4X4 Magazine October 2023

4x4

NEWS • VIEWS • KIT • EXPEDITIONS • MODIFIED VEHICLES • GREEN LANING PLUS Properly off-road in a Bentley Bentayga

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

ALL-NEW LAND CRUISER

Retro looks, cool cabin, latest tech, modern chassis and still as much of an off-roader as ever. The Wrangler and Grenadier have a fight on their hands…

£5.99

Rallye Breslau: ‘Europe’s Dakar’ Mellow laning in the hills of North enters the Ultra4 era

OCT 2023

East Leics

Lockdown-built 110 for the heady days of freedom 4x4 Cover Oct 23 with sarah.indd 1

23/08/2023 09:45

THE SUBARU RANGE

ALL-WHEEL DRIVE ALL THE TIME

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SUBARU RANGE FROM

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SUBARU XV e-BOXER 2.0i fuel economy and CO2 results (WLTP): Combined 35.7mpg, CO2 emissions 180g/km. SUBARU FORESTER e-BOXER 2.0i fuel economy and CO2 results (WLTP): Combined 34.7mpg, CO2 emissions 185g/km. SUBARU OUTBACK fuel economy and CO2 results (WLTP): Combined 33.0mpg, CO2 emissions 193g/km.

SUBARU SOLTERRA WLTP Pure Electric Energy Consumption and Driving Range: Combined 180Wh/km, 257 mile range in Solterra Touring.

Figures shown are combined WLTP (indicative) and can vary significantly depending on factors such as selected grade, accessories fitted, driving style, weather conditions, speed or vehicle load.

These figures may not reflect your real-life driving results. *Saving of £1,500 (incl. VAT) when you buy a new Forester e-BOXER, XV e-BOXER, Outback or Solterra. †Credit available subject to status. UK residents 18+. This offer excludes fleet sales, is only available through participating Subaru dealers and is not available in conjunction with any other offers unless specified. This credit offer is only available through Subaru Finance provided by International Motors Finance Limited, St. William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff CF10 5BH. OTR price includes VAT, delivery, number plates, 12 months road fund license and first registration fee. Please consult your local Subaru dealer for exact quotation. Offers may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Offer ends 30.09.23.

Vehicles shown are Solterra Touring, OTR price of £56,145, including optional special paint finish at £650. Outback Touring, OTR price of £43,085, including optional special paint finish at £595.

Forester XE Premium, OTR price of £41,585, including optional special paint finish at £595. XV SE, OTR price of £33,885, including optional special paint finish at £595.

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29/08/2023 09:21

THE WORLDS BEST ACCESSORIES FOR LAND ROVER

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11/04/2023 12:32

N O I T I D E P EX

Whether your idea of an expedition is an afternoon driving some local trails, a weekend off road and wild camping or a full-on trip across Africa, Terrafirma has all the accessories you will need.

From roof racks and ladders to spare wheel carriers and snorkels, from jerry cans and sand tracks to fridges we have it covered with this extensive range of expedition accessories.

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ROOF TENTS AND AWNINGS ROOF RACKS AND LADDERS SPARE WHEEL CARRIERS RAISED AIR INTAKES EXPEDITION ACCESSORIES For more information visit www.terrafirma4x4.com email sales@terrafirma4x4.com

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11/04/2023 12:36

October 2023

CONTENTS

30

'The feeling of confidence they engender, even in of circumstances, is one I have never found in any

6

2 | OCTOBER 2023

Contents Oct.indd 2

22

36

4x4 24/08/2023 13:46

24 75% OFF THE PRICE OF 4X4!

Six issues for the price of 12 sounds like half-price – but when you subscribe to 4x4 for a year, you actually end up getting 75% off the price on the cover 4x4 Scene: News, Products and More…

6 10 12 12 14 18 18 20 21

Toyota Land Cruiser New model looks retro and is better than ever off-road Ineos Automotive Grenadier maker acquires African safari conversion outfit Hyundai Santa Fe All-new SUV makes debut equipped with roof tent Racing Green Fintail Latest-model Range Rover gets the Khan treatment Defender Rally Series Bowler 90s star at Scottish Hillrally Ironman Raid range of winch bumpers grows to include new Ford Raptor Allisport Tdi breather pot is functional bling for your engine bay Britpart Air-to-coil conversion kits for Discovery 3 and 4 LOF Clutches Heavy-duty kits to suit first and second-gen Nissan X-Trail

Every Month 4 24 68 80

Alan Kidd Living the overland dream is all about grasping the nettle Subscribe Get 75% off the cover price of Britain's only 4x4 magazine Roadbook An easy-going day out on the lanes of North-East Leicestershire Next Month Our November issue goes on sale on 6 October

Driven 22

Bentley Bentayga Reigning Luxury SUV of the Year goes green laning

Features 26 30 36 44 48

Jeep Rubicon Departure Plug-in Wrangler loses its body, gains cool status Camping Cruiser Low-mileage 80-Series Land Cruiser built for exploring Overland 110 Defender with unique history is prepped for hitting the dunes Skoda Roadiaq Factory trainees turn a standard Enyaq into a mobile office Rallye Breslau 'Europe's Dakar' welcomes its first Ultra4 competitors

Travel 58

Karakorum Mountains Pakistani adventuers exploring their own country

68 NE Leics Roadbook

Step 40: Turn left off the main embankment track, dropping then plunging down the straight into a water trough (right)

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13

Strata Florida

8.75

Step

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12.3 41

Abbey

track to the left Take the rocky track the main Cat A

Step

Step

38 13.1

of

More rock steps, water trough

Step

followed by a long

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There’s a couple of huge water troughs after the junction

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11.7 Step

16 11.8 Step

17 12.8 Step

18 12.8 88 | JANUARY 2020

It’s a steep, sharp climb up and over a bigger track – you can’t see ahead over your bonnet to start with

Caution over a steps as you short set of rocky drop down the hill

15.0

Step

4212.6

10.9

the most challenging other vehicle'

are sharp rock Caution – there as you climb the steps to negotiate hillside

Step

Step

Step

48

Look out for you cross the the waymarker as ford

15.2

13.4 Step

Join the Cat A

track

44

You may find yourself driving a river bed along for a while…

13.65 Step

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track Drop off the main the gate and immediately before trough water into yet another

14.7 Step

to clear these axleneed a bit of momentum right is much bigger to the Step 37: You might warned, the drop-off twisters – but be than it looks here

4x4

46 14.9 4x4 JANUARY

2020 | 89

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4x4 Contents Oct.indd 3

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24/08/2023 13:46

4x4 Tel: 01283 742969

Alan Kidd Editor

I

Overlanding is all about just going for it

t’s mainly just a coincidence, but this month’s issue of 4x4 includes two stories about vehicles whose owners built them to going overlanding in but then never got round to doing it. There are a million reasons why people’s plans change, of course, but there’s something a bit wistful about a truck which represents a dream someone’s never going to live after all.

Many of us in the off-road scene have set out to build the greatest truck the world has ever seen, of course. I guess it’s the same in the drift and circuit worlds, and I don’t suppose anyone ever started a street or custom project with the aim of building something nobody would find interesting.

But with expedition trucks, you’re doing it with a sole focus on usability, nothing else.

Overland vehicles are practical to a heroic level – but only for overlanding. For everything else, they’re a bit rubbish. The back seats have gone. The luggage area is full. They’re heavy. They’re top-heavy.

They’re slow. They sup fuel like it’s going out of fashion. But absolutely none of that matters when they’re doing what they were built for, which is being your home, day after day, wherever you choose to park up.

One of the main reasons why SUVs have become so popular is that people have a deep-down desire to feel free. Everyday life can leave you feeling stifled – from school to college to work to mortgage to kids to grandkids, boom, there’s always some sort of responsibility there to stop you from going off to explore the world.

Obviously, having lots of money would help, but the way life is set up we’re all too often left chasing the dream rather than living it. And that’s what people are trying to break out of – which, ironically, they do by purchasing a new car. We live our lives through the things we own rather than the things we do, so it’s very easy to mistake a consumer purchase for the real thing.

Anyway, perhaps that’s why an overland expedition that never happened is such a sad thing to behold. Because it’s a bid for freedom which, for whatever reason, failed.

I should stress that in the case of both the vehicles featured this month, there’s nothing deep or sinister about why their owners’ plans changed. One of them was

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going to do the Morocco trail with his son, but then his son got a job abroad. The other decided to buy a caravan instead. Actually, to a lot of people that one probably does sound a little sinister.

Anyway, if you go looking through eBay or whatever, you’ll find plenty of overland motors whose owners either never took that trip or have been there, done that and either can’t or don’t want to do it any more.

They tend to make strong money, too, because their prices reflect the housing market more than the used car market. And it’s very easy to look on (I know I did, while editing this very issue) and imagine all the adventures you could have in them.

If that’s all you ever do, is that more or less sad than the guy who built it then never went on that expedition? He tried and failed, but is that worse than never trying?

I say that as one who’s spent his life reading and editing people’s tales of offroad adventure while wishing I was the one going exploring, not sitting behind a desk while everyone else has all the fun. That’s not me moaning about my job, far from it, just making the point that I’m not preaching when I say it’s better to have crashed and burned than to never have gone for it at all.

Everybody in the 4x4 world is saying that overland adventures are the growth area in this scene. Perhaps it’s that in the post-covid age, the meaning of freedom is so much more acute for so many of us.

Perhaps it’s that we’re so much more aware of how fragile the planet really is, or that global politics have reawakened the fear of nuclear annihilation. Whatever it is, anyway, vehicle dependent travel is seeing some major growth.

That’s good news for the industry, and of course for watchers of the used 4x4 market. Because there will be a lot more unused or lightly used trucks coming up as time goes on.

Maybe one of them will be one you are yet to build. Or maybe you’ll keep it forever and it will change your life. Just don’t forget that you’ve got to be in it to win it. It takes a lot for the overland dream to become your reality – but it certainly won’t happen unless you go for it.

Email: enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk Web: www.totaloffroad.co.uk www.4x4i.com Online Shop: www.toronline.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/totaloffroad www.facebook.com/4x4Mag Editor Alan Kidd Design WW Magazines Tel: 01283 742970 Contributors Graham Scott, Olly Sack, Gary Noskill, Dan Fenn, Paul Looe, Tom Alderney, Usman Ansari Photographers Steve Taylor, Richard Hair, Harry Hamm, Vic Peel Advertising Sales Tandem Media Tel: 01233 555735 Faye Littlewood-Tribe Tel: 01233 220245 faye@tandemmedia.co.uk Advertising Production Colin Swaffer: 01233 220246 Jonathan Graham: 01233 220247 Jemma Heslop: 01233 555736 Subscriptions Agency WW Magazines, 151 Station Street, Burton on Trent, DE14 1BG Tel: 01283 742970 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, PO Box 8632, Burton on Trent DE14 9PR

© Assignment Media Ltd, 2023

4x4 24/08/2023 12:54

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23/08/2023 16:48

NEW 4X4S

Retro styling leads the way as Toyota makes bold statement with all-new Land Cruiser Chassis shared with full-size J250 model • Solid rear axle • Dual-range transfer case and locking rear diff standard • 3500kg towing weight • Pre-orders open this autumn

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4x4 24/08/2023 06:55

T

he all-new Toyota Land Cruiser has been described in some quarters of the media as an attempt to compete with the Land Rover Defender. But despite the likelihood of an overall move upmarket, and styling with a knowing nod to the vehicle’s past, the new J250 model remains a dedicated off-road machine with a separate ladder chassis and a solid rear axle – and it’s expected to start at a significantly lower price than the Defender, with entry-level models slated to cost not much more than £50,000.

With a dual-range transfer case and locking rear diff standard on all models, this would leave clear water between the Land Cruiser and the Defender – as well as comparable vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler and Ineos Grenadier.

The Land Cruiser falls within Toyota’s Prado family, making it a successor to the recently discontinued 150-Series model (and the 120, Colorado and grey-imported Tracker before it). However it shares a version of the manufacturer’s GA-F platform with the full-house J300, the modern equivalent to

4x4 News Oct 23 IN PROGRESS.indd 7

NEW 4x4S the legendary 80-Series, giving it what Toyota says is ‘significantly improved off-road performance’ as well as making it more comfortable and easier to drive on the road.

The new frame claims 50% more rigidity than the old model’s, with combined body and frame rigidity also improved by 30%. As a result, drivers can expect enhanced handling response and better ride quality, aided by an all-new electric power steering system.

As before, the Land Cruiser runs a dual-wishbone independent front suspension set up, while at the rear the axle is secured by upper and lower trailing links and a panhard rod. The primary focus of the vehicle’s dynamic tuning can hardly help but have been on-road agility and refinement, however detail changes have been made to the geometry which Toyota says will also result in improved axle articulation.

Adding something in this area is a first for Toyota, a disconnecting front anti-roll bar. This is switchable from the cabin, allowing the driver to release the stabiliser links and free up the wishbones’ movement.

In addition to this, the off-road

drive modes (Multi-Terrain Select, in Toyota’s product language) adapt themselves automatically to the terrain and conditions. The Multi-Terrain Monitor system, which pieces together a picture of the ground both around and beneath the vehicle using images from a combination of cameras, has also been upgraded.

