The Mud Life - 8 - November 2019

THE MUD LIFE ISSUE 8 NOVEMBER 2019

MAGAZINE

NEWS, REVIEWS & ADVENTURE

Cupra Ateca Dacia Duster Subaru Forester Bentley Bentaga Å koda Kodiaq vRS Land Rover Discovery Jeep Renegade Trailhawk

106 PACKED PAGES!

Flash Drive

Bentley Bentaga V8 pages 48-51

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THE MUD LIFE MAGAZINE

IN THIS ISSUE

DAMIAN TURNER Editor-in-Chief, Writer, Photographer, Reviewer

KAREN LEE TURNER (A.K.A. The Muddy Madam)

Creative Director, Layout Designer, Reviewer

F O L LOW U S

THE TEAM

TURNER'S TORQUE 5 NEWS 6-7 WHAT'S ON 9 CUPRA ATECA 10-15 HONDA FOREMAN TRX520 16-20 SUBARU FORESTER 22-28 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 29-34 DACIA DUSTER 36-41 Å KODA KODIAQ VRS 44-47 BENTLEY BENTAGA 48-51 JEEP RENEGADE TRAILHAWK 52-57 GOODS & GEAR 58-65 GREEN LANING - SUZUKI JIMNY 66-69 MOOCH - OLD COACH LANE 90-93 UNIMOG ON TOUR 76-81 FB PAGE OF THE MONTH 82-83 MOOCH - CALMING THE CRAZY 84-89 DINE OUT WITH DAMIAN 90-91 READER'S RIDES 92-97 PAST JALOPIES - TRAVELLING SMURF PT.2 98-101 RETRO SNAPS 102-103 DIRECTORIES 104-105

FACEBOOK - TheMudLifeMag INSTAGRAM - themudlifemag TWITTER - themudlifemag WEBSITE - www.themudlife.co.uk

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Click on the covers to read any of our past issues

TURNER’S TORQUE A few years ago, when Land Rover last sent me a press car, I took it up a rocky green-lane not far from me. It was an L405 Range Rover so obviously an incredibly capable 4x4.

The Rangie tackled everything with ease, so as slow as I could I began taking the wrong line up a couple of rocky steps that would have flummoxed my old 300Tdi Discovery I had at the time. It was far too easy, the big lump of a thing made it look too easy, and in a way it angered me.

As I was dawdling up the rock-strewn lane I noticed an old Suzuki Jimny behind catching me up. It bounced from rock step to rock step and its owner seemed to be having fun, more than me anyway.

As you can read elsewhere in this months magazine, I was kindly invited on the new Land Rover Discovery Sport launch and it was a similar experience. Press a button, turn the dial and choose a mode, press the cruise control button so the Hill Descent isn’t too fast and it took me everywhere I pointed it.

Arguably there’s no skill in ‘off-roading’ these days, simply trickle on the power and gently let the electronics handle the terrain, quite boring really.

That said, modern vehicles with their new electronic trickery means that on tick-over we’re neither putting the 4x4 or our ever decreasing fragile lanes at risk of damage, so I guess they have their place in our 4x4 world after all.

This is why love green-laning in Deux Smurf, my 23 year old Toyota Surf. I have to read the road ahead, know which line to take as well as how much momentum I need, something I’ve learned over the last 30 years.

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NEWS

NEWS

NEWS

FORD makes a date to reveal Mustang-inspired All-Electric SUV They aren’t giving much away, but Ford have released the first design sketch of its all-new Mustang-inspired, all-electric SUV with the announcement of its full reveal on November 18th, 2019.

The reveal of the all-new vehicle, which will have a targeted pure-electric driving range of around 370 miles (under WLTP regulations), will be live-streamed from an, as yet, undisclosed location in Los Angeles at 3am GMT/CET on November 18th.

Ford’s new all-electric vehicle will be on public display for the first time at the Los Angeles Auto Show 2019 from November 22nd to December 1st..

It’s fair to say that we’re a little excited…

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NEWS Mitsubishi Motors has just unveiled their electrified SUV concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show.

NEWS

NEWS

Mitsubishi unveils their MI-TECH CONCEPT electric SUV

The MI-TECH CONCEPT was built to be a small plug-in hybrid electric SUV that delivers unparalleled driving pleasure and confidence over all terrain. With a compact and lightweight new PHEV drivetrain; a four-motor electric 4WD system, advanced driver-assist and preventive safety technologies all packed into the small SUV. Inside, a horizontal instrument panel and clean, functional design make operating the MI-TECH easier and more pleasurable for the driver. Keyboard-shaped switches are positioned atop a centre console, and the front handgrip also functions as a hand

pad to make the switches easy to operate. For extra peace of mind, the front windscreen presents all the relevant information in graphics such as vehicle behaviour, terrain recognition and optimal route guidance.

The power generator in the new PHEV drivetrain is a lightweight, compact gas turbine engine-generator in place of the traditional petrol engine. The gas turbine engine-generator has a powerful output for its size and weight and another benefit of the gas turbine is its flexibility to run on a variety of fuels such as diesel, kerosene and alcohol which can be selected depending on the regions. Further, its exhaust is clean so it responds to environmental and energy issues.

With an electric motor at each wheel, the chance of losing traction is near impossible thus delivering a safe and exhilarating driving experience either in daily driving or when traversing rough roads. The driver also gets to enjoy new and thrilling new driving experiences, such as 180ยบ spins by counter-rotating the left and right tyres. Now that is cool!

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Promoting the legal and sustainable use of the countryside, campaigning against irresponsible use with the aim to ensure every green road is open for all to use.

8 THE MUD LIFE MAGAZINE • Regular digital bulletins • 2 printed magazines per year • Members website and forum • TW2, the essential green lane route planning tool • • Access to area reps for route planning and advice • Member discounts from selected suppliers • Legal challenges • Extensive knowledge base •

ALL PLAY & NO WORK MAKES A MUD LIFER VERY HAPPY

London to Brighton Veteran Car Run 3 November https://www.veterancarrun.com This coming weekend hundreds of veteran cars set off from London on their annual pilgrimage to Brighton.

Great British Land Rover Show 24 November

More than 400 pre-1905 cars will leave Hyde Park as dawn breaks, ready to tackle the epic 60-mile drive from capital to coast as the world’s longest-running motoring event gets underway.

Stoneleigh, Coventry

https://greatbritishlrshow.com Two halls full of exhibitors selling everything Land Rover from parts and accessories, to adventure travel holidays and merchandise, insurance and more & plenty of Land Rover clubs. Drive your own vehicle round the on-site off-road course.

Tickets: £7.50 in advance, £15.00 on the door.

Under 14s go free.

LANCASTER INSURANCE

CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW 8-10 November NEC, Birmingham https://www.necclassicmotorshow.com Join the 35th anniversary celebration of the show that brings together the world’s largest gathering of 300 car and motorcycle clubs with over 3,000 iconic classic and vintage cars and motorbikes on display across seven halls.

Shop at UK’s largest indoor autojumble and specialist traders, enjoy the spectacle of live auctions, talks from motoring celebrities, restoration demonstrations and much more.

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CUPRA ATECA What is it?

That was the most frequently asked question I was asked during my week with the Cupra, as no one actually recognised the Transformer-looking front badge, and even when I said it was a Cupra, I still had blank looks.

Putting it simply, you know how Fiat have Abarth, Citroen have DS and Toyota have Lexus? Well that’s the same with Seat and Cupra, Cupra is a new performance-oriented brand set up last year (2018) whose cars will be based on existing Seat models in the short term, but will eventually offer unique models of its own.

So what’s different then?

Cupra haven’t messed around when it comes to performance, they’ve given their Ateca the full-blown 298bhp, 2.0ltr TSi unit from the Golf R with 400Nm torque.

Not only that, but it comes with the slick 7-speed DSG transmission, and 4wd!

On the road With almost 300bhp on tap, the 2.0ltr turbo petrol unit manages to propel the Cupra Ateca from 0-60mph in just 4.7sec, and if you’re on a racetrack or autobahn it claims a top speed of 152mph. That performance is very addictive.

Unless you choose the Cupra mode, which stiffens the whole thing up, it’s still a rather nice SUV to drive. Granted, it has lower and stiffer suspension, but it isn’t uncomfortable, unless you take it down a pot-holed strewn side road that is, then hold onto your fillings and for ladies (and some men), wear a sports bra!

As someone who’s used to driving big lumbering 4x4s rather than hot hatches, I have to say that it handles supremely well along twisty roads. Of course, a low slung sports car will be better, but Cupra have done a fine job in my humble opinion.

On a more practical side of things, during a 2 hour trip to Anglesey driving between 50-70mph, the Cupra was averaging 33.5mpg, which I didn’t consider too bad.

Off-road Apart from an access road to a beach, then the beach itself and a rather stunning green-lane in Yorkshire, I didn’t venture too far from the beaten track as I didn’t want to destroy those gorgeous 19” copper painted wheels!

The Cupra retains the ‘Off-Road’ as well as ‘Snow’ modes like its Seat sibling, but it really isn’t designed for the rough stuff.

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Interior Personally this is where I feel it lets itself down - it’s dull. Don’t get me wrong, everything is in the right spot, the dials and infotainment system are easy to read, but I want more, especially from a Cupra. In fact, if it wasn't for the copper-coloured Cupra emblem that sits in the middle of the steering wheel, you think you’d just jumped into a regular Ateca. It didn’t even come equipped with electrical operated seats.

Speaking of the infotainment system, the 8” touchscreen is easy enough to get your head around and comes with loads of gadgets as standard, including a wireless phone charger with signal booster, sat-nav, a DAB radio, AppleCarPlay and Android along with smartphone mirroring.

The seating, space and visibility are all topnotch with rear passengers have decent leg room too. There’s plenty of space in the back to chuck 2 tents, 2 deckchairs, a camping table and 3 boxes of cooking and camping paraphernalia, with the seats down of course.

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Conclusion Despite my moans about its uninspiring dash layout, I really enjoyed the Cupra experience, and once I’d settled into the drivers seat and focussed on the road ahead, it didn’t really matter as it’s such a blast to drive, both in comfort and Cupra mode. If I had the cash, the only thing that would stop me from buying one would be that fact that I can’t take it off

road due to its on-road bias, other than that I have one in a heartbeat.

The Cupra Ateca costs £36,695, which is only £905 more than the Seat Xcellence 2.0ltr 4Drive Ateca with ‘only’ 188bhp, so when you look at it that way it’s positively good value.

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Honda Foreman What is it?

The Honda range of ATVs, from what I’ve learnt, are some of the most trustworthy accessories you’ll find on a farm, and recently Honda invited me to test the replacement for their long-serving and dependable Foreman 500.

What’s new?

Lots. For a start the new 520 has a 518cc engine which is up from 475cc and delivers 4% more torque at low engine speeds.

This increase in engine capacity is purely down to new emissions regulations that forced a minor redesign, other than that, the single-cylinder motor has remained largely unaltered.

Arguably one of the more user friendly updates is a slicker automatic gearbox, especially for when selecting reverse.

Previously an awkward, two-handed affair that involved dropping to neutral and pulling the brake while pushing a button, all that you do now is press the red reverse button, press the downshift button and it’s in reverse. This can now be done up to 3mph, which by all accounts makes a huge difference when you’re towing, hitching, clearing snow and so on.

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TRX 520

Other updates are that the rider can now down-shift when approaching a hill without changing the driving mode and, after a few seconds, the bike will return to automatic shifting.

Other, more visible 520-specific improvements include a new and brighter headlight, a beefed-up bull bar and redesigned front grille.

