4x4 Magazine - September 2020

4x4

NEWS • TECH • DEBATE • TRAVEL • MODIFIED VEHICLES • GREEN LANING DRIVEN Volkswagen’s cool new T-Roc Cabrio

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

BEAST FROM THE EAST After almost half a century in production, the UAZ 469 is finally coming to the UK in the shape of MWM’s budget-priced Spartan. You definitely won’t mistake it for anything else…

Part 1 of our guide to 75 of the world’s best off-road adventures

£4.99

Hate your paintwork?

Then you’ll love our Wiltshire Roadbook!

SEP 2020

Is this the most perfect Series Land Rover of all time?

AWAITING PIC WITH SARAH 4x4 Cover.indd 1

04/08/2020 13:59

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20/03/2020 11:39

EGR ROLLTRAC.

INTRODUCING THE WORLD’S BEST ELECTRIC ROLL TOP COVER.

EGR RollTrac is the all new roll top cover that keeps cargo fully protected, wherever your pickup truck is heading.

Just the job for even the toughest of rides, it boasts a lightly textured black powder coating that’s water and scratch resistant to boot.

And if security’s top of mind, the EGR RollTrac simply won’t disappoint.

With an aluminium interlocking slat system, it’s impossible to cut through, or pull apart.

Find out more and buy online at www.4x4ni.com 30 | AUGUST 2020 Ad spreads.indd 30

What’s more, the EGR RollTrac is fully integrated into your vehicle’s electrical system. No hassle. It opens or locks shut with just the click of your key fob.

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AUGUST 2020 | 13

30/06/2020 17:05

September 2020

CONTENTS

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“Beautiful rolling downs and wide open farm trails, Britain’s only real jungle tracks. Our roadbooks are

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64 | JANUARY 2020

AWAITING SUBS 2-3 Contents Sep.indd 4

46

42

4x4 04/08/2020 13:48

40 12 MAGAZINES FOR THE PRICE OF 3!

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

4x4 Scene: News, Products and More…

8 9 9 10 11 11 12 13 13 16 18 20 20 21

Toyota Hilux Facelift brings new styling and bigger, more powerful engine Jeep Renegade 4xe Jeep’s first hybrid remains true to its off-road roots Audi SQ7 Performance SUV switches from diesel to petrol power Range Rover New hybrid diesel – and half a dozen special editions Porsche Cayenne GTS model brings V8 power back to the range Suzuki Across Rebadged Toyota RAV4 on the way to Britain Green Laning GLASS launches recruiting drive for volunteer lengthsmen Chitterne Down Infamous mud pit repaired at last on Wiltshire lane Strata Florida Much-loved Welsh hill route set to reopen soon ARB Base Rack Aussie giant reinvents the roof rack Nightsearcher Tri-Spector A top-drawer LED inspection lamp kit Ring Vast range grows to include new tyre repair kit Milner Off Road New applications added to own-brand snorkel range Gearmate Heavy-duty floor mat range covers most of the pick-up market

Driven 22 26

VW T-Roc Cabrio Award-winning SUV gains cool points by losing its roof Subaru Outback Original crossover is as worthy of respect as ever

Every Month 4 11 14 40 68 80

Alan Kidd Memories of a previous encounter with the UAZ 469 Coming Soon Trucks and SUVs set to be launched in the near future Calendar Off-road events to enjoy as the world starts making sense again Subscribe Stay at home and get 4x4 delivered – and save a huge 75%!

Roadbook Tough going on some ancient trails in southern Wiltshire Next Month The off-road verdict on the new Defender, delivered at last…

Features 28 34 42 46

MWM Spartan Budget off-road wagon promises to be like nothing else Falcon Design A Land Rover Series III reimagined as a super-classy road ride Sporting Suzuki Built for safari racing but turned in to a winch motor Real-world Shogun The kind of build you don’t look twice at. But you should…

Our 4x4s 50

Isuzu D-Max GO2 Simple but effective: fitting a tailgate damper

Travel

followed by one of back with a bang!”

52 56

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4x4 AWAITING SUBS 2-3 Contents Sep.indd 5

Pyrenees The inside story of an ever-popular tag-along adventure route 75 Destinations First in a three-part guide to the world’s best 4x4 adventures

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04/08/2020 13:48

4x4 Alan Kidd Editor

T

his isn’t the first time someone’s brought a UAZ to the UK. Way back in the early 90s, I remember going to a cattle farm somewhere in the West Midlands to interview a farmer and his wife who had two of the things.

One of them was a 452, the forward control mini-wagon that looks like one of those old Commer vans you used to see tottering about the place. That was a thirty year old design, even back then (yet it’s still being made today).

The other was a relative spring chicken in the shape of the 469, which can best be described as Russia’s take on the Defender 90 or Wrangler. It wasn’t even a quarter of a century old at the time.

If I recall correctly, the couple who owned the vehicles had brought them to the UK with half an eye on the idea of starting a business importing them. This was an era when the Lada Niva was selling well; Mahindras were selling in worryingly strong numbers; Auverland had a well thought of model range; and Mazda’s UK importer had started bringing in the Rocsta. Down to earth off-roaders were still common – hell, even the Land Rover Defender was still a thing with vinyl seats and steel wheels.

I don’t think the UAZs wowed me very much. At least, I have very fond memories of the Niva and Rocsta from back then, and not very fond memories of a Mahindra CJ3 which I’m fairly sure was trying to kill me.

The point being that these vehicles made a lasting impression, whereas the 452 and 469 didn’t. I don’t remember thinking they were bad, but I didn’t come away thinking I had discovered the next big thing in offroading either.

Times have changed, however. Those were the days when Range Rovers cost thirty grand or so and Defenders were in the low teens. The Suzuki Samurai was still a thing, too. There was no shortage of real off-roaders at the sort of money that wouldn’t take the rest of your life to pay off.

Now, the UAZ 469 is back in Britain, and this time it’s very definitely here on business.

Badged as the MWM Spartan, it’s emissionstested, converted to right-hand drive and homologated for Small Series production.

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The MWM Spartan takes you back to a time before soft-roaders were invented There’s a proper UK agent and a dealer and service network is in development. It’s real.

It’s real, and it costs £16,650 plus VAT. That was Discovery money back when I first drove a 469: today, it would get you into a Jimny, if only you could get your hands on one, but the next cheapest new motor with real off-road skills is a Land cruiser Utility at almost twice the price.

That’s unless you look at a double-cab (and you can see why people do), but even these tend to start well above the new Spartan.

Like many people, I love the idea of a really inexpensive off-road wagon that does the job without forcing you to shell out on a load of luxuries you didn’t ask for. That’s why the Landcruiser Utility appeals to me, and why the old Nissan Patrol S was my weapon of choice for many years.

Truth to tell, the Spartan is a very different proposition to either of those vehicles. It’s closer in character to what the 90/110 used to be – though even then, there are areas in which it more closely resembles the Series III. Ironically, the 469 was launched in the same year as the last of the leaf-sprung Landies, so there may be a reason for that.

Anyway, like I say, I love the idea of this vehicle. I love the idea of a small company doing something that shows us all where the big companies have lost the off-road plot. I love the thought of us lot seeing the virtue in a truck which the motoring mainstream just doesn’t understand at all.

I also love the fact that here is a truck which takes me back to those days in the early 90s. The 4x4 market was buoyant, every single vehicle in it was built to go offroad and all these small-volume hardcore models were floating around keeping it very real indeed.

Sitting in the Spartan is like sitting in a Niva or Mahindra used to be. It transports you back in time to before soft-roaders were ever invented – and if you want a vehicle to go anywhere, surely that’s not a bad first port of call…

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

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

© Assignment Media Ltd, 2020

4x4 02/08/2020 22:47

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

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PHONE: 01299 250174 E-mail: enquiries@apbtrading.co.uk

4x4 02/06/2020 15:38

NEW 4X4S

NEW LOOK AND NEW ENGINE FOR REVISED TOYOTA HILUX

2.8-litre diesel with 201bhp and 369lbf.ft • Improved media system • On sale November

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revised version of the Toyota Hilux will go on sale towards the end of this year. Featuring a heavily revised front end, this gains various tech updates inside – and will be powered by a new 2.8-litre diesel engine.

Augmenting the current 2.4-litre unit, the new engine produces 201bhp and 369lbf.ft and is available with a choice of manual and automatic gearboxes. As well as an improved 0-62 time of 10.0 seconds, it allows predicted fuel consumption of 36.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 204g/km.

‘The new powertrain is aimed at customers who require a vehicle that’s appropriate for both business and personal use, and those wanting an extremely capable leisure vehicle,’ says Toyota. Aiding this, the steering and suspension have been revised to allow greater refinement on the road, while the engine’s idle speed drops from 850 to 650rpm – allowing greater flexibility off-road.

Inside, the cabin gains a new instrument panel and an 8” media screen whose controls have been designed for ease of use in all driving conditions. Toyota says the

new system is faster than before, and it has also now adopted Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for easier phone pairing.

The new Hilux is scheduled to go on sale in the UK in November, with final specs and prices to be announced between now and then.

BMW unveils first fully electric SUV THE BMW IX3, which will appear on UK roads next summer, is the company’s first fully electric SUV. It will go on sale this autumn – at which point, the X3 will be the first BMW available with a choice of pure EV, plug-in hybrid and traditional petrol and diesel powertrains.

BMW says the vehicle’s electric architecture is up to 93% efficient – a figure which compares with the 40% or less that’s typical for internal combus-

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tion engines. Output figures are 286bhp and 295lbf.ft, giving the iX3 a 0-62 time of 6.8 seconds. To enhance its on-road handling, the vehicle is rear-wheel drive only.

4x4 04/08/2020 17:58

Jeep unveils first venture into electrified propulsion with plug-in Renegade 4xe – and it’s still a proper off-roader

NEW 4X4S

High-performance Audi SQ7 and SQ8 switch from diesel to petrol Jeep has unveiled the Renegade 4xe – a plug-in hybrid which represents the brand’s first first foray into electrified production in the UK. And while it’s not in Wrangler territory, the vehicle will be available in Trailhawk form – giving it the sort of off-road ability on which Jeep built its name.

This will gain the top-rated version of the hybrid drivetrain, with a total output of 240bhp. Other models in the 4xe line-up make do with 190bhp. Both engines dish out 199lbf.ft of torque.

In each case, the electric part of the system delivers 60bhp and 184lbf.ft; this comes from a pair of motors, one on each axle. Jeep quotes a 26-mile range in full-EV mode and 123-134mpg when running as a hybrid. The 11.4kWh battery pack is charged on the move when conditions permit and can be fully replenished by plugging the vehicle into an external power source.

Behind the engine, a new sixspeed automatic gearbox is combined with a bespoke version of Jeep’s Selec-Terrain driving mode control.

All models get low

4x4 AWAITING NIGHTSEARCHER Scene Sep.indd 9

range as standard; the Trailhawk gains a Rock mode in addition to the standard Snow and Mud and Sand programmes. The 4xe also offers a new Sport mode to let you make the most of its unique performance on the road.

Further exclusive features on the Trailhawk model include steel underbody skid plates, 235/55R17 tyres and raised suspension. The latter makes for approach, departure and breakover angles of 28, 28 and 18 degrees respectively, as well as 20.1cm of ground clearance.

Fording depth is a useful 40cm on all models, thanks to comprehensive waterproofing for the whole of the high-voltage system.

The Renegade 4xe range starts at £32,600 for the Longitude model. £34,500 gets you the higher-spec Limited, while the fully off-road enhanced Trailhawk will cost £36,500. The first vehicles are expected to be start appearing on British roads in September.

AUDI HAS ANNOUNCED a rather unusual revision for its high-performance SQ7 and SQ8 SUVs – a wholesale switch from diesel to petrol power.

Available this autumn, the new models will feature a twin-turbo 4.0 TFSI engine with 507bhp and 570lbf.ft – giving them a 0-62 time of just 4.1 seconds. Audi promises a soundtrack to match, as well as minimal vibration and state-of-the-art efficiency tech.

Standard equipment across the range includes an eight-speed auto box driving all four wheels, as well as air suspension and all-wheel steering. This was previously only offered on top-spec Vorsprung models – in the new range, these remain the only versions to offer active roll stabilisation and a sport differential which ‘shifts torque between the rear wheels as needed during fast cornering to increase handling adjustability.’

Both the SQ7 and SQ8 will go on sale in the UK this autumn. Audi expects them to start in the region of £78,000 and £83,000 respectively.

Nissan has unveiled the Ariya – a new all-electric crossover set to go on sale in the UK next spring.

The vehicle will be available with a choice of five drivetrains, including three all-wheel drive options, and promises exciting on-road handling as well as SUV-level tractability and a lounge-like interior – in addition to a range of up to 310 miles.

The range-topping model will deliver 394bhp and 442lbf.ft and have a 0-62 time of 5.1 seconds.

Prices are still to be set, but the Ariya can be expected to pick up where the Leaf leaves off.

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 9

04/08/2020 18:01

NEW 4X4S

RANGE ROVER GETS NEW HYBRID ENGINE AND SPECIAL EDITIONS

Diesel hybrid with up to 350bhp • Three special editions each for Range Rover and Sport

L

and Rover has announced a series of revisions to the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. These include the addition of new mild-hybrid diesel engine to both ranges, as well as a slew of special edition models.

The new engine, a 3.0-litre straight six, is available in each case in 300 and 350bhp form.

Replacing the existing V6 and V8 diesel options in each range, it’s backed up by a 48-volt motor to combine high outputs with comparatively low emissions.

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In the Range Rover Sport, for instance, the D350 model delivers 516lbf.ft of toque from a promisingly low 1500rpm, propelling the vehicle from 0-62mph in a brisk 6.9 seconds while returning CO2 emissions of 237g/km. The lower powered D300, meanwhile, puts out a scarcely less impressive 479lbf.ft, again from 1500rpm.

In the full-fat Range Rover, the D350 returns 241g/km and 30.8mpg while the D300 manages 225g/km and 33.0mpg. As Land Rover points out, this is an improvement on the

performance of the old V8 engine achieved by one with the weight and efficiency of a six-pot.

In the Range Rover Sport, the regular line-up is augmented by the HSE Silver, HSE Dynamic Black, both of which are available with the new D300 and existing P400e PHEV powertrains. Both have a panoramic roof, uprated stereo and various exterior trim tweaks; the HSE Silver also gains privacy glass, a fridge and an uprated stereo.

There’s also a new SVR Carbon Edition, adding a range of carbon fibre trim items and 22” black alloys to the already epic spec of the 575bhp SVR. The full-fat Range Rover line-up, meanwhile, gains new Westminster and Westminster Black special editions. Based on the Vogue, these add privacy glass, a sliding panoramic roof, suede headlining, softclose doors and an uprated stereo,

as well as their own designs of 21” and, on the Westminster Black, 22” alloy wheels.

There’s also a new Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic Black model, which takes the existing SVAutobiography Dynamic and adds a range of black details. Elsewhere, a range of new paint options becomes available across both ranges, while cabin air ionisation is added and the infotainment systems are brought up to date with the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

4x4 04/08/2020 17:59

Porsche lifts wraps on new GTS as V8 power returns to Cayenne range

NEW 4X4S

COMING SOON Forthcoming 4x4s due later this year and beyond

PORSCHE HAS REVEALED the Cayenne GTS – a V8-engined version of its flagship SUV designed to appeal to posers and purists alike.

Powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 with 460bhp and 457lbf. ft, the GTS is available in Cayenne and Cayenne Coupé form – in each case boasting a top speed of 173mph. When equipped with Porsche’s Sport Chrono pack, the vehicle will demolish the 0-62mph sprint in as little as 4.5 seconds – a massive 0.6 seconds faster than the previous GTS. To make the most of this performance, the GTS runs a 20mm lower ride height than the standard model and comes with active dampers and rear torque vectoring as standard.

‘The chassis set-up creates the ideal prerequisites for agile, responsive behaviour on twisting roads,’ says Porsche, and 390mm front and 358mm rear brake discs

allow similarly responsive braking.

Both GTS models come with 21” rims as standard.

If all this isn’t enough to satisfy your need for speed, options include ceramic brakes, rear-axle steering, 10mm lowered air suspension and active roll stabilisation.