The Land Cruiser continues to be powered by a 2.8-litre diesel engine developing 201bhp, however

this is mated to a new eight-speed automatic gearbox. Toyota says this will allow the vehicle to tow a braked trailer weight of up to 3500kg. Early in 2025, the traditional diesel unit will be joined in the model line-up by a 48-volt mild hybrid; its emissions are bound to be lower, though there’s not yet any word as to whether its towing capacity will be too.

Inside, the Land Cruiser will be available in 5-seat and 7-seat

OCTOBER 2023 | 7

24/08/2023 06:55

NEW 4X4S The Land Cruiser is unlikely to come back in three-door form, but the long-wheelbase vehicle seen here will be available in five and seven-seat cabin layouts. Toyota says the interior has been designed to put the accent on visibility from the driver’s seat, with a low belt line and tall glasshouse combined with a low-set instrument cowl providing an excellent all-round view. Prominent horizontal lines emphasise strength and purpose, and a top-hinged tailgate lifts to reveal a van-like cargo bay with the rear two rows down – though you can also expect premium equipment and materials in a range that’s likely to be short on budget options

form. There’s not yet any word from Toyota as to whether the short-wheelbase 3-door model will return, however this vehicle’s limited popularity with UK customers means the chances are similarly slender. Interior styling ‘evokes the strength and functionality of an authentic off-roader,’ with horizontal lines dominating the layout of the dash and no-nonsense switchgear

designed for ease of use amid the cut and thrust of off-road action.

In addition, the vehicle has been redesigned to prioritise all-round visibility from the driver’s seat – already a particularly strong suit in generations of Land Cruisers.

Toyota points here to a low-set cowl and horizontal instrument panel, as well as a lower waistline and taller side windows.

Horizontal lines are prominent from the outside of the vehicle, too.

At 4920mm long, 1980mm wide and 1870mm tall, with a 2850mm (112”) wheelbase, it’s not radically different to the old model, however its styling can be seen as a deliberate ploy to regain the ‘authenticity’ high ground that’s recently come under pressure from a raft of ‘rugged utility vehicles’ and true 4x4s.

Toyota describes the new Land Cruiser as having a ‘back to its origins’ quality blending its modern technology with a more traditional character than the previous model, saying its styling ‘captures the functional beauty that’s found in the best professional tools.’ It now has shorter overhangs to aid its approach and departure angles, as

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24/08/2023 06:55

NEW 4X4S

Retro styling has enormous currency in today’s car market. Rather than making the Land Cruiser a full-on throwback, howeer, Toyota has gone for a purposeful image with a traditional look – at least on everyday models. The First Edition, which will open for pre-ordering this autumn ahead of deliveries starting in the new year, goes a step further into the history books with rounded headlamps remininscent of those from the early 60-Series – as well as a choice of two-tone paint schemes featuring a white roof over blue or sand body colours well as tucked-in corners and lower body panels to help avoid damage on very uneven terrain.

Toyota also says that the vehicle’s body parts have been designed for easy replacement in the event of damage. If this means an end to the fearsome price of parts that’s the biggest impediment to using Land Cruisers off-road once they reach

News Oct 23 IN PROGRESS.indd 9

a certain age, that alone would be improvement enough for the majority of current Land Cruiser owners in the UK. As if to emphasise the Land Cruiser’s return to its design roots, the full range will be preceded by a First Edition model. Limited to around 3000 examples across the whole of Europe, this has unique

styling features including round headlamps harking back to the era of the 40 and 60-Series models; when the rest of the range follows along, it will have more contemporary rectangular units.

The First Edition will be available in just two paint options, Sand and Smoky Blue, both of which are part of a two-tone colour scheme. Fur-

ther information about the vehicle, which is sure to be laden with kit as Toyota looks to bring in the new Cruiser on a high, will be released in the autumn – just in time for a presales period. This is when Toyota will invite potential customers to express their interest in ordering one: we know people who are ready to put down a deposit right now.

24/08/2023 06:55

NEWS

Ineos Automotive buys leading African conversion specialist

I

neos Automotive shows no signs of slowing down in its bid to fill the void left by the old Land Rover Defender. The latest development in the company’s meteoric rise has seen it acquire Kavango Engineering, a Botswana-based business specialising in vehicle conversions for use in conservation, safari, anti-poaching, veterinary, primary healthcare and film production work.

Established in 2009, Kavango Engineering started trading out of its founder’s garage and quickly grew into a respected player in the vehicle conversion sector. Employing a workforce of around 70 skilled staff, it offers bespoke fabrication services as well as its own in-house canvas shop; it currently turns round some 200 conversions a year, of which more than 100 are safari game viewers.

Following the takeover, the company will be known as Ineos Kavango. As part of Ineos Automotive, it will expand its activities to encom-

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pass ground-up conversions and ongoing maintenance of Grenadiers and Quartermasters as the company seeks to establish its off-road vehicles in the immense African market.

Land adjacent to its workshop in Maun is already earmarked for an expansion that will allow it to double the size of its operations.

Prior to the takeover, late last year Kavango built a safari Grenadier from a donor production prototype vehicle. The original vehicle’s traditional off-road design meant little was needed in the way of engineering modifications, with just a modest increase in ride height, however its fixed roof was replaced by a roll-back canvas top and its windscreen by a foldable unit with a tubular surround, and high-set stadium seating allows passengers the best possible view on safari.

Further tube work provides allround protection for the vehicle’s body, with a steel nudge bar and mesh radiator guard flowing back into full-length wing and sill bars,

and the supports for the canvas roof are made of thick enough material to offer a level of roll protection.

This kind of conversion was once a common sight on Land Rovers in Africa, with Land Cruisers taking over as time went on. Toyota’s dominance in markets where off-road ability matters most has always been recognised as an obstacle Ineos will have to address – by owning a major conversion facility of its own, it will be able to streamline the production process, establishing a strong early presence on the ground and, critically, maximising the efficiency and therefore the cost with which vehicles can be offered to their customers.

‘Botswana is recognised as a global leader in conservation, and we will continue to support its work and that of other countries and

organisations across Sub Saharan Africa,’ says Ineos Kavango chief exec Charles van Rensburg. ‘In addition, there are a broad range of opportunities across other sectors that always need durable, capable off-road vehicles with purpose-built bodies to perform specific roles.

‘Our objective is to sustainably grow the business over the longterm. That means developing a broader portfolio of services, adding further high-skilled jobs and diversifying the local economy to the benefit of the community.’

4x4 24/08/2023 06:55

FO R TO UG H ER TER RAIN

BFGOODRICH ® ALL TERRAIN T/A KO2 AGGRESSIVE ALL-TERRAIN TRACTION ON AND OFF-ROAD ROBUST SIDEWALL DESIGN ADVANCED TREAD DESIGN FOR LONGER WEAR

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08/12/2022 24/08/2023 17:15 16:37

NEWS

Expedition theme for all-new Santa Fe THE FIFTH GENERATION HYUNDAI SANTA FE might not be on your radar if a round the world overland expedition is in your plans. But perhaps it ought to be. Ahead of the vehicle’s launch, the Korean company has teased it as a go-places machine for an outdoor lifestyle – though instead of the usual vapid pictures of perfect families unloading surfboards, Hyundai’s hero image sees the Santa Fe equipped with a roof tent.

Whether this will be available in the accessories range remains to be seen, however the company makes much of the way the vehicle has been designed to make the most of its rear cargo capacity. Its second and third rows of seats fold completely flat and its tailgate opens particularly wide to reveal a huge, full-width aperture – revealing what Hyundai calls a ‘terrace-like’ space which ‘makes it possible for users to enjoy the outdoors in the easiest way possible.’

Kahn celebrates 20 years of Range Rover conversions with inaugural model in new Racing Green programme

IT’S BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE KAHN’S FIRST RANGE ROVER PROJECT. You probably remember the company as making some moderately extreme versions of Solihull’s finest over the intervening two decades. And now it’s celebrating the 20th anniversary with a vehicle that encompasses Range Rover, motorsport, aeronautics and Princess Diana.

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Even for a vehicle the size of a Range Rover that’s quite a lot to fit in, but the Bradford company has given it a good go. It’s perhaps instructive to remember that, while Kahn’s base is in West Yorkshire, its main showroom is in Chelsea.

This is the first iteration of the company’s new Racing Green programme. The Racing Green Fintail shows the direction it will all be going in. As Kahn says, ‘We’re aiming to create the gnarliest, most extreme offroad version of the new Range Rover ever made’.

Oh no, hang on, I’m misquoting. What the company actually says is: ‘With the arrival of the latest Range Rover comes an exciting opportunity to return to the roots of Kahn, while focusing firmly on the future of automotive fashion.’

So, luxury 4x4 as fashion. In the same vein, have you noticed how some of the most expensive, cutting-edge men’s watches are now actually quite hard to tell the time with?

As far as we can tell, all the changes are to the bodywork. It apparently draws on ‘diverse influences’ including ‘the best of British engineering on land and in the air’. Which means a single-sweep front bumper valence that merges into the vented bumper extensions. Some may see in this a homage to the first Kahn Range Rover.

At the rear there is a winged diffuser with stabilising fins, which the name of this vehicle gave us a clue to in the first place. And between front and rear are sideskirts that add to the width and presence. They hint at ground-effect racing cars and modern jet fighters, although the hint may be too subtle for some.

You may also have noticed the wheels, which are perhaps rather less subtle. These three-spokers are ‘a modern take on those found on Princess Diana’s 1995 Range Rover’. If you agree that this is in the best possible taste, you’ve found exactly the right company to build the 4x4 of your dreams.

4x4 24/08/2023 06:56

ALL TERRAIN ADVENTURE

TTUK OPAT 3 advert PDC-WO Tyres_FP.indd 297x210mm.indd1 1 4x4 Magazine_2023_Oct_Toyo

17/08/2023 15:53 16:55 21/08/2023

MOTORSPORT

Bowler-built Defender 90s come through with flying

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4x4 23/08/2023 09:43

MOTORSPORT

colours at inaugural Scottish Summer Hill Rally

B

owler Motors’ rally-built Land Rover Defender 90s put on a stellar performance at the inaugural Scottish Summer Hill Rally, based at Thirlestane Castle in the Borders south-east of Edinburgh, as they demonstrated their ability to maintain a strong pace over terrain far more punishing than that seen on a traditional stage rally. A total of eight of the vehicles started the event, with the fastest of them posting a time equating to fifth place overall in a discipline dominated by purpose-built spaceframe race cars.

The event was the third round of the 2023 UK Tata Elxsi Defender Rally Series and the first hillrally in the calendar. It presented teams with a variety of low-traction conditions and terrain that was by turns fast and punishing then technical and, well, punishing. ’It was the exact challenge that a traditional hillrally is renowned for,’ says Bowler, ‘and a perfect test for our teams as they experienced a wide range of rally disciplines.’

They also experienced the sort of dust that’s normally associated more with racing in the dunes of North Africa than the hills of Lauderdale. In the wake of some unseasonably hot and try weather, the event took place in crystal clear conditions – until the racers’ wheels started kicking it up, at which point visibility on the stages was reduced down to zero in places.

These stages numbered 17 in total, spread over two days. Plenty of time for things to go wrong, then – though as the event progressed, it became increasingly apparent that the Bowlers had plenty of appetite for a war of attrition. ‘The harsh terrain led to several retirements due to mechanical and racing incidents,’ says Bowler. ‘But despite this, the team’s Defenders finished every stage and continue to impress with the performance, durability and robustness of a production road car.’

As well as challenging the vehicles, drivers and navigators, the event’s format asked questions of their service crews – who only had short windows of opportunity between stages to work on the Defenders, which in addition were placed in

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MOTORSPORT

parc fermé overnight. ‘Repair time from impact damage was highly restricted,’ confirms Bowler. This led to the support teams being pushed to the limits to check, maintain and repair cars as they returned from the pounding they were incurring on stages. The ability to soak up the punishment they were being subjected to is a testament to the design of the standard Defender and the specialist engineering and racing pedigree of the Bowler team.’

Day 1 saw very close competition between Miles Williams, with co-driver Andy Dennis, and the new Bowler team of Richie Wynn Williams and Matt Lowe, with the Finnish duo of Jorma and Janne Jokela hot on their heels. Some teams adapted more quickly than others to the harsh terrain of a hillrally, with Andrew Burgess and Daniel Hutchings settling in well while Vanessa Ruck and Chris Cuming took their time before starting to move through the field, demonstrating their ground-reading skills as

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they overtook their rivals to end the day leading their class.

The same pairing dominated the first stages of Day 2 around Thirlestane Castle itself, repeatedly achieving top ten overall stage times, however their progress was later checked by a roll – allowing Jorma and Janne Jokela to surge past as they got increasingly to grips with the terrain. ‘Hill rallies require all-new thinking,’ commented driver Jorma, ‘as the conditions barely relate to the snow or gravel I have previously experienced.’

Gaining experience is a big part of competing in the Tata Elxsi Defender Rally Series, whose purpose is to provide a pathway for teams aiming one day to compete in events like the Dakar. That’s exactly what Christina Dobloug plans to do, and along with navigator Dave Hooper she ran consistent times throughout – as did circuit racing specialist Paul White, who along with Pete Wilson got quicker and quicker as the event progressed.

