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www.4x4i.com August 2014 5

OPENING TRACK

OFF-ROADING WITH US THIS MONTH

TimelessClassicsIt simply wasnt better back then,

but its still great fun today

Off Road Armourys Rob Butler gets stuck inthe Ultra4 King of the Glens event. We sent

Alan Coutts to follow this latest Challengeevent. The Scottish mud ies from page 80

You smile whenthe ignition isswitched on.

As the enginecatches, thesteering wheelvibrates and

the vehicle hasa throb and awobble thatmakes you feelit is alive!

Do you have a problem when people start moaning that things were better back in theday? It always seems an odd comment to me, and not something I ever want to getdrawn into discussing. You just know that it will get a bit heated. There are, however, lotsof examples today where we seem to be looking back and reviving things that many had

thought had long been discarded. I am a keen vinyl record collector as it happens, but you wontget me declaring its better than modern digitised sound. In my view, its certainly different, and Ienjoy it, but if you want to listen to downloaded music on an MP3 player thats your call. Personally, Ithink you are missing out, but i t doesnt bother me that much.

You hear similar when mixing with classic car enthusiasts. Discuss the merits, indeed the incredibletechnological benets, of a modern vehicle and you are likely to get the cross-ngered, sign of thedevil, salute. Get behind me Satan, and leave me mopping up the oil on my driveway from my classicsleaking sump. Its similar with 4x4s, of course, and that is never more obvious than when something likethe Discovery Concept is announced. Its a display of technological wizardry that is mind-blowing, andsurely for anyone interested in this market, a fascinating subject to learn more about. (Hopefully, wehave helped here with our insight piece in this issue). Of course, trouble comes when you hear one ofLand Rovers engineers, or researchers, as they seem to be called today, saying that they are loweringthe need for the driver to do anything. You can hear the hackles rising, the pints of real ale beingspluttered into untrimmed moustaches and Imperial gauge torque wrenches being waved in frustration.

The issue crossed my mind this month when experiencing a day that makes me realise just howlucky I am to be a motoring Editor. In the day when I saw the new Discovery Concept, and lis tenedrst hand to its fascinating specication, I also got behind the wheel of F981 ENV, the rst Discoveryto roll off the production line back in 1989. Its a vehicle that has been so well looked after by the

guys at Land Rovers Heritage Collection that it is hard to appreciate its actually 25-years old. It hasdone less than 1400 miles, and now I have done a couple of those myself; something that felt likean honour. Now, I say it was hard to think of it as 25-years old, so pristine was the bodywork andthe interior (which has to be a masterpiece of interior design, it remains so light and fresh), but youdo smile when the ignition is switched on. As the engine catches, the steering wheel begins tovibrate and the whole vehicle has a throb and a wobble that makes you feel it is alive! I had jumpedstraight from the very latest - super smooth - Discovery 4 into this magnicent old beast and thedifference was initially somewhat unnerving Then you just smiled. Even at low speeds, on (theQueens no less) tarmac roads at Windsor, you have to drive this Discovery. Steering, gearselection and braking had to be done. I was fully involved in driving, and grinning at the same time.Was that better than whats on offer today? Just as I am presently enjoying the re-issued vinylversion of Led Zeppelins rst album, I loved my Discovery 1 drive, just as much as I did learningabout what the very near future holds for Land Rover 4x4s. Isnt that what makes this particularmotoring subject so enjoyable?

Talking of which, heres hoping you enjoy the issue. Full of old and new stuff, as ever.

Nigel Fryatt, Editor

Its 20 years since Toyota introduced us tothe fun SUV. To celebrate we took the latestRAV4 off-road in the mountains. Hils EverittsGreek Odyssey starts on page 52

Rene Bauer has crossed Africa in his verytrusty Nissan Patrol and also provided uswith a great story and some really excellentphotographs, start the trip on page 44

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YOUR 4X4 LIFE 90

6 August 2014 www.4x4i.com

30

CONTENTS AUGUST 2014

Auctionaction

Outlandishbargains

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Marketwatch

Focus on: Mitsubishi Outlander 4x4 Calendar Lets go off-road

SUBSCRIPTION OFFERCHECK OUT THE SPECIAL OFFERS

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE BY DIRECT DEBIT

GO TO PAGE 92 FOR MORE DETAILS


74

80

60

44COVER STORYSPECIAL FORCES 30

Review of some of the most outrageous 4x4s availablein the UK market. Catering for all tastes, if you have themoney, they will build them. Time to check those lotterynumbers again... just in case you can be a customer

DISCOVERY CONCEPT 22We have had access to the fascinating technology that isbeing developed by Land Rover, aimed at the new Discovery

ADVENTURE: AFRICA BY NISSAN 44Crossing the Dark Continent by Nissan Patrol an unusualvehicle to take on such a trip, but it proves its worth

TWENTY YEARS OF RAV4-ING 52Toyotas Recreational Activity Vehicle has been in continuous

production for 20 years. To celebrate, we went to GreeceSTAR TEST: MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS 60Little has changed since its 1974 launch; the monsterMercedes remains a true off-roading icon. We test the G350

THE VISIT: ALDERS TRANSMISSIONS 70Better known perhaps for their Yank tanks, these guyscertainly know how to rebuild 4x4 gearboxes, and love Jeeps

WORKSHOP: FOURTRAK FIXES 74The Daihatsu Fourtrak remains a tough off-roader. We checkout Blood Red to catch the latest tweaks and mods

SPORT: KING OF THE GLENS 80The Ultra4 rock-crawling racers go to Scotland for the latestin this exciting off-road competition series. Awesome action

BUYING GUIDE: TOYOTA RAV4 98 After 20 years, much has changed with Toyotas RAV4. Whatthat means is theres probably a model there to suit all budgets

REGULARSOPENING TRACK 5Getting old and staying young

NEWS AND VIEWS 10Discovery drive in the Queens back garden

PRODUCTS 16The latest 4x4 accessories

LITTLE AT LARGE 21Will there ever be another original RAV4?

OUR 4x4S 86Latest news from our fleet

COOKES COLUMN 114Is the Jeep better value than the Merc?

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News & ViewsINSIDE THE WORLD OF 4X4

OFF-ROAD AT THEHOUSE OF WINDSOREnjoying a great, if unusual, celebratory drive for 25 years of Discovery

TO CELEBRATE THE UK debut of theDiscovery Concept and the 25 years ofDiscovery, we were permitted to drive alongher Majestys front drive at Windsor Park.

