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NEWS • TECH • DEBATE • TRAVEL • MODIFIED VEHICLES • GREEN LANING

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PRO WRANGLER Why one of Britain’s leading off-road instructors broke with the habit of a lifetime and joined the ranks of Jeep owners

Building a ‘new’ classic Range Rover… with a twist

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Sensational lanes on our epic MidWales Roadbook

AUG 2021

Hidden adventures in the lost world of Mexico

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August 2021

CONTENTS

38 ‘I bought it in London. It had the hookiest MOT I I thought it was going to kill me numerous times

30 50

2 | AUGUST 2021

13

4x4

78 12 MAGAZINES FOR THE PRICE OF 3!

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

4x4 Scene: News, Products and More…

6 8 10 10 12 12 13 14 14 16 22 23 24 26 26

Jeep Wrangler New 4xe brings PHEV power to hardcore off-road market Dacia Duster Mid-life upgrades for high-value SUV Range Rover Evoque High-performance HST model added to range Hyundai Kona N 280bhp newcomer ‘a true hot SUV’ Bentley Bentayga Hybrid option returns, S model adds handling prowess Vauxhall Grandland Medium SUV gets new tech and styling Ford Ranger Raptor Special Edition for a special double-cab Tilberthwaite Lane Working group makes progress as pressure ramps up Glynogwr Lane closed after tree almost knocks down bridge Odyssey Challenge Winch series makes first ever visit to Devils Pit ARB New Flinders roof tent designed for ease of use Lucas Classic High-tension leads to keep your V8 healthy Milner Off Road 4x4 parts specialist celebrates 40 years in business Powerflex Anti roll bar bushes for Subaru Outback Ring Magflex inspection lamp continues to light up Britain’s workshops

Driven 28 30 36

Range Rover Velar PHEV Suave 4x4 the latest to become a plug-in hybrid Toyota Landcruiser New engine makes the off-road legend better than ever Ford Transit Connect Active SUV meets panel van

Every Month 6 13 20 66 78 80

Alan Kidd The long-running 4x4 businesses all have one thing in common Coming Soon 4x4s set to be launched in 2021 and beyond Calendar Make the most of this summer of fun Roadbook Some fabulous lanes in the hills of cenral Powys Subscribe Stay at home and get 4x4 delivered – and save a huge 75%!

Next Month An absolute legend of a roadbook in the Yorkshire Dales

Features 38 50

Modernised Rangey A low-mileage Classic reimagined for today Pro Jeep What a leading off-road instructor does for fun on his days off…

Travel 58

had ever seen – on the drive home!’

Mexico Exploring an overland paradise rarely visited by British travellers

66 Mid-Wales Roadbook

58

4x4

AUGUST 2021 | 3

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

Alan Kidd Editor

You can be a business powerhouse and a good guy all at the same time

ack when this magazine was called Off Road and 4 Wheel Drive, and I was a callow young know-nothing at the very start of my career, the editor sent me off on a mission to Derbyshire to write an article about a new off-road racer that had just been built. It was a TMC, built by Tim Marsh, and its owner Doug Devonald-Batt had every intention of winning the British Off-Road Championship in it.

The reason I was send to Derbyshire to see it was explained to me as: ‘You’ll be doing it in Trevor Milner’s field.’ Now, at the time I didn’t know who Trevor Milner was, or what was special about his field, but later that day I was travelling through midair with Doug at the wheel and remarking to myself that as fields went, this one was very good at making fast cars jump.

About fifteen years later, as editor of Planet 4x4 magazine, I needed somewhere for our annual 4x4 of the Year photoshoot and Trevor volunteered his field again.

Always happy to help people, not expecting anything in return, just a thoroughly decent chap who’s heavily into all things off-road.

I’ve seen an awful lot of companies come and go in the 28 years since I climbed aboard Doug’s TMC. And I’ve seen a few stick around and become part of the off-road furniture. What I can tell you is that the latter all have certain things in common – big ones like hard work and innovation, of course, but on top of that what sets the good guys apart is their honesty and decency. You can’t put a price on that.

I could name some absolute low-lives I’ve met around the off-road scene during those 28 years, too. Here today, gone tomorrow fly-by-nights (literally, in one gruesomely memorable case) who surface time after time with new company names but the same old terrible approach.

What have those people got today? The same bad attitude as ever and no respect from anybody who knows them. What has Trevor got today? He’s got Milner Off-Road, a company that’s currently celebrating forty years in business – and doing so while basking in the glory of having survived the twin body blows of Brexit and Covid to come through in better shape than ever,

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Of course, it’s not enough just to be one of the good guys. But the robust success of Milner Off-Road illustrates that you can be a business powerhouse and a good guy at the same time.

Of course, what you really want me to do is start getting loose-lipped about the scumbags and rip-off artists, but I’m way too smart for that. You learn to count your fingers when you shake certain hands, and as an editor you learn that your column is not the place to settle scores.

It’s a good place to tell old stories, though. And after that airborne afternoon in Trevor’s field, I had learned a bit more about off-road racing.

So when, a couple of months later, I was despatched to Clyro to cover the Welsh Hillrally, I felt like I knew what I was talking about. After all, I’d heard of the TMC now, so I must be an expert.

Fast forward to the end of the rally. My photographer was asking the Simmonite sisters, who had finished second, to pose for endless portrait pictures, so I headed off to interview the winner, Robin Clarkson.

I found him next to his car, surrounded by his service crew, the beers already flowing.

I introduced myself and, summoning every last scrap of my new-found expertise in off-road racing, asked my hard-hitting first question: ‘So. Is that a Tim Marsh car?’

I can still hear the laughter ringing in my ears now.

Robin could have had a field day at my expense. But fair play to the bloke, a wry smile was enough and then he settled down for a chat and told me all about his Warrior 4x4 business. Another fine example of one of the good guys, and a tremendous example of me being a Grade A idiot.

It’s often said that good guys finish last.

Well, Robin turned that one on its head at the Hillrally by winning the thing. And when it comes to off-road businesses, Milner Off-Road now has forty years and counting.

And that’s proof positive that good guys can reach the very top.

Web: www.totaloffroad.co.uk www.4x4i.com Online Shop: www.toronline.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/totaloffroad www.facebook.com/4x4Mag Editor Alan Kidd Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Dan Fenn, Paul Looe, Gary Noskill, Olly Sack, Jen Bright and Gav Lowrie, Tom Alderney 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

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NEW 4X4S

SERIOUS OFF-ROAD MARKET BREAKS NEW GROUND AS JEEP LAUNCHES WRANGLER 4XE 2.0-litre engine plus twin motors in plug-in hybrid drivetrain • UK sales to commence soon

eep has officially unveiled the Wrangler 4xe – bringing plug-in hybrid technology to the hardcore off-road market for the first time.

Eighty years on from the creation of the first ever Jeep, the Willys MA, the latest addition to the Wrangler line-up offers genuine eco-friendly credentials – as well as the ability to tackle extreme terrain efficiently and in almost complete silence.

The vehicle combines a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine with a pair of motor-generators, one connected to the engine itself and

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6 | AUGUST 2021

one to the transmission, to develop a total of 380bhp and 470lbf.ft. The motors are powered by a 17kWh, 400-volt battery pack. Between them, these various sources of power are capable of shifting it from 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds.

Jeep says the batteries can be fully charged within three hours, and that they will then be able to propel the vehicle through a range of about 30 miles of urban driving.

Use its electric reserves off-road, on the other hand, and their torque characteristics will give you ’never seen before low-end control’.

This is relevant in a way it perhaps never has been before, as the Wrangler 4xe is a lot more than just a hefty SUV waiting to be modified for posing on the street. It’s available in a choice of trim levels – including Rubicon, in which form the Wrangler is probably the most capable off-the-shelf off-roader on the planet.

As with other models in the Wrangler range, the 4xe has an eight-speed auto box mated to a two-speed transfer case. The hybrid system continues to work the same way when low range is engaged,

allowing you to prioritise the petrol engine, leave it to make its own mind up or instruct it to run on electricity alone.

‘The seamless integration of electric power into the 4x4 drivetrain elevates the Wrangler 4xe to new levels of off-road performance,’ explains Jeep.

‘Off-road enthusiasts will find that the instant availability of torque from the electric motor delivers a more precise and controlled driving experience for climbing and crawling. There’s no need to build up engine rpm to get the tyres to move,

4x4

NEW 4X4S

minimising driveline shock loading and maximising control and speed.’

All Wranglers, whether petrol, diesel or hybrid powered, are designed to tackle extreme terrain, with live Dana 4x4 front and rear axles at the heart of their traditional off-road layout. These come with a limited-slip rear diff on standard models, and with front and rear lockers on the Rubicon – which also has extra deep low-range gearing, a disconnecting front anti-roll bar and 32” BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain tyres helping to elevate it to the highest level of ability.

4x4

Like the petrol model already on sale in the UK, the Rubicon 4xe offers excellent off-road stats with 253mm of ground clearance and approach, breakover and departure angles of 36.6°, 21.4° and 31.8° respectively. In addition, despite the extra electrical systems on board it offers a wading depth of 760mm.

Also no small matter is the way the Wrangler now brings modern electrified technology to a vehicle which continues to offer the age-old joys of open-air driving. You can still remove its top and doors and even fold down its windscreen, just

as the original owners of those first Willys MBs once did – and a new dealer option being launched at the same time as the 4xe is a set of half-doors, providing just enough protection against the outside while still allowing you to enjoy all the fresh air you can handle.

Like all Wranglers, the 4xe also features an 8.4” Uconnect media system running a wide range of functions. On the hybrid models, these are augmented by services allowing you to check the battery level and schedule recharges – as well as paying for them when you’re

connected to at a public charging point. A My Uconnect app on your smartphone makes it easier than ever and allows you to take control of the process remotely.

Identified by unique ‘electric blue’ details on its badging and body, the Wrangler 4xe will be available in Sahara and Rubicon trim – and also as an 80th Anniversary model with distinctive neutral grey paintwork and a body-coloured hard-top. It’s due to be part of Jeep’s UK line-up as part of the forthcoming new model year, with prices to be announced closer to its on-sale date.

AUGUST 2021 | 7

NEW 4X4S

Mid-life upgrade for Dacia Duster

New styling, greater efficiency • Improved cabin, better tech • 4x4 likely to start at £20,000

I

f you’re planning to buy a new Dacia Duster this year, give it a couple of months. Later this summer, the order book will open for a revised version of the current model – with updated looks and improved efficiency to go with a slew of new tech features and safety aids.

Styling-wise, the vehicle gains a new grille and headlamps with Y-shaped DRLs, while at the back there’s a redesigned spoiler. It’s not just about appearances, though – the Duster’s shape is now more aerodynamically efficient, and the increased use of LEDs means less power goes on lighting.

Combined with the use of new, more efficient tyres and wheel bearings, this all means that the dCi 115 4x4 model (the only version with all-wheel drive) now emits 5.8g/km less carbon than before, with a fuel saving to match.

The dCi 115 engine is only available in six-speed manual form, however a number of other units are also offered. The most powerful of

these, the TCe 150 petrol, comes as standard with a dual-clutch auto.

Although the Duster doesn’t have low range, Dacia is adamant that it’s ‘a dependable SUV for both everyday and off-road use.’ Bizarrely, the 4x4 model has slightly less ground

clearance than the 4x2, however it can still clear 214mm obstacles.

Approach, breakover and departure angles are 30°, 33° and 21° respectively, and 4x4 models come fitted as standard with 3PMSF-compliant all-season tyres.

Inside, the seats gain new new headrests and upholstery. Between them, depending on the model, is a revised floor console with a 1.1-litre cubby box whose lid serves as an armrest. All Dusters now get a multimedia system accessed through an 8.0” touchscreen, with DAB, Bluetooth and smartphone pairing as standard; on higher-spec models, the system also runs sat-nav, while 4x4 models gain a compass, altimeter and inclinometer.

Hardcore off-roaders like to sneer at toys like these, but the Duster has an altogether more useful feature too in the shape of a hill descent control system which can be set to any speed in the range from 3-18mph. In the absence of low range, this makes a real difference to the vehicle’s viability on severe terrain. A surround-view camera system also has the potential to be useful off-road, though this is intended mainly as a parking aid.

Pricing for the new Duster is yet to be announced, however Dacia built its reputation on value and there’s no reason for that to change.

Pricing will therefoe start in the low teens – though for a 4x4 model, it’s likely to be very close to £20,000.

Charity worker wins Range Rover Evoque in Vanarama competition A CHARITY VOLUNTEER FROM MIDDLESEX has won a new Range Rover Evoque in a competition run by leasing specialist Vanarama. Juliette Morrison, whose serviced apartment business fell victim to the pandemic, took part in the company’s New Lease of Life promotion – and ended up as the proud owner of an Evoque D180 S R-Dynamic worth around £40,000.

Juliette, who started working with homelessness charity New Hope just before the pandemic struck, had to sell her own car to raise money after losing her business. She’s also an ambassador for the Pink Ribbon Foundation – a charity which supports research into breast cancer and supports those affected by it.

Picking up the Evoque from Vanarama’s Hemel Hempstead office, Juliette said: ’2020 did have its difficulties. But there were many others who had a far tougher time than me.

‘Working with the homeless community, I can’t say that I’ve had bad luck. I’m lucky to have a nice house and a lovely family and we all have our health.

‘Winning the car will make a massive difference though, and I’m delighted!’

8 | AUGUST 2021

4x4

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

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

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

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

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

NEW 4X4S

Land Rover unveils Range Rover Evoque HST with street-machine looks and 300bhp performance LAND ROVER HAS CREATED a new halo model in the Range Rover Evoque range – by giving it the HST treatment already seen on the Range Rover Sport. Called the P300 HST, the new variant is a high-speccer powered exclusively by a 2.0-litre mild hybrid petrol engine delivering 300bhp.

Mated to a nine-speed auto box, the engine drives all four wheels and gives the vehicle a 0-62 time of 6.8 seconds. It comes with Terrain Response 2, giving it what Land Rover calls ‘trademark Range Rover all-terrain capability’ to go with its purposeful handling on the road.