Burgess and Hutchings continued their development, too, as they gain experience in readiness for a full challenge next year, while year one graduates Frazer Williams and Mark Archer posted some of the fastest times of the day to finish fifth – hampered by an 11-minute time penalty but for which they would have ended up on the second step of the podium.

That position ended up belonging to Jokela and Jokela, with Ruck and Cuming in third. But the winners were Williams and Dennis – who, despite suffering a four-minute time penalty of their own, not to mention a puncture towards the end of Day 1, maintained a pace over the rough ground which saw them consistently achieving stage time results within the overall top 10 of the overall event. If not for that time penalty, they would have finished fifth in the overall standings.

‘Hill rallies are a vital part of the Bowler syllabus and the program of training,’ commented Bowler’s

Head of Motorsport Dave Marsh.

‘They are tough on teams and cars but provide an essential experience required by competitors as we develop the widest possible foundation of rally skills in preparation for future competitions.

‘Feedback from clients and event spectators has been incredible, with appreciation of the Defender’s versatility and capability and an appreciation of the skills needed to complete these events. The closeness of the competition demonstrates the benefit of a controlled one-make series where it really is down to the skills of the driver pairings.’

‘This rally has been a huge success,’ added General Manager Calum McKechnie. ‘Despite the challenging nature of the event, our customers experienced something very special, and we are looking forward to returning next year with another larger group.

‘We could not have hoped for a better inaugural hillrally event.’

4x4 23/08/2023 09:43

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31/07/2023 09:23 09:36 09/08/2023

PRODUCTS

Ironman adds new Ranger Raptor to fitting list for Raid winch bumper

THE NEW FORD RANGER RAPTOR IS A WONDERFUL THING. And winch bumpers are wonderful things. So, a winch bumper for the new Ford Ranger Raptor. Wonderfulness alert.

This one comes from Ironman, and therefore from Australia. Further wonderfulness. It’s the latest addition to the company’s Raid range of bull bars, which are ‘a great option for those who appreciate sharp looks while still achieving improved approach angles, greatly improved frontal protection, light mounting and full winch compatibility.’ Ironman uses the word ‘urban’ in its description, which is a bit of a worry, but goes on to promise ‘the toughest of tough-track capabilities’ so that’s alright.

The bar comes with recovery points included, which is more than you can say for some of the opposition. Rated to 5000kg per point, these are made from 16mm steel with non-abrasive radiused edges and elongated holes to accommodate shackles of all kinds. More importantly still, they’re finished in bright red powder coat, for

easy visibility and not at all just because it looks cool, though that helps.

A 12,000lb winch helps, too, and the bumper is rated for compatibility with anything up to that weight, with a cradle that mounts directly to the Ranger’s chassis. Clutch handle access has also been thought about in the unit’s design, and once again that’s more than you can say about some.

The bar is constructed from 3mm steel and the winch cradle from 5mm steel, and down below it also incorporates a 4mm skid plate to protect the steering and front diff. As you’d expect, and indeed as the law insists, all the vehicle’s active and passive safety features are maintained, including proximity sensing and radar-based emergency braking.

The 2023 Raptor Raid Bar is typically priced at $2299 back home in Australia. That’s about

£1165, so even by the time you’ve shipped it around the world it’ll still be looking like very good value. Find out all you need to know by paying a visit to www.ironman4x4.com.

Tdi breather pot upgrade that works as well as it looks Price: £78.00 plus VAT From: www.allisport.com ALLISPORT’S TDI OIL BREATHER TANK is a direct replacement for the original separator used on Land Rovers with the 200 or 300 Tdi engine, or for the sought-after 2.8 TGV Brazilian. It’s made with CNC machined billet aluminium mounting flange and hose connections and supplied with a redesigned nitrile O-ring and stainless steel fixing bolt.

‘Standard breather pots use a gauze and mesh design which over time becomes blocked with oil deposits, reducing the capacity to release crankcase pressure and also allowing more oil vapour to enter the intake system,’ says Allisport. ‘Our high performance replacement is designed to effectively reduce crankcase pressure build up on Tdi engines by using an internal baffle rather than the standard gauze and mesh design.

‘Our products are designed to have a practical purpose offering an improvement over the original black plastic units – as well as looking great in the engine bay.’

To this end, the tank is available in silver or black satin powder-coat. Designed and hand-made in-house, it’s fully TIG welded and comes with a lifetime warranty.

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4x4 24/08/2023 17:58

Future Proof Your Land Rover

Land Rover Chassis High quality chassis manufactured in the UK to fit most variants of Land Rover from 1948 to 2016.

Popular chassis held in stock for immediate collection.

Land Rover Bulkheads Our new range of fully pressed Defender bulkheads are now available to order to fit v8, 2.5NA/TD, 200tdi, 300tdi and Td5 (early and late).

Custom Build Chassis Whether you are looking to build a challenge car, or even an expedition 6x6, we can support you through the design and build of a chassis to create your dream.

Review 17/02/2023 It's that good, we're thinking of adding one to the workshop wall to show folk the quality and attention to detail - Jedi 4x4: Richards Chassis New 200 TDi Bulkhead

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Call Us Now on:01709 577 477 Visit our website: www.richardschassis.co.uk 11/04/2023 11:41

PRODUCTS

Heavy-duty clutches for first and second-generation X-Trail Price: £155 / £355 plus VAT From: lofclutches.com WHEN YOU THINK OF ALL THE VARIOUS 4X4S IN THE WORLD THAT YOU CAN USE OFF-ROAD, the Nissan X-Trail probably won’t be the first thing that comes to mind. But the first couple of generations in particular were probably the most truck-like of all soft-roaders, and while they’re not made for deep mud and ruts they can be surprisingly agile over rough terrain.

This isn’t really what they were made for, though.

So while an X-Trail can be a willing ally on the lanes, you might want to do a bit of prep before getting leaning on it too hard. A heavy-duty clutch, for example, will help ensure that your new steed will be as good as getting you back off the lanes again as it was at getting you on to them in the first place.

That’ll mean LOF Clutches, then. The company is renowned for what it offers Land Rover and pick-up drivers alike, though it has products for plenty of other kinds of 4x4 too. Like the X-Trail, obviously.

LOF has two different POWERspec kits available for the X-Trail, one to suit the T30 2.2 Di 4×4 model from 2002-2007 with a dual mass flywheel and one solid mass flywheel job for the 2.0 dCi (150-173bhp) T31 model from 2007-2010. In each case, LOF says these are ideal for vehicles with a Stage 2 map or those used for heavy towing or off-roading; the cover provides a clamping load of +40% over original and the woven organic drive plate has a high 0.4μ coefficient of friction, but pedal weight shouldn’t become any heavier.

The kits come with a heavy-duty release bearing, Loctite-coated cover bolts, a Nissan spigot bearing and a clutch alignment tool, as well as everything else you need to fit them. As usual, LOF backs them up with its own two-year warranty.

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PRODUCTS

Air-to-coil conversions kit for Discovery 3 and 4 and early Range Rover Sport Price: ca £800 inc VAT From: Britpart stockists

CONVERTING AIR-SPRUNG LAND ROVERS TO COILS BECAME A BIG THING THANKS TO THE P38, but the Discovery 3 moved it on to a whole new level. The Disco 3 went on to become the Disco 4, and it had already become the Range Rover Sport, and all of them are absolutely ripe for improvement by stripping away one of their many layers of complexity.

It’s a layer of complexity that’s particularly prone to going wrong, of course.

And doing so expensively. And if you’re minded to join the ranks of owners who’ve saved themselves the worry by going back to coils, Britpart is now stocking a full kit to let you do just that.

This is designed to maintain the same ride height as the air-based system you’re fetching off, while at the same time still providing excellent load-carrying properties. Britpart promises that ride comfort and manoeuvrability will remain uncompromised once the coils are installed.

The kit comes as a comprehensive package including pre-assembled front and rear struts, an air suspension override module and bespoke wiring harnesses specific to earlier and later models. That is, it comes with two separate looms, one for the Discovery 3 and Range Rover Sport from 2005 to 2009 and the other for the Discovery 4 and Range Rover Sport from 2010 to 2013. All you need to do is plug in the right one.

Of course, these vehicles came with a wide range of complementary systems that dialled in to the air suspension, Terrain Response being the one that comes straight to mind. A minefield in the waiting, you’d have to think – however Britpart says the override module is engineered to preserve all the vehicle’s original electronic functions, including the operation of the info screen on its dash.

The bad news, and there is some, is that the kit can only be used on versions of the Range Rover Sport without Dynamic Response. The good news is that this leaves plenty of options (like buying one of the Discos instead) – and of course that with the kit installed, you’ve ruled out one major source of a potential breakdown.

The kit is not the cheapest thing in the world, but neither is an air suspension failure and this way you decide when to do the work rather than driving around on a ticking time bomb. Leaving one less loaded chamber in your daily game of Disco 3 roulette.

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DRIVEN

BENTLEY BENTAYGA 4.0 S Reigning Luxury SUV of the Year gets the green lane treatment as we set out to prove whether its off-road ability remains as stellar when faced with wild moorland terrain A FEW YEARS AGO, the people at Lamborghini gave us an Urus to play with for a week and, naturally, we took it laning. So when Lambo’s stablemates over at Bentley gave us a Bentayga to play with… well, it would have been rude not to, really, wouldn’t it?

We had already driven a Bentayga off-road on a press event and been impressed by the agility it demonstrated – not just ‘for such a big vehicle’ but full stop. The vehicle can be optioned with an All-Terrain Specification pack which adds another four off-road positions to the drive mode dial, allowing it to perform breathtaking manoeuvres on the sort of ground you wouldn’t even consider trying to tackle; the work is done largely by clever electronics, of course, but even on 22” road tyres the Bentayga we drove back then was capable of retaining its control, and its poise, in frankly hair-raising conditions.

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Of course, that’s not what people buy them for. But what this kind of exercise demonstrates is that for the gentler sort of everyday off-tarmac work a Bentagya can expect to take on in the course of its life, it’s very well within its comfort zone. If its limits are in the stratosphere somewhere, you can be that much more confident of not flying too close to the sun.

This provided us with some reassurance as we set out on the lanes in the sort of weather that makes you wish you’d stayed at home. Well, it didn’t make us wish we’d stayed at home, it just made us more thankful than ever that we were doing it in a Bentayga.

The Bentayga in question was an S model, described by Bentley as ’an SUV with attitude, featuring bold, eye-catching design, inside and out.’ You can get it in hybrid form but ours had the twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8

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petrol engine – the same one as the Urus, albeit here tuned for ‘just’ 542bhp and 568lbf.ft. The difference between them couldn’t be more pronounced, though. The Urus is by no means a handful to drive, though it does always feel like it would rather be racing: the Bentagya by contrast is like a fourwheel butler enquiring as to how sir wishes to proceed.

And if sir would like to proceed up that bank over there, with one wheel lifting ever further from the ground, then sir will get his wish. We’re used to testing vehicles by pulling stunts like this (it used to be a test of suspension and tractability, now it’s mainly a test of electronics) and we’re equally used to baling out way before anything dramatic happens. Even pick-up trucks with live back axles and locking diffs have made heavy weather of the wheel-up test..

We’re not saying the Bentayga didn’t need a bit of coaxing. It took a few attempts, as we got the measure of how much gas we needed to be pouring in, and of course we were nervous about spanking any of its bodywork into the ground. But actually, it kept itself well away from danger on the savagely uneven ground and, with the right amount of persistence on the loud pedal, it eased itself into position. Tyre marks on the ground from where we were keeping the revs going? None.

This doesn’t sound as dramatic as it felt, and nor did it look it. Though when a young National Trust ranger came past in her D-Max, her eyes almost popped out of her head. And in truth it is indeed not everyday that you go out

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on patrol and come across a £182,300 SUV parked on three wheels at the side of a lane. (But within the lane boundaries, before anybody starts, and doing nothing wrong.)

The Bentagya is huge but its agility, manoeuvrability and lightness of touch make it feel smaller. We’ve said? before that at speed on a B-road, it’s more like driving a GTI than an SUV; would it sound ridiculous to use a different version of the same analogy here and say it’s more like driving a traditional off-roader? Certainly, those 22” tyres were more commanding on the wet ground than anything with such low-profile proportions has a right to be – and once again, the vehicle’s suspension managed its weight like a feather being carried aloft on an autumn breeze.

The same is the case on everyday trails, too. It’s easy for a 4x4 to be comfortable in the most extreme conditions, you could argue, because you’re going so slowly – fractions of a mile per hour, and small ones at that – that there’s almost no momentum in the suspension movements. Once you’re up to 10-15mph and your wheels are bumping against the ground, that’s when you see how well an SUV rides.

The Bentayga’s tyres look like rubber bands on its vast rims. There’s almost no sidewall to soak up the bumps. Yet it’s so supple, so quiet over the rough ground of a typically bumpy moorland lane, it’s like riding on a cushion of air. Which, of course, given what’s in its springs, you are.

But that’s not enough. Some vehicles with air suspension ride like a boulder rolling down a scree slope when they’re at off-road height. No such trouble for Bentley, though – which, we presume, is a result of the expertise you get for your money. The expertise and the quality of hardware, of course.