The three mile long drive is arrow straight.Standing at the start, the grandeur of WindsorCastle is obvious, but it does seem a longway away. OK, so we trundled along at a veryslow speed, avoiding the many pedestriansenjoying the spring sunshine but it wassomething of an honour. While my drivearound the park was indeed special, it wasincreased by the enjoyment of getting behind

the wheel of Land Rover Discovery F981 ENV. This is the rst production model of what laterbecame known as Series 1 (its doubtful atthe time that condence was high enough toconsider if there would ever be a Series II, letalone III, IV and now the Concept). This actual

vehicle was handed over to the HeritageCollection directly from the production lineand it probably looks even better today thanit did back in 89! Climb aboard and it feelslike yesterday. The Terrance Conran-inspiredinterior still looks stylish and modern, theultimate compliment for any design. Thinner

A-pillars help as well, but it is still a great placeto sit; the high roof helping, big hats are noproblem in a Series 1. Turn on the ignition andthe 2.5-litre 200TDi four-cylinder turbochargeddiesel rattles to life, the steering wheel vibratesand theres a hum through the whole body.

Having previously been driving the verylatest super-smooth Discovery, this comesas something of a shock. Its not a criticism,however, just a comment that today weforget just how damped and noise-supressedmodern new 4x4s are.

Top: Princess Anne looks down on the very rstDiscovery to roll off the production line. We were able todrive this famous 4x4 around the Windsor Park lanes

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RHINOCHARGERESULTSPAGE 12

FORDBRONCOWINNERPAGE 14

VERYSPECIAL

VEHICLESPAGE 30

FREELANDER UPGRADEWITH ALL THE excitement around theDiscoverys 25 years, plus the news of thenew Concept vehicle (see page 22) pointingthe way to the new Discovery range inthe future, it would be easy to forget thetrusty Freelander. Not so it seems, asJaguar Land Rover has just announcedthe new Metropolis model, introducedas the most luxurious Freelander yet. Itis based on the HSE LUX model but has(appropriately enough!) Windsor leather,

electronically adjustable seats, panoramicsunroof, xenon headlights, reversingcamera and 19inch alloy wheels. TheMetropolis is top of the Freelander range,but there are also new SE and SE Techmodels for the 2015 model range; the SEbeing the entry level model. The SE Techhas the excellent 380W Meridian audio

system, touchscreen-controlled navigation,automatic headlights and 19inch alloys.

The new 2015 Freelander model range isavailable from dealers now, with a startingprice of 27,765 for the SE manual, up to35,995 for the Metropolis SD4 automatic.

This magazine will be running a Metropolisin our Long Term eet, starting nextmonth. This is actually the rst time thatthe magazine has had a present day LandRover in its eet, so we are looking forward

to reporting just how we get on with it. Ofcourse, if we need to get an understandingas to what its like to live with a latestFreelander, we could ask Princess Anne,since we spotted her very smart blackversion at Windsor. If its good enoughfor her, it should be OK for this magazine,dont you think!

JLR SAVES

TATASFINANCESTHE STRONG PERFORMANCE fromJaguar Land Rover for the last nancialyear (up to 31st March 2014) was theprime reason for owners Tata MotorsLimited being able to report revenues upover 2013, according to nancial analyst,Moodys. Without JLR, the Indian businesshad what was described as a very weakyear with revenues falling 23 per cent.

The parent company is hoping that there

will be a recovery in sales after the recentIndian elections and that enthusiasm in thehome market for new models (the Zest andBolt) will improve the situation. Moodyscomment that until benets from thesenew models kick in, woes in India are likelyto worsen. Interestingly, even the successof JLR is reported with a signicantcaveat. JLR sales are strong, but potentialcapacity is presently restrained thecompany simply cannot build enoughmodels quick enough it seems. The rstvehicles from the joint venture with Chery

Automotive in China have just started toroll off the production line. This operation

has a reported annual capacity of 130,000vehicles, so plenty of opportunity here.However, it must be remembered that TataMotors has invested a great deal in JLR,but will also need sales in its core businessin India to improve in the coming years.

F981 ENV is treated like a hot-house owerand given no-expense-spared attention, butthat aside it drives smoothly, lacks jumpsand judders, and has a slick gearbox whereyou know by feel that you are selecting amechanical gear; none of this multi-gearautomatics. Oh joy of joys, you are driving avehicle that is not submerged in sensors andcomputerised control. If this thing stalls, its thefault of the nut behind the wheel, not the ECU.Somehow stalling this Discovery at Windsorwould be the equivalent of motorised treason.On the same day, I also drove a Series II, IIIand IV and had the option to try the MillionthDiscovery, but this spring, on a sunny morningat the Royal House of Windsor, this wasthe only one for me. When I got behind thewheel the odometer read 1367 miles. When Inished, it probably only read 1368, or maybe1369. What the heck, its one of the mostenjoyable miles Ive had behind the wheel of aLand Rover. NF

The full Discovery range was on display at Windsor, from Series I right through to the latest version - in this case themillionth model to roll off the l ine. Camel Trophy and G4 Challenge models made this an impressive convoy

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News & Views

RHINO CHARGE ROCKS!ITS NOT PART of any recognised international ChallengeChampionship, there are limited technical regulations or rules, andteam members come from all walks of life, not necessarily dedicatedoff-roaders. It is also one of the toughest off-road driving events youcould imagine, yet it is perhaps less well known than it ought to be. Ohyes, and it also raises signicant revenues for African wildlife!

We have always been great fans of the Rhino Charge and so werepleased to hear from stalwart supporter and competitor John Bowden ofGumtree4x4 about this years event; and this despite Johns Land Rovercoming to an ignominious end on its side this year (see picture above)!

Starting back in 1989, the rules of the Kenyan Rhino Challengehave remained remarkably simple. You have to get from A to B by

travelling the shortest distance within 10 hours and in doing so visit 13Guard Posts or checkpoints. How you do it, and the route you takeis completely up to you, but the course such as it is, provides thechallenge since it is virgin African bush and involves signicant hills,drops and gullies over some monstrous rocks. To compete, besidesneeding a decent, tough off-roader, you have to organise sponsorshipto be committed to the Rhino Ark wildlife charity. This years eventraised a fantastic 102,919,334 Kenyan shillings, which is over a millionUS$, and actually 700,777! When it started, the money was raisedfor the construction of Aberdare electric fences to keep the wildlife, inparticularly the somewhat destructive Rhinos, away from villages andfarmland. The success of the venture means the charity has expandedits work considerably.

Its great to see that UK off-roaders are getting into the act aswell. Indeed, John Bowden has been competing since 2000 when

he shipped his Land Rover over to Kenya. John had won the 1998UK Rhino Charge, and since then has missed only a couple of theKenyan events. It was tough this year, however, as John explained:Despite doing two competitive sections to start with, the Land Roverwas showing signs of fatigue and crawled in the teams worst positionever, 58th overall, after breaking a rear half shaft and the front diff as

well as rolling on their third section. Another previous UK Rhino Charge winner, Team Dirty Berty, lead

by James Dodson, from Rutland, did really well and roared round tosecure 10th place in only their second attempt at the Kenyan eventin a Range Rover buggy (pictured below), which they shipped outthree years ago. This year, they also sacriced time and a few metresdistance travelled by towing John Bowdens stricken and by then one-wheel drive Land Rover hybrid out of a gulley!