The original Mk1 Cayenne GTS from 2007 is probably best remembered for being available in bright gold paintwork, which says all you need to know about how much of a shrinking violet you need to be to enjoy all this dynamic wonderfulness. And sure enough, ‘the standard Sport Design package of the Cayenne GTS ensures a unique and exclusive appearance.’

Rest assured this won’t be the only thing about it that’s exclusive.

Prices start at £85,930, or £88,750 for the Coupé. The order book is open now, with first deliveries due later in the summer.

THERE’S AN ALL-NEW Suzuki on the way. Called the Across, it’s a midsized SUV – but while it is an all-new Suzuki, it’s not an all-new vehicle.

The first progeny of Suzuki’s recently agreed model-sharing collaboration, the Across is basically a badge-engineered version of the forthcoming RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid. It has its own front-end styling but is otherwise near-identical to look at both inside and out.

The vehicle is powered by Toyota’s 2.5-litre petrol engine, in conjunction with an electric motor fuelled producing 180bhp and 199lbf.ft. This is backed up by a 54bhp motor on the rear axle, whose presence is what gives the vehicle four-wheel drive.

With quoted emissions of just 22g/km, the Across is set to go on sale in the UK this autumn, with prices to be confirmed soon.

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Aiways U5 Alfa Romeo Tonale Alpina XB7 Aston Martin DBX Audi Q4 e-tron Audi Q5 facelift Audi SQ7 Audi SQ8 BMW iX3 BMW X5 M Competition BMW X6 M Competition Bentley Bentayga Bollinger B1 Bollinger B2 Cupra Ateca Cupra Formentor Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Ranger INEOS Grenadier Jeep Jeep Cherokee Desert Hawk Jeep Gladiator Jeep Grand Commander Jeep Compass 4xe Jeep Renegade 4xe Jeep Wagoneer Kia Kia Sorento Land Rover Defender 90 Land Rover Defender 130 Land Rover Defender PHEV Land Rover Defender EV Maserati Mercedes-Benz EQB Mercedes-Maybach GLS Mitsubishi Outlander Nissan Ariya Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 4 Porsche Cayenne GTS Rivian R1T Rivian R1s Skoda Enyaq iV SsangYong Korando EV Suzuki Across Tesla Cybertruck Tesla Model X Tri-Motor Tesla Model Y Torsus Terrastorm Toyota Highlander Toyota Hilux facelift Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid Toyota Yaris Cross Volkswagen Amarok Volkswagen Touareg R Volvo XC40 PHEV

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

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SEPTEMBER 2020 | 11

04/08/2020 17:59

RIGHTS OF WAY

Adopt your favourite lane with GLASS’ Volunteer Lengthsman Scheme

T

he Green Lane Association has launched a recruitment campaign for its Volunteer Lengthsman Scheme, which allows members to ‘adopt’ rights of way and become responsible for their upkeep.

Co-ordinated by Paul Woodward, the organisation’s dedicated Lengthsman Officer, a nationwide team of volunteers is tasked with monitoring their lanes by driving them three or four times a year and, if necessary, walking them a couple of times a year to pick up litter.

Lengthsmen will also carry out any basic maintenance tasks like clearing fallen and overhanging branches, unblocking drains and so on. Bigger jobs will be reported back to GLASS and the local authority, along with any other observations.

The Lengthsman scheme aims to see green lane users adopt individual byways, taking on responsibility for small running repairs while acting as ambassadors for the hobby to landowners and other user groups. While volunteers are likely to be the first to spot illegal obstructions and other issues, in practice it’s to be hoped that by representing the true face of the hobby, they’ll prevent such problems from happening in the first place By spending time on the lanes, for examples, lengthsmen will be well placed to experience any specific issues with unjustified anti-4x4 behaviour and, equally, learn of legitimate local concerns caused by irresponsible motor vehicle use.

‘Historically,’ says GLASS, ‘lengthsman were employed to work on highways to do simple “stitch in time” maintenance work; cut back an overhanging branch here, clear a ditch there – simple one-person work. Some highway authorities and individual parishes are again employing lengthsmen, but their focus is the surfaced highway network.

So GLASS are bringing the idea to unsurfaced vehicular rights of way.

‘Our volunteer lengthsman take on a single lane (or group of lanes should they wish) and drive those

A RECENT INCIDENT in Norfolk demonstrated the value to green lane users of reaching out to those who live next to rights of way. It’s easy to assume that everyone with a byway or unsurfaced road next to their home will be unthinkingly anti, but GLASS’ Norfolk Rep Ned Kelly proved the opposite when he was approached over the nuisance caused by speeding motorbikes on an unclassified county road in Norfolk.

The lane, a section of the Pedders Way near Little Massingham, is home to a number of residences including a private cottage and dog kennels. Owners of both have been complaining to the police and local authority about inconsiderate use by bikers; when the problem found its way to Ned’s inbox, he asked GLASS for advice and the organisation supplied him with a set of signs to instal.

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AWAITING NIGHTSEARCHER Scene Sep.indd 12

routes at least three or four times a year to check on the general condition. Twice a year, they walk the lane and do a litter pick if that is a requirement in the area.

‘If, during their travels, the volunteer lengthsmen come across minor problems, such as a ditch that has become blocked or a branch that has fallen from a tree, they can be simply dealt with there and then.’

More serious problems will need to be reported to the relevant GLASS Area Rep and/or the Rights of Way Department or Highway Authority for the area. Volunteer Lengthsmen’s feedback will be ultimately be recorded against lanes on Trailwise2.’

Volunteers will also be encouraged to promote their work both on social media and by supplying

positive stories to be used by the GLASS media officer. They’re required to follow the organisation’s code of conduct on the lanes, naturally, and are expected to act as ambassadors by engaging politely with other users while carrying out their duties. ‘It is hoped that the Volunteer Lengthsman Scheme can be another way that we can demonstrate our commitment to sensible and sustainable use of unsurfaced vehicular routes,’ comments GLASS. Interested in getting involved?

You need to be a member of either GLASS itself or an affiliated club, and to have a lane or lanes in mind; with that, go to the relevant page at glass-uk.org or drop Paul a line at vls@glass-uk.org, and prepare to do some good for the countryside!

These went up in late June and Ned has soon received feedback from one of the residents: ‘Thank you very much for sorting the signs for the Peddars Way. They look very smart and I’m sure they will make a difference. We’ve noticed a difference already today.’

There’s only so much you can do when you’re relying on people to show respect for others. But this was a fine example of how a little effort and consideration can go a long way.

PLEASE SLOW DOWN

children and farm traffic ahead

12 mph

4x4 04/08/2020 17:59

RIGHTS OF WAY

Infamous mud hole on Chitterne Down repaired at long last A LANE NEAR the ‘German Village’ on Salisbury Plain has at last been repaired – after turning into a mud hole which for years made it an attraction for irresponsible off-roaders and attracted seasonal voluntary restraint during the winter.

Running from west of the German Village and finishing parallel to a military Cat A track that leads to the B390, the lane is very easy for almost all its length. However a short section in a dip north of Chitterne Down was very prone to flooding – and therefore rutting. For many years, the right of way had become engorged to some half a dozen separate tracks, with clear evidence of drivers looking to find the muddiest route and the one most likely to get them stuck.

Towards the end of July, the lane was closed for three weeks to allow contractors to make good the damaged surface them cover the right of way with road planings. The result is a complete change of character for the lane, which is now a single gravel ribbon running across an area that, when grassed, will show no sign of the carnage which once reigned there.

The land around the newly surfaced right of way will still be prone to flooding, so discipline remains critical. However the right of way is now open again and suitable for all vehicles, all year round – a welcome change from the days when it was a headbangers’ favourite.

The Chitterne Down lane is now smooth, firmly surfaced and suitable for any 4x4. Compare this with the way it used to be, with six or more different troughs of mud through the flooding-prone valley bottom making it a prime attraction for those looking to play

Strata Florida saga set to end soon as ground work scheduled to get underway in early August STRATA FLORIDA IS POSSIBLY the best known and most loved green lane left in Britain. It has been closed for almost a year, however, in the wake of a Traffic Regulation Order which was imposed by Powys County Council to allow remedial drainage work to be carried out. With Covid-19 driving a coach and horses through everyday life, and Wales’ lockdown lasting much longer than England’s, the closure has dragged on far beyond the few weeks that were initially expected – but at last, the end appears to be in sight.

At the time of writing, the work which had originally been planned for the spring were scheduled to commence in August. The work itself is major, with the entire lane surface needing to be lifted in order for a culvert to be installed and ancillary work to be carried out – however with the weather permitting, this is only estimated to take between three and five weeks.

Procedural and safety factors mean that in order to carry out the work, even if it will only take less than a week, Powys CC had to apply for a sixmonth closure on the lane. The authority has stressed, however, as it did when making the original closure last year, that the lane will be reopened as soon as the work has been done.

Powys is one of the best local authorities anywhere in Britain for working with other rights of way stakeholders, and the Powys Byway Users Group was consulted over the plans before they were put in place. By the time you read this, if all goes to plan the work on Strata Florida should be well underway – and the return of this jewel in the crown of Britain’s rights of way network should be just around the corner.

4x4 AWAITING NIGHTSEARCHER Scene Sep.indd 13

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 13

04/08/2020 17:59

CALENDAR KEY

P Off-Road Playday

G Green Lane Convoy Tour

A Overseas Adventure Travel

S 4x4 Show

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

15 August

24 August – 4 Sept

6 September

19-20 September

Events A UKLakeLandrover District

A Trailmasters Morocco

15-16 August

26-31 August

Overland Show S Adventure Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire G Trailmasters Yorkshire

Adventure Tours G 4x4 South Wales

World Overland A Lost Alps

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

15-26 August

27 August

9-24 September

Adventure A Onelife Pyrenees

Events G UKDalesLandrover and Eden District

A Protrax Ukraine

16 August

28 August – 11 September

11-13 September

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

Road Adventure Travel A Off Pyrenees

17-23 August

A Landtreks Pyrenees 21-23 August and Tracks G Trails Coast to Coast

22-23 August Adventure Tours G 4x4 Westmoorland G Protrax Wiltshire

S Peterborough, Cambridgeshire Land Rover Owner Show

12-13 September

23 September

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

Adventure Tours G 4x4 South Dorset Jurassic Coast Adventure G Onelife Lake District

Adventure Tours G 4x4 South Wales Valleys

30 August

13 September

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

Rochford and District 4x4 P Essex, Rayleigh, Essex 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Pembrokeshire

Off Roaders P Burnham Tring, Hertfordshire Leisure P Cowm Whitworth, Lancashire 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Protrax P Tixover, Northamptonshire

Adventure A Ardent Alps

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Coast to Coast (Lakes / Yorkshire)

5-6 September

17 September – 1 October

G Ardventures Yorkshire Wolds and Moors Overland G Atlas Wessex Road Adventure Travel G Off Wales

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

AWAITING NIGHTSEARCHER Scene Sep.indd 14

26-27 September

Events G UKEdenLandrover and Tynedale

P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

14 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Off Roaders P Burnham Tring, Hertfordshire Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire

27 September

22-30 August

Hill’n’Ditch

26 September

17-18 September

17-20 September

P Mouldsworth, Cheshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

Pit P Devil’s Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire Valley 4x4 P Thames Brick Kiln Farm, Hampshire

29 August

31 August

23 August

20 September

19 September Events G UKTyneLandrover and Wear

2 October

G Protrax Wales

4x4 04/08/2020 17:59

CALENDAR 4 October

24-25 October

28-29 November

26 March – 11 April 2021

4x4 Spares Day G Newbury Newbury, Berkshire

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Mid-Wales

Adventure Tours G 4x4 South Devon

A Ardventures Morocco

4-22 October

25 October

29 November

27 March – 11 April 2021

Landrover Events G UKNorthumberland

World Overland A Lost Morocco

A Protrax Morocco Desert and Mountain

4x4 and LR Spares Day S Malvern Malvern, Worcestershire

10 October

27 October – 13 November

3-17 December

3-20 April 2021

Events G UKPeakLandrover District

Safari A Peru Kuelap / Cloud Warrior Tour

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

Safari A Peru Kuelap / Cloud Warrior Tour

10-11 October

31 October

4 December

4-17 April 2021

Road Adventure Travel G Off Wales and Tracks G Trails North of England

Events G UKNorthLandrover York Moors (night run)

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Dorset

Overland A Atlas Morocco

31 October –1 November

6 December

18 April 2021

Events G UKNorthLandrover York Moors

Road Adventure Travel G Off Wales and Tracks G Trails York Moors and Dales

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Salisbury Plain Events G UKLakeLandrover District

11-25 October

7-8 November

11 December

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

Overland G Atlas Wessex and Tracks G Trails Cumbria, Eden and Yorks Dales

A Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Surrey

22 April – 6 May 2021

12-13 December

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

11 October

22 November

British Land Rover Show S Great Newark, Nottinghamshire

19 April – 3 May 2021

12 October

G Ardventures Coast to Coast

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Kent G Trailmasters Wales

Events G UKDalesLandrover and Eden

15 November

24 December

3-12 May 2021

Events G UKLakeLandrover District

and Tracks G Trails Tyne Valley

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Salisbury Plain Landrover Events G UKYorkshire Dales

4x4 Adventures A Active Portugal

26 December

15-29 May 2021

18 October

15-29 November

Landrover Events G UKTynedale

Landrover Events G UKLincoln and Belvoir

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

Overland A Atlas Portugal

27 December

20 May – 2 June 2021

18 Oct – 5 Nov

18-19 November

A Protrax Morocco Coast to Coast

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Bath

A Trailmasters Morocco Extreme

29-30 December

24-28 May 2021

23 October

21-22 November

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Shropshire

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Welsh Borders

G Ardventures Lake District

4x4 Adventures A Active Provence

8-24 January 2021

25 May – 5 June 2021

24 October

22 November

G Protrax Wiltshire Trails and Tracks G Night run Events G UKEdenLandrover District

A Ardventures Morocco

Landrover Events G UKDurham Dales

A Landtreks Portugal

13-24 February 2021

28 May – 11 June 2021

27 November

A Ardventures Galicia

Adventure Tours G 4x4 East Devon

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

6-25 March 2021

7-16 June 2021

A Protrax Morocco

4x4 Adventures A Active Pyrenees

British Land Rover Show S Great Stoneleigh, Warwickshire

17 October

4x4 AWAITING NIGHTSEARCHER Scene Sep.indd 15

9-13 November

1-14 May 2021 Overland A Atlas Portugal

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 15

04/08/2020 17:59

PRODUCTS

ARB reinvents the roof rack with ‘sleeker, smarter and stronger’ Base Rack

S

leeker, stronger, smarter and bound to impress.’

It could be a description of how the Editor thought he looked after getting his terrible lockdown hair lopped off, but actually it’s ARB talking about its new Base Rack. The difference being that in ARB’s case it sounds a lot less fanciful.

The product of many years’ research, the Base Rack is a new addition to the Australian company’s already extensive range of roof racks. It has a fully welded extruded aluminium design, with beams that run the width of the vehicle – giving it ‘the strength of the steel racks at a fraction of the weight.’

The cross-beams’ strength means there’s no need for a sub-frame – allowing the rack to sit lower to

the roof of the vehicle. This means it looks sleek and less top-heavy – and, if you do your off-roading in a place where trees grow, which in Britain is more or less inevitable, makes it significantly less likely to be caned brutally into one of them.

The rack’s design is more than just low-profile, though. Both sides of its internal beams, and the outside of its perimeter beams, are made with a dovetail system for attaching accessories. Allowing you to stash kit on the beams’ top surface without disturbing other cargo, and removing the dangers associated with protruding tie-down points, the dovetails are ready and waiting for a dazzling array of accessories – jerry can, gas bottle, high-lift and waffle board holders, awning and light bar brackets, eye bolt and spring-loaded

tie downs and spare wheel Y-straps to name a few. Well, quite a few.

There’s quite a few more, too. The Base Rack’s dovetails can be used to mount a wind deflector, various guard rail systems and a roller kit for loading long and heavy items. ARB also offers special ratchet straps with a custom dovetail bracket rather than the traditional J-hook, as well as T-slot adaptors to let you use the rack with all manner of traditional accessories.

The Base Rack is available in a number of sizes ranging from

1155mm to 1285m wide and from 1255mm to 2125mm long. At launch, mounting kits will be available to suit an enormous range of vehicles and a similarly huge variety of ARB’s own pick-up canopies – there’s a list on this page of most fitments for UK models, but your best bet is to contact one of the company’s stockists to discuss your needs. You’ll find details by visiting www.britpart.com.