What would it take to defeat the Bentayga? Deep mud, we’d assume – though only the kind that would defeat anything else on similarly smooth and low-profile tyres. And we wouldn’t fancy it much in deep ruts, mainlybecause of how vulnerable those alloys look, or of course any sort of conditions that would damage its body. A sunken lane, for example, or one with tightly encroaching trees. If you can afford to own one, you can quite possibly afford not to care, but don’t let’s go down that dark alley: the clear fact is that the Bentayga is so capable, so competent but also so expensive, the limits of its ability are set by how far you can go before the risk of damaging it comes too close for comfort.

Comfort, that. The Bentayga has a lot. Even more than when it was first launched, thanks to an early facelift that addressed its somewhat crude original styling and also brought new seating with greater cabin space than ever. And there’s a wonderfully British reserve to it that takes the feeling of wellness to new heights; some luxury SUVs bash you over the head with how posh they are, or how clever, or how high-tech, and as a result they can come across as variously gaudy, crass or tiresome. The Bentagya simply allows you to notice for yourself that you’re enjoying a driving experience that’s at once engaging and also beautifully serene – and in magnificent surroundings. Like so many of the best things in life, it’s hard to put your finger on why it’s so right – you just know that it really, really is.

A good sign of a great vehicle is that it takes everything in its stride. That the Bentayga does that almost seems to go without saying, yet we’re talking about a luxury vehicle with no traditional off-road hardware. For such a vehicle to be able to do it at all is remarkable. For it to be able to do it so well, and with such contemptuous ease, is extraordinary.

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14/07/2023 07:15

POINT OF DEPARTURE Jeep’s stripped-back Rubicon concept comes with a dollop of special forces image

W

hen you look Words: Graham Scott Pictures: Jeep at the pictures of this Jeep Wrangler 4xe Departure concept, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Well, okay, after bacon.

Yup, and you may be right, your mother never did love you. But after that?

Admittedly this massive lump of metal is not exactly meant as a Rorschach test, but it’s so striking it probably does bring up an instant reaction.

To me, and I’m happy to share this with you because we’re all friends and I know I can trust you implicitly, it makes me think of those photos of special forces buggies.

Stripped back, armed to the teeth with .50cal, Javelins and NLAW missiles. (That last one, the anti-tank missile, always makes me think the designer was imagining his in-laws when he built it.) Kit hanging all over it but ready to reach as it’s hung on Molle system hoops.

No doors or windows to allow rapid ingress and egress.

You of course might just see yet another variation on Jeep’s latest theme of concept electric off-roaders. And in doing so you’d be correct. Companies like Polaris make those SF desert buggies and, as far as we know, Jeep doesn’t.

Instead it makes vehicles like this, that are obviously seen as a bit whimsical, a bit out there, like the extreme outfit a model wears on the catwalk, which bears only a passing resemblance to something the company might make for the high street.

Only in this case the vehicle is not built for the high street, it’s built for the great outdoors. breeze ruffles your Patagonia wardrobe additions.

Like, well, Regent’s Park or Central Park.

My personal issue, having been outdoors in 4x4s For someone in Utah or Montana this probably in various parts of the planet, is that sometimes makes more sense than someone in Surrey or the you want and sometimes you desperately need a West Midlands. Want to try to get away from it refuge from the outside. all near Guildford? Want to park this up and leave Think hail storm, a sudden cold front, unbearait in Birmingham? (If it makes you feel better, ble heat, dust swirling, strange noises and growlreplace those names with towns of your choice.) ing in the undergrowth. Or I could have just said The issue is Jeep’s direction of travel of removone word: midges. To me these concepts see the ing the barriers between outside and inside. Oh natural world through a Disney filter. And, maybe, yes, you and Nature, as one, breathing in God’s if you’re just out for the day with your family, and air, listening to the tweeting birds, while a gentle

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you have food and drink on board and you’re not too far from ‘civilisation’ then this would be fun. A day’s rock-crawling in Utah for example.

But I don’t see serious outdoors people driving rigs like this unless they had some more serious back-up. But maybe I’m just being a fun sponge.

Tell you one thing though, and a sign of how things are changing. I’ve just read the entire press release and in the first line there’s a throwaway mention of ‘PHEV’ and that’s it, that’s the last you hear about what powers this vehicle. If you like

4x4 24/08/2023 11:32

while bringing plug-in greenness and massive off-road ability to the rockiest trails

the grunt of a V8 then this particular Wrangler is not for you, even though the electric motors do deliver mighty amounts of torque from the first touch of the pedal.

But what you do get is an extremely rugged-looking 4x4 put together by the JPP

by Mopar design team. And let’s not quibble, this is designed with real off-roading in mind. For starters there’s a mild but useful 2in lift kit with Bilstein remote-reservoir shocks so they can handle heat and extreme terrain. Custom rock

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sliders add more underbody protection and there’s been serious thought given to approach and departure angles.

At the front there’s a modified Rubicon bumper with a Warn winch and above that a tubular grille guard not only protects the grille but it also hinges down flat to make a seat perch. Perfect for strapping the children to when they’re being annoying and you want to check the depth of that ford. Just kidding, you’d use a stick like you always do. To test the depth I mean.

At the rear there’s some definitely original thinking in terms of the departure angle. Given the name of the concept perhaps that’s not surprising. The spare wheel and carrier are obviously mounted up high but what you can’t see from the photos is the ability of this whole caboodle to swing through 180 degrees. Now, why would you want to do that?

Because when the tyre is flipped to the rear you have more room behind the back seats and when it’s flipped inwards you have even better

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‘For someone in Utah or Montana this probably makes more sense than someone in Surrey or the West Midlands’ clearance at the rear. Somehow a rear camera and sensors are unaffected either way. Neat.

In keeping with my SF image, there is indeed a Molle system of loops and hooks to hang stuff off the side rails and the sports bar. And that sports bar features three 11” TYRI rectangular LED lights to illuminate the way ahead, yet they can all swivel out of the way when you choose to hinge down the windscreen – for that ‘bugs in the teeth veneers and wind in the hair implants’ California outdoor experience.

Perhaps slightly oddly the outdoors vibe is contrasted by some touches that seem to hark back to the past rather than pointing at the future.

Some of the other recent Jeep concepts have been finished in some pretty lurid hues that would make sunglasses obligatory, but the Departure is going for a more classic vibe entirely. There’s the Dark Harbor blue paintwork (the ‘u’ obviously fell into the harbour), and Vintage Bronze on not only the alloys but also some accents in the cabin and the instrument panel.

The effect is to make the Departure look slightly more conservative than it might. Maybe that’s deliberate so as not to scare the horses. The cabin is indeed finished well with two-tone Nappa leather and those bronze highlights. Getting cabin access means using those ‘tube doors’ which seem pretty pointless. They still need swinging out the way to get in and out yet would provide little protection from an irritated cougar or grizzly

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(admittedly both relatively rare sightings in both Regent’s Park and Central Park).

So the Departure can be whatever you want it to be. If Jeep ever made this, nobody would buy it as their prime mode of transport unless they were Mexican gangsters. They’d like the bronze. For anyone else it would be their second or third vehicle, to be layed with at the weekend. Being stuck in a

winter traffic jam in this in LA (Los Angeles) or LA (Little’Ampton as it’s known on the English South Coast) would be no fun at all.

But what is life without some whimsy? And this combines that whimsy with some serious special forces looks, depending on your point of view.

Just half close your eyes and squint, and you’ll see what you want to see. I’m seeing bacon.

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The world awaits

Few things on four wheels are as sad as a prepped-up overland vehicle that’s never been overlanding. But plans change, and when they do a vehicle can be left hanging – and waiting for the opportunity to finally do what they were built for Words: Graham Scott Pictures: Richard Hair

I

t takes all sorts doesn’t it? There are those who spend their working lives dreaming of heading off out into the wilderness in a properly prepped off-roader, waking up to the dawn over some far distant exotic mountains and smiling into a distant sunset. But they never do more than dream.

Their working life remains that of a drone. And their retirement, well, we shouldn’t be taking those risks at our age and the medical travel insurance is prohibitive now and yes, we’re going to Torquay again. It’s really lovely at this time of year.

And then there are others, who go for it. Buy the vehicle and build it painstakingly over the

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years into the truck of their dreams, their own petrol-powered magic carpet to take them to exotic climes. And they do see the dawn over the shimmering lake and they do sip their coffee and cognac by the fire as the sun sets in the West over that epic valley they’re looking forward to traversing on the morrow.

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And then there are others. Who dream big, who buy the vehicle, prepare it over the years, all the while thinking and planning of where they’ll go in this indestructible rig, the dawns, the sunsets, the unforgettable experiences. But they never go.

And then there are others. Who find such a vehicle, a fully prepped expedition 4x4. They buy

it, add the finishing touches, spend more money.

But it never leaves the UK. That, sadly, is the fate for this Land Cruiser VX. It’s like a long-distance runner who has spent years preparing for the marathon but is only ever asked to jog down to the shop on the corner. And don’t forget the fags.

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This could almost be a brochure shot from when the Land Cruiser was new. Except of course 3D printing hadn’t been invented by then (see if you can spot what we’re on about). By the time it was ready to set off on expedition, you’d expect the vehicle’s cabin to be looking a lot less standard than this The vehicle of course is the Land Cruiser Series 80 VX. In my opinion it’s the one 4x4 I would own if I needed something that really could walk the walk rather than just talking the talk.

I’ve driven the 4.2-litre diesels in deserts from North Africa to the Middle East, and the feeling of confidence they engender in you, even in the most challenging of circumstances, is one I’ve never found in another vehicle.

So. Fan. But this isn’t the straight-six diesel.

This is the 4.5-litre petrol. Now that’s a rare vehicle, and of course rather rarer than when it came off the production line in Japan back in 1995. And, you could argue, a perhaps surprising choice as the base for an expedition vehicle. So this is a rarity in itself, before all the extra work.

Sadly, much of its story has to be inferred.

However, Alex Wilkinson, a dealer from Boston, has enough experience to piece together much of the jigsaw. When this was written he was selling the vehicle on behalf of a ‘computer-challenged friend!’. The friend it was who had bought the Toyota in an almost-finished expedition state. So what do we know before that?

It’s a ’95 Land Cruiser 4.5 VX Auto, and it’s generally in fantastic condition. I used to know a gamekeeper deep in the English countryside, and one day he was a bit miffed. He’d discovered the tailgate on his VX was rotting through. The 4x4 had done about 200,000 miles but he was still

miffed. When I enquired why he thought it had rotted through he showed me.

The vehicle had been the transport for dead deer, with their bodies in the boot and lolling over the open tailgate as they were moved on the estate. Over many years their blood had seeped and rotted the tailgate. Land Cruisers are built to last but they have their limits.

Fortunately this one wasn’t steeped in blood but had instead been garaged for many years it seems. Minimal rust and corrosion more than a quarter of a century later – not even Land Cruisers are immune to the tin worm if you leave it to run rampant, as many Colorado owners

discovered to their chagrin, but though this one does look crusty in places Alex insists it’s just surface stuff and a weekend of wire brushing followed by a good going over with the treatment of your choice would have it looking right again.

The MOT has been noting corrosion for a while but only as a general advisory.

Inside it’s as sumptuous as you’d imagine, with everything still looking gorgeous, with high-quality leather and woodwork much in evidence. Front seats are heated and electric, and everything like the air con still works perfectly. However there have been upgrades, with a Pioneer double DIN touchscreen head unit giving you Android/Apple

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34125 (71) 4x4 (full) Long A.indd 1Mart_FP.indd 1 4x4 Magazine_2023_Oct_Machine

23/08/2023 24/08/2023 15:05 09:41

CarPlay with upgraded speakers and an amp and subwoofer neatly tucked in but out of sight.

And there on the dash is the diff lock switch, still giving you the opportunity to lock the front or both diffs when it gets gnarly. True, embarrassing story. I was once driving a VX in the Sahara deep down in Tunisia for reasons unexplained. We were about to camp up – there were quite a few of us – but as we got into position we realised we were in a really loose sand area. I bogged down and couldn’t get moving. The sun was setting.

A barefoot Berber driver we had with us jumped in and within a few seconds got the Toyota moving to a better spot. I’d forgotten to lock the diffs, he’d locked them and driven straight out of a sand dune that I’d sunk deep into. In my defence I was almost asleep at the wheel after a really long, hard day. Also I’m, like, rubbish.

So. Fan. Did I mention that? But this model is far from that standard VX I was driving. When our computer-challenged friend bought this – it came from auction – it was fitted with some serious and lovely goodies. Not least of which is the 4in Pedders suspension lift kit. This kit is sold in the UK as ‘serious parts for serious off-roading’ and it’s hard to argue.

Matching shocks and springs are joined by anti-roll bar droppers and prop extenders, plus there are big BFG ATs all round. All parts that

have been added or replaced are genuine stuff, with much of it coming from Australia.

It’s hard to imagine getting stuck in this but if you did the ARB front bumper including winch should help – although really it’s more likely to be used to drag someone else out of the mire.

Someone like me.

Pretty much the only thing that is missing is the pair of rear seats. This was a seven-seater and now it has five, but that’s just leaving more space for luggage. This is how it was when the vehicle was bought by the last owner. Really, what else did he need to add?

Turns out the answer to that is the roofrack and roof tent. But the owner didn’t just go out and splash the cash on something new or bespoke.

He found a lady who’d used her VX driving in South Africa for many years, and she had a roof rack and tent. Which he then bought from her.