Based on the existing Evoque R-Dynamic S, the HST gains various features inside and out to make it stand out in a crowd. These include a panoramic roof and 20” alloys, both in gloss black – which is also the finish on the bonnet script, side vents, bonnet louvres and door mirror caps. Privacy glass comes as standard, too, and the whole lot is set off by read brake calipers.

That little lot might make you think Land Rover has already decided on the exterior colour for you, but in fact there are 11 different paint options to choose from. Further exterior features include premium LED headlamps with signature DRLs, as well as animated indicator lights.

Inside, once again the Evoque follows the lead of the Range Rover Sport HST. You get an exclusive Suedecloth steering wheel and Ebony Suede-

cloth headlining as well as grained leather seat trim, Range Rover badged treadplates and a powered tailgate. Tech-wise, Land Rover’s intuitive Interactive Driver Display brings its configurable, high-definition 12.3” instrument cluster to the party, and the latest Pivi Pro infotainment system is displayed through not one but two 10” touchscreens.

‘The new Range Rover Evoque HST strikes a perfect balance between dynamic performance and refined luxury,’ commented Jaguar Land Rover UK MD Rawdon Glover. ‘By enhancing design characteristics of the core vehicle even further, this addition to the Evoque range enables us to deliver our customers even more value and exclusivity.’

Talking of value, the P300 HST is priced at £50,440. It’s available to order now.

Hyundai Kona N ‘a true hot SUV’ HYUNDAI WILL PITCH IN to the performance SUV market later this summer with the Kona N. Powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine developing 280bhp and 290lbf.ft, this comes with a variety of motorsport-inspired features and is capable of despatching the 0-62mph sprint in 5.5 seconds. Expect hot-hatch handling combined with a palette of drive modes to allow a degree of ability off-tarmac – though the latter is likely to be more rally-bred than anything to do with rough trails. Most of all, the Kona N will be one of the most aggressively styled performance SUVs yet. Prices are yet to be confirmed, but it’s likely to undercut the Volkswagen T-Roc R by a few grand.

This is the Hennessey Mammoth 1000, a seven-seat SUV built by Texas-based hypercar manufacturer Hennessey. Based on the Ram TRX, it’s powered by a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 engine developing 1012bhp (not a misprint) and 969lbf.ft, and even with a 2.5” suspension lift and 35” off-road tyres it can polish off the 0-60mph sprint in 3.2 seconds.

‘I have a big family,’ explained company proprietor John Hennessey.

10 | AUGUST 2021

4x4

RECWATCHES .COM RECOVER • RECYCLE • RECLAIM

NEW 4X4S

Bentley launches sportiest Bentayga – and brings back Hybrid model

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entley has reintroduced the Bentayga Hybrid, bringing electrification back to its SUV for the first time since last year’s facelift.

The vehicle mates a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine to an electric motor to achieve 443bhp and 516lbf.ft, giving it a total range of 430 miles and up to 25 miles solely on electric power only. It’s priced exactly the same as the Bentayga V8, ‘focusing the customer choice on powertrain preference rather than cost.’

Bentley says its own research has shown that this choice is one its customers take seriously, too.

More than 90% of first-generation

Bentayga Hybrids are used several times a week, and nearly all owners make use of the vehicles’ EV mode.

Around half regularly use their Bentaygas for trips of less than 30 miles – meaning that in real-world terms, the majority of journeys can be achieved with zero emissions.

The silence of electric propulsion is ideally suited to driving a Bentley, too. ‘Customers can escape the noise of the city through the refined and acoustically isolated serenity of the cabin without engine interference,’ says the company. Not that the Bentayga V8 is exactly troubled by engine interference itself, but you can always improve on perfection.

Major update for Vauxhall Grandland VAUXHALL HAS TREATED its Grandland SUV to a major facelift, with a bold and futuristic new front-end treatment mirroring the addition of a high-tech new cabin. Due on sale in

12 | AUGUST 2021

• Also new from Bentley is the Bentayga S, whose suspension is tuned for greater agility to make it ‘the most sporting of Bentaygas.’ It uses 48-volt active roll control technology capable of reacting within 0.3s to counteract rolling forces with up to 959lbf.ft of torque.

Compared to a standard Bentayga V8, whose engine it shares, the S model gains an enhanced Sport setting in its drive mode palette.

This gives it improved steering feel, greater turn-in response and a further reduction in body roll. The vehicle’s air suspension damping, stability control and Dynamic Ride are all retuned for greater dynamism,

and the torque vectoring system is recalibrated to further sharpen the vehicle’s response.

The Bentayga’s optional All-Terrain Specification remains available, too, giving the vehicle four dedicated off-road modes and a 500mm wading depth.

The vehicle’s nature is projected in its appearance, with a unique spoiler, its own style of 22” wheels and a variety of black details including a dark polished finish to the brightwork.

Inside, there’s a fully digital driver’s information panel, a new seat design and extensive trimming in alcantara.

Like the Hybrid, the Bentayga S is available to order now.

the autumn, the vehicle offers petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains, the latter offering a choice of outputs and range options.

Inside, the Grandland’s cabin has been, in Vauxhall’s words, ‘detoxed to the essentials’. What this means is that it’s designed around two wide screens, laid out as a single unit called the Pure Panel, with separate areas carrying the dash and infotainment displays. Vauxhall calls it a ‘fully digital, driver-oriented cockpit… made up of the latest digital technologies (which) is intuitive to operate.’

The infotainment in question includes Vauxhall’s top navigation system, connected services with real-time traffic alerts, wireless charging and full smartphone mirroring. You’re also looked after in the traditional sense by er-

4x4

NEW 4X4S

Special Edition model announced for Ford Ranger Raptor

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

THE FORD RANGER RAPTOR SPECIAL EDITION is the latest in a long line of short-run models designed to maintain interest in the high-selling pick-up as it moves towards the end of production. Following on from the MS-RT, Stormtrak and Wolftrak, this builds on the Raptor – itself already a halo model with its rally-bred suspension and pumped-up looks.

It does this by gaining twin matte black racing stripes, edged with red contrast lines, on its bonnet, roof, lower body sides, rear wings and tailgate, along with red towing hooks and the same matte black finish for the grille, bumpers, wheelarch flares and door handles.

These details contrast with a choice of blue, grey and white body colours.

Inside, meanwhile, the steering wheel, instrument panel and door cards gain red stitching and the instrument panel is finished in Raceway Grey.

If you already wanted a Raptor for the stuff that makes it what it is, the Special Edition won’t change that. It will, however, make the ultimate Ranger even more exclusive than ever.

Price? You’ll find out in good time for the vehicle’s October on-sale date.

The Hyundai Bayon is a new compact SUV with a 1.0 T-GDi, 48-volt mild hybrid engine. Available in SE Connect, Premium and Ultimate trim, and with 100 and 120bhp output options, it’s priced from £20,295. gonomic seats designed to help support good posture. When leather-clad, these can be heated and cooled. There’s the usual range of safety kit, too, including autonomous braking, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-start functionality, panoramic cameras and auto parking.

You get a night vision assistant, too, which can identify pedestrians and animals using infra red heat sensing, as well as matrix headlamps with a total of 168 LED elements across the front of the vehicle.

How much is all this going to cost you? Vauxhall will reveal the answer closer to the autumn on-sale date, but the current model costs in the mid twenties; petrol and diesel versions are likely to stay in the same territory, with the plug-in hybrid coming in closer to thirty.

4x4

Aiways U5 Alfa Romeo Tonale Alpina XB7 BMW iX BMW X5 NEXT Bollinger B1 Bollinger B2 Dacia Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Ranger MR-ST Ford Ranger Wolftrak Ford Ranger Stormtrak Ford Ranger Genesis GV70 Genesis GV80 INEOS Grenadier Isuzu D-Max Jeep Jeep Cherokee Desert Hawk Jeep Grand Cherokee Jeep Compass 4xe Jeep Wagoneer Jeep Wrangler 4xe Honda HR-V Kia Sportage Land Rover Defender EV Land Rover Discovery Sport Maserati Grecale Maserati Levante Hybrid MWM Spartan Nissan Ariya Nissan Qashqai e-Power Nissan X-Trail Pininfarina Pininfarina Range Rover Range Rover Evoque Range Rover Sport Renault Arkana Rivian R1T Rivian R1s Seat Tarraco PHEV SsangYong Korando EV Subaru Solterra Suzuki Jimny Van Tesla Cybertruck Tesla Model Y Torsus Terrastorm Torsus Overlander Toyota Vauxhall Grandland Volkswagen Amarok Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

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

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

AUGUST 2021 | 13

RIGHTS OF WAY

Tilberthwaite working group presses ahead with upkeep programme despite efforts of anti-freedom fanatics

T

he Tilberthwaite Partnership Working Group is a body set up by the the Lake District National Park Authority following a long-running campaign by anti-vehicle fanatics bent on seeing rights of way closed to 4x4s. Stakeholders include governing bodies such as the National Trust, Cumbria Council and the LDNPA itself, as well as organisations on both sides of the access debate.

The group’s first meeting took place this spring, approximately two years since major repairs to Tilberthwaite Lane saw its once rocky and uneven surface replaced with a smooth ribbon of stone scalpings.

This was the first major programme of works undertaken on the lane in decades, and the LDNPA planned to follow it up with long-term monitoring and management. The Working Group is the result of that.

‘As expected,’ reports Phil Griffiths of the Green Lane Association’s Cumbria rep team, ‘the meeting results could best be described as “mixed”. The anti-4x4 organisations seemed keen to ensure the group worked as slowly as possible, with as many interjections and counter proposals as possible.

‘However there did seem a real keenness from everyone else, including authorities and some non-motoring user groups, to work

together and get on with maintaining this lane.’

Phil says there are two key messages for all users to be aware of at this time.

‘Firstly Tilberthwaite is probably going to be one of the most monitored and measured lanes in the UK for some considerable time.

What happens there has potentially far wider implications than on just one route.

‘This is both a blessing and curse.

If we succeed here and show the authorities that responsible wheeled users can be a great asset to keeping an unsurfaced road in shape and working with those that are the decision makers over these routes, we could set some great precedents.’

The second message is more generalised but, in the light of the first, every bit as important to be borne in mind. ‘Second was the acknowledgement, by it seemed pretty much everyone, that the Lakes is shortly going to be subjected to the sort of visitor pressure never seen before. If you’re local, you’ll know last summer was insanely busy at times. With the way the world is at the moment, this year is shaping up to take that to a new level.

‘Tilberthwaite will be under heavy usage and, while we should use it, please give a bit of thought to the political landscape as well as the physical one in that area.

‘If ever there was a time to travel in very small numbers and to try to avoid obviously busy times, it will be this year. This is a time to demonstrate the best practice GLASS has around being a responsible and respectful user.’ This should of course come naturally – but given the ea-

gerness with which the anti-freedom vultures are circling to pounce on any scraps of misbehaviour, it’s always worth reminding yourself that the stakes are high whenever you try to enjoy your hobby under the baleful watch of the Lake District’s self-appointed ‘guardians.’

Bridgend right of way subject to emergency closure after stone bridge almost knocked down by tree during winter storm A BYWAY IN GLYNOGWR, BRIDGEND, has been closed for six months for a rather unusual reason. The track crosses a bridge over a river – which was damaged during the winter after being hit by a tree.

As the pictures taken by GLASS South Wales Rep Pete Jones show, the impact removed a substantial portion of the bridge’s central support. Bridgend Council made an emergency closure of the lane, subsequently extended on 5 March, to

14 | AUGUST 2021

allow the bridge’s owner to remove the tree from the river and carry out repairs. The closure is for a maximum of six months.

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MOTORSPORT

14 | JUNE 2021

4x4

MOTORSPORT

Odyssey Challenge breaks new ground with first ever visit to Devil’s Pit as 2021 season gathers pace Words: Pip Evans Pics: Tomasz Jarecki

T

here are a great many difficulties associated with organising an event.

That’s not just a Covid thing – ask anyone who’s done it and they’ll tell you an organiser’s life is not an easy one.

One such issue is trying to find a date which doesn’t clash with other events. This is a significant concern, especially when there’s a limited number of competitors to go round, and doubly so when the last knockings (hopefully) of lockdown have bitten a lump out of the first part of the season.

This was why Round 2 of the Odyssey challenge series was run just a fortnight after the first one.

In our (hopefully, again) post-Covid world, it’s a bit like buses… you wait 18 months for one, then two come along 14 days apart!

Another issue is finding a suitable venue. It needs to offer severe enough terrain to test the abilities of the competitors – and this is no mean feat, as the abilities of the vehicles in the Odyssey Challenge are indeed considerable.

On top of all this, there’s also the issue of keeping the competitors entertained. Visiting the same old places over and over again can become repetitive, so the Viking 4x4 Club is always on the lookout for somewhere new.

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For Round 2, all boxes were ticked when we rolled up at Devil’s Pit. Many people are familiar with this site, near Barton-le-Clay in Bedfordshire, as a playday venue, but the Odyssey crew had never previously considered it for a challenge event until one of our guys suggested it as a possibility.

And boy, what a place it turned out to be! The Pit has everything a club needs for running a challenge event – plenty of parking space, good accessibility and most important of all, great terrain.

This event was sponsored by LOF Clutches. LOF are great for your everyday standard stuff –

and incredible when it comes to exotic stuff. If you want to mate a Mercedes or LS engine to a Landy gearbox, LOF is the place to go to get a clutch for it.

So to the action. Teams in the Odyssey don’t get many chances to take on a completely new site, so there was an extra sense of excitement during the briefing as they got ready for the usual 10am start. And as it turned out, there was plenty to get excited about.

Devil’s Pit has some very difficult terrain and extremely steep slopes.

It becomes extremely slippery when the ground is wet, but on this occasion it hadn’t rained in ages and even the boggiest parts of the site were bone dry. So there was plenty of grip for the huge, aggressive tyres attached to each corner of a modern challenge truck, and the course designers had to take every opportunity the land gave them to set out the punches so they would ask questions of the competitors.

