUVs ever made. The Alfa is electrifying in corners, with a wonderful alertness in its steering and superbly controlled body movements, allowing, nay imploring you to make the most of its enormous potential for speed.

It’s the one you’d choose for the driving experience, no doubt. And all things being equal, the I-Pace would be your pick for a motorway journey.

But all things are not equal. A long motorway journey will mean at least one battery charge – and based on the experience we had with the I-Pace, this will make it a very long journey indeed.

With every other plug-in vehicle we’ve tested, we’ve been able to run an extension lead from an everyday plug in the garage or kitchen and bingo, it’s charging. Not with the

I-Pace. First, it didn’t work. Then it didn’t work and it tripped out the entire house. Then we took it to a commercial changing point, where the meter said it was going to take a day and a half to brim the battery (which was still at around 35% at this point). Then we searched out a fast-charging station, where the meter said more or less the same.

Finally, by using a plug in the office park where we’re based and leaving it for hours on end, we managed to get about 10-15% into it so that the man from Jaguar would have enough to make it home.

Obviously, anyone buying an I-Pace will also invest in the most powerful domestic charger known to man. But for long journeys, where you’re at the mercy of the commercial infrastructure, our experience of trying to charge it would see us taking the Alfa instead. It may say something that when Jaguar delivered our I-Pace, it arrived on the back of a transporter.

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DRIVEN

What we take from this is that while the I-Pace is an exceptional example of what electric cars can become, the infrastructure is not ready for it. But on top of that, while its ability to make you hoot with laughter is very evident, it’s also not very usable. Very fast EVs are no more refined than less able ones – and since they all accelerate from rest like a rocket from a bottle, we’re not convinced that it actually needs as much power. Certainly, if that’s what it would take to give the I-Pace a bigger range and quicker charging, it would make it a better SUV. As a performance car, then, and as an SUV, if this is a contest between beauty and the beast we’re finding ourselves showing a lot of sympathy for the devil. This was the view of everyone who either drove or rode in the I-Pace and Stelvio, too: the Jag is a vehicle you appreciate, even enjoy, but the Alfa makes you happy to be alive.

Which may not be great for the planet. After all, the I-Pace is meant to be a reason why cars like the Stelvio don’t need to exist anymore.

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At this point, we have to talk less about the differences between two cars and more about the philosophy, and hopefully the realities, of what brought us here. We know the climate is changing. We know the results are already happening. We know many species are in danger.

We know, even if we don’t admit it (I’m looking at you, Mr President) that we need to change our ways.

And we also know that microconsumerism (recycling your cans and jars, stuff like that), while it all helps, isn’t going to be enough. Big changes are necessary.

So to address a bigger subject, of which the I-Pace is, in this case, a representation, are electric cars The Answer? Are they the answer to basic mobility needs? Are they the answer for people to whom a car is a source of entertainment?

It’s a huge topic. Huge, sprawling, enormously contentious and hardly capable of being distilled down into a book, let alone four pages. But some things are clear.

One of them, and this too is contentious, is that the public is

enormously confused about more or less everything to do with climate change. Confused, or should that be misled? If I say that governments are more interested in staying in power than they are in saving the planet, do you find yourself nodding in agreement or dismissing me as a nasty cynic? If I say industry is more interested in continuing to make profits than it is in addressing the causes of climate change, once again do you disagree or do you think yes, that’s about right?

Thing is, cars have been first in the firing line ever since the environment started to become part of the mainstream news agenda.

They’re an easy target – you see them every day, stinky stuff comes out of the back of them and, crucially, when you see someone with a bigger or shinier one than you, you get jealous. Bish bosh, that bloke in the Ferrari doesn’t care about the planet. People who aren’t interested in cars blame all cars.

People who can only afford a little car blame people who can afford a big one. Absolutely everyone

blames SUV drivers. SUV drivers blame absolutely everyone else.

And so on.

The family living in a yurt on the Mongolian steppe who never see a car from one year to the next, or the tribal islanders in the Indian Ocean who refuse all contact with the outside world, who will they blame if climate change wrecks their way of life? All the rest of us, that’s who. And they won’t have any preconceived notions about where all that CO2 came from – they’ll just know it came from us. If the very many animal species that are endangered courtesy of humankind could process thoughts that way, it’s what they’d be doing too.

But it’s about more than just finding an easy target to blame.

Cars are a very handy culprit for another reason, too. Which is that the way to make things better is to build more cars. Just, a bit less polluting this time.

The industry loves that, because it gets big grants and sells more product under the guise of cleaning up its act (‘fleet renewal’, they call it, or ‘scrapping perfectly good cars that still have plenty of life in them’ to use another phrase), and government loves it because it oils the wheels of the economy and keeps people in jobs. And happy people are more likely to vote for the status quo.

What we hear less of are the giant amounts of CO2 coming from other sources that aren’t so sexy to fix. Air travel is among the more commonly quoted, but even then hardly anyone will condemn you for jetting off to Paris for a couple of nights compared to the amount of clucking and tutting you’ll face for showing up at the school gate aboard an SUV. And here’s a surprise. The BBC recently reported that 8% of the CO2 created by the human race comes from… concrete. Around the world, we’re building stuff at a fearsome rate, and are we using

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natural materials like timber? No, because we already cut down all the forests to make way for gigantic cattle ranches to feed our insatiable appetite for meat. A little bit of a generalisation there, of course, but if you still think the amount of trees Britain chopped down to build ships so we could fight the Spanish Armada even scratches the surface, take a look.

And every time you put a piece of meat in your mouth, you’re giving the environment a big old kick in the crotch. No, this isn’t about to become a sermon on vegetarianism – I’ve literally paused in the middle of writing this to put a piece of sausage in my mouth, so call me a green gremlin but don’t call me a hypocrite. But one of the things we in the west are most likely to find uncomfortable is the effect on the planet of the farming industry.

The animals that take one for the team so you can enjoy your bacon sandwich might be raised in Britain. But the feed that goes in to fattening them up, where’s that from? Most likely a vast plantation thousands of miles away. And the amount of CO2 that goes into carting it around the world so we can feast on an endless diet of flesh is beyond belief.

Almost all meat-eaters, and I include myself in this, are very good at ignoring the fact that the food on our plates comes from animals being killed. We take comfort in the reassurances we’re given about humane practices down on t’farm, and we don’t question whether those reassurances are full of hot air because when all’s said and done, ignorance is bliss.

And it’s the same with the environmental cost of what we eat.

The label on that pack of nice fresh chicken breasts might have a union

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jack on it. But each of those breasts represents around 3lb of feed, and in the time it’s taken you to read this one paragraph approximately 3500 chickens have been slaughtered in the USA alone.

That’s about 70,000 tonnes of feed every day (or 26 million a year). Just to keep America in chicken. And this is industry, so it does what’s cheapest, not what’s cleanest. Which means cheap chicken feed shipped in from Africa on board freighters chucking out millions of tonnes of diesel fumes.

And that’s before we get on to the whole thorny subject of cow farts. An old favourite, but the point is simple – our appetite for meat is responsible for way more damage to the environment than our appetite for cars.

Here’s another one. A few months, a respected research organisation (a proper one, not the kind you see in memes) reported that one single cruise line is responsible for ten times as much sulphur oxide pollution as all Europe’s cars put together.

That’s SOX, not CO2, but you get the point. Unless you live in Venice or Barcelona or another of the few coastal cities regularly visited by these vast floating palaces, a cruise ship is something you almost never set eyes upon. So you might as well be that guy in his Mongolian yurt. You can probably look out the window right now and see at least one car, however. And human nature is to blame the first thing we see.

That’s the complicated and uncomfortable background to this face-off between good and evil.

Next to the I-Pace, the Stelvio is a CO2 monster. But a veggie in a Quadrifoglio will live a much, much

cleaner life than a meat-eater aboard any electric car.

