4x4 Magazine - July 2021

4x4

NEWS • TECH • DEBATE • TRAVEL • MODIFIED VEHICLES • GREEN LANING DRIVEN Off-road in the new Toyota Highlander

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

CLASSIC CRUISER

Brought to Britain and restored to its former glories and beyond, this pristine 40-Series is ready to become a heirloom off-roader that lives forever

Classic Jeepster rebuilt into a stunning concept surf truck

£4.99

Cambridgeshire Roadbook – it’s anything but flat…

JUL 2021

Overland adventure in the heart of Africa 4x4 Cover July.indd 1

29/05/2021 16:21

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19785 Allmakes Ltd 4x4 Magazine - 3 page advert - Discovery.indd 1

21/08/2020 10:39

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21/08/2020 10:39

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July 2021

CONTENTS

36

“I was inspired by a picture I saw of a white Series III I thought it would be cool to recreate the style on

44

2 | JULY 2021

AWAITING SUBS PAGE 2-3 Contents July.indd 2

48

30

4x4 01/06/2021 09:15

78 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…

6 8 8 10 10 12 14 14 15 16 17 17 20 22 23 24

INEOS Grenadier Production confirmed for July 2022 as testing ramps up Subaru Outback All-new model on sale now Subaru Solterra Fully electric SUV due on sale next summer Skoda Kodiaq Prices and specs revealed for newly facelifted seven-seater Nissan Qashqai Full range now on sale as phased launch is completed Little Car Company It’s a road-legal big boys’ version of a Tamiya classic…

VW Tiguan Allspace New looks, new tech for long-wheelbase family hero Torsus Praetorian Upgrades for off-road bus in second year of production Jaguar E-Pace R-Dynamic Black added to model line-up Wolvens Lane Much-abused Surrey Lane faces closure thanks to vandals Lincolnshire Wolds Claxby lane repair shows best practice in operation Ministry of Defence Respect The Range campaign to encourage awareness ARB Wide range of off-road equipment launched for new Isuzu D-Max Machine Mart New power washers designed specifically for off-road use Toyota Additions to approved accessories range for new-look Hilux Powerflex Admirable honesty in company’s explanation for price increases

Driven 26 30

Toyota Highlander Big SUV leaves no boxes unticked as a family wagon Fiat Panda Cross Is the much-decorated crossover still as lovable as ever?

Every Month 6 11 16 66 78 80

Alan Kidd Retro 4x4s can be cool, but only a classic 4x4 can be truly classic Coming Soon Trucks and SUVs set to be launched in 2021 and beyond Calendar Keep on getting those vaccines, people…

Roadbook A surprisingly varied green lane route in North Cambridgeshire Subscribe Stay at home and get 4x4 delivered – and save a huge 75%!

Next Month Time for our first post-lockdown Roadbook visit to Wales

Features 36 44 48

Modern Classic Defender A restored Puma in the style of an old Series III Jeepster Beach Glorious hybrid concept evokes the surfin’ image Classic Landcruiser You won’t find many prettier 4x4s than this 40-Series

Travel 52

with a beige soft-top. a modern Defender”

60

4x4 AWAITING SUBS PAGE 2-3 Contents July.indd 3

Tanzania Safaris and speed bumps in the heart of Africa

Workshop 60

The Perils of Neglect Inside a horribly abused Nissan Patrol front axle

66 Cambs Roadbook

JULY 2021 | 3

01/06/2021 09:15

4x4 Tel: 01283 553243 Email: enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk

Alan Kidd Editor

T

here’s something about the look of a classic 4x4. We’ve become so used to generic SUVs, and even the few real off-roaders left on the market have developed a modern-day machismo that seems a little too self-conscious, that the sort of vehicles this whole scene was built on seem to become more beautiful the older they get.

You know how it is (or, these days, would be), if you were to turn up to a playday or RTV trial and someone was there doing it in an Austin Champ or Daihatsu F20.

Vehicles like these are museum pieces by any normal standard, and no-one’s talking about trashing them the way people used to, but seeing them still in action can hardly help but stir the soul.

It’s the same every year at the ALRC National, where you can always be sure of seeing a line-up of jaw-dropping Series Is in the concours. They’re beautiful, and perfect, and that alone is enough, but then you go to watch the trialling and there’s some old boy in the CCVs aboard an battered old 80 and you can’t take your eyes off it.

Oddly, Land Rover is one manufacturer that hasn’t played the retro card with any of its recent models. Of course, the company’s marketing is always very well aware of what its heritage is worth (‘Velar’ would otherwise have been a very odd name for one of its vehicles), but even the Defender is unrelentingly modern in its design.

That’s deliberate, of course – just as Suzuki took great care in the way it reinterpreted the styling of the old LJ into the current Jimny. The Jimny which, if only the emissions trap hadn’t yawned open in such a cock-eyed way, would now be the most common new off-roader around.

Toyota played the retro card too, back in 2005, when it brought out the FJ Cruiser.

We never got it here, of course, just as we never got the vehicle whose looks it paid homage to – the iconic 40-Series Landcruiser. I know, ‘iconic’, cliché alert… but what’s true is true, and if ever a vehicle deserved that badge that’s the one.

Well, actually so is the Willys Jeep, and that’s another company right there which knows what its heritage is worth. There’s never been a retro Wrangler, though,

4 | JULY 2021

Edline July.indd 4

Retro 4x4s are cool.

But classic 4x4s are just that: classic because the same look has been serving Jeep well for eight decades now.

All the same, few companies work their heritage with the same verve as Jeep. If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know all about the Easter Safari, an annual event for which a dedicated engineering team in Jeep HQ creates some of the most imaginative concept vehicles ever seen anywhere. And these don’t just look to the future, either.

You can always rely on Jeep to sneak in a resto-mod project too, with a classic model from its past recreated on the platform and running gear of a modern vehicle.

The Jeepster Beach, which is featured in this issue, is a perfect example. To build it, Jeep started with an original 1968 Jeepster Commando, grafted its body on to a modern Wrangler Rubicon chassis and hiked it up on a set of 35” tyres. Then, as befits a concept car, they went to work on finishing it to the very highest standards of paint, trim, details and presentation.

It’s very clever. Even if you’re not a Jeep person, you can’t help but admire it. Just as you also admired the Chief before it, the Wagoneer Roadtrip, the Mighty FC… and sooner or later, you get it into your head that actually, yeah, Jeep knows about this stuff and maybe you should take a look next time you’re buying a new 4x4 after all.

Not that it needs to be a factory-built concept to grab the attention. The Toyota Landcruiser 40-Series on the cover of this month’s 4x4 is a fine example of the restorer’s art – though even if you’re the sort of off-roader who loves ‘em lifted and lockered and so on, it would take a hard heart indeed to do that to such an automotive treasure.

It just shows, though, that whether it’s modded or standard, there is indeed something about the look of a classic 4x4.

As off-roaders, we admire durability, so an old survivor can’t help but appeal. When it’s laden with ability and drop-dead gorgeous to boot – well, what’s not to love? Yes, retro is cool, but classic is just that: classic.

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 Dan Fenn, Paul Looe, Gary Noskill, Olly Sack, Raymond and Nereide Greaves, Tom Alderney, 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, 2021

4x4 29/05/2021 16:21

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NEW 4X4S

INEOS DELAYS GRENADIER LAUNCH TO JULY 2022 – BUT MAKES ‘GREAT STRIDES’ IN TESTING

Production delay follows events of 2020 • Phase 2 prototypes now in hot weather testing

I

NEOS Automotive has announced that the forthcoming new Grenadier will go into production in July 2022. Following an engineering gateway assessment in Austria, company Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe signed off the latest

generation of prototypes – which will now move on to more than a million miles of testing in the world’s most extreme environments ahead of next summer’s on-sale date.

This represents a pushing-back of production, a result of unavoida-

ble delays caused by the events of 2020. The company says it has revised its project timings ‘to achieve its rigorous testing targets.’

The Austrian phase of the development programme saw vehicles being tested over Magna

Steyr’s proving grounds on Schöckl, a mountain close to the HQ of the company which INEOS last year appointed as its engineering partner for the vehicle. Magna has been using these trails for more than six decades to test the off-road capability and durability of special-purpose vehicles, which need to be able to survive the ‘unforgiving and destructive’ rocky terrain of the eastern Alps.

‘We’ve made great strides since the very early versions of the Grenadier I drove a year ago,’ commented Sir Jim following the completion of the programme. ‘The Schöckl is a proper challenge for any 4x4. Today was a real test for our prototypes, and they came through very well.

There is still work to do, but I am confident that the Grenadier will do the job we have developed it for.’

Earlier this year, INEOS engineers travelled to northern Sweden to complete an extensive programme of cold-weather calibration on the Grenadier’s BMW engines. As the testing schedule ramps up, the company is getting ready to send more than 130 second-phase prototypes out into the world – where the next phase of the development and validation process will see them subjected to intense hot weather testing in California’s Death Valley and the sand dunes of the Middle East.

‘Reaching this important development milestone is a great step forward for the project,’ said INEOS Automotive CEO Dirk Heilmann. ‘We only have one opportunity to get this right and our quality and performance targets for the Grenadier remain paramount.

‘We won’t cut corners. After today’s very positive results, we are on track to reach our targets and to allow the start of production in July next year at the latest.”

4x4 Scene July 21.indd 6

01/06/2021 09:31

NEW 4X4S

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JUNE 2021 | 7

01/06/2021 09:31

NEW 4X4S

Subaru unveils new Outback

New platform, heavily revised 2.5-litre petrol engine • One sale now, priced from £33,995

I

t’s been a long time coming, but there’s a new Subaru Outback on the block. We were fans of the last one, but with Subaru’s Global Platform architecture now underpinning it the all-new model promises to be a quantum leap up.

Subaru says it’s better than ever off-road, too, thanks to 213mm of ground clearance and a next-generation version of its X-Mode system with various software configurations to aid driving in snow, mud, gravel and so on. There’s also a hill descent control function, as well as one of those little why-didn’t-anyone-thinkof-that-before touches in a washer jet for the rear-view camera – very helpful when there’s mud flying around and, if you live here in the land of road salt, pretty much nonstop for three months of the year.

Power for the Outback comes from a heavily revised version of the 2.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine in the old model. As usual with Subaru, this is a boxer unit driving all four wheels via a CVT gearbox.

Subaru makes no mention of the engine being a hybrid. The company

does, however, say it has around 90% new parts compared to the old version, with a higher compression ratio and a 22% improvement in efficiency. Something else Subaru doesn’t mention is fuel consumption and emissions figures.

Torque vectoring is standard across the range, and Subaru promises improvements in body control,

straight-line stability, steering response, ride comfort and NVH suppression from the more rigid chassis and suspension subframes.

The vehicle can tow a braked trailer of up to 2000kg – and the advanced design of the platform, coupled with a vast array of high-tech driver aids, allows Subaru to claim top-of-theclass safety performance.

Inside, there’s another class-leading claim, this time for cabin space.

Subaru says the windscreen has been moved forward and the windows outward, and the overall length of the vehicle has been extended too – the latter allowing greater rear legroom and 522 litres of cargo space with the seats up.

All models also come with roof rails, and an addition to the range here is a new outdoors-orientated Field model. Whereas the rest of the line-up (entry-level limited and luxury

Touring) have pop-up rails, this comes with heavy-duty units with tie-down points allowing straps to be fixed directly to them. The Field also comes with a tough water-repellent synthetic leather seat trim.

Elsewhere inside the Outback, the completely redesigned dash area is based around an 11.6” high-definition media screen running an upto-the-minute infotainment system.

This is mounted vertically, which gives it a bit of extra character, and is part of an overall equipment list which you can expect to be as comprehensive as ever on Subaru’s flagship model.

Prices for the new Outback start at £33,995 for the Limited. The Field comes in at £37,995, while the Touring gives you the full Nappa leather treatment for £39,495. All three are due to have arrived in the UK by the time you read this.

SUBARU WILL LAUNCH AN ALL-NEW ELECTRIC SUV NEXT YEAR. Called the Solterra, the vehicle will join the XV, Outback and Forester as a fourth model in the company’s line-up.

The Solterra will be based on the new e-Subaru Global Platform. Designed solely for battery electric vehicles, this is being developed jointly by Subaru and Toyota – which will also use it as the basis of a new model. Further vehicles will also be developed on the same architecture, taking advantage of a modular structure allowing multiple component parts to be combined in a variety of ways.

‘While the two companies have brought together their knowledge to create a completely new platform,’ comments Subaru, ‘(we) have aimed to realise superior passive safety and vehicle stability.’

Subaru describes the Solterra as a C-segment SUV, meaning it will be similar in size to the Outback.

Its collaboration with Toyota will include product planning, design and performance evaluation. ‘The two companies combine their respective strengths,’ it says, ‘such as Subaru’s long-accumulated allwheel-drive technology and Toyota’s outstanding vehicle electrification technology.’

The name Solterra combines the Latin for ‘sun’ and ‘earth,’ something Subaru sees as a reference to nature and our need to exist as part of it. It’s scheduled to go on sale here by the middle of 2022.

8 | JULY 2021

Scene July 21.indd 8

4x4 01/06/2021 09:31

AS RESTRICTIONS END, GET YOUR VEHICLE ADVENTURE READY.

POST-LOCKDOWN VEHICLE CHECK FOR JUST £149 INCLUDING OIL & FILTER CHANGE AND MORE During lockdown, you may not have been using your Land Rover as much as you once did. So with restrictions coming to an end, now’s the time to make sure your vehicle is in complete working order and ready for adventure with our Post-lockdown Vehicle Check, for vehicles over three years old.

WHAT’S INCLUDED: Full safety check Battery check Oil & filter change* Washer fluid top-up Wash & vac Software update if required** (Land Rover mandated updates only)

For just £149 including VAT, our Land Rover trained technicians will carry out a full safety check, oil and filter change, and more.

Offer available across all UK Retailers until the end of July.

Search Land Rover Vehicle Check. *The oil and filter change is not a scheduled vehicle service and does not include additional items specified for renewal/replacement during a scheduled service based on age or mileage. This means that we are unable to update your vehicle service history for this event. **Software update is only applicable to outstanding recalls and service actions and excludes satellite navigation mapping.

NEW 4X4S

PRICES AND SPECS ANNOUNCED FOR NEW-LOOK SKODA KODIAQ

Facelifted styling, more equipment • vRS model returns • From £27,650

S

koda has revealed the pricing and model line-up for the new-look Kodiaq, which arrives in the country in July. Starting at £27,650 on the road, this features four main models – plus the return of the high-performance vRS version, now with a 245bhp petrol engine in place of the old model’s TDI unit.

With revisions to the bumpers, lights and grille, the Kodiaq gets a facelift designed to make it look sharper, while entry-level SE and

SE L trims get aluminium-effect lower apron trims for ‘an even more rugged, adventurous feel.’ LED headlamps are now standard across the range; on all models apart from SE, these are full matrix units.

Further equipment gains compared to the pre-facelift model include a colour multifunction trip computer on the SE; 19” alloys on the SE L; a parking camera on the SportLine; cooled front seats on the L&K; and 20” alloys on the vRS. The latter two models also gain a

Virtual Cockpit display.