Front and rear racks are now powder-coated and redesigned to provide extra lash-down points and a larger area. Oh, and there’s also a new 1.9ltr waterproof storage box below the front rack too Underneath new guards now cover the full length of the suspension arms which also protect the driveshafts and outboard CV joints.

What are they like to ride?

Admittedly, the last time I rode a quad, or ATV was around ten years ago, and that was on a friends farm for around 10 minutes, so I was a bit anxious to be stood around other farmers and industry professionals who ride them on a daily basis.

I needn’t have worried, after around ten minutes riding around an open field, the professional Honda team had me proficient with their ATV in no time.

After a good 45 minutes or so riding all manner of inclines, declines and forest tracks in the outgoing model I had a hoot, and the only problem I had was remembering what to do when engaging reverse during really tight off-road manoeuvres.

Next was the new TRX520, and although I’m a total novice I could actually tell a difference straight away, especially with engine braking on pretty gnarly steep descents. Selecting manual 1st gear from automatic was a breeze.

Dropping down 2 or 3 feet onto a narrow path required a 3-point turn at a crazy angle, this is where, at least for me, the new reverse system worked an absolute treat.

After negotiating the myriad of narrow forest tracks it was time to open it up through an open field then a dirt track back to the start. At no point at speeds up to around 40mph did the TRX 520 feel unstable, in fact it was quite a hoot!

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Extra details Honda offers a free specific EASI Rider Courses with every new Honda ATV or Pioneer utility vehicle at no extra cost.

Customers can register for a training course at their local Honda Authorised Dealer and the course can qualify riders in risk assessments for PUWER or HSE requirements. For commercial users, HSE risk assessments may require further training, for example through Lantra, or as part of a tractor loading and towing course.

Although the 520 isn’t road legal, I’m told that some dealers can offer a road legal kit, though the vast majority are workhorses only

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These new models are available now from Honda’s UK network of Authorised Dealers and also benefit from the addition of Datatool, the state-of-the-art tracking equipment, free-of-charge.

The TQA-approved TrakKING Adventure package uses GPS chip set technology to offer theft protection, instant notifications and full journey history logging. The only cost to the customer is a nominal monitoring subscription of £9.95 per month or £109 for a year (incl VAT).

Prices start at £6,425 for a low-spec TRX 420FM1 with manual gear shifting and no power steering, while a range-topping TRX 520 FA6 is £8,600.

Head to our Mud Life shop for loads of great stuff.

CLICK HERE

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Subaru Forester 2.0ltr Petrol

What is it?

When is an SUV not an SUV? When it’s Subaru Forester, I guess. The Forester has always had a hard-working workhorse reputation, and even though it isn’t the best looking of vehicles, you know that it’ll be practical and won’t let you down.

On the road

As soon as it arrived at Muddy Towers I threw my overnight bag and camera gear in the back and set off on a 3-1/2 hour, 185 mile drive down to Blenheim Palace, and on arrival it told me that it had averaged 41mpg, so that was quite impressive.

A lot of people have a dig at CVT gearboxes, but Subaru has worked hard at making theirs both responsive and smooth, and

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on the whole the CVT in the Forester worked great. Around town and off-road it was perfectly acceptable, but not so much if you want to drive in a spirited manner, but then the 148bhp 2.0ltr petrol lacked punch. Putting my foot down hard from start and the Forester moves off the line, slowly it feels, with the rev counter swiftly reaching 5,500rpm where stays for what feels like a unnaturally long time. It sounds great, but it doesn’t seem to translate to any urgency.

Get it on undulating country lanes, and its multi-link suspension soaks up the majority of bumps, and is quite comfortable, not at all as wallowy around corners as you might think, for a tall car.

Off Road

It’s a Subaru, and as I’ve mentioned in other reviews, in standard form on road tyres you will amazed where one will take you. It’s all down to their famed Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, well, a lot of it is, they simply know what they’re doing when it comes to building a proper AWD car. In fact, did you know that Subaru have made more 4wd vehicles than Land Rover?

Not only is the Forester equipped with permanent Symmetrical All Wheel Drive for use in the majority of situations, but X-Mode now provides added assistance if the driver encounters extreme driving conditions. X-Mode takes control of the engine, transmission, Symmetrical AWD, brakes and other components to help safely navigate slippery surfaces, rough roads and climbing steep hills.

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PEDDERS SUSPENSION FOR YOUR FORESTER!

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We offer a replacement spring and damper kit for the rear of your Forester that will eliminate the troublesome self levelling arrangement. This is achieved by installing a conventional style rear shock and spring designed for this application.

Rather than purchasing separate springs, dampers, bump stops and then having to pay a technician to dis-assemble and re-assemble the parts for you, you can now buy the complete strut and just bolt it on yourself!

This kit is a direct bolt in replacement. NO modifications to the vehicle are required.

• Available for you Forester SG ( 2002 - 2008 ) • Lifts the vehicle 30 - 35mm • Allows fitment of bigger tyres • Improved ground clearance • Bolt on EziFit saving you more money in garage fees

Available for all ages of Forester.

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Interior

Ok, let’s get the negative bits out of the way...

As a 6ft 2”, 19 stone bloke, the front seats are far too small. They’re narrow, have no lateral support, which makes them uncomfortable on long journeys. The head restraints lean too far forward and force your head in an unnatural position. If you’re a woman (or man) who has hair tied in a ponytail, then you’ll hate it, Muddy Madam did. If you've a smaller frame than me, then you'll probably be fine.

Anything else to moan about?

Oh yeah, because the handbrake is on the right hand side of the transmission tunnel it digs into your left thigh when applied, and there’s too much hard plastic, especially on the door top where you normally rest your elbow.

Surely there must be some positives?

There are, lots of them! Visibility is amazing, with large windows all around. You can see pretty much everything that’s going on. If you’re tall like me, then you’ll appreciate the high windscreen, and the fact that the rear view mirror and EyeSight camera are tucked up high and subsequently won’t get in the way of vision, unlike the Nissan Qashqai, which is terrible.

As is the Subaru way, the steering wheel and switch gear are quite busy, but after a while you get used to it all. The heater controls are large knurled knobs, and the centre screen is big enough to read, yet small enough not to be a distraction.

Due to its square and box-like shape there’s masses of space everywhere for tall people, short people, luggage and cattle! Let’s not forget the self-levelling rear suspension that means loading the Forester up with logs and other countryside paraphernalia keeps everything civilised.

Subaru’s advanced driver assist technology, Eyesight, is spot on and is now standard throughout the range. Eyesight acts as a second pair of eyes for the driver, and includes adaptive cruise and lane-keep assist along with a host of other autonomous safety features.

The system cleverly uses two stereo cameras to capture three-dimensional colour images to recognise vehicles, motorbikes, bicycles, pedestrians and lane markings. Subaru say that it's more accurate than traditional camera and sensor technologies, as it can distinguish objects as opposed to noticing that there is an unidentified obstacle.

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I drove 3-1/2 hours from Oxford to Bolton along the M1, M42 and M6 in fast and slow moving traffic without touching the brakes and accelerator once. When I had to slow down through road works I used the switches on the steering wheel to reduce my speed to 50mph, then back up to 70mph. I don’t usually like relinquishing control like that, but it worked like a charm.

Conclusion

The Subaru Forester isn’t for buyers looking for a sleek and stylish SUV, rather those amongst us who are more interested in its excellent four-wheel-drive abilities, rugged durability and its ability to climb mountains.

You get a 5 year, 100,000 mile warranty and prices start at £30,015 for the XE Lineartronic to £33,995 for the all-new Forester E-Boxer Hybrid that’s due for sale in the UK by the end of the year.

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First Drive -

New Land Rover Discovery Sport

What is it?

Along with the Evoque, the Discovery Sport has become Land Rover’s best selling vehicle, and 5 years after its launch it makes sense to give it an update. It may look similar to the outgoing model on the outside, albeit with a new crisp, clean look, but just like the new Evoque, it’s been given an all-new platform.

Built on Land Rover’s latest Premium Transverse Architecture (PTA), the new Discovery Sport is 13% stiffer than the outgoing model and designed with electrification in mind. More specifically, it allows allows for the introduction of new 48-volt mild hybrid electric powertrains, and sometime soon, a plug-in hybrid.

With all that in mind, what’s like on the road?

On the road I remember driving the original Discovery Sport a year after it was first released, and it was a nice SUV to drive. I’m not going to say that it set my life alight, but it was good.

Getting behind the wheel of the new version is a whole different story, it felt more dynamic, more alive and more fun, even as a passenger I could feel the difference. Our car for the day was the D180 SE, and along winding the roads of North Yorkshire

,the 180ps diesel was nippy and very responsive though lacked a bit of umph during fast overtaking manoeuvres. There are of course more sportier versions available, but I feel it’s aimed more at comfort and touring rather than winning races.

Another point to mention is how quiet it is, not just wind and external noises, but road noise too, quite impressive really.

Off road After a good 2 hour drive around North Yorkshire we made our way to the Land Rover Experience Centre just outside Skipton where we would take the same ‘Sport around their demanding off road course.

I was very impressed, it wasn’t just a dirt track with the odd puddle and a slight gradient to tackle, it was pretty hardcore.

On one of the particularly wet and rocky inclines I watched as the ‘Sport in front of us lifted a wheel in the air as the driver gave it some welly. My turn next and I ignored the instructors command of ‘give it a little momentum’, instead I crawled up the steep incline expecting the ‘Sport to hesitate and struggle.

It didn’t. In fact I didn’t even feel the wheel lift in the air, the Discovery Sport didn’t even flinch, it was all very civilised.

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Although it wasn’t fitted to our particular model, another clever addition is Ground View, it’s a concept that Land Rover first previewed in back 2014, but back then it was known as invisible bonnet. Basically, cameras on the front bumper collect the view as you drive forward and it them on the touchscreen, it’s like driving without an engine and bonnet so you are able to see

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exactly what’s in between both front wheels. Again, very clever stuff.

It’s worth mentioning that the new Discovery Sport has a wading depth of 600mm, that beats the old Defender which was a mere 500mm.

Interior Quiet, practical and comfortable are all words you expect from a family SUV, and that’s what the new Discovery Sport gives you, and it feels well screwed together, too Up front you have a whole new facia and infotainment system with redesigned, well, pretty much everything really. JLR’s latest ‘Touch Pro’ media system is huge improvement on older setups and it now comes with smartphone link up, wireless charging and 4G hotspots.

There’s a new 12” TFT dial display which offers the ability to stretch the map over the entire width of the screen, if you find choose.

In the back you’ll find that it’s much roomier, and with 40:20:40 split second row seats that slide back and forth, second row passengers can now enjoy nearly 1 metre of legroom. Of course, third row passengers are reserved for younger and smaller people.

Land Rover says the seats now have 24 different configurations, and the boot extends from 1,179 litres to 1,794 litres with the second-row seats folded flat. Oh yeah, Second and third-row passengers can even have their own climate controls.

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Even the locals wanted a look!

Engines ’n’ transmissions

Unit at the front axle that disconnects drive to the rear wheels under steady state cruising, reducing frictional losses and reengaging AWD in less than 500 milliseconds.

The ‘Sport comes with a range of 4-cylinder Ingenium petrol and diesel engines, the mild hybrid delivers CO2 emissions from as low as 144g/km CO2 (NEDC equivalent) and fuel economy up to 40.9mpg (WLTP figures). An even more efficient plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) variant will also join the range later in 2019.

Conclusion The new Discovery Sport is head and shoulders above the outgoing model, from its new classy interior to an engaging drive and host of standard safety features that include Lane Keep Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Driver Condition Monitor.

