4x4 Magazine - September 2021

4x4

NEWS • TECH • DEBATE • TRAVEL • MODIFIED VEHICLES • GREEN LANING DRIVEN First time in the new Suzuki Jimny van

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

DEAD AND ALIVE!

Deadman’s Hill is one of several legendary rights of way in this month’s green lane roadbook – it’s the kind of adventure that makes life worth living!

Orange Peelz: Jeep unveils its latest fantasy Wrangler

£4.99

High-tech electric Audi on the hunt for Dakar domination

SEP 2021

Why learning to drive off-road is an overlanding life-saver 4x4 Cover Sep.indd 1

03/08/2021 11:13

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September 2021

CONTENTS

38

‘What we are trying to do has never been done ultimate challenge for an electric drivetrain’

44

2 | SEPTEMBER 2021

AWAITING SUBS INFO 2-3 Contents Sep.indd 2

28 50

4x4 03/08/2021 21:33

54 12 MAGAZINES FOR THE PRICE OF 3!

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

4x4 Scene: News, Products and More…

6 10 12 13 13 14 16 19 22 24 24 25 26 27

INEOS Grenadier Interior revealed for forthcoming traditional off-roader Jeep Wrangler Freshly revised model better-off road than ever, says Jeep Green Lane Association 4x4 users answer the call from residents in need The Wayfarer Cat and mouse games continue in the land of bureaucracy Deadman’s Hill Volunteer work party repairs damage on Yorkshire lane BXCC Top-level comp safari returns in fine style – and with a familiar winner Odyssey Challenge Records tumble in high-scoring day at Mow Cop Excite Rally-Raid All-female cross-country crew aims for Dakar glory Osram LED products aiming to light the way ahead this winter Maverick 4x4 Front Runner roof rack for Suzuki Jimny now in stock Britpart Updates announced for Lynx 2 Evo diagnostic tool Euro4x4parts Improved roof tents now stronger and more comfortable Lazer Lamps LED bar fitting kit for new Defender Maxxis Promotional campaign aims to reward local heroes

Driven 28 30 32

Suzuki Jimny LCV First drive of our former 4x4 of the Year, now in van form Ford Ranger Thunder A famous name returns to the Ranger line-up Kia Sorento Imposing new SUV from Korea fully tested in rare diesel form

Every Month 6 20 68 54 80

Alan Kidd Every day is Freedom Day when you drive an off-road vehicle Calendar Time to get out there and celebrate your long-awaited release Roadbook A glorious day on the high lanes of the Yorkshire Dales Subscribe Stay at home and get 4x4 delivered – and save a huge 75%!

Next Month A rocking Wrangler and a legendary expedition Discovery

Features 38 44 50

Electro-Dakar Audi RS Q e-tron aims to revolutionise desert racing BMW Defender Early 90 with the increasingly popular M57 diesel engine Jeep Orange Peelz Stunning concept is a different kind of open-air Jeep

Travel 56

Expedition Training A kind of overland prep you might not have thought of…

Our 4x4s

before. This is the

62

A Pair of Drawers Our D-Max gets gold-standard storage from Gearmate

68 North Yorks Roadbook

6

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

SEPTEMBER 2021 | 3

03/08/2021 21:33

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

Alan Kidd Editor

H

ow did you spend Freedom Day? Were you straight off to the pub? Out late larging it in your local nightclubs? Sitting in the cinema watching Scarlett Johansson give that Russian chap a jolly good taste of his own medicine?

If what I can make out from the chat in the social media hang-outs I frequent is any gauge, you’re most likely to have celebrated Freedom Day by taking off your face mask and striding into a shop. There seem to be a lot of people making a big deal about asserting that version of freedom – though from what I’ve seen in the real world, the vast proportion are still masking up.

Which just shows that with freedom comes responsibility. That’s something every 4x4 driver knows all about, at least if they’ve ever used their vehicle to explore the British countryside. When you set out to do that, you have precious little freedom but an awful lot of responsibility.

Anyway, there was another kind of Freedom Day which a lot of petrol heads in general went out to celebrate on 11 July.

Wait though, wasn’t that a week and a day early? Yes, in one sense, but for a small army of bikers and boy racers there was nothing to match the freedom of having the roads to themselves while the rest of the population were watching England labour to defeat in the final of the Euros.

I was in the latter group. In retrospect, given that I had 300bhp of VW T-Roc R on test at the time, watching the final was probably a mistake, but my youngest son had pulled Italy of the hat in his school sweepstake and decided to support them (he’ll learn), so I felt that I needed to be there lest civil war break out.

I hope my petrol-headed mates enjoyed their version of Freedom Day, at any rate, and of course that they did so responsibly. I haven’t heard any horror stories, so I guess England’s penalty shoot-out was the only thing that crashed and burned that day.

Of course, if you have the concept of a Freedom Day, that kind of automatically means the other days are not free. Or at best, they’re less free. And clearly, the lifting of restrictions was indeed a moment of freedom after a long time under the cosh.

4 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Edline Sep.indd 4

When you go off-road, every day becomes Freedom Day But thinking about the other big day of freedom for all those petrol heads, that kind of suggests that on any other day their hobby is so restricted by traffic that it forever feels un-free. Not my idea of a good time, I can tell you.

And I got a taste of it, too. The day before the Euro final, I was up near Sheffield doing a photoshoot with the T-Roc R. Once we were done, I headed for home via all my favourite roads through the eastern part of the Peak District and down into the Derby Dales, and guess what? Every mile, every single yard, every one of those fantastic B-road corners and soaring views… was spent crawling along behind a line of slow-moving traffic. It was one of the most frustrating experiences I’ve had on four wheels since… ooh, guess what, since I got handed the keys to a Renault Alpine A110 and exactly the same thing happened.

Which pretty much proves my point. If you need to wait for a day that comes once every 55 years to have some proper fun, you’re going to need a better source of fun.

Now, canny old dogs like you and I know exactly how to have fun on four wheels, don’t we? And it’ll take more than a line of slow traffic to stop us, because we’re not trying to treat the road like a racetrack. It’s just our route to the next trailhead, and when we get there you can look on in envy while we disappear into the landscape.

Knowing that everyone in their boring cars is watching is one of the best bits about turning off the tarmac on to a green lane. Because you just know they’re jealous. They want to be you but they can’t, because their mere car is stopping them.

It’s often said that cars equal freedom.

Well, they might, but the roads you have to drive them on can tie you up in knots.

That’s why people get jealous. They see us doing things they can’t, and they feel trapped. And what they’re doing is learning something we’ve known all along. Which is that when you dare to go off-road, every day is Freedom Day.

Web: www.totaloffroad.co.uk www.4x4i.com Online Shop: www.toronline.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/totaloffroad www.facebook.com/4x4Mag Editor Alan Kidd Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Dan Fenn, Paul Looe, Kaziyoshi Sasazaki, Gary Noskill, Olly Sack, Tom Alderney, Noel and Marilu Peries 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 553242. Prices for 12 issues: UK £42 (24 issues £76); Europe Airmail/ROW Surface £54; ROW Airmail £78 Distributed by Marketforce; www.marketforce.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure the contents of 4x4 are accurate, but Assignment Media accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor the consequences of actions made as a result of these.

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

© Assignment Media Ltd, 2021

4x4 03/08/2021 11:53

OEM Spec Springs Leaf Springs These springs are manufactured to the original OEM specification and constructed from the correct grade alloy steel - 60SiCr8. Each leaf is heat treated consisting of hardening & tempering as the Land Rover engineers specified. Fitted with OEM bushes, these leaf springs will therefore give you years of service with the correct ride comfort for your Series vehicle.

241283G

SWB

Petrol

Front

9 Leaf

RHS

242863G SWB

Petrol

Front

9 Leaf

LHS

265627G SWB

Diesel

Front

11 Leaf

RHS

264563G SWB & LWB Diesel

Front

11 Leaf

LHS

517588G

SWB

Rear

11 Leaf

RHS

517589G

SWB

Rear

11 Leaf

LHS

276034G LWB

Front

11 Leaf

RHS

265627G LWB Diesel & Petrol

Front

11 Leaf

RHS

279678G LWB

Rear

10 Leaf

RHS

279679G LWB

Rear

10 Leaf

LHS

272967G LWB Heavy-duty

Rear

8 Leaf

RHS

272968G LWB Heavy-duty

Rear

8 Leaf

LHS

535173G

LWB - 1 Ton

Rear

9 Leaf

RHS & LHS

562631G

Lightweight

Rear

7 Leaf

RHS

562632G Lightweight

Rear

7 Leaf

LHS

279678G

517588G

“Years of service with the correct ride comfort...”

272967G

562631G

Parabolic Springs The Britpart range of high quality parabolic springs are made to the exacting specifications as fitted to Santana specification vehicles.

Manufactured to an OEM standard and quality by using the correct grade alloy steel - 60SiCr8.

Heat treated consisting of hardening & tempering and springs are shot peened before painting. These parabolic springs will bring a comfortable ride and improved handling to your Series vehicle. Note - Includes ‘U’ bolts and nuts.

DA4106 DA4107 DA2003

Series - SWB/LWB Series - SWB Series - LWB

2 Leaf 3 Leaf 4 Leaf

Front kit pair Rear kit pair Rear kit pair

DA4107

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Part number are used for identification purposes only and do not imply or indicate the identity of the manufacturer. E&EO. Products available from your local Britpart stockist.

241283G

NEW 4X4S

INEOS REVEALS FUNCTION-LED FORTHCOMING GRENADIER

Tough, durable materials • Hose-out floor, wipe-down seats and dash • Big switches

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4x4 03/08/2021 21:53

NEW 4X4S

INTERIOR FOR designed for use while wearing gloves

I

NEOS Automotive has shown off the interior of its new Grenadier off-roader, which will go on sale next summer priced from around £45,000. Designed from a clean sheet of paper, this follows the vehicle’s bodywork by putting functionality at the forefront – and emerging with a similar level of fitfor-purpose visual appeal.

Along with the upright dashboard of a traditional off-roader, the Grenadier features a massive centre stack and, above it, a bank of switchgear on an airliner-style roof console. The former is topped off with a 12.3” media screen running a system supporting full smartphone integration; plumbed-in sat-nav won’t be available, as INEOS believes customers are more likely to use their phones for this anyway, however the vehicle will feature offroad navigation allowing drivers to programme, follow and record their routes via waypoints. The company says advanced technology features ‘only where it benefits functionality and usability.’

4x4 Scene Sep 21.indd 7

The switches themselves are big, chunky and very much in keeping with the Grenadier’s intent. They’re sized and spaced for easy operation while wearing gloves, and positioned so the passenger can operate them while the driver is concentrating on the terrain ahead.

Among the switches in the roof panel are two modular banks of pre-wired controls for interior and exterior accessories such as auxiliary lights, winches and so on. This panel’s positioning suggests that INEOS doesn’t have a soft-top model in mind, however lift-out glass panels above the driver and passenger’s seats will be on the options list.

Hard-wearing materials have been used throughout the vehicle’s interior; ‘the Grenadier is designed to endure,’ promises INEOS. It features Recaro seats with wipe-clean, water-resistant upholstery, and comes as standard with rubber mats and drain plugs in the floor.

Carpets and leather trim will also be available ‘for those aiming to leave the mud and sand outside.’

SEPTEMBER 2021 | 7

03/08/2021 21:54

NEW 4X4S INEOS says the Grenadier’s big, chunky switchgear was designed to be used while wearing work gloves. It’s positioned so the passenger can operate it while the driver is concentrating on the terrain ahead. Note the traditional mechanical handbrake; the vehicle was designed with the minimum possible amount of electronics, something which results in it having only around half as many ECUs as a tyical comparable SUV. The red button on the steering wheel doesn’t fire missiles – it operates a gentle ‘toot’ from the two-tone horn which can, for example, let walkers know you’re coming up behind them

An interesting feature on the steering wheel is a choice of two horn buttons. There’s a traditional full-volume pusher on the main boss, but a small red ‘toot’ button in the middle of the stereo controls operates a gentler warning note to alert others to your presence.

It carries a bicycle graphic, which suggests it was dreamt up with city streets in mind, but anyone who has trundled gently and silently up behind a group of unsuspecting walkers on a green lane will know how valuable this could be to prevent them from being startled by the arrival of an unexpected 4x4 ten yards behind them.

Another area in which practicality has been maximised is the interior stowage. There’s a lockable cubby box, a dry trunk under the rear seat and a secure side-mounted container in the rear load area. INEOS will also offer a range of interior options and accessories, allowing customers to finish their vehicles off to suit their own individual needs; these include a 2000-Watt AC inverter for operating power tools and other heavy-duty electrical equipment.

‘When we started thinking about the Grenadier’s interior,’ explained

head of design Toby Ecuyer, ‘we looked carefully at modern aircraft, boats and even tractors for inspiration, where switches are sited for optimal function; regular controls are close to hand, auxiliary ones are further away.

‘You can see the same approach in the Grenadier: the layout is functional and logical, designed with ease of use in mind. It has everything you need and nothing you don’t.’

At present, the Grenadier is only being developed as a long-wheelbase model. INEOS won’t rule out a SWB two-door, however the company says this is not in its current plans. It will, however, offer the vehicle as a two-seat van, which will be capable of accommodating a standard Euro palette in its rear load

area. A five-seat van will also be offered, as will a double-cab pick-up.

Whereas the trend among modern vehicles, including off-roaders, is to become increasingly reliant on electronics, the Grenadier has been kept ‘as mechanical as possible.’

INEOS says the vehicle will only contain around half the number of ECUs as comparable 4x4s: ‘We wanted to increase reliability,’ it says, ‘and offer a more analogue and honest driving experience.’

INEOS intends to open the order book on the Grenadier in October this year, allowing customers to start reserving their vehicles. The company is currently testing a fleet of prototype vehicles in readiness for production to commence next spring – followed by first deliveries around a year from now.

First impressions We’ve been up close with a Grenadier prototype, sitting in its cabin and getting underneath to examine its chassis and running gear. It’s spacious inside, both in the front and rear seats, and the driving position is as imposing as you’d expect.

Cabin materials feel tough and stout, but perceived quality doesn’t suffer the way it can in vehicles designed to take knocks. The cabin’s layout is logical, too; the array of switches feels overwhelming at first, but starts to make sense as you work your way through it.

Underneath, the Grenadier uses five-link rear suspension with a panhard rod rather than the inherently more flexible four-link A-frame design, and a promotional video we were shown at INEOS’ launch event pictured it lifting a wheel rather early when crossing an axle-twister. It’s a rare treat, however, to get under a new vehicle and see a pair of live beam axles – especially when both can be optioned with locking diffs.

Five-link or not, it’s clear that the Grenadier’s design principles are right on the money.