On-the-road prices start at £27,650 (SE), £31,895 (SE L), £35,805 (SportLine) and £41,720 (L&K). A price for the vRS remains to be announced at a later date.

In addition to the 2.0 TSI engine in the vRS, the Kodiaq range includes two furtrher petrol and two diesel units. These are part of Skoda’s latest EVO line, which uses modern technologies such as high-pressure fuel injection and twin dosing exhaust treatment to increase efficiency and bring down particulate emissions. Not all models will have four-wheel drive as standard,

however it still remains available – as does a revised version of the popular DSG auto gearbox which is now 5.2kg lighter.

As before, the other major choice facing Kodiaq buyers is between the standard five-seat layout and a good seven-seat configuration.

One option that’s no longer part of the Kodiaq range is the Scout model, whose specification is tuned towards off-tarmac use. We had one of these on long-term test for a year and loved it – though even without the advantages it brings, any version of the Kodiaq with four-wheel drive will still be a capable performer off-road. Deliveries are due to commence in July, with the order book opening at the start of June.

Nissan rolls out full range for all-new Qashqai with prices starting at £23,535 – or £32,335 with four-wheel drive NISSAN HAS OPENED THE ORDER BOOK for the new Qashqai – with prices starting from £23,535.

Initially offered only in Premiere Edition form, the third-generation Qashqai has now been fully rolled out with first deliveries due early in the summer. Nissan says a number of the limited-edition launch models remain on sale, though only while stocks last.

The Qashqai is available at launch with a choice of 140 and 158bhp turbocharged petrol engines. Both are available in manual form; the latter also gets an auto option and, as you approach the top of the range, four-wheel drive.

There are five trim levels across the range, called Visia, Acenta Premium, N-Connecta, Tekna and Tekna+. The 4x4 option is available with the highest three of these; prices are £32,335, £35,175 and £37,835 respectively.

10 | JULY 2021

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4x4 01/06/2021 09:31

• 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

Little Car Company unveils an RC classic you can actually drive

8/10 scale replica of Tamiya Wild One • Road-legal option available • From £6000 plus VAT

W

hat do remember from the 1980s?

Constant fear of nuclear war, perhaps?

Constant fear of riots or football violence? Constant fear of the next Shakin’ Stevens single?

Or maybe you didn’t live in constant fear, because you were too busy building and playing with RC cars from Tamiya. In particular, you might remember the Wild One, which was released in 1985 and proved so popular that the company brought it back out in 2012.

Well, now there’s a new Wild One in town. As before, you can build it then play with it. But there’s a difference – which is that this one’s not radio-controlled. It’s you-controlled.

The original Wild One was 1/10th scale. Quite big enough for a good time, but the new one is 8/10 scale.

It’s called the Wild One MAX, and it

12 | JULY 2021

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has just been unveiled by the Little Car Company.

By ‘little’, they mean 3.5 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and weighing about 250kg. The vehicle has an electric power pack driving the rear wheels, which are shod with 15” off-road tyres, and its spaceframe chassis provides mounts for coilover suspension all-round.

As standard, the Wild One MAX comes with a single 2kWh PowerPack giving it a range of up to 25 miles – depending of course on the terrain and how hard you hit it. A coil-over at every corner isn’t the stuff of crawling around daintily, is it? The unit puts out 5.5bhp and allows a top speed of 30mph – however the PowerPacks are modular, meaning you can spec it up with several more of them to send performance and range alike spiralling upwards.

Aiding its range still further, it comes with hydraulic Brembo disc brakes all-round – and these feature regenerative braking to help harvest the kinetic energy lost when you use them.

As this suggests, while there’s a definite air of whimsy to the vehicle it’s a deadly serious piece of high-tech engineering. You also get a set of drive modes, for example, including Novice, Eco and Race – which offer different top speeds, throttle maps and power outputs to suit your skill.

The Little Car Company also says that as well as the extra PowerPacks, the Wild One MAX will be available with upgraded brakes and suspension as well as a four-point race harness.

Lest you still not have figured out that it’s not for kids, the standard composite seat is adjustable to suit drivers of between 5’3” and 6’5”. That’s just the one seat, though – this is not a vehicle for driving to school. Unless you’re a teacher, in which case prepare to become the coolest of all time.

And now for the big question.

Yes, you can register it for the road.

There are three different Road Legal Packs available, allowing the vehicle to comply with EU Quadricycle regs, as well as a Tarmac Pack containing road tyres and mudguards.

Oh, that wasn’t the big question.

Sorry. The Wild One MAX is expected to be priced from £6000 plus VAT (and OTR costs, where relevant).

What, there’s still an even bigger question? Ah, it’s got to be this, then. And the answer is yes, just like the Tamiya original, it comes with stickers. Giant ones. This is the real thing and no mistake…

The Wild One MAX is due to go on sale in 2022, and you can get your name on the waiting list now by putting down a returnable deposit of £100 at wildonemax.com. Want one? Silly question, of course you do. It’s just a question of how badly.

4x4 01/06/2021 09:31

It doesn’t matter when – or where.

Earn the title ‘Driver Enough’ when you drive on our tyres. #DriverEnough BFGoodrich.co.uk

800623 Driver 338x265.indd 1 10-11Enough?

BFG.indd 11

21/09/2018 31/03/2019 23:2915:56

NEW 4X4S

Volkswagen extends Tiguan facelift to Allspace model

V

olkswagen facelifted the Tiguan last autumn – and now it’s the turn of the long-wheelbase Tiguan Allspace. This gains the same new exterior and enhanced cabin, both with more high-tech features than ever.

Up front, the new-look vehicle features an illuminated strip in its radiator grille and now comes with the option of LED matrix headlamps.

Also new is a ’sweeping’ function for the indicator lights.

In the cabin, as was already the case from the word go the Allspace

can be optioned as either a fiveseater with up to 1920 litres of cargo space or a seven-seater with up to 1755 litres. However the vehicle now also gains major hightech updates here, with a digital cockpit and new touch controls for the air-conditioning system featuring sliders instead of the more traditional rotary knobs.

Further driver assistance systems adopted for the first time include a head-up display and IQ.DRIVE Travel Assist feature, the latter allowing a degree of autonomous driving. This uses inputs from the Lane Assist

system which is now standard on all grades.

On that subject, there will now be a three-strong model line up. Specific details of UK models are yet to be announced, but all will be strongly equipped and there’ll be parallel range-toppers offering a choice of sport or luxury themes. New options will include ergoActive front seats with electric four-way lumbar adjust and the massage function already seen (well, felt) in the Touareg.

Needless to say, the Allspace also gains a greater than ever degree of connectivity, with streaming servic-

es, cloud-based personalisation and wireless app integration for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also the option of a new premium sound system from Harman Kardon promising high-end reproduction in all seven seats.

Under the bonnet, the same range of three petrol and two diesel engines remains as before, with seven-speed DSG auto transmission and all-wheel drive either standard or optional depending on the base model. Prices are also expected to stay steady when the vehicle goes on sale here later this year.

Upgrades for Torsus Praetorian as Overlander model edges ever closer TORSUS HAS UPDATED its Praetorian off-road bus with a range of upgrades designed to make it safer, more comfortable and more user friendly. Launched last year, the vehicle is a 35-seater based on MAN truck underpinnings – and Torsus says there’ll be an off-road motorhome model coming soon too.

The upgrades include a step up from old-school halogen headlamps to 4100 lumen LED units. In addition, the vehicle gains a set of 1000 lumen work lights offering 360-degree illumination.

Inside, a revised air-conditioning unit can bring the cabin temperature down from 60°C to 20°C in less than 15 minutes. The new system, supplied

by Webasto, is in fact so powerful that it can be called into action to help

14 | JULY 2021

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cool the engine during periods of heavy use in very hot temperatures, for example when climbing sand dunes in the desert.

Further improvements include revised passenger doors with anti-trap sensing and auto-closing features, a new automatic fire suppression system, improved body insulation and an optimised seat layout providing more legroom for passengers and better visibility for the driver.

Torsus also says it is about to put a model into production with fully mechanical middle-section doors as well as rear swing doors. The company says this will provide ‘an unmatched versatility offering in fields such as leisure, camping, safari and tourism, and enable customers to create a vehicle that meets their needs and desires perfectly.’

4x4 01/06/2021 09:32

NEW 4X4S

Jaguar adds R-Dynamic Black model to E-Pace line-up

COMING SOON Forthcoming 4x4s due on sale in the near and medium-term future

JAGUAR HAS ADDED a new R-Dynamic Black model to the E-Pace range. Available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, this comes with all-wheel drive as standard and features a variety of high-spec features – including an 11.4” curved HD touchscreen running Jaguar Land Rover’s latest Pivi Pro infotainment system. It’s distinguished by a design pack including various gloss black body details and 19” satin grey alloys with contrasting red brake calipers. It’s available to order now, priced from £40,945.

THE SUZUKI VITARA and S-Cross 48V Hybrids are now available with the option of a six-speed automatic transmission. Priced at £1350, the traditional torque-converter unit is available on a variety of models in each case, including the SZ5 Allgrip range-toppers.

In other news, Suzuki is currently offering a £3000 saving on both the Vitara and S-Cross. This brings the entry price for the vehicles down to £19,249 and £18,249 respectively; the offer period runs until the end of June.

4x4 Scene July 21.indd 15

Aiways U5 Alfa Romeo Tonale Alpina XB7 BMW iX BMW iX3 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Bollinger B1 Bollinger B2 Dacia Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Ranger MR-ST Ford Ranger Wolftrak Ford Ranger Stormtrak Ford Ranger Genesis GV70 Genesis GV80 INEOS Grenadier Isuzu D-Max Jeep Jeep Cherokee Desert Hawk Jeep Grand Cherokee Jeep Compass 4xe Jeep Wagoneer Jeep Wrangler 4xe Honda HR-V Hyundai Kona N Kia Sportage Land Rover Defender EV Land Rover Discovery Sport Maserati Grecale Maserati Levante Hybrid Nissan Ariya Nissan Qashqai e-Power Nissan X-Trail Pininfarina Pininfarina Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Range Rover Range Rover Evoque Range Rover Sport Renault Arkana Rivian R1T Rivian R1s Seat Tarraco PHEV SsangYong Korando EV Subaru Solterra Suzuki Jimny Van Tesla Cybertruck Tesla Model Y Torsus Terrastorm Torsus Overlander Toyota Volkswagen Amarok Volkswagen ID.4

Electric SUV Small SUV Performance SUV Electric SUV Electric SUV Luxury SUV Electric off-roader Electric pick-up Medium SUV Electric SUV Pick-up Pick-up Pick-up Pick-up Medium SUV Large SUV Off-roader Pick-up Small SUV Performance Off-Roader Large SUV Hybrid SUV Luxury SUV Hybrid Off-Roader Small SUV Performance SUV Medium SUV Electric off-roader Medium SUV Medium SUV Hybrid SUV Electric SUV Electric Crossover Medium SUV Electric sports SUV Electric luxury SUV Electric SUV Luxury SUV Medium SUV Performance SUV Coupe-SUV Electric pick-up Electric large SUV Hybrid SUV Electric SUV Electric SUV Off-Roader Electric Pick-Up Medium SUV Off-road van Off-road motorhome Electric SUV Pick-up Electric SUV

Late 2021 Late 2021 2021 Late 2021 June 2021 Summer 2022 2023 2022 Summer Summer October 2021 October 2021 2022 Early 2022 Summer July 2022 Spring 2021 2021 Summer 2022 Autumn 2021 Early 2023 Early 2022 Late 2021 Mid-2021 Early 2022 2023 2025 Spring 2022 Late 2021 Autumn 2021 2022 Summer 2022 2022 2023 Summer Spring 2022 2025 Spring 2022 July 2021 Spring 2022 Summer 2022 Summer 2021 Mid-2022 Spring Late 2022 2021 2021 2022 Mid-2022 2022 Late 2020

JULY 2021 | 15

01/06/2021 09:32

RIGHTS OF WAY

Battle underway in Surrey Hills to save Wolvens Lane from unholy alliance of 4x4 vandals and anti-vehicle agenda

W

olvens Lane, between the villages of Wootton and Coldharbour in Surrey, is one of the oldest roads in the country.

Passing through ancient woods bordered by farmland, it has traditionally offered a mixture of quiet, gentle scenery and enjoyable driving, with one sunken section providing interest as it has an unusual sandy base.

However the lane, like many in the Surrey Hills area, also has a long history of vandalism and abuse by rogue 4x4 drivers. We first drove it almost 20 years ago; even then, the embankments alongside it has become savagely rutted by vehicles with no right to be there. Occasionally, the vehicles in question would be rolled or otherwise wrecked and simply abandoned there, a clear sign that the drivers had stolen them for this purpose.

Nonetheless, with the involvement of the Green Lane Association, Surrey County Council did at one point manage to put a stop to this behaviour by blocking off the ‘play’ areas. Since then, however, conditions have deteriorated again – including on the lane itself, which started to become impassable

16 | JULY 2021

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following subsidence under one of the sandy areas.

This prompted Surrey CC to close Wolvens for repairs, which have now been completed – leaving a right of way with a smooth gravel surface that’s drivable for all.

So having done that, why does the authority now want to put a permanent ban in place on all motor vehicles? In a Notice of Proposal published on 19 March, it states that: ‘Officers now have concerns that if/when the BOAT is reopened to motorised vehicles, some irresponsible motorised vehicle drivers will continue to damage the surface and boundary banks. Some may also cause a danger to other users including walkers, cyclists and horse riders.’

It has long been believed that the problems which have afflicted Surrey’s byways, or rather the land alongside them, have been caused by a very small number of committed and determined vandals. Where access has been closed to them on one lane, the problems have simply moved to another.

Surrey County Council says it is considering four different courses of action: 1) A permanent TRO banning all vehicles 2) A permanent TRO banning 4x4s but allowing motorbike access 3) A permit scheme allowing controlled access 4) Carrying on as before with no new restrictions Favouring a permit scheme out of these options, the Green Lane Association’s Surrey Rep Stuart Boreham comments: ‘Other options that might be considered sensible would be to leave the lane open but to stake, fence and shut off the areas where damage occurs and to increase police presence.

These are things that could have been done multiple times and were entirely successful the one time they were done properly, in consultation with GLASS. ‘A Public Space Protection Order is another option that could be used to immediately criminalise trespass and damage and give the police greater powers to act as a result.’

While it’s clear that Wolvens did need localised repairs in a few places, those who know the lane might feel that surfacing the entire length of what was already a well surfaced,

well drained and easily sustainable right of way was a strange way to spend public money. For decades, signs alongside the route have implored drivers to act responsibly out of respect for the ancient character of the lane and its embankments, but the local authority’s action now has been to literally blanket that character in modern road stone.

The money this cost could instead have paid for a proper set of defences and obstructions to prevent further off-piste damage and allow the ground next to the lane to recover long-term from the damage they’ve suffered at the hands of vandals. This fact will leave 4x4 users in no doubt as to the council’s agenda when the proposed TRO comes up for discussion later this summer.

‘Wolvens Lane has a long history of reckless damage by illegal 4x4 users over the years, but equally a history of very little being done by County or landowners to defend against this,’ continues Stuart.

‘There has been almost no Police enforcement against the criminal behaviours involved.

