If you’re going to buy a 4×4 with its guts removed, you’d better know what you’re doing. Which was exactly the case with Richard Alder when he took on this Jeep Wrangler YJ and resolved to revive it with the engine from an Isuzu Trooper – and a gearbox that’s an engineering work of art

When Richard Alder went out and bought a Jeep Wrangler with no engine or gearbox, things could have gone badly wrong very easily. In fact, but for a simple twist of fate this tidy little YJ could have been lost altogether to the world of off-roading.

A 1990 left-hooker, which came to the UK in 1992, the Jeep now sits proudly on a businesslike suspension lift, with some of the best bumpers in the world looking after its vital interests. But it could so easily have been so different.

‘I started off by looking for chrome stuff bumpers and so on,’ admits Richard. ‘That was the way I meant to take it. But then I saw these new heavy-duty bumpers on Smittybilt’s website, and I thought they looked the business. So I decided to do it that way instead.’

Read the full article here – 

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202505

In the early days of competitive winching, Lee Bond was renowned for his use of Mercedes G-wagen axles to create manoeuvrable and super-strong vehicles. And unlike some builders, each of his creations was unique.

There was a time, and what a happy, innocent time it was, when building hybrid Land Rovers was all the rage. People who couldn’t afford a 90, which was more or less all of them, would take a Range Rover chassis (because back then you could afford that), cut it down to whatever wheelbase they wanted (normally 88” or, for trialling, 80”), replace the rear overhang with a Series crossmember and cobble together a body out of whatever panels they could get their hands on.

Those were the halcyon days before the SVA test came along to turn hybrid building into yet another Thing You’re Not Allowed To Do In Britain Any More. Mainly, though, the hybrid era came to its own natural end simply because 90s and 110s came down in price to the point where building your own was no longer necessary.

Read the full article here – 

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202505

Two years have passed since the Ranger was launched in the UK. It has won our Pick Up of the Year award at each time of asking and become a common sight on the road, even though it’s priced as a more premium level than the last model and has stronger competition than ever from the Isuzu D-Max.

Ford’s sheer size means it can cast its net far and wide with the range of models you can choose from. Hence the Wildtrak X, a version of the mid-range Wildtrak with a spec that’s tailored a little more towards off-road use. It’s available only with the fourcylinder 2.0 TDCi engine, tuned for 205bhp and mated to a 10-speed auto box, and priced from £42,350 plus VAT (£50,820 with it included).

Though the Wildtrak is only a mid-range trim level in the model line-up, it’s still a very well equipped one with things like all-round parking sensors, leather, heated seats and steering wheel, wireless phone pairing, LED headlamps and 360-degree approach lighting. It also includes Soft-Ride Suspension, however in the Wildtrak X this is replaced with Off-Road Suspension.

Read the full article here – 

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202505

Land Rover Classic has announced that it is to open up its collection of historic vehicles for the public to drive on a series of exclusive events.

Defender Classic: Icons Off-Road will take place at the original Land Rover Experience centre in Solihull, where clients will get behind the wheel of ‘some of the finest examples of historic Land Rover vehicles from over the years.’

For the price of £595, you’ll also learn about the Land Rovers you’re driving. ‘Each experience will also include the history of the subject vehicles, with every JLR instructor on hand to make sure that guests get to know the car they will be driving in the finest detail, down to the last rivet.’ In addition, the day starts with a tour of the Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works facility, demonstrating the specialised work done there as part of its restoration and customisation programmes.

Solihull is particularly appropriate as the location for the driving experience as it was here that the company’s original test and demo track was created back in 1949. This was later replaced by the famous Jungle Track, which remains largely intact today and which will host the driving element of the experience. ‘Using JLR’s finest and most knowledgeable instructors, Land Rover Classic has carefully curated itineraries that display the most incredible selection of cars and the extent of their capabilities. On off-road dirt tracks, guests will have the opportunity to drive each vehicle exactly how they were designed to be driven, all on specialist courses.

Read the full article here – 

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202505

It’s been on the way forever but the Jeep Avenger is about to hit the road in plugin hybrid 4xe form. The latest version of the high-selling B-SUV promises to bridge the gap between the full EV, in which form it was first launched in the UK, and the petrol and hybrid models which have come since.

While there’s not yet any sign of a Trailhawk version to take advantage of the 4xe drivetrain, which drives all four wheels, Jeep has not ruled this out. For now, the 4xe will be available in three trims, all of them powered by the same combination of 1.2-litre turbocharged engine, and dual 21kW, 48V electric motors. This delivers 145bhp to all four wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch auto box.

Jeep says the drivetrain allows the Avenger to tackle ‘even the most adventurous off-road terrains’. It boasts 210mm of ground clearance (an additional 10mm compared to the rest of the Avenger range), meaning 22° approach, 21° breakover and 35° departure angles, and can ford up to 400mm of water.

In addition, a 22.7:1 reduction gear in the rear axle makes for an extraordinary 1400lbf.ft of torque at the wheels. This promises enormous tractability – Jeep says the vehicle can scale gradients of up to 40% on unpaved surfaces, with 20% achievable even if the front wheels have no grip at all. Although the Avenger doesn’t have low range as such, its drive modes offer the option of a virtual centre diff lock – as well of course as programs tailored to driving in mud, sand and snow.