Unsurprisingly the most efficient Discovery Sport model will be the front wheel drive 148bhp diesel with manual transmission which offers emissions from as low as 140g/km of CO2 and fuel economy from 47.8mpg. To maximise efficiency, all-wheel drive models benefit from Driveline Disconnect – a Power Transfer

Engine / Trim

It’s as capable off-road as any Land Rover should be and very comfortable on it which I believe keeps it at the top of its class.

2.0L D150 FWD Manual

2.0L D150 AWD Auto

2.0L D180 AWD Auto

2.0L D240 AWD Auto

2.0L P200 AWD Auto

2.0L P250 AWD Auto

Standard

£31,575

£36,425

-

-

£36,775

-

S

£34,425

£39,575

£40,325

£42,475

£39,925

£41,375

SE

£36,925

£42,425

£43,175

£45,325

£42,475

£43,925

HSE

-

-

£46,025

£48,175

-

£47,075

R-Dynamic

-

-

-

-

-

R-Dynamic S

-

£41,075

£41,825

£43,975

£41,425

£42,875

R-Dynamic SE

-

£43,925

£44,675

£46,825

£43,975

£45,425

R-Dynamic HSE

-

-

£47,525

£49,675

-

£48,575

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Dacia Duster Comfort 115Dci 4x4 six-speed manual

What is it?

A few years ago when the Dacia (dat-cha) Duster was first released in its current guise I took one out for a spin, and for a reason that I can’t recall now, I really didn’t like it, and since then I’ve avoided them like the plague.

However, I’ve noticed on social media recently that they’ve acquired quite a following with owners taking them off-road and treating them like, dare I say it, a proper 4x4! With that in mind, as well as an all-new Duster having recently been launched, I decided to reacquaint myself with the ‘cheap as chips’ SUV.

On the road During our week together I put a fair amount of miles on the clock, and what I learnt was, if your commute or trip is along tight and twisty B roads, then the Duster can be quite a lot of fun. Obviously it isn’t a performance car with trendy low profile tyres, but it’s really quite fun to throw around corners. Once in the correct gear, the 115bhp 1.5ltr diesel can leave you with a dirty great grin on your face. There’s obviously an element of wallowing through tighter corners, but not as much as you’d expect for an SUV of its type, and certainly not enough to put you off having a bit of fun.

Around town driving along our third world like potholed strewn streets, the Duster was comfortable, the suspension was soft and helped in part by 16” wheels and proper size tyres.

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On a 3-1/2 hour, 170 mile drive down to Silverstone driving at 70mph, the Duster told me that it had achieved 51.4mpg, and with the stereo turned to eleven and the air conditioning on max keeping me cool, there was nothing I could complain about, the Duster was comfortable and relaxing. On the journey back home I decided to reduce my speed and cruised at 60mph, and checking the on-board computer when I arrived home it showed that the Duster achieved a heady 69.8mpg, I was impressed!

Off road Check out pages 114-117 in last months issue and you can read about what happened when I took the Duster along a couple of green-lanes with Mathew in his modified Duster. Apart from struggling a little on some of the deeper ruts, the Duster did really well along a variety of green-lanes, and only scrambled for grip on wet and loose rocks where I’d expect it to. As is the case with all modern 4x4s, just keep a steady throttle and the Duster will compose itself and carry on.

Dacia say that the new Duster also comes with new electric power steering that reduces the effort required to turn the wheel by 35%. This was particularly useful when ‘laning as fighting the steering whilst negotiating rocky sections was no longer an issue and was quite a breeze.

To further its off-road credentials it has approach and departure angles of 30 and 33º respectively with a decent ground clearance of 210mm. You also get Hill Descent Control and Hill Start Assist which made driving ascents and descent much easier.

On the two higher spec models, the Prestige and Techroad you also have a Multiview camera which incorporates four cameras (one at the front, one on either side and one at the rear). The system allows the driver to view the area around the vehicle and manoeuvre in complete peace of mind when using the vehicle off road. It is also useful to help with parking and is activated automatically when reverse gear is engaged.

It really is a capable small SUV, and at around £18k, what competition does it have? The Jimny? The Duster may have lower ground clearance, but because it’s a 5-door it’s far more practical.

Engines & transmission If you want a petrol 4x4 Duster, then it’s only available on the Prestige 115bhp model or the Techroad 150bhp. Diesel wise there’s a 4x4 in every model except the basic Access model.

As I wrote earlier, the 1.5ltr diesel achieved 51.4mpg driving at 70mph and 69.8mpg after 3-1/2 hour slog at 60mpg. Around town it managed around 45mpg, which I thought was impressive.

The all-new Duster comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox, except for the SCe 115 4x2 petrol model, which has a 5-speed gearbox. The 4x4 models use the TL8 6-speed manual transmission, which has a shorter first gear ratio better suited to off-road demands such as hill starts, steep descents or accelerating when towing.

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Interior Chatting to the PR team recently it turns out that Dacia’s designers worked from a clean slate to create a completely new interior with a more modern, comfortable and passenger-friendly cabin. Careful attention was paid to the materials, fit and finish, with even the grain of the dashboard trim being refined by 80%.

I did have a few issues mind, the sweep of the passenger side windscreen wiper is too low and therefore when it rains your passenger has no forward vision. The plastic dash reflects the sun quite badly when it’s in front of you, and although very comfortable, both front seats lack lateral support for when you’re zooming around corners. I can’t really complain about the latter as it isn’t really meant for that type of spirited driving. Having said that, the seats are much nicer, supportive and far more comfortable than the Subaru Forester that arrived the week after.

Storage capacity has been increased by 20% to a total of 28.6 litres and the allnew Duster has the same boot capacity as its predecessor: 445 litres for the 2WD version and 411 litres for the 4WD version.

For the price, Dacia have done a great job with the interior, yes it’s a bit plasticy in places, but how often do you sit at traffic lights and decided to caress your soft touch dash and feux stitching?

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Goodies Dacia’s ethos is to keep things simple, so the line-up is no different. Core features across the All-New Duster range include: new electric power steering, height-adjustable front headrests and seat belts, ECO mode and Stop and Start, gearshift indicator, a Thatcham-approved engine immobiliser, automatic door lock, a tyre inflation kit (4x2 models) and emergency spare wheel (4x4 models), ABS and Emergency Brake Assist, ESC/ ASR (Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control) and ISOFIX points in the rear.

There are 4 trim levels to choose from • Access - available from £9,995 also features 16-inch steel wheels and electric front windows.

• Essential - available from £11,695, adds 16-inch ‘Fidji’ steel wheels, body-coloured front and rear bumpers, air conditioning, height adjustable driver’s seat, DAB radio with steering-column mounted controls and Bluetooth connectivity.

• Comfort - available from £13,395, adds new 16-inch ‘Cyclade’ alloy wheels, front-seat armrest, leather steering wheel, graphite cloth upholstery, rear parking camera and sensors, electric front and rear windows, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, MediaNav 7" touchscreen multimedia system (Satellite navigation, USB and AUX connection points, Apple CarPlayTM and Android AutoTM compatibility) and a 7-function on-board computer, all as standard.

• The top-of-the-range Prestige - available from £14,695, adds even more luxuries with brand new 17-inch ‘Diamond-cut’ alloy wheels, Multiview camera, blind spot warning, climate control and keyless entry.

There is also a Techroad Special Edition which finishes at the end of this year, and is available with both the TCe 130 and 150 turbocharged petrol engines, as well as the Blue dCi 115 diesel engine in 4x2 and 4x4 configuration. It features special side decals with a grey and red motif and red detailing on the door mirror housings and a new two-tone 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels as well as unique upholstery and a few other special bits and pieces.

Conclusion Overall I really enjoyed my week with the Duster, it proved comfortable, economical, practical and surprisingly competent off-road.

I’m not the only who’s impressed, Dacia has sold more than 140,000 cars in the UK since launching five years ago, and more than 5 million Dacias have been sold since Groupe Renault reintroduced the brand back in 2004, so they aren’t doing too bad.

As I wrote at the beginning, I can’t recall what narked me about the original Duster, but whatever it was has long gone, I covered a lot of miles during the week and I really enjoyed it. Not having driven the 2wd Duster I can’t comment on the differences, but if you want the space, rugged styling and raised ride height of a 4x4 without all the toys and price premiums associated with more expensive SUVs, then the Duster’s for you.

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Škoda Kodiaq vRS What is it?

The Skoda Kodiaq hardly requires any introduction these days, with many awards under its belt, this well built, practical and value for money family wagon has taken the large SUV segment by storm.

However, add the vRS badge and things take a leap forward in the performance stakes, as you get 237bhp, 4-wheel drive and a huge grin. I seem to recall reading somewhere that it’s also the fastest 7-seater diesel-powered SUV ever to be timed around the Nürburgring in a respectable 9min 29.8sec.

Of course, that’s all well and good, but what is it like to live with?

On the road With great power comes great responsibility.

I say that because whilst overtaking a slow moving 4x4 towing a horse box up a steep road I suddenly found myself on the wrong side of 60mph, and a quick glance ahead I spotted a well hidden speed camera van. There were expletives, and after with a quick 42

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dab on the brakes I also had an angry Porsche driver behind me, until he realised my predicament then he slowed right back!

During one of the rare days I managed prise the key from Muddy Madam, I took the Kodiaq vRS to Wales for an overnight stay.

Switching to comfort mode I headed towards Caernarfon from Lancashire at around 70mph, then dawdled between 50 and 60mph on the straight road between Caernarfon and Pwllheli.

It was pleasant trip and overall the vRS achieved an average of 39mpg, which for the size of the Kodiaq I deemed quite reasonable.

The following day I headed home via Blaenau Ffestiniog, the A5 and around the EVO Triangle. I was mainly in Sport mode using the flappy paddles and this time I was getting around 31mpg - again, not too shabby. In ‘Sport’ mode the whole car feels tighter and far more eager, just as you would expect. I’m not going to say that acceleration is neck-snapping, but it is relentless once on the move. Around the twists and turns grip levels are predictably high, it’s also very well balanced for such a big lump of an SUV.

Have I mentioned the noise yet? Every Kodiaq vRS has a Dynamic Sound Boost which gives it V8 style rumble from both inside and outside the vehicle, which works incredibly well. In fact it works so well that you occasionally forget you’re driving a 4-pot oil burner!

Select comfort mode, and although the vRS is firmer than the rest of the range there’s still enough compliance to cope with all but the roughest of road surfaces. Be careful when you’re driving down a hill in cruise control though, the Kodiaq won’t keep you at your desired speed and will therefore put you at risk of a speeding fine if you’re not on the ball.

Off road Due to its 20” low profiles I didn’t take it too far off the beaten track, but when I did it performed admirably enough. It struggled a bit in soft sand, though its electronics soon figured things out and kept us on the move, and Hill Descent Control slowed us down on the steep bits.

Ground clearance is plentiful for what the majority of users will require, as are its approach and departure angles, and it coped well during my usual green-lane antics.

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Interior The dash layout is typical of the brand, not necessarily exciting or pleasing, but definitely functional and efficient.

The driving position is hard to fault, though the sports seats can be a tad narrow in the base if you have a wide girth, but otherwise are comfy and offer a lot of lateral support for spirited driving.

I also appreciated the vRS touches around the cabin, such as perforated leather steering wheel, leather, red stitching and Alcantara suede seats, though I can do without the carbon fibre effect trims.

Visibility all around is great due to its boxy shape and leg room in the back is excellent. The third row, as usual, are good for smaller kids, or Oompa Loompas.

Not only does the middle row of seats in the vRS slide back and forth but you can also adjust the angle of the backrests. In typical Skoda fashion, the tonneau cover pulls across the whole boot area when the Kodiaq is in 5 seat mode but it also cleverly slots away under the boot floor when all seven seats are required.