‘Everyone is frustrated. The easy knee jerk reaction would be to ban 4x4s, and this is what will be pushed for. Especially since Surrey have spent £100,000 or so surfacing the lane this winter and now wish to protect that investment.

‘This is a glorious ancient route upon which vehicles have driven since roads and vehicles existed. To take away the rights of the public because of the actions of a tiny minority that the authorities have seen fit to largely ignore is entirely unjust.’

4x4 01/06/2021 09:32

RIGHTS OF WAY

Triumphant end to long-running tale of neglect as byway over Lincolnshire Wolds is turned from quagmire to unsurfaced road suitable for all LINCOLNSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has completely rebuilt the byway open to all traffic between Walesby to Claxby, just north of Market Rasen. For many years, this had been in a terrible state thanks to deep, wet ruts in the soft ground of a farmer’s field – caused in no small part by local mud-pluggers to whom the lane became a honey pot.

Part of the Lincolnshire Viking Way, the lane’s route takes it across the Wolds – meaning users get spectacular views of the rolling countryside all around. Indeed, its locality is listed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

‘Over the past twe years,’ says David Salkeld, Lincolnshire Rep for the Green Lane Association, ‘it became a quagmire of mud and bomb holes which became an inevitable attraction to the growing population of cheap 4x4, “go out anywhere and have fun” brigade. Many moans and groans from various stakeholders over the

years have fallen on the local authority’s deaf ears – until a year or so ago, when the parish council threatened to take the local authority to court over its obligation to maintain the byway.

‘Somehow, this was the final boulder that got through. The result is a fine example of a byway

allowing access to all. It really is now a byway open to all traffic.

‘We now need to work towards ensuring this beautiful byway and the surrounding area don’t get damaged, and use the lessons learned to work on other lanes to improve them also.’

THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE has launched a new campaign encouraging rights of way users to be more aware when traveling on its land. Called Respect the Range, this has a simple message: you’re welcome on military land, but leisure access and Army training simply do not mix.

Fundamentally, the campaign asks people to check online before travelling to areas where live firing may be taking place. You can find this by searching for ‘MOD firing times’ in Google etc. In addition, all the usual range rules still apply – stick to the right of way, don’t pick things up, keep children and dogs under control and if you do come across military manoeuvres, give them a wide berth.

The campaign has been created in consultation with several organisations representing the whole spectrum of user groups.

You can find a short educational film titled ‘Respect the Range’ on YouTube, and more information is available by visiting www.gov.uk/ guidance/safe-access.

Bamford Clough in line to reopen later this summer THE PACE OF THE REPAIR WORK on Bamford Clough in Derbyshire continues to be as snail-like as ever. However Derbyshire County Council has confirmed to the Green Lane Association that the next phase will get underway ‘as soon as practicable’ and is expected to be completed by the end of July 2021 – assuming no unforeseen issues crop up. The lane remains closed, as it has been for several years since surface damage apparently caused live electricity cables buried underneath it to become exposed, but it will once again by available to all users as soon as the works are complete.

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01/06/2021 09:32

Byw thro final road

CALENDAR KEY

P Off-Road Playday

G Green Lane Convoy Tour

A Overseas Adventure Travel

S 4x4 Show

IMPORTANT: In the wake of the Covid crisis, most green laning and adventure travel companies have redrawn their calendars from scratch. As a result, some of the information on these pages will inevitably be out of date. In addition, some dates are for rearranged tours which had to be cancelled this year and which may already be full. Most operators are still prioritising existing clients over new business; some are yet to start accepting new bookings. While we do go to great lengths to ensure that our 4x4 Calendar is accurate and up to date, it is essential to check with the site, operator and/or organiser that events are still going ahead. Even without a pandemic to deal with, events are always prone to being rearranged, sometimes at very short notice, so this advice will always apply – we accept no liability for the consequences of any inaccuracies in this information.

12-13 June

26 June

10-24 July

24 July

G Protrax Wales

Adventure Tours G Green Shropshire / Herefordshire Off Road Centre A Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

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

12-27 June

A Ardventures Pyrenees 13 June 4x4 Without a Club P Aldermaston, Berkshire Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 P Rayleigh, Essex P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

26-27 June Off-Road Show S Billing Billing, Northamptonshire A Protrax Wiltshire

11 July Without a Club P 4x4 Aldermaston, Berks Rochford and District 4x4 P Essex, Rayleigh, Essex P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex Landrover Events G UKLincoln and Belvoir

24-25 July

G Protrax Wiltshire 25 July

A Landtreks Pyrenees

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 Events G UKDalesLandrover and Eden

3 July

15-16 July

27 July – 8 August

Adventures G Compass North Yorkshire

Events G UKPeakLandrover District

Landrover Events G UKCumbria and Yorkshire

A Landtreks Pyrenees Coast-to-Coast

19 June – 4 July

4 July

17 July

31 July – 14 August

Safari A Peru Jaguar Tracks Tour

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

Adventure Tours G Green Shropshire / Herefordshire

Overland A Atlas Italian Alps

17-18 July

31 July – 15 August

Overland G Atlas Wessex G Protrax Wales

World Overland A Lost Sardinia

27 June

Landrover Events G UKYorkshire Dales

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

19-20 June

16 June

20 June Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire

12-18 July

6 July

18 July

21-27 June

Events G UKTyneLandrover and Wear

A Landtreks French Pyrenees

9-23 July

Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Monsters P Mud East Grinstead, West Sussex Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire

21 June – 1 July

Adventure Tours A 4x4 Pyrenees

Overland A Atlas Corsica

9-24 July

22-23 June

G Protrax Wiltshire 18 | JULY 2021

Scene July 21.indd 18

A Ardventures Balkans

1 August 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire Wood P Picadilly Bolney, West Sussex

2-6 August 4x4 Adventures A Active Provence

19-28 July

7-8 August

4x4 Adventures A Active Alps

G Protrax Wales

4x4 01/06/2021 09:32

CALENDAR Landrover Events G UKWiltshire

24 August – 4 September

16-29 September

13-27 November

A Trailmasters Morocco

A Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

25 August

18 September – 2 October

21 November

G Lake District

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

26 August

21 September – 2 October

3-17 December

Events G UKTyneLandrover and Wear

A Corsica

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

28 August

23-24 September

5-24 March 2022

Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Events P UKNorthLandrover York Moors

Events G UKEdenLandrover and Tynedale

A Protrax Morocco

30 September – 13 October

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

G Protrax Wales

A Morocco

2-10 October

7-21 May 2022

29 August

A Pyrenees

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

3-16 October

11-25 May 2022

A Morocco Draa Valley

A Protrax Pyrenees

3-21 October

25 May – 8 June 2022

A Morocco

A Pyrenees

30 August

11-16 October

28 May – 11 June 2022

Hill’n’Ditch P Mouldsworth, Cheshire

A Landtreks Pyrenees

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

31 August – 12 September

15-31 October

18 June – 2 July 2022

A Landtreks Pyrenees

A Ardventures Morocco

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

16-25 August

11-12 September

16-30 October

9-23 July 2022

A

S Peterborough

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

11-19 September

17 October – 4 November

8-27 August 2022

Landrover Events A UKPyrenees

A Protrax Morocco

A Botswana

13-22 September

18 October – 1 November

20 August – 3 September 2022

4x4 Adventures A Active Southern France

4x4 Adventures A Active Sahara

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

13-27 September

25 October – 8 November

10-24 September 2022

Overland A Atlas Morocco

A Trailmasters Morocco Atlantic Sahara

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

15-29 September

29 October – 14 November

1-15 October 2022

A Pyrenees

A Ardventures Morocco

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

7-27 August

A Galicia

Ardventures

8 August

P Aldermaston, Berks Rochford and District 4x4 P Essex, Rayleigh, Essex P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex 4x4 Without a Club

10-24 August

A

Peru Safari Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

14 August

G UK Landrover Events G Eden District

Green Adventure Tours Shropshire / Herefordshire

15 August

P Yorkshire Dales Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent Frickley 4x4 P Frickley, South Yorkshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire Atlas Overland

16-22 August

A

Landtreks Pyrenees

Active 4x4 Adventures Pyrenees

20 August

G

UK Landrover Events Tynedale

21-22 August

G

Protrax Wiltshire

22 August

P Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

4x4 Scene July 21.indd 19

UK Landrover Events

28-29 August

Leisure P Cowm Whitworth, Lancashire 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Landrover Events P UKNorthumberland

LRO Show

Protrax

Landtreks

Atlas Overland

UK Landrover Events

Trailmasters

Protrax

British Land Rover Show S Great Stoneleigh, Warwickshire

Protrax

Peru Safari

Peru Safari

Active 4x4 Adventures

JULY 2021 | 19

01/06/2021 09:32

PRODUCTS

ARB unveils wide range of off-road equipment for new Isuzu D-Max – with more to come

A

s we reported last month, the new Isuzu D-Max is proving so popular that there’s already a hefty waiting list building up. If you’re planning on buying one to use as the base for a modified off-roader (inspired, perhaps, by our GO2 project), what this means is that by the time it arrives, you can have an strong inventory of parts ready and waiting to bolt on to it.

That’s because famed Australian off-road specialist ARB has wasted no time in bringing out a range of kit for the vehicle. This includes not one but two bull bars, as well

20 | JULY 2021

Scene July 21.indd 20

as a choice of options for fitting uprated suspension.

Starting with the latter, ARB’s Old Man Emu division has developed suspension lifts for the vehicle which it says also increase its load-carrying ability and ‘improve comfort, control and ride quality on all surfaces.’ Quite a boast, that – but this is a brand with rather a lot of previous when it comes to this kind of stuff, so you tend to think they’ve got it in them.

The lift you get is in the region of 40mm (a touch shy of two inches).

It’s available with a range of rear springs, with matching shocks and

greasable shackles and pins, to suit whatever load-carrying needs you expect the vehicle to have. Old Man Emu also uses an XL leaf to assist with fine-tuning the vehicle’s carrying capacity.

Up front, once again there’s a range of spring and shock combos to cater for your own particular setup. No small matter when a pick-up built as an off-road toy might be expected to carry fairly light weights in the back – while toting a winch and heavy-duty bumper up front.

On that subject, the basic design of ARB’s Summit and Commercial

bars has already been adapted for the new D-Max. The former is available for a range of models, providing massively enhanced protection up front as well as giving you somewhere solid to mount a winch. It doesn’t come with recovery points (ARB sells those separately), but it does have mounting holes for LED bars and CB whips.

The Commercial bar is a simpler unit which aims to provide all the strength for less money by doing away with some of the Summit’s cosmetic additions. Given that a good proportion of the price of

4x4 01/06/2021 09:33

PRODUCTS

ARB’s Summit Bull Bar (left) is a familiar sight on modified pick-ups the world over – and now you’re going to start seeing it on the new D-Max, too. The Commercial bar (above) is similarly styled, but it has a simpler construction and does away with a few cosmetic touches to make it more affordable. Either way, front towing points (right) need to be bought and fitted separately. The D-Max can also now be fitted with ARB’s Classic and Classic Plus canopies, and the company has several more models on the way too

items like these in the UK covers simply getting them here, however, these savings are less dramatic that they’d be back home in Oz – and since the customers we’re talking about are people who can afford to buy a new D-Max and start modding it fresh from the box, we’d think that the vast majority of interest from over here will be for the full-fat unit.

ARB has also revised its Classic and Classic Plus canopies to suit the D-Max, and confirmed that its existing Outback Solutions drawers and Tailgate Assist kit are compatible with the new vehicle. As you read this, the company is also working on rock sliders, wing bars, underbody protection, a heavy-duty

rear bumper and more canopy and bull bar options to add to the list, too, with projected arrival dates for all these items ‘early in 2021.’

There’s a great deal of ARB kit on our project D-Max, and we’ve also had it on previous vehicles from other manufacturers. And while a heavy-duty bull bar without recovery points might sound strange to British ears, this is top-notch kit built for the sort of environments us Poms can only dream of. It’s as cool as it is strong, and boy is it strong. To find out more about what ARB can do for your truck (whether it’s a new D-Max or anything else), UK importer Britpart is the place to go – you’ll find it at www.britpart.com.

SPECIALIST 4X4 VEHICLE DISMANTERS JEEP - LAND ROVER SPECIALIST 4X4 VEHICLE DISMANTERS AND MOST MAKES AND MODELS JEEP LAND ROVER QUALITY GUARANTEED USED PARTS AND MOST MAKES AND MODELS QUALITY GUARANTEED PARTS SOME OF THE VEHICLESUSED WE HAVE RECENTLY DISMANTLED: SOME OF THE VEHICLES WE HAVE RECENTLY DISMANTLED:

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2007 DODGE 2018 JEEP NITRO 2.8CRD 2007 Jeep RENEGADE 2007 DODGE Wrangler JK NITRO 2.8CRD

2014 RANGE 2016 2006 JEEP 2011 ISUZU ISUZU ROVER SPORT 4.4 D-MAX 2.5 DIESEL WRANGLER TJ RODEO 2005 Range Rover 2008 Toyota V8 DIESEL 2014 RANGE 2016 ISUZU Vogue Hilux ROVER SPORT 4.4 D-MAX 2.5 DIESEL V8 DIESEL

2016 RANGE 2008 NISSAN ROVER EVOQUE 2002 Jeep PATHFINDER 2.0 TD4 Grand 2016 RANGE Cherokee WJ ROVER EVOQUE 2.0 TD4

2014 2010 JEEP CHEROKEE MK5 MITSUBISHI L200 2009 Jeep Grand KL 2.0 MULTIJET 2014 JEEP CherokeeMK5 WK CHEROKEE KL 2.0 MULTIJET

JEEP 2007 LAND HONDA 20152010 RANGE 2012ROVER 2008 2013 TOYOTA CHEROKEE MK4 DISCOVERY 3 2.7 CRV 2.2 CDTI ROVER EVOQUE MITSUBISHI ASX HILUX 1998 Jeep 2008 Range 2015 Isuzu KK 2.8 CRD 2007 TDV6 2010 JEEP LAND ROVER 2008 HONDA Cherokee XJ Rover Sport D-Max CHEROKEE MK4 DISCOVERY 3 2.7 CRV 2.2 CDTI KK 2.8 CRD

TDV6

2006 NISSAN 2006 JEEP 2006 JEEP GRAND 2015 LAND 2004 JEEP CHEROKEE WK PATHFINDER 2.5 GRAND GRAND 5.7 V8 HEMI ROVER DCI 2018 Discovery 2015 Range 2006 NISSAN 2014 Jeep 2006 JEEP GRAND DISCOVERY CHEROKEE WK CHEROKEE WJ PATHFINDER 2.5 WK Evoque Sport CHEROKEE Rover Cherokee KL Charlton Recycled Auto Parts SPORT DCI 5.7 V8 HEMI Vehicle Recycling Centre, Gravel Pit Hill, Thriplow, Cambridge, SG8 7HZParts Charlton Recycled Auto Tel 01223Gravel 832656Pit Hill, Thriplow, Vehicle Recycling Centre, Email parts@charltonautoparts.co.uk Cambridge, SG8 7HZ PLEASE VISIT WWW.CHARLTONAUTOPARTS.CO.UK Tel 01223 832656 Email parts@charltonautoparts.co.uk PLEASE VISIT WWW.CHARLTONAUTOPARTS.CO.UK

4x4 Scene July 21.indd 21

JULY 2021 | 21

01/06/2021 09:54

PRODUCTS

Clarke Tiger 3000A: a power washer designed specifically for the sort of dirty vehicles you only get off-road

W

e all like getting muddy.