ARB Base Rack fitments At launch, Base Rack sizes and mounting kits are available to suit the following UK models: Vehicles: Jeep Wrangler JL Jeep Cherokee XJ Land Rover Defender Mitsubishi Shogun (1991-2000) Nissan Patrol (Y60 and Y61) Range Rover Classic Suzuki Jimny (2019-on) Toyota Landcruiser (60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 150 and 200-Series) ARB canopies to fit: Ford Ranger (2012-on) Isuzu D-Max (2012-on) Mercedes-Benz X-Class (2018-20) Mitsubishi L200 (2015-on) Nissan Navara NP300 (2015-on) Toyota Hilux (2015-on) Volkswagen Amarok (2010-on)

16 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Scene Sep.indd 16

4x4 04/08/2020 19:22

JeepChryslerParts.co.uk is an independent distributor and is not affiliated with FCA USLLC. Jeep® and Chrysler® are registered trademarks of FCA USLLC.

PRODUCTS

Nightsearcher’s Tri-Spector – three indispensible workshop lights in one

N

ightsearcher’s Tri-Spector is one of those products which, once you’ve had one in your life, it’s hard to imagine being able to do without. It’s an LED workshop inspection light with a difference – that difference being that it packs three different kinds of lamp into one bit of kit.

The fun starts with a magnetic base containing a rechargeable 3.7V, 2600mAh battery pack. One top of this is a quick-release jaw into which you can connect an 80-lumen flexi finger light, a 300/600-lumen slimline light and torch and a 300-lumen spot-to-flood adjustable flashlight.

Three different workshop lighting needs covered off in one, and the whole lot comes in a tailored storage case to keep it all together.

As well as being magnetic, the battery base is fitted with a hanging hook to give you more options for Ford Ranger Big Brake Kit Ad - Jan 2020 - UK.pdf

1

28/01/2020

17:31

positioning the unit. The lamps’ own mounts rotate through 360 degrees and tilt through 180 degrees, too, so you can literally point them in any direction. The flashlight’s beam is quoted at up to 30 metres, too, so it has the capacity to be useful beyond just the workshop.

Rated at IP44 for protection against water ingress, the Tri-Spector promises to be resistant to chemicals and workshop solvents.

No small matter in the environment you’ve already got in mind for it. Its housing is tough enough to let you drop it from up to a metre without the world ending, too.

Depending on the output you’re asking for, the Tri-Spector’s run time is given at 2-10 hours. You’d really need to be pumping it out to get it down to the bottom end of that spectrum, though, so in almost any workshop situation it’ll stay with you all day long, perhaps just wanting

BIG BRAKING PERFORMANCE!

WITH PEDDERS TRAKRYDER EXTREME BRAKE KITS BRAKE KITS

a top-up during your lunch break.

Nightsearcher does a pretty wide range of spares should you want to duoble up – or we doubt you’ll ever regret just buying a second full kit to give you a second battery and more

Vehicle Wiring Products

lighting on top. A battery status indicator on the magnetic base keeps you alert to, well, the status of the battery, and the whole thing comes with a USB charging cable and mains adaptor.

We supply a comprehensive range of wiring products for repair, modification or complete rewire to your vehicle

ADJUSTABLE 4X4 SUSPENSION

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Stainless steel abutments.

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

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

Features: • Stainless steel braided hoses.

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

• TrakRyder eXtreme Kevlar Ceramic low dust brake pads.

• TrakRyder eXtreme 6 pot design caliper brackets and bolts.

• 6 Pot, 2 piece aluminium forged calipers.

• High grade alloy steel brake pad insulators.

• Stainless steel pistons.

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

01296 711 044 info@pedders.co.uk

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

18 | SEPTEMBER 2020

AWAITING NIGHTSEARCHER Scene Sep.indd 18

ca F ta re lo e gu

e Visit our website, phone or email for a free catalogue

www.vehicleproducts.co.uk

Tel No: 0115 9305454 and email: sales@vehicleproducts.co.uk

Vehicle Wiring Products 9 Buxton Court, Manners Ind Est, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 8EF

4x4 04/08/2020 17:59

PRODUCTS

Something else it comes with is a three-year warranty, which is a whole lot better than most domestic appliances and even some new cars, so it’s a product you can feel confident about. We’ve tested one

and we do – in fact, it’s taken up residence in the editorial workshop and is even going to be coming with us on photoshoots in future, too.

So how much is one of these bad boys going to cost you? It’s

NEW ES ROUT !

OPEN

a case of shopping around, but you certainly won’t need to spend more than £65 to bring one home.

That could be seen as reassuringly expensive, or as a lot of light for the money – in each case, correctly.

There are certain things that make life so much easier, and this is one of them – and talking of easy things, visiting nightsearcher.co.uk for the full chapter and verse sounds like a pretty obvious next step.

RLG Tyres

Tyres cheap. Not cheap tyres!!

OFFICIAL STOCKIST

Experience a fun day out with Hill n Ditch 4x4!

Set within a 13 acre sandstone quarry, our site will challenge drivers of all ability levels and their 4x4s with axle twisters, large rocks, water and gullies and steep ascents & descents! A safety briefing and FREE recovery provided. Hot/cold refreshments, toilets and shelter on-site.

TEL: 07487 753240

EMAIL: hillnditch4x4@gmail.com VISIT www.hillnditch4x4.com for OPEN DATES.

NO booking required!

4x4 AWAITING NIGHTSEARCHER Scene Sep.indd 19

Main supplier of and all major 4x4 tyres

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

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

www.rlgtyres.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 19

04/08/2020 17:59

PRODUCTS

First aid for flat tyres from Ring’s new repair kit COMPLETE READY TO DRIVE CARS OR SELF BUILD KITS • Build manuals & full kits,

COMPLETE READY TO DRIVE controlled speed, lights, horn, CARS OR SELF BUILD KITS

• Pre-cut panel sets • Build manuals & full kits, & ready-made bodies available controlled speed, lights, horn, • Manual includes full component • Pre-cut panel sets and body cutting dimensions & ready-made bodies available • Battery powered DIY kits or parts • Manual includes full component For more information please contact 01291 626141 sales@toylander.com www.toylander.com and body cutting dimensions

COMPLETE READY TO DRIVE •CARS BatteryOR powered kits or parts SELFDIY BUILD KITS

For more information please contact 01291 626141

sales@toylander.com • Build manuals www.toylander.com & full kits,

COMPLETE READY TO DRIVE controlled speed, lights, horn, CARS OR SELF BUILD KITS

• Pre-cut panel sets • Build manuals & full kits, & ready-made bodies available controlled speed, lights, horn, • Manual includes full component • Pre-cut panel sets and body cutting dimensions & ready-made bodies available • Battery powered DIY kits or parts • Manual includes full component COMPLETE READYsales@toylander.com TO DRIVE For more information please contact 01291 626141 COMPLETE www.toylander.com and body cutting dimensions READY TO DRIVE

Toylander 3

CARS OR SELF BUILD KITS •CARS BatteryOR powered kits or parts SELFDIY BUILD KITS • Build manuals & full kits, COMPLETE READYsales@toylander.com TO DRIVE • Build manuals & full kits, For more information please contact 01291 626141 www.toylander.com controlled speed, lights, horn, READY TO DRIVE CARS OR SELF COMPLETE BUILD KITSspeed, lights,®horn, controlled based on the 1972 Series 3 Land Rover CARS OR SELF BUILD KITS • Pre-cut panel sets

• Build manuals & full kits, • Pre-cut panel sets & ready-made bodies available • Build & full kits, controlled speed, lights, horn,manuals & ready-made bodies available controlled speed, lights, horn, • Manual includes full component • Pre-cut panel sets includes full component • Manual and body cutting dimensions • Pre-cut panel sets & ready-made bodiesand available body cutting dimensions ready-made • Battery powered DIY&kits or parts bodies available • Manual includes full component • Battery powered DIY kits or parts • Manual includes full component r more information please contact 01291 626141 sales@toylander.com www.toylander.com and body cutting dimensions For more information please contact 01291 626141 sales@toylander.com www.toylander.com and body cutting dimensions • Battery powered DIY kits or parts • Battery powered DIY kits or parts

Buy now ready made or build it yourself!

r more information please contact 01291 626141 sales@toylander.com www.toylander.com For more information please contact 01291 626141 sales@toylander.com www.toylander.com

MILNER OFF ROAD Est. 1981

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

www.milneroffroad.com TEL: 01629 734411

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

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

20 | SEPTEMBER 2020

AWAITING NIGHTSEARCHER Scene Sep.indd 20

IF YOU DRIVE a proper off-road vehicle with proper off-road tyres, you’ll be less prone to punctures than the average motorist. No-one’s immune, however, especially if you give your tyres a regular battering off-road – and if you’ve got a daily SUV on funky low-profile rubber, you’re a million miles from the toughness of a good mud-terrain.

Either way, Ring’s new RTK4 Flat Tyre Repair Kit could help you out of a hole. This combines the company’s existing RTS450 Flat Tyre Sealant with a 12-volt air compressor and, says Ring, ‘helps to get the driver back on the road within ten minutes.’

The particle gel sealant is non-toxic and can repair punctures of up to 6mm in size. It requires no tools can be used safely on vehicles with tyre pressure monitoring systems, and if you have a terrible run of luck and use it all up you can get it in separate 450ml bottles without having to shell out for a new compressor at the same time. After using it to get you moving again, you can expect to drive up to 125 miles before the tyre needs to be professionally repaired.

Ring also says that the sealant can be used as a direct replacement for the stuff supplied with an increasing number of new vehicles, as it’s made to OE standards. The compressor, meanwhile, does its thing up to 90psi, and if you need more than that you’re not driving any kind of 4x4 we’ve ever heard of. To find out more about the kit, head for www.ringautomotive.com.

MILNER OFF ROAD has added various new fitments to its popular ownbrand range of snorkels.

These are now available for the 3.2-litre Mitsubishi Shogun as well as KDJ (120-Series) and 80-Series Toyota Landcruiser.

The company calls its snorkels ‘an excellent addition to the wading kit for your off road vehicle, or to just enhance its looks.’ The top of the unit can be rotated for a forward or rear-facing air intake, and snorkels are supplied with all fittings and step-by-step instructions. To find out more, visit www. milneroffroad.com.

4x4 04/08/2020 18:00

PRODUCTS

Gearmate launches heavy-duty floor mat range for 4x4 pick-ups SPECIALIST 4X4 VEHICLE DISMANTERS JEEP - LAND ROVER SPECIALIST 4X4 VEHICLE DISMANTERS AND MOST MAKES AND MODELS JEEP LAND ROVER QUALITY GUARANTEED USED PARTS AND MOST MAKES AND MODELS QUALITY GUARANTEED PARTS SOME OF THE VEHICLESUSED WE HAVE

G

earmate has launched a new range of tailored floor mats for doublecab pick-ups. Using OEM fixings to keep them in place, these are made from 100% rubber but are vanilla scented to prevent them from stinking out your cab.

The pads are deep-threaded and have a reinforced driver heel pad area, and their design features a high lip all around their edges to retain water and dust. They promise to be as easy to clean as they are to get dirty, too – and Gearmate says they will be ‘the perfect tailored fit to your vehicle.’

At launch, these mats are available to fit an impressive range of current double-cabs comprising the Mitsubishi L200, Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara, Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and Volkswagen Amarok.

A typical price would be around £48 plus the VAT, which is a lot less than you can shell out on even one visit from a valeter worthy of the name, and better still Gearmate is currently running a promotion which carves a lump off the bill if you enter the code GEARMATS10 when checking out online. You’ll find your way there by visiting www.gearmate.co.uk.

RECENTLY DISMANTLED: SOME OF THE VEHICLES WE HAVE RECENTLY DISMANTLED:

20012015 JEEPJEEP WRANGLER JK CHEROKEE XJ 2.8CRD

2015 JEEP WRANGLER JK 2.8CRD

2007 DODGE 2018 JEEP NITRO 2.8CRD RENEGADE 2007 DODGE NITRO 2.8CRD

2016 RANGE 2008 NISSAN ROVER EVOQUE PATHFINDER 2.0 TD4 2016 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE 2.0 TD4

2014 RANGE 2016 2006 JEEP 2011 ISUZU ISUZU ROVER SPORT 4.4 D-MAX 2.5 DIESEL WRANGLER TJ RODEO V8 DIESEL 2014 RANGE 2016 ISUZU ROVER SPORT 4.4 D-MAX 2.5 DIESEL V8 DIESEL

2014 2010 JEEP CHEROKEE MK5 MITSUBISHI L200 KL 2.0 MULTIJET 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE MK5 KL 2.0 MULTIJET

JEEP 2007 LAND HONDA 20152010 RANGE 2012ROVER 2008 2013 TOYOTA CHEROKEE MK4 DISCOVERY 3 2.7 CRV 2.2 CDTI ROVER EVOQUE MITSUBISHI ASX HILUX KK 2.8JEEP CRD 2007 LAND TDV6ROVER 2010 CHEROKEE MK4 DISCOVERY 3 2.7 KK 2.8 CRD TDV6

2008 HONDA CRV 2.2 CDTI

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

4x4 AWAITING NIGHTSEARCHER Scene Sep.indd 21

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 21

04/08/2020 18:00

DRIVEN

VW T-ROC CABRIOLET

Former Small SUV of the Year sheds its top in a bid to become the ultimate fashion champion. But will it lose its cool in the process?

ON TEST VW T-Roc Cabriolet 1.5 TSI Evo 150 DSG R-Line

T

he Volkswagen T-Roc is the sort of SUV that hardcore off-roaders are supposed to hate. It’s small, fun, fashionable and, while you can get it with all-wheel drive, not really meant for going off-road at all.

We would gently suggest that if you hate the T-Roc just because it’s not a Defender or whatever, you’re missing the point. Either way, though, if you were already against it for being cute and funky, your blood is really going to boil now.

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Because the latest addition to VW’s enormous SUV stable is the T-Roc Cabriolet.

Regular readers will be aware that we were already big fans of the T-Roc in tin-top form. It’s exactly what a small SUV should be – not in any way compromised by some imagined need to park on top of Snowdon, but styled like it might romp up a sand dune or two of its own accord while nobody’s looking.

Add Volkswagen’s trademark interior quality, strong equipment and zesty drive, and you’ve got a

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The T-Roc Cabrio is definitely very cool inside, with extensive body-colour panels making is as extroverted as you want it to be. The quilted leather on the seats is a pricey option but one which you might well conclude is worth it, because it looks and feels beautiful. There’s not much you can do about the rear-seat legroom, though – with the fronts set for a six-footer, there’s next to no space in the back car-about-town with more attitude than Dua Lipa’s latest diss track about her ex.

The Cabriolet adds yet more attitude, albeit with a large slice of good-humoured summertime vibes.

Unlike some drop-tops, which take themselves far too seriously, it’s like laughter on four wheels.

The joke might wear a touch thin when we tell you that the vehicle tested here, a 1.5 TSI Evo 150 DSG R-Line, would list at £34,365 and cost £41,190 as tested. Not many

people will buy a T-Roc outright any more, but even on finance that’s going to be well beyond most of Dua Lipa’s fanbase.

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY The cabin feels in keeping with the vehicle’s exterior design, which is to say that it’s very slick and features loads of body-coloured trim panels. In this case, the body

colour is turmeric yellow – very easy to mock, if you’re among the aforementioned haters, but to us it suits the T-Roc Cabriolet down to the ground.

Interior quality is generally very good, as you’d expect, but the plastics on the dash panel are surprisingly hard. They’re by no means brittle or scratchy, but they’re nicer to look at than they are to touch. The controls and ergonomics are typically excellent, however, as is a media system that’s every bit

as good as we’ve come to expect from Volkswagen.

The seats, meanwhile, are superb, with plenty of leg and back support.

Their upholstery sets off the cabin a treat, too, with a really eye-catching quilted leather that adds £2185 to the price of the vehicle but, in our view, is worth every penny.