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4x4 03/08/2021 21:54

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38 | FEBRUARY 2020

TOR Folios and classifieds.indd 48

PHONE: 01299 250174

E-mail: enquiries@apbtrading.co.uk

4x4 02/06/2020 15:38

NEW 4X4S

Model year updates promise to make Jeep Wrangler better than ever off-road

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eep has updated the Wrangler for the new model year, with a range of new features including improvements to the vehicle’s already worldclass off-road capabilities.

Fitted as standard on all models, the Wrangler gains Selec-Speed

control – an off-road cruise control allowing the driver to set a steady speed for the vehicle to maintain over rough ground. Another feature, and a potentially very useful one, is an audible alert, programmable through the 8.4” infotainment screen, which tells you when you’ve

80 years and counting Jeep was born in 1941, and to mark its birthday the Wrangler is also now available in 80th Anniversary form. This adds a variety of interior and exterior styling highlights as well as special badging and a commemorative plaque on the rear door. It comes with LED headlights and a body-coloured hard-top with a full-length electric canvas roof, and costs from £52,450.

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reached your target pressure when airing down the tyres.

The high-spec Rubicon model, meanwhile, gains yet more off-road weaponry in the shape of a new Off-Road+ programme. This activates a Sand mode when the transfer box is in high range and a Rock mode when it’s in low, in each case tuning the ABS, ESC, accelerator pedal, traction control and transmission calibrations to suit these kinds of terrain.

Further improvements to the Wrangler for the 2021 model year include a revised version of the 2.0-litre petrol engine that’s standard on all models. This retains its 272bhp output but now produces 10g/km less CO2 on most models. All Wranglers also now gain adaptive cruise control,

autonomous emergency braking and automatic main beam assist.

You can also now get the Wrangler in a range of new colours – Hydro Blue, Snazzberry and Sarge Green, which Jeep says homage to the vehicle’s history. The Rubicon will also be available in Nacho, which pays homage to cheese.

Prices for the revised Wrangler range start at £49,950 for the twodoor Sahara and climb to £54,450 for the four-door Rubicon. The order book is open now.

4x4 03/08/2021 21:54

RECWATCHES .COM RECOVER • RECYCLE • RECLAIM

REC Watches - CLASSIC LAND ROVER AD June 2021.indd 1

14.06.2021 13.19

RIGHTS OF WAY

Green lane users to the rescue after countryside dwellers and local authorities approach Green Lane Association for help with management and repair issues on rights of way

I

t’s easy to assume that organisations representing green lane users only get involved in fighting to prevent rights of way from being closed, and that local authorities see them as a menace.

But in fact, nothing could be further from the truth – as two recent incidents demonstrate.

The first of these saw the Green Lane Association being contacted

by Denbighshire County Council, on behalf of a landowner whose boundary gate and fence were in need of repair work. The issue here was

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that these were on a Byway Open to All Traffic which runs between two farms, near Llangwyfan in the north of the county.

‘Over the years,’ reports GLASS’ resident superheroine Lauren Eaton, who’s currently covering the position of Denbighshire Rep in addition to all her other roles with the association, ‘the gate’s lower hinge had come loose and fallen out, making it difficult to open and close. The same thing had happened on a gate further up the lane. ‘We’d already done some clearance work on the lane after a storm the previous year, when windfall blocked the route and several large branches were left precariously hanging above the byway.

So we were happy to return to help with the boundary repairs.’

Using materials provided by Denbighshire Council, the landowner and GLASS itself, a working party including volunteers from the association got down to work to re-hang the gate, using a new gatepost and latch, and instal fencing from the post to the boundary. With this done, they moved on to the next gate where they repaired the lower hinge.

‘The lane is really popular with walkers and cyclists, as well as laners and trail riders,’ explains Lauren. ‘It is no surprise, as the views from the top of the Clwydian Range are stunning!

‘Signage was installed to show that the route is a byway open to all traffic – and that repairs had been made for the benefit of all users.’

In the second incident, once again GLASS was the go-to point of contact – this time for the owners of a property at one end of a byway near the village of Cynghordy in Carmarthenshire. Sadly, they had been encountering problems with motor vehicles (mainly on two wheels) travelling too fast through their home.

‘They fully understand and accept that it is a public right of way, explains Carmarthenshire Rep Andrew Hadley. ‘But they say the minority are spoiling it for the majority. Whilst most people are very considerate, some are not.’

The property’s owners contacted GLASS to seek help. In response, the organisation installed a set of signs in both directions on the lane, reading: ‘Slow – 5mph – children and animals.’

‘We will continue to monitor the situation to see if this helps,’ says Andrew. ‘The property owner was very pleased with the signs and my help to erect them, and hopes this will help. I would ask that GLASS members using the lane let me know of any issues – and please take it steady through the property.’

Two jobs very well done, then.

And yet more proof that society at large can always turn to the responsible green laning community for help with maintaining rights of way for the benefit of all.

4x4 03/08/2021 21:54

RIGHTS OF WAY

Wayfarer continues to await repair as to-ing and fro-ing continues between all sides REPAIR WORK ON THE WAYFARER, one of Britain’s most treasured rights of way, is being held up by the most bizarre of reasons. According to Allan Buckley, Wrexham Rep for the Green Lane Association, Wrexham Highways Department is ready to discuss a start date with Natural Resources Wales – however the latter organisation wants any machines used in the work to have had their hydraulic oil replaced with bio oil.

‘This is a big issue for all of the council’s preferred contractors, who are not prepared to do this,’ explains Allan. ‘Other similar works they have carried out have not required it. Also, their machines’ warranties would not cover possible damage.

‘We discussed this during a recent inspection and from our meeting, the Council will suggest to NRW that they wish to get on with the repairs.

They will insist that inspections of the machines and spill kits will be their way to proceed.’

The team from GLASS also had a meeting with two landowners who, Allan says, are ‘right

behind us on getting the repairs completed as soon as possible.’

However both these farmers have reported illegal use of the lane, which is currently closed to motor vehicles, by 4x4s on very aggressive tyres.

This has caused substantial damage, particularly on a section of the track where wooden sleepers carry the right of way across a bog.

The fact that this happened during aperiod of lockdown further illustrates the rank criminality of some people whose behaviour aboard their 4x4s gives the rest of us a bad name. Thankfully, the efforts of

THE ROADBOOK IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE of 4x4 features Deadman’s Hill, a fabulous right of way in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire which reopened last year after a lengthy period out of action while awaiting repairs.

As if to prove that some jobs are never done, a team led by Green Lane Association North Yorkshire Rep Barrie Mounty has been out carrying out further maintenance on the lane – specifically a short section which had become boggy thanks to blocked grips forcing water runoff to flow directly on the track. These have now been cleaned out, allowing them to do their job once more.

The team also refitted some signs on gates along the route, replacing others which had mysteriously disappeared.

‘Hopefully the bog hole should dry out and become firm again, comments Barrie. ‘A really big thank-you to everyone who turned out to do the work – a job well done by all.’

4x4 Scene Sep 21.indd 13

GLASS and its reps like Allan go some way to redressing the balance in the eyes of rightminded people who understand the challenges we all face in the countryside.

PINDALE ROAD, near Castleton in Derbyshire, has been the scene of some damaging offpiste driving in the past.

This has been brought under control more recently by the use of boulders to keep traffic on the right of way, but that wasn’t enough to stop a slightly bizarre new road sign from appearing at the southern end of the trail.

Looking for all the world like a closure sign, this eyesore is in fact a warning to drivers of the consequences of anti-social activity. As well as being ugly, though, it’s confusing to read and could certainly result in less experienced motor vehicle users being scared away.

‘If you are a careful driver, comply with the GLASS code and keep to the track then you have nothing to worry about,’ says the Green Lane Association’s Derbyshire Rep Chris Mitchell. Good advice wherever your travels take you.

SEPTEMBER 2021 | 13

03/08/2021 21:55

MOTORSPORT

Triumphant return for Kershaw as British Cross Country Championship rides again Word and pictures: Gary Simpson / Songasport

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t’s been a long time coming, but at long last the Britpart British Cross Country Championship (BXCC) is back. And the series itself wasn’t the only thing making a triumphant return as the racing began at Round 1 in Tong – because multiple former champion Richard Kershaw came back in style after a period away to win the event in his Lofthouse Freelander.

Co-driven by his son Mason, Kershaw finished the event just 24 seconds ahead of Paul Rowlands’ Polaris RZR. Adrian Marfell’s Fouquet-Nissan was a mere five seconds further back in third.

The event was split into two days, with five runs on the first and six on the second.

Ian Gregg’s Polaris led the field overnight, only to be overhauled the following morning as Marfell went on the attack. But both were then to encounter problems, with Gregg taking a stage maximum and Marfell losing 45 seconds to a broken drive-

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shaft. Kershaw, meanwhile, stayed on the pace to take the lead with one run to go – then had a trouble free last lap to secure the win.

‘It’s been nine years since my last full British season,’ said Kershaw. ‘I can’t believe it. What a weekend – and to win with my son, it doesn’t get any better. It’s only the third event with the new Lofthouse car and there’s more development to come but we’ve got a great base to work from.’

Rowlands and co-driver Neil Lloyd finished second in their Polaris – and 8th in their new Lofthouse Freelander. Double entries are permitted in the BXCC, allowing teams to compete twice in separate vehicles, though this is the first time anyone can remember the same driver appearing more than once in the same top ten!

‘Not a bad weekend,’ Rowlands commented. ‘We broke a wheel on the first day but other than that we had good runs in both cars. It was

my first event in the Lofthouse so I was driving at around 90% – there’s a lot more to come from that car.’

Despite the broken shaft, Marfell and Paul Bartleman held on to take third place. ‘I’m gutted not to get the win,’ admitted Marfell. ‘We’d managed to get into the lead after the 7th run and the win was in sight, but it wasn’t to be. I’m pleased with our times – we set the fastest time of the whole weekend on one run.

There’s still more development left in the car so we will fight on.’

Reigning BXCC champion Justin Birchall and his new co-driver Andy Powell were in fourth, while Andy Degiulio and Paul Foley were fifth – despite having to change a diff and suffering a broken driveshaft.

‘We had a great first event,’ said Degiulio. ‘I was a bit rusty at first with not racing for a long time. Towards the end of day one we noticed a vibration and transmission noise on the car. It got so bad on the final run of the day that you could feel it

resonating through the car and we were waiting for something to go bang, but we got to the end.

‘We worked until 11pm on Saturday fitting our spare diff to the rear. Then on day two we broke a rear driveshaft. We managed to get it fixed though and we were happy with fifth place.’

Phill Bayliss and Lance Murfin, who were doing their first BXCC event in their Team OFG 3M AT Challenger, overcame several issues to finish sixth. ‘What a weekend! Saturday started okay but then we got a puncture which damaged a ball joint on the second run. Queuing for the third run, we lost all the electrics and had to roll back to the service area – we eventually found an issue with the emergency cut-off switch.

‘We finally started run three and I was in a rather stressed and annoyed mood. We were pushing hard but ended up going into a ditch – I kept the power on and we launched out of it and off the road. Thankfully

4x4 03/08/2021 21:55

MOTORSPORT

Andy Degiulio (above left) finished fifth after a broken diff necessitated late-night session on the spanners. Adrian Marfell (above right) finished third, just 29 seconds behind winner Richard Kershaw – leaving him to rue the 45 seconds he lost to a broken driveshaft. Jasmine Philpott (below) was just outside the top ten in her Warrior, but beat a host of more experienced drivers – including her own dad! no damage was done but we were down in 14th place.

‘Day two was a lot smoother and we set some competitive times to finish sixth overall and second in class. Thank you to everyone who set up and ran the event, including all the marshals who sat out there in hot and dusty conditions.’

Finishing just outside of the top ten and beating several much more experienced competitors – including her dad – was Jasmine Philpott, with Peter Widdop co-driving.

‘This was my first stab at a BXCC event and I was really pleased with our result and proud to be just behind the fastest men,’ she said.

‘Pete is preparing the car this year and he’s done a great job and it’s showing in my times.

‘We also had some advice on suspension set up from Anthony Jackson, who is a very quick Warrior driver. The weekend was fairly uneventful mechanically – we had a leaky diff, but it wasn’t too bad, and we narrowly escaped a puncture on day two when I got a bit over-zealous and threw the back end into a rock. The wheel was broken but

somehow we didn’t get a puncture.’

In 14th place overall, Rob Bool was debuting his new Lofthouse with Victoria Vaughan navigating.

‘It took a bit of getting used to.

We had a few electrical issues on Saturday, which lost us some time.

Dan Lofthouse sorted them for us and also made some suspension adjustments, which improved the car a lot for the second day.’

Tom and Alice Jones finished 15th overall and won the Trophy class in their Can-Am Maverick after a neck-and-neck battle with Matthew Hall. Warren Roper and Alec Fern were joint third overall after the first run in their Mattserati, but a stage maximum on the fourth ended their hopes of a good result and they completed the event in 21st place.

‘I’m new to the BXCC and I’ve never run on all-terrain tyres, so I was very happy with our time on the first run,’ said Roper. ‘We stiffened the rear shocks for run two but we ended up with no grip. We went back to the original settings and started to learn the car and build confidence, then on Sunday we were setting top five times.’

The other crew in joint third place after run one were Dave and Antony Hooper in their supercharged Simmbugghini. A wiring issue dropped them down to 40th place after this but they battled back, setting a series of top six times and finishing 19th overall and first in class as the top beam-axled vehicle.

Also needing to show a lot of resilience were Martin James and Matt Lowe, who overcame two punctures followed by fuel pump and kill switch issues to finish 32nd in their Lofthouse. But that was just the start. ‘A wheel bearing let go on our trailer a quarter of a mile from the venue,’ said James. ‘Michael Kerfoot kindly helped out and we did a two hour round trip to Chorley to get another trailer. We finally left the site at 9pm and got home at 2am!’

BXC Trophy crew Harry Nicoll and Emily Sibley, surely the youngest in the championship this year with a combined age of 44, finished 28th overall in their Tomcat. ‘We made a cautious start as the course was quite rough in places but we got quicker as the day progressed,’ said Nicoll. ‘Day 2 was going well but we bent a trackrod end on one run and were lucky not to snap it. We had a really great time pushing the car and we’re very happy with our pace. We couldn’t catch the UTV cars in the Trophy, so it was nice just to have fun and learn more.’

Also racing in the Trophy, and on their first ever off-road event, were Reece and Sean Mathieson.

They had a good day one in their Freelander – but then on the open-

ing run of the second day, they had their first experience of the BXCC recovery team after a strut bolt sheared. Their verdict? ’We couldn’t be happier with the result both in terms of our times and the car’s performance. Massive thanks to Tony Devenport for his mechanical expertise and to Mike Wilson, the car’s former owner, for all his advice over the weekend.’