Some of us also like getting clean again afterwards. That’s one way in which we differ to our vehicles, because while they’re always very well up for a play, they always, always want a good clean once the fun is over.

Given that the fun can happen quite a long way from anywhere, a power

washer whose manufacturer describes it as being ‘ideal for remote locations such as off-road circuits and trails’ has got to be interesting.

So prepare to be interested in the Clarke Tiger 3000A. This is a petrol-powered washer with a 6.5hp engine and a maximum flow rate of eight litres per minute, giving it a 2900psi water jet at full chat. Weighing in at a businesslike sounding 35.1kg and measuring 540 x 630 x 840mm, it’s a big beast which comes with a protective steel frame and outsize wheels to make it easier to move.

One of the things about remote locations, of course, is that you tend not to find hoses there. So the Tiger 3000A comes with a suction hose and filter, allowing it to draw water from a butt. Or a river. The

VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONING SPECIALISTS

high-pressure output lance has a six-metre hose and an adjustable nozzle, giving you a choice of fan and pencil jets for dislodging mud from under your wheelarches and irrigating more sensitive areas – a full-frontal assault can bend the fins on your radiator or blow water past the seals in your axles or transmission, which is when the job becomes a whole new kind of dirty.

And you want your truck to get cleaner, not dirtier. But that’s good, because the Tiger 3000A also has an on-board detergent facility and, having been tailored specifically to the needs of the off-road world, it would be an ideal addition to any club inventory of off-road site.

Well, unless they already have one, obviously. It’s available from www. machinemart.co.uk.

01452 309983 07816 889905 • • • •

Parts Repairs Service 134a and 1234 yf gas

UNIT 2, LLANTHONY BUSINESS PARK, GLOUCESTER, GL2 5QT www.ac-automotive.co.uk 22 | JULY 2021

Scene July 21.indd 22

4x4 01/06/2021 09:36

PRODUCTS

APPROVED HILUX ACCESSORIES PROMISE OE QUALITY STANDARDS AND TAILOR-MADE COMPATIBILITY WITH INVINCIBLE AND INVINCIBLE X MODELS TOYOTA HAS INTRODUCED a range of officially approved accessories for the recently revised Hilux.

These include a number of tailored items for the Invincible and Invincible X models which are keyed in to these high-spec vehicles’ styling themes.

The Invincible look is based on chrome while the Invincible X goes with matt black, and each finish is available across a variety of items including an aluminium roll-top bed cover, sport bar and side bars with integrated steps. In each case, the accessories are available separately rather than in packs, allowing you to choose whichever items you want.

Toyota says all its accessories are tested for WLTP compliance and meet its OE quality standards – and to back this up, when purchased with a new vehicle they come with the same five-year/100,000-mile warranty. You can include them in your finance package, too.

4x4 Scene July 21.indd 23

JULY 2021 | 23

01/06/2021 09:36

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

1

28/01/2020

PRODUCTS

17:31

BIG BRAKING PERFORMANCE!

WITH PEDDERS TRAKRYDER EXTREME BRAKE KITS BRAKE KITS

ADJUSTABLE 4X4 SUSPENSION

C

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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.

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.

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www.rlgtyres.co.uk

24 | JULY 2021

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POWERFLEX OPENS UP ON GLOBAL FACTORS BEHIND INCREASED PRICES SOME COMPANIES ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS at communicating with their customers – especially when it’s about bad news. So we’ve got to tip our hats to Powerflex, whose main man David Power recently put out an impressively honest statement about the global supply issue that has forced the company to impose an 8% price rise across its entire UK range.

The issue relates to Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol (PTMEG), a chemical compound that’s part of the unique formula Powerflex uses in its suspension bushes. Something like 99% of global demand for the compound is used by the textile industry in making lycra, but a small number of businesses also use it in making polyurethane. ’It gives us the superior properties that we need,’ says David. ‘This is a blend of polyurethane we have developed over many years.

‘The UK company that blends our raw material has contacted us to say that in the last four weeks, there has been a 500% price increase in this compound due to huge global shortages of it. Our supplier has asked that we help them by committing to buying a year’s worth of PTMEG to enable them to continue to supply our polyurethane – however they have had to increase the price of what they supply to us by 54%.

‘We have already absorbed up to a 25% price increase in stainless steel this year, plus increased operating costs last year due to the ongoing fall out post-Brexit coupled with Covid, the Suez Canal blockage and any other excuse that can be thrown our way.

‘Polyurethane is only one component of our costs but it is a significant one and therefore, regrettably, we have no choice but to increase our retail prices.’

For customers in Europe, Powerflex has also increased its exchange rate from 1.15 to 1.18 EUR per pound. This is to compensate for fluctuating exchange rates, increased shipping costs and new customs fees imposed as a result of Brexit.

‘While this is something that we are very loath to do,’ says David, ‘please bear in mind that this is the first price increase we have had since 2018.’

Powerflex remains a major name in the world of polyurethane bushes, and the company’s range includes products for an eye-opening range of SUVs and off-road vehicles. It has fitments for classic models, too, as well as its Black Series range for hardcore performance use – and even after an 8% price rise, fitting one of its kits is a smart investment in your vehicle. You’ll find it all at www.powerflex.co.uk.

4x4 01/06/2021 09:36

Land Rover Defender Upgrades & Accessories

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REPLACEMENT SEAT COVERS

Untitled-1 1

01/03/2021 16:21:57

DRIVEN

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

All-new seven-seat SUV joins Toyota’s UK range for the first time to offer something bigger than the RAV4 and less off-road orientated than the Landcruiser ON TEST Toyota Highlander Excel Premium

A

year ago, Toyota blindsided us somewhat when it announced that the Highlander would be coming to Britain for the first time. For many years, the company’s 4x4 line-up has seen the RAV4

26 | JULY 2021

4pp Highlander.indd 26

looking after the medium sector while the Landcruiser competes for bigger-money sales – so this seven-seat newcomer represents a bit of a sea change in the way the company organises its 4x4 range in the UK.

On the face of it, the Highlander has more in common with the RAV4 than the Landcruiser. It’s based on the same GA-K platform and has a similar hybrid powertrain combining a 2.5-litre petrol engine with two electric motors. This in turn gives it four-wheel drive, and there’s a Trail drive mode to help you make the most of it, but another similarity to the RAV4 is that the Highlander doesn’t have low range. So, while it’s not devoid of green lane ability, it’s more of a soft-roader than the similarly sized Landcruiser.

Similarly sized? Actually, the Highlander is 4950mm long – which gives it the same sort of proportions as the monstrous old 200-Series Landcruiser V8 that was withdrawn from the UK in 2015.

Toyota has never replaced that vehicle here, instead continuing to offer the smaller Landcruiser as its more upmarket SUV. Being a traditional off-road vehicle, this is a bit of a niche player in Britain; it will remain on sale here, but the Highlander is Toyota’s attempt to square up to competitors like the Land Rover Discovery, VW Touareg and Volvo XC90.

The range contains just two models; the Excel, which is priced at £50,610, and the Excel Premium, at £52,590. These prices make it quite difficult to see the Highlander in terms of like-for-like competitors; it kind of hovers between vehicles like the Kia Sorento and SsangYong Rexton at a lower price point, and more premium models like the

4x4 29/05/2021 16:19

Toyota makes a big deal of all the stowage areas in the Highlander’s cabin, and it’s right to do so. The cubby box is immense, and the trays you see above the glovebox and below the media console are genuinely useful. The slot in front of the transmission shifter is perfectly sized to take a modern smartphone, too. As you’d expect from Toyota, build quality is extremely good, with the bare minimum of creaks or movement from the fixtures and fittings, and the standard of materials and switchgear is similarly high Land Rover Discovery, Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90. Perhaps its most direct rival, at least price-wise, is the Volkswagen Touareg, whose lowerspec models cost roughly the same as the new Toyota.

It’s a different proposition in a lot of ways, though. In fact, it stands out in one very significant way. While the whole industry scrambles towards a plug-in future, the Highlander is a conventional hybrid. It charges its own batteries as you drive, meaning it quotes fuel

economy figures of 39.2-39.9mpg – and, at an average of 35.1mpg in our hands, comes close to actually achieving them.

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY The first thing you notice when you climb aboard the Highlander is the sheer amount of equipment it has.

This is saying something, because normally you’d get into a car with

these proportions and all you’d see is how incredibly spacious it is.

Safe to say, it gives you a lot.

A lot of space, and a lot of kit – heated and cooled leather seats, heated wheel, inductive charging, surround-view camera, pan roof, electric tailgate, 20” alloys, rear climate, camera-view rear-view mirror, all the infotainment and safety stuff… it’s absolutely loaded and, importantly, it’s done to the standard you expect from Toyota.

A kitchen-sink spec list can hide a

multitude of sins, but here it just highlights the formidable quality you’re dealing with.

There’s a mighty overall feeling of solidity throughout the vehicle, and this is backed up by the materials from which the cabin is made. Some of the plastics on the doors and lower dash are hard and scratchy (though these feel dense and stout, not brittle), but everything you’re meant to touch strikes an excellent balance between robustness and tactility.

The front seats are very spacious and the second row slides back and forth through a huge range, allowing almost limo-like legroom for four tall adults at once. You don’t need to give away much for the third row to be suitable for adults, too – it’s a true seven-seater

4x4 4pp Highlander.indd 27

JULY 2021 | 27

29/05/2021 16:19

DRIVEN

The third row of seats drop flat to the floor to create what is already a huge boot when running in five-seat mode. That’s to be expected in a vehicle of this size, but what’s really impressive is that the second row drops as good as flat too – at which point, the luggage area becomes absolutely enormous. The hatch is a little narrow at the top, but the rear lip is nice and low, so it’s a top-quality cargo carrier The switchgear is positive and the seat leather is supple enough without feeling like a scuff waiting to happen.

The seats themselves provide an excellent view ahead, over a bonnet whose shape mimics that of the current Landcruiser. Side visibility is good, too, despite a fairly high waistline, and there’s a decent bit of glass between the C and D posts – though any time you’re going to want to see over your shoulder, there’ll be something on the media screen to save you having to crane.

The media system does what it’s meant to without being a surpriseand-delight feature like, for example, the Touareg’s. It’s quick and easy to operate, with decent graphics and a crisp display which also gives you an excellent picture when it goes into reversing camera mode.

You do get an impressive dose of surprise and delight, however,

from the Highlander’s general levels of practicality. When it was first announced for the UK, Toyota promised excellent oddment stowage – which is not something manufacturers tend to make that big a deal of when launching a new car, but it really is very impressive indeed. The star of the show here is a vast cubby box whose unconventional sliding lid opens to reveal a flip-up charging pad and, below it, a cavernous space for whatever bits and pieces you might have on board.

The glovebox and door pockets are average by contrast, but there’s also a deep bin at the front of the floor console, a phone slot above it in the facia and a tray along the passenger’s side of the upper dash.

How much of it you’d ever actually use is open to question, but safe to say there’s no excuse for letting it get untidy.

Things get even more generous when you start carrying passengers.

The rear seats slide through an unusually huge range, meaning you can sit one six-footer behind another with both getting to enjoy limo-like legroom. Head and elbow room are highly impressive, too.

If the front two rows yield a little, accommodating a full complement of seven tall adults is entirely achievable. Those in the third row would need to hunch a little, so you might not want to spend hour after hour in there, but this is a proper seven-seater, not a 5+2 whose rear is only for kids.

To carry luggage, the third row folds flat to the floor to give you a pretty mighty boot. Still not enough?

Impressively, the second row drops flush as well, creating a massive load space that’s easy to load and capable of carrying enormous amounts of cargo. The tailgate

aperture isn’t the widest, but a nice low floor means getting stuff aboard is no problem.

DRIVING When we listened back to the notes we made on our dictaphone while testing the Highlander, we found that the word ‘natural’ cropped up about half a dozen times. And it describes the vehicle well. It’s very, very easy to drive; you don’t tend to feel engaged by it, but you don’t ever feel put off either.

A commanding driving position is a good starting point, and the seats’ support and adjustability means you can stay relaxed for hour after hour. Motorway journeys are a cinch, with a lovely, smooth ride and nothing more than a background swoosh of road noise. It might not be a Landcruiser, but it’s a very good road cruiser.

Somewhat unusually in this day and age, the Highlander is a traditional hybrid rather than a plug-in. Its 2.5-litre petrol engine is mated to two electric motors, giving it 244bhp, 465lbf.ft and four-wheel drive.

It defaults to EV mode whenever possible, in particular around town; when the engine does kick in, you hear it a bit but in terms of power delivery it’s completely seamless

28 | JULY 2021

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4x4 29/05/2021 16:19

The Highlander’s cabin is excellent in general, with loads of clever stowage opportunities up front and a slick, premium looking layout.

One of our few criticisms might be that the infotainment screen is rather small compared to what some other SUVs offer, however its graphics are crisp and the system works well. The seats are big and comfortable, and trimmed in a leather that looks and feels good

Perhaps more surprisingly, the Highlander is also surprisingly agile. At A and B-road speeds, its steering is sporty without being over eager, turning in positively then giving you enough feedback to stay engaged all the way through.

The front suspension crouches as it loads up, then a combination of all-wheel drive and well set damping takes over to prevent it from getting loose, even when the tyres are howling. The back end stays stable all the way; considering it’s such a big vehicle, you’ve got to admire its body control. It’s not trying to be a sports car, but it’s more enjoyable to drive than you’re likely to expect.

This doesn’t come at the expense of ride quality, which remains good on all surfaces and at all speeds. The sort of antics we’ve just described are every bit as entertaining on a crummy road surface as a smooth new one – in particular, we found that the Highlander is astonishingly good at dealing with corrugations in the road surface.

This all translates into a very assured performance around town, where the inevitable bumps in the road are very quiet and muted.

Between this and the near-silence of the drivetrain in typical operation – it’s very quick to default back to EV mode whenever it can – urban driving can feel more like you’re gliding above the ground. When you consider that this is happening with just the low-profile rubber on a 20” standard wheel size to cushion the impacts, it becomes more impressive still.

Here, too, the steering feels pleasingly natural. It weights up with enough feel to keep you involved at higher speeds, but doesn’t become a chore when you’re bimbling around town either.

You need to kick it pretty hard to provoke the petrol engine into life; when it happens, it does so with a bit of noise, but in terms of power delivery it’s completely seamless.

Off-road, the Highlander is made for unmade tracks rather than fullon terrain. It may be the same size as the lovely old 200-Series, but it’s a very different beast.

With Trail Mode engaged, however, its drivetrain leans more heavily on the rear axle to help mimic a traditional four-wheel drive system, and the traction control is remapped to detect wheelspin at lower thresholds. The sensitivity of the gas pedal is amended, too, to make the vehicle easier to control smoothly at lower speeds.