The overall winner was Alan McKittrick, driving his bespoke RhinoCharge special. His team covered only 31.34km, which compareswith a theoretical straight-line distance of 24.6km. Impressive, eh!

If you fancy getting involved, you can without immediately having

to go to all the expensive of shipping a 4x4 to Kenya. Why not join inwith this years UK Rhino Charge, at the excellent Slindon off-road sitenear Arundel on 21st September? Anyone interested in this fun eventcan contact organiser John Bowden via [email protected] Rhinos in Sussex, but itll be a great event!

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Address: Nelson Lane, Warwick, CV34 5JB UK

tel: +44 (0) 1 926 496 668Email: [email protected] Browser: www.atturo.co.uk

Performance TiresW I T H I N R E A C H

This is the only part of your vehicle that touches the road.Will you choose the right tire for the job ?

Good tires do not have to cost a lot of money. Atturo, keeping true performance within reach.

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News & Views


4X4 OFF-ROAD QUOTE OF THE MONTH

We have to take enthusiasts with us in the designof the new Defender

SOURCE: Senior Research Leader, Dai Jones, while discussing the technologicaldelights of the latest Discovery Concept. Find out more starting on page 22

Chinas petrol thirst. The massivecountry is now importing more than halfits total petrol needs. Average passengerfuel consumption is targeted to reach34mpg by 2015, and 47mpg by 2020.

Thats still an awful lot of unleaded .

The Range Rover Evoque Women InScience and Scholarship has openedfor 2014 applicants. Two femalestudents will receive 1000 a yeartowards their studies for three years,plus practical support, mentoring and asummer placement at JLR. At present,only four per cent of engineers at JLRare female. The company intendsincreasing that gure.

Your 4x4 Life this magazine needsyou! We are looking for readers 4x4s forour regular feature. It can be a standard4x4, or modied, just send us a few

high res pictures and some details andwe will make you and your 4x4 famous. Youll also receive a FREE 4x4 Magazinepolo shirt. Lets hear from you. Email:[email protected]

ATV specialist Polaris has justcelebrated its 60th Anniversary, with thelaunch of the Ranger 400 LimitedEdition and Ranger Diesel LimitedEdition. These models are also ttedwith gun scabbard mounts for shooting.Fittingly, the models were launched atthe Clay Pigeon Shooting World EnglishSport Championships at WestWycombe, in Buckinghamshire.

We take a good look at 4x4 tyres innext months issue. We haveexperienced some serious Brazilian off-road rubber from Genius. Top that off

with a wheel and tyre guide for pick-upowners and its an issue not to miss!Subscribe and never miss an issue.Check out page 92 for all offer details.

And nally...

BRAVO BRONCOIN OUR JUNE issue we had a feature on thehistory of the Ford Bronco. It caused quitea stir with even one Land Rover enthusiasttelling us that if he didnt have a Defender,hed happily have a Bronco! We didnt needmuch excuse to use another picture sent inby our American correspondent Jim Maxwellof this superb restored Roadster version that

won Best of Show in an event in Californiarecently. The model looks as though it hascome straight off the production line back in1966. Must admit that we think its a greatlooking 4x4, although admit that it helps that itis photographed on the west coast of Americaand that it might look a little less sensible on adull day in Solihull.

W o o d a l l s G u i d e

U s e f u l C l a s s i c V e h i c l e s

D a n W o o d a ll

THE TITLE OF this book intrigued us somewhat, butit does seem that most of the useful vehicles includedare indeed, 4x4! There are sections on driving off-road,winching, modifying, plus a great many jeeps and trucks.Besides the more obvious Toyota Land Cruiser andLand Rover models there are also things that perhaps

you might not know about, including the Acmat VLRAand the wonderfully named M561 Gamma Goat! Onereview of the book says that its worth sitting down wi tha cup of tea and thumbing through the pages to marvelat author Dan Woodalls collective knowledge of allthese models. The pictures are in black and white, butif obscure, oddball, 4x4s interest you - and lets face it,that has to include most off-roaders - then this soundslike a pretty good present, or just treat yourself!

LETS READWoodalls Guide Useful Classic Vehicles Dan Woodall

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[email protected]

T: 01733 380687

TOYOTA LAND CRUISER70-105-200 series

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105/200 wagons, 70 HZJ series pick-ups, chassis cabs, wagons, double cabs and troopies

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ProductsWHATS NEW FOR YOUR 4X4?


Land Rover bush changesIf 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 lled front lower arm bushes. Powerexnow has a new front arm rear bush, which offers a solution to this. Thepolyurethane bush can actually be chosen to suit the drivers requirements;whether you use the vehicle specically for on-road, off-road or just want itto be as comfortable as possible. Certainly worth talking to the Powerexguys to get exactly the driving feel you want. The bushes retail at 119.88(inc VAT) per set. Check out more on the website.

Website: www.powerex.co.uk

Cover up, stay safeIt amazes us sometimes when yousee a highly modded off-roaderwith an expensive winch tted tothe front, exposed to the elements.Winches are expensive bits of kit andalthough they might not be used thatoften, when you need them, they have towork. It would seem highly logical to us to have a serious coverto protect it, not just when off-roading but when enjoying thevagueries of the British weather! WARN has a great new range ofneoprene covers for its range of winches including ZEON, Tabor,M8, 9.5XP, VR, Series and Utility models. The elastic coversstretch over the winch and provide a snug t to prevent apping,eliminating the need for cords and straps. You also get a bottle ofUV Protective Spray that ensures your cover retains maximum UVprotection. The prices of these covers start at 31.

And while we are protecting covers, how about ngers? It makesyou wince when you see anyone using a winch without protectivegloves. Madness. As you would expect WARN have a great rangeof gloves, that look the business and are made of synthetic leatherwith Kevlar reinforced material, yet remain breathable. The glovesare available in both large and XXL sizes, and have an added IDtag, which means no one else can claim your gloves! The RRP forthese gloves starts at 20, which seems very little to keep all yourngers. Both these items are available at WARN stockists or can be

purchased direct from the team at Arbil 4x4 .

Expanded Rangertruck top choice The supply issues on the new Ford Ranger pick-upseem to be easing and you certainly see more ofthem on the roads these days, This means thedemands for truck tops will increase. Auto Styling

Truckman has recently expanded its range ofBritish-built hardtops to include an Aerotop RSfor the Ford Ranger Mk5 Super Cab. Super Cabversions of the Aerotop RS, Classic and Utility

Top are now all available for this vehicle. AutoStyling Truckman also manufactures Double Caband Single Cab hardtops for the Ford Ranger.

All Aerotop Truckman units have solid sides, gel

white interior, chrome push button lock, tinted andtoughened rear glass and have an integral spoilerwith a high level brake light. To nd out more,check out the advertisement in this very magazine,call 01384 485405 or go direct to the website.

Website: www.autostylinguk.com

Website: www.arbil.co.uk/4x4/

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ProductsWHATS NEW FOR YOUR 4X4?

