As you read this, the 2012 Dakar will soon be underway. Without doubt, still the most significant of all the global Rally Raid off-road competitions, the Dakar started way back in 1977 when the enigmatic Frenchman Thierry Sabine dreamt up the idea to race across North Africa. All these years later, international politics – and the threat of bandits – has seen the Paris-Dakar become just the Dakar, and is now run through Argentina, Chile and Peru. For 2013, a British team is preparing a new Evoque for this gruelling event.
Excite Rally Raid claim to be Britain’s first professional Dakar team (don’t tell former F1 race team owner and powerboat racer Ted Toleman and his partner and former World Hot Rod champion Barry Lee, who competed in the event in both Range Rover and Metro 6R4 machines). Excite Rally raid are joining forces with RaBe Race Cars and the project is being managed by David Jones, and is obviously a very serious attempt. Intriguingly, the Evoque’s bonnet in these pictures is emblazoned with the words ‘Land Rover’ whereas the road cars are all Range Rovers. The vehicle will be something of a hybrid racer, however, as it is expected that RaBe will use a BMW turbocharged diesel engine – a proven Rally Raid unit.
Jaguar Land Rover’s Range_e has won the 2011 Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Award for Automotive Innovation. This important award goes to a vehicle that is Land Rover’s first diesel-electric hybrid – and it wasn’t many years ago that those words would have been met with incredulous and bewildered looks by most 4×4 enthusiasts. 
So, the campaign continues. And this time the stage was the Los Angeles Auto Show in the US. We can expect to be seeing the ‘new Defender’ DC100 and DC100 Sport at numerous high profile motor shows and publicity events over the coming year, as Jaguar Land Rover gauge public opinion, or merely convince public opinion (depending on your point of view) as to what should be the production version specification, and final design, of the replacement Defender. During this period, information will be drip-fed to the public, and every word spoken by Jaguar Land Rover executives will be scrutinised for any clues. 
Britain’s most influential car survey is back – and looking for owners to reveal all on their vehicles.
Capture those special off-road moments with the GoPro HD camera from Devon 4×4. The camera records moving images directly onto its SD card, and can be installed on a helmet or dashboard to give a blow-by-blow record of your forays in the rough stuff. Prices start at £299.
Hard to believe that Continental tyres, now a global company that employs 160,000 in over 190 locations around the world, was actually founded some 140 years ago. And to save the mental arithmetic, that was way back in 1871. They were then based in Hanover, originally with the snappy name of Continental-Caoutchouc & Gutta-Percha Compagne. 
Met up with 4×4 magazine’s Australian correspondent Robert Pepper last month. We had never met face-to-face and while I wasn’t quite expecting corks hanging from a bush hat, I did think I’d probably get a ‘G’day mate’ in a typical Aussie twang. Turns out, he’s an ex-pat, and left these shores over a decade ago, and still speaks English (a fact for which he is to be complimented). We had a good chat about things 4×4, planned some excellent future features and then just chatted about how things had changed since Robert last lived within these shores. One thing he was finding hard to understand was the increase in crime here, compared to his life ‘down-under’. Sadly, I had to agree with him, since only a few days before we had received a knock on the door from one of the neighbours who lives further up the road. Now, we live in what is best described as in the suburbs of Surrey, certainly not some war torn deprived urban wasteland. The very good natured neighbour had noticed that we have 4x4s parked on our driveway and she just wanted to warn us about what had happened to her the previous night. It appears that while she was sitting, alone, watching the TV at about 11pm, she became aware of a strange noise, which was actually a pair of scum-balls trying to jemmy open her front door. Thankfully, turning the lights on meant that the pond life scarpered and left her alone. 
Enjoy (Odd word to use – Ed) Jeremy Clarkson’s company during your road trips, with the limited edition TomTom Top Gear satnav. The device provides unique Top Gear style instructions, and uses TomTom’s clever congestion-busting HD Traffic technology. This satnav was recently withdrawn from the market after the BBC realised it was a breach of the licence agreement. So if you’re keen on Jezza, you need to catch this product while you can – priced £179.99 from Halfords.
Ideal for viewing hard-to-reach areas on your truck, this pocket-sized inspection light from Philips features six LEDs to give extra brightness. About the same size as a pen, the light can be easily stored in the pocket of your overalls. It has a single lamp at the top end so that it can function as a torch, and has been drop tested from 1.5 metres without damage. It’s also waterproof, and will last for up to 11 hours of continuous use. Available at most car accessories suppliers, the Philips penlight retails for £21.99. 
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