The results are, well, hard to spot, because the Highlander just gets on with it. Engaging Trail Mode also adjusts the settings in the gearbox, and while this doesn’t make up for not having low range to call upon it does help make the vehicle easy to drive in any kind of appropriate offroad situation. It grips confidently

and handles with composure, whether you’re sloshing through wet mud or pushing on a bit over loose cinders and gravel. It may be without all the hardware we’ve come to expect in a big Toyota 4x4, but the limits are very much set by its bodywork so truth to tell, it’s just as good without it.

★★★★★

Toyota Highlander A true all-rounder and a rock-solid family SUV, Toyota’s new seven-seater is strong in every area The Highlander is a practicality monster and a remarkably capable all-rounder on the road. It’s very generously equipped and robustly made, and its purchase and running costs tell a pretty compelling story. It does everything well and most things very well – it’s come very late to Britain, but Toyota has the makings of a new family car hero on its hands

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DRIVEN

FIAT PANDA CROSS 4X4 The effortlessly charming little off-road giant-killer continued its domination in the Crossovers class of our 4x4 of the Year awards this year. After so long in production, how does Fiat manage it?

THE PANDA CROSS 4X4 won its class in this year’s 4x4 of the Year awards – not that that should come as any surprise, because it seems to have been doing that forever.

So here’s the question. Why? What is it about the Panda Cross that makes it so eternally likeable?

Normally, this is a question we’d answer by talking about character.

That’s no small matter, obviously –

it’s what made the old Land Rover Defender so popular, and the same would have gone for the Suzuki Jimny if only you’d been able to buy one.

The Panda is a different kind of off-roader to either of these, in that it has all-independent suspension and a single range of gears. It exists because in rural and mountainous parts of Europe, there has traditionally been a genuine need for small, economical vehicles that can cope with unmade roads and tracks. People who live in these areas need everyday cars

with a bit more traction and ground clearance but that’s as far as it goes – it’s simply for being able to get about, not for show or for fun, and they certainly don’t want the extra cost of buying and running a fully fledged off-roader.

Hence vehicles like the original Panda 4x4, which just like the Defender was good at its job but started to catch on as a car for enthusiasts too. Fiat got the idea a decade or so back and, alongside a more modest all-wheel-drive Panda, introduced a funked-up version with the looks to go with its ability – and it’s been part of the range ever since. There’s also a City Cross, which has the same sort of looks

but only has front-wheel drive, so they’re catering for urban warriors too – but obviously, we’re only interested in the real thing here.

You used to be able to get it in diesel form, which was great, but the current Panda Cross 4x4 is available only with an 875cc two-cylinder petrol unit. That doesn’t sound ever so promising, but with the aid of a turbocharger it puts out 90bhp at 5500rpm and 107lbf.ft at 1900rpm – and it does it while making a wonderfully raspy, rorty noise that can’t help but put a smile on your face.

The figures say the Panda takes 12.7 seconds to get from 0-62mph, but it feels far, far livelier than that.

In particular, with a kerb weight of

Lower body cladding and big skid plates are common parlance among urban crossovers, but on the Panda Cross they’re a case of form following function. It might be aware of its style, but it’s a proper little off-road machine too. Those 185/65R15 M+S tyres will only get so far in ruts, but in real-world conditions they do an excellent job of cutting through the wet stuff in search of grip

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The Panda’s cabin is neat and well laid out, making the most of what space is available. It’s well put together and quite generously equipped, with an infotainment system that’s designed to operate from your smartphone. The seat trim is peculiar to this model – it definitely stands out… just 1165kg to shift the engine’s torque makes it really nippy around town, with positive in-gear acceleration that means you rarely have to dig deep into the six-speed manual gearbox. Not that it’s a chore to do so, because the gearchange and clutch action alike are slick, smooth and light – though also full of feel.

It does get a bit breathless at higher speeds. The Panda wasn’t made with motorways in mind – it’s not a bad cruiser by any means, and nor is it out of its depth on faster A and B-roads, though its engine and spread of gears were clearly designed to excel elsewhere. Another similarity to the Defender, then…

On twisty roads, on the other hand, it’s very different. Here, it’s

an absolute blast. With a snicky gearbox and an engine that loves to rev, you can have a blat-blat-blat experience – and the combination of small size, low power and fourwheel drive means you can have it in the sort of conditions where a more overtly sporty vehicle would feel like a handful. So, while matey in his Porsche or MX5 would leave you behind over a sweeping moor-top road, he’ll be in a ragged panic trying to keep it tidy through a series of square lefts and rights while you’re taking them flat out, gripping like a leech and leaning this way and that while laughing at the top of your voice. People who take performance seriously and go on about apexes to anyone who’ll listen won’t get it at

all – it’s hilarious fun, and at the sort of speeds which mean fun doesn’t have to be antisocial.

It’s also a lot of fun off-road. The Panda’s four-wheel drive system was designed for getting about sure-footedly on snowy or muddy roads, but it’s capable of a lot more than that. There’s a three-position Terrain Control dial with Auto, OffRoad and Hill Descent positions, but even without this its torque and traction, aided by a locking centre diff, will get it through most things.

Obviously, a 185/65R15 M+S tyre is only going to get you so far in ruts It’s nice and lean, though, so the Panda can dig its way through a sloshy top surface to find the grippy stuff below – so as long as you steer clear of bottomless mud, or terrain that’s simply too much for its ground clearance, you’ll probably keep moving.

Light weight helps here (it’s the holy grail of off-road design in general, in fact, though you wouldn’t think it to look at some of the monsters you see being heaved out to do the job), and it allows the Panda to be really sure-footed over surprisingly rough terrain. Its small size makes it exceptionally manoeuvrable, too – aided, if you wish, by the City Mode which boosts the assistance to give it feather-light steering.

The fact that this is called City Mode, as opposed to RTV Mode, is a reminder of what the Panda is all about at heart. But unlike most crossovers, the Cross’ butch looks are more than just for show. Its lower body cladding and hefty front and rear skid plates are there to do a job of work – no-one’s denying that they’re also very cool, but that’s form following function rather than the other way round. And sure enough, there’s another similarity to the Defender of old.

These continue when you climb inside the cabin, at least in terms of space, because inevitably it’s in pretty short supply – the back seats are okay for kids, but sit one adult behind another and one or both

You can’t fit a quart into a pint pot, and you can’t fit four tall adults into a Panda. Not unless at least two of them are willing to endure a pretty cramped time of it, at least. The tailgate aperture is enormous, allowing you to load big items – if only the rear seats folded flush to the floor, what a stuff-shifter it would be. Van conversion, anyone…?

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DRIVEN

The 875cc TwinAir petrol engine loves to rev and is also amazingly torquey at low speeds. Mated to a slick six-speed manual box, it makes the Panda Cross a pleasure to drive – and a willing partner in crime when you want it to be, too. There’s a drive mode dial with off-road and hill descent positions, which no doubt help – though even without these, its basic engineering gives it no shortage off ability in surprisingly rough terrain

of them are going to find it pretty cramped. Unlike the old Defender, however, what space there is is as well used as you can hope to expect, with a decent driving position and a no-nonsense boot space. Fiat could have spent millions on developing a more elegant system for the rear

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seats instead of the very basic dropdown arrangement that yields what is a rather clunky cargo space, but would that be worth the extra retail cost? Nothing is left to chance in the motor industry, so they obviously asked the question and decided that no, it’s not.

Another difference to the old Defender is that up front, the dash

is well laid out and nice to look at.

It’s trimmed in decent materials, too, with stout switchgear and a good media system featuring a cradle to hold your smartphone, and it comes with a range of safety kit as well as climate control as standard.

So it should, you might say, at £18,125. That’s £4000 more than the aforementioned City Cross, so

you’re paying strong money for the off-road ability you get. Having said that, when you look at how little even twice as much money can buy you if you shop unwisely, the Panda Cross is a sound looking buy. It’s a very cool city car, it’s a giant-killer off-road and it’s a load of fun everywhere. And, to answer the question we asked up top, that is why.

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MODERN CLASSIC

A Land Rover Defender that’s yet to reach its tenth birthday might not sound like the most likely candidate for a Heritage-inspired restoration. But this 2.4 TDCi Puma 110 was in need of some love – and what it got was one of the most creative builds you’ll ever see Words: Harry Hamm Pictures: Vic Peel

T

here’s a bit of a split in the contemporary Land Rover modding scene.

Everyday punters tend to start with tired old 90s and 110s and give them back their old sparkle (plus, more often than not, a load more on top). The loadsamoney customising houses, meanwhile, tend to like Pumas as they’re newer and, no doubt, because it’s easier

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to take a hundred grand off someone if the car you’re selling them actually has a dashboard.

Adam Lilley is not a customising house. But he’s not your everyday punter, either.

‘I have been a Land Rover enthusiast since as long as I can remember,’ he says. ‘Growing up in the Norfolk countryside, I was always surrounded by these vehicles.

4x4 6pp Lilley.indd 37

‘I got my first 90 on my 18th birthday. It was an absolute rust bucket with no engine, so I set about a galvanised chassis swap and installing a 200Tdi engine. I built it with my great uncle and will never let this vehicle go!’

As well as an extremely cool Land Rover, something else Adam got out of this formative experience was an invaluable bank of skills and

knowledge. And he’s been putting them to good use ever since.

‘My next Landy was a MOD 90 and Sankey trailer,’ he continues. ‘This started life as a hard-top but after repairing the usual rust spots, I sprayed it NATO green and converted it to a soft-top. My father was very surprised when I presented the finished vehicle to him on his 60th birthday!’

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Inspired by a picture of a white Series III with a beige canvas hood, Adam decided to use the same colour scheme on his 110. Galvanised body cappings added to the classic image – and in addition to the grille, he added Heritage-style badging to complete the look Pausing only to make a mental note to try and bring up our children just like Adam, especially the bit about giving Land Rovers to their dads, we move on to the 110 on these pages. It’s a 2.4 TDCi dating from 2011, and it’s got a nicely modest 74,000 miles on the clock.

But that’s not what you’re looking at. This is a vehicle any of the custom houses would be proud

to create – but few of them would be capable of matching. We don’t say that because of the standard to which it’s been built (which is very high, but they should all be capable of that) but because of the lightness of touch that’s gone in to its creation.

For just about every bit you can see on a Defender, there’s a blingy replacement. This makes it

all too easy to over-spec them, creating something that assaults your eyes from all directions and ends up as everything and nothing. Adam’s 110 is not like that.

‘I was inspired by an image I saw of a white Series III with a beige soft top,’ he explains. ‘I thought it would be cool to recreate this classic style juxtaposed with a modern Defender.

‘I was inspired by an image of a white Series III with a beige soft-top. I thought it would be cool to recreate this classic style on a modern Defender’

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W W W. T I M F RY L A N D R OV E R S . C O. U K parts@timfrylandrovers.co.uk | service@timfrylandrovers.co.uk | sales@timfrylandrovers.co.uk | salvage@timfrylandrovers.co.uk

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‘I also took inspiration from the final Land Rover Heritage editions and sourced a Heritage grille and badges to give it a special vintage feel.’

But it wasn’t always like this. ‘When I found the 110, it really deserved a new lease of life. It was a solid and dependable work truck with a great service history, but it looked terrible. It had been hand-painted in black, had work lights fitted all over it and was covered in reflective tape!’

The 110 had been white prior to being turned into such an abomination, so Adam resolved to take it back to where it began. And this fitted in very nicely with his vision for the project, too.

‘I purchased the vehicle with a plan to rebuild it to the highest standard,’ he says of his mission to rescue the vehicle. ‘I wanted to restore it to its former glory, while also adding some truly bespoke features that would really test my design and fabrication abilities, in order to create a complete unique one-off vehicle.’

Mechanically, the Defender is largely as it always was. Adam added Terrafirma Adventurer springs and shocks and renewed the brake pads and discs, as well as giving it a good general service and check-over, but this one is all about what’s up top and in the cabin.

In particular, Adam got together with a local fabricator to design a heavy-duty galvanised hood frame. This provides a home for the beige softtop – as well as leaving plenty of space for the 110’s undisputed party piece.

This is its seating arrangement – with two forward-facing rows lining up behind the driver and passenger to make it a genuine six-seater. Adam used Exmoor Trim seats, which he sourced second-hand and mounted using his own bespoke hardware. Even the belts were chosen to sit tidily when the seats are not in use, rather than lying around all over the floor the way the

Black and beige leather seats and a colour-cided facia panel are just the beginning for the 110’s interior. The rear has a unique wooden floor, and just look at those belt parks – more tidily positioned than you’ll ever have seen on a Defender before, and they point to a totally one-of-a-kind seating arrangement with three forward-facing rows of two

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When I found the 110, it really deserved a new lease of life. It was a solid and dependable work truck with a great service history, but it looked terrible.

It had been hand-painted in black, had work lights all over it and was covered in reflective tape!’

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originals tend to. The installation is nothing short of superb, both in the way it looks and the way it operates – it’s one of those things a professional outfit probably couldn’t risk selling because of the amount of hoops you’d have to jump through, but Adam has absolutely nailed it.

The seats themselves are fetchingly trimmed in black and beige leather with contrasting stitching, a look that’s carried through to the front – where the facia trim and cubby box are also colour-coded to the overall theme. So too is the rear door card, and there’s a custom wooden floor beneath those two rows of seats – but that’s as far as it goes. Adam did also instal a new Pioneer stereo, if that counts, however with the big stuff taken care of so effectively there was no need to tart it up with details.

The same can be said about the outside of the vehicle. Adam had the panels professionally resprayed and anything that can be galvanised was galvanised, but he resisted the temptation (and it was there, he admits) to throw on a garish set of alloys. Instead, he sourced a set of genuine

6pp Lilley.indd 43

Wolf steel rims and had them colour-coded to the vehicle’s bodywork – something which fits in perfectly with its Heritage theme.

And talking of that, on went a brand new Heritage style grille, along with Heritage Limited Edition aluminium badging. As finishing touches go, you’ll be doing well to beat that.

What works so well about this 110 is that it’s not overdone. Of course, it’s handy if you can start with a low-mileage Puma that’s been really well looked after, so you can concentrate on the fun stuff rather than having to get in among the oily bits and spend all your budget on things no-

one will ever see – but even then, we’ve all seen resto-modded Defenders that look like the waiting area in a Vegas brothel.

Adam’s proves that you don’t need to go that far. ‘Less is more’ is a monster of a cliché, and it’s often completely wrong, but too much is always too much. Start with a vision and you’ll end with, well, a vision.

And that’s exactly what this 110 is. Supremely conceived, skilfully executed and an absolute joy to look at. If you see a better one than this, buy it.

Or better still, pretend you’re Adam and I’m your dad, and buy it for me.

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LIFE’S A BEACH… Jeep’s recently unveiled Jeepster Beach concept is a hybrid combining a classic body

Words: Kaziyoshi Sasazaki Pictures: Jeep 44 | JULY 2021

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with modern underpinnings – and a barrel-load of retro chic in the way it’s presented

I

n 1966, Kaiser Jeep was ticking along nicely.

Its range of CJ3B, CJ5 and CJ6 models, as well as Forward Control work trucks and the Wagoneer station wagon, was selling well and its customers were happy.

But the company’s executives were feeling uneasy. Somewhere between the CJ6 and Wagoneer, there was a gap in the market for a smaller 4x4 passenger car – and it was being filled by the Ford Bronco.