So the answer, if it exists, lies elsewhere. Or at least, if either of these cars can be called the answer, it’s only part of it.

But like the meaning of life, first you have to know the question, or else the answer will just come back as 42. If the question is ‘how are we going to save the planet,’ Jaguar will put its hand up and say here you go, have an I-Pace.

It’ll also hand you a bill for at least £64,495. Our test car was a range-topping HSE model which, complete with options, would cost you £84,620.

But don’t let’s be naysayers: driving an electric car does mean cutting your personal carbon footprint. It’s just that switching to a more plant-based diet and treating air travel as a last resort will cut it a great deal more. Every little helps, though – and to that end, choosing the I-Pace ahead of the Stelvio will make you a greener consumer.

By how much? That’s another question, and one whose answer is hugely complex and full of so many variables it’s impossible to answer without a list of ifs and buts so long you’ll give up reading it.

So let’s ask another question instead. You buy a performance car with your heart, whether it’s for the driving thrills, the prestige or the pose value. Here again, the answer is full of variables, at least in terms of the latter two – but for driving pleasure, we were unanimous.

The Alfa is the car every single one of us would take home.

Not because it’s more practical as an SUV, or because we were confounded by trying to charge the Jag, or because the case for

electric motoring looks increasingly to us like a convenient distraction from what’s doing the real harm. It’s because the Alfa is FUN. Visceral, emotional, beguiling, immersive fun. It makes you smile, every time, every moment, in everything it does. It goads you, prompts you, encourages you, almost commands you to enjoy each mile.

Like the I-Pace, it costs. The base price for a Quadrifoglio is £70,900, though of course this is the rangetopper and a tamer Stelvio can be yours for £37,745. Complete with options, ours would cost £77,955.

In truth, it feels worth the money.

It’s very, very special to drive. An awful lot of premium SUVs now cost a similar amount without really delivering anything out of the ordinary, beyond just being very, very nice – but the Stelvio is not like that. It’s very, very nice, in the very, very naughty sense of the word, but it’s a car that makes it feel good to be alive.

Be in no doubt: the I-Pace is a lovely thing. And for sure, it’s a car of the future, just as the Stelvio, in this snortingly up-yours form, will one day become a thing of the past.

But our experience with the I-Pace wasn’t enough to convince us that the future is here yet – whereas the Stelvio proved categorically that the present is nowhere near ready to become the past.

Beauty and the beast? Both these beasts are beautiful. And we don’t think this is a battle between good and evil, really. But if it is, we know whose side we’re on.

‘Energy is Eternal Delight,’ to quote William Blake’s Voice of the Devil. And call us demonic, but we’d be happy to let the Stelvio’s energy delight us all the way home.

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The Number of the The Lamborghini LM002 was an absolute animal of a vehicle – but so few were ever made that most of us have never seen on. This ultra-rare example has just been brought back to life by Bell Sport and Classic – and it has a strong claim to being considered the best in the world Words: Sid Mould Pictures: Bell Sport and Classic

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t’s not every day that you see a restored Lamborghini LM002 coming up for sale. In fact, it’s not every day you see a Lamborghini LM002. In fact, have you ever seen a Lamborghini LM002?

The Rambo Lambo, as it was rather gruesomely nicknamed, was the result of Lamborghini’s hilariously botched effort to win a lucrative contract from the US Army. A prototype vehicle called the Cheetah failed completely to impress Uncle Sam, who instead ordered a little thing called the Humvee. And we know how that worked out.

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Rather that cutting its losses, Lamborghini (which pretty much specialised in losses back then) went on to develop its concept for a large off-road vehicle. Rather than building it for military use, the company decided to turn the Cheetah into a luxury wagon – and thus the LM002 was born.

One of the Cheetah’s big problems was that it was slow. It was powered by a 5.9-litre Chrysler V8 engine, but this only put out 180bhp – which, with a dry weight of more than two tonnes, wasn’t going to rip up any stumps. The engine was

rear-mounted, too, so it wasn’t going to win any agility contests either.

To remedy this, Lamborghini designed the LM002 with a front-mounted engine. And the engine itself was a version of the V12 petrol engine from the company’s iconic chest wig on wheels, the Countach. Displacing 5.2 litres, this put out 450bhp – hardly epic by today’s standards, but it gave the 2700kg monster a turn of pace to scare the wits out of anyone who tried to mess with it.

The first production vehicle was built in 1986, almost a decade on from the Cheetah’s debut at

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Beast

Above: That’s what 5.2 litres of V12 goodness look like when they’ve just been restored. The Lambo unit puts out 450bhp, which in a 2700kg vehicle with the aerodynamics of a barn creates enough momentum to stop continental drift in its tracks Right: The highest-profile tyres ever worn by a Lamborghini mean the LM002 is a desert-beater par excellence. If you need the winch, it’s because one of your servants got stuck the Geneva motor show, and despite tiny sales the L002 soldiered on until 1993. By the time Sant’Agata decided enough was enough, it had sold all of 301 units – less than one a week.

The vehicle you’re looking at, which dates from 1987, is number 40 of these. A left-hooker, it last changed hands in 2003 before being put into storage just over a decade ago.

More recently, it was handed over to Bell Sport and Classic in St Albans, Hertfordshire, where master technician Attilio Romano was given the task of bringing it back to life. Having

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served for many years as a senior main dealer technician working on Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bugattis, he has more than four decades’ experience in service and restoration, making him one of the few people you might trust with a vehicle of this nature.

When it was delivered to Bell Sport and Classic, the LM002 was what the company describes as a ‘failed restoration.’ It arrived in several boxes, and as failures go that sounds pretty definitive.

‘The engine block was still in place,’ says Attilio.

‘But most of the ancillaries had been stripped off.

All the separated components were supplied in boxes – it was a bit of a detective job.’

Thus the project started with the painstaking task of creating a parts inventory. Though that was the easy bit. Many of the components, fixings and even tools required for the rebuild were no longer available from Lamborghini – meaning they had to be either manufactured new in-house or outsourced to Bell Sport and Classic’s network of trusted suppliers.

In particular, restoring the LM002’s unusual suspension set-up required specialist tech-

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It’s been retrimmed, right? Wrong. The interior keeps its original grey leather trim, which has simply been really well cleaned up so that it maintains its patina and period character. The dashboard, centre console and steering wheel are dated in a wonderfully retro kind of a way, though you might feasibly want to install an internal telephone network so you can communicate with the passengers sitting over there in the distance niques. At the rear, this features not one but two springs and dampers per wheel, while the front is equipped with a spring-within-a-spring suspension unit in which the two springs are wound in opposite directions. With no service tool in exist-

ence to disassemble the front, Attilio created his own rig to compress and remove the two springs in one operation. Once apart, all components were thoroughly checked and sent away to be powder coated.

On examination of the V12 engine, the water pump had been leaking though the bearing seals.

Sounds bad? It was. To make matters worse, however, the housing had fractured – and needless to say, the part was no longer stocked.

The leather on that driver’s seat has been up close and personal with The Stig, who spent a day perched upon it during filming for an episode of Top Gear back in 2003

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This is where is pays not just to be an expert in your field, but to have a thorough list of other experts on call. In this case, Bell Sport and Classic turned to Chesman Engineering of Coventry, commissioning the company to make an entirely new pump to original specification.

Happily, aside from its water pump the engine was in good condition – which it ought to be, having only recorded 13,690 miles in its life. All ancillary components were checked and if necessary overhauled, while the car’s non-standard rear exhaust box was replaced with an original specification system. In doing so, Attilio remanufactured the mounting points in the correct position.

These days, there’s almost no such thing as a performance SUV with a manual gearbox. But this was the 1980s, and the LM002 was equipped with a five-speed manual unit.