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Conclusion The Kodiaq is a large and practical family hack, and with the addition of the vRS spec that propels it to 62mph in 7 seconds and on to a top speed of 136mph, means that it’s exciting too. more at » www.skoda.co.uk

Should you buy it?

It all depends on what you want from your Kodiaq, the vRS costs the best part of £45k, but name another 7-seat SUV that can worry a hot hatch yet retains all the practicality and space that makes a regular Kodiaq such a catch. price; £44,860 (as tested)

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H S A FL IVE Bentley DR Bentayga

V8

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H S FLA IVE DR

What is a Flash Drive?

On media days we get to drive cars for around an hour, which is great when you want to get a feel for it, but not necessarily enough for a full review, so these are our mini reviews.

Recently, at a media day, Muddy Madam and I were fortunate enough to spend a short time driving the Bentley Bentayga around Wetherby.

My short route around Wetherby has a variety of road surfaces, from lovely and smooth, to twisty and undulating, with a couple of off-camber corners thrown in for good measure.

The car that Bentley brought was their Black edition which, after a comprehensive option list ticking spree, came to a whopping £176,000. Leaving the money aspect aside (always a vulgar topic darhhhling), let's focus on what it’s like to drive.

As you can see from the photos, the weather had turned quite nasty leaving many roads submerged, but that didn’t matter as the 2.4-tonne carriage acquitted itself rather well along the potholed strewn flooded roads.

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The air suspension, and accompanying electronic wizardry, performed as they should, keeping us in a state of serenity.

When the need arose to pass slower beings, the 550ps, 4.0ltr V8, with its enormous 770nm of torque, left them a distant memory with a gentle prod of the accelerator.

Although the Bentayga can be eerily quiet when cruising, there’s always a distinct V8 rumble in the background which turns into a muted growl when your right foot is firmly planted into the carpet.

Ah yes, the wine coloured carpet, which perfectly matched the wine coloured interior in the one we drove. How shall I put this....the colour was 'distinct' and takes a bit of getting used to, especially when combined with the dull choice of exterior paint, but this is a Bentley, so I'm sure you can have whatever strange combination of colours that will tickle your fancy.

Despite its 2.4 tonne mass, the Bentayga is quite easy drive, and with a 0-60mph time of 4.4 seconds which carries on to reach a top speed of 187mph, it's very tempting to drive like a hooligan, but why would you? It's a Bentley!

The Bentayga is very much a touring car, one that is able to handle a host of challenging conditions, from mud, snow and flood water, to simply letting you relax after a hard day in the boardroom.

Muddy Madam and I have a couple of long trips to Scotland planned soon, and I think I know just the SUV to take us there‌

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Jeep Renegade

What is it?

A couple of years ago I had a Renegade Limited for a week.

Every time I looked at it I saw an ugly 4x4 that only a mother could love. Then I drove it. I still thought it was ugly, but my word was it good to drive.

Of course that’s purely my opinion, and I know quite a few owners who would disagree with me intensely and would probably lock me in the stocks like a village idiot for uttering such opinions. I have to admit though, over the years it has grown on me.

So what’s this ‘ere Trailhawk version then? Well, any Jeep with the Trailhawk badge is basically a toughened up, trail-ready 52

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version of which ever vehicle the badge is stuck upon.

In the Renegade’s case, as well as the usual fully automatic Active Drive system there’s the Active Drive Low system that gives a 20:1 crawl ratio for genuine 4x4 capability. Then of course there’s Hill-descent Control, Selec-Terrain and the Trailhawk model features the "Rock" Selec-Terrain function to maximise wheel traction and improve grip. Trailhawk also comes with reinforced protection plates for the fuel tank, transfer case and transmission.

Have I mentioned extra ground clearance? With a mild lift and tougher suspension the Renegade Trailhawk has 210mm ground clearance which offers you a bit more confidence whilst tackling the rough stuff.

On the road With the aforementioned lift and toughened suspension, the Trailhawk is surely going to be a dog on the road then, isn’t it? Of course not, if anything I felt the mods have made the Renegade more focussed and less wallowy, and there’s a nice weight to its steering which compliments the chunky steering wheel.

I did a fair amount of road driving during the week and it felt right, acceleration, braking and steering were all palatable. I didn’t treat it like a sports car, nor did I drive like Miss Daisy was in the back.

Fuel wise it did another great job. On a muggy Sunday afternoon with air-con set to the max, it averaged 53.4mpg during a 132 mile mile motorway journey with cruise control set at 70mph, which I though was amazing.

In addition to that, after a whole day of green-laning around Yorkshire which included an awful lot of low-box crawling and scrambling as well as fast B roads, it averaged 42.2mpg. I’m not going to argue with those figures.

Off road In last month’s issue you can read about my weekend away with Ardent Off-Road green-laning around North Yorkshire with some highly modified Renegades and Wranglers built by Storm Jeeps in Hull. Yes there were a couple of lanes on which I found myself on that, if I’d known the state, I wouldn’t have even considered driving.

In truth I was quite amazed at how this small SUV coped, it took all the knocks, bangs and scrapes on the chin and repeatedly came back for more.

Offering Jeep Wrangler and Renegade Custom Conversions and Vehicle Sales: 01482 666491 www.StormJeeps.com

One-stop shop for Jeep parts, spares and accessories.

Jeepey supply market-leading parts, spares and accessories for all Jeep models from 1942 onwards www.Jeepey.com

01482 666491

Interior With a dash covered in soft touch material, clear and informative instruments and comfy seats, the Trailhawk is a lovely place to be. Visibility all ‘round is good too, especially when you’re green-laning with almost corner to corner visibility.

The dash layout is scattered with wonderful knobs and switches - which is a good thing. Of course there’s the usual touchscreen, but it isn’t huge and certainly not distracting. Overall the interior was easy to live with and inoffensive. I particularly like the little nods the its heritage with small images of GPs scattered around the place.

I’m not going to say that the Renegade’s infotainment system is the easiest to navigate, but once you get used to it it’s fine.

Six-footers will struggle to get comfy in the back, especially if both front seats are occupied by six-footers, but you do have plenty of head space.

Engine & Transmissions Although the Renegade comes with a selection of engines, the Trailhawk only comes with Jeep’s 2.0ltr 170bhp diesel and 9-speed automatic gearbox which worked quite smoothly together.

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Conclusion I don’t really care if the Renegade shares the same platform as the Fiat 500x, Jeep have done a top notch job of creating a superb and tough 4x4 that surprised the heck out of me.

Any problems? Only one, and this isn’t the vehicle’s fault, my only disappointment was that it didn’t come with a full size spare wheel and tyre combo as standard. You don’t even get a space saver either, just a bottle of goo and a pump which is next useless when you have a side wall puncture. Hardly ‘Trail Ready’ is it?

As you may have gathered, ‘out of the box’, the Trailhawk really impressed me with its off-road and on-road ability, not to mention fuel economy. But if I was to buy one, new or second hand, I would be more than tempted to take it to Storm Jeeps in Hull for their 1.5” body lift and a set of 5 sturdy wheels and BFG KO2 tyres for around £2,400, fitted. Having watched two of their own Renegades with the same work done tackle rocks and gnarly green-lanes, it made a huge difference.

That said, the standard suspension did great job of smoothing out the potholes on-road and rocks off it, and overall the Renegade Trailhawk proved itself worthy of the Trail badge. price: from £31,665 more at » www.jeep.co.uk/renegade

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LIGHTFORCE HTX2 HID & LED HYBRID Recently released in Australia, and now available in the UK, the Lightforce HTX2 is the world's first fusion of HID and LED technology, which means they provide the instant flood beam of LED alongside the unmatched long distance of HID. Rugged and reliable, they feature 70w HID bulbs within a 170mm reflector for distance, and 20x genuine Lumileds LEDs providing a flood beam pattern that you wouldn’t believe.

Combined, the HID and LED produces 1 LUX @ 1650m.

Rated at IP69k to protect against moisture and contaminant ingress, the HTX2 are lightweight and made using a glass filled nylon composite housing with 6063 extruded aluminium for optimum heat dissipation.

Use code:

MUD10 to get

10% OFF everything at

4x4obsession.co.uk

Essentially, the rugged HTX2s are built tough enough to cope with the Australian outback, and come with stainless steel hardware, a high current waterproof connector and a 3 year warranty.

READER EXCLUSIVE - 10% OFF throughout November.Use code: MUD10 normal price: £1,339 more at » www.4x4obsession.co.uk

New Stuff we've discovered this month

Click here to get The Mud Life Magazine sent straight to your inbox!

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RED TOW HOOK KIT

GRIP FLOPS Designed to get you out of sticky situations, Paranoid’s Grip Flops are an ingenious yet simple to use system that can be installed in seconds. Measuring just 140mm x 150mm each and weighing in at approximately 800g a pair, they’re made from super-strong 3mm thick stainless steel designed, machined and folded in house.

This kit is made for the front of the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk.

If you want a pair of sturdy front tow/ recovery hooks for your 2014 to 2018 Trailhawk, then look no further.

Made in Italy by ROCK'S 4x4, and sold in the UK by Jeepey, the pair of red tow hooks come with mounting brackets, PVC covers, hardware and instructions.

Using the heavy duty cable ties which are supplied, simply attach Grip Flops to your driving wheels to give you a toothed footprint, digging yourself out of almost any predicament. They come with a pair of disposable gloves (to keep your hands clean whilst fitting) and 16x heavy duty cable ties.

price: £490 more at » jeepey.com

price: £30 (incl. P&P) more at » www.paranoidindustries.com

New Stuff we've discovered this month RIGLOO

We’re all aware by now that we shouldn’t sit in our vehicles if we break down on motorway or dual carriageway. We should leave our broken steed and take refuge somewhere safe, but if it's raining or snowing, and we have young children or elderly relatives with us, what’s the best solution to keep warm?

Say hello to the Rigloo, a reusable and inflatable tent that is designed to provide a visible and safe place to wait for rescue. The Rigloo, when packed, is about the size of a briefcase and comes with an Lithium battery pump and manual top up pump.

Made from polyester ripstop, it measures 1.2(W)x1.2(H)x1.8m(L), and has 2 doors, 6 windows, a sewn in ripstop groundsheet, and there are guy ropes in case it becomes windy.

READER EXCLUSIVE - £199 throughout November, Use code: ML100OFF

Use code:

ML100OFF to get

£100 OFF a Rigloo in November

(only whilst stocks last)

normal price £299 more at » rigloo.co.uk THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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GOODS & GEAR BU C K C OM P A D RE SE T A couple of years ago I was sent a Buck Compadre Camp Knife (reviewed in Issue 4), and I love it. It’s amongst one of the sharpest knives I have. I’ve used it for feathering sticks for making fires and for cutting food, and it’s remains incredibly sharp and indispensable.

However, the Compadre Camp Knife is part of a set of three

Let’s begin with the Axe. It’s a camp axe, which means if you want to chop down trees and huge logs then you’re going to be disappointed. Made from 5160 steel it’s lightweight, and very well balanced for chopping wood or preparing game. The Micarta handle is comfortable to hold when wet or dry, and there’s a gap between the handle and head which offers you excellent control for both shaving or carving wood.

Like other Buck tools it’s incredibly sharp straight out of the box, and over the last year has retained its original sharpness. It also comes with a compact and durable black leather sheath, and my only problem here is that it comes with a sturdy steel ring and not a belt loop which would have been easier to carry.

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tools that includes the knife, an axe and froe (which is essentially a small machete), so I couldn’t have one without the others, could I? They are designed for bushcraft, the idea is that you use the axe to chop your small trees and for trimming, the froe to split the branches and the knife for feathering and food prep.