Jeep decided to act by dipping into its own history book (yes, it already had a history book, even then). Some 18 years previously, under the ownership of Willys-Overland, it had created the Jeepster, a high-spec crossover designed solely for road use, and the company looked to the same name for what was to be an all-new model.

The Jeepster Commando was based on a 101” chassis and offered in station wagon, pick-up, roadster and convertible form. Powered by a choice of 2.2-litre straight-four and 3.7-litre V6 petrol engines, it sold more than 55,000 units before being replaced by a larger model in 1971.

The range was wide and included plenty of commonsense grown-up options, but the Jeepster was a vehicle with youth appeal writ large in its DNA. The classic image is of a couple of cool guys or gals soaking up the sun, and the attention, by the seaside in an eye-catching truck with no roof – and that’s exactly what Jeep is going for with the Jeepster Beach, a 1968 original which

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The interior is trimmed in a cheeky combination of leather and bedliner, all of it carefully colour-coordinated in a deep red. It goes well with the chrome of the body cappings, roll bar and cargo sliders, and makes an eye-catching contrast against the white feature panel and surf-inspired sticker-bombing on the dash has been restified completely into a modern concept vehicle.

Called the Jeepster Beach, it’s essentially a hybrid. Underneath the bodywork that gives it its retro look, it’s a current Wrangler Rubicon. Hence the outsize wheels and 35” tyres, which make it a Jeepster with a whole new sense of purpose.

Given the the original vehicle was powered in entry-level form by a four-pot engine, it’s appropriate that Jeep based the concept on a version of the Wrangler with the familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. This has been retuned from what we get in showroom vehicles, however, we deliver 340bhp and 369lbf.ft.

Also quite appropriate is the presence of an automatic gearbox, as the Jeepster was the first small 4x4 to offer this option. Not that the hightech eight-speeder in the concept vehicle bears much in the way of similarities to the unit they used back then, obviously…

3pp Jeepster Beach.indd 46

Behind the auto box is a part-time, two-speed transfer case with 4:1 ratio gearing to help turn the big 35” tyres. The original had four-wheel drive as standard but it’s low-profile, whitewall rubber made it clear that Jeep wasn’t expecting people to take them very far on to the trails.

Neither did their lustrous paintwork and chrome bumpers, however these are very much present on the Jeepster Beach. ‘The exterior fuses original chrome trim with an updated, brightly coloured two-tone paint scheme of Hazy IPA and Zinc Oxide,’ says Jeep, and the results are very dramatic indeed.

On the inside, it definitely helps if you like red leather. The seats, dash, doors, floor console and steering wheel are all trimmed in the stuff, and the theme also continues into the back where the floor and wheelarch blisters appear to have been sprayed in a colour-matched bedliner. It contrasts very nicely with the smooth chrome of

a body-mounted roll bar, and the same material highlights the body cappings – while up front, a white feature panel across the dash has been sticker-bombed in surfing-related material. There are no carpets, meanwhile, to make it easier to clear out sand.

‘Jeepster Commandos were made for fun in the sun,’ says Jeep, ‘and this ultimate beachthemed cruiser continues that tradition by embodying a spirited, carefree attitude. While the Jeepster Beach maintains the outward appearance of a vintage Jeepster, it commands peak performance both on and off-road delivered by the modern-day Jeep Wrangler.’

It’s definitely an appealing combination. You’d very much like to imagine that if Jeep was to develop a modern-day Jeepster as a showroom vehicle, the result would end up looking a lot like this… and if they did just that, who among us could possibly resist wanting one?

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ARB are the first to break cover with their accessories for the new Jimny SO WHO HAD ARB in the firstnew-Jimny-mods sweepstake, then? The Australian 4x4 accessories giant has unveiled its Project JBOX demo vehicle, sporting a range of off-road items which, while they are all still prototypes at this point in time, will become available to buy in the near future.

Suzuki’s Australian importer worked with ARB by giving the company’s engineers access to a pre-launch vehicle, allowing them to start work early on developing a range of all-new and adapted accessories. In addition, ARB was able to test-fit existing products to confirm they would work on the new vehicle – and the great news for Jimny fans looking to build a serious off-roader is that these include the legendary Air-Locker.

Among the new products ARB has developed for the Jimny is the smallest ever version of its Summit bull bar. This will come complete with a winch mount, which on Project JBOX has been used to house an 8000lb Warn Magnum.

Underneath the vehicle is a new suspension system. ARB doesn’t quote the size of the lift it gives the Jimny, apart from to say it’s ‘suitable for a set of new muddies and improved off road ability’ – which could of course mean anything. Safe to assume, however, that it’ll be in the usual commercial range, which means it can be expected to be in the region of two inches.

Further metalwork will come in the shape of steel rock sliders and a tubular roof rack. You’d need to be doing pretty extreme stuff with a Jimny to put its sills at risk, especially after lifting its suspension, but for any sort of long-range travel a roof rack would certainly be a must-have way of overcoming the limited luggage space that’s an inevitable consequence of the vehicle’s small size – or putting the little Suzi to work.

With this and the bull bar adorned with LED lighting, some underbody protection bolted on and a gear reduction transfer case mod to take care of the bigger tyres you’ll surely want, ARB is already well on the way to being able to kit out a new generation of super-Jimnys. How long before it all becomes available to buy? We don’t yet know – but it’s surely shorter than the waiting list Are you crazy about Defenders? Dotty about Discos? Does the sight of a classic Series for an actual vehicle. To keep tabs on progress, visit www.arb.com.au.

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03/03/2019 03/07/2017 12:41 17:08

A cruise back in t

The 40-Series Toyota Landcruiser never came to Britain as an official import, but it’s a cult vehicle in the 4x4 world. This one was recently brought here to be restored – and having been given a jaunty new look to make the most of its classic off-road image, it’s ready to become a heirloom vehicle Words and Pictures: Dan Fenn 48 | JULY 2021

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time C

lassic 4x4s have a bad habit of looking beautiful but being so basic they put you right off. The best of them, though, manage to be every bit as elegant to drive as they are to look at.

We’re not talking about the kind of classic that’s been restified beyond all recognition into a latter-day luxury wagon here. Those are lovely in their own way, but this is all about originals – vehicles that put a smile on your face every time you climb aboard simply because of what they are and always have been.

The 40-Series Toyota Landcruiser is a perfect example of this. It’s a huge rarity in Britain, on account of never having been brought here officially; people have said in the past that if it had been, there’s a pretty good chance that Land Rover wouldn’t still exist. Perhaps Toyota’s UK importer back then decided that given us Brits’ willingness to favour literally anything with a Union Jack on it over anything from another country, especially if we’ve had a war with that country anytime in the last couple of centuries, the Landcruiser deserved better – either way, they’ve only ever come here as one-off imports.

Not that it would have been plain sailing if the 40-Series had been brought to the UK in big numbers. That happened in the US and they proved capable of rusting even in so-called dry states over there, so our cold, wet environment of mud and road salt hardly sounds like a recipe for a long and happy life.

Maybe that’s one reason why people in Britain tend to be quite starry-eyed about the 40-Series. Even when they wouldn’t touch a Series III Land Rover or CJ Jeep, they’ll still look at an old Landcruiser and make the sort of noises old ladies generate instinctively in the supermarket when they see a young mum with a baby.

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Thing is, though, the 40-Series is absolutely beautiful. Possibly, and this is of course, subjective, in a way that the Series III and CJ7 never were. Subjective, but just LOOK at it. What’s not to love?

This particular FJ40 is a late one, having been made in 1983 (production began in 1960 and was wound up in 1984 when the 70-Series came in to replace it). It’s powered by Toyota’s 2F engine, a 4.2-litre straight-six unit developing a quoted 135bhp and 200lbf.ft when new, and had covered about 47,000 miles when it was brought to Britain to be given a new lease of life.

The vehicle, which is currently on the inventory at Winchester Auto Barn, is described as a ‘dry state import’. Its steering wheel is on the right, which is handy, so we suspect that the dry state in question might have been the kind where blokes say ‘strewth’ and ‘cobber’ while dodging kangaroos (and getting hit by crass cliches, evidently…)

Like the truck itself, the 2F engine is a lovely old thing. It started as just the F, a 3.9-litre unit which can trace its history all the way back to 1948; in 1975, just as Queen were busy in the studio recording Bohemian Rhapsody, it was bored from 3.5” to 3.7”, increasing its displacement from

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Toyota’s 2F engine was a relative spring chicken, having only been launched in 1975, though the older F unit it’s based on first saw the light of day in 1948. Displacing 4230cc, it produces 135bhp and 200lbf.ft. This example has covered a mere 47,000 miles in the 37 years since it first saw the light of day; the engine is considered to be good for 300,000 miles if it’s looked after properly, so at that rate it should be ready for reconditioning in about 200 years’ time. That’ll be an investment, then…

3878cc to 4230cc. This gave it an extra 10bhp while retaining the wonderfully doughty truck-like nature for which it remains famous today. Six-pot engines are often known for being fragile in the head gasket department, but a well maintained 2F will go on forever – quarter of a million miles is no problem at all and, as is common for Landcruisers of all ages, they frequently go on a lot further than that without needing any major work.

Sure enough, the engine in this one was as it should be after so few miles with nothing in the way of smoke or oil leaks. It got a new set of spark plugs and now it runs like the well oiled machine it is. It had been sitting for a while when we drove it and the clutch wanted bleeding, so

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getting it into gear was a bid of a trial, however there was nothing sinister in this and once up and running from a very cold start, the big six-pot settled down to a beautifully smooth idle. It’s got some real get-up-and-go to it, too – top speed is predictably low (the speedo goes up to 160km/h, but good luck with that), however it picks up with real alacrity and feels as if it would hardly notice if you asked it to do the same with a heavy trailer on the back.

Not that you’d ask an old classic like this to do anything so demeaning, of course. But she’s definitely got it in her.

We mentioned earlier in the story that these old Landcruisers knew how to rust, but they

also knew how not to when treated they way they ought to be. Which is what seems to have happened here, because when it was pulled apart it turned out to be completely sound with no welding necessary to the chassis or body. A solid base for a refurb, then.

Obviously, the truck looks sensational in its new coat of bright red paint and fawn canvas hood. It’s got summertime fun written all over it.

And it’s even better inside, with all the right dash furniture maintaining a perfect period feel and steering wheel with the same diameter as the planet. This turns an uprated PAS system, further adding to the sheer joyous ease with which the vehicle can be driven.

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The Landcruiser’s cabin is elegantly simple but not sparse and certainly not uncivilised. The dash has all the correct period furniture and the steering wheel is immense – with the PAS having been upgraded, it’s easy to turn even at very low speeds, but while you could get away with a smaller wheel it just wouldn’t look right. The same could be said of the inward-facing rear seats, which are not where you’d want to be in a stack, but they’re accessed by a wonderfully quirky pair of half-canvas rear doors There are seven seats in the cabin, if you don’t mind putting people in the side-facers at the back. These are accessed though twin opening half-canvas rear doors, which is a delightful quirk that adds yet more character to a vehicle which already has lots.

There’s a swing-away spare wheel and jerry can carrier behind these, which we think has the look of a more recent accessory. Someone has done a bit of modernising during the vehicle’s life, evidently – there’s also an interior strip light mounted on one of the hood sticks, and a set of 265/70R16 General Grabber AT3 is mounted on some distinctly aftermarket beadlock effect rims.

These are great tyres though in this size they’re a bit wider than they are tall, and they float out past the rear arches by about an inch; the combination

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may or may not suit your own personal taste in off-road rubberware, but they certainly fit in with the overall style of what is a spectacularly nice 40-Series.

With a price tag of £37,950 on its screen, the Landcruiser is definitely not a cheap old truck.

When you look at the sort of money even the roughest examples of the same model are capable of fetching, however, it’s an appealing way of spending the sort of money you could otherwise spend on the sort of modern SUV that will have lost half its value by the time its first big service is due.

This, on the other hand, is going to become a heirloom motor for somebody. You might see it as a toy, or maybe an investment – either way, it’s ready to last forever.

The Landcruiser is currently for sale at Winchester Auto Barn, a company that’s halfway between a classic car dealership and a drop-in club for people with interesting motors. You’ll find them at www. winchesterautobarn.com

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ANIMAL KINGDOMS Safari drives are great. But when you see elephants from the main road on the way from A

Words and pictures: Raymond and Nereide Greaves

T

here are many reasons for going on an expedition. There’s the landscapes and environments you’ll see, the people you’ll meet, the sheer joy of the road… all of them go together to make overland travel one of the best things you can ever do.

Most of all, though, when your travels take you into the world’s wild places, you’re sharing them with the

wild animals who live there. And this is never more evident than it is in Africa.

Now, it would be very easy to make a joke here about Nairobi.

While making our travel plans, we heard endless dire warnings about the city people refer to as ‘Nairobbery.’ If you’re taking the classic route through Africa, you’ll almost certainly fetch up here at some stage, so you’ll hear the

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to B, your expedition is really going places…

stories too, but we spent a week in the Kenyan capital without even having our wallets lifted. It’s not too hot and humid, being at 1800 metres above sea level, and if you’ve travelled from Britain you might actually find it quite comforting, because its supermarkets may well be the first you’ve seen since leaving Europe.

This is all worth knowing, because Nairobi is the travel hub for

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overlanders heading into Tanzania.

And this in turn is the nation with perhaps the best game reserves in the world.

Having stayed longer than we had planned in Nairobi, courtesy of one or two little road-related matters including the need to replace the first wrecked tyre of the trip, we were running about ten days behind schedule as we left the city and headed south. We weren’t going to

let that concern us, though. As well as game reserves such as Serengeti and Ngorongoro, Tanzania is also home to Zanzibar, one of the world’s most exotic tropical islands. So we had no intention of rushing through the country!

It seemed reasonable to assume that there would be a decent, signposted road between Kenya and Tanzania. But no. Heading out of Nairobi on the Mombasa

Road, we looked in vain for signs pointing south to Tanzania. After much head scratching, we realised there weren’t any. No signs, and not even a junction either. Instead, we needed to improvise and do some impromptu off-roading to pick up the right road.

And then there were the infernal roadworks. Mile after mile of the road was dug up and traffic was simply diverted into the bush on rough, dusty tracks. What was supposed to be an easy journey was becoming slow and tedious.

Never mind, at least in Tanzania the situation would improve…

Ha ha.

The border crossing was fairly efficient, but we really needed to get our skates on if we were to reach Arusha (the first town of any note in Tanzania and the base for safaris) by nightfall. And we had long since learned that driving after dark in Africa was to be avoided at all costs.

But sometimes there’s nothing you can do about it. The sun already hanging low in the sky as we left the border, but almost immediately our hopes were dashed as the curse of roadworks struck again. Decent tarmac frequently gave way to rough side tracks; slow, tedious and mindnumbingly dull.

One bright spot was that we got our first sighting of Mount

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Kilimanjaro, its snow-capped summit glowing orange in the setting sun. But then then it was dark. Really dark. The small towns we dragged through seemed not to have electricity (a first on our route so far) and as our headlights lit up the unexpected comings and goings by the roadside, we wondered how the locals could see what they were doing in the pitch black.