It’s like every element in as much as it has a story of its own to tell.

To be fair the story the roof tent is currently saying is – ‘I’ve been lived in, under hot and trying conditions, and I could really do with a clean and some air.’

But that roofrack adds yet further to the height and undoubted presence of this vehicle. It’s huge, it’s tall, it’s vaguely intimidating if it rolls up behind your rear-view mirror in your Ford Focus. Which is rather satisfactory, but this is a vehicle for the great outdoors. Which means most car parking spaces are tight and you can forget any multistorey car parks.

It isn’t built for the ordinary. It does chug fuel, it is heavy and it isn’t fast. But when you’re crossing the Serengeti, speed really isn’t the issue it is when trying to keep up with traffic on the M25. So how do dream and reality really match up?

We know this vehicle was prepped for the real deal. The only clue as to what happened is that it was sold at auction as Covid hit. Who knows what disaster, change of fortune or whatever happened, but it was snapped up by Alex Wilkinson’s friend and then prepared yet further for a life less ordinary.

Toyota’s 1FZ-FE 4.5-litre petrol six-pot is the kind of engine that makes everything feel like it’s no problem at all. It’s big, powerful, torquey and unstressed, and it’ll go round and round the clock, and the world. This one may be coming on for 30 years old but it’s barely clicked over on to six figures so it has most of its life still ahead of it

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4x4 24/08/2023 11:14

It appears a bit grotty at first glance, and the presence of about a million freshly strimmed grass seeds doesn’t help, but when you look more closely you’ll see that the rust is only on the surface. Whoever becomes this Land Cruiser’s new owner will have a bit of work to do to clean it up underneath – but it won’t half be worth the effort The latest owner, to be fair, was not envisaging using this Toyota as a serious ‘going away for three months into the unknown’ kind of vehicle.

His aims were more modest. He had a couple of boys and wanted to do the whole wild camping thing maybe in Wales or wherever with them – hence the tent.

This was always a secondary form of transport, and maybe it proved just that bit too much, like buying a high-end razor-sharp carbon racing bicycle when really you just wanted to go for a ride at the weekend with your children. You could

4x4 Wilkinson.indd 35

buy a Specialized S-Works Aethos Founders Edition or the Trek Madone SLR 9 bicycle for around £13,000 but if you’re anything like me you know you couldn’t really use it to its potential without risking a coronary.

Yet that sort of money would get you this expedition-prepared Land Cruiser VX. Maybe the next owner will actually use it for the purpose for which it’s been modified. It’s only just started its second tour of the clock, which is no kind of problem for a Land Cruiser. Ahead it has years of life. Will they be spent heading to the council tip

and Argos or will they be spent finally exploring the world for which it was prepared and for which it has been ready for so many years?

The last owner, after a lifetime of Land Rovers, and then some life changes, clearly felt the need to let it go. He’s replaced it with a caravan.

Our thoughts are with him at this difficult time.

The Land Cruiser was still for sale at the time of writing, with an asking price of £14,000. If you’re interested in buying it, you can get in touch with Alex on 07909 947974

OCTOBER 2023 | 35

24/08/2023 11:14

T

he phrase ‘lockdown project’ has come out of nowhere and gained for itself a certain level of mystique in the car world. Typically, it refers to something thrown together with not a lot of planning by a bloke who ran for his life into his garage one morning three and a bit years ago in a desperate

36 | OCTOBER 2023

5pp Woodland 110.indd 36

bid to overcome the boredom that had suddenly descended upon him.

Needless to say, quite a few lockdown projects ended up turning into projects themselves. You know, the ‘how in God’s name am I supposed to undo this mess’ kind. But at the other end of the scale, we’ve seen some truly beautiful vehicles

that would still be lying in a corner today if it weren’t for the workshop time lockdown gave their owners.

This 110 is somewhere in the middle. There’s nothing messy about it at all, let’s be straight with that – but its owner, Mark Woodland, readily admits that it was the result of getting very bored

4x4 23/08/2023 09:42

Life after lockdown

During the dark days of lockdown, it was hard to believe it would ever again be possible to go overlanding.

But while some of us were fretting, others were building trucks to make the most of it the moment the world opened back up Words: Tom Alderney Pictures: Vic Peel

while the country was shut away behind doors doing a whole lot of nothing.

It’s not a resto, and it’s not one of those offroad projects that sets out to take on the world.

Though it was conceived with the idea of taking on the world in another sense. ‘We were going to go travelling in Morocco when Covid was finished,’

4x4 5pp Woodland 110.indd 37

explains Mark. ‘But then my son went and got a job in Australia, so that never happened.’

As a result, since being turned into a slick overland camper the 110 has been to Wales once and Silverstone twice. If you’re going to go and watch a grand prix, having a vehicle you can live in is not a bad idea – just ask anyone who’s

queued to get out of the car parks there on the Sunday night.

So this is a 110 that’s kind of all dressed up with nowhere to go. Maybe that’s unfair, but it certainly is all dressed up. Mark had loads of ideas when he started work on the vehicle – which presents itself as an interesting blend

OCTOBER 2023 | 37

23/08/2023 09:42

of built-not-bought practicality and spend-it-once, spend-it-right investment. Clearly, if this thing was going to get done at all, it was going to get done properly.

The 110 itself is an ex-Army one, but with a difference. Dating from 1991, it’s powered by the 200Tdi engine with which it left the factory.

Smelling a rat? Yes, the MOD stuck with the 2.5 nat-asp back then and jumped straight to the 300Tdi when they first ordered the Wolf. So although this one was registered on military plates, it wasn’t ever destined to be a battlefield

wagon. Our guess is that some sort of top brass wanted a Tdi and whoever they were, there was a rank behind them that meant they got what they asked for.

As if to back up that suspicion, the 110 spent its entire military career in London. So, no drenchings in the abrasive mud of Salisbury Plain, no drownings in windscreen-deep water and no batterings against trees. What it did get, though, is the sort of maintenance the Army gives its vehicles. ‘It has been really well looked after,’ says Mark. ‘The chassis is waxed and is

like the day it left the factory, with no rust underneath at all.’

To make things even better, the 110 has only ever covered 74,000 miles. Enough to leave it needing a new clutch and transfer box a few years ago, but if you know your Tdis you’ll know that that’s barely even run in.

Anyway, the Land Rover was demobbed from the MOD in January 1998, and that leaves plenty of opportunity for the story to turn sour, but whoever has had it since then appears to have kept it up with the kid gloves. The MOT history told a story of everyday Land Rover stuff like fluid leaks, dodgy brakes, disintegrated bushes and ball joints, temperamental electrics and did we mention the fluid leaks, but none of it was major stuff – you can certainly see why Mark, a man who knows his cars, went for it.

Having done so, he got stuck in. The whole project took six weeks, he tells us – and during that time he transformed the old wagon into a truck fit to be driven around the world.

An ex-military 110 with a 200Tdi engine… definitely something a bit out the ordinary going on there. The Defender spent its first seven years in London, which suggests that it may have been issued to top brass – as does its odometer, which shows a paltry 74,000 miles. As always, if only they could talk… the green paint in the engine bay certainly speaks volumes, though

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Inside the 110, Mark has fitted it out with hardly a scrap of space left unused. There’s no shortage of equipment in here, from a 3000W inverter to an on-board air compressor, but the first thing you notice is how tidily the living area has been put together

We mentioned that there’s a blend of built and bought here, and they work together well. Mark’s no slouch in the workshop, and he set about building an arrangement of stowage, seating and bedding units that lends a spectacular degree of flexibility to the vehicle’s rear quarters. As with all the best installations, there’s barely a cubic inch that hasn’t been put to good use.

There’s barely an amp from the batteries that’s not working for its living, either. Mark’s trade is in auto electronics (‘main dealers bring us the stuff they can’t fix,’ he says, and by all accounts there’s a lot of it), and what you’re looking at is a Defender running three batteries via a T-Max split-charging system. That’s one starter and two leisure batteries, since you ask; it may be ex-military, but the 110 left Solihull with everyday civvy-spec 12-volt circuitry.

What does he do with it? Well, there’s a 32-litre Engel fridge-freezer to take some current. Then

there’s a 3000W inverter, with four outlets, that’s capable of running a kettle or Nespresso coffee machine, and an on-board air compressor.

Further fun stuff includes a hefty Alpine stereo with a subwoofer and Focal speakers, and all sorts of interior lights. You’ll find USBs more or less everywhere you look, and on top of all this Mark also installed a CB and a reversing camera.

There’s a solar panel on the roof rack, too, to help keep the leisure circuit running while the 110’s in pure camping mode.

Said roof rack is an Expedition unit from Terrafirma, and it also carries a 2.4-metre Howling Moon tent and awning. So that’s one bedroom upstairs and one downstairs; the plan was for him to sleep in one and his son in the other on the big Moroccan trip that never happened. Rather than messing around with curtains, the rear and side windows got a limo tint film applied to keep it private inside.

So now we’re looking at a very capable twobedroom camper, but you don’t use a Land Rover as your base for a build like this unless you’re planning to keep going where the road ends. And Mark wasn’t going to skimp on this area of the build, either.

You start with the tyres, they say, and in fact with these being LT265/75R16 BFGoodrich AllTerrains there was no actual need to raise the 110’s suspension. It’s carrying a lot of weight, however, so in went a full set of Old Man Emu springs and shocks to keep its ride height right and, just as importantly, help fend off those alarming tank slappers that like to crop up on winding roads.

Should the very worst come to the worst, there’s a roll bar with its front hoop mounted on the chassis and its roof stays to the bodywork.

Not motorsport territory, but a lifesaver in the making if you have one over on a sand dune

265/75R16 BFG All-Terrains are as sensible a choice as you’ll ever see. The 110 runs Old Man Emu shocks to control its weight, while further off-road equipment includes a roll hoop, snorkel, rock sliders and the sort of light bar that makes dark nights a thing of the past

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Up top, an Expedition Roof Rack from Terrafirma is home to a Howling Moon tent and awning. There are areas where the Defender is built not bought – but where he did need to spend it, Mark wasn’t scared to spend it right. You can see the old-school Camel Trophy style snorkel here, too, along with the front-facing LED bar and a solar panel to help keep the three batteries topped up somewhere. Mark also fitted a set of rock sliders and front and rear diff guards – and there’s also a distinctly early-90s’ style bull bar to keep the front panel intact if any mad wildlife chucks itself in the way. The engine’s protected, too, by a Mantec snorkel – which, whether it’s keep out dust or water, is always working for its living.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the vehicle itself. Having been treated to so much prep, it’s never really been used the way an expedition motor should – and with his son

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having gone off to live on the other side of the world, Mark’s appetite for overlanding might reasonably be expected to have taken a knock.

That’s why, when we met Mark and took these pictures, twenty grand of someone’s money would be enough to write a new chapter in this Land Rover’s story. However you see that in terms of value (and you can pay a lot more to get a lot less), it’s a story with some real twists and turns to it – and plenty more still to come. If you know your Land Rovers, a 200Tdi with 74,000

miles under it is like an open ticket to the world.

And with all this kit on board, you’ve got your accommodation sorted too.

When lockdown happened, there were times when we wondered if expedition travel was ever going to be possible again. Turns out that while we were wringing our hands, people like Mark were building vehicles with which to celebrate freedom the moment the world opened back up.

And however much of the world you want to see, this 110 truly is freedom on four wheels.

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03/08/2023 16:37

Vacation Vocation A team of students at Skoda’s Vocational School in Czechia were given the opportunity to do anything they wanted with a new Enyaq iV. The result was an all-electric, all-wheel drive adventure wagon for explorers who want to go off-road without going off-grid Words: Graham Scott Pictures: Skoda

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magine giving students a Skoda Enyaq iV and then telling them they can do anything they like to it. Students at some UK establishments would probably have it burning furiously within minutes. But not 29 students at Skoda’s Vocational School in the Czech Republic. Although what they’ve done can seem almost as scary to some people.

What the students were given is a fully electric, all-wheel drive SUV with an impressive list of equipment – in fact the Enyaq iV 80x Sportline model. With electric motors on both axles you’ve got some potential to create a go-anywhere, get-away-from-it-all vehicle so you can go off-grid – assuming you can recharge of course. That’s not quite the route the students took, however.

Instead they’ve gone down the always-on, always-connected route that would be the opposite of what many people would consider desirable. But they’re young, ambitious and smart. And the ‘Roadiaq’ as they call it clearly demonstrates the kind of thinking that leads not necessarily to a clear mind and fresh air, but will lead to promotion.

Or you could look at it another way – it’s their answer to getting away since they simply have to be permanently connected wherever they are. And if you have to attend a Teams meeting, maybe sitting in the back of this vehicle by a lake somewhere is better than sitting in your hutch at the office.

Of course, there is some dreaming rather than reality involved along the way. Anyone who was a student or has one in the family will look at the photos of the interior and think: ‘It won’t look like that for long.’ We all know it will be filled with pizza boxes, odd sweet wrappers, old underwear, random empty bottles and a mysterious pub mascot within about three minutes of any student entering the vehicle. Not forgetting the traffic cone.

But in our concept world, reality is a much more professional space. What we have is not student accommodation but rather ‘a multifunctional mobile-office camper’. So, given a green light and a blank page, what did the students put in there?

For starters they made ‘there’ rather bigger.