It was the transfer case, however, that presented most of the problems in this area, as the teeth on the dog gear and centre diff had been damaged. The good news was that Lamborghini does list a replacement; not so exciting was the fact that it was going to cost £6000, and to put the tin lid on it there weren’t any available anyway.

This is where you need a proper engineer, not just a parts fitter. Attilio set to work using die grinders and files and slowly but surely reshaped the teeth until the transfer box was once again working to factory spec.

Also keeping it as the factory intended is the somewhat unusual colour scheme in which this LM002 was finished. The classic image is of a signal red vehicle, but Lamborghini’s Blu Acupulco

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Metallizato looks good too – as does the grey leather interior, which was carefully cleaned but retained as original with the patina that’s all part of the vehicle’s life story.

And there is a story to go with it, too.

Because the leather on that driver’s seat has been up close and personal with the seat of a famous pair of pants – that of The Stig, whose race suit spent a day perched upon it during filming for an episode of Top Gear back in 2003.

Talking of famous names, at least in Lambo circles, the LM002 you see here has been presented at a Lamborghini Owners’ Club event – where it was given the seal of approval by legendary Sant’Agata test driver Valentino Balboni. Look for him on YouTube and you’ll soon see why this is a good thing.

And this LM002 is definitely a good thing, too.

In fact, it’s a very good thing – quite possibly the best thing, actually, as far as LM002s go, having been brought back to better-than-new condition in the course of a marathon eleven months in the Bell Sport and Classic workshop. ‘Arguably the

best in the world,’ the company suggests, and you’d be a brave one to demur.

So how much is this bad boy going to stand you? Of course, if you can afford to even think about purchasing such a vehicle, it’s not actually all that relevant what the price is, but the answer is £285,000 – which would get you Lambo’s current Urus SUV with enough left over for a nice cottage somewhere.

We know which option we’d take. Sometimes, not even bricks and mortar can hold a candle to a proper investment.

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RETURN OF

KAP’s pioneering Suzuki Jimny trialler first appeared in our pages back in June before ending up back where it started in KAP’s workshop. That’s where Darren be a major rebuild, as the fabled Mighty Mouse got mightier than ever…

T

here’s no point in standing still,’ says Darren Wilson. ‘You’ve got something that works well, there’s no point in sticking with that – you’ve then got to come up with something that works a bit better.’

He said those words back in June 2003, when we did an article about a revolutionary Suzuki Jimny his company, KAP, had just completed. A Class 1 trialler, it was notable for a number of things – not least the fact that when Darren got stuck in to building it, it had a minuscule 86 miles on the clock.

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THE MOUSE 2003. It’s been on quite a journey since then, through several pairs of hands, Wilson and his team set out to give it ‘a quick fettle up’ – which turned out to

Words: Paul Looe Pictures: Harry Hamm

You might well shake your head in disbelief.

You might also get an overwhelming feeling of ‘if only,’ though – because anyone who knows their trucks will tell you that they key to a good build is to start with the best vehicle you can possibly afford. If that means starting with a brand new one, then that’s the best thing of all.

Darren had previously cut up another Jimny to use as a trialler – and this one was even newer, with just 36 miles on the clock. So he’s got previous. And he’s got proof that it’s worth the investment, too.

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‘If you start with something new,’ he explains, ‘it should be reliable. You’re not using second-hand parts. In 2000, we chopped up that Jimny with 36 miles on the clock. It never let me down until it was about two years old. Why build something out of an old motor? If you’re wanting reliability, you might as well use as new as possible, if you can.’

Everything’s relative, of course, and even the cheapest 4x4 on the market costs more to buy nearly new than most people would be happy to spend on a toy. But stop to think about the num-

ber of people you know who’ve bought an ageing truck for three or four grand and ended up spending about five times that much in a never-ending battle to make it right. Invest in a new one and put your efforts into looking after it, and you’ll have a vehicle that looks after you in return.

It’ll also be worth something if you decide to move on from it, which is more than can be said for the sort of tragic old Discovery you see coming up on a regular basis that owes its owner the national debt but has never given him anything more than grief in return. Darren, for example,

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Above: The original Jimny axles have been replaced by a pair of Toyota Hilux units. Even though Darren has added a bit of heavy steelwork to the Jimny, these things aren’t going to be scared of anything this light. As you can see here, these are laterally located by panhard rods; the one at the back in particular is as long as possible, keeping it in tune both with the height of the suspension and the incredible degree of articulation allowed by the innovative rear suspension Below left, centre: The combination of +4� springs and Pro-Comp ES9000 shocks means the limits of suspension travel are likely to be set elsewhere. In this case, those limits are such that you might find yourself wondering if the vehicle is ever going to stop flexing at all Below right: Changing to Hilux axles, which of course date from the days when Hiluxes had a full set of these things, meant inviting drum brakes into the room. A swift conversion job using Hilux front discs all round and they were gone again

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When they first built the Jimny, the KAP team created a rear suspension system using sliding spring seats. These drop out by up to 8” beyond the limits of the springs’ extension, and being mounted high up above the level of the chassis they also allow a huge amount of bump

‘You’ve got your spring at full stretch, and then your base plate that the spring’s bolted to drops another eight inches The system’s articulation, and how it worked, was absolutely fabulous’ sold his Class 1 Jimny many years ago to someone who knew what it was worth.

It’s been through a few pairs of hands since then, never getting many miles put on it but seeing plenty of off-road action. Darren never lost track of it, though – and finally, a couple of years or so back, it came home.

‘I chased it round the country trying to buy it back,’ he laughs. One attempt failed because the seller went on holiday at exactly the wrong moment, though at least that meant he didn’t need to take a lengthy trek to Scotland to trailer it back to Yorkshire. Then finally, its next owner was ready to sell and Darren was able to… take a lengthy trek to the South Coast to trailer it back to Yorkshire.

The things we do for love.

Now, let’s check back in on the opening paragraph of this here story. ‘You’ve got something

that works well, there’s no point in sticking with that – you’ve then got to come up with something that works a bit better.’ What follows is proof that Darren is a man of his word.

Back then, the Jimny was still running its original engine and axles. Nonetheless, we mentioned above that it was notable for a number of things – not just its tiny mileage.

These included a 6.75” bobtail job to get its departure angle as close as possible to 90°. Its front end was trimmed right back to the steering box, too, and finished off with a new crossmember, and its radius arms were mounted using Twister brackets Darren designed to free up the movement on their bushes – allowing greater flex and vastly increasing the bushes’ life expectancy.

But the big news was at the back. Here, Darren created a pioneering system of sliding

top mounts for the rear springs which gave the vehicle a stunning level of articulation.

Back then, dislocation cones were the talk of the town. But KAP has never been about following the herd, and Darren didn’t want to be accused of trying to pull a copycat move. What he came up with was a top mount that keeps the spring captive at both ends but starts to drop out once it has reached full extension.

‘When your spring goes to full articulation,’ he explains, ‘inside the spring mount there’s a platform on a sliding mechanism. That slides down a further eight inches. You’ve got your spring at full stretch, and then your base plate that the spring’s bolted to drops another eight inches.’

With the articulation this allows, attention turned to ensuring the axle would move in the most natural possible arc. To address this, the

There are various reasons for the Jimny’s immense suspension travel. A very good one is that both axles are located by a one-link system using a kind of reversed A-frame set-up with Johnny Joints located at either and of an 8mm central skid tray. These would happily spin round like the hands on a clock, given the chance. The housings for the joints are shaped so that they can be dragged over the ground without snagging, and without the joints themselves being damaged. Note also that the A-frame itself is cranked for this same reason

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The Suzuki Liana is unlikely ever to challenge the Jimny for its place in the hearts of Britain’s off-roaders, but it’s an ill wind that blows no good and the very good news is that one of them bit the dust so Darren could use its engine. This is mated via a paddle clutch to a 2016-spec Jimny gearbox, and behind this is a transfer case containing a 24% deeper low-range gearset from Trail-Gear

rear spring turrets were move forward by 2.5”. ‘We wanted to make it operate in as smooth a line as possible,’ Darren explained at the time. ’Then it stops fighting against itself. So we slightly altered the pitch of the mounts, so they work at the right angle as the axle drops and the spring extends.’