Boom,boom

JeepJeep Wranglers arebest when open to theelements, thats when you reallyenjoy yourself. Of course, there are times whenthe roof needs to be tted and thats when yourealise that things can get a little loud, especiallyon a long motorway drive. The answer to thiscould well be a Sound Deadening Headliner kitfrom the experts at Boom Mat. Made from highquality marine grade acoustical foam that resistsmould and mildew while insulating outside heator cold. Its actually the same heavy-duty materialthat is used in off-road and military vehicles. Theinterior face is nished in cloth and is available forboth two and four door Wranglers and comes inblack, white or grey. All panels are ready cut toshape and self-adhesive.

Website: www.boommat.com

We reported in detail about the new Defender Challengemotorsport competition in the last issue, mentioningthe race machines modied suspension. Now, thanksto Bilstein, it is possible to have a new switchablesuspension system for your 90 or 110 Defender. TheBilstein B16 Ride Control system offers two switchablemodes, which are controlled from a push button ttedto the cars interior. The Sport mode offers tauter drivingdynamics and what is claimed to be optimum handling forall situations, whereas Comfort gives a plush, cossettingride, akin to softer, Original Equipment dampers. Switchingbetween either mode can be done on the y in aninstant, allowing you to tailor the Defender to the prevailingconditions, or indeed, your own mood. Everything includedin the kit has been designed and produced entirely in-house in Bilsteins German production facilities and thesekits carry full TV approval and have impressive anti-corrosion treatment on the damper bodies, which leadsto a 24 months warranty. The complete Bilstein B16 RideControl is priced at 1210 (plus VAT). To nd out more, callthe UK ofce on 0116 289 8345.

Website: www.bilstein.de

Bilstein Ride Control suspension

Toyota Jeep Land Rover Ford Mitsubishi Isuzu Mercedes Mazda VW

4x4 Sales andOuttting Specialists

25 years experience of vehicle sales, preparation and outtting of 4x4 vehiclesenables us to deliver customer focussed, non-biased solutions for your needs.Est. 1988

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Wheel Base Double Cab Dropside Pick Up Version Available, Optional FactoryDifferential Locks, Suspension Systems And Associated Off Road Equipment(Only LHD Can Be UK Registered), P.O.A, Check www.neneoverland.co.uk

Large Choice Of Expedition Prepared Toyota Land Cruisers InStock, Check The Toyota Page On www.neneoverland.co.uk ,New ROW 70 Series Available With Sensible Advice And Outtting,

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Check out www.defendericon.com For The MostComprehensive Defender Editions With Depth Of Engineering,

Style And Function 5.0 V8 3.2 TDci Auto & ManualConversions New Or Used, Left-Right Hand Export

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And Expedition Applications For Worldwide-Local Clients,Check 130 Pages www.neneoverland.co.uk

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New from MUD Always good to hear from MUD UK, and thismonth weve heard that they have increasedthe range of Land Rover sun visors theseare going to be in demand as the weatherimproves and summer arrives. Well, at leastwe hope so. Plus theres now an increasedvariety of cargo nets; all shapes and sizes tosuit all needs. MUD UK is now a distributorfor the RAM Mounting systems; ideal to holdiPhones, tablets etc. Give them a call to ndout more on 01422 881951 or go direct tothe website. Tell them we sent you!

Website: www.mudstuff.co.uk

Exhausting business The Isuzu D-Max is making quite an impressionin the British Cross Country Championship, aswell as on many building sites around the UK. Asthey say, motorsport improves the bread, and itis now possible to buy a rally proven road-legalexhaust system from Milltek. Based around 70mmnon-magnetic stainless steel tube, and designed,developed and fabricated in Millteks Derbyshirefactory, the D-Max system can either be ordered asa half system for those looking to get the style andsound, but who wish to leave their DPF and catalystin place. Or, for those seeking outright performance,a full catalyst and DPF delete option is also available,which is claimed to offer considerably more powerand torque in the process. This latter option willneed new ECU software or a full engine remap. Ifyou are considering this, the best idea is to checkthings out directly with the guys at Milltek.

Website: www.millteksport.com

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P a r t n u m

b e r s a r e u s e

d f o r

i d e n t i f i c a t i o n p u r p o s e s o n

l y a n

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f a c t u r e r . E & O E

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d u c t s a v a i l a b l e f r o m y o u r

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.

Britpart Performance - Lifted SpringsBar Rate Free

Defender 90 Lift Load Diameter lbs/in HeightDA4201 Front 25mm 25kg 16mm 200 420mmDA4202 Front 40mm 50kg 16mm 230 390mmDA4203 Rear 40mm Light 17mm 220 435mmDA4204 Rear 50mm 100kg 18mm 300 - 340 425mmDA4205 Rear 50mm 200kg 19mm 360 430mmDefender 110

DA4201 Front 25mm 25kg 16mm 200 420mm

DA4202 Front 40mm 50kg 16mm 230 390mmDA4206 Rear 40mm 100kg 17mm 270 - 295 445mmDA4208 Rear 50mm 500kg 21mm 420 445mmDefender 130DA4202 Front 40mm 50kg 16mm 230 390mmDA4208 Rear 50mm 500kg 21mm 420 445mmDiscovery 1DA4201 Front 25mm 25kg 16mm 200 420mmDA4202 Front 40mm 50kg 16mm 230 390mmDA4203 Rear 40mm Light 17mm 220 435mmDA4204 Rear 50mm 100kg 18mm 300 - 340 425mmDA4205 Rear 50mm 200kg 19mm 360 430mmDiscovery 2DA4199 Front 40mm 20 - 50kg 15mm 180 390mmDA4198 Front 40mm 50 - 100kg 16mm 220 390mmDA4203 Rear 40mm Light 17mm 220 435mmDA4197 Rear 40mm Medium 18mm 290 430mm

DA4205 Rear 50mm 200kg 19mm 360 430mmRange Rover ClassicDA4201 Front 25mm 25kg 16mm 200 420mmDA4202 Front 40mm 50kg 16mm 230 390mmDA4203 Rear 40mm Light 17mm 220 435mmDA4204 Rear 50mm 100kg 18mm 300 - 340 425mmDA4205 Rear 50mm 200kg 19mm 360 430mmNote - Spring quantity 1 = 1 pair

Performance Springs

Britpart performance springs are highquality, versatile and competitivelypriced - the right choice whenreplacing the old sagging originalsprings.

Developed by one of the worlds topspring manufacturers these highquality, powder coated yellow springs

have been designed with the needs oftoday's Land Rover owners in mind.Britpart performance lifted springshave the added benefit of improvingyour vehicles approach and departureangles which in turn allows you toovercome more obstacles whenoff-roading.

As Land Rovers are often workingvehicles as well as the family car,uprated springs must offer the abilityto carry loads, handle off-road terrainand provide a good ride on road. Theprogressive springs offer a compliantride when lightly loaded, but firm upas the load increases.