The seating position is on the low side for an SUV, but it doesn’t feel out of keeping with the vehicle and, even with the roof up, visibility all-round is good. The A-posts are

Right: The boot will always be limited in a vehicle like this, but you can get a decent amount in it if you try Below: 225/40R19 tyres look very sporty on their black-effect alloys. But such a low profile does nothing for ride quality

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DRIVEN thick but well shaped so as not to obscure the road ahead, and while the view over your shoulder is inevitably compromised you’ve got no shortage of reversing aids on hand to keep you right.

The rear seats are what they are, with as good as no legroom when you’re behind a tall driver.

They’re snugly tucked in among the bodywork, whose waistline rises towards the boot, but young kids will be happy to ride in them just as long as you drop the roof at every opportunity. Carrying four adults is always going to require a bit of give and take, however.

Further back still, the boot is as big as you could hope for in a soft-top. The hatch is a decent size and truth to tell, you can fit a decent amount in there, but a holiday’s worth of suitcases is going to start arguments. Again, it is what it is – it would be too harsh to say you’ve got to suffer for your art or anything like that, but you’re getting a ragtop and that means you’re getting the compromises that come with it.

DRIVING Cabriolets have a time-honoured (and largely obsolete) reputation for being like the hard-top equivalent but worse to drive. The T-Roc is further evidence that this notion is out of date – it’s tight, agile and planted in corners, with all the same dynamic skills as the original.

In particular, there’s plenty of grip under hard cornering, as well as

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ample steering feel and good body control. It’s particularly good under braking, too.

Allowing you to make the most of this, the 1.5 TSI engine is very eager. It’s lively, torquey and more than happy to be thrashed, with an engine note that gets positively joyous when revved. The sevenspeed DSG auto box on the vehicle we tested was very well suited to it, too, changing smoothly when left alone and doing what it was told verysmartly when controlled by the paddles on the steering column.

We’d still have preferred a manual, not least because Volkswagen makes such good ones, but the DSG box didn’t sap the fun out of our efforts to drive the T-Roc in max attack mode.

It’s a surprisingly confident and composed motorway cruiser, too, and the weight in its steering is ideally suited to nipping around town. Here, though, the suspension and 225/40R19 tyres fuss rather intrusively over poor road surfaces and thump heavily on the way over big stuff like speed pillows.

Our T-Roc was fitted with Dynamic Chassis Control, offering Sport and Comfort modes to help add spice and draw the sting as necessary. Another £1085 on the bottom line: if you like driving (as opposed to just driving a cool car), you’ll almost certainly consider this worth the money, though we found the T-Roc to be plenty agile in Normal mode and still quite fussy even in Comfort.

In particular, road noise is ever present. Whether the top is up or down, ride quality rarely settles and refinement is poor. We praised the T-Roc’s happy engine note a few paragraphs back, but in truth we found that it’s always competing with the din from down below.

So no, we didn’t find the T-Roc entirely composed in Cabriolet form. We’d put that down to its undercarriage rather than its fabric roof, however, which works flawlessly and gets 90% of the way to insulating you from external noise the way a hard-top does.

★★★★✩

VW T-Roc Cabrio 1.5 TSI 150 DSG R-Line Puts a smile on your face in most situations. Feels like driving about in a Radio 1 summer anthem It would be easy to trot out the old line about answering a question no-one asked. But the truth is that the T-Roc Cabriolet adds something fresh and entertaining to Volkswagen’s SUV line-up. It’s not there to go off-road, nor indeed to be the last word on tarmac, but it’s a fine all-rounder and with the top down and the sun out, you’d need to be properly grumpy for it not to put a smile on your face

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DRIVEN

SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5 SE PREMIUM Despite having been around for half a decade, Subaru’s original crossover estate continues to offer an outstanding combination of refinement and genuine skill in the mud

AN ALL-NEW SUBARU OUTBACK was unveiled last year. Based on the company’s latest Global Platform and powered by its hybrid e-Boxer engine, this is in the process of being rolled out around the world – but for now, the UK still gets the model that’s been on sale for the last five years.

This used to be available with a diesel engine, and a very fine one it was too. Time has put paid to that, though, and the Outback is now powered exclusively by a 2.5-litre petrol unit.

With 175bhp and 173Nm, the latter from 4000rpm, this couldn’t be any less like a diesel. It drives all four wheels through a CVT auto box, shifting the Outback from 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds and returning 33.0mph and 193g/km.

Those are the figures. If what you want is the facts, the Outback drives beautifully smoothly and quietly; the engine keeps itself to itself most of the time, only rising to attention with a purposeful snarl when you go in hard on the throttle.

At this point, it’s a relief to discover that the CVT box manages not to ruin everything. As a breed, these things have a reputation for sapping the strength and spirit out of the zestiest of engines; Subaru has given it artificial shift points in a bid to mimic the operation of a traditional auto, and you also get paddle shifters to tell it what you want it

Subaru’s cabin design is pretty conservative, and in this case it’s also five years old, but it’s very usable and even pleasing to operate. Ergonomics are well thought out and build quality is outstanding, with excellent materials throughout

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Both sets of seats are roomy enough to let the Outback accommodate four adults in comfort. For carrying cargo, the rear seats fold close to flat to reveal a long, tall and wide boot space. It would take an unusual load indeed to defeat it to do, and by and large the results are more pleasing than you might dare to hope.

We found our Outback, a range-topping SE Premium model, to be easily manoeuvrable and smooth to drive around town. Similarly, out on the motorway it cruised with a sumptuous smoothness that was more reminiscent of a premium executive car. We’ve always been fans of the Outback, but this was as aspect of the vehicle’s character that came as something new.

What’s not new is the excellent combination of grip and handling balance you get on A and B-roads. The Outback might not have the sportscar sharpness of some modern SUVs, but it always feels like the big estate car it is… that is, a big estate car with an outstanding drivetrain and real agility in corners. It deals very well with poor road surfaces, too, maintaining its poise and continue to put down traction however hard you push it.

Our test vehicle was fitted with 18” alloys, compared to the 17” jobs you get on the lower-spec SE. Normally, we’d be rolling our eyes in anticipation of some low-profile horror, but in fact 225/60R18s are sensible enough to pass muster and certainly help the vehicle punch above its weight in terms of ride and refinement.

This is all the more impressive given the off-tarmac skills that are a Subaru trademark. The Outback is a car people buy because they live in the countryside and need to be able to get about in all weathers and on all surfaces, rather than because they want to live the classic Sahara-bashing fantasy and/or go off-roading for fun at the weekend. Thus it doesn’t make a song and dance about what it can do, but get stuck into the terrain behind the wheel of one and you’ll be astonished at how much traction it can find.

You might not be quite as blown away by the interior design,

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which as well as being half a decade old was already quite conservative in the first place. It’s very well put together, however, with the solid robustness you expect from Subaru, and there’s absolutely no shortage of equipment.

The SE Premium adds leather seats and a bigger media screen, as well as a sunroof and power tailgate, but truth to tell you won’t be disappointed with either version. Cabin ergonomics are good, too, with an excellent steering wheel and a bank of controls that looks a little like a miniature flight deck but is in fact perfectly logical to operate.

The seats are comfortable, too, with plenty of support and adjustability, and the driving position is that of an SUV rather than an estate car. Those in the back get a decent deal, too – and if you fold the rear seats down, they go close enough to flat to allow you to load up with an epic amount of Ikea booty, kids’ university clutter or bales of hay and buckets of chicken feed.

Overall, the Outback has become a premium car – but without forgetting its roots as a do-everything vehicle. It really does have the capacity to get you places off-road and to move big loads of people and/or cargo to wherever you need them to be. It’s a lovely cruiser on the motorway and a wolf in sheep’s clothing on the farm.

The SE Premium model tested here lists at £36,770, with the entry level SE coming in at £33,770. With the market for crossover estates still dominated by the likes of Audi and Mercedes, those actually mark it out as a bit of a steal – and with an all-new model on the way, it’s possible that you might get a bit of action from Subaru’s dealers. Even without a discount, though, you can spend an lot more to get a lot less.

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Steppe Back i Just under half a century ago, UAZ launched the 469 off-road utility. Now, the vehicle is set to come to Britain, bringing traditional 4x4 engineering back to the market – at a price that puts it in a class of its own Words and pictures: Dan Fenn

A

s the whole world knows by now, there’s a new Land Rover Defender in town. Most of the world has also heard about the coming-soon spiritual successor to the old Defender, the Ineos Grenadier, which is promising to deliver the same no-nonsense off-road skills at a comparatively affordable price.

Nobody is expecting the Grenadier to be cheap, however. A list of suppliers including BMW, ZF, Carraro and Magna Steyr sees to that. The British newcomer promises to be the real thing in every way – but not to be the low-priced item of knocka-

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bout off-road machinery for which Land Rover was once famous.

But the Grenadier is not the only new name in the British off-road market. Already on sale, having been introduced here with no fanfare while the world was otherwise occupied, the MWM Spartan is a resolutely old-school 4x4. Designed as a work truck or off-road toy, it’s based on the UAZ Hunter – a version of the Russian company’s 469 utility truck that’s been in production since 1971.

The company behind the vehicle, MW Motors, is based in the Czech Republic and owned by Irish logistics magnate Maurice Ward. Since 2014,

it has worked with UK-based MEV, an engineering and design outfit that’s well known in kit car circles for its Mazda MX5-based Exocet twoseater, to develop right-hand drive conversions for its vehicles.

The company has also overseen the work required to adapt the Spartan to meet UK regulations for Small Series Type Approval – whose rules limit vehicle sales to 250 units per year. In addition, MEV will also be the UK distributor for the Spartan and will act as a service centre for MWM while also assisting in the development of a dealer and service network.

4x4 04/08/2020 17:55

k in Time

As this suggests, the Spartan is not the limit of MWM’s ambitions as a manufacturer. The company is best known at present for the Luka, a retro-styled EV, and it is also developing a fully electric version of the Spartan.

For now, , the truck you can order in the UK has a 2693cc petrol engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and mechanical part-time transfer case. It has a ladder frame axle and live beam axles at both ends; the front is coil-sprung and disc braked, with the rear on leaves and drums.

Comparisons to the original Land Rover Defender are inevitable and, in parts, accurate.

4x4 5pp MWM Spartan.indd 29

A 2380mm wheelbase is almost identical to that of the old 90, as is the spec of that front axle – though the rear set-up bears more of a resemblance to the Series III that was introduced in the same year as the first UAZ 469.

Inside, the cabin shows resemblances

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Inside the cabin, materials are those of a machine rather than a car. It’s strictly functional, with no frills whatsoever. Traditionalists will be pleased to see the mechanical transfer lever and handbrake, and that there is a proper ignition key rather than a push-button start – a complete absence of needless electronics is very much the traditional off-road way to both Series trucks and Defenders. In truth, it’s like neither, though the high driving position is instantly recognisable as that of a true off-road machine. The dashboard is a plain steel panel with gauges mounted centrally and a huge, rubber-clad transmission tunnel features a longthrow gearstick and mechanical transfer lever.

Off-road traditionalists who distrust anything electronic will be pleased to see turn-key ignition and a simple floor-mounted handbrake, too.

The rest of the floor is also rubber-matted and the seats are trimmed in vinyl, creating a hose-out interior that’s wholly in keeping with the vehicle’s purpose. It’s very basic indeed – though unlike the old 90, even with such a short wheelbase it’s a five-door with a full rear bench of three seats and enough space behind them to stow a decent load of luggage, work kit or recovery equipment.

For more robust cargo-carrying duties, the rear seats can be folded. It’s not a very easy or quick process, but it can be done; our guess is that the majority of Spartans sold in the UK will only ever be used as two-seaters at most, so their rear benches will be left in the tumbled position to act as a kind of bulkhead.

Also very relevant in an off-roader is its towing weight, which for the Spartan is 2500kg. The vehicle’s kerb weight is 1845kg and its payload is quoted at 750kg (550kg off-road), though the real-world gross weight will be affected in many cases by the optional equipment MWM offers – including a massive front winch bumper and extremely heavy-duty chassis-mounted rock sliders, which between them add several hundred kilos.

MEV expects sales to come from the forestry, agriculture and fisheries sectors. According to

proprietor Stuart Mills, ‘there is also considerable interest from the extreme sports community – surfing, canoeing, wild camping, mud-plugging etc. The electric version will open up a new market and offer environmentally conscious customers something unique and interesting.’

In each case, just climbing aboard is something of a culture shock. Cabin materials are those of a machine rather than a car, and it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have seen such a large steering wheel.

Even compared to a classic Defender, it feels basic – though there is in fact a lot more space in the cabin. Like the Defender, it takes a little getting used to but once you learn to understand what you’re driving, it starts to win your respect.

Safe to say, nonetheless, that it’s most at home off-road. Power steering and ABS are standard, but the homologation vehicle we drove

Despite having almost the same wheelbase as a Defender 90, the Spartan is a five-door vehicle with two rows of seats. They’re adjustable, though not with any great ease, and have a vinyl covering which goes with the rubber floor to make the vehicle 100% hose-out. The dash panel is a simple sheet of steel with a few gauges and switches attached to it – again, no frills whatsoever

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There’s a fully electric version of the Spartan on the way, but for now (and, if you’re an off-roader, probably forever), the only choice of power plant is a 2.7-litre petrol unit.

Driving all four wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox and part-time transfer case, this puts out 126bhp and 155lbf.ft – not the most spectacular of figures, but the engine proves remarkably capable of hauling the vehicle around on rugged off-road terrain

(which was right-hand drive despite, perhaps to flag up its TUV-approved status, being German registered) had a great deal of vagueness in its steering box. This will, says Mills, be adjusted out on production vehicles. The throw in the gearbox, too, is unlike anything you’re likely to have experienced before, and while the ratios engage with a kind of mechanical satisfaction, no way can you hurry it. Again, understanding what it is that you’re driving is the key to gelling with the vehicle. The pedal box is offset a long way to the right, however, which may be harder to get used to.

MWM’s output figures for the 2.7-litre engine give it 126bhp and 155lbf.ft, the latter from

4x4 5pp MWM Spartan.indd 31

2400rpm. This barely begins to hint at the petrol unit’s remarkable ability to haul the vehicle up hills at little more than tickover, even before low range is engaged. It’s extraordinarily flexible, with smooth power delivery and deep reserves of in-gear heave to rescue you if you commit to a steep climb without having dug deep enough into the box.

At off-road speeds, steering feel becomes more natural and that enormous wheel makes it easy to manoeuvre the short, stubby vehicle in tight situations. Its 225/75R16 tyres are well chosen for typical northern European conditions, with a good bit of sidewall and a nice, lean tread to cut down

through a grubby top surface in search of grip, though in our hands it wouldn’t be long before the standard Linglong 620s were replaced with a set of mud-terrains. Whether there’s enough space under the arches to fit 235/85R16s, we don’t know, but our feeling is that the vehicle’s gearing is more than capable of pulling an extra couple of inches’ height.

As it is, the Spartan’s ground clearance is more than enough for most typical off-road situations, and if you want to use one as a toy there’s sufficient articulation in its suspension to let it cover rough ground with a doughty sure-footedness.

The coil-sprung front does most of the work,

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“It’s a simple, affordable off-road vehicle that will take any degree of punishment in its stride. There is nothing like the Spartan on the market today” however – while the cart springs above the back axle are there for a reason, our feeling is that a set of parabolics here would take the vehicle to another level off-road.

What matters most about the Spartan, at any rate, is that it’s an utterly traditional off-road machine. Everything that can be analogue is analogue; where modern vehicles have buttons or dials, it has levers. It’s a vehicle from a time whose passing is mourned by many, many British off-road enthusiasts. Its styling dates from 1971, but it’s not retro – it’s just what it is.

Will this attract buyers? If they can get past the aforementioned culture shock, a price of £16,650 undercuts every other serious off-road vehicle by a country mile (with the exception of the Suzuki Jimny, which was as good as stillborn in the UK thanks to EU emissions regulations). Add the VAT, however, and the final bill will go up to £19,980 – which, depending on your purpose, may start to feel uncomfortably close to the bottom end of the pick-up market.

In terms of like-for-like comparisons, however, the Spartan’s most relevant competitor might indeed be the Land Rover 90. Not the new model, of course – but the same sort of money gets you close to the top of the used Td5 market. We’re comparing a brand new vehicle to one aged at

32 | SEPTEMBER 2020 5pp MWM Spartan.indd 32

least a decade and a half here, however each is an unknown quantity in its own way – and an uncomfortable truth for MWM might be the way old Defenders hang on to their value.