So, it was something special in a number of different ways. And it was still pretty special when Darren bought it back in late 2017. But now he was going to follow up on his promise and make it better still.

Since we’ve just been talking about the suspension, let’s start there. The sliding rear spring mounts are still there, but most other things look very different to how they did before.

The axles, for instance, are Toyota Hilux units.

Gone are the Jimny efforts, taking with them the radius arms that used to hold them in place.

Instead, the vehicle has a one-link system with A-frames which are fixed to the axles in two places and pivot around a single Johnny Joint at the chassis end.

Actually, it’s not the chassis – it’s a stupendously hefty, fully braced 8mm steel belly plate which, as well as protecting the transmission and allowing the truck to slide over rocks, provides a perfectly positioned mounting point for the suspension links. The mounts themselves are smoothly shaped so as not to snag on the terrain, and of course they envelop the joints themselves to protect them from damage.

With full-width panhard rods providing a second link to keep the axles centred, they swing through a seemingly never-ending arc on their +4” springs and, same as ever, ES9000 shocks.

Interestingly, Darren moved the rear springs back

to their original position when fitting all this new hardware, because he wanted to get a 100% departure angle – something which, as you can see from the pictures on these pages, he achieved.

The rear bumper has been shortened and the arch cut out to prevent rubbing, which is pretty essential when you see how far the wheels can deflect on full bump.

Those wheels are heftily shod with a set of 31x10.50R15 Circling Mudsters (a name which takes the number of Simex copies in the world that bit closer to a million) and turned by an allnew drivetrain.

Up front, the Jimny engine gave way to the 101bhp 1.6-litre petrol unit from a Liana. Suzuki used to say this model’s name stood for ‘life in a new age,’ but in this case ‘lives in a new automobile’ works better. And let’s face it, anyone in their

‘Why build something out of an old motor? If you’re wanting reliability, you might as well use as new as possible, if you can’

Above: The roll cage picks up on the chassis via a pair of box-section rock sliders that won’t move however hard you sit the car on them Left: The Circling Mudster is not a household name, but it looks like a Simex and you can get it in 31x10.50R15 and that’s all you need to know

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These pictures, taken by Darren himself at a trials event, illustrate the epic degree of travel at the Jimny’s rear end. You can also see the 100% departure angle created by bobtailing the body right mind can see that this particular engine has traded up in a big way.

Behind it are a paddle clutch and a standard Jimny gearbox, and beyond these is a transfer case running a 24% low-range reduction from Trail-Gear. This turns a pair of hybrid propshafts with Suzuki input flanges and Toyota outputs.

All of this is good stuff, but Darren made another change and it’s the one every single person notices first. Whereas the first incarnation of Mighty Mouse saw it painted silver with a red roll cage, with the work finally done it entered the KAP spray booth and re-emerged in an eyeball-scorch-

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ing shade of Kawasaki green. That cage was refinished in black at the same time, and the Jimny was ready to go trialling… …where Darren quickly proved that KAP’s cages work. Hey, it’s a comp car and it did what it was meant to do (if you can’t stay upright, at least stay up), and besides he now had the perfect excuse to upgrade the tube work to CDS. He had already renewed the front wings and bonnet, making the Jimny look fresh again in the process. ‘It needed our touch’ as he puts it.

And what a touch it is. KAP has always been noted for the quality of finish on the vehicles it

turns out, and given that Darren started out in professional life as a bodywork specialist that’s as it should be. The business has come on a long way since this Jimny was first built, and seeing it return to Keighley was a moment of symmetry that brought memories of 2003 flooding back – as well as giving it the opportunity to show that it has never lost sight of Darren’s mantra from way back then.

‘You’ve got something that works well?’ Check. ’There’s no point in sticking with that – you’ve then got to come up with something that works a bit better.’ As we said, he’s a man of his word.

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AFTER THE

T

he Toyota Hilux has had a chequered history in the UK when it comes to being modiďŹ ed. Back in the nineties, you used to see massively lifted, even more massively beaten-up examples tottering around at playdays providing object lessons in how to make a truck unstable. Add in a V8 and tyres so big they were visible from space, and you had a recipe for spectacular, if frequently chaotic, off-road fun.

These days, it’s very different. The typical Hilux project now would be likely to involve a new or nearly new high-spec example being built up

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WATERSHED

There was a time when modifying Toyota Hiluxes mainly meant using massive lifts, huge tyres and V8 engines to turn early ones into quarry-bashers.

Somewhere along the way, that has changed completely, and the Hilux – along with other modern double-cabs has become a go-to vehicle for people wanting to create a big-budget off-roader from new.

Dating from around 2007, Alex Bozward’s pioneering Hilux build can be seen as a bit of a watershed – and it all started with a very major watershed of its own…

Words: Alan Kidd Pictures: Steve Taylor

using expensively imported accessories from the world’s top suppliers.

It’s more than just a simple case of then and now, of course. All the same, there was a point when Hilux modding stopped being about brute-building and turned into a mainstream part of the off-road game. You could argue all day long about when that was – but we’d suggest that the unique example featured here can be taken as a bit of a watershed.

A 2.4-litre double-cab dating from 2000, the Hilux was built around a dozen years ago by Alex

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Bozward. Unlike today’s loadsamoney Hilux builders, however, he came to the project by a series of unexpected events.

‘I bought a Hilux as I needed a good pick-up for moving materials around when there was work being done at my house,’ he told us. It had space for four people plus the dog, and sufficient area in the pick-up tub for materials. And of course, I’d seen the various stories on Top Gear about how indestructible Hiluxes are!’

The first event that could be called unexpected, if you want to be cynical about it, was that the

builders completed the work on Alex’s house.

So he didn’t need a pick-up any more – but no way was it going to be slipping out of his grasp: ‘I didn’t want to get rid of the truck, because I enjoyed driving it so much. As a standard vehicle, I had driven it over to France on holiday and up to Wales numerous times.’

And that was when things started getting interesting. ‘We then experienced some major floods where I live, so I thought I’d get a snorkel fitted.’

You know what’s coming, don’t you? ‘Once the snorkel’s fitted, obviously you want to try it out.

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So I bought some Grizzly-Claw tyres and went to a playday at Farley Quarry. I had an excellent time – and it all led on from there.’

Initial reservations about the truck’s Stage 1 set-up included the knocks and scrapes it was taking around its sills and front bumper. Alex noticed that the Grizzlies were rubbing on its wheelarches, too. Hence the need for a 2” suspension lift, front winch bumper and underbody armour, which took the project to Stage 2.

And so it was back to Farley for more fun… and, it turned out, more water. Water over the bonnet, in through the windows, most of the way up the windscreen… the snorkel did its job and the engine survived, but there were only a couple of inches in it. ‘I suppose I shouldn’t have driven into the lake without checking the depth!’ is Alex’s not unreasonable verdict on an incident which, if nothing else, at least proved that one of Top Gear’s more famous tests of the Hilux’s indestructibility wasn’t faked.

The vehicle remained in Stage 2 form for about a year, and then things started getting serious. On went a bigger lift, exo cage, trayback, rear winch and much more, including 35” tyres. Introducing the Stage 3 Hilux – which is what you’re looking at here. So let’s take a more detailed look at a truck which may have an element of the chequebook off-roader to it – but which is still much, much more than a mere catalogue-shop 4x4.

