Bob Cooke – contributor
There are places I wouldn’t take my Cherokee, and that includes some of the holes at John Morgan’s Slindon off-road site. I go there quite often because it’s not that far – I reckon just over half a tank’s drive there and back, and but for the price of petrol I’d go more often – and there’s such a good variety of off-road terrain that anything from standard 4x4s to heavily modified specials can find terrain that’s challenging enough to excite without damaging the vehicle. Of course if you don’t mind a bit of damage there’s plenty of suitable terrain for that as well, such as when a couple of over-excited lads sent their Discovery sideways down a serious slope or when an overconfident chap drove his Range Rover into a puddle without thinking to check how soft the bottom was…
Nigel Fryatt – editor
When you get quizzed by those ‘other’ motorists who don’t just ‘get’ why we own 4x4s, one word usually ends the argument. Even for those who don’t want to go off-road, or don’t have the ability to understand how good a 4×4 is during inclement weather conditions, one thing they can never argue against is – versatility. If you own a 4×4, then you have the ability to do just about anything.
Hils Everitt – Editor at Large
The supply issues on the new Ford Ranger pick-up seem to be easing and you certainly see more of them on the roads these days, This means the demands for truck tops will increase. Auto Styling Truckman has recently expanded its range of British-built hardtops to include an Aerotop RS for the Ford Ranger Mk5 Super Cab. Super Cab versions of the Aerotop RS, Classic and Utility Top are now all available for this vehicle. Auto Styling Truckman also manufactures Double Cab and Single Cab hardtops for the Ford Ranger. All Aerotop Truckman units have solid sides, gel white interior, chrome push button lock, tinted and toughened rear glass and have an integral spoiler with a high level brake light. To find out more, check out the advertisement in this very magazine, call 01384 485405 or go direct to the website.
It amazes us sometimes when you see a highly modded off-roader with an expensive winch fitted to the front, exposed to the elements. Winches are expensive bits of kit and although they might not be used that often, when you need them, they have to work. It would seem highly logical to us to have a serious cover to protect it, not just when off-roading but when enjoying the vagueries of the British weather! WARN has a great new range of neoprene covers for its range of winches including ZEON, Tabor, M8, 9.5XP, VR, Series and Utility models. The elastic covers stretch over the winch and provide a snug fit to prevent flapping, eliminating the need for cords and straps. You also get a bottle of UV Protective Spray that ensures your cover retains maximum UV protection. The prices of these covers start at £31.
If you have a Land Rover Discovery 3 or 4, or the Range Rover Sport (2005 – 2013) and are experiencing vague steering and uneven tyre wear, it could be a problem with the oil filled front lower arm bushes. Powerflex now has a new front arm rear bush, which offers a solution to this. The polyurethane bush can actually be chosen to suit the driver’s requirements; whether you use the vehicle specifically for on-road, off-road or just want it to be as comfortable as possible. Certainly worth talking to the Powerflex guys to get exactly the driving feel you want. The bushes retail at £119.88 (inc VAT) per set. Check out more on the website.
It’s not part of any recognised international Challenge Championship, there are limited technical regulations or rules, and team members come from all walks of life, not necessarily dedicated off-roaders. It is also one of the toughest off-road driving events you could imagine, yet it is perhaps less well known than it ought to be. Oh yes, and it also raises significant revenues for African wildlife!
Having previously criss-crossed Australia in a Nissan Patrol, I had always had this dream about a ‘real’ expedition – to have to dig myself out of mud, to be dirty, camp in the bush and maybe also feel fear of fierce locals or wild animals. Itches like this need to be scratched and so a plan was made; my partner, Andrea, and I would cross Africa, from north to south.
Not everyone who buys a 4×4 wants to keep it looking like any other that rolls off the production line, similarly not every 4×4 turns a wheel in anger off-road. These days it’s just as common to see a suited-and-booted city gent behind the wheel of a Defender, as it is a tweed-obsessed farmer tending to his sheep. Indeed, the respected utilitarian Land Rover has turned into a must-have for a whole range of enthusiasts, who don’t mind an automatic boost to their street cred, too. 
If you visit the Natural History Museum this summer, there’s an exhibition called Mammoths, and the promotional poster shows a small inquisitive child standing before the massive, imperious beast, wide-eyed in wonder, but with just a touch of cautious apprehension. Standing on my drive beside our test Mercedes-Benz G 350 BlueTEC, I too felt that child-like awe. It’s hard to really understand quite why this thing isn’t extinct. And with an on the road price of a staggering £106,150 for a vehicle we intended taking off the road, there was a cautious nature to control my natural enthusiasm as well.