George and Jaqueline Bryson raced their Warrior Audoo Quattro for the first time, battled to 35th place after a stage maximum on day one. ‘I don’t think any of us had been so nervous about an event ever,’ said George. ‘New car, new venue and not having raced for so long. Run one was like learning to drive again!’

Mike Wilson and Ian Letman were another crew coming straight into the BXCC having done no racing for 18 months. Their objectives were to learn the car, not to break it and to finish – and they achieved all three, with their only real issues being a broken intercom and Letman getting a shower on every run through the watersplash.

Team Excite Rally Raid, meanwhile, debuted their new Mitsubishi Pajero and were rewarded with a class win – despite driver Jade Paveley and co-drivers Claire Williams and Hannah Davison never having competed in a cross-country event before. One of many teams to watch in this season full of new crews and new cars – and, in the case of Kershaw, former champions coming back to prove they’re still as fast as ever.

SEPTEMBER 2021 | 15

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03/08/2021 21:55

MOTORSPORT

Odyssey Challenge records tumble as Hirons and Wilson dominate at Mow Cop Words: Pip Evans Pics: Tomasz Jarecki

R

ound 3 of the Odyssey Challenge series brought competitors to Mow Cop, in the Congleton area in Cheshire. The site must have one of the most glorious views in England, overlooking the Cheshire plains with Jodrell Bank in the distance – though as always, there’s not much time to admire the scenery when you’re on the hunt for punches!

This event sponsor for this round was Damar Webbing Solutions.

Damar makes all kinds of strops and straps for a wide variety of industrial

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uses – and of course its products are also much used by the challenge fraternity. Not only for towing and attaching winch lines, either, but also for strapping vehicles on to trailers.

The organisers had their fingers crossed that the Government’s original date for the final relaxation of lockdown protocols was going to hold firm, as this would mean the event could be run free of restrictions. Sadly, however, the month’s delay we now all know about meant that once again, we had to run it as a closed event.

Thus the site was open to competitors and officials only yet again, and everyone had to be temperature tested upon arrival. Not a major issue, but one more thing we could have done without.

A much more serious and, I’m sad to say, extremely tragic hurdle for us to overcome was that one of our club members, who was due to help set out the punches, took his own life in the week leading up to the event. His closest friend, who was due to set up with him, was understandably too traumatised

to think straight, let alone set up a challenge event.

This led to a flurry of phone calls and texts to try to find a set-up crew at short notice. How can I put this politely, the people who were available were not exactly in the peak of fitness, nor were they in the first flushes of youth! As a result, it was decided to set out 25 punches instead of the usual 50, with a cunning plan to make this work on the day.

During the drivers’ briefing, it was explained to competitors that as usual, a punch card was secured to the near side of the vehicles and the event would start at 10am. But whereas our events normally run non-stop for six hours, this time there would be a mandatory halfhour lunch break at 12.30. During this time, all punch cards would be collected in and a new card would be attached – this time to the other of the vehicles.

Clever, huh? This would effectively make it a 50-punch challenge.

Moving the cards to the opposite side of the vehicles may not sound like much of a change, but it’s amazing how much it can change a punch – especially for Class 1 vehicles which only have one winch.

At the end of the briefing, a minute’s silence was held as a mark of respect for our colleague.

The competitors headed off into the site at 10am. Finding the punches was not so easy, however, as the trees were in full leaf, so the set-up crew had put up streamers to help point people in the right direction.

4x4 03/08/2021 21:56

MOTORSPORT

The competition area at Mow Cop is fairly unique. The event is set up along a deep, horseshoe-shaped gully, all of which is under the cover of big trees. The gully goes around flat, open pastureland, so what competitors are faced with is soft, moist, boggy ground. Getting into the gully isn’t an issue – but getting out again is a tad more difficult!

4x4 Scene Sep 21.indd 17

What basically happens is that the drivers have to give their trucks the full beans to try to drive out of a boggy spot, with their huge and very aggressive tyres spinning furiously with no grip at all. Forward movement is aided by winching – but as trucks emerge from the gully and tyres reach the first bit of dry, hard ground, the spinning wheels at one

end suddenly bite hard, while those still on the boggy ground want to keep spinning.

It doesn’t take an expert to figure out that somewhere in the middle, the stresses are enormous and something has to give. It will therefore come as no surprise that almost every competitor suffered from broken CV joints or halfshafts.

There were other issues as well.

Dave Adams had a recurrence of the fuel lift pump issue he’d experienced at the previous event, despite having fitted a new one. Hugh Gascoigne had a problem with loads of air in his fuel line and issues with his steering hydraulics. New competitor Ty Boothroyd broke two alternator belts as well as suffering CV issues.

SEPTEMBER 2021 | 17

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MOTORSPORT

Above: Switching punch cards to the vehicles’ off-side for the second half of the day presented a whole new set of challenges Right: Exiting the Mow Cop gully meant putting massive shock loads through the trucks’ transmissions – there was no shortage of driveline breakages Richie Lott, meanwhile, suffered what is a common issue for winch challenge competitors when his winch rope broke under extreme tension and the portion left on the vehicle buried itself deep inside the coils on the drum. It can be a mammoth job to remove the rope – sometimes it’s quicker and easier just to cut it up to get it off the drum, though even this isn’t easy as winches are usually buried behind big steel bash protection bars. All very time consuming.

The only team who appeared to be having an issue free day were the two Toms, Tom Hirons and Tom Wil-

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son. For various reasons, they hadn’t competed at all this year in any event, so this was their first outing in 2021, but they certainly hadn’t lost any of their competitive edge. They smashed it out of the park, collected all 25 punches by 11.30 and returning to the paddock to have a second card fitted. By the time of the 12.30 lunch break, they had already filled their second card!

Mat Bain with David Burton had also managed to get on to a second card, albeit with CV issues causing them some considerable delay.

The crews returned to the paddock by the 12.30 deadline, with a

penalty of 100 points per minute for lateness to ensure compliance.

The organisers quickly went around each truck to fit new punch cards to the opposite side of the vehicles, allowing everyone to head off again half an hour later. The afternoon was quieter on the breakdowns front and everyone plodded along, collecting as many punches as they could – apart from Bain/Burton and the two Toms, who were still going at it hammer and tongs.

Matt completed two more punch cards during the afternoon, while Tom managed three – a truly awesome effort by both teams. It’s also

worth mentioning that Tom Wilson was concerned about his abilities before the start of the event, as he has done an ascent of Snowdon the day before and was feeling stiff! I’d hate to see how he’d get on if he was as fresh as a daisy…

The teams returned by the 4pm deadline then kindly went back out into the site to collect in the punches while the organisers collated the scores. There were only two teams in Class 1, however they were engaged in a titanic battle for the win; both teams had breakdown issues but in the end, Dave Adams and Tom Britten claimed top spot on 3501

4x4 03/08/2021 21:56

MOTORSPORT

Excite Rally Raid aims for the stars as all-female team campaign production-class Pajero in British Cross Country Championship points, with Georgie Smith and Will Baker close on their heels one 3351.

In Class 2, Hugh Gascoigne and Jack Watson came out on top on 4370 points, closely followed by Rob Curling and Matt Wothers on 4104.

Some way behind in third were Richie Lott and Seb Parkes on 2501.

Third place in Class 3 went to father and sone team Alan and Daniel Willcocks, who collected a very respectable 6084 points. They came out top of what can be classed as ‘normal humans’.

Ahead of them were the superhumans. Second place went to Matt Bain and David Burton, who had filled a total of four and a half punch cards to gain a total of 11,248 points – a mammoth score any day of the week.

So how does one describe what the two Toms did? The five and half punch cards they filled in all was an unprecedented number, especially when one considers that aside from Matt and David, no-one else had managed to complete even one in each of the two sessions. I guess rather than ‘superhumans,’ they were edging into ‘gods’ territory – because with 15,548 points, they were more than 4000 ahead of their nearest rivals.

Not only did they take top spot, they also won the new Toad School of Motoring trophy for fastest time on the special section. What an awesome team they are.

The rest of the field is certainly going to have their work cut out to match the two Toms as the rest of the season rolls out. But the good news is that as it does, we’ll be back to open events again – freedom is never going to have felt so good!

4x4 Scene Sep 21.indd 19

THIS SEASON, the British Cross Country Championship is back in action following last year’s enforced washout. And one of the most eye-catching vehicles taking part is a Mitsubishi Pajero T2 being campaigned by Excite Rally Raid.

Running Maxxis Worm-Drive A/T tyres and backed by Duckhams and EBC Brakes, the Excite team is running with an all-female crew led by primary driver Jade Paveley. Along with co-drivers Hannah Davison and Claire Williams, both of whom bring a wealth of experience from various rally series including the BTRDA Rally Championship, she’s on a mission to win titles – and also raise the profile of women in motorsport.

‘This is the start of a journey for the girls and the team,’ says Excite Team Principal John Hardy. ‘The aim is to move into the European Baja series in 2022 and ultimately compete at the famous Dakar Rally in 2023/24. ‘It will be a tough route to follow but we have come a long way in a short space of time – and we have a crew and backroom team talented and determined enough to cope with it and make it happen.’

After the first two rounds of the 2021 BXCC were cancelled due to residual Covid limitations, the season kicked off at Tong in June before moving on to Sweet Lamb the following month. In a sport with a famously high attrition rate, the Excite team has eased itself into the running in these two events by successfully finishing each of them – and winning Class 2 each time, albeit by default in the absence of any other entries.

As the team continues to gain pace in its bid to step up through the ranks of the motorsport ladder, its next challenges for 2021 will come at Kielder Forest in September and Walters Arena in October. You can learn more about Excite Rally Raid and its future plans by paying a visit to www.dakarrallyteam.co.uk.

SEPTEMBER 2021 | 19

03/08/2021 21:56

CALENDAR KEY

P Off-Road Playday

G Green Lane Convoy Tour

A Overseas Adventure Travel

S 4x4 Show

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

1 August

4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire

28 August

12 September

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

16-22 August

28-29 August

A Landtreks Pyrenees

G Protrax Wales

Without a Club P 4x4 Aldermaston, Berkshire Rochford and District 4x4 P Essex, Rayleigh, Essex 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

2-6 August

16-25 August

29 August

13-22 September

4x4 Adventures A Active Provence

4x4 Adventures A Active Pyrenees

A Southern France

7-8 August

20 August

G Protrax Wales Landrover Events G UKWiltshire

Landrover Events G UKTynedale

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

4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire Wood P Picadilly Bolney, West Sussex P TV4x4 Alton, Hampshire

7-27 August

21-22 August

G Protrax Wiltshire

Active 4x4 Adventures

13-27 September Overland A Atlas Morocco

15-29 September

30 August

A Protrax Pyrenees

A Galicia

21-25 August

P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

16-19 September

8 August

Adventure Travel G Off-Road Wales

31 August – 12 September

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Coast to Coast

A Landtreks Pyrenees

16-29 September

4-5 September

A Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh

Free Adventures G Roam Devon

18 September – 2 October

Ardventures

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

10-24 August

22 August

P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex 24 August – 4 September

A Trailmasters Morocco

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

25 August

14 August

Events G UKLakeLandrover District

Adventure Tours G Green Shropshire / Herefordshire Events G UKEdenLandrover District

26 August Events G UKTyneLandrover and Wear

15 August

27-30 August

Overland G Atlas Yorkshire Dales Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Mid-Wales

20 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Scene Sep 21.indd 20

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

11-12 September Show S LRO Peterborough G Protrax Wales

11-19 September Landrover Events A UKPyrenees

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

19 September Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire Monsters P Mud East Grinstead, West Sussex P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire

21 September – 2 October

A Landtreks Corsica

4x4 03/08/2021 21:56

CALENDAR 23-24 September

11-16 October

30 October

5-24 March 2022

Events G UKEdenLandrover and Tynedale

A Landtreks Pyrenees

Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

A Protrax Morocco

25 September

15-31 October

31 October

16 April – 3 May 2022

Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

A Ardventures Morocco

Safari A Peru Kuelap / Cloud Warrior Tour

25-26 September

16-30 October

7-21 May 2022

G Protrax Wiltshire

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

Leisure P Cowm Whitworth, Lancashire Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Events G UKNorthLandrover York Moors (evening drive)

26 September

17 October

6-7 November

11-25 May 2022

Leisure P Cowm Whitworth, Lancashire 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire Events P UKPeakLandrover District

Free Adventures G Roam Mid-Wales Overland G Atlas Wessex

A Protrax Pyrenees

30 September – 13 October

11 November

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

25 May – 8 June 2022

A Pyrenees Protrax

Landrover Events G UKDuhram Dales

28 May – 11 June 2022

17 October – 4 November

13-14 November

A Morocco

A Protrax Morocco

2-10 October

18 October

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Mid-Wales G Protrax Wales

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

Landrover Events A UKPyrenees

Landrover Events G UKLincoln and Belvoir

13-27 November

9-23 July 2022

3 October

18 October – 1 November

Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire Wood P Picadilly Bolney, West Sussex

4x4 Adventures A Active Sahara

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

20-21 November

8-27 August 2022

A Botswana

A Trailmasters Morocco Draa Valley

Events G UKEdenLandrover District

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Salisbury Plain G Protrax Wiltshire

23 October

21 November

3-21 October

Events G UKDalesLandrover and Eden

S Stoneleigh, Warwickshire Landrover Events G UKYorkshire Dales

Atlas Overland

3-16 October

20 October

Peru Safari

Great British Land Rover Show

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

Peru Safari

Active 4x4 Adventures

20 August – 3 September 2022

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu Peru Safari

10-24 September 2022

A Protrax Morocco

23-24 October

9-10 October

G Protrax Wiltshire

22-26 November

1-15 October 2022

24 October

G Ardventures Coast to Coast

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

27-28 November

22 October – 5 November 2022

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Cotswolds

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

25 October – 8 November

28 November

23 October – 10 November 2022

A Trailmasters Morocco Atlantic Sahara

Landrover Events G UKNorthumberland

A Protrax Morocco

29 October – 14 November

3-17 December

6-24 November 2022

A Ardventures Morocco

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

A Protrax Morocco

G Protrax Wales 10 October Without a Club P 4x4 Aldermaston, Berks Rochford and District 4x4 P Essex, Rayleigh, Essex 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Free Adventures G Roam Devon Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

4x4 Scene Sep 21.indd 21

4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

Peru Safari

SEPTEMBER 2021 | 21

03/08/2021 21:56

PRODUCTS

LED products from Osram promise to light the way ahead this winter

A

s we write these words, people are still making jokes about Freedom Day and the Olympics are just a few days old. But it says the word ‘September’ on the front cover of this here magazine, which can only mean one thing: autumn is on its way.

So prepare yourself to say byebye to those long hours of daylight,

22 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Scene Sep 21.indd 22

and hello to… all the excuse you’ll ever need to fit your truck with some (literally) shiny new LEDs. LEDs such as these little beauties from Osram, for example. Designed to help you see your way on pitch-black rural roads, dirt tracks and off-road terrain, they’re built to dish out maximum performance while also shrugging off the sort of knocks, scrapes and dirty dousings that come with the territory.