Britpart Performance - Standard Height SpringsBar Rate FreeDefender 90 Diameter lbs/in HeightDA4277 Front 16mm 225 390mmDA4278 Rear 18mm 285 385mmDefender 110DA4277 Front 16mm 225 390mmDA4279 Rear 19mm 330 415mmDiscovery 1DA4277 Front 16mm 225 390mmDA4278 Rear 18mm 285 385mmRange Rover ClassicDA4277 Front 16mm 225 390mmDA4278 Rear 18mm 285 385mmNote - Spring quantity 1 = 1 pair

Britpart yellow springs are designed for the enthusiast who wants aperformance spring without having to raise the vehicle. They offer afirmer ride with less body roll, ideal for a vehicle with upratedperformance or one used for carrying heavy loads. The springs aredesigned to offer full articulation off-road with a compliant ride.Developed by one of the worlds top spring manufacturers these highquality, powder coated yellow springs have been designed with theneeds of today's Land Rover owners in mind.

Britpart performance springs arehigh quality, versatile and competitively priced...

NEW Britpart Performance1 Lower SpringsReduce the ride height of yourLand Rover by 1 (25mm) by fittingthese lowered springs. By loweringyour vehicle it will help reduce bodyroll as well as giving your vehicle amore sporty squat stance. The springsare designed in line with the standard

spring rate specification. Finished inpowered coated orange paint.DA4563 Defender 90 / Discovery 1 / Range Rover Classic Front pairDA4564 Defender 90 / Discovery 1 / Range Rover Classic Rear pair

After lowering

The right choice when replacing the oldsagging original springs!

britpart.com/springs

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Concept made its UK debut at therecent Royal Windsor Horse Show inMay. Geographically that alone showsthat this is a global production,introducing the future to a wideaudience. Its a brave and condentmove to show what is, lets not forget, aConcept vehicle, to be poked andprodded by the general public albeitat Windsor thats a public well versed inLand Rovers thoroughbred heritage.

We showed rst images in lastmonths issue and commented thatperhaps from rst glance the Discovery

Concept doesnt blow you away, butagreed that you need to see it in theesh (or rather high tech aluminiumcomposites). Having done that we cancertainly conrm that the designershave cleverly taken the bluff, somewhat

slab-sided, Discovery 4 shape andmorphed it into something verydifferent, but with obvious Discoverygenes. From the front, and indeed fromthe rear, this is very obviously aDiscovery. Its a bulky, brute of amachine from dead front, overemphasised by the narrow frontheadlights and high narrow grille. Therear is also unmistakablyDiscovery, especially with theasymmetric mouldingaround the Land Roverbadging. Its from the sides that

things look different, with the theatrestyle three rows of seating, leading tothe rear row higher than the second,which are higher than the front, givingthe Discovery Concept a much moreprominently lifted rear than the present

Theres a mountain goatsomewhere in South Americathat has recently let out ahuge sigh of relief, and gone

back to the important job of searchingfor some fresh pampas grass. The LandRover research team has gone home,having first discovered that the goatsskin is in fact some 15 per cent lighterthan the present leather used in theDiscoverys headlining. Sadly for LandRover, but happily for the goat, theanimal cannot be ethically sourced sothe team will be looking elsewhere for

its super-light interior trimmings; such isthe depth of analysis and detail that isgoing into the mind-stretchingDiscovery Concept.

First unveiled in New York, thendisplayed in Beijing, the new Discovery

After 25 years, theres now a brand new Discovery Concept and weve been tosee it to nd out more. A great deal has changed since the Series I model rolledoff the production line, but thats nothing compared to what is about to come

Words: Nigel Fryatt

TECHNICAL

Discovery Concept

Above: At rst glanceperhaps this doesn't

shout 'Discovery',but in the metal, thestepped rooine isobvious. Interestinglythe Concept is lowerthan the present D4

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model, yet keeping the familiarstepped roof line. It looks a bigmachine, but interestingly is a mere inchor so longer than the Discovery 4 andmore surprisingly, a fraction lower. Againyou have to remember that this is aConcept, but the dimensions are likelyto be pretty representative to what theproduction Discovery 5 could be.

One idea that the Concept displaysthat is unlikely to appear on theproduction models is the intriguing dooropening design, which includes the rearhinging rear doors remembered bythose of us old enough to be onceunfortunately named suicide doors!Interestingly, talking to Senior ResearchLeader at Land Rover, Dai Jones, thereis no engineering reason why thisshouldnt go into production, since thetechniques available with aluminium andaluminium composite monocoqueproduction means that the structuralintegrity of the shell would be ne.Indeed, looking closely at the Concept,having rear-hinged doors would makeaccess and egress to the third row ofseats a great deal easier. It seems,however, that this is one radical steptoo far and if the front passenger andrear passengers step out at the sametime they would be trapped betweenthe doors: After you, Claude. No,after you Cecil. Thats another memoryfor our more mature readers and fans ofearly British radio comedy. However, theDiscovery Concept is anything but

retrospective and the vehicle that wesaw at Windsor last month is but the tipof a particularly high tech iceberg andthe enthusiasm from Dai Jones forwhats happening behind the closedresearch doors at Land Rover wasinfectious, as he explained: The newDiscovery has to be an outstandingvehicle. We have an acronym of PEAT,meaning it has to be Peerless, Effortlessand All Terrain. So far so good for us4x4 off-road enthusiasts, althoughJones also admitted that they were,lowering the need for the driver to

whereby low grille cameras scan aheadof the car (areas that are not visible to

the driver) and project the image intothe smart glass in the windscreen. Theaffect shows what is immediately aheadand under the front of the car creatingwhat could be described as atransparent bonnet.

While this is happening, lasers arescanning ahead to establish what kindof terrain is coming up, for the vehicleto proactively select the necessaryoff-road mode the vehicle needs to bein. Taking this one step further, a multidimensional map of the terrain aheadcan be created, that can be displayedfor the driver, or can just be left for the

vehicle to decide the route that needsto be taken thus removing any needfor the driver. The implications of thismeans that you could even create aeet of drone Discoverys totally capableof traversing rough terrain, guided andcontrolled by a remote computer. It willalso be possible to analyse the actualphysical constituents of the terrainahead to see how high the watercontent, for example, and thereforewhether it can hold the weight of thevehicle, long before you drive into thesoft sand and realise you are stuck!

You have to smile at the idea that you

can remotely control your vehicle fromoutside. Why would you want toremotely control your vehicle that hascost you many thousands of poundsSterling, Dollars or Yuan? Apparently itwill help farmers going through gates

know what they are doing. That perhaps disappoints some

enthusiasts, but the Discovery is aimedas a do everything type of familymachine that will run the kids to school,tow a boat or caravan, carry seven andbe bullet-proof to all weather and roadconditions. The fact that it is alsoawesome off-road is not actually top ofthe list; buyers are not all 4x4enthusiasts. This is a market that LandRover has already mined so well withthe Evoque; for 80 per cent of Evoquebuyers, its their rst Land Rover, 50 percent are bought by women and mostimportantly for 85 per cent, i ts theirrst ever SUV. It will be interesting tond out in a couple of years what thosepercentages are for new 2015Discovery owners.