The most obvious example of this is the trayback body, which was made professionally using CDS tube and aluminium plate. Removing the original rear tub and pick-up body meant the vehicle’s biggest flaw as an off-roader – its enormous rear overhang – was removed at a stroke.

Importantly, this was also done without making any modifications to the vehicle’s chassis. Doing this would risk a tug from the DVLA and an inevitable date with the dreaded SVA test, with the tempting prospect of cutting up a perfectly good vehicle thrown in for good measure.

Further body mods included trimming to the wheelarches and footwells to make way for the much bigger tyres the Hilux was now running, and augmenting the former with plastic spats.

Alex had chosen wisely in the first place and got himself a good ‘un, so there was only a small area of rust needing treating where an old aftermarket hard top had rubbed the rear of the cab.

In its new life as an off-roader, of course, the Hilux could be expected to sustain far worse damage than that. But as well as the peace of mind that comes from having a departure angle under which you could hangar a small zeppelin, custom rock sliders and a TJM T15 winch bumper meant it was more than adequately protected for when the inevitable happened. This heavy metal was backed up by a vast underbody skid plate running all the way back from the front of the

truck and protecting the front diff, transfer case and gearbox.

After this, Alex gave the body yet more protection by the simple means of shifting it further away from the ground. Using aluminium spacers at the mounts, he lifted it by 3”, making room for those 35” tyres without asking too much of the vehicle’s suspension – the limiting factor being that this was independent at the front.

Not that the suspension had been left untouched during the Hilux’s various spells in the workshop. One of the earlier mods, in fact, was the addition of a TJM XGS kit, consisting of longer springs and shocks, which lifted the vehicle by 2” and provided a useful dollop of additional articulation.

We mentioned earlier on that there was a bit of a V8 cult among early Hilux modifiers. But in a commendable example of not fixing what ain’t

Right: Lifting independent suspension is never the easiest job. But TJM’s +2” spring and shock kit, in conjunction with 3” of body lift and some judicious wheelarch trimming, creates the necessary space for those 35” tyres Below: The rear suspension used XGS leaf springs and shocks from TJM, along with replacement shackles, again giving a lift of 2”

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Top left: The Hilux’s original 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine was retained, with just a couple of light improvements to warm it up. The impressive looking hose work you see here was required by the addition of a full-width intercooler and the need to accommodate a 3” lift Top right: The full-width intercooler took the place of the radiator at the front of the engine bay. With the fuel pump turned up as well, an engine not normally noted for its sparkling performance was given more than enough both on and off-road Above left, centre: The radiator was moved to behind the cab and mounted on the rear hoop of the roll cage. Ram air was supplied via a custom scoop on the back of the cab roof, with a large-diameter fan taking over at low speeds Above rght: TJM’s Airtec snorkel is where it all began. Alex got it fitted after his local area was hit by flooding, and once it was there he was tempted to see what it could do. The rest of the build is what it, and more temptation, could do…

broke, Alex kept his 2.4 TD the way Toyota intended. Well, almost.

The engine itself remained original to the vehicle, but the intercooler didn’t. The former gave way to a full-width job which, combined with a twist of the fun lever on the fuel pump, got it performing ‘very well on and off-road.’

Plumbed in using longer hoses to compensate for the body lift, the intercooler was located where the radiator used to be. The radiator, meanwhile, was moved to a frame aft of the cab; a large-diameter fan was installed to suck air through at low speeds, while for faster work it took in ram air through a custom scoop on top of the roof.

Alex told us that the cooling system normally worked well, but that on long and difficult climbs with the engine already hot it would blow a bit through the header tank. ‘Inevitably some coolant is lost. Because the radiator is the highest point in the system, it’s the component with the least amount of water in. After a full day’s green laning in Wales, about eight hours, she took on just under half a litre.’

Aside from these alterations, and of course the snorkel and re-routed exhaust, Alex left the engine well alone. The same went for the gearbox and transfer case, too, which remained completely original – as did the propshafts. Don’t forget, only

two of the vehicle’s five inches of overall lift came from its suspension, so the props weren’t actually working at that much more of an extreme angle.

Beyond here, the axles too remained completely original inside and out – a decision made easier by the presence of a standard rear diff-lock. Of course, the front axle isn’t really an axle at all, but it does still contain a diff of its own – as Alex had come to know only too well by the time we spoke to him.

‘I haven’t made any mods,’ he told us. ‘But I have had to fit a couple of new front diffs. The original failed after suffering water contamination from being parked in a lake, then the second one

‘I bought a Hilux as I needed a good pick-up for moving building materials around. And of course, I’d seen the various stories on Top Gear about how indestructible Hiluxes are!’

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Above, right: The roll cage was designed with front and rear hoops, the latter mounted to the chassis rails, and a pair of rear stays. The rear hoop and roof section were triangulated using full crosses. Note also how the door-top sections are doubled up, as the cage’s exoskeletal design meant one of its main functions was to protect the body from trees Far right: The junction between the cage and tray frame was filleted, providing yet more strength Below: The front hoop ran through the wing tops to mount to the bulkhead at the front, just below the A-posts. There’s nowhere else on the body that’ll come as close to matching the rigidity of a full chassis mount Right: Rear stays are mounted using bolted-through spreader plates. They pick up towards the back of the chassis legs, rather than the rear crossmember – which is crowded enough with the winch in place

blew up due to a stupid attempt at recovering someone at a pay and play site!’

The third came from an eBay punt. ‘I had no history with it,’ said Alex. ‘It could have had any mileage and all sorts of abuse before being fitted to my truck.’ You get what you pay for, and so by the time we caught up with Alex it was on its fourth front diff. ‘I know the mileage of this one and it was inspected by Toyota before fitment,’ he told us. ‘If this one goes, it’s going to be time for a serious think about getting a heavier-duty diff!’

So we’re looking at standard transmission, standard props and standard axles, the latter with standard brakes. The steering did gain an TJM damper, but the onus fell upon the tyres to remind people that this is in fact a modified vehicle.

To be fair, the tyres are pretty much the first thing you’d notice when you look at it. And you won’t have needed much reminding after that.

We mentioned above that Alex originally ran the Hilux on Grizzly-Claws, a remould tyre that was

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popular back then for being cheap and looking super-aggressive, but he got rid because their handling and refinement on the road was ‘terrible.’

To replace them with something at the other end of the scale, he got in touch with Silverline and, after three visits to discuss the right fitment for his truck, came away with a set of 35x12.50R15 Mickey Thompson Baja Claws.

These went on to a set of 15x10” steel modulars with a minus 32mm offset – meaning no need for spacers. ‘I was really surprised at how well the Mickey Thompsons handle on the road,’ Alex confessed. ‘I’m very impressed with them.

I’d been considering getting a more aggressive pattern for off-road use, but so far I haven’t felt a need as the tyres are performing really well.’

Something else that always tends to perform well is a Toyota’s standard electrical system – and Alex’s was no different, which is saying something when you remember that it was no stranger to very deep water. It’s probably fair to say that

but for the interior light, the entire system was totally submerged that day at Farley Quarry – and yet it came out still as reliable as ever.

No wonder, then, that Alex didn’t make any upgrades here. Better still, the Hilux was fitted as standard with twin batteries (starting on 24v and running on 12v) – so it was already well set up for powering the Superwinch EP9 on the front bumper and the Goodwinch TDS9000 located in a custom tray on the rear of the chassis legs.

Further electrical effort went in to illuminating a set of four spotlights and two work lights, all of which were mounted on the roll cage. This in turn was put in place to do several jobs at once.

The first of these was of course to provide a home to some cool looking lights, but a useful by-product of having a roll cage is that if things go wheels-up, you don’t die as much. Some pick-ups can be seen sporting ‘roll bars’ whose design appears to have overlooked this little matter, but Alex’s was the real deal and no mistake.