First up, there’s the FX500-CB SM Lightbar. This 65cm unit provides an array of 20 high-performance LEDS whose 6000 Kelvin output and 5500 lumen flux provides what Osram calls ’daylight conditions’ up to a distance of more than a quarter of a mile away. A useful feature is a reflector which diverts the LEDs’ beam

away from oncoming traffic to prevent needlessly dazzling other road users.

With a choice of 12 and 24-volt inputs, the FX500-CB SM is suitable for use with a wide range of vehicles in the utility, agricultural and off-road sectors. It’s designed with all the right failsafes to protect it from overheating or excess voltage, and its tough polycarbonate lens and IP67 protection promise a robust approach to everyday abuse and environmental factors alike.

The VX80-WD round LED light is sealed to IP67 too, and like the FX500 it has 12 and 24-volt input options allowing it to be used on everything from an everyday car to a combine harvester. It contains four LEDs, giving it a range of up to 240 metres. Once again, it delivers

a 6000-Kelvin performance and for conditions similar to daylight.

Here, a 1150-lumen power package promises the highest possible optical efficiency as well as even distribution of light. Like the FX500-CB SM, the unit was built for a 5000-hour lifespan.

The VX80-WD is a high-value driving lamp carrying a RRP of £59.99 – a figure which sounds better value than ever when you consider that it comes with a two-year guarantee.

The FX500-CB SM Lightbar, meanwhile, is priced at a more premium £349.99. That’s a lot of light for your money, and this time it comes with a highly impressive five-year guarantee. There’s a wealth of information about these LED products, and a whole lot more besides, at www. osram.co.uk.

4x4 03/08/2021 21:57

www.osram.co.uk/ledriving-lights

Light is Adventure OSRAM LEDriving® Working and Driving Lights The new range of intense LED lights are built to step up to the challenge when the going gets tough. Leave the tarmac behind and see clearly what lies ahead of you off the beat track. The new range of robust and stylish spotlights, reversing lights and lightbars can improve near- and far-field vision whilst enhancing driving performance, even under the most extreme conditions. Don’t let the darkness spoil your next adventure.

For more information visit: www.osram.co.uk/ledriving-lights or email: automotive@osram.co.uk

Light is OSRAM

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

1

28/01/2020

PRODUCTS

17:31

BIG BRAKING PERFORMANCE!

WITH PEDDERS TRAKRYDER EXTREME BRAKE KITS BRAKE KITS

ADJUSTABLE 4X4 SUSPENSION

C

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.

RLG Tyres

Tyres cheap. Not cheap tyres!!

OFFICIAL STOCKIST

Main supplier of and all major 4x4 tyres

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

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

www.rlgtyres.co.uk

24 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Scene Sep 21.indd 24

NEW FRONT RUNNER ROOF RACK FOR SUZUKI JIMNY IN STOCK AT MAVERICK 4X4 FRONT RUNNER HAS INTRODUCED a new fitment for its well known and highly regarded Slimline II range of roof racks to suit the current Suzuki Jimny.

Measuring 1560mm x 1345mm, this is a full-size cargo-carrying rack suitable for all models from 2018 on.

The rack is designed for easy installation, with no drilling required. It comes in a kit containing a Slimline II Tray and Wind Deflector, in addition to six Gutter Mount Legs for mounting it to the vehicle.

Priced at £820 including VAT and delivery, the new Slimline II for the Suzuki Jimny is available now. It’s available from leading Front Runner stockist Maverick 4x4 – you’ll find them at maverick4x4.co.uk.

Britpart announces newly updated BRITPART’S LYNX DIAGNOSTIC TOOL has become a must-have part of every Land Rover mechanic’s armoury if they want to work on anything even remotely modern. And now the company has released the next-generation version of its famous box of tricks, in the shape of the Lynx Evo – which ‘provides vehicle servicing and in-depth diagnostic capability for all Land Rover models from 1990 through to the current day.’

The Lynx Evo unit can be used to read and clear fault codes, display live data, test actuators, reset service alerts and program alarm settings, key fobs and so on. Small enough to store in your Land Rover’s glove box, it takes its power from the vehicle itself and displays information via an app on your Apple or Android mobile device.

Obviously, for a professional workshop you’ll be wanting to use the unit on whatever kind of Land Rover comes your way. For DIY use, on the other hand, you should be content with the Lynx Evo 2, which comes unlocked for one model family only. You can add more at a later date if you wish, but this feature allows it to be affordable to home mechanics who don’t get paid for their time on the spanners.

The model families in question are: • Defender (all models from 1990 to 2019) • Discovery (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) • Freelander (1 and 2) • Discovery Sport • Range Rover (Classic, P38, L322 and L405) • Velar • Evoque • Range Rover Sport (Mk1 and 2)

4x4 03/08/2021 21:57

PRODUCTS

Euro4x4parts makes improvements to soft-shell roof tent range

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 ‘MORE COMFORTABLE, more robust, easier to set and fold up. And rather sexy, don’t you think?’ That’s Euro4x4parts’ tremendously confident claim for its new, improved range of Equip’addict soft-shell roof tents.

Made using 320gsm rip-stop fabric and equipped with stainless steel fittings and heavy-duty, waterproof SBS zips, these come in a choice of 140 and 160cm sizes. They’re supplied as standard with a telescopic ladder and the options list includes an annexe to increase the amount of space inside.

‘Our new soft-shell roof tents have been designed for you with quality materials, ease of use, comfort and storage,’ says Euro4x4parts, adding that the tents can be fully deployed or stowed in less than five minutes. They’re priced at €1099 and €1299 respectively for the 140 and 160cm models; to find out more, go to euro4x4parts.com.

Lynx 2 Evo diagnostic tool Depending on the specific vehicle you want to work on, and the jobs you want to be able to do, extra cables may be required when you purchase the unit. These cover the Discovery 1 and Range Rover Classic, which need a 14CUX lead, and the P38, which needs a special cable for checking the body control module and air suspension.

The initial Evo 2 subscription lasts for 36 months and needs to be renewed on a year-by-year basis after that. Prices vary, as is always the case with Britpart gear, but expect to pay a bit less than £300 ex-VAT and a bit more than £300 with it added.

You can track down a dealer by paying a quick visit to www. britpart.com.

4x4 Scene Sep 21.indd 25

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

20012015 JEEPJEEP WRANGLER JK 2005 Nissan CHEROKEE XJ 2.8CRD 2015 JEEP Navara D22 WRANGLER JK 2.8CRD

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

2016 RANGE 2008 NISSAN ROVER EVOQUE 2002 Jeep PATHFINDER 2.0 TD4 Grand 2016 RANGE Cherokee WJ 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 2005 Range Rover 2008 Toyota V8 DIESEL 2016 ISUZU 2014 RANGE Vogue Hilux ROVER SPORT 4.4 D-MAX 2.5 DIESEL V8 DIESEL

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

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

TDV6

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

SEPTEMBER 2021 | 25

03/08/2021 21:57

PRODUCTS

Lazer Lamps launches premium LED bar fitting kit for new-shape Land Rover Defender

L

azer Lamps has introduced a new Roof Mounting Kit for the current Land Rover Defender. Suitable for mounting the company’s Triple-R 24 Elite and Linear-42 LED bars, this

comprises a pair of 3mm stainless steel brackets that fix to the vehicle’s roof ditch using the existing factory-drilled mounting holes – as well as with all the hardware required to fit them.

Finished in a UV-stable satin black powder coat, the brackets are fully corrosion resistant in line with automotive grade quality standards.

So too are the countersunk anti-theft fasteners, which which they’re supplied, which come in a variety of lengths from 20-80mm.

Allowing it to be used for mounting various lengths of light bar, the kit also includes spacers of varying lengths.

You also get a length of cable

for modifying the relevant Lazer wiring kit, allowing you to connect the LED light bar via the A-pillar and roof gutter without any need to drill the vehicle’s bodywork. Given that this is the new Defender we’re talking about, and that the bodywork in question has just cost you a king’s ransom, this will no doubt come as a relief.

Lazer describes the kit as ‘a complete one-stop solution for roof mounting on the 2020+ Land Rover Defender.’ You may however need to add the company’s CAN Interface a Linear-42 bar on models with Matrix headlights, as these may not provide a 12-volt high beam signal for the bar to detect. To find out more, visit www.lazerlamps.com.

PROUD TO SUPPLY CELTIC ROUTES WITH FRONT RUNNER PRODUCTS PROUD TO SUPPLY CELTIC ROUTES WITH FRONT RUNNER PRODUCTS BORN TO OVERLAND

VISIT WWW.OVERLANDGEAR.UK

26 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Scene Sep 21.indd 26

4x4 03/08/2021 22:16

PRODUCTS

MAXXIS AIMS TO MAKE ITS PRESENCE FELT WITH ‘MAKE AN IMPACT’ PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN MAXXIS HAS LAUNCHED a promotional campaign with a difference. Called Make an Impact, this will see the tyre manufacturer reaching out to help those who pride themselves on supporting others.

Kicking off in May, the Make an Impact campaign comprises what Maxxis describes as ‘a series of community outreach programmes, local grass-roots sponsorships, charity initiatives, giveaways and more.’ Operated in collaboration with UK distributor Stapleton’s Tyre Services, it will run for several months, bringing together ‘a series of ideas to help local businesses, charities and individuals that deserve recognition.’

The first initiative in the programme saw Maxxis inviting its followers on social media to nominate local heroes for recognition. The company has also introduced a Blue Light Card partnership, through which members of the emergency services can claim cashbacks when buying full sets of Maxxis tyres.

Maxxis, whose wide range of all-terrain and off-road tyres are well known in 4x4 circles, will also be donating to a range of charities in a variety of outreach programmes this year.

‘We are truly excited about the Make an Impact campaign and we can’t wait to hit the ground running to really make a difference this year,’ said Brand Manager Samantha Allatt.

‘Maxxis are one of the world’s top ten tyre manufacturers and have a ready-made platform that is perfect for helping local communities throughout the UK. We believe that so many businesses and individuals have been overlooked with their work during the past year – which is why we are wanting to step in to thank them, by giving back.’

VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONING SPECIALISTS

01452 309983 07816 889905 • • • •

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

4x4 Scene Sep 21.indd 27

SEPTEMBER 2021 | 27

03/08/2021 22:16

FIRST DRIVE

SUZUKI JIMNY COMMERCIAL Rescued from death at the hands of emissions law, our former 4x4 of the Year becomes a van – and remains a wonderfully beguiling if at times frustrating way to go off-road

JUST UNDER THREE YEARS AGO, Suzuki launched the new Jimny. It looked amazing, it drove well, it was fantastic inside and it came in some really cool colours, and everyone who saw it wanted one. It romped to victory in our 4x4 of the Year awards and looked firmly set to carry on where the ultra-popular old model had left off – and then some.

But then along came emissions law to wreck everything. The same regime that thinks the most envi-

ronmentally friendly vehicles on the road (proper 4x4s built to last forever) are actually the least also uses a fleet average figure which punishes manufacturers whose range includes anything a bit interesting.

Suzuki is the prime example.

It sells mainly city cars with tiny hybrid engines, as well of course as similarly frugal small SUVs. The Jimny is a different kettle of fish in that it’s a traditional off-roader with a ladder chassis, live axles, a

separate dual-range transfer case and a conventional petrol engine, so what it gains in longevity it loses in tailpipe emissions. The problem is that because of the fleet average rule, Suzuki’s UK importer was set to be fined heavily for every single vehicle it sold, just because it also sold the Jimny.

Rational people can see the idiocy in this, but we’re dealing with political agendas here. Anyway, let’s not get drawn into that debate; what matters here is that the emissions regime that was being phased in here just as the Jimny was launched meant that what could have been an absolute smash hit of a 4x4 was instead restricted to tiny numbers then withdrawn altogether just a year or two after going on sale.

Happily, the rules are different for commercial vehicles. Unhappily, they’re not that different, but this

does mean Suzuki has been able to bring the Jimny back as a van – albeit in what the company calls ‘very limited numbers.’

We’re yet to drive it on the road, but Suzuki gave us the chance to test one recently in the wilds of Walters Arena. This is a venue where some of the terrain could reduce a brand new vehicle to scrap in about five minutes, so we were following a set route, but the off-roading was still more extreme than anything we’d done on the original launch in Germany back in 2018.

As with the passenger-carrying model, the take-away verdict is that the Jimny is exceptionally manoeuvrable, very agile and capable of finding traction in the most unlikely places. Once again, though, this also has to be qualified by observing that it would be so much better if only it was properly geared in low range.

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Above left: The dashboard is as tight and tidy as ever, with good overall quality and a chunky design that’s perfectly in keeping with the Jimny’s character. The LCV model doesn’t have the same multi-function infotainment system as the SZ5 version of the old station wagon model, however – but the DAB stereo you do get is still housed in the same pod, meaning it looks somewhat lost Above right: The rear seats have made way for a flat floor, above which the Jimny offers 863 litres of cargo space. The bulkhead in front of it is a bolt-in job, which is probably just as well as a good many customers will bolt it straight back out again so they can fit in the driver’s seat without looking like Donkey Kong Ever since the days of the original SJ, Suzuki seems to have been scared of giving its vehicles deep enough gearing to let them crawl properly. This has meant a tidy income for conversion specialists, but when Land Rover, Jeep, Nissan and Toyota can all get it right we continue to be baffled by Suzuki’s insistence on building Jimnys which, if you leave them in low first and take your feet off everything, bounce their way through axle twisters and set off alarmingly down hills. Steep climbs would be less of a white knuckle ride, too, if you were more confident of the engine’s ability to avoid running out of revs.

In actual fact, the Jimny does pull itself very capable up steep, rough gradients. Without the deep torque of a diesel or the deep gearing of a heftier 4x4, though, you can never quite free yourself of the worry that it’s right on the verge of stalling.

Experience does star to build trust in the vehicle, however, and eventually you come to understand what it’s about. Nonetheless, we think a deeper set of low-range gears would make it twice the off-roader it already is.

Inside, the Jimny LCV appears to be based on the lower-spec SZ4 version of the old passenger model.

So you don’t get the same package of alloys, infotainment, heated seats and cool paint colours as the higher-spec SZ5 that most people jumped straight in at, but you do get air-con, cruise control and a DAB stereo so you’re not being treated like a pauper.

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And a good thing too, at £19,999 including VAT. That’s two grand more than the SZ5 started at when the original range went on sale here at the start of 2019. The good news, though, is that the aforementioned range of cool colours will still be available, even if they do add still more to the price.

What your money buys is a Jimny whose rear seats have made way for a flat floor with a bolt-in steel bulkhead and cargo guard ahead of it.

