July 4, 2019
THE WITNESS
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11
WHEELS
www.witness.co.za
Collectable bakkies ALWYN VILJOEN explains how to convince the boss that actually, this 4x4 is an investment ... THE Isuzu Arctic AT35 and Ford Raptor are both brilliant 4x4 bakkies that stand head and shoulders above their normal stablemates. You know you want one. The problem is just to convince the accounts manager that actually, it’s an investment. But can a 4x4 workhorse, even really good ones like the Isuzu Arctic AT35 and the Ford Raptor, ever become collectors’ cars? Turns out the answer is “definitely” for the Arctic, and “maybe” for the Raptor, although not for the reasons you may think. Auctioneers say for anything to become a collectible that fetches high prices under the hammer, it has to remind buyers of good times; be in showroom condition, and be very, very rare. Good times come built into both the Arctic and the Raptor. They are that big, mountain-climbing, snow-crunching, sunset-chasing, poacher-stopping “lifestyle accessory” all 4x4 vehicles strive to portray in the adverts. The 3,0-litre D-Torque and six-speed auto box in the Arctic do not boast the cutting edge engineering of Ford’s biturbo 2,0-litre or its 10-speed auto, but what the Isuzu loses in not providing the very latest in diesel tech, it makes up for by only providing the most proven tech. Both bakkies ride on 17-inch rims clad in SA’s favourite all-terrain tyre, the BF Goodrich, with the Raptor’s rubber measuring 285/70 while the Arctic stands on 35x12,50 tyres. The aggressive off-road treads and rigid sidewalls on these big wheels do deliver a rumbling ride on tar, but the ride comfort is on par with that of any 4x4 sport utility.
into tomorrow’s few.
The Isuzu Arctic AT35 and the Ford Ranger Raptor in their respective happy places. Both bakkies benefit from Fox Performance suspension and dampers that takes the off-road capabilities of the normal Isuzu D-Max and Ford Ranger to new heights, but each appeal to a very different type of driver. PHOTOS: QUICKPIC Fifty versus thousands The difference in potential future investment values of these two bakkies lie in their future rarity, and here the Raptor’s popularity is its only weakness. To meet demand in Europe, staff at Ford South Africa’s plant at Silverton are working around the clock to send trainloads of Raptors to Coega. Meanwhile, up the road at the Isuzu South Africa plant in Struandale, there are only three artisans working on the Arctic. They can hand-finish about two of these bakkies a week — three if they put in overtime. Isuzu said the aim is to make only 50 Arctics a year. Compare this to Ford, who last month exported 3 559 vehicles, and that was a slow month. The Arctic’s low
production numbers hence ensures its future investment value. There is only one problem — the rule with collectibles is to never open the box. This will be really hard in the Arctic, what with the far side of every horizon calling to be explored in this Isuzu conversion. Once you get there, the Arctic is certainly capable in the rough. Surfing sand and bashing dunes Isuzu was kind enough to invite me to a bit of dune bashing near Cape St Francis in the Western Cape, where it took all of my considerable talents in getting stuck, to stick in the Arctic. I did a similar bit of dune bashing with Ford in the Namib desert near Upington in the Northern Cape, and now rate the sand surfing skills of the Raptor
a smidgeon below that of the Arctic. This is mainly due to the wider torque band from Isuzu’s three-litre engine, which makes its 380 Nm between 1 800 and 2 800 rpm, compared to the Ford’s 500 Nm from 1 500 to 2 000 rpm. Hark the little demon The stoic Arctic does not, however, have the faster Raptor’s built-in little demon, which whispers at you to gooi that corner like Ken Block or jump that little hill like Sarel van der Merwe. Raptor owners who hope to convince the accounts manager they are buying the Ford for a future dividend rather than divine driving pleasure have to place a lot of faith in that little demon to turn today’s many undented Raptors
Let the tats decide As for which of the two excellent bakkies to choose, I say let the tats decide. There is just something in the Raptor that appeals to people who already have their next tattoo design picked out, while the Arctic is for people who like their biggest organ un-inked. Just don’t wait too long. Ford this week upped the price on the Raptor from the introduction special of R786 400 to over R800k, and demand for the 50-a-year Arctic is sure to lead to higher prices in future. And good luck in getting either one. Isuzu and Ford confirmed the waiting lists for both bakkies are already months long, and demand is increasing. For those who do not want to wait, the “normal” D-Max and Ranger bakkies are still excellent and what one loses in potential future returns, one saves right now in lower prices. RAPTOR VS ARCTIC AT35 R803 300............ Price............R785 000 2-litre...................Engine...................3-litre 157 kW.................Power.................130 kW 500 Nm..............Torque..............380 Nm from 1500 rpm...............from 1800 rpm 80 litres.........Diesel tank.........80 litres 8,3......................l/100km......................8,6 220 g/km..............Co2..............227 g/km 283 mm..Ground clearance..268 mm 850 mm......Wading depth......718 mm 6...................Warranty years...................5 120 000........Warranty km........120 000 6...............Service plan years...............5 90 000......Service plan km......90 000 285/70 R17..........Tyres..........255/60 R18
“Parts baskets have soared. An entrylevel Datsun Go, for example, had a total parts basket of R44 372 in 2017. This year it is R63 310, an almost 43% increase. Similarly, the Volvo S60 had a parts basket price from R159 862 in 2017 to the current price of R214 362, a 34% increase,” said Kinsey. The report details
parts in nine types of vehicles, from entry-level city cars to single-cab bakkies and executive saloons. All the Auto Trader “Car of the Year” finalists for 2019 are included. Parts prices are collected in one calendar month, mainly from dealerships in the Durban/Umhlanga/Pinetown area.
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• alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
AA partners with Kinsey to monitor costs of car parts THE Automobile Association (AA) has partnered with Pinetown’s car parts price watcher, Malcolm Kinsey, to release what is now called the AA-Kinsey Report. The last report appeared 18 months ago and Kinsey told Wheels he was shocked at how much prices have escalated since 2017.
W-SERIES: SA’s only racer in the W-Series, Tasmin Pepper (28), is back in Germany for the fourth round of the women’s world championship at the Norisring track on Saturday. “I’m currently eighth in the championship chase among a few girls who are also quite consistent, so the trick is to make a meaningful step forward,” she said. The inaugural W-Series sees 18 women racers from 13 countries compete in identical Taatus Formula 3 cars for a purse of $1,5 million (over R21 million), with the champion banking $500 000 and the balance divided among the rest of the drivers.
SUVs is the best selling category and the report looks at the cost of parts baskets for 30 vehicles, from the cheapest, the Mahindra KUV at just under R188 000, to over R1 million for the likes of the Porsche Cayenne, Volvo XC90, VW Touareg, and the BMX X5. The report is free on www.aa.co.za — WR.
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