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Monthly Archives: January 2014

ILTIS ON ‘LE JOG’‘Le Jog’ is the rather odd name of the endurance rally organised by the Historic Endurance Rally Association for its annual Lands End to John O’Groats event for classic cars. This year’s event had one equally unlikely entrant in a Volkswagen Iltis from the German manufacturer’s Classic Collection. This winter rally follows the theme of many classic rallies in that it is not an outright speed event, but includes reliability and navigational tests over its 1500 miles. The VW Iltis is a four-wheel drive machine that is often said to be the precursor to the Audi Quattro range, and this particular Type 183 model was a similar specification to models that have previously competed in the Paris-Dakar in 1980. Only 10,000 Iltis were ever built, but the spartan machine has played a significant part in the German manufacturer’s 4×4 heritage. For ‘Le Jog’, the vehicle was driven by the female team of Steffi Edelhoff and Sandra Wukovich, no strangers to VW and long distance events, since they have already toured the world in an Amarok pick-up raising money for the “Be your own hero e.V” – a non-profit organisation that campaigns for the autonomy and self-reliance of girls and young women.

NUTS FOR LAND ROVERJaguar Land Rover has become the first British car maker to open a manufacturing plant in Brazil. South America is the latest stop in JLR’s world domination of the luxury SUV and saloon car market, with plans to build a new facility in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Construction of the plant will start later this year, with the first vehicles rolling off the line in 2016. The agreement has yet to be fully ratified by the Brazilian government, but it is expected that the plant will be able to produce 24,000 vehicles annually. JLR has had a presence in Brazil with a dealership network of some 25 outlets and 2013 has seen increased sales of some 40 per cent over the previous year, selling just under 10,000 Evoques, Freelanders and Discoverys in a 10-month period. Given the plans, this number can be expected to rise dramatically over the next few years.

HONDA CR-V  achieves  77.86 mpgA Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC competed in the recent MPG Marathon event, driven by two independent drivers, and managed a significantly impressive 77.86mpg. The test was covered over two days and included some 500+ miles over a variety of roads and conditions, at speeds that are described by the organisers as ‘real-world driving.’ While it has to be noted that the two drivers, John Kerswill and Ian McKean are highly experienced regulars at the MPG Marathon, organised by Fleet World magazine, and therefore know exactly how to drive as economically as possible, the overall result is still very impressive. Perhaps readers that actually own a similar CR-V could let us know if they have ever achieved such a figure? We would like to hear from you. And if you are looking for a particularly economical 4×4, then the Honda CR-V is now available for £239 a month on a zero per cent finance plan over three years, complete with a five year complimentary servicing plan. Contact your local Honda dealer for more details.

HANDY EMERGENCY KIT It’s worth making sure you have a good emergency travel kit in your 4×4 at this time of the year. Ring Automotive has a good winter emergency kit available that consists of a warning triangle, high visibilty jacket, universal bulb kit, rubber torch, pair of cotton gloves, set of jump leads, First Aid kit and foil blanket, all packed together in a compact carrying bag. Available at many motor factor outlets for a RRP of £29.99. You can, of course, ‘build your own’ and this is certainly a good list!

Website: www.ringautomotive.co.uk 

BUDGET MUD TERRAINNot a tyre manufacturer that we have had any experience of, but we have heard from the guys at 4x4tyres.co.uk who are particularly enthusiastic about the new Nankang N889 Mud Terrain tyre. Very popular in America, these tyres are available at what is described as ‘seriously cheap prices’, have white wall lettering (always looks good), a high shoulder to help eliminate shake when driven on the road, and are pre-drilled to accept snow studs. Go online to find out more and if there’s a size to suit your 4×4.

Website: www.4x4tyres.co.uk 

Extra strong diff casingsA vehicle’s diff can be exposed to some very harsh situations, especially if that vehicle is involved in some serious off-roading or in particular if it’s a competition vehicle. Protection, therefore, is the sensible option. ARB has now extended its range of extra strong diff casings to over 20 vehicles. These iron diff covers can be easily fitted in around an hour, and besides protecting locking diffs and ring and pinion gears, it is claimed that they also help strengthen the axle, since they provide increased structural rigidity. The covers are available in black, but also in the more familiar bright red. They are clear coated offering a very professional and long lasting finish. Prices start at around £129.89 (plus VAT) and come complete with all fitments, including tensile cap screws (which are recessed into the cover to protect against damage). As ever when you are looking for ARB products in the UK, your first point of call has to be Arbil. You can find your nearest ARB stockist by going to the website.