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Made entirely from CDS carbon steel tube, the cage was mounted to the front bulkhead below the A-pillars up front. The rear hoop and back braces, meanwhile, ran down to the chassis legs.

Not content with that, you can also see a full cross above the cabin and another triangulating the rear hoop.

Being external for much of its length, the cage also helped protect the vehicle’s body. Alex told

us he was considering tree sliders to help with the long stretch of unprotected door skin it left along the side of the vehicle – but further back, of course, the trayback rear body was as good as indestructible. Framed in the same CDS as the cage itself, it was tied in to the overall structure to provide massive rigidity and overall strength.

Sticking with the rear tray, this is where all the vehicle’s recovery kit and general off-roading para-

phernalia were stowed. This included a ground anchor and high-lift jack, as well as a removable stowage box containing ropes and strops, tools, jack base, gloves, winch sail and so on.

There’s also the small matter of not one but two spare wheels. The Baja Claw is directional, you see, so that’s one for each side – which is exactly where they were mounted. ‘The position of the two spares hasn’t caused a problem yet,’ Alex

Left: The rear tray looks tailor-made for carrying off-road equipment. A ground anchor slots in behind the cab here, and a removable kit box drops into place between the rear stays Below: Not one but two spare wheels were mounted to the rear stays, at the edge of the tray. The Baja Claw is a directional design, so Alex wanted one of each. They’re vulnerable as seen here, however, as well as looking kind of odd – when we took these pictures, Alex was thinking in terms of an angled mount, though a Dakar-style dual mount between the rear stays of the roll cage would do a better job of keeping them out of harm’s way

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A heavy-duty bash plate ran below the front diff, gearbox and transfer case, providing protection and allowing the vehicle to slide over terrain that might otherwise hang it up

told us. ‘But they do worry me. Because they’re mounted vertically, they stick out past the line of the vehicle. If the truck is slid past a tree, there’s potential for the tyre to become the snagging point. So for the next round of modifications, I’m considering getting them angled inwards.’

It’s been a while since we spoke with Alex, but that next round of modifications was also slated to include upgraded brakes, re-geared diffs and stronger halfshafts and CV joints to cope with the bigger tyres. While he was in there, a set of ARB Air-Lockers was on the cards too.

What about that independent front end? ‘If I was going to do it again,’ Alex confessed, ‘I would have spent less money on the initial vehicle and purchased an earlier example with a solid front axle. I just think that I would have had more articulation off-road – although the independent front suspension on my one hasn’t let me down yet.’

This is why, despite everything, he wasn’t going to

4x4 8pp Bozward.indd 49

go down the route of binning the wishbones for an 80-Series unit or something similar (another move that might have poked the DVLA with a pointy stick, and well avoided for this reason too).

In any case, when you look at what the Hilux was capable of, it’s hard to make a case for it to have needed such a dramatic and potentially troublesome piece of re-engineering. The modifications Alex made did exactly what they were meant to do and worked pretty much perfectly together, turning a work truck into a superb one-off that excelled both on and off-road.

Putting a live front axle under the front end might have risked moving it in the general direction of those old-school Hilux builds, too. But as it is, this was a new kind of pick-ups which showed the way forward for the off-road game – and as today’s generation of modified double-cabs bears out, in doing do it really was a visionary example of what a truck can be made to do.

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Max Power

Few 4x4s’ engines are more commonly tuned-up than the Land Rover Td5.

But what happens when you’ve taken it as it will go – and you’re still hungry for more? That’s when it’s time to look at the repower options – and when it comes to turning your Defender into a street sleeper, a 5.9-litre straight-six Cummins engine definitely fits the bill Words and pictures: Mike Trott

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E

ngine tuning is commonplace in the world of enthusiast motoring, but it’s even more natural to find it in the Land Rover fraternity when more power is often high up on the wish list of many owners.

Yes, we may be the butt of social media memes with clips of Green Oval machines being overtaken by snails and other notoriously sluggish sentient beings, however, we are no strangers to making the odd speed tweak.

The Defender is always a case in point. As fantastically brilliant off-road as they may be, when it comes to making progress on the open road, you’ll find that even the clouds above you appear to be moving at a quicker rate of knots. That is unless you encounter a Td5-propelled Land Rover and the type of motor that need only a sprinkle of remapping and a few twists of the spanner to get it ramped up and feeling a whole lot more purposeful out on the blacktop.

Daniel Levine knows all about turning up the wick on a Td5. The only issue is that last year he finally came to the conclusion that there was nothing more he could do and found himself at a

dead end. So, in which direction did Daniel choose to go next?

‘I went as far as I could with the Td5, so I thought I would give the Cummins engine a go,’ reveals Daniel. When Daniel says ‘giving it a go’, he actually means trying to squeeze a 5.9-litre straight-six diesel lump into a space that previously only housed a 2.5-litre five-cylinder power plant.

There’s potential for head scratching here.

While the engine swap may sound ambitious, Daniel was spurred on in the knowledge that his brother is a motorsport engineer, plus there’s always someone else attempting to make your dream a reality elsewhere.

‘I took a bit of inspiration from the Cummins Facebook page, as a guy was doing one at the same time as us, although he was going further and taking the whole vehicle back to the chassis,’ continues Daniel. ‘Me and my brother were just dropping one in and trying to do the best job we could.’

Shoehorning a 6BTA Cummins engine into a Defender is always going to be like taking a canal boat through a lock: you’re going to need every

last millimetre. But then this isn’t just some lardy car engine.

The straight-six Cummins has been used in a wide variety of applications over the years, most notably in the DAF lorries and the Dodge Ram produced between 1989 and 1998 (a 24-valve version replaced the 12-valve motor from hereon out). It is therefore a very adaptable engine and relatively easy to come by, while the workhorse nature of the unit suits a truck like the Defender down to a tee.

‘The Cummins was always going to be less complicated than trying to place something like a Mercedes engine inside the vehicle,’ says Daniel.

‘You could tune it up quite a bit as well with plenty of parts to choose from in the States.

‘The size of it is one thing, but half the challenge of putting it in is just the sheer weight of it. We managed to get the engine, gearbox and transfer box in, all as one unit!’

That takes some doing. Imagine Luke Skywalker weaving his X-wing through the Death Star’s trenches and you start to get the picture. In order for the drivetrain to fit properly, the bulkhead had

‘The Cummins was always going to be less complex than trying to place something like a Mercedes engine inside. You could tune it up quite a bit as well, with plenty to choose from in the States’

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If the engine doesn’t knock your eyes out, the exhaust will certainly make you take a step backwards. As might the soundtrack – this is a working engine of the sort that was built to be used in medium-duty trucks rather than comparatively little things like Land Rovers, and when Daniel fires it up everyone in the immediate area knows about it. Under the bonnet, Dynamat is good stuff but it’s got its work cut out keeping this thing civilised

to be modified and the transmission tunnel has been custom-made for the enlarged organs.

Speaking of which, the Cummins is linked to a ZF S5-42 gearbox and a 1:1 transfer box so that the four-wheel drive capability remains. However, air solenoids have since replaced the high, low and diff lock selector and operate electronically from inside the cab.

That rear diff now incorporates an Ashcroft limited slip differential, too, with custom propshafts boasting heavy-duty UJs being made up to counter the difference in length.

Very little remains from the Td5 motor that preceded the Cummins transplant, although the radiator managed to survive. The engine is also running a reconditioned VE pump, 180hp injectors, refurbished HX35W turbocharger and an AlliSport intercooler. A Clutchfix HD1 unit finds its way into the mix, alongside the upgraded pressure plate, which utilises the air assist from the original truck set-up.

And what is the end result?

‘You could feel the real difference when going up a hill, when you were in fourth or fifth and it would still pull you clear. Or when loaded up with the trailer and it just moves off like it’s not there,’ states Daniel. Low-down torque can be very useful, as we know, especially when you can call upon planetary quantities of the stuff.