‘We all love the Defender,’ admits Mills. ‘But a 15 year old Land Rover will be showing signs of wear and tear, and rust and rattles. A brand new Spartan will not be for the die-hard Land Rover fanatic but is most certainly a fantastic alternative to a much older vehicle.

‘A section of the UK public really want a replacement for the Defender and the MWM Spartan fits the bill. The Spartan has unrivalled off-road capability, is easy to fix, has guaranteed spare parts availability and a competitive price all wrapped up in a cult brand name.’

The five-door station wagon seen here is the first version of the Spartan to be brought to the UK, but during the course of next year MWM intends to add soft-top and pick-up models. This is in addition to the fully electric model, for which the company expects to gain homologation this autumn. ’We believe such a large platform of vehicles from a pure working beast to an environmentally friendly Spartan EV will create undoubted demand,’ says Mills.

At present, MWM is quoting a 16-week lead time on vehicles ordered by customers in the

UK, though it says this will come down to 12-14 weeks from the start of 2021. Parts support is robust, with high-demand items stocked in the UK and all parts available for delivery in 72-96 hours.

The vehicle itself is sold with a 24-month, 50,000mile warranty.

With the Jeep Wrangler now listing at more than £50,000 in some forms and the Land Rover Defender reborn as a vehicle capable of being specced up to more than £100,000, the market for a cheap, no-nonsense off-roader clearly does exist. The Ineos Grenadier promises to be the real thing but certainly won’t be cheap, and the Jimny is no longer shown as a new model on Suzuki’s own website – meaning the Spartan is in a class of one.

Price will clearly be key to the Spartan’s appeal, but MWM insists that this is more than just a cheap off-roader. Anyone coming to it as an alternative to a road-biased SUV is likely to be startled, just as they would be if they climbed aboard a Defender of a certain age – but for a certain kind of 4x4 driver, it represents the return of an era they thought was gone for good. ’It’s a simple, affordable off-road vehicle that will take any degree of punishment in its stride,’ says Mills.

‘There is nothing like the MWM Spartan on the UK market today.’

4x4 04/08/2020 17:55

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Not only skin

‘Beauty is only skin deep,’ they say. But while that might be true when you’re talking Restored to perfection and beyond by Falcon Design Germany, it looks sensational Words: Dan Fenn Pictures: Falcon Design Germany

S

ome people firmly believe that classic cars should be polished, exhibited, admired… and never driven. Like a Picasso or Van Gogh that sits locked in a vault and never sees the light of day, some old cars are destined never to turn a wheel again.

The sort of people who do that to a painting, a work whose entire purpose in life is to be looked at, are of course fundamentally wrong in the head.

It’s fair to say that if Picasso or Van Gogh could

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5pp Falcon Design SIII.indd 34

come back today and see the way their paintings are treated as units of investment, they would not be impressed.

If Caravaggio could come back and see this happening to his paintings, meanwhile, the people responsible for hiding them away would sorely regret it. If they lived long enough. Caravaggio did not mess about, and fair play to him.

You probably can’t afford a Caravaggio, or a Picasso, or a Van Gogh. (Though if so, can we

be friends?) But you might well be able to make a case for owning a classic Land Rover. Just so long as you understand that it’s there to be used, not just admired, all will be well – and that’s the case however much you want to admire it.

Falcon Design Germany creates classic Land Rovers that really, really deserve to be admired.

They might provoke a sharp intake of breath from concours d’elegance judges, but to us normal human beings they’re absolutely beautiful. And not

4x4 04/08/2020 14:05

deep…

about a Hollywood starlet, it’s definitely not the case with this Land Rover Series III. on the surface – and the deeper you go, the more beautiful it gets

just to look at, either – in fact the more you learn about what goes into the company’s Series IIIs, which it restores while adding some touches of its own to give them a hitherto unimagined dash of style, the more beautiful they become.

‘I don’t like people who buy cars and make them into parking queens,’ says Orkan Sahin, who founded Falcon Design Germany in 2017 after a decade and a half in the motor trade. ‘A car is there to drive.

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‘I like the Land Rover community. They are really cool people who like to drive their cars.’

Orkan opened his first car dealership in Cologne in 2003. ‘I bought cheap, broken cars for repair and sold them for a low budget. I am a car mechanic, so I had no problems doing that.

This is also where my passion for the used car trade started.

‘In the following years, I increased my budget more and more to luxury cars. So now I get many

famous customers all around the world who want a car from me. In 2017, I started a cooperation with Automobile: The Car Magazine on VOX TV, where I show the viewer how I buy special cars around the world and ship them back to Germany.’

His customers have included famous actors and sportsmen, while the 88” Series III you see on these pages was built for a doctor.

Like some other restorers, Falcon Design Germany sources the vehicles it restores from

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Above: Falcon Design Germany searches for vehicles whose chassis are fundamentally sound. These are sand-blasted, repaired as necessary and hot-dip galvanised – many restoration jobs use new frames, but even though the company builds vehicles to drive, not to look at, they’re actually authentic right down to the bare bones Right: Every body panel on the vehicle is made from scratch by Falcon Design Germany to its own patterns – which clone the original exactly. The bulkhead, front panel and tailgate are made from steel, the rest of the vehicle from aluminium; they’re then finished to a better-than-new standard southern Europe – specifically Italy, Greece and Turkey. The 88”, which dates from 1974, arrived in the company’s workshop with a sound chassis and its original 2.25 petrol engine in running order, but with a very tatty body. ‘There was no big damage to the car,’ says Orkan. ’The frame was in good shape but the body parts were rusty and in some we had big rusty holes.’

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This was a problem the company has had to deal with since its inception. ‘When we started in 2017,’ continues Orkan, ‘our biggest problem was to find body parts for the Series III. So we started to make our own parts.

‘We spent a long time researching this, because we had to find parts in good shape to take measurements from. But now it’s no longer

difficult to produce parts to the original measurements, because we cloned them one to one.

We also sell parts for clients who need them for restoration projects.’

All that work paid off, because now it takes the company about three months to complete a restoration, from initial order to delivery. ‘We have a 12-person team,’ explains Orkan. ‘Everyone is

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The vehicle’s original engine was stripped down for a full assessment before being rebuilt with all-new internal parts and filters. The ancillaries were all renewed, too – the carburettor, radiator, coolant pipes, fuel lines and fuel tank are all fresh out of the box. Finally, the block was painted in the company’s signature blue and the exhaust manifold got a striking coat of heat-resistant red specialised on his own area, so we start everything in the same time.

‘We only do full restorations. We do our best to make the Series III better than factory.’

If you’re of the rivet-counting school, you might argue that there’s no such thing as better than factory. It would take a hard-hearted purist not to admire the quality of workmanship that’s gone into restoring this 88”, though, whatever you happen to make of the personal taste in which it’s been finished. Which, if you ask this observer, is every bit as excellent as the rest of the vehicle.

‘After sand-blasting the frame,’ says Orkan of the company’s approach to restoration, ‘we repair the rusty parts and hot-dip galvanise the frame to protect it from rust for the coming years. Now we have a base where we can start, we overhaul the front and rear axle, differentials and brake hoses, and also put new brakes on it.

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‘After this, we completely overhaul the engine, which on this Series III is the original 2.25. Every engine gets overhauled in our factory.

‘First, we open the engine to see the status of it. But as a basic process we change the bearings, cylinders, pistons, rings, carburettor system, cooling system (the radiator and the cooling pipes which go into the engine), filters, fuel pipe and fuel tank. Before we put all the parts together, we paint the engine in the shade of blue we use to represent Falcon Design Germany, and we also coat the engine manifold with a special paint layer which is heat resistant.’

While all this is going on, over in another part of the factory the company’s bodywork specialists are busy doing their not inconsiderable magic. ’We make 80% of the body parts from aluminium, like the originals,’ says Orkan. ‘Just the bulkhead, radiator panel and tailgate are made from steel.

We also change the wiring harness and fuse box to a more modern one.’

Down below, the spring packs are disassembled and sandblasted to remove any rust. The leaves themselves are then powder coated.

‘Before we put all the parts together,’ explains Orkan, ‘we ask our clients which comfort level they want on the suspension – a hard or a more comfortable one. Not all of our customers want to use their vehicles on the land, so we can change the leaf springs to make it more comfortable for street and daily use.’

Talking of comfort, the vehicle’s seats look like nothing you’ll ever have seen on a Series III before. And this is where, if you’re a purist, you might start feeling beads of sweat forming on your brow. Because, well, for sure it’s not how Solihull turned them out. But come on… you’ve got to admit it looks beautiful, right?

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This is what sets Falcon Design Germany’s vehicles apart from a conventional restoration. They’re only very lightly resto-modded in a mechanical sense, but the seats are definitely not original Series III fodder – and the marine wooden flooring is pure fantasy Unlike most other high-end restorers, Falcon Design Germany doesn’t use outside contractors to do its upholstery. Instead, there’s a specialist for that in-house, too.

‘We do all restorations by order,’ says Orkan.

‘Every client can make their own Series III individually. It was this client’s request to have the caramel leather on the seats. The dashboard is trimmed to match in the same leather, too.’

In fact, there’s just one skill the company buys in from outside. And it’s one you hardly ever see on cars, so you can hardly blame them.

‘The wood floor in the back of the Series III was not made in our factory,’ says Orkan. ‘That’s the

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only process we don’t do ourselves – we leave it to a factory which specialises in wooden decking for yachts.’ If you’ve got a long memory and an eye for the spectacular, you might be reminded of the Edag LUV, a concept double-cab that laid it on with a trowel at the 2007 Geneva motor show.

The good thing is that laying it on with a trowel is very much not what this Series III is about. It’s a classy resto, for sure, and there are elements that would make it stand out from any crowd (and be turned away from certain kinds of concours).

But the sheer quality of the work on display is impossible to deny, and so is the thoroughness with which the project has been seen through.

The restoration scene often seems to be split into two branches, with seekers after originality on one side and resto-modders on the other.

When it comes to Land Rovers, the former love leafers and the latter love Defenders – but with this vehicle, Falcon Design Germany has brought together the best of both worlds to create something truly sensational. Its traditional engineering has been expertly preserved – and its appeal has been taken to a whole new level.

Best of all, this Land Rover is ready to be used and enjoyed – not put in a museum. As Orkan says, ‘a car is there to drive.’ And who wouldn’t want to drive this one?

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YOU ONLY LIVE

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round twenty years ago, the top end of the off-road world underwent a seismic change. From the days of the Beatles to the last knockings of the Britpop era, comp safari racing had been the pinnacle of the scene – you could argue about Hillrallying and Tout-Terrain rallying on the other side of the Channel, but ultimately it was all the same thing. Speed was in.

But then something happened. Winch challenges had been around for a few years without

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really gaining any traction as a proper form of motorsport – each organiser had their own rules, and there wasn’t always much clarity as to how the results were determined.

But then the notion of punch hunts came along, and suddenly winching made sense. Its rise might not have coincided so much with comp safari’s fall had foot and mouth not arrived to throw a spanner in the works – but when the countryside reopened for business, a lot of old racers never came back. Almost all the fresh blood coming in

to off-roading, meanwhile, set its eyes squarely on the winch game.

Purpose-built winch vehicles were very different to compers, both mechanically and in terms of how they looked. But something they both had in common was that as their peculiar versions of off-roading developed, it didn’t take long for people to realise that losing weight was the key.

That’s why the Tomcat, originally designed by the late Drew Bowler, is among the very few vehicles to have proved competitive in both comp and

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TWICE

When a 4x4 gets built for off-road racing or winch challenge events, it tends to stay that way. But for a few vehicles, life in one sort of competitive arena leads to a new career in another. And all of them have one very important thing in common…

Words: Gary Noskill Pictures: Steve Taylor

A custom roll cage, built when the Samurai was being bobtailed, uses front and rear hoops tied together via a triangulated roof section. Note the absence of a cross-brace behind the cab – John wanted it this way so that if he should end up rolling the vehicle into deep water (it’s a challenge truck, stuff happens…) he would be able to kick out the plastic rear window and escape

winch disciplines. It’s also why, while only a few individual race trucks have ever been converted into winch motors, those that have tend to have been built from the start for minimal weight.

What this often means is that they’re Suzukis.

The Samurai’s weedy engine, and a wheelbase that didn’t want to settle at speed, meant it was never a popular choice as a comper. But when winching became big, its tiny size and weight soon attracted attention – and those that had already been prepped for racing were more attractive still.

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The Samurai in these pictures, for example, was built for comping in the late 1990s. It wasn’t hugely chopped about, but its owner fitted it with a Safety Devices roll cage and installed a limited-slip rear diff… before putting it up for sale.

That was in 1999, and it remained for sale right up to the point where somebody bought it. That somebody was John Bagley, who took one look and could see the potential for further modifications – their purpose being to convert it from a racer to a challenge truck.

Up to now it had been running its standard body, but John wanted to convert it into a pick-up with a covered load bay. His reasoning was that this would be stronger, as well as making it more practical for his intended use.

That was just for starters, though. After changing the Samurai’s silhouette, John dropped in a blueprinted 1.3-litre, 120bhp petrol engine.

This started life with a Weber carb, but an SU soon took over due to the age-old Weber issue of cutting out on steep inclines.

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Both axles gained extensive trussing. Considering they were previously capable of bending under the strain of running inboard springs, that’s no bad thing. The rear axle came John’s way with a limited slip diff in it, but both contained ARB Air-Lockers by the time we took these pictures. You can also see John’s disc brake conversion here, which was done using front calipers all round for commonality of parts Next came power steering, lifted from a Vauxhall Carlton. ‘It makes a lot of difference having power steering when you’re in tight spots offroad,’ John told us. ‘I don’t think I’d like to return to a vehicle that didn’t have it.’

So that was that, but having owned the Samurai for three years John started getting the workshop itch. This was an era when people were still bobtailing Range Rover Classics, but a Samurai?

No point, surely?

This Samurai begs to differ. John chopped 6” off the back of the vehicle (something he wouldn’t have been able to do if it was still on its original leaf springs, however by now it was on coils – more of which anon), which is already pretty radical, and also lowered its roof line by 2.5”. He did the heavy work himself but took the vehicle to KAP for finishing – you can’t do much better than a body shop that’s also a Suzuki specialist, and sure enough it ended up looking the business.

So now we’re looking at a Suzuki with a phenomenal departure angle, a low centre of gravity and excellent ground clearance. A good combination, you’d have to say.

Let’s talk more about that ground clearance.

John didn’t go for a suspension lift per se, but this came about organically as a result of stripping

back the vehicle’s weight and fitting it with springs designed to hold up something heavier.

Initially, said springs were coils from a Vitara, but John wasn’t happy with the way they performed. ‘The Vitara springs were inboard.

I found they put rather a lot of strain on the axles and, on tough ground, actually bent them.’ Yikes.

As a result, what you’re looking at here are the adjustable coil-overs he sourced to replace them, from the early noughties off-road Mecca that was Scorpion Racing. These were mounted towards the ends of the axles, providing better stability and greater support and performing much more reliably as a result.

When we spoke to John, he said he reckoned the Samurai’s suspension was producing in the region of two feet of travel. That sounds like enough to give its 31x10.50R15 Marshall Powerguard MTs every chance of following the ground and maintaining forward motion. ‘If I went any more aggressive on the tyre front, I’d end up breaking shafts,’ he commented. ‘With the ARBs and these tyres, I get through eventually, and it’s far better to finish than be stuck halfway through a stage with broken components.’

ARBs, yes. John did start by keeping faith with the limited-slip rear diff matey had fitted back in

the Samurai’s comping past, but in the end he decided to make a big investment – and he was very glad he did, confirming that the Air-Lockers were worth every penny.

Still in the diffs, the oversize tyres were compensated for by the use of 3.9:1 SJ differentials in place of the usual 3.7:1 Samurai components.

And while we’re talking gearing, the transfer case was standard Samurai, as was the manual gearbox – however the former was modified with a Petroworks Rock Crawler Conversion from America, giving it a 12% reduction in high range and a 100% reduction in low range. This cures the problem of over-gearing by which Suzukis always tend to be cursed – and another fix to a common weak area in the old SJ series was a ceramic competition clutch.

The axles were beefed up externally with a load more metal in order to provide a bit of extra protection, however standard halfshafts were used all round. ‘By using standard Suzuki parts whenever possible,’ explained John, ‘I minimise the cost of replacement and also make it a lot easier to source components.’