However, bemoaning the lack ofdriver involvement rather misses thepoint, especially since Land Rover isinvesting some $5.7bn in Research andDevelopment in conjunction withengineers in India, China and the highlyrespected Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, in Boston USA. Wedescribed some of the fascinatingtechnological innovations in the lastissue, but have now been able to ndout more, which has led to further headscratching

The Discovery Concepts frontalaspect is emphasised through thenarrow headlights. These actuallyinclude laser technology to offer brighter

light, claimed to be closer to naturaldaylight. The lasers also have intelligenttracking which means they offerlocalised dipping when a vehicle comestowards you, so you dont blind theon-coming trafc, but keep full beam forthe road ahead of you. Lasers from thefront fog lamps can also projectreference markings onto the terrainahead, during poor visibility when youwould struggle to see objects, helpingto guide the driver safely ahead.

We briey described last month thetransparent bonnet technique,

Above:There arethree full adult sized

seats in the secondrow. The roof glasscan be changed tosuit the mood

Below: LandRover designersare reducing thecomplexity of thefascia - minimalismis the word for theConcept's interior

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TECHNICAL

Discovery Concept

meaning they only have to get out ofthe vehicle once; they then drive theDiscovery through the gate remotelyfrom their smart tablet, close the gate(manually!) and then get back in.Extravagant use of technology?Perhaps for the farmer but not for other

commercial, industrial and militaryoptions.Gesture control has also been

mentioned, where a mere wave of thehand will open or close the doors. TheLand Rover researchers (interestingly,what we used to call engineers) are alsolooking at eye tracking (one shudders tothink what you can operate with a quickwink) and full-face recognition. Thelatter is not just for security, but wouldallow the vehicle to recognise you andhave your seat adjusted exactly as youlike it, perhaps also the air conditioningtemperature set and even have your

favourite music playing. There is also work going on to have

active body panels, to allow the body tobe changed to ideally suit theconditions, plus something called noncontact towing, which I confess leavesmy head spinning a little.

While some of these options willremain as concepts, the interior

conguration of the Discovery Conceptis likely to make it to production, andthe emphasis has been on versatility.

This is a full adult seven seater, the thirdrow are not just for small, or naughty,children. Seven can be made six withthe centre second row seat folding tobe a useful table, to a four seater wherethe second row of seats can all befolded away and a limousine modecreated for the nal pair of seats nowoffering the ultimate in legroom andcomfort.

The seating versatility has one further,very clever option, which is being called

social seating and likely to nd its wayinto production. Once the rear hatch

has been opened, a deployable eventplatform slides out from the rear, whichfolds back to create a nifty bench seat.

A lower part of the rear body mouldingcan also then fold down as a footrest.

This creates a great outdoor seatingoption, but also has the versatility of

being able to carry attachments fortransporting bikes and ski racks. Itsvery slick, and you just know that newowners will delight in showing theseoptions to envious neighbours!

Such owners will also show off theSkyLight cabin option, whereby thesmart glass in the panoramic sunroofcan be programmed to alter thecharacteristics of the light coming intothe cabin. In theory, therefore, on adamp grey November afternoon, theDiscovery Concept can project animage of blue sky and sunshine.Whether this will make it into production

has not been announced, but the abilityto brighten or dim the cabin is likely to

Above: The Concept

is a full adult sevenseater. It can thenoffer six, four or evenlimousine options

Below left: The laserscanning can 'map'the way ahead anddecide where to go -without your input

Below: The SocialSeating concept isvery clever and wewould think very

likely to make it intoseries production

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TECHNICAL

Discovery Concept

be included. The interior of the Discovery Conceptis trimmed in Foglizzo H20, which to theeye and touch appears to be the k ind ofhigh quality leather you would expect insuch a vehicle, but you might justquestion the practicality of the creamywhite colour. Fear not, as this material issaid to be totally oil and water-repellent. Now that is impressive, andvery sensible for an off-roader. Sadly,we were unable to actually test this atour Windsor showing!

Learning of all these very impressivetechnical developments, one must

remember that this is a DiscoveryConcept vehicle. Not everything

mentioned here will make it toproduction, but a lot of it will, in oneform or another. All that has beenannounced so far is the rst newDiscovery model will actually be theDiscovery Sport. It has been mentionedin some quarters that this i s effectivelythe replacement to the Freelander, butagain that misses the point. Land Rovernow discuss the entire model range asbeing made up of three pillars; RangeRover, Discovery and Defender. TheRange Rover obviously includes theEvoque both existing and futureversions, with RR in standard form, long

wheelbase and Hybrid options and isthe Renement pillar. The Discovery is

the leisure vehicle that offers Versatility,there will therefore be different sizedDiscoverys in this group and the Sportmay indeed be smaller than theConcept shown here. Then theres theDefender pillar and this stands forDurability. Now, if you are reading thisand being someone of a traditionalview, bemoaning all this automaticlaser reading, remote controlled,technical wizardry, then this will perkyou up. While Dai Jones enthusiasm forthe technical developments wasunmistakable, and infectious, so werethe words he said about the new

Defender: We have to take theenthusiasts with us with thereplacement Defender. It seems thatthe new Defender replacement willinvolve the driver, you will have tointeract. Heavens above, you will needto actually drive the thing!

Personally, having been writing about4x4s since the mid-1980s, this has tobe the most exciting time for vehicletechnology and Jaguar Land Rovermust be at the vanguard of this forproduction 4x4s. Of course, othermanufacturers are looking at similar,and perhaps even more exciting

developments, but few develop aconcept vehicle as complete as thisDiscovery and show it so quickly andso openly to the general public. Theresa condence in doing that. Wellfounded, from where we stand. 4x4

Left: Senior ResearchLeader Dai Jones'senthusiasm for theproject is infectious

SPOT THE NEW DEFENDER? Land Rover's Brand Architecturenow has three 'pillars', explained here by Studio Director RichardWilliams; it includes Range Rover, Discovery and Defender. Checkout the graphics of the Range Rover and Discovery and you willsee they are very close to the actual products. Does that meanthe Defender will look like this graphic, we wonder?

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Unsurprisingly this latest crazehasnt gone unnoticed by theindependent bespoke specialists whichhave been quick off the mark to caterfor the more discerning customer; inparticular those who want toindividualise their 4x4 a lot further than

just ticking boxes on the manufacturersextras list. Some specialise in offeringbespoke exterior/interior styling, butothers have made a name forthemselves creating one-off, individualvehicles with the wow factor. If money isno object then you can literally have

Not everyone who buys a 4x4wants to keep it looking likeany other that rolls off theproduction line, similarly not

every 4x4 turns a wheel in angeroff-road. These days its just ascommon to see a suited-and-bootedcity gent behind the wheel of aDefender, as it is a tweed-obsessedfarmer tending to his sheep. Indeed, therespected utilitarian Land Rover hasturned into a must-have for a wholerange of enthusiasts, who dont mind anautomatic boost to their street cred, too .