Thankfully, the going improved the following day. We had decided to make for the Ngorongoro Crater, and this time the road was a smooth one as we cruised through undulating savannah until the abrupt wall of the Great Rift Valley reared up out of the landscape.

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We wound our way up the escarpment, the temperature dropping and the flora becoming ever more lush until we reached the entrance to the Ngorongoro Conservation area. After being relieved of a fair number of dollars we continued the ascent, this time on a good unpaved road.

Then, all of a sudden, we were at the top and on to the rim of the crater. And what an amazing view!

From our vantage point the entire crater was visible, and it’s beyond words to describe it; although the Ngorongoro is probably one of the most photographed sights in Africa, it still takes your breath away when you see it with your own eyes.

Almost half a mile below us, on the crater floor, we could make out hundreds of small black dots that were in fact grazing animals.

We excitedly took some photos then set off for our lodge, also on the rim, to organise a game drive for the following day. The lodge was refreshingly basic, decorated with Masaai-style fabrics and well stocked with fascinating books on African animals and pioneering expeditions within the continent.

Just as a game lodge should be.

We had considered driving ourselves around the crater in the Range Rover. However, while there would have been a certain amusement value to doing this,

we (correctly) surmised that our ineptitude at spotting game and not knowing where to go would severely limit the experience. So the following morning we piled into our guide’s Land Rover – and literally only ten minutes after dropping down into the crater, we had already seen lions, zebras, a jackal and some warthogs!

Our driver proved to be amazingly good. There were several others in the crater that day but rather than aimlessly follow them he would strike out in his own direction and we were well rewarded. Near the middle of the crater, he suddenly stopped and whispered ‘lion!’ We looked the way he was pointing and

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Right: The authors’ Range Rover overlooks the Ngorongoro Crater, a vast volcanic caldera that’s home to an equally vast array of iconic wildlife Below: The Landcruiser is king in Africa, but when you’ve travelled all this way aboard a Range Rover it seems only appropriate when the bloke you’ve hired to take you on safari turns up in a Defender

strained to see anything then all of a sudden we saw not one, not two, but three lionesses wandering through the long grass.

The next wonderful surprise was discovering that they had two cubs with them. As we watched they sauntered closer to our Land Rover and we almost burst with excitement as they walked literally right up to the car and behind it to drink at a large puddle five yards away. This was the sort of close game viewing you always dream of – and thanks to our guide, we got to enjoy this spectacle all to ourselves.

We went on to see a herd of elephants, a black rhino (super-rare) with a baby which had apparently only been born in the last 24 hours and a pod of hippos in the lake.

We also saw scores of the more common inhabitants of the crater; zebras, pink flamingoes, wildebeest, buffalo. After a long, hot day, we returned to the lodge elated.

When planning our expedition, we realised that we would meet the rains somewhere as they travelled north and we headed south and we reckoned it would be in Tanzania that our paths would cross. This did indeed prove to be the case, and heavy rain was never far away as we travelled through this large country. It was, in fact, the day after our safari that they arrived – it was as we drove around the crater rim to say goodbye to Ngorongoro that the heavens opened. We had been very fortunate!

Luck was on our side again as we drove past Mount Kilimanjaro en route to the capital Dar es Salaam.

As we approached, the mountain was shrouded in mist – but then, just at the right moment, the clouds parted to give us a superb view.

We were less lucky with the Tanzanian police, who pop up all

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over the place brandishing speed guns. They even found an excuse to stop Nereide, who had never previously been pulled over in her life. You’ll be assuming that they were after bribes, but in fact they were all very easily won over by some charm and smooth talking and we were soon on our way, wallets intact.

We had arranged to leave the Rangey at the Land Rover dealership in Dar es Salaam while we caught a ferry to Zanzibar for a week’s break.

It was stored safely and washed for our return, and then the chap who ran the dealership invited us

to his home for dinner with him and his wife. Now, that’s what you call customer service!

Leaving Dar after our ‘holiday’ on Zanzibar, our route now took us around 600 miles across Tanzania towards the border with Malawi.

This was pleasant rather than spectacular, though we saw zebras, giraffes and elephants from the road so it certainly wasn’t unremarkable!

We didn’t intend to spend much time in Malawi, but since our expedition was named after its capital city we felt that we at least had to check in there. We crossed the border with some trepidation,

though, having been warned that the Malawian police would try to extort money at every turn – even to the extent of making up traffic offences on the spot.

To avoid becoming an easy target, we needed to buy a set of reflective stickers. Utterly pointless if your car has lights, but these are the rules. We couldn’t find them on sale anywhere, so we had no choice but to run the gauntlet.

Malawi is also the name of a lake – which takes up 15% of the area within the borders of the nation. At its northern end, it also has shores in Tanzania and Mozambique;

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Above left: The roads in rural Malawi are very quiet, used mainly as footpaths by women who, as is the tradition in Africa, seem to do all the heavy lifting and carrying Above right: Anyone who saw this picture being taken must have wondered why a couple of Brits were so interested in a road sign…

Below: The guy in the crocodile farm near Livingstone thought nothing of jumping in to their enclosure and poking them with a big stick.

Probably safer than poking them with a little stick, but there’s definitely a school of thought that says Just Don’t Poke Crocodiles driving south, it becomes so wide that you feel as if you’re looking out to sea, with white sands, empty beaches and hot humid weather.

The green and blue colours in Malawi have a unique vibrancy, the light an incredible clarity. It’s absolutely beautiful.

The scene at the first police roadblock, on the other hand, was ugly. A car in the queue ahead of suddenly lurched forward towards the barrier then, after a lot of angry shouting, a policeman dragged the driver out and welted him across the face. We realised the guy was drunk and had tried to make a run for it. The officer hit him again, hard, on the back of his head and cuffed him before dragging him away into a brick office at the side of the barrier.

We reckoned the policeman would have been charged with GBH if this had happened in Britain. But, somewhat grotesquely, luck was still on our side – because after all this excitement, no-one noticed that we didn’t have reflective stickers!

There were virtually no vehicles on the road at all, but as we drove further along the shore of the lake we saw a lone minibus with two huge fish tied to its windscreen wipers. Very African! We also saw a long, thin black snake sunning itself in the middle of the road.

56 | JULY 2021

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Reaching Lilongwe was a big milestone for us. Not only because the city had given us a name for our expedition, but because when we arrived there we had covered almost exactly 10,000 miles since leaving London. Cause for celebration, we felt – and, in yet another example of fortunate favouring the brave, it had the best Italian restaurant we’d found since Italy!

So good was our lunch, in fact, that we were forced to stay in Lilongwe for the night rather than continuing in Zambia as originally planned. With time on our hands, we checked out an auto spares shop across the road from the restaurant – and finally found those reflective stickers! It was all going well.

The following morning, we crossed into Zambia – where we had to pay a ‘carbon tax’ of $20 at the border. Good to see a government that puts the environment so high up its agenda and obviously isn’t just using it as an excuse for raising a bit of revenue.

At least that revenue is being well spent, though. We found Zambia to be quite similar to rural Kenya and Tanzania – with the one being difference that its roads are really good, with little traffic, few potholes and no speed bumps. The latter were a particular menace in

Tanzania, but here we were able to cover the 350 miles to the capital, Lusaka, in less than six hours Some African towns can be depressingly messy, but Lusaka was a credit to its residents – who, we noticed, tended to be much better dressed than in some other cities. Even the ugly ends of town and the railway station were clean and tidy. With all the supermarkets, clothes shops and cafes we began to feel we were leaving the bush and approaching the home straight into Southern Africa.

First, though, no trip to Zambia would be complete without a visit

to the Victoria Falls. Right on the border with Zimbabwe, this is one of the wonders of the natural world and there are many different ways to enjoy them. You can bungee jump, swim towards the edge (if you’re mad), take a helicopter ride, walk to the Zimbabwean side and view it from there or walk into the Victoria Falls National Park. We’re both interested in flying, so we booked a helicopter trip.

If you’re a hardcore overlander and you think adventure should cost zero and involve as much suffering as possible, you might turn your nose up at this idea. But while it’s

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undeniably touristy, it proved to be a brilliant way of seeing the falls and the surrounding area. And anyway, we had driven 10,000 miles to get this far, so we felt like we’d earned it.

The same can be said for the quaintly colonial experience of taking afternoon tea at the nearby Royal Livingstone Hotel. Salmon sandwiches, scones and Earl Grey sipped from fine Royal Doulton cups. If a thing’s worth doing…

All the while, the seasonally swollen Zambezi was throwing itself over the Victoria Falls at the rate of 750,000,000 litres per minute, or 11,000 tons per second. You can’t really describe it using words, or pictures – these are man-made things, and they can’t convey the sheer sense of awe it gives you at the overwhelming power of nature.

Talking of the power of nature, after our chopper trip we visited a crocodile farm nearby. We definitely weren’t expecting the Zambian guide to jump into the enclosure

with the crocs and provoke them with a large stick. These animals have amazing reactions – almost as amazing as the local approach to health and safety, evidently!

The following day, we drove back to Victoria Falls to see them from the road bridge crossing into Zimbabwe. The view really was breathtaking and we got covered in spray even this far back.

Having soaked up the falls from every angle, and in every sense of the word, it was time to move on. This was to be our farewell to central Africa, as our next destination was to be Botswana – gateway to the south of the continent.

First, though, we had to cross the Zambezi on the Kazangula Ferry – a rickety old, smoke-belching thing with enough space on its deck for a few cars at a time. With the river being in full flow following the rains, we wondered if the ferry would have enough power to grind its way

across to the other side… it did, but with precious little to spare.

So, having reached central Africa via one dodgy ferry, way back north on Lake Nasser, here we were leaving it via another. From the bandit-infested wilderness of the Marsabit Road to the perfect white

sands of Zanzibar, from chatting up Tanzanian traffic cops to gazing into the eyes of baby gorillas in Uganda, we had seen sights and had experiences that will stay with us for as long as we live. But as it does on an overland expedition, the lure of the road called us ever onward…

Raymond and Nereide drove their Range Rover from London to Cape Town in the first half of 2010. You can read the full story of their expedition at www.lilongwedown.com

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MARCH 2021 | 79 JULY 2021 | 59 02/02/2021 14:00:36 31/05/2021 20:10:47

WORKSHOP

The Axle-man Cometh…

THE NISSAN PATROL was never an enormous seller in the UK. But off-road enthusiasts, and indeed anyone else who just appreciates a proper old truck when they see one, have always respected it for the honest way it used to about its job. It was one of the last big 4x4s to stick with beam axles front and rear, and its brute strength and robust engineering put it right up there with the Toyota Landcruiser for sheer indestructibility.

These days, Patrols are a real rarity. Even before they went off sale in Britain (which, just in case you were needing something to help make you feel old, was now more than ten years ago), second-hand examples were being bought up and exported to Eastern Europe – where they’re much more part of the offroading mainstream.

That of course means the number still in Britain has been constantly diminishing. Which has driven up prices – not necessarily of the vehicles themselves (though they do make strong money), but of their axles. That’s where the value is in what looks like an otherwise rough Patrol. They’re immensely strong – capable of taking the sort of shock loads you create when putting a V8 engine’s worth of power and torque through a superaggressive 40” tyre on savagely uneven ground – and famously willing to put up with abuse.

But not even a Patrol axle is invulnerable. Bury it repeatedly in acidic, abrasive mud, dunk it relentlessly in freezing cold water and give it absolutely no maintenance at all, and guess what’s going to happen?

The photos on these pages show the front axle from a 2004 model-year Y61 Patrol being dismantled for investigation work.

You can see from the state of the chassis and suspension around it that the vehicle must have been taking a pasting off-road in the period leading up to this – and getting precious little in the way of cleaning in return. As you can possibly tell from the colour of

the mud, it’s not the kind you find in woodlands – it’s quarry mud, basically dried-on limestone sludge that’s abrasive as hell and sets like concrete. Lovely.

The investigations began after the Patrol’s driver started hearing a clicking noise on full lock that strongly suggested a CV joint was not long for this world. As you’ll see from the state of what the guys

Here’s the offside stub axle, with the hub and wheel bearing removed. As you can see, there’s a certain amount of muck in there, mixed with oily, greasy seal debris. You can also see an element of surface corrosion starting on the stub

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WORKSHOP

Above left: With the drive flange removed (or in this case the freewheeling hub), the wheel bearing locking arrangement can be seen: a ring with a screw to jam the lock ring and stop it unscrewing. Simple, but not infinitely adjustable, relying on a convenient hole in the lock ring arriving close to where you have float in the bearing Above centre: Pausing only to remark to yourself upon the extraordinary amount of crap stuck to every available surface of the Patrol’s underside, get ready for a game of now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t…

Above right: First, it’s bye-bye caliper. This was suspended from the spring to avoid disturbing the pipework and to save having to bleed ABS brakes when building it all back up Below left: Next, the hub assembly is removed complete with the brake disc Below centre: Now we’re having fun. The ABS dust shield and hub back plate have joined the collection of grotty parts on the floor Below right: Finally, it’s adios stub axle, leaving a sight many men will look at and tell themselves they’ll never touch another drop…

in the workshop found when they opened it up, anything still alive in the axle was doing well not to have run up the white flag. Oddly, though, the CVs seemed okay.

Eventually, it began to appear as if the Patrol’s freewheeling hubs

4x4 4pp Patrol Axles.indd 61

were the most likely source of the clicking noises. Could one of these be on the way out? After a series of mends and make-do’s, it seemed prudent to renew them and so off they came to be replaced by proprietary new set.

This did seem to fix the problem.

But then a hundred yards into the first test drive, guess what happened? That’s right, one of the CV joints blew.

As we’ve just pointed out, it’s not what you’d call a surprise to

see anything failing in the sort of environment this Patrol’s axle had come to contain. Proof that no, they’re not maintenance-free – though also that if you do prevent yours from getting into a state like this, it’ll probably last forever…

JULY 2021 | 61

29/05/2021 16:10

WORKSHOP

Above left: At this point we paused to marvel at the fact that the ABS was still working at all, and also at the monumentally varied collection of grease-encrusted geology inside the swivel itself. To avoid disturbing the ABS sensor, which looked as though it might die, we decided to leave it in situ and suspend the swivel housing out of the way, taking care not to damage the ABS sensor lead. This requires both the kingpins and the swivel seal to be removed Above right: With the CV and drive shaft removed, the colourful extent of the horror inside the swivel can be revealed; if you’re thinking it looks like a main sewer, or a portal to hell, we’re with you. In a shock move, the swivel seal has well and truly given up

Above left: The self-same magic potion of soil, dust, clay and grease has taken up residence in the CV, too. This is not a pretty sight Above right: Immediately after being removed, the top kingpin bearing isn’t looking too handy either Below left: Here are the kingpin bearings after getting stripped and cleaned up. Note the corrosion on the bottom unit, to the left here Below right: Here’s the same bearing a stage or two further on, with new O-ring seals and bearings fitted

62 | JULY 2021

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WORKSHOP

Above left: Finally, something that doesn’t look horrific. Unless you’ve got a medically inexplicable phobia of blue roll, that is. What you see here are the new fixed races for the kingpin bearings placed in position. The hopefully-not-offending paperwork is there to keep muck out of the axle tube Above centre: Patrol swivels don’t separate from the axle tube like those of a Land Rover, meaning there isn’t really an option to place them in a press. So a press must be brought to them. In this case, a home-made but very effective arrangement of steel spreader plates, threaded bar, washers and nuts is used to press the new fixed races into the swivel Above right: The stub axle could be said to require a bit of tidying up. Just possibly. The old instant gasket material needs to be removed, and the seal between the stub axle tube and swivel housing has to be dealt with

Above left: On the way back together now, the swivel seal goes on first, then the swivel housing. Here, the track rod has been offered up to help locate the housing Above centre: As Mr Haynes would say, refit is the reverse of removal. This is the swivel rebuilt, with the drive shaft and CV assembly, stub axle and backing plate fitted. As yet, though, the ABS shield has not been offered up Above right: And now it has. Here, the ABS dust shield is back in place: irrespective of what vehicle you’re working on, at this stage of the job you need to remember that if there are any shims for end-float on the halfshaft, you need to refit them too Right: And here’s what we found in the nearside swivel. You’ll be getting the idea by now…

4x4 4pp Patrol Axles.indd 63

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ROADBOOK

NORTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Wide open Fenland trails with the occasional hidden surprise in store USING OUR ROADBOOKS Our roadbooks guide you through the countryside on a mixture of surfaced and unsurfaced roads.