Similar thinking applies to the brakes, where he fitted a disc conversion for extra stopping power.

This used front calipers on all four wheels, mean-

“If I went any more aggressive on the tyre front, I’d end up breaking shafts. With the ARBs and these tyres, I get through eventually, and it’s far better to finish than be stuck halfway through a stage with broken components”

Both winches were X9s – a deliberate policy as keeping them the same means each can act as a source of spares for the other.

The one up front was mounted in a Rhino Ray bumper which John modified to suit the vehicle, adding a steering guard in the process

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When the Samurai was converted to coil springs, both axles were located using radius arms and panhard rods – a hint, perhaps, at its past as a comp safari racer. It started off on Vitara coils, but being located inboard these didn’t do the job the way John wanted – hence the very cool coil-overs you see here, which were sourced from Scorpion Racing (as, it seemed back then, was more or less everything on challenge vehicles in the early noughties)

ing only one set of spares was necessary. The handbrake was retained on the transfer case, for the simple reason that John decided this would be simpler than fitting up a new system.

Not that you use the handbrake when your vehicle’s basically hanging over a cliff. No siree, you use a winch. The Samurai was fitted with Superwinch X9s front and rear – the reason for keeping each the same being, of course, that either can double up as a source of spares for the other.

These were the days before things like twin-top winches with wide drums and air freespools came on to the scene. John told us he was planning to upgrade the X9s to run 4000rpm motors, as they weren’t as fast in standard form as a Warn 8274.

Ah, such innocent times…

Inside the cab were a Terratrip, Garmin GPS and twin gauges for the batteries and auxiliaries.

The batteries themselves lived in the pick-up bed, along with a host of tools and spares – including four halfshafts and two well packed tool boxes.

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You’d also find John and his winch man, though he wasn’t keen on them having to stay in there for a moment longer than they needed to if things went wrong. This explains the design of the custom roll cage, which didn’t have a cross bar on the rear of the cab. ‘If we roll in water and can’t get out of the doors,’ John explained, ‘we can kick out the rear windscreen, which is made of plastic, and make an escape. If there was a crossbar on the roll cage, our exit would be blocked.’

It won’t have escaped your notice that the two main mods on the vehicle when John bought it have therefore been replaced. Going from a limited-slip diff to an Air-Locker is definitely an upgrade, while the change from Safety Devices to custom roll protection was simply a necessity brought about by the changes made to the vehicle’s bodywork.

And even with the new cage in place, John’s hard work yielded a Samurai which he reckoned weighed in at about 1300kg overall. In some

ways, this may have been the legacy of its comping past, but we’d be more inclined to put it down to good planning.

Obviously, the first smart move was to base the build on such a sound truck in the first place. John may have made more changes than he initially thought he would, and an estimated total cost of around £14,000 is definitely more than he was expecting – but then, he probably wasn’t expecting to end up with such a special vehicle, either.

The amount of modifications John made could actually be taken as an example of why not many comp safari motors have ever been converted into challenge trucks. Those that were, however, have always tended to be among the most distinctive. It may only have been built when off-road racing was reaching the end of its heyday, but it was in at the start of winching’s rise to prominence – and it’s still one of the coolest Suzukis we’ve ever seen.

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HIGH STANDARDS

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One thing the modified vehicles we feature in this magazine have in common is that they’re all, well, modified. But there’s a whole world of off-roaders out there who do it in near-standard motors – and have every bit as much fun as the rest of us whose trucks owe us the national debt…

Words: Paul Looe Pictures: Harry Hamm

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omething we’re guilty of in this magazine is featuring vehicles with loads of modifications. In our defence, it’s hopefully understandable that we do so as otherwise we wouldn’t have a whole lot to say about them, but an unfortunate consequence of this is that we can end up making it look as if the only 4x4s worth looking at are ones that have had absolutely masses of stuff done to them.

Back in the real world, the vast majority of the trucks you see on green lanes and at playday sites prove the opposite. And indeed, it’s a point every expert (save the kind who’s trying to sell you stuff) will make until they’re blue in the face.

Keep It Simple, Stupid is a well known principle – but KISS could just as easily stand for Keep It Standard, Stupid.

As we’re forever saying, a vehicle’s manufacturer spends puts years of R&D time, and tens of millions of pounds, into getting all its many systems to work, to work together, and to keep on working. Then along we come without a care in the world and lob on a set of springs that are two inches longer than standard, and we wonder why suddenly things start going wrong left, right and centre.

Someone very wise once said that if us Brits could see the sort of stuff Patrols and Land-

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cruisers do every day in Africa and Asia without a mod to their name, we’d realise we can keep them completely standard too. And you can add the Mitsubishi Shogun to that too, because for all the chrome it inflicted upon an unsuspecting 4x4 market back in the 1990s, this too was an absolutely pukka off-road truck.

Witness Chris Hurley’s five-door, which dates from 1996, is a good example. When you first see it, you tend to assume it’s going to be packed with goodies – but actually, what’s remarkable it the extent to which it’s been left alone.

The chassis, suspension, transmission and axles are all standard, for example. So its the 2.8td engine, though this has been aided by an upgraded radiator, intercooler, oil cooler, clutch and alternator. The tyres, a mixture of directional mud-terrain retreads, are 235/70R16 in size, the front bumper is a thing that used to exist and up top, there’s a back roof rack frame carrying a dramatic array of LEDs. And that’s that. The dashboard is an entertaining melee of comms and nav equipment and the cabling that goes with it, and the bodywork is liberally adorned with high-vis stickers – just in case you don’t spot the three (yes, three) amber beacons on the roof. But if you’re looking for modifications, look elsewhere.

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Left: The roof rack is unlikely to win any awards for daintiness, but it gets the job done.

Between this lot and another on the grille, Chris has eight LED arrays of various sizes on the front of the vehicle Right: Something LEDs have in common with amber beacons is that you can’t have enough of them. The one on the back of the roof takes the number attached to the vehicle to three. Next to it is a Sirio 5000 whip, which pulls in signal for a Midland Alan 48 Plus CB And you know what? The Shogun does just fine. Chris is a marshal with Bonkas4x4Wales, which explains a good proportion of the kit he carries, but mainly this is a proper real-world fun truck – just chuck on a set of tyres that’ll grip, and away you go.

Only ever go off-roading with friends? About 200kg and the thick end of a grand saved on a winch and a mount for it, then. Don’t need to prove the size of your tackle in the ruts your mates in their 90s on 35s just carved through a swamp at your favourite playday site? No need to blow big money on big tyres and the suspension and body lift it would take to fit them… nor the

never-ending unreliability that follows. Fact is, if everybody was this restrained, nobody would need to modify their trucks at all.

Now, we clearly do recognise the fact that if nobody needed to modify their trucks, we’d sell an awful lot less magazines. So thank you everyone for not taking our advice. And we sure as hell ain’t preaching, because we’re a perfect example of how us off-road mob have never been able to leave well alone.

‘I did a little off roading myself and enjoyed it so much I joined Bonkas,’ says Chris. ‘With so many members there is always someone up for a bit of off-road fun, and we have such good mar-

shals who run our events too.’ Himself included, his fellow club members would stress.

Fact is, this Shogun was Chris’ first 4x4. And while many of us would be eyeing up a switch to something more hardcore, or planning new mods to make it better at following those 90s on their 35” tyres, he’s perfectly happy with what he’s got.

There are, of course, many like him. And they almost never get their vehicles profiled on these here pages, so let’s say Chris is representing for the real world here with the sort of truck an awful lot of people would do well to be satisfied with.

Simple, inexpensive, reliable? Nope. It’ll never catch on…

Left: Mitsubishi’s 2.8 turbo-diesel hasn’t been messed with, but the radiator, oil cooler, clutch, alternator and intercooler have all been upgraded Right: The cabin would make a comp truck builder cringe, but everything Chris needs is to hand – including enough 12-volt outlets to power the PA at Wembley Stadium

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

Softly softly IN LAST MONTH’S ISSUE, we fitted a heavy-duty ARB rear bumper toour project Isuzu D-Max GO2 double-cab. Now, staying at the blunt end of the vehicle, we’re going to take a look at another bit of kit that’s equally valuable in its own way – a tailgate damper from Isuzu’s own accessory range.

Such a thing might sound a bit superfluous to you. Certainly, millions of pick-ups had been sold around the world before they ever became a thing. But tailgates are heavy old lumps, and they way they come crashing down when you let them drop of their own accord is pretty fearsome – not good for

their own hinges and brackets, and certainly very bad if, like an ever increasing number of pick-up owners, you’ve got small children about the place.

The damper that was installed on our D-Max basically uses a torsion bar running the full length of the tailgate along with a paid of miniature shock absorbers which go in place of the simple anodised steel arms fitted as standard.

There’s a straightforward check strap, too, to prevent over-extension should too much weight be placed on the tailgate. You know how people like to sit on them while having a brew…

The job is not a long one, and nor is it difficult. It’s fiddly, however, and two pairs of eyes are definitely

better than one when you’re lining up the brackets in the rear body. As an aside, if like us you’re also fitting an ARB rear bumper, the damper should go on first, otherwise you’ll need to pull the beaver panel back off again to instal it.

If you question the value of a tailgate damper, well, that’s up to you. There’s certainly no arguing with its performance, though – now, you can unlatch the tailgate, pull it out a little and then let go, and it doesn’t move at all. That’s how effective the set-up is. Pull it to approaching halfway, and it sinks slowly to the open position posing no risks to its own hardware or any small heads that get in the way. It’s a hidden accessory that makes an absolute world of a difference.

Off comes the the tailgate’s plastic lining, leaving the panel itself exposed beneath it

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Above: With the plastic lining removed (opposite page), the tailgate panel is laid bare. This in turn has a seldom-seen access panel which is removed to gain access to the latching mechanism within Main picture (opposite page): The damper’s long torsion arm will attach to this bolt in the bottom edge of the tailgate Below: Lining up the bracket where the mechanism attaches to the vehicle’s body is, to use the scientific term, a fiddle. It’s not hard, though, and once you and an assistant have got it lined up the rest of the job’s a breeze

Left: Here’s the tailgate with the mechanism in place, showing it attached using the bolt in the picture above

Above, right: The hydraulic strut attaches to the edge of the tailgate and the side of the vehicle’s back body to complete the installation

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THE WILD FRONTIER The Pyrenees might sound like a pretty safe overland destination. But the network of Words: Barrie Dunbar Pictures: Barrie Dunbar, and as credited

T

he Pyrenees are an ever popular destination for Britain’s more adventurous 4x4 drivers. And for a good many excellent reasons, too.

Beautiful, rugged terrain, breathtaking scenery, plentiful flora and fauna and outstanding campsites are all among the attractions that bring people to the

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Pyrenees. If you visit behind the wheel of your 4x4, you can add to the list a vast network of smugglers’ tracks – some of which, believe it or not, are still in use today by vagabonds running duty-free alcohol and tobacco from Andorra.

These tracks form the basis of many 4x4 tour operators’ itineraries.

But through this paradise of mountains and rivers in Catalonia

and the Basque Country, there is so much more to do than just drive. The locals have used the spectacular assets of their natural environment with sympathy to provide visitors with a diverse choice of ecologically sustainable outdoor activities.

My company, Active 4x4 Adventures, runs a unique 10-day fully catered Pyrenees 4x4 Tour including some of the best of these

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trails you’ll find here has a nefarious past…

Main picture: Barrage d’Ossoue, by ::ErWin@flickr.com, CC BY-ND 2.0

experiences. There’s an exhilarating half day of river gorge canyoning in the stunning Vall de Chastau, for example, while another day sees us tackling an elevated tree canopy traverse course among the pines, followed by a mind-blowing 430m zip-line ‘flight’ – the longest and fastest in the whole of Catalonia.

It all begins when we meet at a campsite overlooking the idyllic

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Catalan seaside town of Banyuls, famed for its beautiful beach and warm waters. Right from the start, the conditions are perfect for 4x4 owners who like to leave the tarmac behind. The going is just technical enough to keep things interesting and all the while we’re surrounded by unspoiled countryside with spellbinding views as far as the eye can see.

After a lunch stop in the shade of the ancient Castello de Requesens, the afternoon unfolds along much the same lines – excellent driving through outstanding natural terrain, with the occasional moderately challenging section thrown in for good measure. As we climb, the landscape of vineyards gives way to native bush and the ever-present sound of cicadas.

Our campsites almost always include a swimming pool, bar and restaurant, so we aim to arrive with plenty of time to enjoy the facilities.

What better way to unwind after a wonderful day of overlanding?

Leaving the area of Macanet de Cabrenys, we head west along some of the best mountain tracks to be found anywhere. The vegetation has morphed from the maritime scrub and bush of the coastal regions to majestic European hardwood forests, through which the ancient tracks wend their winding ways. By afternoon we are travelling through the spectacular Vall de Camprodon, enjoying the most fantastic, quintessentially Pyrenean off-road adventure driving.

The valley is home to enormous Griffon vultures, which soar overhead, gliding effortlessly on thermal updrafts from the sun-baked rocks below. It’s another exceptional driving experience, and it concludes at another lovely campsite in the Val de Ribes.

Conveniently located just down the road from here is Campdevanol, location of the tree canopy traverse and zip-lines adventure activities. It’s a fabulous morning of excitement for young and old alike, expertly run by a crew of professional instructors, with a fabulous, well shaded hike in the adjacent nature reserve for those who don’t fancy an adrenaline hit!

The afternoon comprises a phenomenal Alpine style off-road route, through beautifully scenic mountain scenery along the Coll

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de Morella and Coll de la Creueta – both of which are simply stunning high altitude drives. Later we pass through the Guils Fontanera ski area, en route to the mountain refuge of Malniu, located near a vast, pristine lake, which is the site of our semiwild camp for the night.

Beyond here, we travel through the wonderful Cerdanya Nature Reserve towards the region of

Aransa, on some of the infamous smugglers’ tracks emanating from Andorra. In the past, we’ve met some rather nefarious looking characters, bombing along in equally suspect looking old bangers… on other occasions, we’ve encountered the local police, hiding in the bushes in their Nissan Patrols as they wait to pounce on any smugglers who come their way.

They know who they’re looking for, though. We were merely given a nod and a smile and waved on our way, without a pause.

The following day, we’re privileged to experience the natural wilderness of the Catalonian Pyrenees at its best. Traversing the National Park d’Alt Pirineu, the largest natural park in Catalonia, ticks all of the boxes one could ask for, both in

terms of being a nature lover and an overlander. The seemingly endless and perfect trail we follow for most of the day tracks along adjacent to a lovely river, a tributary of the glorious Noguera Pallaresa. It’s heavenly.

As if it couldn’t get any better, after a night camping near the village of Espot we continue our adventure westward along more narrow, winding mountain tracks,

Picture below: DSC_3700-PANO, by cdamian @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

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The author grew up in South Africa – and these guys know how to work a barbecue. When you travel with Active 4x4 Adventures, your overlanding is fully catered – leaving the local farmers with their coffers swollen and your stomach… well, probably quite nicely swollen too

passing through a series of medieval mountain villages.

We’re still in the Alt Pirineu National Park here, now following the main section of the roaring Noguera Pallaresa.

After this we’re into the Alt Aneu National Park. Here, we’re travelling through the world renowned Val d’Aran, an area of outstanding natural beauty if ever there was one.

We stop for lunch within walking distance of the Sanctuary of Montgarri, which makes for an interesting and pleasant mini excursion.

Then, after another fabulous afternoon, we visit the busy mountain sports resort of Vielha before heading to our campsite on the outskirts of town.

Next we’re into the rugged mountains of the Sierra de Chia,

for even more unbeatable off-road driving and beautiful scenery in the Natural Park of Posets Maladeta. As always, there’s ample opportunity for breaks out of the cars, whether to stretch your legs, splash in the river or just chill out in the sun and breathe the clean air. The afternoon features some slightly technical conditions, though nothing too hairy amid yet more spectacular views.

Our campsite, in the pristine Val de Chistau, is a real gem. Its facilities are world-class – and it’s also the base for our next dose of adrenaline. The affable Alfonso, adventure sports guide extraordinaire, will lead us in canyoning down the river gorge – an unforgettable experience!