There’s 863 litres of space in there, and it comes in a nice square shape so it’s as usable as can be.

What’s not so good is the amount of adjustability the front seats lose in order to make way for the bulkhead. This crowds in on you from behind, meaning you can choose between sliding your seat a little way backward to save your knee or reclining it, again only a little way, to save your elbow. Admittedly, we’re talking from the perspective of a tall customer with long limbs, but everyone else we spoke to on Suzuki’s driving event noticed the same thing too.

We’d be tempted to get in there with the sockets and remove the

bulkhead, or the cargo guard at the very least. One of the great things about the new Jimny is that its cabin is so much less cramped than the old one, so taking a step backward like this hardly feels like the right thing to do.

In other way, despite losing its back seats and gaining a bigger price tag, this is still a Jimny being a Jimny. It’s not as lovable as it was first time around, but it does still have the right stuff – and in van form, it’s more of a blank canvas than ever for what could become a legend of a project.

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DRIVEN

FORD RANGER THUNDER With the special editions now coming thick and fast, Ford revives a popular name for a Ranger with a mean and moody image and a range-topping spec list

WITH THE CURRENT Ford Ranger on its way out after a stupendously successful decade on sale in the UK, the niche models and special editions are coming thick and fast.

The Thunder edition was announced just over a year ago; it’s limited to 1400 units here, out of a total of 4500 across Europe.

The Thunder name is not new to the range, but it’s been away for a few years. They’ve brought it back to add another level of style at the top of the model line-up; it’s based on the Wildtrak, which tops the regular

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range, and adds a variety of extras to make it stand out from the crowd.

These include Sea Grey metallic paint and various exterior details in a mixture of black and red. Among these are 18” alloys in a black gunmetal finish, as well as a black sports bar with a red stripe; the grille is black with red inserts, and the badging is black and red. You get the idea.

Truth to tell, the Thunder only feels moderately different to the Wildtrak. Its advent provides a good opportunity to remind ourselves of

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The Thunder is limited to 1400 units, on the basis that that’ll be about how many Ranger buyers really, really like things that are black and red. You could try counting all the times the two colours are used around the vehicle’s body, but you’re bound to miss some. The same combination appears inside, too, most noticeably on the seats what the Ranger has been, however, what it has become and how good it still is.

It’s powered by the 213bhp version of Ford’s 2.0-litre diesel engine, mated to a 10-speed auto box with Sport mode and manual override. Rather than paddles, the latter is controlled by a +/- button on the shifter, which is better than it sounds and becomes quite instinctive to operate – though trying to keep on top of ten ratios is enough to make your head spin, so it’s best just to leave it in auto.

Here, the aforementioned Sport mode makes a remarkable difference. It’s absolutely not just a token effort – you almost feel like you’re having to hold it back on B-roads, where its pace, if you give it too much on the loud pedal, is verging on the alarming. We’ve driven the same engine in the fabled Raptor model, which was quick enough – but we don’t remember it being as fast as the Thunder.

It’s shod with 265/60R18 tyres, which look the part without being sufficiently low-profile to harm the vehicle’s ride. That apart, it drives the way a Ranger does, with good,

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smooth steering and the sort of predictable body roll you can use to your advantage in corners. Refinement is generally good, with the occasional shudder when you hit a big pot-hole in town but no fussing or noise on scrappy roads and a pleasingly peaceful experience on the motorway.

In terms of the cabin environment, it’s full of black leather with red stitching – the seats, steering wheel and dash top all get this treatment.

The lower dash is hard, scratchy plastic, which is adequately thick but does creak and even move a little when prodded – the obvious answer being not to prod it, but when you’re buying a middle-aged one we’d advise you to listen out for rattles.

There’s still more black leather on the door inserts, which contrasts nicely with the gunmetal finish on the handles. This is carried on over to the infotainment shroud and passenger’s airbag cover, which again gives it a nice appearance that’s a bit to different to other models in the range.

That’s a good verdict all-round for the Thunder, in fact. It’s a bit different to other models in the Ranger line-up, but without actually being particularly different. It’s a package of styling tweaks that makes for a gently personalised appearance but doesn’t give it the highly individual character of, say, a Raptor or something that’s been done up by the aftermarket.

What it offers is the opportunity to own a high-spec Ranger with all the toys – and a little bit of added edginess on top. The gunmetal finish is extended outside to the alloy wheels, there’s a sports bar on the back and various details are picked out in red, from the front grille inserts to the badge on the tailgate.

The price for all this is £32,965 plus VAT and on-the-road costs, which compares to £31,625 for the Wildtrak. That gets you a dollop of individuality and what will be one of the last examples of the Ranger that put Ford on the top rung of the pick-up ladder in the UK – along with a vehicle whose name is a reminder of its ever-growing heritage. Cheap at the price?

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DRIVEN

KIA SORENTO

Fourth-generation version of Kia’s big SUV is powered mainly by hybrid engines – but how does the sole diesel option in the range weigh up?

ON TEST Kia Sorento 3 2.2 CRDi

I

t’s very nearly 20 years since the Sorento first came to Britain.

When it was first introduced, we wondered whether people would be ready for a Kia costing £20,000, but it quickly proved that

they certainly were and became a common sight on, and sometimes off, the road.

Subsequent generations became less truck-like (the original had low range and a solid rear axle) but

remained big, imposing and very popular. And now here’s the fourth, which is… big, imposing and, the early signs suggest, very popular.

It’s not a £20,000 Kia any more, though. The vehicle tested here

is the Sorento 3 CRDi; this is the only diesel in the range (the rest are petrol-electric hybrids), and it lists at £41,245 on the road. There are three spec levels in the range; 3 is the middle one, with the most expensive Sorento (a plug-in hybrid) currently listing at £53,755.

But we’re no longer really asking whether people are ready for a Kia costing this sort of money any more. The Korean company has moved on since the first Sorento came to Britain; back then it was a budget brand, but now it has evolved into part of the motor industry mainstream with vehicles championing iconic design and high build quality. With its pioneering seven-year warranty, it still gives you a lot for your money, but it’s better

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It’s hard to believe that this isn’t the top-of-the-range interior in the Sorento line-up. There’s a premium feeling from the moment you climb aboard, and elements of it flirt with luxury car design. Perceived build quality is exceptionally high, and the equipment list is as long as your arm, but it would feel premium even without all the toys. In particular, the design of the infotainment console is very clever, as is the use of knurled knobs to control functions like the heated seats and drive mode seen now as a high-value brand rather than a low-budget one.

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY We mentioned iconic design, and it’s there to be seen the moment you climb inside. The Sorento’s cabin

looks very, very impressive, with a dash layout that’s slick, classy and clever and a number of details that flirt with premium and even luxury design.

Build quality is very good, with a pleasing feeling of solidity throughout the dash, floor console and so on. It’s packed with toys, of course – but even without them,

it would still feel like a premium vehicle. Certainly, as you survey the cabin’s materials and presentation, it feels pretty unbelievable that there could be another trim level on top of this one.

In particular, there’s a lovely touch with the controls for the air con and heated seats. These are operated by knurled knobs which, outlandish

though it sounds, put us in mind of the Bentleys we’ve driven.

Above here, the media display console protrudes upwards from the dash. This is something that can all too often look awkward and like something of an afterthought, but the top of the instrument binnacle has been swept out to flow into it – turning it into a

There are three rows of seats in the Sorento, and the front two can be adjusted to allow adults to ride in all of them. Headroom in the third makes it most suitable for children, though. If it isn’t in use, you can configure the Sorento as a five-seater with epic legroom for all – and the seats are as comfortable as they are spacious, with plenty of room and an excellent view for the driver

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DRIVEN The new Sorento has a petrolelectric hybrid system in all but one model – and this is it.

The 2.2 CRDi engine is only available in mid-range 3 form, mated as standard to an eightspeed auto gearbox. It puts out 199bhp and 325lbf.ft and is plenty brisk, but what really stands out is the smoothness with which it does its work. In particular, refinement on the motorway is top-notch, bearing comparison with the sort of premium SUVs that cost twice as much

design feature instead. It’s a very simple but very clever solution to the problem of incorporating a big screen into a dash that also needs to work without one. Just as daytime running lights started out as a design headache then quickly started being seen as a design opportunity instead, Kia has clearly approached this with a positive attitude and the result is a credit to the team behind it.

Elsewhere on the dash, the vent panels almost mimic the aggressive shape of the front grille. More importantly, they’re easy to operate.

There’s plenty of stowage space for your stuff, mainly in a huge cubby box and deep, wide door pockets, and a bin at the front of the floor

console has all the USB ports you could even need.

The seats look nice, with leather that’s not in the mega-classy bracket but certainly does pass the why-didn’t-they-just-use-premiumfabric-instead test. They’re heated, which is in keeping with the general level of on-board equipment, and very comfortable to sit in, with good visibility all round and loads of space to stretch out in. The view over your shoulder isn’t particularly great, and a deeply arched tailgate window means nor is that in the rear-view mirror, but against that you have all the parking aids you could ever hope for.

Continuing on the theme of interior space, the back seats have

ample room in them for one tall adult to sit behind another. There’s also a third row – and if those in the front two yield a little, they’re capable of accommodating adults as well. Headroom back here is cramped, and there’s a big D-post next to your head, but it’s do-able if that’s what you need.

The third row folds flat to the floor to create a prety cavernous boot, and this can be turned into a van-like cargo bay by doing likewise with the second. Here, the bases drop away as the backs fold down, allowing them to lie just a few degrees off flat. The result is a truly immense amount of cargo space, and it’s accessed through a big, tall aperture with a usefully low floor.

Between this and the flexibility of its seating, the Sorento scores top marks for practicality.

DRIVING Starting with the diesel engine, this is a 2151cc unit with 199bhp at 3800rpm and 325lbf.ft at 1750rpm.

In an otherwise hybrid range, you might expect it to be the less refined option, but it turns out to be quite the opposite.

Around town, you hear the engine but it’s very smooth. Our only criticism is that the stop-start function kicks in rather eagerly, and it’s quicker to switch off than back on again. If you come up to a junction, pause to assess the traffic

This much cargo space isn’t something you see every day.

The third row of seats drops flush to the floor when not in use, creating a massive boot that will take almost anything you want to put in it – but should you still need more, the second row folds down to lie just a few degree off flat, yielding a van-like cargo area with a helpfully low floor and, no small thing, a yawning great aperture at the back through which to load it up

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and see a gap that’s there if you go this instant, all too often you’ll lose the opportunity because the engine has already died.

It’s keen enough performancewise, however, accelerating with plenty of purpose and just a little noise. The auto gearbox has paddles for when you want to get involved, but we left them alone most of the time as it does its job very effectively on its own.

There’s lots of grip to rely on on all kinds of road, with good body control and predictable steering meaning you can hustle it along nicely on fast A-roads with sweeping corners. There’s enough agility there for tighter B-roads, too,

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and it deals very well with poor road surfaces, maintaining its poise and isolating you from the worst of the noise and impacts.

The Sorento’s stand-out feature, however, is how smooth and quiet it is on the motorway. If you describe a car as a continent crusher and it’s not a Mercedes S-Class or something like that, people will sneer at you – but it really is that good. It’s remarkably refined at speed; our notes say that it ticks the boxes in every other way, but in this area it’s outstanding.

This is another way in which the Sorento feels like a premium vehicle. However it’s also a hardworking family holdall and, should

you wish, more than capable offtarmac. The drive mode palette has a number of off-road options, and in truth very few owners will explore what they offer, but it’s sure-footed on the sort of unmade tracks that are relevant to a new SUV and

capable of finding traction in quite challenging conditions.

In terms of economy, over the course of our test drive the Sorento returned 33.3mpg. That’s hardly stellar, but it’s certainly not dire for such a big vehicle.

★★★★★

Kia Sorento 3 2.2 CRDi A classy, well made and immensely practical SUV with sensational refinement on the motorway The Sorento is a deeply practical SUV which feels convincingly premium in all sorts of ways. Its design gives it a real edge and the refinement it offers at motorway speeds is eye-opening. It may seem expensive for a Kia, but it’s a lot cheaper than the vehicles to which it most closely compares

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DAKAR – THE ELECTRIC WAY Developed from a clean sheet of paper in less than a year, Audi’s RS Q e-tron aims to fight Words: Tom Alderney Pictures: Audi

F

rom the Renault 4 of Claude and Bernard Marreau to the Rolls-Royce Corniche hybrid of Thierry de Montcorgé, the Dakar Rally has seen no end of unique looking vehicles. There was a twin-engined Citroen 2CV, too, as well as a J70 Toyota Landcruiser converted into a functioning chip van.

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Following his Rolls-Royce adventure, the aristocratic de Montcorgé returned for another pop at the Dakar the following year in a similarly eye-catching six wheeler. Called the Jules Proto, this was going well until its chassis broke.

It’s safe to say that with the extraordinary looking new RS Q e-tron, Audi is not looking to

become another footnote in the annals of Dakar weirdness. If there’s an iconic one-off from the past the company is seeking to emulate, think instead of the high-riding Porsche 911 prototype in which René Metge won the event in 1984.

The electric RS Q e-tron has already had an extraordinary story. It was conceived less than a

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for the Dakar title using an innovative blend of petrol and electric power sources

year ago and developed during lockdown to suit a set of regulations for alternatively fuelled vehicles which were still in the process of being finalised. Yet from a blank sheet of paper, just 18 months will have passed when the vehicle appears on the ramp in Ha’il, Saudi Arabia, ready to start the 2022 Dakar.

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In some ways, the RS Q e-tron resembles a conventional cross-country endurance racer. Its carbon fibre body panels are hung on a tubular spaceframe platform, as are all-independent front and rear wishbones controlled by remote-reservoir coil-over shocks. But its power comes from a pioneering source.

To participate in the Dakar using electric propulsion means facing one obvious challenge. ’There are no charging opportunities in the desert,’ as Audi points out. There’s no shortage of intense sunshine in Saudi Arabia’s feared Empty Quarter, but glib notions of solar panels can be cast aside.

Special stages on the Dakar can cover distances

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‘Audi has always chosen new and bold paths in racing. But I think this is one of the most complex cars that I have ever seen’

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of up to 500 miles – and vehicles have to be entirely self-sufficient the whole way. Now, that’s what you call range anxiety…

To get over this seemingly insurmountable hurdle, Audi developed a system using a petrol generator. Safe to say this is not the kind you hear chugging away behind countless show stands around the country all summer long, though.

In fact, it’s a 2.0 TFSI four-pot which, in Audi’s all-conquering RS5 DTM car, used to put out something like 610bhp.

Running in the most efficient part of its rev range, between 4500 and 6000rpm, the engine drives a motor-generator unit (MGU) similar to the one used in Audi’s current e-tron FE07 Formula E car. This in turn charges a high-voltage battery with a capacity of around 50kWh, aided when possible by energy harvested from the wheels under braking.