As might be expected, then, as happens whenever vehicles are pushed to their limits, things will break. Matt Bain and winchman David Burton were going great guns, pushing hard to go one better than the second place they achieved last time out. In doing so, they found the

AUGUST 2021 | 17

MOTORSPORT

limits of their truck’s suspension travel and it rewarded them with a nice view of its chassis.

They quickly recovered is, but gravity dealt them a bit of a blow as oil had reached places it wasn’t supposed to and clogged up the engine’s air intake. This resulted in copious amounts of smoke and a trip to the pits was required to top up with a bit more oil.

It was great to see Dave Adams out for the first time in what was a new truck to him. He was having a whale of a time, but sadly his diesel lift pump was having none of it and poor Dave had to spend most of the event on nothing more than tickover revs. He did remarkably well on winch power alone.

Competing in motorsport is not exactly a cheap affair. A 4x4 a competition vehicle is generally at the lower end of the expense scale, but even then many competitors still have to run their truck on a shoestring budget.

Hugh Gascoigne suffered from this scenario as his low-budget 24-volt alternator couldn’t keep up with the demands placed on it by the two Odyssey Batteries which were pushing out a considerable amount of amps to his winches.

This meant that he had to sit around a few times while the alternator built up enough electricity for him to be able to continue.

Away from the mechanical side, Henry Papworth, who won the first event, was going well – albeit with a different winchman, as he’d worn the last one out. Georgie Smith and her winchman Will Baker, meanwhile, returned to the pits for a whole other kind of rest. They were taking the leisurely approach and just stopped for

18 | AUGUST 2021

a spot of lunch! Who said challenge competition had to be challenging!

And stopping for lunch didn’t make them duffers, either. At the end of the event, they had scored 5086 points – giving them first place in Class 1. That beat Dave Adams and Tom Britten, whose determination to keep going ultimately scored them 3184 points.

In Class 2, third place went to Hugh Gascoigne and Jack Watson on 2130 points. It was close, though – Kevin Bates and Joby Hooley were just two punch scores ahead of them in second, on 2298.

Top spot, meanwhile, went to Matt Wothers and Paul Hitchman.

Matt’s brand new winch broke down and caused him serious issues in the previous event, but its manufacturer had sorted him out

in double-quick time and this time it performed flawlessly. When you look at the second and third-placed scores, it says everything about Matt’s dominance in Class 2 that he finished the day on 5103.

Class 3 is where the biggest scores tend to come from, and sure enough third-placed Paul Curling and Andrew Rossiter came home with 6221 points. Paul is a seasoned campaigner who enjoys doing challenge events, but generally at a bit more of a sedate pace than some of the younger competitors, so it was great to see him in a podium position on this occasion. Devil’s Pit obviously suits him!

As per Round 1, the big battle was between Matt Bain and Henry Papworth. Also as per Round 1, they were the only teams to complete

one punch card and return for a second. This time, however, the final positions were reversed with Henry and winchman Luke Darley finishing second on 9925 points.

That left Matt, with David Burton on winch duty, to secure the win with an awesome performance that scored them a massive 11,728 points.

One other similarity to Round 1 was that Devil’s Pit was a closed event. Hopefully it will have been the last; with a gap of ten weeks now until Round 3, the Viking 4x4 Club is hopeful that it will be possible to run it totally free from Covid restrictions. That will mean service crews, families and spectators will once again be allowed on site – and as always on the Odyssey Challenge, it will certainly be very well worth watching!

38 | FEBRUARY 2020

4x4

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.

10-11 July Adventure Tours G 4x4 South Wales

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

12-18 July

A Landtreks Pyrenees 15-16 July UK Landrover Events

G Cumbria and Yorkshire 17 July Adventure Tours G Green Shropshire / Herefordshire

17-18 July Adventure Tours G 4x4 Surrey and Sussex Hills Overland G Atlas Wessex G Protrax Wales

18 July Pit P Devil’s Barton le Clay, Bedfordshire Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Monsters P Mud East Grinstead, West Sussex

20 | AUGUST 2021

16-22 August

Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire

Wood P Picadilly Bolney, West Sussex

19-28 July

2-6 August

4x4 Adventures A Active Alps

4x4 Adventures A Active Provence

24 July

7-8 August

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

G Protrax Wales Landrover Events G UKWiltshire

20 August

24-25 July

7-27 August

21-22 August

G Protrax Wiltshire

A Galicia

G Protrax Wiltshire

25 July

8 August

21-25 August

Leisure P Cowm Whitworth, Lancashire P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex Events G UKDalesLandrover and Eden

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

Ardventures

10-24 August

27 July – 8 August

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

A Landtreks Pyrenees Coast-to-Coast

14 August

Adventure Tours G 4x4 North Devon

Adventure Tours G Green Shropshire / Herefordshire Events G UKEdenLandrover District

31 July – 14 August

15 August

Overland A Atlas Italian Alps

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

31 July – 1 August

31 July – 15 August World Overland A Lost Sardinia

1 August 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire

A Landtreks Pyrenees 16-25 August 4x4 Adventures A Active Pyrenees

UK Landrover Events

G Tynedale

Adventure Travel G Off-Road Wales

22 August

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

A Trailmasters Morocco 25 August Events G UKLakeLandrover District

26 August Events G UKTyneLandrover and Wear

27-30 August Adventure Tours G 4x4 Mid-Wales

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

4x4

CALENDAR 28-29 August

13-27 September

2-10 October

25 October – 8 November

G Protrax Wales

Overland A Atlas Morocco

Landrover Events A UKPyrenees

A Trailmasters Morocco Atlantic Sahara

29 August

15-29 September

3-16 October

29 October – 14 November

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

A Protrax Pyrenees

A Trailmasters Morocco Draa Valley

A Ardventures Morocco

16-19 September

3-21 October

31 October

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Coast to Coast

A Morocco

Events G UKNorthLandrover York Moors (evening drive)

16-29 September

9-10 October

13-27 November

30 August

A Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh

G Protrax Wales

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

18 September – 2 October

10 October

21 November

31 August – 12 September

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

Free Adventures G Roam Devon

A Landtreks Pyrenees

19 September

11-16 October

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

A Pyrenees

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

15-31 October

5-24 March 2022

4-5 September Free Adventures G Roam Devon

5 September

Protrax

Landtreks

Ardventures

British Land Rover Show S Great Stoneleigh, Warwickshire

3-17 December

A Morocco

A Protrax Morocco

16-30 October

16 April – 3 May 2022

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

21 September – 2 October

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

A Kuelap / Cloud Warrior Tour

A Landtreks Corsica

17 October

7-21 May 2022

11-12 September

23-24 September

Events G UKPeakLandrover District

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

Show S LRO Peterborough G Protrax Wales

Events G UKEdenLandrover and Tynedale

17 October – 4 November

11-25 May 2022

25 September

A Protrax Morocco

A Pyrenees

Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

18 October

25 May – 8 June 2022

A Pyrenees

25-26 September

Landrover Events G UKLincoln and Belvoir

A Protrax Pyrenees

12 September

G Protrax Wiltshire

18 October – 1 November

28 May – 11 June 2022

26 September

4x4 Adventures A Active Sahara

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

20 October

18 June – 2 July 2022

Events G UKEdenLandrover District

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

23 October

9-23 July 2022

Events G UKDalesLandrover and Eden

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

23-24 October

8-27 August 2022

G Protrax Wiltshire

4x4 Adventures A Active Botswana

11-19 September UK Landrover Events

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

13-22 September Active 4x4 Adventures

A Southern France

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

30 September – 13 October Atlas Overland

A Morocco

4x4

Peru Safari

Peru Safari

Peru Safari

Protrax

Peru Safari

AUGUST 2021 | 21

PRODUCTS

ARB promises comfort and ease of use from new Flinders roof tent

A

RB’s famously extensive range of camping equipment has just grown bigger than ever with the addition of the new Flinders Rooftop Tent. Measuring 2200mm x 1400mm and weighing 56kg, this is an all-weather affair promising easy set-up and the ability to comfortably sleep two adults.

22 | AUGUST 2021

Made from 300gsm poly-cotton rip-stop canvas, with 420D Oxford polyester fly for the sunroof and window awnings, the tent comes with a zipped outer cover in 600gsm PVC whose design means it doesn’t need to be removed when pitching camp. It has four windows, including a large skylight, each of them boasting midge-proof insect screens and

zip gutters to protect against rain.

In addition, the doorway and an all-weather ventilation port can be left open for further air flow.

Inside, you sleep on a 50mm high-density foam mattress which ARB says was ‘designed with comfort in mind.’ As any mattress should be, you’d think. The sleeping area measures 2400mm x 1400mm, with a clearance height of 1200mm at the centre of the tent.

There’s also an in-built 12-volt, 300-lumen LED light and a pair of USB connections inside. Because obviously when you’re camping in the wilderness, what you really need is to have your devices fully charged. You also get four storage pockets, shoe pockets, pack down bungee cords and a five-metre lighting cable extension.

The tent comes with a telescopic ladder, which connects to the top of the PVC outer cover for access.

When you’re breaking camp, you can choose whether to leave it in

place or remove it for transport inside your vehicle; the latter allows the tent to be packed down with a lower profile of just 200mm, meaning less noise from buffeting and fuel wasted on fighting against the wind as you drive.

Built on a 25mm diameter frame with internal metal camlocks and an ABS laminated, insulated aluminium internal frame, the Flinders tent is as stout as you’d expect from a legendary off-road brand like ARB. ‘Compact without compromising on camping comfort,’ as the company puts it. ‘With a quick set-up and pack-up as well as the added practicality of storing all your bedding inside, with the ARB Flinders rooftop tent you’re one fold away from a good night’s sleep in a comfortable space that’ll go wherever you and your 4WD take it!’

Now, there’s a challenge. The ARB range is brought to the UK by Britpart, so you can check it out at www.britpart.com.

4x4

PRODUCTS

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

28/01/2020

17:31

BIG BRAKING PERFORMANCE!

Lucas Classic launches high-tension leads for early Rover V8 engines IF YOUR OFF-ROAD WEAPON happens to be powered by a 3.5-litre Rover V8 engine, it is by definition a classic.

Or if not, a bitsa.

Either way, to ensure the old lump keeps on powering it, rather than turning into an expensive form of ballast, Lucas Classic has a constantly developing range of parts designed for older Land Rovers.

Available through Britpart, this is all about the sort of stuff a vehicle needs to keep running – especially in the electrical department. Hence the latest introductions, which include high-tension leads for the much loved eight-pot.

Available separately, there’s the single lead from the coil to the distributor and then the eight-strong array going from the dizzy to the spark plugs. The only way you can believe how big a difference you can make by fitting a new set of these is if you’ve done it in the past and seen the results, so if you’ve got an old V8 in your life, these are for you. They’re at lucasclassic.com/landrover.

1

WITH PEDDERS TRAKRYDER EXTREME BRAKE KITS BRAKE KITS

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Stainless steel abutments.

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

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

Features: • Stainless steel braided hoses.

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

• TrakRyder eXtreme Kevlar Ceramic low dust brake pads.

• TrakRyder eXtreme 6 pot design caliper brackets and bolts.

• 6 Pot, 2 piece aluminium forged calipers.

• High grade alloy steel brake pad insulators.

• Stainless steel pistons.

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

01296 711 044 info@pedders.co.uk

* Independent Australian engineering test results proved that at 100kmh the TrakRyder eXtreme Brake Kit system upgrade stopped on average 11m sooner than original

CERAMIC PAINT PROTECTION is a recognised way of minimising the scratches your vehicle can suffer when you’re using it off-road or on unsurfaced rights of way.

But to do it properly is a professional job costing several hundred pounds.

Autoglym’s Rapid Ceramic Spray, on the other hand, costs £19.99 for a 500ml bottle.

Admittedly, it produces what the company calls a ‘ceramic-like coating’, which you can interpret as you wish, but it does claim to provide ’maximum resistance against the natural environment’ for up to three months.

It’s also tropical-scented, apparently.

Just what you need after sloshing through a farmmyard full of wet cow slurry And you just need a couple of squirts per panel. It doesn’t claim to prevent brush rash, but then real ceramic coating doesn’t either. Your pays your money and you takes your choice…

4x4

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.

AUGUST 2021 | 23

PRODUCTS

Milner Off-Road celebrates 40 years with business better than ever

W

hen Brexit became a reality on 1 January this year after almost half a decade of uncertainty, Milner Off Road’s parts business was cut significantly. It was an expected shift – but not the

ideal start when celebrating a milestone of 40 years in business.

Having overcome the challenges of Brexit, however – as well of course as those presented by the Covid pandemic – business continues to boom for the Matlock

company in its 40th year of trading.

The 4x4 parts specialist whose founder, Trevor Milner, is something of a legend in off-road racing circles, has a global customer base. But it has had to fight hard to maintain its place as a leading supplier of parts and accessories.

This year, the team at Milners were struck by delays as orders outside the UK had to be paused. These delays dealt a significant blow to a company that stocks more than 640,000 parts at any time in its massive 9936 cubic metre warehouse and ships to almost every country in the world.

Not to be put off by the new tests thrown at them, however, nor indeed by the new practices having to be adopted during the pandemic, the Milner Off Road team rolled up their sleeves and doubled their efforts to make sure their 40th birthday was a special one.

And the results are there for all to see. From January to March of this year, online orders jumped by 30%.

Orders from abroad have opened back up, too – and now the team is busier than ever before.

Carl Prime, Director at Milner Off Road, said: ‘It’s been a very different kind of year for us as a business, as it has for everyone, due to challenges of Brexit and then the pandemic.

But we’ve got a strong team and we’ve done better than ever. We’re now celebrating our 40th year as one of the leading 4x4 parts specialists in the world, looking ahead – and going from strength to strength when you look at our online orders.’