As you can see, the roofline has been raised, by about 35cm (a bit more than a foot, to use

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There was a time when students could be found on the hippy trail picking up hitch hikers in ancient Volkswagen Type 2s powered by tie-dye and ganja. Time has definitely moved on since then, though ironically the Roadiaq is much kinder on Mother Earth than those old vans ever used to be. More comfortable, too, and much better equipped terms you can be fairly sure a teenager from the Czech Republic won’t understand), to give more headroom when shuffling about inside. There’s also a new tailgate design so that a tent section can be deployed at the rear to extend the living quarters and Pot Noodle preparation area some more. That makes it about the same size as some in-hall student accommodation anyway.

If you look closely you’ll note that there is only one rear door handle. That’s because the rear left is treated as part of the bodywork so that the area behind it becomes a more secure sleeping area, complete with sun blind. We’ll pass over the fact that this concept is very clearly for one person, who has no friends, pets or partners.

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So there’s a sleeping area to the left, a kitchen area to the rear – expanded by the tent section – and when you’re neither sleeping nor eating then obviously you’re working. Editing your next upload to YouTube Shorts, stuff like that. The bedding gets tucked away and you can start to do the important work of logging on and explaining that a bear ate your homework.

Skoda talks about ‘contemporary explorers’, by which they’re separating out on the one hand the older idea of someone with a heroic moustache battling across the jungle or ice fields, and on the other hand the image of a cool young dude who finds exciting new landscapes and peoples to add to their Instagram account.

Naturally the IT department at Skoda got heavily involved. If there’s anything thrusting young automotive students love, it’s technology so the already copious interior space of the Roadiaq is rammed full of the stuff.

The entire electrical system got an overhaul so there are more light sources and sockets.

Then there’s the 27in monitor with integrated docking station and camera, as well as wireless keyboard, mouse and speaker. Naturally there is a permanent internet connection. Not counting anything else the inhabitants will bring along, like phones, drink and gaming paraphernalia.

You’re probably thinking that all that kit is going to be consuming quite a bit of power. But the

4x4 23/08/2023 09:51

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Pure Polish spirit The Rallye Breslau is sometimes known as the Dakar of Europe. Pitting a 220-strong field against a landscape of forest, dunes and swamps, it’s a fearsome test of man and machine alike. And this year, on the eve of its 30th anniversary, a partnership between the organisers and Ultra4 Europe put Poland more firmly on the off-road map than ever before Words: Tom Alderney Pictures: RBI Sport

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n Britain, the general public’s perception of motorsport is that it begins and ends with Formula 1. Despite this, more or less everyone has heard of the Dakar Rally – even if they couldn’t name anyone who’s ever taken part, and probably don’t know that it hasn’t gone anywhere near Dakar for years.

The Rallye Breslau, on the other hand, is almost completely unheard of outwith off-road circles. Yet the event known as Europe’s Dakar has been going since 1995 and grown into a major international undertaking, with support from some of the world’s top names in cross-country racing.

The first Breslau saw 35 cars, 20 motorcycles and 5 trucks take on a route starting in Munich.

Since then, the starting point has moved several times, the route has visited Germany, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria (the latter is home to the organisers, RBI Sport) and the field has grown massively, adding classes for quads and side-by-sides as well as Extreme and Discovery categories alongside the main Cross-Country rally.

The big news for 2023, however, was the addition of an Ultra4 class. Following a tie-up between the organisers, the Breslau has become part of the Ultra4 Europe championship, with 10 of these extreme off-road racing machines taking part.

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Cars in the Extreme rally ran on similar courses to those in the Cross-Country event, but with detours through deep mud and water. Here, Benjamin Dusanter and Leo Toulmonde of France prepare to winch their LJ73 Land Cruiser on Stage 2 They were joined by a huge field of bikes, quads, trucks and no less than 57 side-by-sides – the latter figure very much reflecting the massive popularity these smaller off-road buggies have gained in cross-country events. The traditional car classes included 21 vehicles in the main event, along with 16 in the Extreme category.

With an additional seven vehicles in the Discovery event, a total of more than 220 competitors were flagged off from the starting ramp in Żagań, southern Poland, for a route that would include a prologue and five special stages over the course of six days. Ahead of them lay around 775 miles of dirt tracks, gravel and sand,

interspersed with deep mud and even deeper water, with competitive special stages making up a total of 590 miles.

Further innovations this year included the adoption of digital roadbooks, provided via an app, which competitors could opt to use alongside the traditional paper item. In addition, more frequent fuel stops meant the smaller vehicles no longer needed to carry auxiliary tanks.

Day 1 Rather than just starting with a gentle parade stage, once the show start was done with the Breslau got straight down to business. The

Prologue stage was a long one, with almost 20 miles of tank tracks and relentless crests in the forests around Lipinki, where technical driving and precise navigation were the key. The Extreme classes, meanwhile, had a prologue all of their own – getting them straight down to action in the mud and water they could look forward to battling for the rest of the week.

And they were into battle straight away, too.

With the Prologue done, it was straight into the first special stage – a long one in the Świętoszów region, known as the European Sahara, whose fine sand is reminiscent of the dunes of North Africa.

Also quite a familiar sight, if you’re used to Africa, was a Toyota leading the way. Roger Schoonbrood of Belgium was first home in his 80-Series Land Cruiser, with Holland’s Tonnie

Left: Among the relatively few British crews competing in the rally, Tom Joliffe and Mark Foster entered the Extreme event aboard their JFT Defender Below: Edward Ruszczyc and Krzysztof Kubis entered the Extreme rally in a vehicle rather interestingly referred to as a Range Rover Defender

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Above left: Three stage wins for Steffen Braun’s Unimog weren’t enough to prevent Felix Muellenheim from winning the light trucks class in the Extreme rally Above right: Oliver Leyh’s MAN was in a similar position to Braun in the heavy trucks class of the Extreme rally. A couple of stage wins put him in contention, but Ralf Britz took the honours in a discipine where consistency is key Van Der Hoeven around six minutes behind him in… another 80-Series. Already, a theme was developing.

Belgium’s Antoine Reul had the honour of being the first ever stage winner in the new Ultra4 class, while in the side-by-sides it was Ruud Bellemakers of Holland who took first blood in his Polaris. In the quads, Poland’s Rafal Jawien finished two minutes ahead of Frenchman Gaetan Martinez, William Van Groningen’s Iveco Powerstar pulled out a 26-minute lead over the DAF CF of fellow Dutchman Hugo Kupper.

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Of the truck entrants who dared take on the Extreme category, Germany’s Heiko Seidel led the way in his Mercedes Actros. It was all about Estonia in the cars, however, with Hardo Mere pulling into an early lead in his HM7 proto.

Day 2 The second and final day in the Żagań region featured a 90-mile special stage for CrossCountry competitors, with those in the Extreme category covering just over 80. For the latter, the landscape of forests and dunes was used to

maximum effect to challenge drivers with walls of sand to climb – as well as pools of mud and water to battle through.

Once again, it was Hardo Mere who conquered the terrain to the greatest effect as he pulled out a commanding 48-minute lead over the sixwheel drive Mercedes G-Wagen of France’s Gilles Girousse. It was Germany’s turn to lock out the Extreme trucks, meanwhile, with Steffen Braun’s Unimog leading the way in the sub-7.5 tonnes class and Marcus Hoenig’s MAN taking the flag among the heavy tackle.

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Back in the Cross-Country section, safety considerations saw the cars, trucks and sideby-sides starting at noon to keep them separate from the bikes and quads. When the action finally started, Roger Schoonbrood once again showed the rest of the cars class how it’s done as he pulled into a 23-minute lead. Second this time was Stefan Goverts in his Land Rover Discovery, while fellow Dutchman Tonnie Van Der Hoeven rounded off the top three in yet another 80-Series Land Cruiser. The side-by-side class saw Lithuania’s Dalius Olechnavicius take it in his CanAm Maverick, while the same top three led the way in the quads – albeit this time with Poland’s Adam Krysiak holding off Martinez by 23 seconds on his Polaris Sportsman, with yesterday’s stage winner Jawien even closer behind in third

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Among the Ultra4 teams, early pace-setter Reul had to settle for second place behind the F5 proto of Poland’s Bartosz Puchowski. Less than a minute behind was the Skyworks RZR of Italy’s Andrea Calandri. But the big story of the day was a monster stack for Britain’s Jim Marsden, who was setting a blistering pace in his Land Rover until a hidden kicker in the ground sent him into a full endo and roll that left the car with a bananashaped upper suspension link. Having towed the vehicle back to camp, the team’s support crew got to work on repairing the damage, allowing them to continue in the event the following day.

Day 3 The midpoint in the rally saw the entire field move to a new base camp in Drawsko Pomorskie.

Following this, though, there was no time to settle in – thanks to the always popular night stage.

Here, the Cross-Country and Extreme rallies followed almost exactly the same 50-mile route, with the latter facing a number of extra mud holes and deep river crossings along the way. None of which seemed to worry Mere, who took his third consecutive win ahead of fellow Estonians Rainer Ruutli and Rait Maendla in their JP5 and Predator protos to take a firmer than ever grip of the cars class. Braun once again led the light trucks in the Extreme event, while once again it was a MAN that won out from the 7.5-tonne-plus class, this time piloted by Germany’s Oliver Leyh.

Racing in the dark suits some drivers much better than others, so elsewhere there were several new names on the podium places. Local

4x4 23/08/2023 09:40

man Piotar Urbaniak was the fastest of the cars in the Cross-Country rally, aboard his 100-Series Land Cruiser, with France’s Antoine Idelot second in a Bowler Wildcat and Germany’s Henri Ulke third in a Nissan Patrol.

Reul was back on top in the Ultra4 class, but just under five minutes behind him in second place was Jim Marsden – a fine reward for his team’s efforts to rescue their car after yesterday’s drama. The night stage has always been one of Marsden’s favourites, and so it proved again as he showed that covering 60 metres while tumbling through the air hadn’t dampened his desire to win.

There was a Lithuanian one-two in the sideby-sides, with Julius Adomavicius taking the flag ahead of Tomas Zaleckas; both were aboard Can-Am Maverick X3s. Meanwhile in the quads,

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Gilles Girousse is famous in rally circles for his unique 6x6 G-Wagen. He was a force to reckon with in the Extreme category – though ultimately there was no stopping Hardo Mere and his fellow Estonians

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Left: Dutchmen Jon Heesakkers and Bart Gerlings demonstrate that the harder it is to get your vehicle stuck, the harder it will be to get it unstuck again Below: Felix Muellenheim did the hard work early on and spent the last couple of days cruising to victory in the light trucks class of the Extreme rally

Poland improved on that with all the first four bikes home – not only that, in fact, but each was from Polaris Polska Racing, with Marcin Wilkolek leading the way ahead of Ireneusz Ostafin.

Day 4 The longest stage of the event challenged competitors with a 120-mile course including yet more sand and dense forest. Herman Jasper romped through it in his Bowler Nemesis – even after being hit with a time penalty for missing a hidden waypoint, the Dutchman will took the stage by some seven minutes ahead of Niki Schelle’s G-Wagen. Third in the cars class was Remy Loo in his Jeep CJ7.

In the Ultra4 class, Poland’s Lukas Gembala took a commanding victory ahead of Mathias Armand’s Y60 Patrol and team-mate Szymon Salamon’s BJ73 Land Cruiser. It was uncharacteristically tight in the trucks class, though, with William Van Groningen’s Iveco less than half a minute ahead of Marc Leeuw’s Ginaf.

Oliver Leyh was once again successful among the heavy trucks in the Extreme event, with Felix Muellenheim’s Unimog taking honours below 7.5 tonnes. Among the cars… you didn’t really

need to ask, did you? Yet another stage win for Hardo Mere as the Estonian continued his quest for a whitewash.

Polaris Polska Racing was starting to look similarly dominant among the quads, with Jawien and Krysiak leading the way ahead of Marcin Wilkolek to give the team another hat-trick. In the side-by-sides, meanwhile, another tightly fought finish saw Janus Van Kasteren’s Arcane T3 hold off the Can-Am of Karol Lenkiewicz by less than a minute.

Day 5 The penultimate day featured two special stages with a total mileage of around 100. By now, some of the results were beginning to become apparent – though with new terrain to be tackled, even the clearest leaders still had to be mindful of getting their vehicles to the finishing line.

It seemed to suit Bowlers particularly well, with Idelot’s Wildcat just ahead of Jasper’s Nemesis.

Day 1’s winner Schonbrood continued to lead overall, however, with an advantage of 48 minutes over Idelot in the overall standings. In the Open class for cars with more limited modifications, Hans-Peter Meyer’s Suzuki Jimny and Hagen

Maikranz’ Mitsubishi Pajero ended the day separated by just 13 seconds, meaning there would be no let-up in the competition as the event went in to its final day.

In the Ultra4s, though, it was very much the opposite case, with Gembala leading by almost two hours from Armand. Van Groningen was not quite as far ahead in the trucks class, though a full hour’s lead over stage winner Richard De Groot, also in an Iveco Powerstar, meant it was very much his to lose. Van Kasteren’s overall lead in the side-by-sides, on the other hand, was a much slimmer eight minutes, with Olechnavicius still very much on contention after finishing third on the day, while a stage win for Jawien extended his lead in the quads to 15 minutes from teammate Krysiak.