‘As engineers, we basically see development potential in every component,’ says Stefan Dreyer, Audi Sport’s Head of Development for motorsport projects. ‘But in terms of the drivetrain system, we have already achieved a system efficiency of over 97% in Formula E. There’s not much more room for improvement.

‘The situation is quite different with the battery and energy management. This is where the greatest development potential lies in electromobility in general.’

Mounted between the axles in traditional race car style, the engine and 370kg battery pack are cooled by air from massive scoops behind the headlamps and on top of the roof. The battery supplies energy to the actual drivetrain – which features two more MGUs, identical to the first, with one at each axle.

What this will translate into in terms of output is yet to become clear. Audi says that the system can produce up to 670bhp – but that the Dakar’s organisers are yet to finalise any limits which may be set.

Nonetheless, the electric drivetrain offers many benefits compared to a tradition set-up. In addition to energy recuperation, the motors at each end can be controlled with great precision – allowing the car to be set up for optimum drivability.

Typically of electric vehicles, too, the RS Q e-tron only has one forward gear – and the only connection between the axles is by wire. Torque

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‘The quattro was a game changer for the World Rally Championship. Audi was the first brand to win the Le Mans 24 Hours with an electrified drivetrain.

Now, we want to usher in a new era at the Dakar Rally’ Julius Seebach, Managing Director, Audi Sport GmbH distribution is left entirely to Audi’s software, thus creating what the company describes as ‘a virtual and freely configurable centre differential.’ While the battery pack is heavy, the vehicle’s engineers were able to do away with the weight of a traditional transfer case, centre diff and propshafts.

No small matter, either, these could also then be factored out of the packaging puzzle that’s at the heart of every car’s design process.

Removing challenges in one area normally means creating more elsewhere, and sure enough the RS Q e-tron’s design has not been an easy one to carry off. ‘Audi has always chosen new and bold paths in racing, says Sven Quandt, team principal of partner outfit Q Motorsport. ‘But I

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think this is one of the most complex cars that I have ever seen.

‘The electric drivetrain means that a lot of different systems have to communicate with each other. Besides reliability, which is paramount in the Dakar Rally, that’s our biggest challenge in the coming months.’

These months, between now and the end of the year, will be spent conducting an intensive test programme. Audi will also shake the vehicle down at various cross-country rallies during the second half of 2021 in a bid to have the car ready for the Dakar in January.

Quandt comments that in terms of its visionary spirit, the project is a similar undertaking to the

first moon landing. ‘Back then, the engineers didn’t really know what was coming. It’s similar with us. If we finish the first Dakar event, that’s already a success.’

‘Less than twelve months have passed since the project officially started,’ adds Audi Sport’s Dakar team leader Andreas Roos. ‘We had to begin the development while the regulations for alternatively powered vehicles had not even been finalised. And all of the development took place during the Corona pandemic. You mustn’t underestimate that either.

‘What we are trying to do has never been done before. This is the ultimate challenge for an electric drivetrain.’

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A CHANGE OF HEART Everywhere you look, people are turning to the BMW M57 diesel engine for repowering old Land Rovers. It’s a conversion that’s existed for a long time – but it’s suddenly starting to become popular. And it’s the reason why the 90 you’re looking at here packs more of a punch than you’d ever imagine Words and pictures: Dan Fenn

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I

have had more than 140 cars in my motoring career,’ says Mark Burley. ‘If something doesn’t interest me, I wont keep it.’

When we met him, Mark was in the process of coming round to the decision that he didn’t want to sell his 1987 Land Rover 90 after all. He’d had it advertised, but then the realisation began to dawn on him that actually, it was pretty spot-on. ‘I don’t do millions of miles,’ he explained. ‘It’s good fun and has bags of power when you want it.’

Bags of power? That’s not something you hear people saying about early 90s very often. But that’s because they’re not often talking about early 90s powered by the M57 engine from a BMW 330d.

In recent times, the M57 has started to become something of a go-to engine for repowering old Land Rovers. Land Rover itself went there for the L322 Range Rover, which sounds like a vote of confidence, and the appearance of BMW engines in this and the earlier P38 means there’s no shortage of parts in the Solihull bin to make the conversion work.

Even if there hadn’t been, we’re pretty certain that Mark would have gone ahead and made a success of it anyway. He’s an engineer by trade who used to run a motorsport garage and he’s restored, modified, raced, laned, owned and sold more cars than you’ve had hot dinners. Which means that this job didn’t scare him – and also that if he did decide to sell it, it shouldn’t scare

the buyer either. The world is littered with Land Rovers that have been ruined by horrendously done DIY work, but approximately five seconds in Mark’s company would be enough to confirm to you that his has been put together as professionally as they come.

It wasn’t just a case of finding a nice 90 and swapping its engine, though. The BMW unit went in as part of a comprehensive chassis-up rebuild that also saw the vehicle renewed and improved in almost every area.

‘Initially, the BMW swap was done into my pal Tom’s Land Rover,’ Mark explains. ‘I did the wiring and helped him with the tricky technical stuff. I liked the conversion, however I wanted a cleaner

truck – so I bought his tatty one, took the parts I wanted and built mine up.

‘I think my 90 was a farmer special, but sadly that’s about all I know of its history. It was my lockdown project – I decided I wanted to do the build so I bought piles and piles of parts and just worked through it.

We mentioned the chassis, and this needed a bit of welding – which Mark farmed out to Landy specialist Rob Cowley in Salisbury. ‘He also helped out with finding the odd part I was missing and so on,’ he says, which goes to show the value of having The Knowledge on your side.

Mark’s intention was always to create a nice, honest, clean looking 90 rather than either an

Here’s where the real magic happens. Or where the real magic has already happened, depending on how you look at it. Mark installed a BMW M57 184bhp engine from a 2002 model 330d, deleting the EGR valve and catalytic convertor in the process. The engine’s original exhaust manifold runs into the vehicle’s exhaust via a custom down pipe, and there’s a custom line for the PAS as well as an additional external fuel pump Above right: Up front, the engine is cooled by the radiator from a Td5. The intercooler came from the same source, and air is drawn through both by the biggest electric fan it’s possible to fit behind them Right: The engine breathes in through a Safari Snorkel – not because Mark has any intention of giving the 90 that level of stick off-road, though he lives near enough to Salisbury Plain to have had more than his share of moments in the deceptively deep water troughs you get there

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‘My mate gave me his keys when he first got his Land Rover… I got back out afterwards and threw the keys back at him as it drove so badly!’ up-yours pavement princess or some sort of winch-til-ya-puke off-road battle chariot. Starting a project by stripping your vehicle right down to a bare chassis gives you lots of opportunities in this area, and in some ways he feels he didn’t make the most of them.

‘I would have had spent more effort on doing the bodywork while it was all apart,’ he says when we ask if there was anything he’d have done differently. ‘The paint on the bulkhead irritates me as when it was painted previously they didn’t strip it right down. I have a new screen seal so it may

get sorted out. And I’d possibly have spent more time detailing parts – however when it’s covered in Waxoyl does it really matter?’ The answer may be in the question…

So, listen and learn. When your vehicle is in bits, take the chance to make those bits as good as

Above left: Both axles are late-spec 23-spline units. They’re turned by standard props but contain all new bearings and the front diff guard is painted in chrome. ‘Deffo makes it faster,’ says Mark…

Above right: ’It’s designed to be a nice riding vehicle rather than for climbing mountains,’ says Mark of a 90 whose suspension remains largely standard. Well, standard but with Discovery springs at the back. The main causes for comment here are the new location components and polyurethane bushes Mark used throughout

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Above: We don’t normally clap our hands in delight when we see chequer-plate cladding on a vehicle’s sills and door bottoms. But it’s somehow in keeping on this one’s black and grey theme. The latter, by the way, is what Mark describes as ‘not quite Audi Nardo grey…’

Right: Having had the 90 resprayed, Mark set about trying get his hands on an original sticker set. Easier said than done, as it turned out. ‘The turbo badge was almost impossible,’ he says. ‘However it’s my favourite bit!’ they can be. It’s possible that you’re intending to rebuild your Landy then sell it on, but don’t ignore that nagging itch that says you’d quite like to keep it, really, because it won’t go away.

You know the kind of cheap seal kits and so on that people say you should only use if you’re getting the truck ready to sell, because they’ll last about a fortnight? Just say no. Not that Mark would have countenanced using rubbish, but he does admit that if he’d known how much he was going to like the vehicle when it was finished, he might have done a few things differently.

‘I have previously restored a fast Ford and I’m doing another one. Everything was perfect on them, so I was trying to rein in the budget. I

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was unsure if the vehicle was for me long-term, so there are a few areas now that I would have upgraded. I’d have used a new wiring harness, for instance, rather than just putting the old one back in.’

He also says that in hindsight, he’d have used a BMW auto box rather than sticking with the manual. That’s because the engine has so much power, accelerating involves a somewhat breathless scramble through the ratios – definitely not what a Land Rover gearstick was designed for.

He’d also put a cab heater, central locking and rear seats on his wish list – which, given that all these things can indeed be achieved, makes you wonder whether it’s going to be all that long be-

fore this 90 gets rebuilt again. These few creature comforts are all he thinks it would take, and he’d have nailed the spec for his definitive 90.

Not bad for a man whose first experience of a Defender was very much the opposite of this.

‘I hadn’t really driven a Land Rover before,’ Mark admits. ‘But my mate gave me his keys when he first got his… I got back out afterwards and threw the keys back at him as it drove so badly! And now I have one myself…’

He’s a convert, see. Not the first and he won’t be the last, but one of the more notable petrol heads to have fallen under the spell of the offroad magic. After 140 cars and counting, he’s finally found the one…

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LETTING IT ALL HANG OUT Jeep unveiled the Orange Peelz concept earlier this year. It’s a Wrangler that celebrates Words: Kaziyoshi Sasazaki Pictures: Jeep

I

f there’s one classic image of the off-road world that’s specific to one brand, it’s got to be the open-air Jeep. Every other 4x4 manufacturer from the pre-SUV days did soft-tops as well but the idyllic picture of top-off, doors-off, windscreen-down motoring amid sun-dappled woods and mountains has come to be seen as Jeep’s alone.

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Unveiled earlier this year at the Moab Easter Safari, the Orange Peelz concept is all about that.

In Jeep’s own words, the vehicle ‘pays tribute to the long-standing, open-air, fun-and-freedom lifestyle that makes the Jeep Wrangler a global icon.’

Yet it’s not actually a soft-top. So how do you do that in a vehicle whose roof and doors are already removable?

Well, Jeep’s Mopar specialists have built a whole lot of concept vehicles in their time, many of them playing on the open-air theme. So they know what they’re doing when it comes to this stuff. For the Orange Peelz, they took a standard model and removed its side and rear windows, replaced its standard doors with prototype halfdoors from Jeep Performance Parts and installed

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the Jeep tradition of fun in the open air – and yet it does while keeping its roof on

a custom removable one-piece Freedom Top glass sunroof.

In doing so, the company says, they ‘vastly enhanced the Wrangler’s open-air heritage.’ That’s a very bold claim, but they’re making it for a very bold vehicle; you can decide for yourself, but if you don’t look at it and think it’s cool you’re not looking hard enough.

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To make it cooler than ever, there’s a groovy looking 360-degree custom waistline graphic with a touch of vintage custom car styling to it, as well as retro-styled Jeep wing badges, all of them in satin black. Oh, and it’s painted orange. Gosh, is it painted orange.

Now, plenty of manufacturers would have stopped there. It’s a concept car, it looks good,

job done. Okay, maybe some extra power? There’s a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 under the bonnet, with 285bhp and 260lbf.ft in standard form, and it’s been upgraded using a cold-air intake and catback exhaust from Jeep Performance Parts. So now we’ve got a concept, right?

Wrong. That’s not Jeep’s style. They’ve not gone completely wild with this vehicle, at least not

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compared to some of the modded monsters to have emerged from Moab in the past, but a 2” lift kit, again from Jeep Performance Parts, gives it that bit more ground clearance and also provides the top-quality damping you get when you invest in a set of Fox shocks.

There are some vehicles you can lift by a couple of inches and still only have room for a set of

little boy tyres, but this is a Wrangler. They already ride on proper rubber as standard – and with the extra height, the Orange Peelz sports a set of 17” beadlock-ready alloys wrapped in 37” BFGoodrich KM3 Mud-Terrains. Mopar valve stems complete the image, if you look hard enough, and the extra width is covered up by a set of concept ’high-top’ wheelarch flares in heavy-duty steel.

Talking of steel, up front there’s a custom Rubicon heavy-duty bumper, yet again from Jeep Performance Parts. This is home to a prototype 2” steel grille guard, as well as providing the mount for an 8000lb Rubicon Warn winch. As the name suggests, this is exclusive too Jeep.

A little way further back, the bonnet is held down by custom Mopar latches. You’ll probably

Above left: The interior is a vision in orange, from the dash panel and stitching to the plaid theme on the upholstery. But it’s designed to be practical, too; injection-moulded floor mats with high lips act as a reservoir for water and grimy mud, and include a drain plug positioned to match the drain holes in the vehicle’s floor Above right: Half-doors are prototypes from Jeep Performance Parts – which means they’re likely to become available to buy soon

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37” BFGoodrich KM3s on 17” beadlock-ready hard alloys give the Wrangler a suitably purposeful stance. To make room for them to fit, the vehicle is lifted by 2” using Jeep Performance Parts springs and Fox shocks, and the arches are finished off with a set of high-top steel flares

have noticed the Jeep badges by the time you notice these, to be fair, sporting as they do a logo from the old Willys says. Then comes another Mopar item – a heavy-duty windscreen made with Corning Gorilla Glass which, Jeep says, offers greater protection against cracks and chips. At the base of the A-pillars, a pair of 5” off-road LED lights from Jeep Performance Parts provides 4800 lumens apiece.

Further back, there’s a set of custom rock rails which provide extra protection and durability for the sort of off-roading that tends to put your sills at risk of getting caned into things like rocks and tree stumps. And further back still, Jeep Performance Parts’ Swing Gate Hinge Reinforcement is in place to take the weight of the larger spare tyre.

Often forgotten about, that, and always regretted if you do. The same source provides a relocation kit for the third brake light, which now takes up residence in the centre of the spare. A bit more subtle than all those acres of orange paint, but every bit as cool.

Discreetly coloured towing hooks, on the other hand, would be too subtle. The last thing you want when you’re stuck is for these to be camouflaged, after all…

Inside, the armrests, upper and lower seat inserts and mid-instrument panels are embroidered in a plaid design matched to the vehicle’s paint colour. So it’s orange, then – as is the stitching on

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the steering wheel, shifter boots and handbrake lever.

There’s practical stuff, too, such as the black sill guards and grippy rubber pads on the stainless steel pedal covers.