So much of this success is down to Milner’s team of more than 30 members of staff. ‘We wouldn’t be where we are, celebrating this milestone, without our team,’ said Carl. ‘From our research and development team innovating our

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PRODUCTS own new products here in Matlock, to our warehouse crew making sure orders go out on time, everyone has worked so hard, especially over the last year.’

From its humble beginnings all the way back in 1981, Milner Off Road has grown to become a company with a global reputation.

It is now looking to the future, with

more specially designed parts set to become available all the time – while always providing rapid, reliable deliveries of the high-quality parts off-road enthusiasts need.

Left: Company founder Trevor Milner is a legendary figure in the off-road racing scene; his R4 competition vehicle was a fixture at the top of the safari game when it was new.

Above: The company’s own range of parts, which are manufactured in its own factory, is very much at the centre of its future plans

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AUGUST 2021 | 25

PRODUCTS

POWERFLEX ADDS ANTI ROLL BAR BUSHES FOR SUBARU OUTBACK

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

2001 JEEP 2005 Nissan CHEROKEE XJ Navara D22

2018 JEEP 2007 Jeep RENEGADE Wrangler JK

2008 NISSAN 2002PATHFINDER Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ

2006 JEEP WRANGLER 2005 Range TJ Rover Vogue

2011 ISUZU RODEO 2008 Toyota Hilux

2010 MITSUBISHI L200 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee WK

2015 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE 1998 Jeep Cherokee XJ

2012 MITSUBISHI ASX 2008 Range Rover Sport

2013 TOYOTA HILUX 2015 Isuzu D-Max

2004 JEEP GRAND 2018 Discovery CHEROKEE WJ Sport

2015 LAND ROVER 2015 Range DISCOVERY Rover Evoque SPORT

2006 JEEP GRAND 2014 Jeep CHEROKEE WK Cherokee KL

Charlton Recycled Auto Parts Vehicle Recycling Centre, Gravel Pit Hill, Thriplow, Cambridge, SG8 7HZ Tel 01223 832656 Email parts@charltonautoparts.co.uk PLEASE VISIT WWW.CHARLTONAUTOPARTS.CO.UK

26 | AUGUST 2021

POWERFLEX HAS INTRODUCED a new anti-roll bar bush set to suit the 20092014 Subaru Outback.

Available in 23, 24 and 25mm sizes to suit the diameters of the various original equipment bars used on the vehicle, this is ‘an affordable upgrade to improve mid-corner stability and cost-effectively replace old and worn rubber components.’ It’s available in extra-still 95A Black Series material for maximum performance, too; either way, www.powerflex.co.uk is the place to look.

Light where you need it from Ring’s MAGflex inspection lamp MOST 4X4 FANS enjoy working on their vehicles. But working on your vehicle is a lot more fun if you can see what you’re doing.

The Ring MAGflex is, therefore, fun. It’s designed to help you see what you’re doing, even when what you’re doing is in the sort of dark, hidden corners every 4x4 manufacturer seems to enjoy designing in to its vehicles, and since it first came out last year it’s been lighting up the lives of technicians everywhere thanks to the extreme flexibility designed into its body.

This rotates through 360 degrees, meaning you can point it wherever it’s needed. Working hand-held, this lets you figure out all the details of how you’re about to bark your knuckles, then you can mount it in place using your choice from two hanging hooks and two adjustable magnetic bases while you get in there with the tools.

The lamp provides up to 1000 lumens of white light, in a wide-angled beam which can illuminate a large area or focus in on where the action’s happening. Whether under the bonnet or the chassis, or plonked on to a set of ramps, it’s at home.

You can even use it away from your workshop, as it comes with a 12v charging cable as well as the usual mains unit. With the battery fully juiced, it operates cordlessly for a total of up to two and a half hours.

‘The MAGflex Utility Lamp offers more flexibility when it comes to inspection lighting,’ says Ring’s Roisin Gaughan.

It has a wide-angle illumination source and is also portable, powerful and hands-free.’

The MAGflex costs £44.99 and Ring says it’s available from all good motor factors. You can find out more at www. ringautomotive.com.

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RIL3900HP / REIL3900HP

MAGflex Pivot FLEX APPEAL RIL3700HP / REIL3700HP

MAGflex Utility READY FOR ANYTHING

RIL3600HP / REIL3600HP

MAGflex Twist THE GO TO

RIL4000 / REIL4000

MAGflex MULTI ANGLE

RIL3400HP / REIL3400HP

MAGflex Arc COMPACT & TOUGH

A Light For Every Job The Ring MAGflex range of Inspection Lamps As one of the first companies to pioneer LED inspection lamps for garages and workshops, Ring has a rich heritage and a strong reputation in workshop lighting. Bright, portable, rechargeable and resistant to oil, dirt and tough enough to withstand the knocks in a workshop, whatever the job.

Visit www.ringautomotive.com and find the right light for your job.

RUBL1000 / REUBL1000

MAGflex Under Bonnet EXTEND AND ADJUST

/ringautomotive

DRIVEN

RANGE ROVER VELAR S P400E Land Rover’s range-wide roll-out of plug-in hybrid technology continues apace, as its most elegant SUV becomes the latest model to add plug-in power to its existing list of abilities

THE ROLL-OUT of Land Rover’s plug-in hybrid technology continues apace, with the Range Rover Velar becoming the latest model to gain a PHEV option. It uses the P400e powertrain, which combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine with a 17.1kWh battery and 48-volt motor to develop a combined 404bhp and 472lbf.ft.

We tested the vehicle in S form.

Listing from £51,465, this is the second up in a run of four trim

28 | AUGUST 2021

levels, and it includes plenty for your money – including Terrain Optimisation 2, Wade Sensing and All Terrain Progress Control, but not low range. It does have four-wheel drive, though, you’ll be relieved to hear.

Something else the test vehicles on Land Rover’s launch event also had was a bizarre two-tone interior featuring black and dark blue leather that might appeal to some taste’s but certainly didn’t do anything for

ours. The phrase ‘ruins a nice car’ appeared in our notes. Premium suedecloth fabric is available on this model for about a grand more, and we wouldn’t think twice, but each to their own – and there are also several very nice other leather options available that don’t require you to spend any more money (and won’t play havoc with your Velar’s trade-in value), so no harm done.

With that early digression out of the way, let’s concentrate on what the P400e is like to drive. The short answer is that it’s very impressive.

To go into a little more depth, it picks up speed without any hesitation, even if you’re already bowling along at pace. This happens whatever mode you’re in, too. The system has EV, Hybrid and Save settings, allowing you to prioritise electric or petrol power of combine both; what we found was that in terms of performance, it doesn’t really matter which you’re in – it will always be extremely responsive on the throttle,

leaping to attention the instant the pedal goes down.

Obviously, it runs about town in EV mode with that eerie silence you expect from an electric vehicle. The engine is very quiet too, though – in fact we found that there’s little difference in the drivetrain’s refinement wherever the power’s coming from.

The 2.0-litre unit sings out when you give it the boot, but it’s not a nasty noise – and once again it’s very well muted when you settle to a cruise. This does, however, serve to highlight that there’s rather a lot of road noise at speed, and a good bit of wind noise too.

There’s a lot of road noise around town, too, which is just as evident whether or not you’re running solely on electric power. And we felt a constant fussing from the suspension on roads we’d have expected it to deal with better. This particular Velar runs on coil springs rather than air, though our instinct was to look more to the dampers or possibly the

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The Velar’s cabin has always been a slick, calm and pleasing place to be, and that’s as true as ever today. The black and blue colour scheme on our test vehicle definitely won’t be to everyone’s taste (it’s far less subtle than these pictures suggest), but there are plenty of other options available and done right, it’s beautiful 265/45R21 tyres for an explanation.

Either way, we’ve come to expect a much more refined ride from any Land Rover, let alone one with a Range Rover badge on its bonnet.

The coil springs certainly don’t detract from what the Velar can do offroad. Nor does the hybrid drivetrain, though the feeling of overing rough ground in near-complete silence is one you can enjoy whether it’s running in full-EV mode or on petrol power. Obviously, however, the electric motor delivers torque in a way no internal combustion engine ever can, so it feels utterly effortless at low speeds – even when you’re scaling sharp crests or longer, steep hills, the vehicle’s ability to fight gravity without needing to raise its voice never fails to come as a surprise.

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We did notice, however, that when we backed off over the crest at the top of a climb, be it a proper hill or just the sort of raised tree root that asks for an instinctive squeeze of the throttle, the vehicle seemed to surge forward for a moment before the hill descent control kicked in to bring it back. Perhaps this is something you’d get used to, given the chance, and our assumption is that it’s down to a lack of drivetrain inertia and/or engine compression to slow it down the way a lifetime of petrol and in particular diesel-engined 4x4s has trained us to expect, but it certainly kept building momentum for longer than we expected in way that was alarming at times.

The number of people who decide against a Velar P400e based on this should certainly be zero, because

even if it’s a quirk of the vehicle rather than us just not having had enough time to get used to it, the chances of it being relevant in any sort of meaningful way should be… well, zero again. Far better to concentrate on another zero, which is the amount of emissions coming out of the tailpipe when you’re driving to work, school or the shops on nothing but electric power. Use it correctly, and this has the potential to be a tremendously economical premium SUV – and one which sets itself apart from the crowd by dishing up some genuine off-road

ability to go with its wide-ranging off-road skills.

Most of all, that £51,465 price tag actually looks like pretty strong value for what is a totally convincing premium SUV whose style and panache are backed up by seriously good all-round abilities and, in this form, tiny running costs. We weren’t impressed by the ride quality of the vehicle we drove, and its interior proved beyond doubt that taste is a personal thing – but overall, while it’s hardly cheap, you can see the Velar P400e making sense in all sorts of ways.

AUGUST 2021 | 29

DRIVEN

TOYOTA LANDCRUISER Mid-life updates for one of the last traditional luxury off-roaders include a new engine and modernised tech – but it’s still the truck that matters ON TEST Toyota Landcruiser Invincible

T

he Toyota Landcruiser is a global off-road legend.

That’s mainly down to the big, no-nonsense trucks that have plied their trade around the world’s most extreme environments for seventy years and

counting, but in Britain it’s mainly been sold as a premium machine.

It’s fairly obvious that Land Rover’s overwhelming dominance here has had a lot to do with that.

However in the wake of the old Defender going out of production,

Toyota GB started bringing in a stripped-back Utility version of the current 150-Series model. We thought Britain’s off-roaders would gobble it up, but whatever sales it achieved weren’t enough to stop the Utility spec from being dropped again for the current model year.

This happened as part of a midlife update, introduced late last year, which also saw the Landcruiser gain a new 2.8-litre diesel engine, additional safety equipment and a much improved multimedia system. All passenger models now have automatic transmission as standard, too; the Commercial variant, which also gains the new engine, remains available in Utility trim and this entry-level model also retains a manual box.

Driven here, however, is the range-topping Invincible model. This is a premium seven-seater with all the equipment and luxuries we’ve come to expect; priced at £57,490, it’s hardly cheap – however this is only about four grand more than the entry-level Land Rover Discovery and ten more than the top of the Kia Sorento range, so you wouldn’t call it greedy.

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY Not a huge amount has changed in the Landcruiser’s cabin. It was excellent and it still is – however now it has a media system which, as well as looking better

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Compared to Toyota’s current SUV offerings, the Landcruiser’s cabin has the upright, geometrical lines of a traditonal truck. The highlight of the revised model is a new multimedia system, accessed through an 8.0” touch-screen, which works well without feeling as special as you might hope. The upper cabin trim is light in colour, which helps prevent the vehicle from feeling funereal inside, but previous Landcruisers were offered with a beige leather treatment and the loss of that option feels like a step backward than before, has more modern functionality with the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It’s operated through an 8.0” touch-screen, so it’s not as big as some rival systems, and the graphics aren’t quite as special as you might hope, however it’s quick and easy to navigate around. It’s nicely integrated into the upper facia, too, even if a large amount

of the glazed area is taken up by physical buttons.

There’s no doubt that it’s more in keeping with the Landcruiser’s status than the old system, however. High-spec models have always given you a tremendous amount of toys, and so it remains.

The list is a long one, but highlights include heated seats for the front and second rows, the fronts also

Cabin space is excellent, with loads of headroom and elbow room all round. The second row slides, meaning four adults can ride in great comfort – or all can yield a little to make room for the third row of seats to join the action. For carrying cargo, it’s even more impressive – there’s an enormous boot in five-seat mode, and the second row drops as good as flat to create a van-like loadspace

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being chilled; there’s climate control, of course, with individual settings for the rear, the steering wheel is heated and the seat leather is in keeping with the overall sense of old-school luxury.

We’re forever sitting in leather seats and saying we’d like to see a really high-quality fabric option instead, and on the few occasions when we get to experience such a

thing it tends to bear us out. That would perhaps be a leap of faith for Toyota, but previous Landcruisers have at least offered the option of beige leather rather than the slightly overwhelming black that’s the only choice now.

The seats themselves are comfortable, however, and there’s plenty of space as well as a good view of the world around you. The

DRIVEN

bonnet is shaped to let you see what’s immediately in front of you and there’s also a camera that kicks in during off-roading, all of which helps, but in general an excellent seating position and lots of glass can hardly help but add up to a good, commanding view. There’s a reversing camera, too, though this doesn’t provide a brilliant picture and the lens is prone to collecting road dirt.

In the back, the second row of seats slides back and forth, allowing you to carry four tall adults in stretched-out comfort or squeeze up a bit to make room for a couple of smaller passengers in the back.

A family with five kids would be no problem to it, but a rugby sevens team travelling from their leafy Surrey base might find themselves

in a less than mobile state by the time they finally make it to the Scottish Borders.

With the third row down, the Landcruiser offers massive accommodation with an equally massive boot. The floor is completely flat and the big, side-hinged rear door opens to reveal a huge aperture for loading bulky items. If they’re really bulky, meanwhile, the second row drops very close to flat. There’s a slight slope in the floor all the way from what is quite a high rear lip, and a small step when you reach the tumbled second row, but you can’t help but admire the sheer space you’ve got to play with.