If youre not one for following the crowd and are keen on customisingand upgrading your trusty 4x4 then read on. We talk to some of the

best-known bespoke specialists in the UK for inspiration...Words: Sarah Harrington-James

S P E C I A LF O R C E S

anything you want when it comes tocustomising; chrome-plating, carbonbre, Bentley Nappa leather, power-boosted engine conversions... and ofcourse youll order two identicalversions and give one away as a gift.

Here we take a look at what theindustry is up to, which will hopefullygive you some nifty ideas for what to do when those lottery numbers nallycome up!

COVER FEATURE

Special 4x4s


Below and right:Land Rovers, but notas the company builtthem! Below: BespokeCars 110. Right top:Nene Overland IconSport Wagon. Rightbottom: Tune MyDefender

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COVER FEATURE

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PROBABLY BEST known for itsunique alloy wheel designs, Kahn wasfounded in 1996 after British designer

Afzal Khan identied a gap in themarket. In the early 2000s the rmmoved into Range Rover conversionsand now customers can choose toupgrade almost any model from theLand Rover/Range Rover range eventhe latest Range Rover Sport. Kahnsversion, the RS300 which was unveiledat the 2014 Geneva Motor Show alongwith other models from Project KahnsRS and LE Edition collection, has styling

upgrades including an aerodynamicbodykit, 23-inch alloys, new side ventsurrounds, orange brake calipers andthe rms signature single exit exhaustsystem. The interior sports hand-stitched quilted leather and acontrasting orange and black dash.Nice. But thats the point; Kahn takes astandard model and transforms it froma rugged workhorse to a completelydifferent proposition, tailored to thecustomers taste.

Not so long ago, the companystarted a Defender programme, which

KAHN DESIGN

Kahn has a full rangeof options from thevery latest RangeRover, throughLand Rovers, butalso includinghighly spec'd JeepWranglers

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TUNE MY DEFENDER A LOGICAL STEP for The Man forLand Rover was to branch out intoaftermarket modications and bolt-onaccessories for Defenders and so TuneMy Defender was born just over a yearago. The online shop has taken off asmore people desire quality aftermarketproducts to set their Land Rover outfrom the rest. Were talking upratedbrakes such as Tarox, Bilsteinsuspension, Recaro seats, KBX andMomo steering wheels and now TMDcan offer stealth Allisport intercoolers.

Aside from bolt-on goodies there is, of

course, engine tweaking and TMD canoffer tuning packages to boost powerby 30, 50 or 70bhp for the TD5, 2.2and 2.4 TDCi. The Stage 2 kit is themost popular, which encompasses alarger Serck Motorsport intercooler, SFSsilicone hoses, an ITG air lter and abespoke remap to give an extra 50bhpand a healthy boost in torque. As wellas the above, the next stage up forcustomers with a larger budget adds ahybrid turbo and top notch Hayward &Scott straight-through exhaust system.

The latest offering is tuning in

exceeded all expectations in thepopularity stakes. One example is theChelsea Wide Track Defender that canbe ordered as a 90 or 110 stationwagon or van and comes with manypersonalisation options wide arches, achoice of aggressive grilles, leatherinteriors, wheels and more topped bythe option to specify a s ix-speed autobox. But for those seeking the ultimateDefender, there is always Kahnstop-of-the-range Huntsman Longnose105, which comes with a heart-thumping 6.2-litre V8 powerplant andsuper-exhilarating performance. Thereis a Chelsea Jeep Expedition range too,with a choice of diesel or petrol, two- orfour-door and a selection of leatherinteriors and alloy wheels.

We hear on the grapevine that AfzalKahn has expanded into carmanufacturing and coachbuilding,forming subsidiary business, Ant-Kahn,which is based in London withstate-of-the-art manufacturing facilitiesin Coventry. The company expects toproduce coach-built special editions toseries manufacture of high-performancevehicles what these will be is still to berevealed!

Right: A great dealof the personalisationfor these special 4x4sgoes into the interior.Not trimmed foryour local greenlaneadmitedly

If you cannot quitemake it to order acomplete vehicle,then the guys at TuneMy Defender willsell individual itemsto make your LandRover special

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COVER FEATURE

Special 4x4s

NENE OVERLAND

association with Bell Auto Services usinga device, which works with any Androidphone or tablet. The customer uploadsthe map le to the personal asher tool,sends it on to the tuner and its returnedduly boosted, to allow the owner todownload it to the vehicle. Whats reallycool is that you can switch betweenoriginal and tuned maps for main dealerand MOT visits, if you so wish.

Custom builds are also popular, or if

ONE OF THE biggest UK independent4x4 specialists, Nene Overland wasstarted by Land Rover enthusiast

Andrew Harrison-Smith who diversiedfrom buying and selling old Seriesvehicles some 26 years ago. Todaythere is a team of 40 working behindthe scenes on expedition preparation,4x4 servicing, bodywork, accessories,vehicle sales and engine conversions. Inparticular, Nenes suspension packagesfor a sure-footed, fast road Defenderare legendary; the rm has developedits own anti-roll bars and progressivesprings mated to Fox Racing v2

dampers which are then valved to suitindividuals vehicles. Tuning wise, Nenetries to cater for those who want asimple upgrade to suit their tastes, evenif they have an older Defender, right up

youre feeling lazy you could always optfor one of TMDs Man Made LimitedEditions that boast a whole cornucopiaof tuning goodies that start with a Stage3 power upgrade and then some. Allcurrent stock is sold, (unsurprisingly) soyoull have to keep an eye on thewebsite for any further done-upofferings. However, sister company TheMan for Land Rover has recently teamedup with Urban Truck to offer its bespoke

take on Defenders. Two six-speed,2.2-litre 90 TDCi XSs are currently listedfor sale, priced identically at just shy of35k. What do you get for your money?Well (among other things) Black LimitedEdition upgrades such as 18-inch glossblack Boost alloys, lowered sportssuspension, KBX grille and bonnet,leather interior, Momo steering wheel,

Xenon headlamps and daytime runninglights. And they look so damn cool, too.

Above: Tuningpackages areavailable at Tune MyDefender to boostpower for the TD5,2.2 and 2.4 TDCi

Left: Nene Overland'sconversion, the IconRS 50 has a FordRacing 5.0-litreengine (below right)which can be tuned to605bhp!