Most of all, the floor mats are Mopar all-weather jobs; they’re injection moulded and designed with deep, rigid sidewalls and reservoir systems that contain liquids to prevent them from leaking on to the floor. Those at the front even have a patented drain plug covering the drain holes in the floor, allowing water to be drained out without removing the mats – a feature that’s very handy when you’re cleaning out the vehicle.

That’s the sort of unpretentious practicality you get with Wranglers – even radically eye-catching

ones. After all, trucks like this are all about seeing the world – and the more bodywork you can shed before you go, the more of it you’ll see.

This hardcore Wrangler is Jeep’s tribute to that spirit of adventure. It’s a wide-open vehicle for wide-open spaces. And, in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s orange.

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KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Expedition travel is all about venturing into the unknown. But you definitely don’t want Words and pictures: Noel and Marilu Peries

W

hen you’re preparing for overland expedition travel, choosing the right vehicle is only half the job. Wherever you’re going, if you want your truck to get you there safely you need to know how to use it.

Now, we are definitely not 4x4 experts. Back in 2009, I remember buying Maggie, our 1991 Land Rover Defender, and spending a good half a day running through a huge

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checklist with the previous owners.

High on my list was practicing offroading, using the differential lock and operating low-range gears.

At the time, all of this was a blur. And if I am honest, I was not completely confident on what to do while driving Maggie off-road.

When I did my first overland journey from London to South Africa in 2010, I learnt how to drive Maggie off-road by experimenting. I came to understand how to deal with recovery situations the hard way –

by making mistakes and learning from them.

These days, many thousands of miles later, we know much more than we did then. If I could do it all over again, however, I would certainly have enrolled in a 4x4 training course that would have given me the skills to make it there and back safely.

Contrary to popular belief, these training courses don’t take a onesize-fits-all approach. There are of course certain basic skills that apply

to every off-road situation – reading the ground, knowing how to judge the correct gear to be in, reading the ground, when to use diff lock, reading the ground… you get the idea. But a good instructor will be able to adapt the training they offer to suit the kind of off-roading you intend to do – the best classroom experiences are very much a twoway street.

Here, we’ve considered the value of off-road training for overlander – as well as looking at some of

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to be unsure of your vehicle, and how to use it…

How to choose a 4x4 training course?

There are many 4x4 training courses to choose from, aimed at different skill levels from basic to advanced.

Many off-road clubs also offer informal training to new members.

In some countries, including the UK, industry bodies and/or government agencies exist which certify the standard of training you can expect to receive. In Britain, LANTRA provides ISO-accredited land-based training and BORDA is the standard-setting industry body for off-road training providers.

Our view is that it is definitely advisable to find an operator with solid reviews and recommendations. Online reviews need to be treated as fiction, of course, but word of mouth is very valuable indeed. However, finding the best course will depend on what you want to get out of the experience.

For us, an important aspect was whether the instructor could teach us how to use our Defender, not just any 4x4. What we liked about our course was that our instructor knew and understood Land Rovers, and focused on giving us practical skills to use in our own vehicle.

What do you learn during basic 4x4 training? the specific situations which, in our experience, you need to think about before setting out on a life of expedition travel.

Why do a 4x4 training course?

There are many 4x4 skills needed when overlanding in a continent like Africa, where road conditions can be really difficult. Some skills, like recovery, might only be needed a handful of times – or not at all, if you’re lucky!

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But you need to have them.

And learning them in the safe environment of a 4x4 training centre is much, much better than having to figure it out for yourself when things go wrong at the sharp end.

By ‘much, much better,’ we’re talking about the difference between life and death.

You have to be confident in your ability to avoid getting into a recovery situation, or to rescue yourself (or someone else) safely, with minimal risk of injury or

damage to the vehicle. For this, the right level of training is important.

Following that original expedition from London to South Africa, we set out on another overland trip through southern and eastern Africa. This time, we invested in some proper training. For R1200 (about £65) per person, we took a day-long basic 4x4 training course with a specialist in Port Elizabeth; of course, you’ll be looking for a provider in the UK, and there are many very good ones to choose from.

If your training course is like ours, you will be taken back to school and given a few introductory pointers through a screen. The theory always comes before the practical element – and you’d be surprised how many people don’t understand the basics of 4x4 operation.

Some of the topics our classroom session covered included: • Vehicle selection – knowing the mechanics of your own 4x4 • Equipment selection – the important kit you need to take with you on an off-road journey

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This picture has an important story to tell. As you can see, the tyre’s tread is full of mud, so it’s as much use as a racing slick.

So your instinct is probably to say that the truck needs a more aggressive fitment on it. This might not be what you want on an expedition vehicle, however.

But what if the tyre had 50% less air in it? That would allow it to spread out over the terrain in search of traction, as well as putting down a lower ground pressure and relaxing the tread, givingt it more of a chance to self-clean. You don’t want to take it so far that you risk letting the tyres fall off their rims, but this is why a pressure gauge and air compressor are among the most powerful weapons in any off-roader’s armoury

• Driving techniques for different kinds of terrain • Tyre health • Recovery After a couple of hours of classroom instruction, we were

ready to do something practical and get our hands dirty. And boy oh boy, did we get dirty!

We learnt a wide variety of lessons regarding the way we should be operating our Land Rover.

Here, we’re going to focus on just three of them.

Lesson 1: The high-lift jack At our request, the first thing our instructor taught us was how to

safely use our high-lift jack to change a tyre.

Until this moment, our high-lift was little more than a decoration on our Land Rover, to improve our rugged image. We were too worried

Not getting stuck is of course a big part of driving off-road, but it does happen. And when you’re in the wilds of Africa and your vehicle is your life support system, you’d better be able to get unstuck again. This means operating dangerous equipment and dealing with heavy loads under tension, so you need to know exactly what you’re doing. Learn the techniques before you’ll ever need them in anger, know what you need to carry and when the time comes, stay calm and don’t rush it

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that without knowing how to use it properly, we might cause ourselves more harm than good. And quite right we were too, considering the sort of forces you’re dealing with when you operate one.

After a good dose of WD40, our high-lift was working like magic and we learnt the proper way to use it.

Here’s a summary of what we learnt: First up, practice using the highlift before facing a real-life recovery situation. This is a dangerous tool that can cause injury!

Next, make sure the jack is well oiled and free from rust. If it’s not, use WD40 for lubrication.

As with any other jack, only use a high-lift with the correct jacking points. These should be welded firmly upon the vehicle’s chassis.

When jacking the high-lift up or down, avoid placing any part of your body between the arm and the shaft.

If the arm snaps back while jacking, it could cause injury.

Lesson 2: How and when to deflate your tyres Our first team exercise was learning how to lower tyre pressure to 50%.

Why were we taught this? The lower the pressure in the tyres, the more the surface of the tyre makes contact with the ground – and the more the traction. This was taught to us as a technique for driving on sandy tracks, but British 4x4 drivers will most likely know it as a way of gaining valuable traction in mud.

There’s a reason why rock crawling fans air their tyres down as low as possible, too, and many people

would be stunned to discover how much easier it is to get off their driveways in snow if only they too understood that less ground pressure equals more traction, It makes a lot of sense when it’s explained to you – and even more sense when you actually experience the difference between driving a sandy track with your tyres at roadgoing pressure and then again with half the air let out of them.

Obviously, you ought to know the correct tyre pressures for your vehicle, both laden and unladen, when travelling on the road. The best pressure for off-road use is more a case of trial and error, and will vary depending on the terrain, but don’t go too low – your tyres need a certain amount of pressure in them or they’ll fall off the wheel at the first sign of trouble. As suggested above something like half your on-road pressure should be seen as the lower limit.

To help you here, you need to carry a tyre pressure gauge in your vehicle. You’ll also need an air compressor with a tyre fitting – because before you go back on the road, what goes down must go up! For one-off emergencies, it may be okay to drive to a fuel station to reinflate your tyres, but don’t expect the police to think much of it if they find you rolling on overly soft rubber.

Lesson #3: Safe recovery Our final exercise of the day was to drive through a riverbed. Not the sort when you go splashing along then drive back out, though – the

sort where you get seriously stuck.

Which we did!

Rule one is to remain calm. A rushed recovery is a disaster waiting to happen. Think it through before you start.

Before you even start going offroad, though, another critical rule is to carry the correct equipment. And a sobering lesson for us was that despite already having driven from London to South Africa, we weren’t.

We’ve already mentioned that we didn’t really know how to use our high-lift. Well, we also didn’t know that we should have been carrying a kinetic rope and bow shackles – items which are used for recovery rather than towing.

Another rule: designate one person as the leader. If you’ve ever been sat behind the wheel of a stuck vehicle, or even just been trying to negotiate a tricky bit of ground, while half a dozen people all shout at you, you’ll know the reason behind this. One person takes charge and everybody else does what they’re told – in the heat of the moment, clarity is crucial.

Obviously, there’s a whole set of rules regarding both winching and towing recoveries which need to be followed for safety – this is the case in every off-road scenario, not just on an expedition. One worthwhile tip that we took away from our training course, though: when you’re being recovered by another vehicle, have the stuck vehicle in gear and ready for you to lift the clutch and add momentum as soon as you start to move. Apparently, a lot of people

don’t think to do this until the tow rope has already gone tight.

Being taught how to use your 4x4 to the best of its abilities might sound like a laborious and needless task for some. But you can never overestimate the need for thorough preparation when you’re planning on exploring the wilderness with nothing else besides your truck to keep you alive. This is one of those classic cases in which the more you know, the more you realise you don’t know – a seasoned off-roader will probably have read this article understanding exactly what we’re on about, whereas rank novices (like we were when we first set off all those years ago) are more likely to dismiss this whole subject as a bit of a bore.

And it might be. But not as boring as lying on the ground in the middle of Africa next to the winch line or high-lift jack that’s just left you bleeding and unable to get up because you didn’t bother learning to use it properly, while your vehicle sits there as stuck as ever and you can hear a pack of wild dogs approaching. Common wisdom when preparing for overland travel is to invest in the best vehicle you can afford – and it’s exactly the same thing with learning how to drive it.

Noel and Marilu are seasoned overland travellers with an insatiable love for the African continent – and, having taken a 4x4 training course, a new-found sense of confidence!

You can follow their adventures at www.maggieinafrica.com

A major lesson you’ll learn on an off-road training course is the importance of knowing when to engage low range – and, on a vehicle like the author’s 110, lock the centre diff. Low box is there to give you control of the vehicle at very low speeds – low first is ideal over severe rocks, and of course for engine braking, while second or third will be best for maintaining momentum through mud or on the way up hills. It’s all about reading the ground – do that, and the correct gear should come naturally. Here, you need to be thinking about the gradient, the condition of the surface and your vehicle’s characteristics – and before cresting the hill, you need to know what’s on the other side!

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OUR 4X4S Vehicle: Isuzu D-Max GO2 Year: 2018 Run by: Alan Kidd Last update: June 2021 On the fleet since: January 2020

Straight out of the top drawer…

A FEW YEARS AGO, we tested a version of the Isuzu D-Max designed with country sports in mind. The Huntsman model was accessorised with practical, hardwearing equipment – and for us, it ticked almost every box.

In particular, we were impressed by the Gearmate drawer system fitted in the back. Plucked from Isuzu’s approved accessories range, this British-made unit attaches into the pick-up bed to provide various opportunities for keeping your kit tidy, secure and readily at hand.

Here’s what we said about it at the time: ‘Beneath the canopy, the Gearmate drawer system is superbly fitted and works a treat.

There are two main drawers, one

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of them sectioned off; we won’t pretend to know what purpose this serves in the world of hunting but if you’re going off-road, it’s perfect for storing your ropes, shackles, snatch blocks and, in the second drawer, a full-length high-lift jack. To either side of these drawers are gun cabinets, which we didn’t manage to find an alternative use for, but the space left on top is still extremely practical – we managed to fit a fridge-freezer in it for the obligatory tip run, which, considering the amount taken out of the loadspace height by the drawers, we found very impressive.’

It’s unlikely to come as a surprise, then, that when we were speccing up our Project D-Max GO2, a set

of Gearmate drawers was high on our wish list. Unlike on the Huntsman, ours was slated to be installed beneath a Mountain Top Roll loadspace cover, which in theory means the aforementioned fridge-freezer could be carried upright, but that’s not what this build is about. Mainly, we wanted to steer clear of adding any extra bodywork that could be damaged while out and about on some of Britain’s delightfully narrow green lanes – but, while the Gearmate system is pretty much impregnable even without anything else on top of it, squirreling it away beneath a similarly secure roller cover adds a welcome element of out-of-sightout-of-mind.

What this means is that step one was to remove the over-rail bed liner that’s standard in the D-Max Utah and replace it with an under-rail job.

This is necessary as the runners for the roller cover mount on to the top edge of the bodywork alongside the pick-up bed, where the top lip of the over-rail liner would prevent them from locating. The matching liner on the tailgate comes off, too.

Lifting out the old bedliner is definitely a two-man job, as is dropping in its replacement – not so much because of their weight as the awkwardness of manhandling such a big item, especially as it becomes surprisingly flexible as you release it. The new liner doesn’t come pre-drilled with mounting

4x4 03/08/2021 11:49

Above: The old over-rail bedliner is unfastened and lifted away from the back of the vehicle. It’s not too heavy but it certainly is awkward, so bring a buddy Right: Here, the difference between the two bedliners is clear. The old one in the foreground has a taller upper lip designed to fit over the top of the pick-up bed, while the one in the background will slide in behind it Below: The new bedliner is drilled to take the fixings it will shortly be receiving.

Then it’s lifted into place – once again, best viewed as a two-man job – and finally bolted up

holes to match the vehicle, so that’s to be done before you lift it into place, then you can do up the fixings – having first ensured that the under-rail lip is sitting comfortably behind the rails themselves.

There’s more drilling to come now as you unbox the Gearmate unit. It comes with all the hardware used to mount it, as you’d expect, including a set of brackets which need to be assembled on to the inside of the vehicle’s pick-up bed.

This is just a case of following the instructions – and, as always, checking and double-checking your

work – then it’s time to drop the drawer unit into place.

As a quick look at the pictures will illustrate, this is another area in which you’ll need help. This time, it’s not so much a two-man job as a gang lift. You can play a game with yourself here, though, by trying to guess which of your mates will come up with the least original joke about funerals.

At this point, let’s check back in on what we said after spending a week with the old D-Max Huntsman.

‘The Gearmate drawer system is superbly fitted.’ Seeing it nestled in

between the inner arch blisters and making the most of every available inch of space, it’s hard not to find yourself being struck by admiration at how well made it is – and if we thought it was superbly fitted before, watching it slide into place and match up with its brackets was like poetry in motion.