The provision of a 100W power inverter on the trim wall in the boot is admirable too, though it would

be better if it wasn’t designed for Euro plugs. Shoving in an adapter is hardly a chore, but at £57,490 it would be nice not to be left wondering why you’re having to.

DRIVING The big change here is the new engine. It’s a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel, as was the one it replaces, which is going to cause all sorts of fun and games when this model year starts filtering through into the used market, but that won’t trouble your mind when you’re driving it.

What will trouble your mind is the worry that there’s something wrong with your hearing. Because driving a truck like this at motorway speeds has never, ever been so quiet. The engine, which has a

muted bark under hard acceleration, becomes completely silent once you’ve got it up to a cruise – but what’s really remarkable on a vehicle with these proportions, these angles and such big wing mirrors is that somehow, they’ve managed to tune it acoustically so that there’s basically no wind noise at all on the motorway. Our notes include the words ‘I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like that in a truck – it really is incredibly impressive’, and we don’t say stuff like that without meaning it.

With so little noise coming from anywhere else, you do hear a bit of a rumble from the tyres and the occasional moment of suspension noise. By and large, though, it’s extraordinarily quiet at speed – not just for a truck but full stop.

The old 2.8 D-4D engine has been replaced by… the new 2.8 D-4D engine. This develops 201bhp and 369lbf.ft, the latter from 1600rpm, and the effect is there to be seen. Mated as standard to an automatic gearbox, it pulls very strongly at all speeds and accelerates with real purpose, whether in gear or in kickdown, making overtaking moves as easy as we’ve ever experienced in an off-road truck. More than that, it’s incredibly refined, becoming near-silent on the motorway

32 | AUGUST 2021

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Ride-wise, the live rear axle thumps now and then and there’s a certain amount of fussing from the front on poorer road surfaces.

It’s not intrusive and unpleasant, but it’s there. This is an area in which trucks tend to differ most noticeably from SUVs; so long as you understand what it is you’re driving, it’s no problem at all.

With 201bhp and 369lbf.ft, the latter from deep down at 1600rpm, the new engine pulls very well. It does feel as if some of that output is going towards keeping the auto box wound up (Commercial models with the manual unit are tuned to produce less torque), but it feels urgent and commanding when pulling away from low speeds, with plenty in reserve.

Where you really notice the difference between it and the old engine, however, is during overtaking. It kicks down instantly when asked, but there’s so much torque on stream that as often as not it gathers all the pace it needs without needing to drop a

gear, making it a very confidence inspiring vehicle in which to pass slower traffic.

That’s a welcome difference to the norm for diesel off-roaders, and you discover another when you start pushing the Cruiser through corners. With its full-time four-wheel drive and cutting-edge traction aids, there’s so much grip that having a road accident would take something approaching malice aforethought, but what’s really surprising is the agility it adds on top. The steering has enough feel and weight to keep you abreast of what’s going on and the lack of body roll is eye-opening.

In particular, it sits very upright without ever giving you the feeling of a heavy weight fighting against itself. Its body movements feel fluid and natural; it sounds ridiculous, but we actually found ourselves attacking the apexes on the way into corners.

Off-road, we tackled a variety of interesting real-world conditions in our Landcruiser. This was back around the end of winter, and high

up in the Peak District, and we were staggered to find ourselves confronted by snow-bound roads. Staggered but delighted, needless to say – and also a little apprehensive, but the Cruiser romped through with relish. We didn’t find anything to push its suspension beyond the limits of its articulation, however –thought that’s saying something as we did twist it up a long way on terrain that normally has vehicles waving wheels in the air.

In Invincible form, the Landcruiser has a limited-slip centre diff, a rear locker and modulated

air suspension at the back. There’s the now-familiar package of MultiTerrain Select and Crawl Control, too, however to us these are things that were only invented in the first place because manufacturers were moving away from traditional offroad engineering. In the Landcruiser, they add some party tricks to a performance whose strengths are built on the age-old qualities of a proper chassis, proper back axle and proper low-range gearing. Fit a set of mud-terrain tyres and this is a truck that’ll go almost anywhere without you ever having to touch the off-road drive mode dials.

★★★★★

Toyota Landcruiser Retains all the skills that made it a great off-roader, and now even better than ever on the road The Landcruiser’s new engine adds to the strengths it already had, turning a truly great vehicle into an even better one. You may or may not want all the luxuries, and we mourn the passing of the Utility model – but as a truck, it’s crushingly strong in every area and incredibly good on the road

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DRIVEN

FORD TRANSIT CONNECT ACTIVE If you want a cool SUV but life has forced you into driving a panel van, the good news is that Ford has the answer – just so long as you’re sure you’re asking the right question…

FORD’S ACTIVE PACKAGE is its way of giving a dose of SUV attitude to its passenger cars. The Fiesta and Focus have both had the treatment – which might feasibly seem strange to you, given that real SUVs tend to be quite big things for people with families and the company has some big things of its own like the S-Max and Galaxy that would seem ideal for a dose of off-road styling.

Most recently, it’s another kind of big Ford that’s gained the Active option. The company’s vans need no introduction, though they might need some explaining as the range includes the Transit Courier, Transit Connect, Transit Custom and Transit. That’s before you consider the Transit Custom Kombi and Transit Minibus people movers, the Tourneo Connect and Tourneo Custom MPVs and the Transit Custom Nugget camper van. Whatever you want, if it’s van-shaped Ford sells it.

This includes the aforementioned vans that look like SUVs. The Transit Connect and Transit Custom can both be had in Active form; the latter is also available in Trail trim, which actually has four-wheel drive, and so too is the Transit itself, though these are presented as higher-mobility working vehicles rather than lifestyle motors.

So anyway, now we’ve got all that crystal clear, here’s the Transit Connect Active. It’s a small panel van, the sort that you’d imagine being ideal for a tradesman who doesn’t have to carry bulky tools or materials. There’s a choice of two wheelbases and in Active form the standard 1.5-litre, 120bhp

diesel engine can be mated to a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Tested here is the long-wheelbase model with the auto box. And let’s start with that. The engine is quick enough, with plenty of torque to get it moving even when laden, and it feels smooth and very easy to drive. The auto box often feels as if it’s never going to change, however, to the point where general tooling around becomes unsettling.

Happily, there’s a shift button on the side of the gearstick. After about five minutes behind the wheel, we found ourselves driving along with one hand permanently sat there as we flicked it up and down. Time it right and the box responds pretty well to this, to the point where it actually becomes quite enjoyable to drive. Trying to get around town in what you’ve just

All Connect Active models get a 1.5-litre diesel engine producing 120bhp. The only option is whether you go for a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic gearbox; our test vehicle had the latter, which adds £1200 to the price

36 | AUGUST 2021

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The cabin is spacious and well equipped, with heated seats, dual air-con and a high-spec infotainment system. There’s plenty of stowage space, too, and a comfortable ambience that feels like it was created for people who spend a lot of their lives behind the wheel. We wouldn’t bother with the optional third seat in the centre, though – just look at how close it is to the shroud around the shifter and imagine having to sit in it…

turned in to an eight-speed manual is quite a busy process, though.

It works better in auto mode on A-roads and motorways, where the steering and suspension are set up to make it an inoffensive companion. It never feels as it if’s going to get light at the front, so as vans go it handles convincingly – though you need to recognise that despite its SUV-like styling, it’s not made to go off-road in any meaningful sense at all.

What the Active spec pack gives you is a black mesh grille, wide body mouldings, roof rails and 17” machined and painted alloys. Inside, you get dual-zone air-con, a rear-view camera and Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system, complete with DAB radio, USB and Bluetooth connections, voice control and smartphone mirroring via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

This is accessed through a decent touch screen mounted in a housing that protrudes up from the top of the dash, making it stand out without looking ungainly.

What will be ungainly is the position taken up by anyone who sits in the middle of what, on the vehicle we tested, considers itself to be a threeabreast cabin. The Connect Active comes as standard as a two-seater, and that’s how we’d keenly advise you to leave it. Ours had been upgraded to include a centre perch about one buttock wide and no knees long; the shroud for the gear shifter is literally no more than an inch or two in front of it. To call it ‘occasional’ would be generous.

Headroom, on the other hand, is immense, and both leg and elbow room are fine in the driver’s and main passenger’s seats. The view out is good, too, and the seats are both heated and trimmed in a fabric that feels both

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comfortable and tough enough to endure life. It feels like it’s been designed for people who spend an awful lot of time behind the wheel, with plenty of features to keep them fresh, relaxed, entertained and connected to the world.

There’s no shortage of places to stow stuff, either – including on a massive shelf at the top of the windscreen that’s big enough to stash things like a laptop, lunchbox or that van driver’s must-have, a baseball bat. When it comes to carrying real loads, obviously, it’s a van, with a sliding nearside door as well as wide-opening rear doors.

Again, what it’s not is an off-roader. But if that’s not a deal-breaker, the hint of SUV image it brings makes it a stand-out alternative in a very crowded panel van marketplace.

That just leaves you to decide whether said SUV image is worth £25,846 plus VAT. That’s a premium of £1800 over the Limited model on which the Active trim is based, so if you want a van that looks a bit like an SUV it shouldn’t be hard to justify to yourself.

We’d save £1200 by doing without the automatic box, however. And we certainly wouldn’t spend even one penny on the dual passenger’s seat.

Mainly, though, if the did a version of the Connect with this attitude and the genuine off-road ability of the Trail drivetrain, we know exactly where our money would be going…

AUGUST 2021 | 37

MODERN CLASSIC Jimmy Whitmore is the kind of petrol head who loves anything on four wheels – just so long as it’s interesting. With a background in engineering and a thirst to be innovative, you won’t find him doing pile-it-high rebuilds. That’s why his Range Rover Classic manages to be convincingly modern –while still retaining the no-nonsense vibe of the original Words and pictures: Dan Fenn

N

ot long after Jimmy Whitmore finished building his 1986 Range Rover Classic, he drove it into his local town and parked up to go to the shops. As he was getting out, a young couple came walking past.

‘That’s nice,’ remarked the woman, gesturing at Jimmy’s truck.

‘Yes,’ said the man. ‘It must be the new Range Rover.’

Now, there is indeed a new Range Rover due out sometime in the next year. And perhaps the chap knew more than he seemed and thought it might be a cleverly disguised development mule. Or maybe he was just dazzled by the standard of the rebuild Jimmy’s done and, oblivious to what Range Rovers have become over the last couple of decades, thought it really was a new one.

Either way, it’s safe to Jimmy was pretty happy with what he heard.

He didn’t rebuild his Rangey as an out-and-out off-roader, or an out-andout street machine, or an out-and-out concours classic, but as a nice old four-door made right and brought into the modern world.

There are people in this world who have learned how to make a living by restoring Land Rovers to a formula and putting huge tickets on them. Jimmy is not like that. Coming from a family with a seam of engineering brilliance running deep and wide through it, he combines enormous knowledge with a maverick spirit and, in particular, a heartfelt love of cars.

He’s got time for any vehicle with a bit of soul to it. Which of course means he’s mainly into older ones. When we visited his yard, on a farm near Exeter, we were greeted by a sight to stir the soul: classic Jaguars, Mercedes and a Rover P5 all in various stages of being brought back to life, a couple of Japanese 4x4s, a Volkswagen Caddy with a tremendouslycolourful history involving everything from winning a race against an F-Type SVR to being used as a makeshift bedsit…

His current daily is a first-generation Scirocco. In the workshop, the remnants of an old SL-Class Merc are being grafted on to a Mk4 Chevy Corvette. You get the idea.

38 | AUGUST 2021

‘I bought it in London. It had the hookiest MOT I had ever seen – I thought it was going to kill me numerous times on the drive back to Devon!’

‘I’m not so much into off-roading now,’ he says, ‘but it was a big part of my life growing up and as a younger adult. I like tuned classic Jaguars and burning off sausage wagons on the autobahn, or at least I did before the virus. I had epic times on enduro bikes, including a 1994 KTM LC4 Dakar 620 and a Yamaha XT600 called Wendy the Wonder Bike which I rode coast-to-coast in the US when I was 20 – a solo trip, all off-road or back roads, on the northern route through California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and so on. I’ve driven 4x4s all over Europe, especially Scandinavia, and the USA, and I also

40 | AUGUST 2021

had a mental Baja Bug that spent a lot of time airborne in the Rocky Mountains!’

His story includes plenty of Land Rovers, too. Most of them capable of making a rivet-counter’s blood run cold. Most things Jimmy builds have a touch of the street fighter about them

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AUGUST 2021 | 41

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Left: The engine is a 3.5 EFi with a little extra help from a K&N air filter and Piper mild road cam. That’s not all, though – it’s been fully rebuilt, with all the shells, bearings, rings, lifters, timing chain and so on replaced with OEM quality parts. All cast components were chemically cleaned, too, while the heads were also rebuilt and the timing case was replaced with a new unit.

Further upgrades include a high-capacity oil pump and metal head gaskets Above: The LT77 gearbox has been completely rebuilt with new main, lay and primary shafts. The transfer box, meanwhile, which is what you’re looking at here, has been upgraded to a new chain-driven Borg-Warner unit with a viscous coupling – that P5, for example, is going to go back together with the 4.6-litre V8 from a let’s-go-mental-era Rover 75 under its bonnet. And when he starts talking about the rear-wheel-drive, TVR-engined Series IIA he built for a friend who wanted something for destroying Porsches in London, you know you’re dealing with someone who’s in it for the love of driving.

That wasn’t the only one he reimagined, either.

‘I had a military 110 which I stripped and rebuilt with a custom rear crossmember and powder-coated chassis,’ he tells us. ‘It ran a Cumins 4BD1T tuned with large turbo and intercooler

(300bhp and 610lbf.ft), Santana 5-speed gearbox, LT high-ratio transfer box and high-ratio Salisbury axles front and rear. It would do 115 at 3100rpm!

‘I drove it all over Europe and Scandinavia many times. But it ate gearboxes, so I moved away from Land Rovers and big power.’