Not bad for a first engine conversion then… actually this is Daniel’s first Land Rover full stop.

‘I always wanted a Defender, but the 110 is a lot more versatile than the 90, and it’s more stable for towing. It’s better for when you have a large dog, too…’ he adds. For Daniel, the flexibility of the 110 is one of the main things that stands out about the vehicle, and now the Cummins engine has merely added another string to this already bursting bow.

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3pp Levine Cummins 110.indd 52

‘It’s more of a weekend machine and something you get out into the country with. I like that it can do anything you ask of it – it’s that combination of that engine and the versatility that appeals,’ explains Daniel.

Cummins engines may be crude compared to some power plants out there, but we can all appreciate their honest workmanlike resolve. Well, almost everyone…

‘My wife drove it once after it was done and vowed never to again,’ laughs Daniel. Some people just need a little more time to Cummins around to these motors…

4x4 27/06/2020 14:31

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OUR 4X4S Vehicle: Isuzu D-Max GO2 Year: 2018 Run by: Alan Kidd Last update: June 2020 On the fleet since: January 2020

Bringing up the rear…

A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, when we last checked in on the build of our new Isuzu D-Max GO2 project, we followed the installation of its ARB front winch bumper. Now it’s time for the opposite end of the vehicle – and once again it’s ARB we turned to for the good stuff.

The Australian company is pretty much legendary in the off-road world, and its Rear Step Tow Bar was part of a package of equipment supplied by UK importer Britpart.

The company is best known for its Land Rover spares and accessories, but since taking on the ARB range a year or so back more and more people are seeing it as the go-to place for the company’s kit.

Obviously, one of the drawbacks of using a double-cab as your lane wagon is that it has a big rear overhang. You can draw the sting of this to some extent by lifting the vehicle, which we’ve done, but that doesn’t change the fact that there’s an awful lot of metal back there.

There are two solutions. One is to do a bobtail or trayback job, similar to the Toyota Hilux on page 42 of this very magazine, but we can just imagine what Isuzu would have said about that. The other is to armour it up – which is where ARB comes in.

As you can see in the pictures opposite, the Rear Step Tow Bar is a hefty bit of kit which wraps around the lower part of the truck’s back body to protect if from knocks and scrapes that would otherwise reshape it with glee. To some extent, it’s a bolt-off, bolt-on replacement, but of course nothing is ever that simple.

There’s some wiring to be done, for one thing, and a surprising amount of fine adjustment is required before the bumper can be tightened up. Mainly, however, it’s extremely heavy – meaning you need to approach the job with reliable lifting equipment and an assistant to hand.

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Above: The D-Max is a proper working tool, which means that most are fitted with towbars. Ours was no exception in its first job – but with another heavy-duty bit of steel set to take the place of the main rear bumper, the under-run tow bar was the first thing to be removed. It’s a two-man job – letting it fall on your head is definitely something you’ll only ever do once Below: Now the bumper is freed off and lifted away. Take care before you start to lower it to ensure that everything has indeed been undone

Above, above left: The ARB bumper wraps around the rear sides of the lower body to protect them. Its structure, and the way it mounts to the vehicle’s chassis, can be seen here.

So too can the recovery points which come as standard (something the ARB front bumper whose fitting we covered a couple of months ago doesn’t have), as well as the aluminium tread plate for the top of the unit and the beaver panel which fills in the empty space left beneath the tailgate when the original bumper is removed Left: There are various reasons for investing in a professionally made bumper like ARB’s.

One of them is attention to detail – the integral number plate housing is beautifully designed, leaving just a simple wiring job to nail down a common cause of nightmares among the DIY set AUGUST 2020 | 55

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OUR 4X4S

Above left: It’s blindingly obvious, but the assembly work on the new bumper wants to be completed before you think about offering it up.

Jobs that are easy to access now will become anything from more awkward to downright impossible once the bumper has been mounted in place Above right: You can see where the original bumper was located on the rear end of the chassis legs. The new one is designed to use the same mounting points

Above left: It definitely helps if you’ve got the right equipment in your workshop. Try to mount a heavy-duty bumper without some sort of lifting aid would be an accident waiting to happen, and being able to ease it into position bit by bit is far and away preferable to having to do all the lifting in one big heave Above centre: Even once the bumper is held on its mounts, there’s still a bit of adjustment to be done to ensure the side portions are properly aligned before you torque up the main bolts Above right: The beaver panel tidies up the tail end a treat. We’ve seen vehicles with empty areas left naked when the trim came away to accommodate a heavy-duty bumper and/or body lift, and it looks all kinds of rubbish

Above: You can just about see the receiver hitch in the bumper here, which is designed to accommodate a 50mm tow ball. The electrics from the old standard-fit tow bar were relocated in the bracket ARB provides for this very purpose – we’re not building the GO2 with towing in mind, but it’ll be a useful extra skill in the vehicle’s locker Right: With the new bumper installed, a quick test proves that yes, the number plate light does still work. All we need now is a number plate

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TO MODIFY OR NOT TO MODIFY? Preparing your 4x4 for overland travel means making lots of changes to it, right? Not if Words: Barrie Dunbar Pictures: Barrie Dunbar, Steve Taylor, Mike Trott, Dan Fenn, Harry Hamm, ARB, Isuzu UK

O

ne of the many great things about overland travel is that the fun starts way before you actually set off. Sitting at home, surrounded by maps as you plan your dream route around the world… choosing and building the vehicle that will be your home… deciding what to take with you… what could be more exciting?

When it comes to equipping your truck, however, there’s a fine line between making modifications and taking what you really need – and suffering the consequences of additional weight.

A couple of issues ago in these pages, I wrote an article about the danger of over-packing for overland travel. This article repeats the point to a great extent, albeit this time in

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the context of what you bolt on to your vehicle.

When it comes to 4x4 overland travel, weight really is a killer. Never mind the financial and practical implications of increased fuel consumption. Every single thing you bolt on or pack adds to the strain placed upon the entire driveline of your 4x4 – which can already be very significant.

Every bit of hard work you demand of your vehicle becomes that much harder when it is required to push, pull and carry additional bulk. And the more you place stress on your vehicle, the more likely something will fail. On a scale of one to a hundred, how worthwhile do you think it is to risk being stranded in a hostile environment, at the mercy of wild animals,

4x4 27/06/2020 13:44

you don’t want to overload it, it doesn’t…

Above: There are some fantastic options out there for turning a 4x4 into a self-contained camp site. But the more impressive they are, the heavier they’ll be Main pic: With its heavy-duty winch and bumper, this Toyota Landcruiser looks ready for anything. But that bull bar was built to prevent kangaroos from taking out the front of your vehicle – even if you can convince yourself that the winch and mount are necessary (when a stout towing point and a good rope would do), if all you’re doing is exploring the Alps as part of a tour the extra metal is 100% pure excess weight

dangerous people or extreme weather, because you insisted on having that fantastic new rear ladder that was sold to you as being ‘absolutely essential’?

Clue: if the answer isn’t zero, go back to the start.

So, before you set about bolting on the next best thing in any catalogue, ask yourself honestly if you really need it? No, REALLY. Do

the benefits warrant its additional weight? Will you use it? And have you struggled previously because you didn’t have one?

I’m not for a moment suggesting that every vehicle should be left completely standard. Nor am I suggesting that all 4x4 accessories and equipment are unnecessary.

What I am suggesting, however, is that very few 4x4 owners seem

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to appreciate that modifications inevitably result in consequences.

So it is important to evaluate the cost to benefit ratio before proceeding.

Over the past ten years leading 4x4 expeditions and tours, I have repeatedly been asked about various items of equipment; whether they are necessary to have, or whether they are merely nice to have. So,

having spent the last two issues looking first at vehicle prep and then the consequences of travelling on a wing and a prayer, this month I’m going to run through some of them and offer my opinion.