Bolt it up, then fix the top plates on to the lockers at either side of the main drawers, and it’s job done. And talking of poetry in motion, the drawers absolutely glide open and shut. They do have a weight capacity, of course, and the ex-military ground anchor set and high-lift jack we carry in one of

Main picture: This is the Gearmate drawer unit as fitted in the D-Max Huntsman we tested a few years back. Safe to say we were impressed – when the time came to spec up our Project GO2, they were well up towards the top of our wish list Right: The Gearmate unit comes already assembled and packed on a pallet. You can probably guess what this means in terms of its weight – it’s built to carry 150kg in each drawer and take up to 800kg on top, so it’s not exactly made of thin tin

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SEPTEMBER 2021 | 63

03/08/2021 11:49

OUR 4X4S

Prior to fitting the drawer unit, on go all the brackets that will secure it in place.

The bedliner needs to be drilled further to accommodate the fixings – obviously, this is an area in which to mark up very carefully before getting in there with the noisy stuff Below: Note the number of people carrying the drawer unit here. It’s a proper bit of kit, this, and will do a proper bit of damage if you drop it on your foot

With the drawers in place and secure, the top plates are screwed into place above the side lockers. The drawer unit itself has a wooden top with a stout non-slip rubberised coating; it’s rated to carry up to 400kg or, in the heavy-duty version, 800kg. That’s around nine baby elephants standing on each other’s shoulders… starting to see why it’s so heavy yet?

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4x4 03/08/2021 11:49

Finally, the Mountain Top Roll is assembled on the workshop floor then installed into place. Again, have an assistant on hand. You can see the marks on the rear bodywork where the old over-rail liner used to sit, which make it pretty clear why it needed to be replaced before the job could begin them exceeds it by quite some way, but even then it still operates as it’s meant to. It needs a heftier pull and push, but it doesn’t baulk even one bit.

Finally, the Mountain Top Roll came out of its packaging and, having been assembled on the workshop floor, went in to place on the top edge of the pick-up bed.

Yet another lift you don’t want to be trying to pull off on your own.

With the whole lot done, there’s enough space beneath the roll cover for you to be able to carry a decent amount of flat cargo. You can get lashing rings for the top of

the drawer unit, too, allowing you to carry bigger items with the cover open – again subject to a weight limit, of course, but this goes up as high as 800kg on the heavyduty version of Gearmate’s GM300 twin-drawer system (or 400kg on the standard unit) so it’ll carry most things before any groaning starts.

What we’ve found about the set-up in the back of our D-Max is that it’s tidy, strong and wholly fit for purpose. The Mountain Top Roll doesn’t keep out the rain, which tends to gather beneath the drawers when the vehicle is parked nose-down then cascade out from

beneath the tailgate when we drive off, but one very soggy set of offroading clothes is all it took for us to learn that.

Mainly, the Gearmate system does a fantastic job of keeping our recovery equipment stowed tidily and ready for use. We mocked up a picture of it in the drawers of

that Huntsman we tested back in the day – and now that mock-up has become the reality in the back of our own Project D-Max GO2, we’re very happy indeed.

Order your ISUZU D-Max Accessories today!

01789 595200

4x4 3.5pp Our 4x4s Sept 21 D-Max.indd 65

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SEPTEMBER 2021 | 65

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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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SEPTEMBER 2021 | 67

03/08/2021 21:14:51

JUNE 2019 | 51

ROADBOOK

THE YORKSHIRE DALES

Magnificent unmade roads amid some of Britain’s wildest landscapes 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.

68 | SEPTEMBER 2021

10pp Roadbook Sept 21.indd 68

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 03/08/2021 11:34

ROADBOOK The Yorkshire Dales combines a majestic landscape with picture-postcard villages – and, best of all, a series of unmade rights of way which allow you to explore the parts other drivers don’t see. Hill farming means it’s not really as wild as it looks – though you’ll be very isolated for much of the time while following this route. In particular, this month’s roadbook is all about long trails. There’s only about half a dozen or so in total – but between them they make up an extremely full day’s adventure on some of Britain’s very best green lanes

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ROUTE GUIDE START FINISH HOW LONG? TERRAIN HAZARDS OS MAPS

Helwith Bridge (SD 810 695) Lofthouse (SE 101 734) 54.15 miles / 9-10 hours Bleak high-level moor tops Isolation; other users; some fairly steep climbs and drops; traffic on road sections Landranger 98 (Wensleydale) Landranger 99 (Northallerton and Ripon)

is it suitable?

TYRES WEATHER LOW BOX SOFT-ROADERS SCRATCHING DRIVING DAMAGE

Step

1

0.0 Step

2

0.15

Tall sidewalls preferable, but aggressive tread not necessary Avoid when foggy or icy Not critical but will certainly help More rugged ones should be okay Minimal risk Discpline required when passing other users and people’s homes Main risk is when negotiating some occasional narrow gates

SD 810 695

Start at the Helwith Bridge Inn, in the tiny village of the same name.

Zero your trip at the exit from the car park and leave the village over the railway bridge, heading more or less east

The next junction is immediately after this, so don’t pull out in front of anyone as you’ll be getting on your brakes almost straightaway Horton in 2 Ribblesdale B6479 Hawes 18 (B6255)

Step 3: This is a busy road, and you’ve only just joined it when you need to slow again to turn right on to the track, so wait at Step 2 until there’s no traffic coming from your right

70 | SEPTEMBER 2021

10pp Roadbook Sept 21.indd 70

Step

3

0.2

SD 813 695

Byway open to all traffic Dale Head 534

Step

4

0.5

Step 10: Don’t be seduced by any tyre marks in the grass approaching this junction – the track you’re looking for is clear and well defined, even if the sign has disappeared

4x4 03/08/2021 11:34

Step 12: Swing wide as you approach the gate – it’s narrow, and you’ll need to be lined up as straight as possible to avoid taking out the side of your truck. By this time, you’ll already have negotiated a similar gate at Step 7

Step

8

Dead slow past the house – it looks abandoned as you approach, but people do live here! After passing it, follow the track out past the rock pavement on the left

2.75 Step

9

2.85 Step

5

It gets slightly rutted for a spell

1.85 Step

6 7

2.05

4x4 10pp Roadbook Sept 21.indd 71

10

SD 855 728

Don’t be tempted off the road by any random tyre tracks in the grass – what you’re looking for is a very well defined stone trail

4.15 There’s a short, wet section immediately after a raised concrete drainage slab across the track

Step

11 5.1

1.95 Step

Step

Swing as wide as you can on the way up to the gate – it’s very narrow and hitting it at too much of an angle will end up getting very expensive

Step

12

Another gate where you’ll have to swing wide

5.6

SEPTEMBER 2021 | 67

03/08/2021 11:34

Step

13

After the gate, when the landscape opens up to your left, you’ll be in to a long, steepening descent. If you’ve not needed low box yet, now’s the time to engage it

6.6 Step

14

Step

16

After the gate at the bottom of the hill, a short section of the track could at times become a ford

Step

17 0.3

Step

Step

7.1

2.55

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ZERO TRIP

7.2

6.85

15

You might be tempted to kiss the tarmac… but get ready, because there’s a lot of it coming up!

Dead slow through Litton

18 Hawkswick 134

4x4 03/08/2021 11:34

Step

19

Dead slow through Hawkswick

Step

25

4.2

16.4

Step

Step

5.7

18.6

26

20 Step

21 13.8 Step

22

SD 943 803

It’s easy to spot as you approach – a long gravel track winding away up the hill into the distance immediately after some sheep pens on the left

Byway Stalling Busk 412

The surface gets rougher as you climb

23

The going gets rougher again as you climb towards the moor top

24 15.1 4x4 10pp Roadbook Sept 21.indd 73

Step

27 18.7 Step

28 Step

29 20.6

14.5 Step

Dead slow through the farmyard

20.2

14.2 Step

Byway Carpley Green 214

There’s a short but very ugly bit of ground to the left of the track which illustrates how much damage a 4x4 can do in the wrong hands. If you’re new to green laning, take this as a graphic illustration of why you must always stick to the right of way

Step

30 4.55

ZERO TRIP

Aysgarth Leyburn A684

5 13

There’s a fuel station on the right

Thoralby

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Step 33: Fork right over the bridge immediately after the square left bend in the road in the middle of West Burton Step 37 (right): The surface turns from track to road and back several times over the next half mile or so Step

Step

37

31 6.0 Step

32

West Burton 114

Step

ZERO TRIP

38

6.4 Step

33 0.75 Step

34

2.45

2.5 SE 018 870

In West Burton, immediately after the 90-degree left-hander, fork right over the bridge

Witton Steeps

5

If it wasn’t already a track rather than a road, it is now…

Step

39 2.6 Step

40

1.0

2.7

Step

Step

1.7

2.75

Step

Step

2.25

2.9

35 36 74 | SEPTEMBER 2021

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41 42 4x4 03/08/2021 12:05

Step

Step

3.1

6.45

43 Step

44

48 This is very soon after Step 43

3.1 Step

45

In West Witton, opposite a development of new homes, follow the sign for Chantry Holiday Homes then follow round to the right on Chantry Garth

46

49

This is shortly after the turning on the left for Chantry Holiday Homes

Step

51 4.1

Step

Step

5.3

5.6

4x4 10pp Roadbook Sept 21.indd 75

1 11

Carlton Horsehouse Kettlewell

1

50

4.6

47

Carlton Kettlewell

Step

2.2

4.25 Step

Step

1.85 SE 057 884

ZERO TRIP

52

2

3 11

It’s almost certainly your right of way here, but there are no signs and certainly no white lines

SE 044 808

Don’t be surprised if the sign is facing the wrong way…

Arkleside only

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Step

Step

5.7

6.7

Step

Step

5.95

7.8

53

56 57

54 Step

55 5.95

Head through the gate and straight into a steep climb

Scar House Reservoir

3

You’re into a steep bumpy descent here, on a trail overlooking Angram Reservoir

Step

58 8.2

Scar House Circular 112

Step

59 9.35 Step

60

Turn right and head across Scar House Dam

ZERO TRIP

9.45 76 | SEPTEMBER 2021

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4x4 03/08/2021 11:35

Step

61 0.3 Step

62 0.5 Step

63

Nidderdale Way Scar House Circular 4 Angram Circular

SE 064 766

The climb up the crags shortly after the start of this lane is one of the highlights of the entire rights of way system

Byway open to all Traffic Middlesmoor 2

The climb was already steep, but suddenly it gets steeper still as you approach the top

0.75 Step

64

Caution – water erosion around a raised ironwork in the track has left it very raised indeed!

Step

66

2.5

3.95

Step

Step

2.85

4.05

65

4x4 10pp Roadbook Sept 21.indd 77

67

The turning is signposted to a car park

Arrive at the Crown Hotel in Lofthouse for the end of the route.

Don’t park where our picture shows you – the actual pub car park is a few car lengths ahead on the right

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 77

03/08/2021 11:35

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For more information about advertising in 4x4 Magazine contact nmorgan@4x4driving.co.uk rl (all riders 14Argent or over) over) riders 14 Ian or over) on 01283 553242 or email ian.argent@assignment-media.co.uk morgan@4x4driving.co.uk organ@4x4driving.co.uk driving.co.uk Quad bikes - entry £15 £20 per per rider rider (all (all riders riders 14 14or orover) over) 4x4 email:johnmorgan@4x4driving.co.uk johnmorgan@4x4driving.co.uk 4x4entry entry£32 £30per pervehicle vehicle email:

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SEPTEMBER 2021 | 79 MARCH 2021 | 79 03/08/2021 21:34:40 02/02/2021 14:00:36

4x4

NEXT MONTH IN…

Land Rover Discovery turned into a sensational overland vehicle, plus one of the last Jeep Wrangler JKs reborn in eye-opening homage to the mightiest rock rigs Tested: Land Rover 110 D250 and Volkswagen T-Roc R Plus: Dacia Dusters hard at work on mountain rescue duty

ON SALE: 10th Sept

Step 40: Tur n left off the main track, embankment dropping dow then plungi n the ng straight into a water trough (right) are sharp rock Step Caution – there you climb the

71 34

Step Step

13

13.1

iate as

steps to negot hillside

Step

47

12.3 ROADBOOK: A bodywork-beating ride on the sunken lanes of South Devon 8.75 a Abbey Strata Florid

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

Step

14

Ste p Step

4328

of

15 16

44

15.2

Join the Cat A

track

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

13.65 Step

45

Fill in your name and address andStep give this form to your newsagent 14.7 ●

48

Step

Step

12.8

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

15.0 Step

13.4

11.7

17

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

Step

43

Step

Step

followed by a long

1312 .1 .6

10.9

11.8

More rock steps, water trough

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

h bigger t need a bit of to the right is muc Step 37: You migh p Please order 4x4 Magazine and18 reserve/deliver me a copySteevery month ed, the drop-off ers – but be warn

Name Address

12.8 88 | JAN UARY 2020

46

these axlemomentum to clear

twist than it looks here

4x4

14.9 4x4

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 2021

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4x4 03/08/2021 11:52

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IN CINEMAS NOW

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THE ALL-NEW ISUZU D-MAX V-CROSS

TAKING ADVENTURE TO THE MAX

BUSINESS CONTRACT HIRE FROM ONLY

£285

† MONTHLY RENTAL PLUS VAT INITIAL RENTAL £2,565.00 PLUS VAT Followed by 35 Monthly Rentals.

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DRIVEN TO DO

SMARTER. STRONGER. SAFER. FIND OUT MORE AT ISUZU.CO.UK All fuel consumption and emission values are based on the new WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) test cycle which uses real-world driving data. Official fuel economy for the standard Isuzu D-Max range in MPG (l/100km): Low 25.1 – 27.6 (10.2 – 11.2). Mid 31.4 – 36.4 (7.8 – 9.0). High 36.0 – 39.4 (7.2 – 7.8). Extra-High 29.0 – 30.8 (9.2 – 9.7). Combined 30.7 – 33.6 (8.4 – 9.2). CO2 emissions 220 – 241g/km. †Example based on 8,000 miles per annum, non-maintained. Subject to status. UK residents 18+. Rental amounts shown are on the specific model stated plus VAT @ 20%. This offer excludes fleet and Members Affinity scheme sales, is only available through participating Isuzu dealers and is not available in conjunction with any other offers or with BASC, NGO or NFU member discounts. This offer is only available through Lex Autolease Ltd trading as Isuzu Contract Hire, Heathside Park, Heathside Park Road, Stockport SK3 0RB. Offers may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Offer ends 30.09.2021. Vehicle must be returned in a good condition to avoid further charges. You will not own the vehicle. If the vehicle has exceeded the maximum permitted mileage then a charge of 11.0p plus VAT @20% per excess mile will apply. The All-New Isuzu D-Max is Smarter Stronger Safer compared to previous model. Terms and conditions apply.

33066 Isuzu 4x4 Magazine JC Ad_1.indd 1

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