What followed was a lengthy spell back in the worlds of classic restoration and hot-rod building.

But you’re never recovered, only recovering, and so it proved when a temptingly low-mileage Range Rover came up for sale.

‘It’s got 43,600 original miles and three owners including me,’ says Jimmy. ‘It had spent most of

its time hanging out in a hay barn, as the original owner did the gearbox output splines by towing a heavy horsebox around in high range.

‘I bought it from a copper in East London. It had the hookiest MOT on it I’d ever seen and I thought it was going to kill me numerous times on the drive back to Devon. It turned out he’d changed a number of parts like A-frame ball joints and radius arm bushes and had failed to do anything up more than finger tight…’

Time for a chassis-up rebuild, then. Not something you’d expect to be necessary at 43,600 miles, but that’s 35 years of abuse, neglect and

Above left: The front axle gained new kingpins and rebuilt swivel housings, seals and bearings. In addition to the steering guard, there’s a bolt-on diff guard to deflect impacts away from the delicate bits. The back axle, meanwhile, was entirely rebuilt in a brand new OME casing Above right: The Rangey’s suspension has been lifted, but not excessively. It’s on +25mm front and +50mm rear light-duty coils, combined with Gaz shock absorbers and Powerflex polyurethane bushes all round. While refurbishing the vehicle, Jimmy removed all the suspension components to be chemically cleaned and repainted prior to going back on Left: Underneath, the bolt-in crossmember beneath the gearbox has been replaced by a tubular military unit

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AUGUST 2021 | 43

Above: These days, steel bull bars on new vehicles are about as acceptable as reruns of Jim’ll Fix It on primetime TV. But back when the original Range Rover was still being built, a 4x4 was considered naked without one. Jim fabricated his own as part of a custom front bumper; there’s a stainless steering guard under there too, as well as a wonderfully retro touch in the shape of two original Lucas 20:20 driving lights Right (opposite page): The rear bumper was fabricated in a similar style to the front. There’s no bull bar this time, but the tail lights are tucked in behind a nifty set of protectors Left: Box-section rock sliders with lugs for a high-lift jack tell you that while this is a slickly revived Classic, it’s also a vehicle designed to be well and truly fit for purpose

44 | AUGUST 2021

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Chassis corrosion? Here’s the thinking man’s answer…

rubbish maintenance for you. The chassis itself has never been welded, so having been stripped right down it was shot-blasted and repainted to make it like new.

What you won’t see under the vehicle is a layer of wax. That’s because Jimmy has installed an unusual modification he learned about while working on boats. A 5mm sacrificial plate is welded to the chassis with two M12 studs to mount a magnesium anode; copper cables run from this to the chassis, body, engine and battery earth terminal. ‘This stops electrolytic action happening where different metals make contact in the vehicle structure,’ he explains. ‘It also stops galvanic reaction happening on electrical contacts, which makes the vehicle’s electrical system reliable.

This is the bet thing you can do to protect an aluminium-bodied vehicle against corrosion.’

The Range Rover’s body was in almost as good a condition, with no more than a bit of minor welding being needed behind the headlights and front inner arches. The panels were all stripped, with the old paint chemically removed, and fully etch-primed before being repainted. The colour, which you’re unlikely to recognise, is Dark Bronze Mist metallic – it’s from the Cadillac palette, and Jimmy chose it because he wanted something more modern that still didn’t look a million miles away from an original Range Rover hue.

Under the bonnet, the 3.5 EFI engine was fully rebuilt with all the cast components chemically cleaned. Jimmy used OEM-quality parts throughout – things like the shells, bearings, rings, lifters and timing chain – and added a Piper mild road cam, metal head gaskets and a K&N air filter to make it go nicely. Which it does – while also making a lovely noise. He describes it as sounding like ‘a baby TVR,’ which might seem to be the wrong way round but, when you consider the racket a Griffith or Tuscan was capable of kicking

Every now and again, we come across something the likes of which we’ve not seen before. Not bimetallic corrosion on Land Rovers – we’ve DEFINITELY seen that before – but the use of a galvanic anode to prevent it.

These are common in the maritime industry, and as a way of protecting metal structures designed to be buried under the ground. They work by introducing a third kind of metal into the circuit, which needs to be more ready to give up its electrons than the existing two.

In this case, we have the mild steel of the Range Rover’s chassis and underbody and the aluminium of its panels. Welded to one of the main rails is a 5mm plate with a magnesium anode mounted to it via two M12 studs. Copper cables run from the anode to the chassis, body, engine and battery earth terminal.

‘This stops electrolytic action happening where different metals make contact in the vehicle structure,’ explains Jimmy. ‘It also stops a galvanic reaction from happening on the electrical contacts, which makes the vehicle’s electrical system reliable. This was my own idea – it’s the best thing you can do to protect an aluminium bodied vehicle against corrosion.’

Galvanic anodes are also known as sacrificial anodes, because it’s the material you’ve introduced into the circuit that does the corroding. This does mean they need to be replaced every now and again; the McDuff unit you see in the picture above, which is intended for use on inshore boats, costs about thirty quid to buy and in an application like this can be expected to last long enough between replacements to basically count as free rustproofing.

Nothing too aggressive here – but it’s not just classic-car road rubber, either. In fact, if you’re of the Boggers-or-bust persuasion you’d be agog at what a proper 4x4 and a skilled driver can achieve on a compromise tyre like the BFGoodrich All-Terrain

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AUGUST 2021 | 49

If you’re looking for upgrades, there’s not a lot to see here. The cabin is, simply, very original and in excellent condition. The wood trim on top of the floor console is non-standard, as are the matching turned gear knobs; whether you like them is very much down to personal taste (the original timber on the doors is rather more muted, certainly), but one thing surely nobody’s going to argue with is the sound system, which has been upgraded to one from this side of the millennium

up, is actually quite accurate. It’s restrained but not muted, rude but not obscene.

This points up the importance of relatively small things in getting the best from an engine.

It’s easier to count up the number of people who’ve not done a K&N, but the metal gaskets are less of a well known way to get more power from your engine. Similarly, Jimmy has installed Sumo steering bars – not because he intends to go off-roading in the sort of conditions that need ultra-strong components here, but because they help give the vehicle more feel on turn-in.

If you’re dismissing this in your mind as a load of old waffle, we drove Jimmy’s vehicle and we can report that you’re wrong. The only Range Rover we’ve ever experienced that handled as sharply as this one was factory-built in the 1980s for a works entry into the Paris-Dakar Rally which, sadly, never came to fruition.

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Has it occurred to you yet that you’ve never seen a Range Rover in this colour before? Well it has now… The panels were stripped and all the old paint chemically removed before they were fully etch primed and repainted in Cadillac Dark Bronze Mist – a metallic shade used around 20 years ago on the gone-and-almost-entirely-forgotten Seville STS

The LT77 gearbox was completely rebuilt, too, and the transfer case was upgraded to the later Borg-Warner chain-drive unit with a viscous coupling. Jimmy says this ‘dramatically improves roadholding and off road ability,’ and that along with the sacrificial anode it’s one of the best things he’s done on the vehicle.

Another is the use of castor-correction bushes on the suspension, which went on when the axles, brakes and so on were being built back up. So too did +25mm front and +50mm rear springs, Gaz shocks and a full polyurethane bush kit from Powerflex, giving the Range Rover a subtly tougher stance and tightening up its handling still further.

The result? A Range Rover which still looks acceptably original but is also somehow more modern in its appearance – and dramatically improved in the way it drives. It’s definitely cool, but it’s not a tart’s handbag the way some resto-mods can be, with an interior that’s largely original and none the worse for it. You could use this Rangey as a daily driver, a work truck or a toy, or as all three, and it would be in its element in each case.

And when we say you could do these things with it, that’s not just us speaking hypothetically.

That’s because Jimmy, and his apprentice Calen, rebuild vehicles for more than just the fun of it.

He might not be one of those people who make a living by restoring Land Rovers to a formula and putting huge tickets on them, but he does build vehicles to sell – sometimes to customers’ specifications, but mainly because the way he likes them seems to appeal to people who know what they’re looking at. Which means that for £45,000, this robustly rebuilt low-mileage Range Rover could be yours.

A lot of money? Well, for double that you could go to a company with a fancy website and get one with an interior that looks like Lady Gaga’s wardrobe. And paying less is definitely an option, though only if you go somewhere that’s either doing it at a loss or not putting in the sort of work this one’s seen. ‘I’d have made more money working with the slaves in the hand car wash,’ laughs Jimmy. ‘These things are a stupid amount of work and money to make good.’

So when this one has sold, he’ll go back to classic Mercs and Jags, then, will he? Well, yes, in as much as he’ll keep on doing what he does: ‘If you want something building which isn’t gash, I’ll make it,’ could win an award for the pithiest marketing slogan in the history of the car world.

But he’ll also keep on doing what he does in other ways, too. Future plans are almost too many

to list, but here’s one: ‘Build a 110 with Dana axles, a Corvette C5 LS1 power plant and Allison air shift box. Much better!’ As we said, you’re never recovered, only recovering. Rivet-counters of the world, watch out…

If you like the look of this Range Rover, or you’ve got a project of your own that you’d like to talk about, Jimmy is on 07522 618509. Just don’t expect him to sell you it for sweeties… or indeed to build you anything, er, gash…

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LIVING THE DREAM John Morgan is one of Britain’s best known off-road driving instructors. And when he’s not off-roading for a living, he likes nothing more than… to go off-roading. He’s living the dream, you might say – and when you see the Jeep Wrangler he’s doing it in, you may well conclude that he’s driving the dream, too Words: Paul Looe Pictures: Harry Hamm

J

ohn Morgan is a well known figure in the off-road world. He’s one of Britain’s leading driving instructors, with a huge roster of clients from a wide variety of professional fields, and he’s also the man behind Slindon Safari – a long-running and incredibly popular playday site near Chichester which opens its doors twice a month.

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But he’s more than just an off-road pro. He’s a man who, you might say, is living the dream – because he makes his money by doing what is a lifelong passion.

Like most people in the off-road training game, John has had a lot to do with Land Rovers. But a decade or so years ago, he broke the habit of a lifetime and built a modified Jeep Wrangler TJ

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as his off-road weapon for work and play. A few years after that, he did the same thing with a Toyota Hilux. And alongside the regular 4x4s, he’s had a steady stream of quad bikes which he uses for everything from marshalling on open days to going on green laning holidays in Wales.

Yes, he’s a man who does off-roading for a living, day in, day out – then when it’s time to kick

back and relax, he goes off-roading for his hols.

You’re a little jealous, aren’t you?

His latest chariot is perhaps the logical next step after the aforementioned TJ. About a year and a half ago, he saw a long-wheelbase JK Wrangler Unlimited advertised locally with a nice, low 55,000 miles on the clock, and a deal was duly done.

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AEV’s +2” Dualsport suspension provides just enough lift and loads of travel. Note also the manual sway bar disconnects which free off the front axle to make the most of it Being a 2008 model, it’s from pretty early on in the JK’s lifetime. This is potentially a good thing, though, because those early ones were plated to tow trailers weighing up to 3500kg – a figure which collapsed through the floor when the first round of revisions were made to the vehicle after just two or three model years.

John’s JK does have a tow hitch, and sure enough it’s often to be seen with a trailer behind it. But it was built primarily for off-roading – and whether it’s hitting the lanes, venturing over the Channel to take on the big hills of Marquenterre or just making the most of having the run of Slindon seven days a week, that’s what it’s best at.

You’d say that about any Wrangler, of course, let alone a modified one. Though this example is a Sahara model, rather than the higher-spec Rubicon which Jeep introduced to Britain when the JK was new. With its own list of off-road accessories as standard, the Rubicon is often called the world’s best turn-key off-roader – but John’s proves that any Wrangler is going to put

on a strong showing in the sort of terrain that makes lesser 4x4s cry.

‘I’m not fitting lockers,’ he says. ‘The traction control is excellent and enables the Jeep to climb up my test track at Slindon, through cross-axle holes three to four feet deep, with the front sway bar disconnected.

‘This track is signposted “Tech One” after a very severe test track I drove recently at a military off-road site in North Devon.’ We watched as John demonstrated the truck’s abilities over this and other extremely uneven bits of ground, and he’s right – it rarely needed anything more than just a blip on the loud pedal to coax it over the extreme, wheel-waving axle-twisters.

So it’s more than capable in standard form, as you’d expect of a Wrangler. And that means this one is more than more than capable, because John has added +2” AEV Dualsport long-travel suspension, manual front sway bar disconnects and a set of 285/70R17 Cooper Discoverer STT Pro mud-terrains.

That’s just under 33” in height – nowhere near as big as you can find on Wranglers, but enough to get the job done. ‘I would have liked 35” tyres,’ John admits. ‘But that would have required more lift – as well as changing the ring and pinions. I haven’t had to re-gear it, so the tyre size is okay with the standard diff ratios.’

Something he did have to do when he bought the Jeep was replace its clutch, which was slipping in high gears. The timing belt and water pump were done, too, which is just good sense.

Remapping the engine may or may not count as good sense, depending on what you opinion is of these things. John’s Wrangler is warmed up by a Stage One job, which he installed along with a Sprint Booster.