GOODS & GEAR The chopping Froe Calling it a Froe has caused a bit of confusion in the bushcraft world as the traditional Froe is a different tool completely. Anyway, the Compadre Froe is designed and engineered for a multitude of outdoor tasks, but mainly it’s a chopping beast!

Composed of 5160 steel, the 9-1/2” blade is perfect for clearing, heavy chopping, splitting and batoning. I actually use this more than I do the Axe. On a couple of occasions whilst green-laning I’ve grabbled the Froe to cut back low hanging branches which it does with ease.

Like the Axe, the Froe comes with durable black leather sheath, and again it only has a sturdy steel ring and not a belt loop, sadly.

Camp knife Buck say that the 104 Compadre Camp Knife is designed and engineered with the outdoor enthusiast in mind, and they’re not wrong. Like the rest, it has a full tang construction and Micarta handle which feels so good to hold.

The knife has a drop point shaped blade which means it’s full bellied with a strong, thick point for heavier tasks. Buck say that it can also be used as a general work knife. The top of the blade drops down toward the tip, which minimises accidental puncturing while skinning, though I haven’t tried this yet. On the top it has ‘ridges; for your thumb to stop it from slipping down the bade, which works well, especially if your hands are wet.

On each product Buck has added a Cerakote coating that not only adds style, but also aids in the prevention of rust.

Compadre Axe - £169.95 Comapre Froe - £199.95 Compadre Camp Knife - £143.95 Yes the are expensive, but I’m convinced they’ll last longer than I will, and they all come with Buck’s lifetime warranty. more at » www.whitbyandco.co.uk THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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GOODS & GEAR G EA R MATE GEA R D RA W E RS

As you can read next month, Muddy Madam and I were invited to Marquenterre in France for a 4x4 weekend with Ardent OffRoad.

We decided to take the Isuzu D-Max Hunstman, because along with goodies such as a Pedders 2” lift and full canopy, the Huntsman has a set of Gearmate’s Gear Drawers in the back, which I figured would be useful for both security and packing.

With 100% extension, I filled the twin drawer set-up with my stove, recovery gear, tyre compressor and other bits that I figured I’d need in a hurry. One drawer came with adjustable dividers which was handy for keeping smaller items separate, and on either side of the drawers were a couple of in-fill pods, as they’re called, which offer full length storage.

Gearmate's drawer systems are designed to be tough, with up to 800kg loading capacity on each drawer system deck and each drawer has up to 150kg extended load capacity, and all drawers are lockable as standard. The latter proved handy and gave peace of mind during the times we were away from the D-Max, as that’s where I put both my camera equipment and laptop whilst away from the tent at the campsite.

If you don’t need Gearmate’s full fat drawer system, their Opus Drawers are an alternative solution, offering 75% extension and 75 kgs capacity per drawer for a lower price.

Gearmate not only offer a huge selection of different variations and accessories, but they offer different sizes too for a variety of vehicles.

If I have any criticisms it would be that once open there’s no catch to stop the drawers from sliding back in if you happen to be facing downhill. After a chat at a show recently they said they’re aware of this and are currently looking at a catch of some sort.

Although Gearmate products aren’t cheap, they are made from steel with a raptor finish, and my conclusion after a week of use is that they’re tough and will probably last a lifetime. more at » www.gearmate.co.uk 62

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GOODS & GEAR IGNITE FIR ELIGHTERS

J E TSE T UTE N SI L K I T

Woodfuel Direct sent me packet of their Ignite Firelighters made from renewable and untreated wood shavings that are dipped in wax to try out.

Just to see how long they burn for, I lit one using a match, which took only a matter of seconds to ignite, and left alone it burnt out in 9-minutes.

Next I piled some pieces of wood in the base of my Ghillie Kettle, and set another one alight, and within minutes I had a lovely, well established fire on which to boil some water for a mug of coffee.

I already have a Jetboil Flash and Jetboil Minimo, so when I was looking for a utensil set to use with them, it made perfect sense to get this purpose built kit. I’ve used then quite a lot over summer, and they're a good length, useful and work well.

What makes them useful? For a start they’re made from high-temperature nylon so they don’t easily melt, nor do they scratch surfaces of your pans. They have telescope handles too, and therefore easy to reach every last bit of food at the bottom of the cup. Once you’re done simply slide the utensils back into their handles so they can be stowed in your Jetboil cook pot.

The kit includes a spoon, fork and spatula, and although they’re light and have a degree of flex to them, once you’ve extended them out of the handle they lock into position and remain tautish and easy to hold. price: £13.49 (RRP £14.99) more at » www.gooutdoors.co.uk To be honest, there isn’t much else to say about them as they worked well, so well in fact that I dunked one in water and it still lit. I’ve even left them outside overnight and they've ignited without hesitation.

They’re suitable for summer and winter fires, and can be used in all stoves, open fires, campfires, pizza ovens, firepits and so on; pretty much anything in which you want a fire.

Not only are they made in the UK, but they’re also FSC® certified, which means they are sourced from responsibly managed forests. price: £5.99 for a box of 50 firelighters more at » www.woodfuel-direct.co.uk THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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GOODS & GEAR 1 0 " NETHERTON FRYI N G P A N As you can read in last month's issue, Anevay Stoves sent me their Horizon Stove Box Bundle which I’ve used too many times to count, however, the real star has been the 10” hand spun iron pan.

Supplied by the Netherton Foundry in Shropshire, the iron pan is pre-seasoned with flax oil for a natural non-stick finish, so there’s no dodgy chemicals or PTFE coatings to worry about, especially when it inevitably gets scratched.

As well as being hardy pieces of equipment, black iron pans heat evenly and give great cooking performance, and the more you use your pan the better it gets, especially as the seasoned patina develops.

Not only does it work incredibly well on the Anevay Horizon Stove, but also on other camping stoves as well as Swedish Fire Logs. Of course it can also be used at home in the oven or on electric, gas, ceramic, halogen as well as induction hobs.

Once I’ve finished cooking, and after a quick clean, I simply unscrew the 2 brass wing nuts, reverse the handle so it sits underneath the pan and easy to store. Be careful not to lose the two brass washers though, they’re a bit fiddly.

The Netherton Foundry have a huge range of pots and pans for both in and outdoor use. On my list of products to try are their Cast Iron Outdoor Garden Hob and Cast Iwron Slow Cooker. price: £58.20 more at » www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

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GOODS & GEAR G P DISC OVERY C3 3 TA SK TORCH I’ll let you into a secret - if I come across something that I really like, I’m cheeky enough to contact the supplier and ask for one to review. With that in mind, whilst at a recent show I came across something that shone head and shoulders above other products on view.

It was the GP Discovery C33 Task Torch. I mean, who doesn’t want a compact torch that not only has a magnet on the end but also an LED strip along the handle?

The front 150-lumen LED light has a maximum beam distance of 100 metres, and once in ‘flood’ mode can light up an entire room. The 180-lumen side COB LED light is perfect as a work lamp, especially when used in conjunction with the magnet. Add to that its long run time of 20 hours, and it has quickly become my go-to torch.

Powerful and practical too; it has a pocket clip, it’s IPX4 water resistant and the rubberised on and off button easily switches between high and low brightness on the front light, as well as turning the side COB LED light on and off. With its durable aluminium body measuring only 163mm long, 26mm diameter and weighing in at 128g, it’s very easy to handle.

Pushing the front head part of the torch back and forth with your thumb changes the light pattern from floodlight to spotlight. A random example is that on full floodlight, eleven feet away from a wall, the circle of light on a wall is ten feet in diameter. It’s wide enough and bright enough to illuminate an entire room. price: £15.98 more at » uk.gpbatteries.com

GIVEAWAY! We like the Task Torch so much that we begged and grovelled GP to send us 2 to giveaway to 2 of you lucky readers.

Click here Entry ends 30th November

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AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE? Last month I wrote about driving an automatic Jimny (Is it all rosy with the Jimny?), and exploring a bunch load of greenlanes around Holmfirth. Not only was a great day out, but the little Zook proved its worth as a nimble green-laner.

However, I wanted to discover what it was like on a longer mooch, so the following day I lowered the rear seats and threw in a large box in that contained stoves, food, water and a few bits of recovery equipment, and set forth for the Lake District.

The weather took a turn for the worse as I drove past Lancaster on the M6, and didn’t calm down again until I drove past on the way home later on in the day. The Jimny however performed valiantly in the strong side-winds and near zero visibility. At 70mph it runs at a smidge under 3,500rpm, and I think it’s a touch quieter than the manual version, not by a lot though.

An hour later at Junction 36, I turned off the M6 and followed the A590 until I reached Greenodd, where I turned right and headed towards Bletherbarrow Lane leading to Trailwise reference SD3088-02.

Lane 1

I’ve driven this a few times recently, first on the new JL Wrangler launch earlier on in the year and recently with Thomas on the Model Land Rovers Off-Road Lake District Tour, which you read about in our September issue, and what it lacks in difficulty it certainly makes up for with stunning views.

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SD3088-02 is a nice and easy undulating lane with a firm gravel base, and after a lot of rain there are quite a few puddles to negotiate, though nothing over 12-18”.

There were a few signs of trail riders going off-piste, which was a shame as you’re surrounded by pristine green fields and hillsides with flocks of grazing sheep, very picturesque.

Further along, driving from west to east, there’s a twisty descent that leads to a small stream that crosses the lane, again it isn’t too deep and if taken at around 20mph makes for a dramatic photo. From here there’s another incline before you drop down towards the farmhouse at the end of the lane, 1st or 2nd low takes the strain as you enjoy the occasional tight bend and the couple of steps before the gate.

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Lane 2

As you exit SD3088-02, a few yards on your right is the northern entrance to SD3187-02, or The Riggs as it’s called on Google maps.

It’s always fun driving a lane that you haven’t driven before, especially on your own, but with recent user comments on Trailwise claiming that it’s basically a hard surface and easy for all SUVs, I had no concerns.

With a few small steps and short descents in places and a surface that ranged from gravel to loose stones, I hardly required 4WD, except for where the rain had created channels in the lane that flexed the suspension a little.

With menacing clouds above I continued until the final gate where the lane then changed to a normal yet narrow farm track.

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Lane 3

Turning left I headed towards Thwaites Moss for my next lane, SD3389-03. Again, another new lane, well at least to me, and another on which the little Suzuki Jimny made look easy. Having said that it is pretty straight forward, and with careful wheel placement you could potentially take a 2wd SUV along it, though that isn’t something I’d suggest you do.

About half way along there’s a fallen tree across the lane which, unless you have a huge roof tent fitted to a lifted Defender, you’ll easily fit underneath, and of course it makes a great photo opportunity.

Upon reaching the northern end you have a splendid view of the waterfalls at Force Beck, and with the rain pelting down harder than it had all day, there was a huge amount of water gushing down the falls.

My next lane was going to be Parkamoor, but with the amount of rain that was still coming down, and the fact I was alone I thought better of it and decided to head for home.

So, what do I think of the automatic Jimny?

I came to the same conclusion as I did with the manual version, it’s a brilliantly capable 4x4 that in my opinion simply needs an extra cog in the gearbox to make it an exceptional 4x4 instead of just a great one.

The new Jimny is incredibly capable off the beaten track, and reminds me of driving an old Classic Defender (can we call them that now?), where you look down onto a slightly curved bonnet I know exactly where each corner is.

It still has a few weird foibles, like there’s no intermittent for the rear wiper, it’s either on or off, and when maintaining speed on

long and steep inclines it becomes quite vocal on kick down, but hey, it is what it is.