Read the full article here – 

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202505

Arctic Trucks’ AT37 version of the new Toyota Land Cruiser will appeal to pose-truck punters –but what they’ll get is a vehicle with seriously good engineering at its heart.

Getting your hands on the new Toyota Land Cruiser is easier said than done. Much easier, what with the initial UK supply already having been gobbled up. Those that do exist for sale all seem to have been ordered by the trade and put up for some cheerfully offensive amount more than list price.

The upside of this is that if you do somehow manage to buy one, you can probably afford to buy more or less anything. Like getting it converted by Arctic Trucks, for example. This is never a cheap process, but if you want cheap
stuff you know where to look and it’s not Iceland.

That’s where Arctic Trucks comes from, as you probably know. The company was founded in 1990 as part of the country’s Toyota importer and went on to gain fame for turning Hi-Luxes and Land Cruisers into big beasts capable of rolling over the sort of terrain you get in a world of glaciers. The really big AT44 is an icon (the number refers to the diameter of its tyres) but even the AT32 and AT35 conversions can transform a truck’s presence. In particular in the UK,
the latter has appeared for several years as a factory approved conversion in the Isuzu D-Max range.

Read the full article here –

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202504

We like Jeep. We like the vehicles it has been making for decades. We like the way it makes them fun. We like
that it’s not pretentious. We like what it does at Moab every Easter. We like the way it has protected the Wrangler and kept it real. Jeep stands for off-roading with a smile on your face.

Of course, in recent times Jeep in Europe has come more to stand for platform-shared Fiat derivatives, entertainingly packaged and, at their best, thoroughly likeable – but very different in nature to the vehicles that made Jeep a legend. The Renegade and Compass are related to the Fiat 500X, and the Avenger points to the future by sharing its DNA with cars from Fiat, Alfa, Peugeot, Vauxhall and DS.

That’s not the end of the world if it’s done well, though. The Renegade and Compass have until recently both been made in Trailhawk form, supplementing their family friendly attributes with a level of off-road ability that was more than just a token effort. Jeep know what it must do to make sales, but it also knows what it must do to prevent that from tarnishing its brand.

Read the full article here –

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202504

What’s the first Subaru that comes to mind? The Outback, possibly, or the Legacy if you’re showing off. The Brat, if
you’re trying to be all down with the kids and you don’t need to guess the colour of Charli XCX’s underwear, or the Tribeca if you’re really showing off. The Sumo if what you’re actually showing off is your age, or the SVX if you’re even older and still haven’t got over all the sex you never had in your twenties.

Obviously, cos Colin McRae it’s the Impreza for everyone else. Subaru did a load of research and that’s the model that
came out on top. But right behind it was the Forester – and since Subaru is to all intents and purposes an SUV and crossover specialist these days, that’s very relevant.

The Outback is the one that inherited its DNA from the original Legacy, which had low range and height-adjustable air
suspension, so here in the off-road world it might be the first you name – but for a vast number of people to whom off-tarmac driving is just a thing they do every day because of what they do and where they live, the Forester is pretty much a tool of everyday life.

And it’s a good one, too. Subaru is always near the top of those customer satisfaction surveys you see everywhere and its brand retention rate is sky-high. To put it another way, once you own a Subaru you’ll always want to own a Subaru.

Read the full article here –

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202504

THE INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY recently held a ‘Regional Development Day on Managing Off Road
Activities.’ This rang alarm bells within the Green Lane Association (GLASS); the term ‘off road’ is often used incorrectly
(on purpose in some cases), encouraging people to view responsible rights of way use as being no different to illegal offroading on private or public land.

Within GLASS, it was felt that the association should seek the opportunity to be represented. While fighting battles is
one part of defending people’s legal access to public rights of way, building bridges is by far the most effective strategy. With the help of a friend, Wiltshire rep John Lipiatt was offered an invitation to attend from the Defence Infrastructire Organisation (DIO), which was hosting the event at the MOD’s Westdown Camp premises.

‘Although grateful for the invite,’ reports John in the June issue of GLASS’ Green Lanes Bulletin, ‘I must admit to feeling
a little trepidatious at the thought of being the only user representative among officers from nine Local Authorities. But
they were all friendly and I think it fair to say that they were as surprised to see me as I was to be there.

Read the full article here –

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202504

You’re probably quite well used to concept vehicles that look like off-road dream machines but turn out to be all mouth and no trousers. Especially when they come from manufacturers whose showroom selection suggests they wouldn’t know off-roading if it hit them in the face. So you might be surprised to learn that the Audi Q6 e-tron offroad concept is no pretender. In fact with portal axles and the ability to climb gradients of up to 45 degrees, you’d dismiss it at your peril.

The portals deliver a very significant increase of 160mm (6.3”) in ride height and a 250mm (9.8”) wider track. They’re
also geared down to increase torque at the wheels by 50% – bringing down the top speed of the Q6 e-tron to 108mph but enabling it to achieve its headline gradient scaling ability.

‘Innovations always begin with asking the right question,’ says Audi. ‘For the Q6 it was: How can we create a highly emotive electric vehicle?

Read the full article here –

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202504