In the Extreme event, Mere won yet again to lead by almost four hours from countrymen Maendla and Ruutli. There is, however, also a ‘standard’ class in this event for cars with limited modifications, and this too was being completely dominated by the Discovery of Martin and Anja Hertwig. Ralf Britz won the stage in the Extreme event for trucks over 7.5 tonnes, and went in to the final day as overall leader, while Muellenheim

Above left: The longest stage of the event saw Herman Jasper’s Nemesis romping to victory – despite being landed with a time penalty for missing a hidden waypoint Above right: Martin Hertwig was one of a few drivers who braved the Extreme event in a standard-class vehicle, and he was rewarded for his efforts when his Discovery took a commanding overall victory

54 | OCTOBER 2023

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Above: Hardo Mere of Estonia won every stage to complete a crushing victory in the Extreme event Right: Britain’s Jim Marsden was at his best in the night stage – though by then, damage done by a high-speed endo had put paid to his chances of a good overall result was already backing off to protect his huge lead in the lighter class as Braun took the stage win on the day.

Day 6 As with the prologue, a difference between the Breslau and the Dakar is that the final stage is more than just a parade. At around 60 miles, it was a little shorter than the previous days’ marathons, but the terrain was every bit as tough.

As if to prove the point, problems on the day saw quads class leader Rafal Jawien surrender his 15-minute lead to drop off the leader board altogether, leaving the way clear for Adam Krysiak to take victory ahead of stage winner Marcin Wilkolek. Denying Polaris Polska Racing a 1-2-3 on the podium, France’s Gaetan Martinez finished third on his Can-Am, while Nerimantas Jucius won the two-wheeled class on his Beta.

Janus Van Kasteren managed to hold on to his lead in the side-by-sides, winning the final stage to take the trophy ahead of Dalius Olechnavicius and fellow Dutchman Michiel Becx. And it was Holland all the way on the podium in the trucks class, with William Van Groningen taking it easy to confirm victory ahead of Hugo Kupper and Richard De Groot.

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There was a huge upset in the cars class, however. Having led from the start, Roger Schonbrood’s 80-Series did a very uncharacteristic thing for a Land Cruiser and threw a spanner in the works. Its technical issues cost him 1.52 hours, dropping him to third place overall – and allowing the Bowler Wildcat 200 of Antoine Idelot to cruise to victory, with Henri Ulke second in his Patrol.

There was drama in the Limited class, too, where less mods are permitted. Here, Hans-Peter Meyer and Hagen Maikranz went into the final stage as good as neck and neck; in the event, it was Meyer, in his Suzuki Jimny, who extended his lead from 13 seconds to just over a minute at the finishing line. Maikranz took second in his Mitsubishi Pajero, ahead of fellow German Jurgen Weyland in a Ford Ranger.

No surprises in the Extreme event, where Hardo Mere duly won the final stage to complete a full set and take an overwhelmingly dominant victory.

Rait Maendla and Rainer Ruutli held on to their positions, too, making it an all-Estonian podium, while Martin Hertwig’s Discovery strolled home in the Limited class. It was as you were in both truck

classes, too, as Felix Muellenheim and Ralf Britz clinched the light and heavy titles respectively.

Which just leaves us with the inaugural Ultra4 title winner at the Breslau. Again, this was a case of rubber-stamping a lead that had been built earlier in the event, as Lukas Gembala held off Mathias Armand to seal a home victory.

Szymon Salamon completed the podium in third, emphasising Poland’s strength in the field of offroad competition.

With next year being the 30th running of the Breslau, the arrival of Ultra4 competitors in the mix could hardly have been better timed.

RBI’s attention now turns to its next event, the Balkan Offroad Rally in Romania at the start of October, but already the organisation is promising something special for 2024. ‘This unforgettable event will feature a prologue, six (not five) exhilarating race days, a captivating night stage, two challenging marathon stages, three bivouacs and even longer and more daring stages to test the mettle of every participant,’ it says, also promising another raft of additions as the rally goes from strength to strength.

23/08/2023 09:40

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ON TOP OF THE WORLD The Karakorum Highway, which joins Pakistan to China via the towering mountain range after which it’s named, is the world’s highest major road. With the landscapes it travels through, not to mention the sort of conditions you’re likely to encounter on the road itself, it’s definitely a good option to be aboard an off-road vehicle – though what you really need to do is get off the main road and start exploring some proper terrain…

Words: Usman Ansari Pictures: Usman Ansari / ORAD

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T

he Off Road Adventure Club (ORAD) is a Pakistani 4x4 organisation with many years’ experience roaming the length and breadth of its home country.

Pakistan is a very varied land whose terrain is, in some parts, among the wildest in the world; this includes the mystical Karakorum mountains.

A high-level range through which the historical Silk Route passed in days of yore, the Karakorum is a region of geological upheaval where India and Eurasia are literally crashing into each other. Here, the frontiers of Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and Tajikistan are little more than a hundred miles apart.

A previous expedition here had traced the route of the famous Karakorum Highway (KKH), which ultimately leads to the border with China at the Khunerjab Pass. This time, however, club leaders Mujahid Zafar, Rana Jawad and Sohail Sarwar were keen to get even more off the beaten track. So the route was set for Skardu, the high-altitude jumping-off point for treks into the Karakorum ranges, and explore the dramatic terrain all around it.

The trip took place in the height of summer, which is no bad time to get away from the oppressive, stifling heat of the Punjab plain.

Some members of the convoy had come even further, from sweltering Karachi, while one had travelled from as far afield as Dubai – which is hotter still.

Skardu may be hidden away in the mountains, but getting to it still means a lengthy yomp along the KKH itself. Fifteen or so years ago,

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Above left: Mujahid Zafar’s impressively tyred 60-Series Land Cruiser gets some attention ahead of departure from Besham Above right: Rejoining the Karakorum Highway on the way out of Besham the authorities on both sides of the border decided to launch a major programme of upgrading works, the purpose of which was to increase the highway’s width from ten to thirty metres and make it more suitable for heavy lorries and all-weather use. It’s still a work in progress at the moment.

That progress was slowed more than a little in 2010 when a massive landslide in the Hunza Valley completely dammed the river. It took five months for the water to overtop the material that had crashed down from the mountainsides, by which

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time it had formed the 13-mile long Attabad Lake – about 12 of which happened to have the Karakorum Highway underneath them.

Five years later, a new 15-mile section of road was opened.

Including five tunnels bypassing the lake, this once again established the land link from Pakistan to China. In the intervening period, freight had had to be offloaded at one end of Attabad and carried on an armada of small boats before resuming its journey by road.

Attabad Lake is now a tourist attraction. And so too is the Karako-

rum Highway itself, which brings visitors from throughout Pakistan and overseas. In time, the road will no doubt be wide, smooth and superb for all of its length, but for now many parts of it remain pot-holed and best negotiated in a proper offroad vehicle.

Happily, this is something of which we were in no short supply. Even more happily, this trip happened the year before the Hunza Valley landslide, so Attabad Lake was not yet a problem. Though pot holes definitely were, because the only tangile sign of the future works

to upgrade the road was that no-one was doing any short-term maintenance any more.

The club’s convoy included a nearly-new Defender 110, a Pajero, a Hi-Lux Surf, a Nissan Pathfinder and a quartet of Land Cruisers including two Prados and an 80-Series, plus an outsize-tyred 60-Series that was celebrating its 20th birthday.

At this kind of altitude, naturally aspirated engines can struggle for power thanks to the lack of oxygen in the atmosphere. All the club’s vehicles were suitably equipped with turbos and none had to fight

23/08/2023 09:53

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OCTOBER 2023 | 61

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If you’ve got the urge to explore on four wheels, you need the Overland magbook.

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Overland also contains profiles on expedition vehicles, reviews of the products and equipment you might need and advice on planning, packing, preparing your vehicle – and on the art of travel itself.

Published by the team behind 4x4 Magazine, Overland brings together the thoughts, experiences and knowledge of a wide range of expedition travellers. It’ll inspire you to get out and see the world – and show you how to set about doing it.

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Osman Malik washes the dust off his Pajero’s wheels in a stream near Chillum (left) and checks its engine on the climb up to Burzil Pass (above).

At such high altitudes, the notion of preventative maintenance takes on a whole new meaning

for breath, even on the way up long hills, but the rarity of the air was illustrated when we overnighted in Minimarg – only to find that our clever self-inflating mattresses remained steadfastly uninflated.

Interestingly, in fact, it wasn’t engine power that determined who was able to race ahead on the KKH. It was the ability of the vehicles’ suspension to handle the pot holes, which gave the advantage to those most seriously equipped for off-roading – even here on an international highway.

After putting in the miles on day one, the second morning saw us en route for Rama Lake, near Astore (little more than a village apparently glued to the steep mountainside).

Here, the off-road trip was to start in earnest.

After losing time to drain a fuel tank which had inadvertently been filled with diesel rather than petrol, the vehicles branched off the KKH and on to a narrow, winding dirt track through the mountains. This would have been difficult in daylight, but the earlier delay meant we

reached it after dark – and with a rushing stream by the side of the track, it was definitely time to concentrate hard.

Finally, with midnight approaching, the rough track reached its end at Astore. But if anyone thought the hard work was over, they were in for a shock; the night was still young.

The problem was that not only were the narrow roads up to Rama Lake unmarked, in some cases they were also under repair. The late hour meant there weren’t many locals to ask for direction, either and soon there was a considerable traffic jam of 4x4s blocking the road.

Happily, a couple of villagers did finally materialise, if only to discover just who these errant nocturnal intruders were. Satisfied that we weren’t from Mars, but merely Lahore, they directed us up another narrow, winding road which rose steeply up the mountain to a spot where we could set up camp. We had hoped to spend the night in a hostel, but it turned out to be fully booked, so what followed was a bitterly cold night during which freezing air cas-

caded down off the mountain above, and directly into our tents.

Just as we had shattered the peace of Astore the night before, the local animals came to get their own back at first light, invading our mountain meadow camp while foraging for food. An early sign that the day was to be an eventful one.

Thus awakened, before long we were ready to push on to the lake proper, and a scattered line of 4x4s was soon heading off up the rough mountain track.

There were a couple of other 4x4s to be seen, but the locals were mainly restricted to donkeys and motorbikes; and for good reason.

The track soon proved impassable for the club’s vehicles, simply petering out into a footpath. With the lake too far away for us to ditch the vehicles and climb further, all we could do was turn back – though the track was so narrow by now, it might be more accurate to say that it was all we could do to turn back.

A few of the guys did try their luck at reaching some of the snow higher up the slopes at the side of the

track, if only to replenish the melted ice in their onboard cool boxes – a risky business, given that what they were driving on was basically a steep slope covered in loose scree, but in a testament to the ability of drivers and vehicles alike they made it there and back without mishap.

Pressing on via the Burzil Pass, it was only beyond the tiny settlement of Chillum that the road deteriorated to the extent that only off-road vehicles could pass. It was weather and water damaged, and quite narrow, with several mountain streams to be forded where they had simply washed the surface away. This was the biggest impediment to our progress up the pass, especially where the relentless cycle of freeze and thaw had completely broken the road surface to pieces.

Thus restricted to a slow pace, it was nightfall before we finally reached the snow-bound pass. We paused at the military checkpoint there (where, rather surreally, the soldiers served us refreshments as we got out to register the vehicles), before making the descent to

‘The road deteriorated to the extent that only off-road vehicles could pass, the relentless cycle of freeze and thaw having completely broken the surface to pieces’

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shop.cst-tyres.co.uk Minimarg in pitch darkness. Once again, finding a campsite was less than straightforward, and it was here that our self-inflating airbeds decided to go on strike.

We retraced our steps to Chillum in the morning, so as to make the trip through the Deosai Plains National Park to Skardu. Entirely above 4000 metres, the Plains are wet, cold and only negotiable with a sturdy off-road vehicle. Even then, leaving the track means getting bogged down is a certainty.

Rashly, and despite advice to the contrary, some of the drivers did just that at Sheoshar Lake, with predictable results. Before long, one of the 80-Series Land Cruisers was stuck fast in boggy ground. Step forward Qasim Manzoor, or rather his 110, whose winch took its time but finally hauled the stricken Toyota to safety.

Drama over, and a lesson learned?

Of course not. Seconds later, it was the Defender’s turn to get bogged; cue another slow, arduous, wet and dirty winch recovery, this time with the Land Cruiser acting as an anchor point. Inches at a time, it took forever before both vehicles were freed from the mud and able to return to the track, this time with their drivers resolved to stay on the straight and narrow from now on.

Deosai was not finished with the club, however, as we still had to ford one river, Kala Pani, and negotiate another, Bara Pani, via a rickety bridge. Actually, to say we were ‘fording’ the former is perhaps a bit of an understatement; the waters of Kala Pani were way deeper than expected, and the current stronger.

Osman Malik’s Pajero, in particular, gave us all a major scare as it started to lose its footing on the

river bed and slide sideways as the current battled to sweep it away downstream. Thankfully, it did eventually reach dry land, and a quick check under the bonnet revealed all was still in working order despite the dunking.