A question that was asked numerous times during the week was, if it was my money, which would I choose? I’d probably opt for the manual as I like being more in control. Having said that, the automatic felt right at home zooming along the narrow Cumbrian lanes and was fairly smooth.

I firmly believe that the world needs more characterful cars like the Jimny. It may not be perfect, and it may not suit everyone, but there’s no denying that it’s fun and gets the job done - if the job is to travel off-road and have fun doing it.

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Old Coach Road - Mooch As most of you lovely regular readers will know by now, when I’m invited on a press launch I always have a rummage through Trailwise to find the odd green lane or two to drive whilst I’m on my way.

On this occasion my invite was up at Gleneagles, Scotland for the launch of BMW’s new flagship model, the X7, and as we all know, there aren’t any green-lanes as such in Scotland.

With that in mind figured that as I was sort of passing, I would drive the Old Coach Road (Trailwise reference NY3123-02), that isn’t far from Thirlmere in the Lakes.

As the launch was on a Monday, BMW had kindly arranged a room for me in the lovely DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in Dunblane on the Sunday evening. As Dunblane is around 3-1/2 hours away, I reckoned I could add an hour onto that with the Old Coach Road, so I left Muddy Towers at around 3.30pm and made my way up the M6.

Taking junction 42 I followed the A66 until turning left onto the B5322 and heading towards the western end of the road.

I am sure many of you will be aware of its recent history, but I’ll run through it quickly for those that aren’t.

For many decades, the Old Coach Road has been a firm favourite for 4x4 owners, bikers, walkers and even gave access to higher ground for the local hang gliding club.

When storm Desmond hit the UK a few years ago, not only did it obliterate many Cumbrian villages and homes, but many byways too The Old Coach Road was a victim of its raging torrents creating 70

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huge holes and chasms making it almost impassable for not only for unmodified 4x4s, but certain other groups who may want to gain access.

Then, two years ago, the Trail Riders Fellowship along with GLASS (Green Lane Association) and other groups created a Go-Fund me page to raise money for repairs, and with a sizeable wad of cash, many people worked hard restoring access.

Now of course there are many people who bemoaned that the road was now ruined with all the challenging sections graded, which is fair enough as we all like a challenge now and again, but in reality it’s now returned to normal.

Driving the Old Coach Road from west to east I climb up one of the sections that I helped to repair (read about it here), and bunged her in low box with centre lock engaged as it’s a bit steep with loose rocks underfoot. Once past the first repaired section there’s a few more short a twisty inclines with small but sharp rocks, no place for low profile tyres.

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It’s isn’t long from here that the road settles down and becomes fairly flat and manageable, so I take her out of low box and begin to amble along admiring the stunning views. As you see from the photos, it was a lovely, balmy afternoon with hardly a sky in the cloud and the views were spectacular.

Occasionally I’d arrive at a repaired section and it’s gratifying to see that they’ve stood up incredibly well - full kudos to everyone who put hours, days and weeks of effort into maintaining this wonderful old road. Sporadically you’ll come across large diagonal humps put there to encourage rain water to drain off the road into the fields, they’re like oversized speed humps reminding you to slow down and enjoy the views.

• • • • •

PC, smartphone and tablet friendly Toggle between BOAT, UCR and Legacy layers Information on restrictions and closures Multiple mapping options including OS Easy to zoom in and out

• • • • •

Add comments and photos against routes Extensive coverage of England and Wales Share a lane on Facebook or Twitter Available exclusively to GLASS members TW2... TrailWise, but smarter!

WHERE WILL YOU PLAN YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE?

As Muddy Madam can attest, I can be a tad annoying whilst driving green-lanes, for the simple reason that I’m always stopping for photos! On one such stop I had the life frightened out of me as out of nowhere a couple of lads on a dirt bike and quad came barrelling up behind me, I didn’t hear them until they were next to me.

After a quick hello they were off again at around 30mph, arguably too fast for a green-lane, but hey-ho. I continued on tick-over with all of Deux Smurf’s windows open enjoying the gentle breeze and the sound of the familiar rumble of the big 3ltr diesel up front.

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Just before I reached the only water crossing I pulled over, dug out my old Ghillie Kettle, found some dead twigs, filled it with water and boiled the water for a quick coffee and, this may sound a bit soppy, reflected on how grateful I am that we’re still able to enjoy roads, lanes and byways like this in the UK. They are dwindling, so my advise is to do what you can to keep them open; avoid off-piste driving, pick up litter, be courteous and join a club like GLASS or All Terrain UK. On reaching the end I checked the time and I was surprised to learn that I’d been on the Old Coach Road for a fraction under an hour, simply taking my time and enjoying the views.

I tapped in the postcode for the Hilton at Dunblane and it’s 2-1/2 hours away, so I pack away my camera, check around Deux Smurf whilst having another swift cup of coffee and head back towards the M6.

Discover historic Normandy and the D-Day landings on our family friendly, self-drive tours.

We explore important battlefield sites and locations, linked by greenlanes, travelling at a leisurely pace through the beautiful French countryside.

2020 Dates

3 day tours - £775

4 day tours - £995

• 10-12th April

• 6-10th June

• 13-15th April

• 11-15th June

• 15-17th May

• 10-14th August

• 18-20th May • 10-12th July • 17-19th July

• 15-19th August all prices based on 2 people per vehicle, with luxury B&B, museum entries and guides included

New exciting destinations including email: hello@dday1944.tours Poland, Ukraine, mob: 07888 060099 Estonia and Italy facebook: Normandy 1944 D-Day Tours coming soon! website: www.dday1944.tours

Unimogs On Tour

by Andy Harris

In the depths of winter, a local farmer brings out his ultimate go-anywhere vehicle - a Unimog. I have often admired it from afar, but have never had the opportunity to get behind the wheel… until now.

Unimog is made by Mercedes-Benz, and as part of a new campaign to raise awareness in the UK, I was invited to participate in their ‘Unimog On The Farm’ tour, currently moving to select locations. In the UK, farmers are the main buyers of the Unimog, and at the event I was joined by a mostly knowledgeable agricultural audience. I had much to learn.

One of the main attractions of a Unimog, apart from their abilities off road, is the option to attach a variety of different attachments to both the front and the rear of the vehicle. This allows a variety of tasks to be carried out at one time.

What's more, it is relatively straightforward to swap attachments for different times of the year; in summer the Unimog might do service mowing, hedging and ditching, yet come winter, snow ploughing duties might be the order of the day. This may well mean that the user can make do with one versatile work vehicle, rather than two, therefore clear cost 76

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savings to be had.

In the Unimog’s home market, local councils and motorway maintenance contractors are big buyers, drawn to the Mog’s versatility. I wonder why our local authorities do not do the same. It could well be the price, but consider that in this part of the world the gritting lorries probably stand idle for nine months of the year, whereas a gritting Unimog would take on a new role come spring.

I was unable to establish exact pricing for the Unimog range, but if I said the prices start around £80,000 for a base vehicle, and then you add on attachments from there. The sky is the limit depending on what the user wants, and I gather it would be quite easy to double that price. Most will be bought on some sort of finance scheme.

Residual values are high, and demand in the UK for older models good. A few Unimog owners had brought along a selection of older vehicles for us to look at (but sadly not drive), and one of these was for sale at around £30,000. Tempting, though I would want to have it properly inspected before parting with my cash.

It may well have had a hard life.

Running costs are considered to be lower than the equivalent tractor, and I gather 7.4mpg, or a consumption of 12.6 litres of fuel per hour is the order of the day. Servicing is required after 1,400 hours of use, and of course the cost can be absorbed into the finance plan. A three-year warranty is standard, and one of 4 specialist dealers, or 23 aftersales dealers, can carry out repairs and maintenance.

All this is very interesting, but I was keen to get behind the wheel of as many different types of Unimog as possible.

I began gently with a little road sweeping, and ended the day with some hardcore mowing. However, the off-road course was where I had the most fun, and was able to assess the Mog’s true capabilities.

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All Unimogs sit high off the ground, requiring a bit of a scramble to get into the cab. Once ensconced, the view out is excellent with nothing to obstruct the forward view. Banks of switches seem somewhat daunting for the uninitiated, but helpful instructors made it all clear.

Many are automatic, but some are manual with a preselect function whereby you pull a steering wheel mounted lever to choose the next gear, before dipping the clutch to make the change happen. Three combinations of locking differential can be fitted together with an exhaust brake to help slow you down.

I rather liked the Variopilot system, which allows the steering wheel and pedals to be moved from one side of the cab to the

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other. There are clear advantages to this, allowing the operator to sit next to the area of land he’s working on. It also means the vehicle can be sold in right and left-hand drive markets.

The off-road course was made more challenging by the previous day’s torrential rain, and we were marked by our instructors as we navigated the gloopy course.

With all the major mechanical components carefully hidden with the Unimog’s body, there was little chance of grounding any major components. Hardcore tractor tyres were not fitted to the three test vehicles, making the course even more challenging.

Slow and steady was the order of the day, and each of the Mogs tackled the course with relative ease. There was a degree of slippage in some of the more treacherous sections, but with a little faith, a lot of torque and a gentle right foot, momentum was always maintained.

It was hard not to be impressed.

I was rewarded for my diligence with a prize for a top score. All my time in 4x4s off-road had clearly not been wasted.

All in all an interesting day, after which I can heartily recommend a Unimog. It would make a wonderful plaything for a wealthy landowner, but clearly Unimog is keen to make inroads into the UK tractor market.

They would seem to make a lot of sense due to their versatility and comparatively low running costs, and then there’s also the German engineering backed by the might of Mercedes-Benz to consider.

Follow Andy on Twitter - @ytimesmotoring

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acebook Page of the Month Once, not so long ago, if you wanted to catch up with like minded enthusiasts, you’d join a forum.

It appears these days however that Facebook has taken over the mantle for the place to go for information. So, in the aptly titled ‘Facebook Page of the Month’ every month I will invest hours of time, effort and energy searching Facebook for interesting and relevant groups so you don’t have to. It’s serious work, or so I tell Muddy Madam!

WHO STARTED IT & WHY? MT&T was started by myself, Andy Twyford, and Louise around 2 years ago.

I had had an idea to run an off road club where everyone was welcome, whether they drove Landys, jeeps, pick ups, dirt bikes, it really doesn't matter, all are welcome. Unfortunately whilst I could manage facebook, at that time I had no idea about instagram or any other social media platform so Louise agreed to come on board, show me the ropes and run the club with me. Fred and Allan have also become admins as the page has grown

www.facebook.com/groups/154365755209360

HOW MANY MEMBERS SO FAR? So far we have around 1100 members on the Facebook group, with vehicles ranging from bikes to hummers, and almost 15.4k followers on instagram which still blows my mind.

AREA? We are based in the Shropshire area but we have members in the US, Canada, Africa, France, Portugal but to name a few.

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ARE THERE PUB MEETINGS? Unfortunately we dont do organised pub meets yet although a few of us have had casual drinks together, but it is something we would like to organise properly once the membership grows enough to support it.

CAN MEMBERS ORGANISE THEIR OWN TRIPS? We actively encourage our members to organise their own trips, sometimes some of us can make it there too, but we love hearing peoples stories of days out, workshop stories, and everything else that comes with this hobby.

ANYTHING ELSE? This year has been great for us here at MT&T, we have attended all the major land rover/off road shows as a club, as well as having a presence at several smaller local shows, hopefully 2020 will see us continue to expand on that. Its been great meeting new people and sharing some great weekends. New members are always welcome, we love hearing everyone's stories and we hope to meet many more people next year.