This is a high-tech box of tricks for vehicles with drive-by-wire accelerators. It converts the digital signal from the Electronic Throttle Control unit and basically translates it into a ‘go faster’ message to the engine’s Control Module. Winner of the Global Media Award at SEMA in 2016, its

Below left: 285/70R17 Cooper Discoverer STT Pros stand just under 33” tall and give the Jeep a taller stance, and loads of traction, without messing too much with its overall gearing. They’re mounted on Type M14 heavy-duty alloys wheels from Mamba Below right: The tyres aren’t huge, at least not by Wrangler standards. All the same, they’re big enough to warrant a heavy-duty steering damper from Old Man Emu

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Above left: Jeep’s 2.8 CRD diesel engine is a solid performer, and it helped take the Wrangler to the masses when the JK was new. Aside from a few extra battery cables for the winch, it looks pretty standard here – though a Stage One remap and adjustable Sprint Booster means the vehicle has much more get-up-and-go than standard Above right: The engine breathes through a home-made snorkel. All too often, such things are made from plastic guttering and look obscenely bad, but this is the business. John only raised the engine’s air intake by ten inches, on the basis that ‘I don’t intend going any deeper.’ It’s positioned just above bonnet, so as to allow better judgement of a safe depth from the driver’s seat

‘I’m not going to be fitting lockers. The traction control is excellent and enables the Jeep to climb up my test track at Slindon, through cross-axle holes three to four feet deep’

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AUGUST 2021 | 53

Above: A stubby front bumper from Rugged Ridge is home to a Superwinch EXP 12 wound with Dyneema rope Below left: The rear bumper is a home-made affair complete with recovery points, LED reversing lights, twin towing electric outputs and a receiver hitch for the drop plate you see here. This is an early Wrangler JKU, from the days when the long-wheelbase model was still plated to haul 3500kg Below right: If you’ve ever had a Suzuki 4x4, of you do your off-roading anywhere along the south coast, you’ll have heard of Rhino Ray. The man’s a bit of a legend, and he doesn’t just work on Suzukis – as these fabricated rock sliders on John’s Wrangler demonstrate

purpose is to cut out the throttle lag you get on so many modern vehicles.

‘It increases the voltage to the ECU for much better acceleration and speed off the line,’ explains John. ‘It totally transformed the performance. Without it, I found a slight lag on the pedal, especially when starting off.

‘You can adjust it from 0-9 with a button on a flying lead. I leave mine at 9 on the road, but

54 | AUGUST 2021

off-road it’s best in the range from 0-3. If you set at 9 off-road, you get a power surge at about 3000rpm which, when hill climbing, makes you airborne at the top. Not really what you want!’

Fitting a Sprint Booster involves connecting it in between the vehicle’s pedal and the position sensor which determines the signal sent to the throttle. ‘It’s a bit of a pig,’ says John, ‘as the module plugs into the top of the accelerator pedal support and you then have to insert the plug for the flying lead one-handed into the existing socket, which is now also on a flying lead.

‘If you were a contortionist, it would be easy!’

Further modifications fitted to the vehicle included an Old Man Emu heavy-duty steering damper, a Superwinch EXP 12 winch on a heavy-duty Rugged Ridge bumper and a

home-made snorkel. Unusually, this raises the original intake by ten inches. ‘It’s just above the bonnet,’ explains John, ‘to enable better judgement of safe depth. I don’t intend going any deeper than that!’

If you know Slindon, you’ll be aware that going a lot deeper than that is something you can do very easily indeed. Fortunately, John really knows Slindon, so he’s able to steer clear of the very gnarliest bits.

Something else John made at home was a rear recovery bumper. This is fitted with a receiver hitch and twin trailer sockets for when he’s taking advantage of that 3500kg plate weight. In between the bumpers are a pair of custom rock sliders, which were fabricated by Rhino Ray – who’s known mainly as a Suzuki specialist, but is also just a general legend in off-road circles down Sussex way.

The Jeep also has a lot of LED lights. Which is the best kind of LED lights to have, obviously. The list includes headlamp replacement units, twin reversing lights and high-level spots mounted at the base of the A-posts. The A-posts are also home to a set of brackets for the door mirrors – so that when the sun is out, the mood’s jaunty and the doors come off the way only a Jeep’s can, the mirrors don’t go with them.

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Above left: There’s LEDs everywhere to be found on this truck. The headlamps have been replaced by a set, there’s a pair used as reversing lights at the back and here, a couple of brackets turn the base of the A-pillars into a handy home for these high-level spots Above right: There are a few things to notice in the cabin. One is that the fabric seats have been replaced with leather ones from a Rubicon.

Another is that the carpets have disappeared, as the leaky roof panels can’t get them saturated if they’re not there any more. You can’t see, but there’s a CB in the box between the front seats – and a Pioneer DAB head unit has been installed to operate through the standard amp and speakers Talking of removing things, the JK Wrangler was famous for its lift-out roof panels. Which in turn makes them famous for something else, especially when you introduce the joys of British weather.

‘When you find six rubber drain plugs under the carpet in the footwells, that should tell you something!’ says John. ‘Mine now has no carpet, so it dries out quickly.

‘Apparently all these JKs leak from the roof panels above the drivers and front-seat passenger’s heads. So, fed up with two inches of water

in all four footwells, I silicone them for the winter.’

The cloth front seats have been replaced with leather ones from a Rubicon, too, which makes them that bit more waterproof.

These are the small details that turn a great 4x4 into your great 4x4. Major modifications like the suspension are at the heart of any build, of course – but the personal touches are every bit as important when all’s said and done.

And it’s all come together exactly as John planned to make this the latest, and possibly the

best, in a long line of trucks that he’s owned. ‘I’m very pleased with the JK,’ he confirms. ‘It has a fast cruising speed on the road and is capable and comfortable off-road.’

And on top of that, it’s the perfect work truck… and the perfect toy. Whether it’s managing a playday at Slindon, laning in Wales or crossing the Channel en route to Marquenterre, John Morgan is a man with the wheels for the job. If you didn’t already think he was living the dream, you should be now.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER Mexico is one of the most popular destinations among American overlanders. For Brits, Pictures: Jen Bright and Gav Lowrie

F

or overland travellers from the USA, Mexico is one of the first destinations they’re likely to head for.

That’s in part due to geography (it’s either Mexico, Canada or a shipping container, after all) but also because the nation south of the border is a fabulously vibrant land with bountiful opportunities to explore.

If you’re a Brit seeing the world, on the other hand, Mexico is less likely to feature on your itinerary.

You might explore South America, or

58 | AUGUST 2020

the USA and Canada, but if you try to travel between one and the other you’ll run into the Darien Gap. Thus Mexico is unreachable from one popular overland destination and a dead-end from another.

It’s worth visiting in its own right, though. That’s what Jen and Gav Lowrie found when they did just that as part of their world tour aboard Ruby, a Defender 110 from the 300Tdi era.

Having crossed the border at Tecate, Jen and Gav set off at a

slow pace down the Baja Peninsula.

Their route meandered from the west to the east of the cape, taking in both the Pacific coast and the Sea of Cortez as they crossed spectacular mountains and deserts dense with cactus, all the while enjoying lush beachfront campsites with view of dolphins swimming in the ocean.

Further on, in the town of Mulegé on the shores of the Sea of Cortez, another wonderful campsite shaded by palm and banana trees saw

an unexpected reunion. ‘Sylvia and Martin, a German couple we befriended in San Quentin, arrived at the same campsite,’ says Jen. And with them and some long-term residents, we had a great few days.’

This is something that happens on the road – you say your farewells when your routes part but then days, weeks, even months later, it turns out you were all going the same way after all.

The team arrived in La Paz, the capital of the Baja Sur region, in

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however, an expedition here is a journey of discovery

time for Christmas. It was animated, to say the least. But then on Boxing Day things got even better when they took a boat trip out from the shore to swim with whale sharks.

This kind of excursion can turn out to be an anti-climax, but there was no fear of that on this occasion.

Fully togged up with wetsuits and snorkels, they jumped off the boat – and came face to face with a huge whale shark.

‘Our guide estimated that it was about twenty feet long,’ says Gav.

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‘We swam alongside it, watched it feed and got to hang out with it for a while. It was incredible – definitely one of the highlights of the trip!’

Further idyllic beachfront camping spots followed, including Punta Arena De La Ventana. ‘We had the beach to ourselves for two nights,’ says Gav. ‘In the mornings, we watched the rays swimming close to the shore.’

Having seen in the new year at Los Barilles, it was on to Cabo Pulmo – a national marine park

whose coral reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a perfect place for snorkelling, with a magnificent variety of fish and seals – which you’d think would make it a bit of a honey pot, but in fact the town of Los Cabos was by far the most touristy place Jen and Gav visited in Baja.

And in among all the glorious beachfront camp sites and wildlife encounters, here’s a telling little comment about overlanding. ‘We went to the cinema in Los Cabos

to watch The Greatest Showman,’ admits Gav. ‘It was really enjoyable! The longer we have been travelling, the more we like doing normal things like that.’

Overland fatigue, can that possibly be a thing?

From Cabo, Jen and Gav pointed Ruby towards the coastal town of Todo Santos. Sitting at the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains on the Pacific Coast, this is an artistic hub full of craft shops, restaurants, boutique hotels, restored colonial buildings and galleries hung with local paintings.

If that all sounds touristy again, there’s more to the story. It was here that the globetrotters heard about the works of a voluntary organisation near to their base camp on Las Playitas beach.

‘They release baby turtles back into the sea on a daily basis,’ says Jen. ‘After incubating the eggs on the beach during winter, the volunteers then let them go when they’re ready!’ Always ready to volunteer, the couple just had to get involved.

Using the sand for incubation, three types of turtle nest on the shores of Todos Santos: Black, Leatherback and Olive Ridley.

However, if sand temperatures drop below 26 degrees, the turtles struggle to survive – so volunteers relocate the nesting eggs into a beach-based greenhouse.

‘The turtles are released at sundown,’ says Gav. ‘We all got a bowl containing half a dozen of them – each about 3cm wide. A line was drawn in the sand, near the sea, and this was where we released the turtles that had hatched that day.’

‘It was amazing,’ Jen continues.

‘Gently shaking them out of the bowl and watching them instinctively head towards the sea. The waves would come in and help some of them out to sea, while some others needed a few attempts!’

AUGUST 2021 | 59

We’re not sure whether this sign in the town of Tequila is a welcome or a warning. Either way, it’s bright enough to give you a headache even before you’ve started sampling the potent spirit for which it’s famous…

Camping on the beach must have felt extra special after an experience like this. There was a brief reality check courtesy of some local youths who parked up nearby with music thundering out of their car stereo, but they got bored mercifully quickly and the calm beauty of nature was soon restored.

74 | APRIL 2020

A couple of days later, after five weeks in Baja, Jen and Gav loaded Ruby on to the ferry to the Pacific resort of Mazatlan. They couldn’t have timed it better: this a town with a 15-mile seafront boardwalk, so it’s geared up for fun, and they arrived as preparations were in full swing for the local carnival.

‘The old town was beautiful,’ says Jen. ‘Its historic square, cathedral and buildings were beautifully lit at night. We wandered down to the seafront and saw these crazy cliff divers, who jump 45 feet into shallow water surrounded by jagged rocks!’

Retiring to the comparative safety of their campsite, Gav pulled out

his tools to give Ruby a check-over – a crucial part of the routine on any overland expedition. He found that the UJ was worn on the front propshaft – so, having removed it and hopped into a taxi, he went off to find a local mechanic who was able to replace it using Jen and Gav’s own supply of spare parts.

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With the Land Rover now ready for more action, the route followed the coastline south to the fishing village of San Blas. This was only ever going to be a stopover en route to Guadalajara – but there was still an agenda.

‘At the edge of town was a viewing point where crocodiles were taking a break and basking in the sunshine,’ says Jen. ‘We wanted to do a boat tour through the mangrove marshes to see the wildlife and arranged one for seven o’clock the next morning, but when we got there nobody showed up!’

Deciding to move on rather than try again the next day, they headed further south to their next stopover: the town of Tequila. Origin of the world famous spirit, near the foot of the dormant Tequila volcano, the town is surrounded by fields of blue agave – the main ingredient of the drink. During their short stay in the town, Gav and Jen spent the day

4x4

exploring its cobbled streets and stone architecture, before taking a tour of the oldest tequila distillery in the world.

‘The tour showed us how the agave is prepared and becomes tequila,’ recalls Gav. ‘After the process is complete, the liquor is aged between anything from one year up to eight, depending on the final product.’

Of course, no distillery tour would be complete without a sample.

‘You’re supposed to taste tequila in a certain way,’ explains Jen. ‘First, swill it around the bottom of the glass to see the colour and body.

Then sniff it – both at the top and bottom of the glass before sipping it. Hold it in your mouth for three seconds, inhale, swallow, then exhale quickly for maximum taste.’

In a bid to appear cultured, Jen decided not to finish every glass in the tasting. That’s what she says, anyway. Gav has a rather different

version: ‘I had to remind Jen later on that by glass three, her chin was in the glass whilst her nose was sniffing thin air! By glass four, she had decided not to leave a drop and knocked the whole thing straight back, before finishing mine and going back to the other glasses and finishing them off too!’

You may well be able to relate to this. In which case, when we described tequila as ‘world famous’ above, you might well have been thinking ‘infamous, more like,’ or words to that end…

Next up was Guadalajara, Mexico’s second oldest city. This is home to a twin-towered cathedral, Latin America’s biggest indoor market (Mercado San Juan de Dios) and Hospicio Cabanas – a UNESCOlisted former orphanage with fiery murals by Jose Clemente Orozco.

‘In the parks,’ says Gav, ‘people were hula-hooping, skipping, doing yoga, cycling, running – you name

it! The roads are closed for a period to cars, and people relax on the streets. They call it Recreational Sunday – it was brilliant to wander among the local families enjoying themselves.’

The local speciality here is torta ahogada, a sandwich filled with deep-fried pork and fresh onions and bathed in spicy sauce. Jen’s verdict: ‘It’s absolutely delicious!’

We’re not sure if she had the munchies by this point, though…

Another 180 miles, composed mainly of extortionately expensive toll roads, took the team to Morelia in central Mexico. Sitting at the foot of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range, this is another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

‘Morelia is one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico,’ says Jen. ‘And it’s not really on the well-trodden path, so you can walk around without bumping into the flip-flop crowds!’

APRIL 2020 | 75

The Mexicans love a festival, and the light show at the church in Morelia pulled in big crowds.

As for Christmas, it’s a big deal here too – though we bet you’ve never seen festive decorations like these before…

In its centre, Morelia has more than 200 buildings made from the pink stone that’s synonymous with the region. ‘Our favourite was the stunning pink cathedral in the centre of town,’ says Gav. ‘It was beautifully lit at night and was just as beautiful on the inside. There’s a monumental organ, imported from Germany in 1905, which was the largest organ in the western hemisphere at the time.