A narrow escape, but even the combined might of all our 4x4s had no answer to the final weapon in Deosai’s armoury. We had planned to camp in the park, but no sooner had we ventured outside the vehicles than we were descended upon by clouds of very aggressive mosquitoes. The attack was relentless; rather than incur their wrath any longer, the club voted unanimously to flee.

This was easier said than done, however. Leaving the park was not as straightforward as deciding to leave it, as the winding mountain road was once more very much under construction. Another test of night-time mountain track skills for vehicles and drivers alike, keeping our eyes wired open through the darkness until finally we arrived in Skardu, tired but still without any serious mishaps.

The following day, by contrast, we arrived in Khaplu by daylight – the only time on the trip when we managed to pitch camp before the sun set. The off-road experience hadn’t been as challenging, but this hidden valley, which has very strong Tibetan influences and sees very few visitors, was worth the journey if only for the scenery, its ancient mosque and the Tibetan-style palace of the former Maharaja.

The next day’s trip to Chillas was more pressing however, meaning we only had time for a brief stop in the resort of Shangri La. Yes, people of Britain, Shangri La really does

Morning at Skardu, and some warm sunshine – a welcome relief from the cold mountain nights

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Left: Deosai National Park is no place to be stuck at night, so this exit bridge came as a relief Centre: The campsite at Rama Lake. Club members compete keenly for the title of Most Colourful Tent Right: Qasim Manzoor’s Defender 110 to the rescue, as one of the Land Cruiser 80s succumbs to its enormous weight in the soft mud of Deosai. Moments later, it was Land Cruiser 80 to the rescue as Qasim 110 succumbed to its enormous weight in the soft mud, etc… exist. The road past it, on the other hand, might exist but it’s in a pretty battered state, meaning it was very late by the time we got to Chillas.

It was all worthwhile, though, because the next morning saw the club make an attempt to negotiate the Babusar Pass.

Some of the club members had in the past tried to cross the pass and found it closed due to heavy snowfall. The danger this time was not snow, however, but the ongoing work to widen the road to the top and allow it to be negotiated in all weathers. This will no doubt make life a lot easier for people like the hopeful chap in a Toyota Corolla 2.0D, who club members openly mocked and ridiculed as they passed the little saloon making its tortured and seemingly doomed as-

66 | OCTOBER 2023

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cent, but for now it’s little more than a dirt track in places, with mountain streams to ford and rickety bridges to negotiate as it snakes its way up the mountain.

By this time, Qazim had damaged one of his 110’s shock absorbers and was nursing it gently up the mountain, while everyone in the club was making numerous stops to check anxiously on state of their vehicles’ engines. Slowly but surely, however, our convoy of 4x4s crested the summit, and we all parked up to celebrate. Our spirits weren’t even damped when, a few minutes later, we were joined at the top by a Toyota Corolla 2.0D saloon…

Hilarious though it may have seemed to watch someone taking on such a tough and clearly unsuitable road in a tame little front-wheel

drive family car, you’ve got to respect the guy’s bravery for trying to get it over the mountain. Kudos to both him and the car itself for succeeding, too – not least because on the way down the other side, omnipresent roadworks and bridges in the course of being replaced meant the all-terrain experience was still very much a reality.

Not all the dangers came from the gradient, tight corners and terrible surface, either. A run-in with some stone-throwing children (who were remarkably fluent in English expletives) created something of a stir further down the valley, but thankfully no damage was done.

Except possibly to our views on the local standard of childcare.

Some of the drivers took one last opportunity to get as far as they

could up a convenient mountain side, while waiting for their colleagues to cross a very fragile and rickety looking bridge. And then we were on our way again, passing the spectacularly green Lulusar Lake on the way.

In some ways, Lulsar marked the end of the trip, despite the fact that it would still take another day to get home. From here on, the road was negotiable by everyday cars, albeit with care. Some sections were still water damaged, and the odd landslide caused by the mountains still settling after the devastating 2005 earthquake still had to be negotiated. But after eight days of high drama, it was reasonably plain sailing back towards the Punjab plains.

Now, even the Karakorum Highway seemed smooth…

4x4 23/08/2023 09:53

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ROADBOOK

EAST LEICESTERSHIRE

Easy-going lanes and quiet backwaters in a bucolic corner of England 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.

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

Insurance for your 4X4

52 | OCTOBER 2020 Call 0800 085 5000 or visit adrianflux.co.uk 10pp Oct 23 Leics Roadbook.indd 68

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Authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

23/08/2023 09:47

ROADBOOK Tucked between the urban sprawl of several great cities and the flatness of the fens, the mellow landscape of North-East Leicestershire is at times almost reminiscent of the Cotswolds. The villages clustered in its gently rolling valleys aren’t quite as much like something from a David Winter catalogue, but that makes it a lot less touristy – which has got to be a good thing. Best of all, it’s home to loads of field roads and woodland trails, most of which are as lush as the landscape itself – making it fantastic for exploring in your 4x4

Thinking of taking your 4x4 off road? We recommend getting your vehicle insured by Adrian Flux, a specialist insurance broker for modified 4x4s. Given that they’re a specialist insurance broker, we’ve insured several of our project trucks with them for the simple reason that they understand the needs of modified 4x4 owners – plus off-roaders and green laners – better than other insurance companies. Give them a call on 0800 085 5000 for a quote.

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ROUTE GUIDE

is it suitable?

START FINISH HOW LONG? TERRAIN HAZARDS

TYRES

OS MAPS

South Witham (SK 927 192) Tur Langton (SP 712 946) 43.8 miles / 5-6 hours Rolling hills and farmland Slippy in places when wet; occasional ruts; loads of hazardous road junctions Landranger 129 (Nottingham & Loughboro) Landranger 130 (Grantham) Landranger 141 (Kettering & Corby)

Step

1

0.0

SK 927 192

Start outside the Blue Cow Inn, on High Street in South Witham, which would make a good place to stay the night before. Zero your trip with the pub to your left, or as you turn left out of the car park, and set off heading west to start the route

WEATHER LOW BOX SOFT-ROADERS SCRATCHING DRIVING DAMAGE

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7

Step

SK 893 191

8 BLUE POINT

At least an all-terrain preferable, especially when wet Avoid when ground is very wet Potentially useful here and there Good ones should be capable of it Rare, moderate risk One or two tricky bits. Care needed on road liaison sections Shouldn’t be any unsual risk

Dead slow past the farm as you continue ahead on to the smaller track

This one gets a bit enclosed for a spell

You’re on to a bigger track here

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Step

9

3.35 Step

10

SK 879 210

3.8 Step

11

Caution – this is a major road, and absolutely nobody ever drives slowly on it

Step

17

4.6

7.8

Step

Step

18

12 5.25 Step

13

Sproxton Saltby

112 3

SK 859 224

5.35 Step

14

19 2.7

SK 850 228

Caution – the road you’re crossing is hard to spot as you approach

Step

20

Step

Step

6.75

3.35

Step

Step

7.5

4.6

4x4 10pp Oct 23 Leics Roadbook.indd 71

SK 822 245

Step

2.75

16

Stonesby

2.05

5.9

15

ZERO TRIP

21 22

Stay on the obvious main track all the way along here

SK 873 221

OCTOBER 2023 | 71

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Step

26 0.5 Step

23

Take care immediately after the junction – there’s usually a bunch of vehicles scattered around, and as you approach them there’s also a sheer drop-off into an open culvert just to the right of the track

Step

27

5.15

2.15

Step

Step

6.15

3.55

24 Step

25 6.3

Stapleford 112 Whissendine 4

28

Leesthorpe Little Dalby

212 3

Caution – this is a deceptively busy road

(A 606 (S)) Whissendine 134

Step

ZERO TRIP

29 Stapleford Melton

112 5

3.65 Step

30

Caution – this is a major road

4.4 Step

31 6.75 72 | OCTOBER 2023

10pp Oct 23 Leics Roadbook.indd 72

Village Centre Burrough 2 Twyford 4

4x4 23/08/2023 09:48

Step

Step

32

37

7.15 Step

33

NEWBOLD LANE

SK 765 091

0.65 Step

38

8.4

0.75

Step

34

Step

8.65

1.65

Step

35

39 ZERO TRIP

Step

40

9.35

2.1

Step

Step

36 0.05

4x4 10pp Oct 23 Leics Roadbook.indd 73

SK 749 079

41 2.15

Melton Market Harborough

9 13

Caution – this is a busy road

Market Harborough Billesdon B6047

OCTOBER 2023 | 73

23/08/2023 09:48

Step 43 (inset): This is the start of a long, varied and eventful lane with some glorious views over the rolling Leicestershire hills. It doesn’t look like much at the outset, but it gets better and better Step

Step

42 2.65 Step

43

45 Cold Newton Hungarton

SK 732 053

Step

44

3.1 Step

46 3.15

2.9 After the second gate, swing right to follow the right-hand field edge, watching out for the ruts

2.95

With the line of the track barely visible in the grass, swing right though the gate that appears in the tree line

The next gate, a few car lengths after Step 45, used to be a strong candidate for the title of Britain’s worst. We’re told that the broken mess we had to deal with when we set out the route has since been replaced, but take a penknife, some twine and a pair of stout gloves just in case. And either way, of course, close it after you

Step

47 3.9 Step

48 4.45 Step

49 Step 45: It’s hard to spot where the track leads – look out for a gap in the tree line and head through the gate

74 | OCTOBER 2023

10pp Oct 23 Leics Roadbook.indd 74

4.95

Tilton

214

4x4 23/08/2023 09:50

Step

50

Follow the road ahead for Skeffington

5.95 Step

51

Caution – this is a main road and traffic thunders along it

6.7

Market Harborough Billesdon

Step

52

ZERO TRIP

11 112

Another fast, major road, which has been dualled for this junction.

Extreme caution as you turn right then immediately left again for Market Harborough

0.75 Step

53 1.75

4x4 10pp Oct 23 Leics Roadbook.indd 75

SK 723 015

The turning is hard to spot as you approach. For a landmark, it’s shortly after a road to the right with a black lorry sign reading ‘LCC Depot’

Step

54 2.55

New Inn Three Gates

3 4 3

14

OCTOBER 2023 | 75

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Step

Step

3.2

8.3

Step

Step

3.95

9.4

60

55

61

56 Step

57 6.2

Step

SP 764 998

62 FIELD ROAD

Step

7.15

2.0

Step

Step

7.75

3.55

59 76 | OCTOBER 2023

10pp Oct 23 Leics Roadbook.indd 76

Turn left then immediately right on to the main road

ZERO TRIP

9.55

Step

58

HUNT’S ’ LANE

63 Welham

134

64 Welham Weston The Langtons

134

4x4 23/08/2023 09:48

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11/01/2023 17:19

11/01/2023 11:02

OCTOBER 2023 | 77

29/08/2023 11:59

PUBLISHED 18 Nov 2022

Whatever your taste in Land Rovers, there’s one annual publication you can’t afford to miss. The Land Rover Yearbook is an eclectic blend of classics, modified motors, new Landies, product reviews, travelogues and more.

This year’s Yearbook includes a range of 90s and 110s that have been brought back to life with a twist. And a 107” Station Wagon, too, restored and modified into a Series I like no other. If you prefer your classics to be more, well, classic, you’ll find an 88” Series IIA rebuilt with a devotion to originality that borders on the fanatical. And how about one of the very earliest Freelanders? Not everyone’s idea of a classic, but everything about Land Rover’s history since then says it’s one of the most significant vehicles the company has ever made.

The Discovery, for example, was a truck in the pre-Freelander era. Now it’s a premium SUV. We’ve tested the current model in entry-level D250 form in a bid to find out whether you really need to stretch all the way to a top-spec engine.

And we’ve driven the basic Defender 90, too – steel wheels and all. Not just on any test drive, either, but a mighty green lane trip on some of the best trails in the country.

That’s one kind of travel story.

Getting up close to Africa’s wildlife is definitely another, and so too is the Dakar Classic. Loads of historhistor ic Range Rovers and Series trucks were involved in this marathon desert rally – yet not one of them had a British driver. So be warned spend a day or two poring over the 2023 Land Rover Yearbook and you might come away on a mission to put that right!

–

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or order online at

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22/11/2022 15:39:41 14/03/2023 14:42

Step

65

SP 741 952

5.4

Pub Car Park At Rear

Step

71 1.0

Step

Step

5.45

1.4

72

66 Step

67

This ford can get pretty deep – it’s gentle enough most of the time, but when the water’s high it needs to be approached with great caution

5.65 Step

68

Step

73 2.2

Caution as you pull out across the road and ahead for Stonton Wyville

ZERO TRIP

Step

74

7.0

2.25

Step

Step

0.25

4.0

75

69 Step

70 0.75

Continue through the gate, then the road becomes a track

Step

76

Caution, yet again – this is a major road

Tur Langton 134

This is in the middle of Tur Langton

Kibworth

2

Arrive outside the Crown Inn for the end of the route

4.1

Step 67: This ford is quite long and can get very deep after a lot of rain.

Approach with caution!

4x4 10pp Oct 23 Leics Roadbook.indd 79

OCTOBER 2020 | 61

23/08/2023 09:48

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THE NEW-LOOK ISUZU D-MAX

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES

PICK-UP OF THE YEAR

2023

DRIVEN TO DO

SEE WHAT’S NEW AT ISUZU.CO.UK 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.

Visit Isuzu.co.uk or contact your local Isuzu dealership for more information.

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