From here we continue west, taking in the fabulous Ordesa National Park as well as the picturesque Valle de Tena. There follows a couple of exciting days’ off-road driving through the mountains and woodlands of the Basque Country, where traditional farming and agriculture seem to play a greater role than in the more leisure-focused Catalonia. The campsites here are just as good, however, though swimming pools are less prevalent.

Our tour comes to its conclusion when we reach the town of Hondarribia, on the Atlantic coast.

It’s a dramatic finish, too – our campsite is perched high up on the rocky cliffs, overlooking the crashing waves and offering evening sunsets second to none.

And as the sun sets on our adventure, there’s time to reflect on a wonderful week and a half. We’ve experienced some of the best offroad driving to be found anywhere in Europe, through diverse and exciting terrain offering unbeatable views; we’ve had a couple of days of high-adrenaline adventure, and a couple of nights camping out in the wilderness; we’ve enjoyed a heady mixture of picnics and BBQs, all laid on as part of the package; and we’ve spent ten days in a sublime natural environment whose beauty is quite simply boundless.

The Pyrenees are like Morocco in the overlanding world, in that you hear about them so often, they can sound like a cliche. But once you’ve explored this glorious mountain range, you’ll understand why so many people want to go there – and to go back. We’re truly blessed to have such an off-road paradise so close to home.

The author runs Active 4x4 Adventures, which specialises in unique, fully catered 4x4 tours including exciting adventure activities at no additional cost. The prices the company quotes are all-inclusive. To find out more about its future itineraries, visit active4x4adventures.com.

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ON THE ROAD 75 OVERLAND DESTINATIONS TO DREAM OF

Sicily As well as being a bountifully 4x4-friendly landscape in its own right, Sicily happens to be home to the geological powerhouse that is Mount Etna – Europe’s most active volcano. The Etna massif is much more than just a peak, covering a huge area on the east side of the island with a weird, barren landscape of bare volcanic rock and spoil; there are several stony trails leading up on to the south of the mountain and loads of potential for getting a long way up in your own vehicle, but don’t expct just to be let loose to go exploring it in your 4x4.

Even if you have to join an organised tour, however, Mount Etna is still absolutely fascinating. Especially when the guide uses his ice axle to dig a shallow hole in the seemingly stable ground and invites you to put your hand in it, only for it to be as hot as an oven in there. It’s an awesome display of the power of nature, and an unmissable destination if you’re in this part of the world.

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PART 1: EUROPE AND ASIA This wonderful world of ours is packed full of beautiful, historical, fascinating, scary and just downright weird places to visit.

Every one of them offers the sort of experience that makes expedition travel so very special – and together, they make an overwhelming case for leaving life behind and getting out there in your 4x4 to explore the planet. This three-part article highlights 75 of the best and most precious destinations, from specific features and legendary trails to entire regions and even nations – all of them adventures that will make you look forward to a time after the madness of the pandemic is over and the world is once again your oyster

Mongolia Mongolia is one of the most perfectly unspoilt nations on earth.

You wouldn’t think so to visit the capital, Ulaanbataar, which is an ugly mess of concrete buildings tied up by relentlessly gridlocked streets, but get out into the countryside – and stay away from the corridors of development brought about by the rise of mining – and little about it has changed since the dawn of man.

Many overlanders head for the mountains of the Altay region, as well they might – it’s a dramatic land of soaring snow-capped peaks and lush alpine meadows, reminiscent of Switzerland at its best but with almost no-one else around. Directly south from Ulaanbataar, meanwhile, is the Gobi Desert, a vast sandy expanse where life is still dominated by the nomadic traditions of old. If you only ever go on one expedition in your life, Mongolia has a very strong shout for being the destination you should choose.

Pic: transmongolie-296, by Vaiz Ha @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

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Iceland We could have chosen any one of many dozen landforms, roads and regions in Iceland’s other-worldly interior. Some are indescribably beautiful, some are awe-inspiring, some are accessible only via rough, unmade trails through a barren glacial landscape – and most are all three of those things.

Off-roading is strictly forbidden here, because the landscape is so fragile, but that’s not a problem because Iceland has a vast network of F-roads – unsurfaced routes, restricted only to 4x4s, which are typified by their stony surfaces and, in particular, by never-ending river crossings. These can be very deep and wide – wading tends to be a big joke back home in Britain, but in Iceland it’s a deadly serious part of getting about.

Whether it’s the crystal cascade of Gulfoss or the mesmerising rock formations of Landmannalaugar, Iceland is geography at its most poetic – and overlanding at its most exciting. You can ship your vehicle there, too – it’ll cost a couple of grand, and the cost of living in Iceland is famously high, but what price the experience of a lifetime?

Pic (left): Panneau routier, by genevieveromier @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Kyrgyzstan It’s very much part of Asia, but Kyrgyzstan is the last outpost of what used to be the USSR – meaning that in a manner of speaking, it’s the last link to Europe before you reach the Chinese border. And reach it you will, if you’re made of stern enough stuff, via a bleak mountain road that climbs south from the town of Osh to meet up with a section of the classic Silk Road at SaryTash – a rough huddle of houses whose bleak location and tiny size belie its importance as the crossroads between three nations.

The classic overland route will take you east from here to the Chinese frontier at Irkeshtam.

But just getting there can feel like an achievement, especially in bad weather, because this is one of the most forbidding journeys you’ll ever take. The austere beauty of the landscape is beyond doubt, but you’ll never lose sight of how far you are from home…

Pic: From Sary Tash to Osh, Kyrgyzstan, by Ninara @ flickr.com CC BY 2.0

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Portugal It might sound like a cop-out to name the entire country when there are so many regions within it deserving of a special mention, but Portugal has long held a special place in overlanders’ affections. When you get away from the cities and into its mountainous interior, it’s like stepping back in time – much of the Portuguese countryside retains its traditional rural way of life, and the advent of things like cars, TV and broadband hasn’t changed that.

In particular, there are loads of unmade trails which you can explore at leisure, always of course observing the rules of common courtesy but largely untroubled by the red tape that strangles the countryside in so many other parts of Europe. These tracks are, in the main, an everyday means of getting from A to B, though some are distinctly tricky even in a well prepped 4x4.

You’ll need to take special care in forested areas, particularly during the summer months, as wildfires have been a serious problem in recent years. Once again, though, with basic good behaviour you’ll find yourself welcome and free to follow your nose in a way that’s almost unheard of in most of Europe.

Pic: Peter Foggett

Andalucia This beautiful mountainous regious in southern Spain is psarsely populated once you get inland – and an extensive network of unmade tracks makes it ideal for exlopring aboard your 4x4.

The kind of vehicle you can hre on holiday will be more than adequate, even when you start getting into the mountain passes, but for aproper adventure you should travel down here in your own truck – it’ll add a bit to the price of the trip, but you’re unlikely not to agree that it’s worth it.

If the endless stony trails start to wear you out, the elegant city of Granada will refresh your spirits (unless you spot one of the unique black squirrels that live around the Alhambra palace, in which case you might think you’re hallucinating).

Don’t expect to stay relaxed here for long, though – because you’ll have an ever-present view of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada encouraging you to go out and explore some more.

Pic (below): Embalse, Zahara de la Sierra, by Alcaina @ flockr.com, CC BY-ND 2.0

Siberia About 55 times the size of Britain, Siberia is Big Country personified. It’s big, and it’s bad… average winter temperatures of -25° see to that, and for getting from A to B the terrain redefines the term ‘hostile.’

Even where there are roads, in the wilds of Siberia you don’t need to expect smooth tarmac.

Not that that’s what you want, of course, if you’re reading this magazine – but after more than 1000 miles of rough gravel on the legendary Road of Bones between Yakutsk and Magadan, you might come to appreciate it.

Some roads in Siberia are only open in winter, when the ground is fully frozen, and remote bridges are always at risk of having been washed away.

A bit of a problem when the nearest detour route can be the equivalent of driving halfway round Europe.

If all that isn’t enough to give you pause, be aware that Siberia is home to its very own species of tiger and leopard, as well as three different kinds of bear – including of course the polar bear. Car-jacking is an issue in some areas, too, as of course is the extreme remoteness of the land you’ll be travelling through. Combine this with some of the world’s most determined mosquitoes, and you might wonder why anyone would bother – but one look at the wild scenery and it will all make sense. By the time you get home from Siberia, you’ll definitely be able to call yourself a hardcore overlander.

Pic (top): UAZ-452 Parked in front of Dom 20, Village Kuznetsovo, by carlfbagge@ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0 Pic (below): утоп, by aNiCe@ flickr.com, CC BY-ND 2.0

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Ladakh You don’t need to go looking for off-road routes in the Himalayas. Just follow the roads and it’ll happen naturally – and even if it doesn’t, you won’t care.

Some of the other destinations mentioned in this feature fall within the greater scope of the Himalayan massif, and of course at its highest the range literally peaks at the summit of Everest on the border between China and Nepal. But for overlanders, it’s at perhaps its most perfect further west in the Kashmiri province of Ladakh.

Here, you’ll find some of the world’s highest roads. In fact, the 18,379-foot Khardung La pass, north of regional capital Leh, claims to be the highest of them all. It’s not, however – the Umling La, built in 2017, reaches an astonishing 19,300 feet above sea level. It’s a couple of hundred miles south-east of Leh, which could take several days given the landscape, but if you love mountains you could spend months around here – of the highest dozen roads in the world, all but one are in this general region.

Taking your time would be a good idea, too, because getting acclimatised is critical to avoiding

altitude sickness. Most of the mountain passes in the area are only open for a few summer months and require permits if you’re not local, which is another reason not to do it at a rush if you want to

do it at all – and of course this is no place to be rushing. Not just for safety, but because Ladakh is a place that truly deserves to be savoured.

Pic: Vyacheslav Argenberg @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Georgia Everything you know about this former Soviet republic can probably be summed up by the phrase ‘it’s not the same Georgia that Atlanta is in.’ But it you were to pay it a visit, you’d discover that it’s a land of sensational natural beauty.

Around 40% of its land mass is forested, for starters. And despite being smaller in size than the Republic of Ireland, it manages to contain part of two major mountain ranges, a region of permanent ice caps and, at the other end of the scale, a semi-arid desert. It’s also home to the world’s deepest cave, at well over a mile down.

Politically, Georgia is basically the crossroads where Europe meets Asia. For this reason alone, it deserves a place on many’s an itinerary. It’s not on the classic route east, but you could certainly detour through it on the way towards Mongolia or Siberia – and its very varied landscapes make it a destinatrion in its own right..

Pic: Vyacheslav Argenberg @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Fuerteventura A Spanish island known universally as a sun-bathed holiday paradise, Fuerteventura is crawling with sandy trails. You won’t visit it as part of an expedition – but if you fly there for a fortnight in a hotel, you should think about hiring a 4x4 instead of the usual cheap supermini as your means of getting about.

Since the alternative is to spend your entire time on the island looking on enviously as you drive past one tempting looking track after another, that shouldn’t be a hard circle to square…

Hyundai Tucson 2, by Tony Higsett @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

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Le Gois Sitting in the Atlantic Ocean, about three miles off the coast of France, the island of Noirmoutier is reached by a shiny new bridge – or, if you’re feeling advenurous, an old tidal causeway across the sand flats.

When the tide is out, the sea is nowhere to be seen – and Le Gois is no more than a stony, part-paved route between the oyster beds. But because the surrounding sand is so flat, when the tide comes in it comes in fast – and the road quickly disappears beneath a sheet of water.

Pluck up the courage to drive Le Gois after the water has started to cover it, and it’s basically the world’s longest ford. A ford in which you’ll feel the tide tugging at your wheels, too. It takes time to become too deep for 4x4s, but you want to be well clear of it by then – there are refuges every few hundred yards for if it all goes wrong, but while these might save your hide you still won’t feel very triumphant as you watch your pride and joy disappear beneath billions of gallons of salt water.

Sakteng The Himalayan mountain kingdom of Bhutan is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Not just for its landscape, but for the way it’s run – its rulers drive modest zero-emission electric cars and there’s a rule in place that at least 60% of its land must always be under forestry.

When it comes to electricity, however, the village of Sakteng, high up in the eastern part of the country, didn’t even have any until just over five years ago.

What it did have, however, was Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary – possibly the only one of its kind created to protect a species which, as far as science is concerned, isn’t real.

That’s because this is the home of the yeti. Ask anyone up here, and they’ll tell you with complete certainty that it exists, even if they’ve never seen it.

They’ll warn you that it’s bad luck to come face to face with one, too (kind of like with lions and grizzly bears, then…)

The good news is that driving to Sakteng is all the adventure you could ever ask for. The same can be said for the whole of Bhutan, actually – not least because of the journey you’ll already have made to get there. There’s a world of paperwork to get through first – but it’ll be very well worth it.

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Olkhon One of the world’s biggest lacustrine islands, Olkhon sits within Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia. Despite its size (it’s about 44 miles long and 13 miles wide), it only has about 1500 inhabitants, and with a spectacular variety of terrain types it attracts visitors from far and wide.

Having taken the ferry to the island, you’ll find it’s home to a network of sandy tracks, many of which lead into the forested mountains on its eastern flank. These are used mainly for unauthorised logging, so approach with an element of care – but with so much space and so little tarmac, it’s an offroad paradise.

Pic: Russian Jeep Niva, by Vladislav Bezrukov @ flickr. com CC BY 2.0

Khan Kentii Two mentions for Mongolia in one article? Yes, and they’re well deserved. This massively remote and little known nation is already considered a pretty unspoilt place by the standards we’re used to – but with the mining industry threatening to overwhelm it, the government has established a network of national parks with extremely strict controls on what can and can’t be done.

Here, hunting and mining are prohibited and even herding and tourism are carefully controlled – which means the march of tarmac, which is driven largely by heavy industry, is missing these areas out. Thus in Khan Kentii, an area more than half the size of Wales, getting around means negotiating endless rough tracks and frequent river crossings, in an area where flooding is common. All the while, you’re surrounded by a never-ending landscape that’s unchanged from the days before history.

Pics: Andy Smith / Emma Smart

Gorge du Verdon ‘The other Grand Canyon’ is a 15-mile long, half-mile deep river gorge in Provence, southern France. It’s not as big as its namesake, but it’s every bit as beautiful – not least because of the eye-catching blue of the river flowing through the bottom of it.

You can’t drive down into the gorge, but a winding road follows its western rim and there are countless unmade tracks exploring the mountains that surround it. You certainly wouldn’t think you’re only a day’s drive from England here – do your homework in advance and you could use it as part of a mini expedition packed in to a week’s holiday from work.

Pic: Barrie Dunbar / Active 4x4 Adventures

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Kalmykia When you’re overlanding, everywhere is a destination. Kalmykia is a place you might visit as part of a big trip east – en route to Mongolia or Tibet, for example – but this Russian republic is every bit as noteworthy. You probably haven’t heard of it – but it’s unique, in that it’s the only part of Europe where Buddhism is the dominant religion.

This makes it feel like a natural part of an expedition into the Asian lands beyond – for which it will certainly give you a taste. It has a reputation for being exceptionally welcoming to visitors, too, and its semi-desert landscape is just made for 4x4s – so if you don’t have the odd year to take out, it’s still very well worth treating as a destination in its own right for a shorter drive out..

Above: Mariusz Reweda / Owona Kozlowiec Left: The Golden Abode of the Buddha Shakyamuni, by Olga Reznik @ flickr.com CC BY 2.0

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The Alps

Karakoram Highway Covering a distance of around 800 miles between Punjab and the Chinese border in Gilgit-Baltistan, the Karakoram Highway is sometimes referred to as the eight wonder of the world. It might be a fully paved trunk road, but no way does that make it boring. It’s a dead end, unless you’ve been through the necessary bureaucratic hoops to be able to take your vehicle into China, but even for the gnarliest overlander it’s a desination in itself.

Aside from being a supremely dramatic, days-long drive, the Karakoram takes you through some of the bleakest but most awe-inspiring mountain landscapes anywhere on Earth. And drama is never far away, either – landslips are common, so it’s not abnormal to find yourself sitting waiting for a work crew to show up with a digger.

Not that this would have been enough to save the village of Attabad in January 2010, when a catastrophic landslide buried it completely – as well as creating a natural dam across the Hunza River which ended up with 16 miles of the Highway disappearing under a massive new lake. It has since been rebuilt, passing through four newly blasted tunnels in the process, but this gives you an idea of the sort of place we’re talking about. It’s beautiful… but seldom has beauty been more savage.