If you, or your group, would like to be featured as FB Page of the Month send us a quick email to:

POTM@themudlife.co.uk The Mud Life is on Facebook too:

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Calm the Crazy - Mooch It was the end of another crazy week at Muddy Towers - on Monday and Tuesday I was over in Derbyshire for a Ford media day, and as you will have read last month I drove a few greenlanes before heading up to Windermere for the launch of the new JL Jeep Wrangler. Thursday, I was at my other job as a school counsellor and Friday, I had a meeting in Leeds with the Northern Group of Motoring Writers.

The meeting was planned to finish around 3pm when, along with Andy Harris, writer for the Yorkshire Times, we would drive a

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couple of green-lanes before going our separate ways.

It was one of those weeks which I decided not to book a press car as Deux Smurf, my 1996 Toyota Surf, hadn’t been driven for a few months, and needed a good run out.

Never passing the opportunity to have a good natter with my peers, we left Thorpe Park and arrived at our first planned lane, Wreaks Lane, later than expected.

Lane 1 Arriving at the eastern end of Wreaks Lane with Andy following me in his press Skoda Kodiaq, we waded through the stream, which sounds more dramatic that it actually was as the water barely reached the wheels, and continued along the straight, tree lined lane.

The last time I drove up here was in the BMW X6, which you can read about in our September issue, so I knew what the lane lacked in technical drive it made up for in stunning views, and with an almost cloudless sky, we weren’t disappointed.

Stopping occasionally for photos we didn’t dawdle as the sun was already getting quite low and I had at least two more lanes to drive after this.

As we continued to climb the surface of the lane changed, although still hard packed stone there were a few more rocks and holes to negotiate, none of which were a problem for the Deux Smurf of course, nor the standard AWD Kodiaq.

There was one particular section which had deteriorated slightly from the last time I was up here, and that was on a quite a long incline. It was a 20 or so yard stretch that had become rutted and challenged the front bib of the Kodiaq, but with steady momentum Andy made it look easy, the Skoda did a good job, too!

Arriving at a junction in the lane, we had the option of either carrying straight on or turning left and performing a long ‘V’ shaped detour which headed back onto Wreaks Lane. Having chosen the former previously I was curious to know what lay ahead of us after turning left, so we did.

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Lane 2 Apart from more great views the lane was easy and apart from having to negotiate a 3 point turn before a bridge the surface was easily managed in the Kodiaq.

On reaching the end we turned left and made our way down into a small village that goes by the name of Lofthouse, we turned right and headed towards an even smaller settlement called Middlesmoor. From here we carried on along In Moor Lane that would take us down to down to Scar House Reservoir.

Lane 3 Upon reaching the start of the lane the drainage ditch that is normally covered with slim steel girders (imagine a cattle grid), was devoid of any actual girders and it was here where Andy decided that the Kodiaq would go no further. I had to agree, though on reflection the Kodiaq would have probably made it, but bodywork and certainly undercarriage damage was inevitable, and as we all know, PR’s take a dim view of that, so we decided to leave the Kodiaq at the side of the road and take Deux Smurf to the reservoir and back.

Diagonally, I eased Deux Smurf into the ditch making sure that one wheel at a time fell down giving me better traction from the other 3. It sounds dramatic, but it wasn’t, the chunky 26575R16 KM3 Mud Terrain tyres that BFGoodrich had sent me to review the week previously proved no match for the gaping hole, and without any drama we were through.

Within a few hundred yards or so the surface changed from a fairly hard yet undulating surface to moderately deep muddy ruts. I had already slotted her into low ratio with the centre diff lock engaged so traction wasn’t a problem.

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Going was quite slow due to the deep steps, and as Deux Smurf’s suspension flexed its way along Andy and I chatted about random things until we eventually arrived at our first gate, beyond which was our first sighting of the reservoir, and what a spectacular view it was.

By this time the sun had disappeared over the hills and we were left with the evening hue as we continued down the lane towards the reservoir. From here it was fairly straight forward though we had to negotiate a couple of tight switchbacks and the oddly placed boulder, but all was good as Deux Smurf ambled downwards in 1st gear low box.

I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive on whether we would make it up the incline without losing traction at some point, but the 23 year old Toyota wearing brand new BFGoodrich boots proved more than capable with not even a hint of wheel spin.

Arriving at the bottom, and without any delay we made a swift u-turn and headed back up.

It was a long and boring drive home, but what a great way to end a meeting.

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We reached the top and gently made our way back down the rutted track to where Andy had left the Kodiaq. After we said our goodbyes I tapped my postcode into Google maps and phoned Muddy Madam to tell her that I’d be home in approximately 2 hours time!

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I don’t mind admitting that I cheated when creating this month’s dish.

I was driving back home after a green-laning trip when I suddenly came over all peckish. I had no food in Deux Smurf, only my Primus Essential Stove,Victorinox Spirit III multitool, Hytensil cutlery set, some Bran oil and a bit of Worcestershire Sauce (don’t ask!).

Passing an Aldi store I figured I’d improvise, and instead of walking out with a handful of choccies and other stuff that's bad for my waistline ("What waistline?" I hear you thinking), I left the store with a packet of their Classic Egg Fried Rice, some king prawns and an onion (they didn’t have any spring onions).

Finding a quiet spot off the main road I pulled over and set up my makeshift kitchen ( A.K.A. my big blue box of recovery gear).

Each month we give you an easy menu that any buffoon can make whilst out in the great outdoors, and when I say ‘any buffoon’, I obviously mean me.

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I suppose I could’ve easily bought a pastie, or something equally as convenient, but this little lot cost me less than £2.50, and turned out to be a super quick, filling and tasty meal that’s now on my list of meals to make when I’m next camping.

Prawn Fraud Rice Serves 1 hungry mouth (or 2 as a snack) Equipment Hob or Ring Stove Frying pan Chopping board Spoon / Stirrer Sharp knife Cutlery

Ingredients 1 packet Classic Egg Fried Rice 1 small tray of King Prawns a few spring onions or 1 small onion (chopped) 1 tbsp of vegetable oil (I used Bran Oil) 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Instructions 1. Heat the oil in your pan over a medium heat & chop the onion.

2. Once hot add the rice, prawns and half the chopped onion & stir.

3. Leave to simmer whilst occasionally adding around a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce (to your personal taste).

4. After 4 minutes, which is the time it quoted on the rice packet, sprinkle the rest of the onion to add a bit of crunch to this aromatic lunch.

5. Devour straight from the pan. Yum!

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es d i R s ' r e Read

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Sophie Devon, also known as That Green Defender Girl on social media. I am 20 years old and live in the UK. I spend most of my time with my Land Rover, tinkering, exploring and of course having lots of fun!

History of cars leading up your present 4x4 My history of cars is short and sweet. After passing my test this is my first car, but it certainly won’t be the last.

Present 4x4(s) My current and only 4x4 is my Land Rover 110 300Tdi County Station Wagon, but we do have a Discovery 2 Td5 in the family as well.

Modifications done I haven’t really done any modifications. I want to keep this 110 as standard and original as possible, so it’s mainly preservation and restoration work.

Favourite Modifications My favourite modifications in general are the discreet tasteful ones. Like how the Camel Trophy vehicles are functional and fit for purpose.

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Modifications to do My next ‘modifications’ aren’t too extreme as this vehicle will be kept as standard and original as possible. However, a new galvanised rear door is the next purchase and the rear windows being re-tinted as they’re starting to look a little rough around the edges.

Favourite green-laning trip Due to my proximity to the Yorkshire Dales, we go there quite often, and is probably one of my favourite places to visit.

There are so many scenic routes you can take, and so many lanes to explore up there, so there is never a dull moment.

Lottery win 4x4 Excluding the 110, I would absolutely adore a Discovery 1 200Tdi. Of course the 110 would never be replaced, but if I won the lottery it would have to be a low mileage, standard Discovery. I would have one tomorrow as my second vehicle/ daily vehicle.

Favourite car related film As a kid I always watched Transformers. I had all the

collectable items and watched the film constantly. I always dreamed of being a mechanic and having my own Bumblebee as a little girl.

Favourite biscuits I only have two go to biscuits in my cupboard at home, but I cannot pick a favourite. I like ginger biscuits and rich tea. But who doesn’t like a rich tea biscuit?

Where can we find more details?

You can find me on social media as thatgreendefendergirl.

Instagram - thatgreendefendergirl Facebook- thatgreendefendergirl YouTube - thatgreendefendergirl

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es d i R s ' r e Read

Who are you and what do you do?

I'm Lee Charles, and I’m a vehicle technician for a recovery company based in the Birmingham area.

History of cars leading up your present 4x4 A Citroen Saxo VTR, Renault Clio, Renault Clio 172, a Ford Fiesta ST, Honda Civic Type-R and a VW Golf.

Then I had another Fiesta ST, another Civic Type-R, and finally a MK 1 imported Mazda MX5.

Present 4x4(s) My current 4x4 is a 1999 Land Rover Discovery 2 TD5 in a bush crashed blue.

Modifications done Exterior - steel bumper front and rear, 2" lift, winchmax winch with synthetic rope, rock and tree sliders, full roof rack with an expedition awning, snorkel, bush cables, led spot lights, light guards all round, modular steel wheels on insa turbo traction mud terrains, complete straight through exhaust, chequer plate bonnet protection, tinted windows, a sticker design I thought of and fitted, storm tuning map including an egr delete with the terriferma air filter. I believe that's it, but probably forgot a few things.

Interior - pretty standard apart from a few comfort changes including Umbrella Corp full seat covers, reversing cameras, bluetooth stereo and uprated speaker, LED speedometer bulbs instead of the dim originals and a Travall dog guard just to keep things neat and tidy.

Under body protection is a pro line steering guard with bearmach diff guards, including the brass drain plugs instead of the rubbish plastic ones, a galvanised tank guard and a home made transmission guard.

Favourite Modifications My favourite mod has got to be the straight through exhaust, and the storm tuning map, just for the smiles per mile factor

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Modifications to do My next upcoming mods are diff lock installed, and convert the back into a commercial so I can start my expedition idea Favourite green-laning trip My favourite green laning trips are a bit difficult as every trip's a good one, but if I had to pick one it would have to be Strata Florida in Wales, as that was my very first go at laning, and started my passion. Although I burst my radiator it was still a good day, and started many more, with the infamous Bastard Lane coming a very close second Lottery win 4x4 A new Ford Raptor, as I've always had a soft spot for Ford.

Favourite car related film Now that's an easy one - Mad Max! Not just for the V8 interceptor, but the craftsmanship in all the builds, although the clothing choice is questionable.

Favourite biscuits My favourite biscuits in order are: chocolate malted milks, bourbons and chocolate digestive.

Where can we find more details?

My main social media is my Instagram account @leecharles_td5

Just a little vid of Lee and his Discovery playing around Marquenterre, France.

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es d i R s ' r e Read Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Roy Duffy and I run 4x4 Obsession.

How did it start?

When I was 4 my family would meander through Europe camping for a month at a time. We had a series 3 109 Station Wagon. You can understand where my love of Land Rovers and overland adventures began.

Twenty years later I went to Australia, naturally I bought a Land Rover.

Being suited to the country I found work on a cattle station. This is where I got introduced to Toyota 4x4s.

My work Ute was a HZJ75 and our ‘going to the pub’ car was a Land Cruiser 80.

I have owned many 4x4s over the years, travelling Europe & North Africa in Land Rovers and Land Cruisers. My awesome Defender is now part of the 4x4 Obsession family, it gets used hitting the trails in the UK, and the Land Cruiser for overland adventures.

We created 4x4 Obsession through a passion for adventure.

We love our 4x4s. and we love helping people explore this wonderful world. We select products we are proud to use, and share with our loyal band of customers.