This is based purely on the merits of my own and my customers’ experience. But it comes from realworld encounters on countless tours and expeditions.

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Above left, centre: A winch might sound like an A1 essential, and indeed you might well find yourself very thankful for having one. But you’ll do well to find an experienced overlander who’d choose one instead of a high-lift jack and a selection of strops and shackles. The latter needs more physical effort and brain power, but a winch is heavy, needs to be bolted to an even heavier mount and, if you’re not careful, is apt to leave you with a flat battery Above right: You hardly ever see an overland vehicle without a snorkel. The reason isn’t so that its devil-may-care owners can go recklessly fording windscreen-deep rivers – it’s to keep dust from being sucked in by the engine’s air intake. Protection from catastrophic damage should a bit of unavoidable fording go wrong is a useful by-product, but – as with a winch – any need to fall back on this equipment needs to be seen as a serious error of judgement on the part of the driver And first things first. Before we start, here’s one catch-all piece of advice on which I consider it essential to place an emphasis Overland travellers should always seek only good quality manufactured products, rather than cheap and cheerful junk. Whether it’s spares, accessories, fluids and so on for your vehicle or equipment necessary to carry within it, you get what you pay for – and when what you pay for is success, that can equal survival.

WINCH

As nice as they are to have, the reality is that very seldom is a winch the only, or the best, option for the job. Winches are expensive and heavy and, in the wrong hands, can be disastrous.

Besides the risk of accident and injury, plenty of inexperienced winch operators have cost themselves a battery. It can be just as effective to take a few strops and shackles instead – but make sure they are rated and certified for lifting.

SNORKEL

These look the business, but are they worth the money? Most people think the advantage of a raised air intake is to transform their car into a submarine for deep water wading.

Really? Where, when and why do you intend crossing such deep water? A snorkel might save your engine from suffering a catastrophic hydraulic lock, but plunging your vehicle into such deep water can be guaranteed to harm it in countless other ways too.

The biggest advantage of a raised air intake, and the real reason those in the know have them, is to provide a clean supply of cool, fresh air to the engine and save their air filters from getting clogged with dust. But then, it is always good practice to blow out your air filter after a day of dusty driving anyway.

COMPRESSOR

Following on from above, yes, a compressor is a great addition to clean your air filter. But more

Above left: It might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but an air-compressor is something you should certainly have on board. It pays to invest in a good one, too. The main reason for this is that you’ll be airing your tyres up and down whenever you switch between on and off-road driving, however a compressor is also useful for blowing dust our of your air filter at the end of the day Above right: Roof tents are brilliant, and if you’re going to be using one regularly it’s a worthwhile investment. As with everything else, though, you need to budget for the best – and they do cost strong money. Don’t forget the increase in shipping and fuel costs, too

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Underbody protection like this is unlikely ever to be penetrated, however hard you smash it into the ground. Its massive strength comes at a cost, though – by fitting a set of thick steel guards like this you’re adding serious weight to your vehicle. They restrict air flow to the components they protect, though, as well as preventing access for checks and maintenance importantly, it beats a foot pump for re-inflating your tyres after driving off-road and before getting back on the tarmac. Always reduce your tyre pressures for off-road driving (around 25psi rear and 20psi front is the norm, or softer for thick sand).

Reduced tyre pressures have three benefits: improved traction, increased puncture resilience and added shock absorption. So get yourself a decent air compressor – it’s a very worthwhile item to carry.

ROOF TENT

Once you’ve experienced camping in a roof tent, you will never want to do

it any other way. But they are heavy to carry and expensive.

That’s both expensive to buy in the first instance and expensive to run due to increased fuel consumption and ferry costs. My recommendation is that if you are going to be using it regularly then yes, it is a good purchase. But for one or two trips a year, perhaps it’s not going to be worthwhile.

FRIDGE

Okay, so here I am a little biased!

If you are going on a fully catered tour such as I provide, then no, there is no need for a fridge – unless

you feel that a ready supply of cold beers will always overrule the outrageous cost of equipping your vehicle with one!

If you are travelling solo, however, a fridge-freezer is an excellent facility to have – notwithstanding what you will spend on it.

My advice in this case is to run it as a freezer and decant food into a cool-box as required. In that way, you get to carry more for longer.

But beware – not all portable fridges are created equal. There are good reasons why the ARBs and National Lunas of this world cost as much as they cost. Not only do they

have outstanding build quality and longevity, they also draw a very low current, which is important in the overlanding environment.

UNDERBODY PROTECTION

For this to be any good, it needs to be heavy duty. And that’s the problem – heavy. In recent years, more modern items have come on to the market using aluminium instead of steel, and their strength to weight ratio is much better than the monsters of old, but my view is still that it’s better to just watch where you are driving.

“Overland travellers should always seek only good quality manufactured products rather than cheap and cheerful junk”

For a solo overland expedition, a fridge-freezer is an excellent investment. Once again, buy the best – saving money by making do with a sub-standard one will only ever be something you regret. Think carefully about how big you need it to be, though. Your instinct will be to get the biggest, but by using it as a freezer and decanting food and drink from it into a cool box you can save money, space and weight

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There’s almost no end of rig-outs available to turn the back of your vehicle into a self-propelled home from home. There’s also no end to what it can end up costing, and there are companies out there that specialise in taking advantage of customers who don’t really know what they do and don’t need to take along for the ride. The items shown here are outstandingly well made and were fitted by professional outfits, but whoever you’re dealing with you should always ask yourself whather you really, really need it and, if you do, what it will cost you in terms of weight as well as money

Besides adding significant extra weight, underbody protection plates restrict airflow, thereby reducing the vehicle’s ability to cool the driveline. They also tend to obscure everything that should be inspected each evening after a day’s driving.

It’s different if you’re building an extreme off-roader, but for expedition use my advice is to give it a miss and drive with care instead. It should not be difficult to look where you’re going!

TYRES

Quality off-road specific tyres are not a luxury: they are a necessity. And

despite their high price, when one considers what they tolerate, and for how long, they actually represent very good value for money.

Do not scrimp on tyres! Spend the money and get the best – you will be glad you did. Not only will they look after you, they’ll last longer than cheap alternatives – and their robustness means you don’t need to carry a second spare.

AWNING

Some of these things defy belief – not just in cost but in engineering achievement. There are some works of wonder out there, but are

they worth the money and, more importantly, are they necessary?

I guess this is a relative one that comes down to your personal perspectives and priorities.

To my mind, a decent sun hat does the job just as well. But then, I am accustomed to the sun and the heat – actually I thrive on it, having spent my first 20 years in the bushveld of South Africa!

There is some great gear out there and, if only gravity wasn’t against us, it would be nice to benefit from the advantages of all of it. But sadly it just isn’t practical.

My advice is if you can possibly do without a thing, then do without it. If you are unsure, then do without it. I can see why, when you’re unsure and every instinct is telling you to err on the side of caution, it might sound like an incautious approach to take – but all my experience has shown me that over-packing is the most reckless thing you can do.

Only if you are convinced that an item is essential should you succumb and add the weight to your vehicle. Your vehicle will thank you for it – and you in turn will thank your vehicle when it brings you home safe and sound!

Above left: Good quality tyres are nothing short of a necessity. This is literally the last place where you want to be pinching pennies – yours need to be resilient and long-lasting in the most punishing conditions Above right: If you’re used to British weather and you’re going to be overlanding in hot climates, an awning might feel like an essential. It’s not as heavy as some other accessories, but every last kilo is more strain on your drivetrain so here, again, don’t fit one just for the sake of it

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Tested: Subaru’s evergreen Outback, and the new VW T-Roc Cabriolet A hardcore Suzuki from the early days of winching PLUS Overland adventures in the Pyrenees

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