Top: Karakoram Highway, by David Stanley @ flickr. com, CC BY 2.0 Left: Truck caught in a landslide, by Shaun Metcalfe @ flickr. com, CC BY 2.0 Below: Karakoram Highway, by taylorandayumi1 @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Europe’s highest mountain range straddles a number of national borders, meaning there are parts of it with excellent access to 4x4s – and parts where anything without a tarmac surface can be guaranteed to have a ‘verboten’ sign instead.

It won’t come as any surprise that the latter applies in particular to Switzerland. Time your visit right, however, and there’ll be enough snow on the roads for this not to matter at all. And anyway, just across the border in France there are loads of alpine trails with access to 4x4s.

These take in a wide swathe of the western Alps, including many areas known primarily for skiing, meaning there’s a world of mountainous terrain and high-level meadows to explore..

Pic: Barrie Dunbar / Active 4x4 Adventures

Segovia The city of Segovia is less than an hour from Madrid but, amid the rural landscape of the province with which it shares its name, you might as well be on Mars. The city itself is a world heritage site and well worth a visit – then, having got your fill of culture, you can head out to the mountains for some proper fun.

As in so much of rural Spain, the trails leading through the mountains are typically open to the public and used as an everyday means of getting from A to B. Better still, and also typical of rural Spain, they’re absolutely glorious.

The mountains themselves are elegant, lofty peaks whose height means that even though the climate at their base is semi-arid, the area is known as a ski resort. The Hoces del Duraton, meanwhile, a set of deeply incised river meanders, are reminiscent of Utah’s Great Goosenecks and other classic landforms from the American west. There are few better ways of staying close to home while exploring what feels like a completely different continent.

Above: Hoces del Río Duratón, by Lobo Estepario Below: Parque Natural Hoces del Duratón, by Tuscasasrurales @ flickr.com, CC BY-ND 2.0

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Nordkapp The Northernmost point in mainland Europe sits bleakly at the very top of Norway. It’s tarmac all the way, making it a simple but gloriously scenic drive – though there are a few areas where you can take alternative routes on long gravel trails. During the winter, at any rate, everything changes as plunging temperatures, snow-bound roads and raging blizzards turn the whole region into a place where a well equipped 4x4 is absolutely essential. Battle your way though and the reward will be a unique perspective on an experience most others only ever see in much more benign conditions.

Pics: Arctic Heroes Challenge

Carpathian Mountains Almost from the moment the Iron Curtain was pulled back, enterprising Brits were setting out to explore Romania in 4x4s.

It’s well known for its tolerance towards convoys of off-roaders exploring the many unsurfaced trails that make up much of the road network in its extensive countryside, especially up high amid the lush scenery of the Carpathians – where, so long as you’re considerate about it, you can travel for days without a wheel touching tarmac. Hard to believe it exists, really – far less that it’s only a couple of days’ drive from home.

Pic: Marcin Burzynski

Darvaza Gas Crater A huge hole in the ground with fire belching out of it non-stop, Darvaza Gas Crater is known among locals as ‘the Mouth of Hell.’ How this fearsome thing was formed is shrouded in mystery, but conventional wisdom has it that engineers were drilling for oil in the desert of Turkmenistan when the ground collapsed. Geologists found that poisonous gas was escaping from the crater that had been formed – so to prevent it from drifting towards Darvaza village, they set it on fire. It was expected to die out within a couple of weeks, but almost half a century later it’s still burning ferociously.

You can walk right up to the edge of the crater, but first you need to get there – it’s in a part of the Karakum Desert accessed only by rough, stony trails. Perfect for visiting on a 4x4 expedition, or on one of the adventure tours that take it in. There’s even an area near the rim that’s used as a camp site – though how easy it might be to sleep, when it sounds like there’s a jet engine running next to your tent, is another matter.

Pics © Kalpak Travel

Pyrenees A firm favourite on the tag-along tour trail, the Pyrenees range straddles much of the border between France and Spain – and is criss-crossed by a network of unmade mountain roads dishing up a menu of breathtaking scenery and at times technical driving. There are western and eastern regions, each with its own distinct character, and in addition you can also become one of the few people to have overlanded their way into the micro-state of Andorra.

Many people use a trip to the Pyrenees as a sort of dry run for a bigger expedition, and if you’re planning to spend a prolonged period travelling in your vehicle they do indeed make an ideal place to figure out which elements of your prepations you’ve got right and which you need to think about some more. They deserve to be seen as a great deal more than just a testing ground, though – this is a magnificent destinaton in its own right, and the fact that it’s only a day or two’s drive from the south of Britain certainly shouldn’t detract from that.

Pic: Ardent Adventure

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The Silk Road These days, the Silk Road is more of a concept than an strictly defined route. It linked Turkey with the Han-dynasty capital of Xian, but like most ancient roads it split into several different paths along the way through what is now northwest China.

Much of the track itself has been buried beneath ever-shifting desert sands down the centuries, but fragments have survived and remain as they were a thousand years ago. The result is that following the Silk Road is an inexact art, with a wide variety of potential routes.

These could include a transit through Syria and Iraq, which is a lot less appealing an idea than it once was. Instead, you’d be more likely to drop down to meet the Silk Road from the north and pick it up on its way through Uzbekistan – though if you want to follow it into China, you’ll need to jump through all sorts of bureaucratic hoops before being allowed to do so.

The Silk Roadies, by lensnmatter @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Britain Don’t let’s forget the appeal of our own back yard in all of this. Across much of England and Wales, there’s a network of unsurfaced rights of way that can be used to create an itinerary lasting anything from a few hours to a week or more.

Few of these trails are long enough to keep you off tarmac for more than about an hour at a time. But there are several parts of the country where what they lack in length, they make up in multitude, so stitching several together to create a route is wholly feasible. Add in some of the many less commonly visited attractions Britain has to offer, and you’ve got yourself an expedition – a quirky one, perhaps, but one which proves that there’s no need at all for a staycation to involve nothing more than fast food outlets and expensive, crowded tourist traps.

One grotesque irony is that the right to camp wild camp is only enshrined in Scottish law, while the right to drive on unsurfaced roads only exists in England and Wales. Don’t let that put you off, though – it might mean you need to plan your travels more than you would in nations with a less stitched-up approach to counrtyside stewardship, but you’ll still be able to discover more about your own land than you ever would on a normal holiday.

4x4 AMEND 10pp Destinations Sep.indd 65

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www.quickhitchtowing.co.uk 07768 900762 eurolinehire@outlook.com

66 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Folios Classifieds 2020.indd 50

4x4 4x4 4x4

04/08/2020 20:13

We currently stock O.E. propshafts for many 4x4 models, but we are proud to have also spent time developing our own “Extreme” range. For the majority of 4x4 vehicles we can offer an upgraded propshaft option, whether you need greater angle, longer splines or larger torque capacity (which may give increased potential life-expectancy).

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Folios Classifieds 2020.indd 51

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 67

JUNE 2019 | 51

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ROADBOOK

SOUTH WILTSHIRE

Unsurfaced farm roads and dense jungle tracks on rolling chalk downs 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.

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

ANTIS

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

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

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

DO…

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

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

• Ensure you have a right to be

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

• • • •

DON’T…

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

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

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

• Cause a noise nuisance, particularly after dark

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

4x4 04/08/2020 10:41

ROADBOOK This is a very varied route in many different ways. Centred on the three-way border between Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset, it starts out with a set of beautifully scenic unsurfaced farm roads with never-ending views over the rolling downland. The second part of the roadbook, however, is very different, plunging you into a set of lanes where you’ll be picking your way through densely enclosed woodlands which will give your paintwork a battering‌ and give your ground-reading skills a workout into the bargain

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ROUTE GUIDE

is it suitable?

START FINISH HOW LONG? TERRAIN HAZARDS

TYRES

OS MAPS

Nunton (SU 158 261) Tollard Royal (ST 942 177) 41.05 miles / 5-6 hours Rolling chalk downs Slippy in places when wet; frequent ruts; dangerous road junctions; very enclosed lanes; other users, particularly horses Landranger 184 (Salisbury & The Plain)

Step

1

SU 158 261

Start outside the Radnor Arms in Nunton. Zero your trip with the pub to your right and set off heading west

0.0 Step

2

0.05

WEATHER LOW BOX SOFT-ROADERS SCRATCHING DRIVING DAMAGE

Step

3

Unsuitable for low-profile sizes; at least an all-terrain recommended Avoid when ground is very wet Necessary in a couple of places Unsuitable Inevitable and severe Many rutted sections to deal with; liaisons on fast, busy roads Potential for contact with trees

SU 141 239

1.9 SU 156 261

NUNTON DROVE

Step

4

3.15

Step 6: The trough comes straight after you’ve turned right on to the track. It can fill up with water after a lot of rain

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4x4 04/08/2020 10:41

Step 8: Turn left through the gate and on to a track across a grassy field Step 9 (right):This turning is very tight – you’re likely to need at least one shunt

Step

Step

3.4

5.25

5

Step

6

9 Immediately after you’ve turned, you drop into a deep trough which can become very deep with water.

Further on, the track gets a bit enclosed (though nothing like what you’ve got coming…)

3.9 Step

7

8

4.35

4x4 10pp Oct 20 Ox Drove Roadbook AK.indd 71

10

ZERO TRIP

6.1 Another rutted section, again prone to flooding. It gets more enclosed and scratchy beyond here

Step

11

Caution – watch out for horses on the gallop to your right

0.05

4.25 Step

Step

This is very tight – you’ll probably need a shunt, maybe two

Turn left through the gate and head across the grassy field

Step

12

Dead slow across the gallop, taking care not to disturb the wood chips and looking both ways for horses

0.2

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Step

13

Don’t trash the grass by cutting the corner – pull ahead by a couple of car lengths and there’ll be plenty of space to turn back on yourself

Step

16

0.4

1.65

Step

Step

1.4

2.35

Step

Step

1.45

2.5

14 15

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17 18

Caution – look out for horses

4x4 04/08/2020 10:41

Step

Step 26: Where the track splits in three, take the furthest over to the right

19 2.85 Step

20 3.0 Step

21

Step

ZERO TRIP

27

4.5

5.55

Step

Step

28

22 0.65

Damerham Cranborne

112 5

Step

Step

29

23 1.8 Step

24 4.05

5.7

Martin Cranborne

234 4

30 1

2

8.55

Step

Step

4.35

8.8

Step

Step

4.7

8.95

25 26 4x4 10pp Oct 20 Ox Drove Roadbook AK.indd 73

Summerlands

Step

SU 077 189

Toyd Down

8.1

SU 101 236

31

It gets a bit bumpy through the ditch at the junction

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Step

36

ZERO TRIP

11.7 Step

37

Caution – this is a major road

1.1 Step

33

This track gets quite bumpy and rutted

9.35 Step

34

Step

38 1.2

It gets quite enclosed further on

Step

39

9.9

2.25

Step

Step

10.6

2.4

35

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Race Course Stratford Tony Bishopstone Broad Chalke

SU 093 267

The turning is opposite the road on the right signposted to the racecourse

40

4x4 04/08/2020 10:41

Step

41

Dead slow the whole way through here. Exiting the ford, swing right to follow the track going behind the houses

2.45 Step

42

Step

46

Extreme caution – this is a fast, busy road. Look out for overtaking traffic on the wrong side of the road as you emerge

ZERO TRIP

4.3 It’s going to get very overgrown further on…

Step

47

2.5

0.25

Step

Step

3.6

0.55

43

48

SU 087 233

Extreme caution – this is a very fast, straight road. As you slow to turn, cars are apt to come flying up behind you – you’ll be indicating right, obviously, but don’t assume that’ll stop them trying to overtake.

Once you’re on the track, it’s very, very overgrown and scratchy

Keep it slow past the house

Step

44 3.95 Step

45 4.25 4x4 10pp Oct 20 Ox Drove Roadbook AK.indd 75

Slow past the houses, looking out for children and animals

Step 47: This road is horrible – it’s fast and dead straight, so you need to watch out for people trying to pull off insane overtaking manoeuvres on you as you turn (that’s not a reference to the van in this picture, which was being driven perfectly safely, but you do get some proper psychos on this road) SEPTEMBER 2020 | 75

04/08/2020 10:41

Step

52

There’s a long, bumpy trough of ruts here that’s apt to be flooded after wet weather

1.55 Step

53

Another big water trough – this one can turn into a small lake at times

1.65 Step

Step

0.6

1.95

Step

Step

1.1

2.0

49

54 55

50 Step

51 1.45

76 | SEPTEMBER 2020

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As the main track swings hard right, continue ahead into the undergrowth

Step

56

This is just a few car lengths after Step 54

Dead slow past the houses and farm buildings

3.1

4x4 04/08/2020 10:42

Step

57

Caution – the road is very hard to spot until you’re on it, and there are no signs warning you as you approach

3.4 Step

58 4.45 Step

59 5.45

Ebbesbourne Wake Shaftesbury

Step

Step

60 6.5

65 By-Way to Ox Drove

10.3

Step

Step

7.35

11.5

Step

Step

8.05

12.4

Step

Step

8.5

14.3

66

61

67

62 63 Step

64 9.25 4x4 10pp Oct 20 Ox Drove Roadbook AK.indd 77

ST 938 207

68 ST 965 228

The turning is hard to spot in advance – it’s just after Trow Farm on the left

Step

69

Arrive at the King John Inn for the end of the route

14.45 SEPTEMBER 2020 | 77

04/08/2020 10:42

PRODUCTS

Can’t go a month without a Land Rover fix?

Subscribe to The Landy today and you won’t THE LANDY SUBS ADhave to!

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

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

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

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

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

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

I make you weak at the knees? If so, The Landy is most certainly for you! The UK’s only

Land Rover newspaper is brought to you by the very same publisher and writers as this very magazine. And you can get your monthly fix by subscribing today – for the fantastic price of just £25 for a year!

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Simply fill out the form below, including your credit or debit card details, or send it with a cheque payable to The Landy at Assignment Media Ltd, G11 Repton House, Bretby Business Park, Burton-upon-Trent, DE15 0YZ Alternatively, just give us a call on 01283 553 243 or visit www.thelandy.co.uk FULL NAME: SHIPPING ADDRESS: TEL NUMBER: CARD NUMBER: EXPIRY DATE: SECURITY CODE:

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CLASSIFIEDS

TO A D V E R T I S E I N O U R C L A S S I F I E D S S E C T I O N S P E A K TO I A N A R G E N T O N 0 1 2 8 3 5 5 3 2 4 2 OR EMAIL IAN.ARGENT@ASSIGNMENT-MEDIA.CO.UK

4x4 Folios Classifieds 2020.indd 49

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 79

04/08/2020 13:57

4x4

NEXT MONTH IN…

A sensational Samurai resto blending the best of classic and hardcore Tested: At long last – off-road in the new Land Rover Defender A classy build on a classic Cruiser PLUS Part 2 of our adventure guide takes in Africa and the Middle East

ON SALE: 11th Sept Step 40: Tur n left off the main track, embankment dropping dow then plungi n the ng straight into a water trough (right) rock Step n – there are sharp

71 34

Step

Step

13

13.3.1 12

Cautio the iate as you climb steps to negot hillside

Step

47

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

ROADBOOK: Deceptive lanes 15.0in the rolling hills of North-East Leicestershire a Abbey Strata Florid

8.75

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

Step

14

4328

Step

43

Step

15

Look out for you cross the the waymarker as ford

15.2

Step

Step

16

44

11.8

Join the Cat A

Step

17 18

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

Step

48

13.4

11.7

Step

followed by a long

There’s a coup le of huge wate troughs afte r r the junction

1312 .1 .6

10.9

12.8

More rock steps, water trough

Ste p Step

of

track

You may find yourself drivi a river bed ng along for a while…

13.65 Step

45 Fill in your name14 and .7 address and give this form to your newsagent track Drop off the main the gate and immediately before trough water into yet another

●

these axleentum to clear h bigger t need a bit of mom

Step Step 37: You migh -off to the right Please order 4x4 Magazine and reserve/deliver meis muc a copy every month warned, the drop twisters – but be

12.8 Name Address

88 | JAN UARY 2020

46

than it looks here

4x4

14.9 4x4 JA NUARY

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

80 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Next Month Sep.indd 80

202 0 | 89

4x4 02/08/2020 23:17

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