Hils BlogOur columnist waves goodbye to a couple of true intrepid adventurers, and wishes she could join them…

A few months ago I reported on my latest trip to Iceland, in particular an amazing trip to the Langjökull Icecap in one of the superb Arctic Trucks Toyota Land Cruisers. On that day, we were driven by Antarctica-specialist and all-round off-roading legend Gísli Jónsson. Joining us, and keeping a very low profile, was his partner Felicity Aston.

On that day I found out that Felicity just so happens to come from a small town in Kent – just a few miles from where I live, which was quite a coincidence in itself. But what is far more fascinating is that Felicity is a true legend as well, in her own right. She is the first woman in the world to ski across Antarctica alone, led a team of Commonwealth women to the South Pole on skis, has raced in the Canadian Arctic, led a team of women across Greenland’s inland ice and skied along a frozen river in Siberia, as well as spending three years living and working in Antarctica, where she met Gísli.

audiIn the last issue, we commented on how the new Porsche Macan had effectively turned Porsche into a full-blown SUV manufacturer, that happens to sideline in sports cars. News this month from Audi confirms that at present some 28 per cent of this manufacturer’s sales are SUV models, and this is expected to rise to 35 per cent in 2020. This growth will certainly be supported by a new ‘small’ SUV, the Q1. Audi’s ‘Q’ series of four-wheel drive SUVs have now totalled some 250,000 vehicles since the first model was launched in 2006.

There’s not much detail yet about the Q1, but Audi’s CEO Rupert Stadler has declared it will be “a key component of our growth strategy. It is designed on the basis of the modular transverse engine concept and will round off our Q series at the bottom end.” Slightly odd choice of words, and the publicity sketch released by the company does little to show what the new compact SUV will look like, looking more like a teenager’s doodle of some proposed PlayStation computer game machine. However, it can be expected that it leans towards the small ‘sporting’ section of the SUV market. The Q1 will be produced in Ingolstadt and the first models are not expected until 2016.

The Range Rover threw off its agricultural heritage in 2002 and reappeared as a thoroughly modern, exceptionally refined and superbly luxurious world-beater. With the all-new model now on sale, older examples are becoming more affordable

Price range  £10,000 – £15,000

 

RANGE ROVER (2002-2012)When the all-new Range Rover of 2002 appeared it was a stunning departure from the original concept. Gone was the separate steel chassis, gone were the beam axles, and gone was the trusty old Buick V8 engine. With its all-independent suspension and sleek new styling it was the starkest indication yet that the Range Rover was no longer the estate manager’s town car, it was intended to be one of the world’s best luxury limousines with four-wheel drive, almost an incidental fop to the growing interest in all-wheel drive SUVs. The transformation was fuelled by financial and technical input from BMW and Ford, which had sequentially owned the Land Rover brand at that time; hence there was also a quantum leap in the build quality and the promise of better performance, economy and reliability from new engines and transmissions.

The original engines were sourced from BMW in the form of the 4.4-litre V8 and 3.0-litre turbodiesel as used in the BMW X5. The new Range Rover was longer and taller than the previous model, but not much heavier because aluminium played a major role with the bonnet, front wings and side door assemblies all fabricated from the lightweight alloy, a first for a volume vehicle in this class.

Floating 4x4 As we all know, 4x4s come in all shapes and sizes, but few can actually float. We meet with Tim Dutton, an endearing character, and founding father of the this country’s kit car industry, with his latest 4×4 creation. Let’s go off-road Surf-ing in the UK…

Words and photography: Nigel Fryatt

For most people, an amphibious car answers a question that never gets asked. Surely you only ever want one or the other; a road vehicle, or a boat. Strange, therefore, that when Tim Dutton asks the simple question, “Would you like a coffee?” the only answer is an amphibious four-wheel drive.

When the cappuccino in question awaits you on the other side of the River Arun in Littlehampton, logic says you take the road away from the river to search out the nearest bridge. Not so, of course, when you have a Dutton Surf, since the journey to the local barista merely involves negotiating the gluttonous mud of the river bank, before ploughing into the water, deselecting the four-wheel drive, initiating the jet motor and powering across the fast flowing river to the somewhat slippery slipway, where four-wheel drive is re-engaged for the effortless, and remarkably drama free, exit from the water up to the café.