W e have been mentored by quite a few industry leaders over the years, and we strongly believe in treating people the way we appreciate being treated.

History of cars leading up your present 4x4 Land Rover Series 3 - Bought this before I could drive. I rebuilt the engine, fitted parabolic springs, Overdrive, rear windows and a full respray in ivory. It was the short wheel base version of the one my family had when I was 4.

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G-wac Discovery - absolutely loved the Discovery, it was nice choosing to go to work in the either a classic or comfy Land Rover. I sold both of these to fund a year working and traveling in Australia for a year.

Whilst staying with cousins just south of Perth the search began to find a suitable vehicle to tour Australia.

We found it in the form of a 1973 LWB Series III Pickup with canopy. It was already converted for touring, with a full double bed and drawer system in the back. The engine had been replaced with a 3.3 litre holden red block. It was an absolute beast running 33’s you could spin all 4 wheels from a standing start up to 3rd gear.

Then I had a Landcruiser Troopy HZJ75.

Present 4x4(s) Defender 90 300 tdi Landcruiser 80 series tourer Modifications done Defender 90 Old man emu 2’ lift with Gwyn Lewis Challenge Kit Gwyn Lewis challenge guards Custom front winch bumper Goodwinch TDS front & Rear Toyo open country tires 255/85 r16 Lightforce HTX2 Driving lights Lightforce 50‘ Dual row, Dual wattage lighter Lightforce ROK40 - work light Lightforce ROK20 - Reverse light Whitbreard Offroad roof rack Landcruiser 80 Old Man Emu 2’ suspension lift Toyo open country 255/85 r16 Aux power throughout Engel Fridge Tailgate cooking lights Double bed set up in back when touring Engine tweaked Straight through exhaust 3 x locking diffs Favourite Modifications Winch front & rear Lightforce HTX2s driving lights - turns night into day Modifications to do Install more power sockets in the Defender Favourite green-laning trip Anything in North Wales Lottery win 4x4 HZJ76 / TOMS WORLD CRUISER Favourite car related film Fast & Furious Favourite biscuits Hob Nobs Where can we find more details?

Website - www.4x4obsession.co.uk Instagram - 4x4obsession.co.uk Twitter - 4x4obsession YouTube - 4x4obsession.co.uk

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PAST JALOPIES

Travelling Smurf Pt.2 Last month I regaled you with the story of how I left the Land Rover world behind and bought my first Japanese 4x4 - the Smurf, a 1994 2nd generation Toyota Hilux Surf. This month I’ll waffle on about what fell off, broke off, rusted off and was generally crap.

steering idler that I’d bought for her first MOT back in March the previous year. Strangely it was the same fault, the bottom bush had worn and was producing excessive play. No problem though, Milners replaced it without any quarrel, first class service indeed.

The Smurf was mostly used by me as a means to get to work, and at the time I was commuting between 70 and 100 miles a week. Of course there were the occasional caravan towing duties, from York, Kirkby Lonsdale, Telford, and around Cumbria, and as ever, the 3 litre turbo diesel engine coupled to the auto gearbox made light work of towing.

With Christmas 2004 out of the way, planning new year celebrations was on the agenda, and we decided to visit Muddy Madam’s best mate Caroline who lives in Scotland. We did tell her about this beforehand, we didn’t just turn up!

As life continued, so did our Smurf, she started on the button and ran beautifully, I was happy, she was all I wanted, and she did all I asked of her, it’s not often I’ve had the opportunity to have a reliable car, in fact I think this is my first!

Then in November, about eight months into ownership she acquired a bit of a steering wobble, the cause of which was the

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The Thursday afternoon before New Year's Eve was spent checking the Smurf, all the usual stuff like fluid levels and tyres, etc. I noticed that the front tyres weren’t looking too happy and would soon require changing, so that would be more expense in the new year.

With waterproofs, fleeces and thermals packed, at 10.00am on New Years Eve we set off to Scotlandshire, or Glen Cova to be precise.

PAST JALOPIES

The weather was damp and miserable, but then Radio 2 played our first festive song of the journey, ‘Happy New Year’ by ABBA, a bit premature, but not by much I suppose.

Around 20 minutes after joining the M6 I asked Muddy Madam where she had put the map - being the navigator it was her responsibility.

At the next junction we turned around and drove for back for the map. Luckily we didn’t have to drive home as she had a map at work, which wasn’t that far away.

The motorway was fairly quiet, the weather was pretty grim, though the mood in the Smurf was good, and Radio 2 was still playing decent tunes, with added pleasant and amusing banter.

Just past the M55, we came across our first hard shoulder victim, a red Frontera was just coming to a halt with steam bellowing from under the bonnet. I did renew my Britannic rescue membership, didn’t I? Just then, the sun made an appearance, woo hoo we put our sunglasses on, 2 miles later it went back in.

As we approached the junction for Lancaster, a couple of things caught our attention. First we saw flashing blue lights on the hard shoulder, a Ford Escort was parked up in front of a Police Range Rover. The occupants were stood talking to the officers and the car looked pretty mangled, but no one looked hurt.

Whilst in the middle lane overtaking slower cars, the other thing we noticed was a black and white cat sat chilling out on the on the parcel shelf of a Peugeot 406 as we passed by. Don’t think our cat would’ve been that calm.

As we passed the border into Scotlandshire my enthusiasm for driving was still alive and well, and as we reached junction 14 on the A74 we were treated to stunning shafts of sunlight piercing through the mist around the hills, it looked very moody. Oh, and we saw our third victim on the hard shoulder, this time a Citroen ZX on the opposite side that was overheating. By this time, after covering a total of 191 miles, Muddy Madam’s sanity began to waiver as she made animal noises to relieve her boredom...

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PAST JALOPIES As we joined the M73 our second new year song was played on the radio, this time ‘Perfect Year’ by Dina Carrol, just as the rain began to pelt it down, then hale hit the Smurf’s windscreen like marbles cascading from a schoolboys satchel. I was poetic back then. The wipers struggled to keep a clear vision of the road ahead, headlamps were switched on and speed reduced as we drove into this unexpected storm. A little further on, we are able to see Stirling Castle, though only because the rain had stopped.

At 2.45pm the fuel gauge was showing just over a quarter, so we found another Tesco services at Perth to brim up. A quick calculation showed that we have done 274 miles. They aren’t

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the most economical of 4x4s it must be said.

From Perth we took the A94 past Coupar Angus, then the A928 to Kirriemuir and the B955 to our final destination which was Glen Clova.

After unpacking the Smurf, it was straight into serious Hogmanay mode, and that’s as much as I remember. Though I do have some faint memories of standing in a small wooden guest hut watching young women swinging from the rafters!

January 1st dawned, far too early for my liking, and after a hearty breakfast-come-dinner, with special permission we drove off

into the Glen for a spot of green-laning. I was very aware of the aforementioned worn tyres so I decided to be sensible and not venture too far.

The following morning we woke to find around 4” of freshly laid snow and a beautiful blue sky, so we did what any mature adult would do, we donned our waterproofs and had a massive snowball fight!

Soon enough it was time to leave, and with one ‘splash and dash’ at Abington services we arrived home 8 hours later covering a total of 650 miles.

Fuel consumption? Who knows! Good time? Hell yeah!

The Bridgestone Winter Duellers that were fitted when we bought her had been superb in the snow and surprisingly capable in the mud, but downright dangerous in rainy and damp conditions. Rear wheel drive and a responsive 3 litre turbo diesel engine makes for an interesting time whilst turning corners. Let’s just say that I got used to incorporating opposite lock within normal driving.

A week or two after returning from Scotlandshire I invested in a set of BFG All Terrains. I’d had them on my old Range Rover and 90 hybrid, and they were almost unstoppable, but on a Surf?

Only time would tell.

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RETRO SNAPS

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ARC NATIONAL 1993,

EASTNOR CASTLE Can you spot you or your motor in these photos from bygone mud adventures?

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Fancy an off-road challenge?

Want to get your 4x4 filthy?

Don’t ruin our ancient byways, try out your local P&P site instead…

A few pointers…It’s important that you check the site’s requirements before you visit, such as: Does your 4x4 need to be road legal?

Do you need to show proof of age, vehicle MOT and insurance documents? Are your recovery points secure? Do you even have any recovery points?

To avoid disappointment, always check with the individual site before you set off. Also remember that as well as a good quality tow rope, it’s always useful to bring along some rags and a bottle of water to clean your lights and reg plates so you can stay legal whilst driving home!

Pay & Play Directory NORTH

Avalanche Adventures

Hill ’n’ Ditch

Activities: Pay & Play http://www.hillnditch4x4.com 07974 398201

Explore Off Road

Activities: Pay & Play, Off Road Driver Training, 4x4 Experiences http://www.exploreoffroad.co.uk 07970 286881

Kirton Off Road

Activities: Pay & Play, 4x4 Experiences https://www.korc.co.uk 01652 245022

SOUTH Essex Rochford & District 4x4 Club Activities: Pay & Play http://www.4x4er.co.uk

Devils Pit

Activities: Pay & Play, 4x4 Experiences https://avalancheadventure.co.uk 01858 880613

4x4 Without A Club

Activities: Pay & Play http://www.4x4-withoutaclub.co.uk 07887533168

4x4 Driving

Activities: Pay & Play, Off Road Driver Training http://www.4x4driving.co.uk 07802 582826

Piccadilly Wood

Activities: Pay & Play http://www.piccadillywood4x4.co.uk 07984 543886

Ultra Adventure Driving

Activities: Pay & Play / 4x4 driver training http://www.ultraadventuredriving.co.uk 01978 358 444

Activities: Pay & Play http://www.devilspit.co.uk 07764 159478

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emember, motorsport is a lot of fun, but it can also be dangerous, so be sensible out there.

THE MUD LIFE MAGAZINE

4x4 Tours D-Day Tours

Ardent Off Road

Highland All Terrain

One Life Adventure

Cambrian Way

Off Road Adventure Travel

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.dday1944.tours 07888 060099

Activities: 4x4 Tours, 4x4 Experiences https://ardentoffroad.com 01405 947001

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.highlandscenicsafari.co.uk 01528 544358

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.cambrianway.com 01550 750274

Activities: 4x4 Tours & vehicle prep training https://www.onelifeadventure.co.uk 01347 830188

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Off Road Driver Training & Experiences NORTH

SOUTH

SCOTLAND

North Yorkshire Off Road Centre

Wild Tracks

Scottish Off Road

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

Tours http://www.nyoffroad.co.uk 07787 555060

Explore Off Road

Activities: Pay & Play

Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Experiences http://www.exploreoffroad.co.uk 07970 286881

Ardventures

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Tours https://ardtrainingandevents.co.uk 07974 356 516

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Experiences https://www.wildtracksltd.co.uk 01638 751918

True Grip off Road

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Experiences http://www.truegripoffroad.co.uk 01233 662251

Protrax

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training https://www.protrax.co.uk 01536 772238

Avalanche Adventures

WALES

Activities: Pay & Play

4x4 Experiences https://avalancheadventure.co.uk 01858 880613

Bala 4x4

Ash 4x4

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training https://www.bala4x4.co.uk 01536 772238

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Experiences http://www.ash4x4.com 07581 030331

Activities: Off Road Driver Training http://www.scotoffroad.co.uk 07711 217759

Far X Four

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Experiences http://www.farxfour.com 01450 860275

4x4 Driving

Activities: Pay & Play

Off Road Driver Training http://www.4x4driving.co.uk 07802 582826

UK WIDE All Terrain Services

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training

4x4 Experiences

Self Drive Tours https://www.allterrainservices.co.uk 01792 862669

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