It consists of 4600 flutes and pipes!’

The couple also met up here with Ken and Fi, two other travellers who

they’d met in Mazatlan, and together they headed out of town to the El Rosario butterfly reserve. ‘Monarch butterflies arguably take the title of the world’s greatest travellers,’ explains Jen. ‘As winter arrives in the USA and Canada, millions upon millions of these beautiful orange and black butterflies begin a remarkable migration that sees them fluttering 2000 kilometres south to central Mexico.’

The migrating butterflies begin their journey in early October

and arrive in the central Mexican mountains in mid to late November.

They travel at around 12mph on average and cover 80 miles a day.

They can fly up to two miles high and their average journey south covers 1800 miles. At peak times, the number of butterflies can reach into the tens of millions.

The journey out to the reserve took three hours, and then it was a 45-minute uphill walk to reach the area where the butterflies congregated. But it was worth it.

Wildlife and overland travel go hand in hand, though the classic safari image doesn’t necessarily look like this. The annual migration of Monarch butterflies is a wonder of the animal world, however – and releasing baby sea turtles into the ocean is a classic case of humanity giving nature a helping hand

62 | AUGUST 2021

‘It was truly remarkable to see millions of these butterflies weighing down the branches of trees as they huddled together,’ says Jen. ‘When they flew off, the sky almost went black! When everyone was quiet, you could hear the gentle flapping of their tiny wings.’

‘It gets cold in the mountains in the mornings and evenings, and that’s why they huddle together on the trees,’ continues Gav. ‘Then they fly off when the sun comes out, which warms them up. We watched

Puerto Escondido (above) looks like any other chilled-out beach resort, but it was here that Jen and Gav had to rent a cabana as it was too hot for camping. In Mazatlan (right), jumping in the Pacific is popular – which sounds pretty sensible, except here the preferred way to do it is with a side order of instant death if you miss your target them for about an hour before we all agreed it was time to leave.’

Ken and Fi hit the road a couple of days later, leaving Jen and Gav to enjoy a final night in Morelia watching a firework display over the cathedral – complete with attendant carnival atmosphere. The next morning, it was time to say goodbye to the town, where they had spent a thoroughly memorable week, and head on south towards Patzcuaro.

This is much smaller than Morelia. It’s still a great place to visit, though, with magnificent buildings surrounding huge plazas and a beautiful natural location on the shore of the lake with which it shares its name. Jen and Gav camped at a ranch overlooking the town – which they shared with all manner of guests. ‘There was a variety of animals parading around the campsite,’ says Gav. ‘Horses, turkeys, dogs, hens and donkeys were all hanging around!’

They were sharing with humans, too – including Fi and Ken again, as well as a couple called Roque and Sharon who they had met back in Death Valley. ‘They’re retired and heading to Panama, where Roque is from, to see if they want to resettle there,’ explains Jen. Now, that’s what we call an expedition…

All three vehicles headed on from here towards Zihuatanejo, back on the Pacific Coast. Back down at sea level, the temperatures were much more intense than they had been up in the mountains. ‘The day was spent lying on hammocks under a huge palapa,’ says Gav. ‘We spotted whales out to sea, although it was almost too hot to fetch our binoculars to take a proper look!’

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That night, the group had a farewell dinner in the local restaurant prior to going their separate ways.

It cost a princely £14 for the whole lot of them. If only the toll roads had been such good value…

In Puerto Escondido, Jen and Gav stayed in a cabana as it was simply too hot to camp. Then in Santa Cruz, in the region of Huatulco, the lure of snorkelling took the party to Playa Entrega.

‘It was mid-week, so we expected there to only be a few people there,’ says Gav. ‘But as we drove up, there were hundreds of cars and people, bands, police, everything!

We presumed it was a festival that we weren’t aware of, but a smiley restaurant owner gladly told us:

“It’s the beach’s birthday!”’

Having duly been snorkelling, Gav and Jen chilled out among all the music, beach sports and competition as they soaked up the celebrations prior to sitting down for dinner in an outdoor restaurant. Here they had one of those travel experiences you can’t plan for – which the region was struck by an earthquake.

‘It measured 7.2!’ says Jan. ‘Everything in the restaurant shook and everything started moving around. However it still didn’t put us off our food!’

Thus Mother Nature provided a dramatic end to the Mexican leg of Ruby’s world tour. Fitting, really,

because it had been a spectacular part of their journey – certainly, the nation on the far side of the US border had proved time and time again why America’s overlanders don’t need to travel far from home to enjoy some real adventures.

Ruby’s next stop, however, was another border crossing.

Mexico had been generous in the experiences Jen and Gave had had there, but now things were about to get a little less familiar. As they crossed in to Guatemala, the couple were about to experience a part of Central America that’s even less well known to British travellers…

AUGUST 2021 | 63

64 | JULY 2021

4x4

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C L A S S I F I E D S

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For more information about advertising in 4x4 Magazine contact Ian Argent on 01283 553242 or email ian.argent@assignment-media.co.uk

4x4

AUGUST 2021 | 65

ROADBOOK

CENTRAL POWYS Wooded lanes mix with wide-open trails over austere hills and valleys USING OUR ROADBOOKS Our roadbooks guide you through the countryside on a mixture of surfaced and unsurfaced roads.

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

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

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

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

The responsibility is yours!

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

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

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

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

66 | AUGUST 2021

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

• • • •

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ROADBOOK Mid-Wales is probably the most popular part of Britain for green laning. People come here for an entire week on the trails, and in that time they never have to drive the same one twice. This route combines a selection of classic rights of way with one or two less well known trails, most of which have never appeared in one of our roadbooks before, to create a day’s laning which offers some technical driving and no end of spectacular views over a landscape that starts lush and hilly then becomes ever more rugged as the miles roll by

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AUGUST 2021 | 67

ROUTE GUIDE START FINISH HOW LONG? TERRAIN HAZARDS

OS MAPS

Gladestry (SO 232 551) Elan Valley (SN 938 658) 55.1 miles / 5-6 hours Hilly farmland Other users; farm traffic; dangerous road junctions; potentially deep water; ruts; steep hills; uneven ground; isolation Landranger 147 (Elan Valley & Builth Wells) Landranger 148 (Presteigne & Hay-on-Wye)

is it suitable?

TYRES WEATHER LOW BOX SOFT-ROADERS SCRATCHING DRIVING

DAMAGE

Step

SO 232 551

1

Start outside the Royal Oak in Gladestry, which is on the main B4594 through the village. There’s only a very small lay-by outside it, so be prepared just to zero your trip as you roll past. Either way, start with the pub to your right and set off out of the village heading north-east

0.0

Step

SO 216 573

3

Turn left into the farm then follow the track straight ahead between the barns. It looks wrong to start with, but it’ll start to make sense when you see the gate ahead of you leading out of the buildings

3.75

Step

Step

2

4

1.8

Gwaeddel Wethel Tre-wern

1 2

112

At least an all-terrain; unsuited to low-profile sizes Do not use when ground is very wet; unsafe in deep snow or fog Very strongly recommended Unsuitable No real risk of bad scratching Some technical sections; care and discipline needed around cows, sheep and people’s houses Shouldn’t happen unless you make a very major mistake

Proof positive here that you can treat the countryside with total and utter disdain if you happen to own it…

3.9

Step 1 (left): There’s not much room in the pub car park, so be ready to zero your trip as you roll past Step 4: As the knackered building and lavish amount of rubbish illustrate, it’s okay to trash the countryside if you own it

68 | AUGUST 2021

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Step

Step

5

10

4.0

4.4

Step

6

Immediately after Step 5, follow the first track hard right rather than the one through the gate

7

Follow left through the gate then into a long, steep descent – time to get into low box before you start down here

Step

12

Exactly the same deal as Step 11 all over again!

6.0

4.1 Step

11

It’s almost certainly your right of way here, but in the absence of any road markings don’t just assume traffic on the other road will give way

5.1

4.0 Step

Step

Caution past the house – you pass very close to it indeed. Watch out for children and animals and keep the noise to an absolute minimum

Follow the main track

Step

8

13

4.2

6.2

Step

Step

9

14

4.2

7.0 Step

15 7.15

SO 230 551

Caution as the descent starts getting steeper and much more uneven. The water runoff channel which winds it way across the track creates side sloped and a big axle twister; after this, the surface gets rocky. There’s nothing too extreme, but it could get very slippery when it’s wet

Step 14: The tarmac ends at a sort of crossroads. All the other options are bigger and clearer than the right of way, which disappears into the undergrowth ahead

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AUGUST 2021 | 69

Step

Step

16

20

7.2

1.85

Step

17

The next mile or so will look very familiar!

ZERO TRIP

7.6

There are lots of nice looking tracks to the left and right, but just stick to the main one ahead and follow it as it heads up the hill into the distance

Step

21 2.05

Step

SO 215 574

Step

18

Turn left in front of the wooden barn with the Rhos House sign on it

22

There are two gates in quick succession. The second is in fact two gates next to each other – you take the one to the right

0.65

2.2

Step

Step

SO 188 576

19

23

The track on the right is just a faint one through a gate. The one you’re taking is very obvious – you’ll see it way in advance

1.25

2.6

70 | AUGUST 2021

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Step

The track starts getting bumpy

Step

24

27

3.1

3.8

Step

Step

25

28

3.1

3.85

Step

Step

26

29

3.7

5.2

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Stay on the main track – look out for a red waymarker

AUGUST 2021 | 71

Step

ZERO TRIP

Step

30

34

6.0

3.25

Step

31

You’ll pass a grass track and a farm road on the right in the previous mile before this, but don’t go too early – what you’re looking for is a proper road, with a bus stop and an old phone box at the junction

35 3.8

1.7 Step

Step

SO 157 533

Step

32

36

1.75

4.65

Step

Step

33

37

1.95

4.9

72 | AUGUST 2021

Franksbridge Bettws

1 212

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Step

Step

38

44

5.8

Bettws

3

4

11.4

Step

Step

39

45

7.1

Pen-y-Bont

5

Step

40

46

7.3

2.55

Step

SO 110 596

Step

41

There are two gates. Yours is the first – it’s very clearly marked with red waymarkers

47

Step

42

After the farm on the right, the surface deteriorates – it’s not quite a track, but barely good enough to count as a road

1.1

Step

8.65

ZERO TRIP

This may well be the most unexpected one-way road of all time

This is very soon after Step 46.

Caution –it’s a major road

2.55 Be prepared as you start descending –it gets quite steep

Step

48

10.6

2.9

Step

Step

43

49

10.8

4.75

Newbridge-on-Wye 212

Caution – this is a busy road

Newbridge-on-Wye 212

Step 41: There are two gates at the junction – you need to head through the first of them, following the red waymarkers Step 42 (right): This descent gets steep enough to catch out the unwary, so get into low box nice and early

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AUGUST 2021 | 73

Step

Step

ZERO TRIP

58

50 5.3

4.85

Rhayader A470

Step

Step

51

59

0.25

Beulah B4358

6.35

Elan Village 412

Step

52 0.55

Llysdinam

1 2

Step

53 1.9 Step

SN 998 599

54 2.15 Step

55 3.0 Step

This is immediately after Step 55

56 3.0 Step

57

There are two gates next to each other – as it turns out, the one on the right is just a field entrance

3.3 74 | AUGUST 2021

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Step

Step

60

62

6.7

Elan Village

4

10.6

Step

Step

61

63

10.0

11.1

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Take care just after the cattle grid – it’s not clear which road has right of way, so safest to assume the other guy will be thinking it’s his…

JULY 2021 | 75

Step

Step

ZERO TRIP

64

68

11.4

4.45

Step

Step

65

69 Dyffryn Claerwen Valley

1.75 Step

SN 901 616

Follow the track ahead through the gate

4.5 Step

66

70

3.9

4.7

Step

Step

67

71

4.0

5.25

76 | AUGUST 2021

Take it very easy through the farm buildings, then look for the road on the right which runs to the left of the corrugated iron shed

Stay on the main track

Things start getting pretty rocky now, with a series of steps to climb

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Step 75: The ford is quite wide but not especially deep – normally. Be wary of it after a lot of rain, though. Note also that the gate on the far bank opens towards you, so you’ve got to stop far enough short of it to put you in danger of jumping out and getting very wet feet Step

Another series of rock steps

Step

72

77

5.65

11.1

Step

73

And another, though this time you’ve got gravity on your side

Step

78 Pentref Elan Elan Village

5.8 Step

74

11.2 As you drop down to run alongside the river, the trail runs through a series of water troughs

5.9 Step

75

Step

79

Rhaeadr Gwy Rhayader

Arrive at the Elan Valley Hotel for the end of the route and some well earned refreshments

13.4 The ford is quite wide but fairly shallow. Approach with caution after a lot of wet weather, though

6.5 Step

76 6.6 4x4

AUGUST 2021 | 77

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4x4 A Defender 90 gets a new lease of life from a BMW engine, a Suzuki Samurai gets re-engineered for offroad brilliance and Jeep presents its latest stunning custom creation Tested: Kia Sorento diesel and Ford Ranger Thunder Unveiled: what will the INEOS Grenadier look like on the inside?

ON SALE: 13th Aug

hen plunging

Step

down the straight into a water trou gh (right)

71 34

Step Step

13

13.1

12.3 ROADBOOK: A stunning route on the long, high8.75tracks of North Yorkshire a Abbey Strata Florid

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

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10.9

15.

Step Step

43

15

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

13.4

11.7 Step

Step

16

44

11.8 Join the Cat A

track

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

13.65

Step

17 12.8

Step

45

Fill in your name and address andStep give this form to your newsagent 14.7 track Drop off the main the gate and immediately before trough water into yet another

●

p Please order 4x4 Magazine and18 reserve/deliver me a copySteevery month

Name Address

12.8

46

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 | AUGUST 2021

4x4

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