The tracks we use are public rights of way, either Byways Open to All Traffic or Unclassified County Roads, all commonly referred to as green lanes.

NAVIGATION

We’ve deliberately made it as easy as possible to follow the route, using a mixture of instructions, tulip diagrams and grid references. We normally only include junctions at which you have to make a turning or don’t have right of way, so stay on the main road or continue straight ahead unless we tell you otherwise.

You’ll find a guide to using grid references on the legend of any OS map. Our aim is for you to be able to do the route without maps, whether paper or online, but you should certainly take a set with you.

SAFETY

The notes on thee pages advise you of how suitable the route is for your vehicle. These are just guidelines, however. We’ll warn you of any hazards or difficult sections, but the nature of any green lane can change quickly. Wet weather can make a huge difference to the conditions underfoot, and what’s wide open in winter can be tightly enclosed and scratchy in summer.

The responsibility is yours!

Our roadbooks are designed to be safe to drive in a solo vehicle. We do recommend travelling in tandem wherever possible, however. The risk of getting stuck can be greater than it appears – and even the most capable of vehicles can break down miles from anywhere.

RESPONSIBILITY

Irresponsible driving is a big issue on green lanes. In particular, you must always stay on the right of way. Never drive off it to ‘play’ on the verges or surrounding land, even if you can see that someone else has; doing so is illegal and can be tremendously damaging.

This kind of illegal off-roading is a key reason why green lanes get closed. If you see others doing this, they are NOT your friends. They’re criminals, and you are their victim.

If it’s safe to do so, film them in the act and pass it to the police.

66 | JULY 2021

12pp Roadbook July 21.indd 66

Elsewhere, let common sense and courtesy prevail. Keep your speed down, be ready to pull over for others and show the world that we are decent people just like them.

ANTIS

Anti-4x4 bigotry does exist, but it’s less common than you’d think. By and large, it’s limited to organisations who just want to get the countryside all to themselves.

These organisations are beyond being reasoned with, but it’s rare to encounter real hostility even from their rank-and-file members. If you’re friendly towards the people with whom you share the countryside, the vast majority will respond in kind. There are always bad apples, but no more so than anywhere else.

Likewise, most local residents will accept your presence if you’re driving sensibly. What suspicion you do encounter is likely to be from farmers worried that you’re there to steal from them, so be ready to offer a word of reassurance. Once satisfied that you’re not after their quad bikes, their mood will lighten.

DO…

• Keep your speed right down • Pull over to let walkers, bikers and horse riders pass

• Leave gates as you found them • Scrupulously obey all closure and voluntary restraint notices

• Ensure you have a right to be

there. We research the routes on our roadbooks very carefully, but the status of any route can change without notice Be prepared to turn back if the route is blocked, even illegally If you find an illegal obstruction, notify the local authority Stick absolutely scrupulously to the right of way Always remember that you are an ambassador for all 4x4 drivers

• • • •

DON’T…

• Go in large convoys: instead, split into smaller groups

• Drop litter. Why not carry a bin bag pick up other people’s instead?

• Go back to drive the fun bits, such as mud or fords, again

• Cause a noise nuisance, particularly after dark

• Get riled up if someone challenges you. Be firm but polite, stay calm and don’t let them turn it into a fight

4x4 29/05/2021 16:06

ROADBOOK It’s fair to say that Cambridgeshire is not the first place you think of as a place to go green laning. But it’s actually one of the most prolific parts of the country for byways, with almost 10% of England’s total mileage – plus a similar amount of unsurfaced minor roads.

Needless to say, you don’t come here for mountains, however the rights of way in this route are surprisingly varied. Mainly, they’re wide, well surfaced and easy, however there are some sections which mean you definitely want to be in a proper truck for this one…

4x4 12pp Roadbook July 21.indd 67

JULY 2021 | 67

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ROUTE GUIDE

is it suitable?

START FINISH HOW LONG? TERRAIN HAZARDS

TYRES

OS MAPS

Step

1

Colne (TL 371 757) Yaxley (TL 180 924) 67.7 miles / 4-5 hours Flat fenland Other users; farm and industrial traffic; ruts, at times deep; dangerous road junctions; unprotected drop-offs into ditches Landranger 142 (Peterborough) Landranger 143 (Ely and Wisbech)

TL 371 757

Sart outside the Green Man pub in Colne. Zero your trip with the pub to your left and set off heading more or less east

WEATHER LOW BOX SOFT-ROADERS SCRATCHING DRIVING

DAMAGE

Step

3

0.0

1.25

Step

Step

2

0.3

4 Earith Hadenham

1 6

Tall sidewalls necessary in places; ideally a mud-terrain in ruts Avoid when ground is saturated Necessary for a couple of sections Good ground clearance is required Occasional mild risk Concentration and consideration required near houses, in ruts and for safety alongside ditches You’re more likely to ground out than to break stuff

Stretham Haddenham Wilburton A1123

Immediately after the bridge over the river, follow ahead over the double roundabout for Newmarket and Ely

1.9

Step 5: Turn right alongside the big, rather old-fashioned looking barn Step 8 (right): The turning is just before the line of trees along the left-hand side of the road

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4x4 29/05/2021 16:06

Step

5

TL 403 751

Shortly after the road dog-legs left then right, turn right on a wide track immediately before a big old barn

2.55 Step

6

Step

10 5.9

The surface gets softer and muddier after this – it could be very slippery when wet

Step

11

3.2

6.75

Step

Step

3.85

9.05

8

TL 436 734

The turning is shortly after a marked passing place on the right and immediately before a line of trees running alongside the road on the left

5.05 Step

9

5.5

4x4 12pp Roadbook July 21.indd 69

Caution – this is a fast, busy road.

It’s an overtaking spot, too, so check for cars coming at you on the wrong side of the road

12

7

Step

Watch your speed – just after a blocked-off bridge over the ditch to your right, the smooth surface suddenly becomes very rough

Step

13 11.35

It’s signed as a public byway

Step

14

March A142 Sutton

Caution – this is a very busy main road

ZERO TRIP Sutton 112 Mepal 2 Chatteris 7 March A142 (A141)

Continue to follow the A142

0.75

JULY 2021 | 67

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Step 15 (left): As soon as you’ve exited the roundabout, fork off to the left – it’s immediately before the power station gate.

The sign on the fence is wrong on all sorts of levels, not least because whoever made it is masquerading as the local authority Step 16: As if to make the sign look even more ridiculous, you’ll be sharing the track ahead with a stedy stream of these guys…

Step

15 4.05 Step

16

TL 419 833

Turn left at the roundabout, then left again on to the track just before the main gate for the Pretoria Energy site. The home-made sign on the fence to your right will appear all the more hilarious when you discover what you’re sharing this track with…

Extreme caution – look out for heavy trucks from the left. And the right, but you’ll be able to see those ones from a mile off

17

21 6.95 Step

22

The route the wagons use goes off to the right here – so look out for them coming round the corner towards you as you approach

Step

23

4.9

8.9

Step

Step

5.8

2.2

18 Step

19

24 TL 415 810

6.3 Step

20 6.6 70 | JULY 2021

12pp Roadbook July 21.indd 70

Watch out for lorries coming from the right

8.45

4.4 Step

Step

There’s a fuel station on the left at the roundabout

Step

25 5.75

You’re back on the lorry route from here until Step 21

ZERO TRIP

Step

26

Downham Mkt Manea Stonea B1093

TL 420 920

Turn left opposite the sign for the RSPCA Centre

5.95 4x4 29/05/2021 16:06

Step

Step

6.05

7.7

Step

Step

27

32

28

33

6.55 Step

29 30

TL 428 934

There’s a cottage on the right at the junction, and a very fancy looking barn conversion in front of you as you turn. Note the speed limit signs on the lane

Step

34

ZERO TRIP

Continue ahead at the roundabout, staying on the A141 for Wisbech and Peterborough

0.55 Follow the byway sign round to the left

Step

35

7.15

1.55

Step

Step

7.65

2.1

31

Caution – this is a fast, busy A-road. Be prepared for a long wait to turn right!

7.85

7.05 Step

March A141

36 Step

37

Use the slip road to slow down as you approach. Turn left then immediately left again on to Grange Road

Golf Course Floods Ferry

TL 400 944

Follow ahead on to a fairly enclosed track through the trees.

It’s mildly rutted from the word go

The ruts get deeper for a spell, and will throw you savagely from side to side

2.55 Step

38 3.2 Step

39 3.5 4x4 12pp Roadbook July 21.indd 71

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29/05/2021 16:06

Step 44: There are two tracks running parallel to each other from the same junction. You want the second one, with the line of telegraph poles to your left Step

40

Follow the main track round to the left, ignoring the grassy one ahead

Step

46

3.6

6.1

Step

Step

4.0

7.5

41 Step

42 6.8

47 Step

ZERO TRIP

Whittlesey Benwick B1093 Ramsey (B1093)

Step

Whittlesey B1093

TL 311 936

Two tracks on the left run alongside each other. You need the second of them, which stays to the right of the telegraph poles

2.85 Step

50 3.5

Step

Step

5.3

4.05

72 | JULY 2021

12pp Roadbook July 21.indd 72

Immediately after the sharp righthander, take the narrow road with a line of trees to its right and a ditch to its left

1.5

4.0

45

14

49

1.0

44

Chatteris B1093

Step

43 Step

48

ZERO TRIP

51

TL 318 973

4x4 29/05/2021 16:06

Step

Step

4.75

7.05

Step

Step

4.95

7.15

Step

Step

5.65

7.25

Step

Step

6.15

8.05

52 53 54 55

4x4 12pp Roadbook July 21.indd 73

56

TL 306 977

Turn left in front of the village green

57 58 59

JULY 2021 | 71

29/05/2021 16:06

Step 60: Head straight across the road (which is very busy) and on to the track – which, despite what this quaint relic from the past (right) tells you, is indeed a right of way Step

60

TL 294 973

Continue straight over the main road and on to the track, with the Nags Head immediately to your right. There’s an illegal sign on the wall trying to tell you there’s no right of way here

Step

63

8.25

9.05

Step

Step

8.35

9.95

Step

Step

8.75

10.05

61 62

64 65 Step

66

The turning is just after Whittlesey Community Hub on the left

10.3

Step 69: As we were setting up this picture, a slammed BMW saloon came past and set off down the lane. It definitely wouldn’t have made it the whole way – things start off easy, but you’ll end up picking your way through some fairly gnarly ruts

74 | JULY 2021

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4x4 29/05/2021 16:06

Step

67 10.45 Step

68

Step

ZERO TRIP

71 Ramsey B1040

Turn right on Briggate West, immediately in front of the Boat pub

0.1 Step

69

1.2 Step

72 2.0

TL 264 967

This lane starts off easy, but it will get rutted further on

Step

73

0.3

2.4

Step

Step

1.0

2.7

70 4x4 12pp Roadbook July 21.indd 75

We’ve no idea what the Footpath sign is trying to prove here

74

TL 233 964

It’s easy to miss this turning, especially if you’ve got traffic riding your tail. It’s just after a depot entrance on the left, and immediately before one of those electric signs that tell you how fast you’re going

The track is as well surfaced as they get without actually being a road. Keep your speed down, though, especially when approaching the yard at about 3.6 miles – there’s a speed bump capable of giving you whiplash as you come alongside it

JULY 2021 | 75

29/05/2021 16:06

Step

75

Now this is a track…

3.9 Step

Step

4.4

6.6

Step

Step

4.7

7.2

Step

Step

5.3

8.2

76 77 78

81 82 83

Step

79 5.5 Step

80 6.1 76 | JULY 2021

12pp Roadbook July 21.indd 76

4x4 29/05/2021 16:08

Step

89 12.3 Step

Step

84 9.8

90 Farcet

Step

91 Farcet

Step

92 GOSLINGS DROVE

Yaxley

Continue straight ahead over a series of mini-roundabouts on the way into Yaxley

14.05 Step

86 10.9

12.8 Step

85 10.15

STRAIGHT DROVE

Turn right and arrive at the Farmers carvery and grill for the end of the route (and the start of a big dinner)

14.85

Step

87 11.2 Step

88 11.9 4x4 12pp Roadbook July 21.indd 77

JULY 2021 | 77

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A Range Rover comes back to life as a modern reinterpretation of a classic design, and a Jeep Wrangler JK becomes the weapon of choice for a professional off-roader Tested: Toyota Landcruiser and Range Rover Velar PHEV A round-the-world expedition takes a couple of Brits into hidden Mexico

ON SALE: 9th July

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Name Address

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Newsagent This magazine is available to your wholesaler through Comag Magazine Marketing, Tavistock Rd, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE. Tel: 01895 444055 Fax: 01895 433602

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4x4 23/05/2021 23:04

THE NEW NAME IN ALL-TERRAIN

Now available in a wide range of 15-21 inch fitments

Life is an adventure.

Embrace the ride with Terratoura A/T. Davanti’s rugged all-terrain tyre is ready for anything. Whether you’re exploring off the beaten track or navigating the highways and byways, Terratoura A/T will get you wherever you need to go.

Follow us davanti-tyres.com/terratoura-a-t

INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW ISUZU D-MAX

WHEN YOU’VE GOT TO BE NOWHERE

SMARTER. STRONGER. SAFER.

PICK-UP OF THE YEAR

2021

DRIVEN TO DO

VISIT ISUZU.CO.UK FOR MORE INFORMATION All fuel consumption and emission values are based on the new WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) test cycle which uses real-world driving data. Official fuel economy for the standard Isuzu D-Max range in MPG (l/100km): Low 25.1–27.6 (10.2–11.2). Mid 31.4–36.4 (7.8–9.0). High 36.0–39.4 (7.2–7.8). Extra-High 29.0–30.8 (9.2–9.7). Combined 30.7–33.6 (8.4–9.2). CO2 emissions 220–241 g/km.

The All-New Isuzu D-Max is Smarter Stronger Safer compared to previous model. Visit isuzu.co.uk for full details.

32578 Isuzu 4x4 Magazine Ad_1.indd 1

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