Below left: Less

ostentacious than theRS 50, perhaps, butthe Nene OverlandHeritage series has agreat deal of class

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COVER FEATURE

Special 4x4sto where money is no object. And thatswhere the bespoke side comes in; itwas four years ago that Andrew realisedthat this part of the market was growingand he saw an opportunity to hone allof his teams skills together into creatingtheir own range of vehicles, known asthe Defender Icons. His inspirationcame from Land Rovers own range ofspecial editions models that he hasbeen pro-actively upgrading andrefurbishing for his customers over thepast ten years. Indeed, as it becamecommercially harder to buy andrefurbish these Land Rover specialeditions and make money selling themon, Andrew came to the conclusion thatmaking a range of his own was theanswer. And so eight very specialDefender Icons were born that appealto any Land Rover enthusiast whowants something just that little bitdifferent from a wolf in sheepsclothing Icon RS Edition, to a traditionalIcon Heritage LE. In fact the latter isNenes most successful, as it connectswith the old skool Land Roverenthusiast, the rural estate owner or theguy who wants a more discerningclassic-looking Defender. In contrast,Nenes Defender 90 or 110 Falconsoft-top is all the rage for the MiddleEastern customers and perfect forhoonin about in the desert. But thelatest rendition for 2014 has got to bethe maddest yet after two years worthof in-house development; the Icon RS

50, tted with a hyperactive andhighly-tuned Ford Racing 5.0-litre V8which pushes out some 412bhpnaturally-aspirated, or 605bhp with theoptional tment of a supercharger! Fivegearbox options are available to suitdifferent requirements two autos, asequential race spec and two six-speedmanuals and Nenes demo version istted with own-brand limited slip diffs toaid the handling somewhat. We totallybelieve Andrew when he says its across between a Land Rover andan AC Cobra...

Right: Nene Overlandinteriors; as ash asyou want, or the veryclassy Heritage option

Below: Even if youare unsure aboutsome of the vehiclesin this feature, you'dhave this one on yourdrive, wouldn't you?

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P e r form a nc e

P r oduc

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COVER FEATURE

Special 4x4s

BESPOKE CARSTHERE IS NOW so much choice in thebespoke market, that its important forbusinesses to differentiate themselvesfrom the competition. What BespokeCars has done is to stay true to theiconic Defender without detracting fromits utilitarian origins. The rms in-housedesign team has focused on knockingthe rough edges off the model so itgoes better, stops and steers moreefciently and is a lot more comfortableplace to be.

At least 60 per cent of Bespokescustomers are people who require astrong and durable vehicle for their workto allow them to use it at a momentsnotice no matter the weatherconditions, but ideally theyd like morecomfort from standard. The remaininggroup only use their 4x4 for outwardbound fun at weekends with the familyand so require something with a littlemore ooomph, along with a few othersubtle improvements. Bespoke offersthree elements: cosmeticenhancements like colour changes,alternative grilles, bodykits and customalloys, plus engine tuning such asremaps up to 180bhp and twinexhausts and nally interior overhauls think luxurious Nappa leather andcustom headlining. Bespoke has itsown exclusively designed GTS-R styling

kits for the Porsche Cayenne andRange Rover Sport (the latter modelcan also be specced up with a GTS-R

Evo wide-body version). The resultingsportier look is achieved by deeperbumpers, LED daytime running lights,vented bonnet, extended wheel arches,boot spoiler and bespoke exhaust tips.

The Defender 90 GTS-R has over 25

modications from standard thatincludes a custom bonnet, new grilleand headlight cluster, chequer plates,

exhaust snorkel and engine airextractor, 22-inch custom alloys andmuch more. The majority of the timecustomers bring their existing 4x4s tothe guys at Bespoke for customising,but by far the biggest growth in the

business is sourcing a vehicle out of thedealer network for them. The team hasnoticed that as the time draws ever

The attention to detailof this Bespoke CarsLand Rover 110 isclear to see. Veryspecial indeed...

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PRINDIVILLEPRINDVILLE is described by its founderas being like a tailor with its bespokerange of services that caters for thewhole vehicle from exterior and interiorstyling to engine tuning. One of the keyelements of the London-based companyis that its specialist staff will sit downwith a client to create one-off limitededition cars right from a sketch throughto colour scheme, the look and feel. Therm has a background in using

carbonbre/glassbre and so most ofwhat Prindiville manufactures arestructural carbonbre wide bodykits andaerodynamic packages for prestige carexteriors, which have been designed for

a sporty or aggressive and muscularappearance. The interiors are completelyrevamped too using different grades ofleather and colours to suit thecustomers identity or even business.Prindiville can also offer an entertainmentupgrade which incorporates anythingfrom just a replacement head unit andspeaker upgrade, right up to this plus an1000-watt amplier, sub base box,

Tracker unit, anti-theft and 360deg

camera system.Wealthy customers are demandinghigh-quality products and more tuningupgrades than ever before and as AlexPrindiville says, when someone is buying

a car thats 100k, then they will easilyspend another 20k personalising it.. .

Prindiville will shortly be releasing itstake on the 130k Mercedes G-Wagenwhich will be a l imited production runcosting somewhere between 60-70kon top of the vehicles price and isaimed at the Middle Eastern andChinese markets. The conversion,which has some 35 different parts beingmainly carbonbre, transforms the

exterior, interior, exhaust system,suspension, engine, with some othertrickery in there too for good measure.Each one will be made slightly differentso no two will be the same.

closer to the end of Defenderproduction, they are seeing a number ofloyal Land Rover enthusiasts askingBespoke to build them a customisedversion which they will hold onto. Soonthey will be able to offer the option toup-spec to a 3.2 TDCi engine or5.0-litre V8 conversion too. Aside fromthe Defender, we hear that Bespoke isworking on improvements to the RangeRover Vogue and Land RoverDiscovery, in particular bringing theDiscovery 3 cosmetically in line with theD4 with a specially designed kit.

Prindiville producesone-off limitedversions to meet acustomer's demands

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JE ENGINEERINGWITH ITS ROOTS rmly planted inengine building and an enviable rstclass reputation for its craftsmanship,JE quickly made a name for itself in the80s producing V8s unlike any other.

This evolved into a series of conversionpackages, for the P38 Range Rover; abored out 4.2-litre which incidentallyLand Rover dropped into its last of the

line Range Rover LSEs and later aswitchable supercharged S500bespoke build. As the market changedand interest in Rover V8 engineconversions lessened, JE moved itsattention to the later Range RoverSport/Jaguar 4.2 supercharged V8 andcreated its own Super Defenderconversion range with three modeloptions: Zulu, Liberator and Saluki. JEsengineers have managed to make astandard Defender handle, brake andperform a lot better thanks to someclever trickery and a reworked engine with the Zulu in particular, were

talking larger valves, change of exhaustwith twin high-ow cats, custominduction system and so forth toreach the dizzy heights of between 460-500bhp. Wowzers!

The current trend for modifyingDefenders continues to ourish with2013 having been JEs biggest year forZulu production, with four vehiclescompleted, two of which were for aMiddle Eastern royal family. The rmalso had a busy year with suspensionand performance upgrades for standardDefenders with a greater variety of Land

Rover models coming through thedoors, from the good old Defender TD5up to the latest L405 Range Rover

TDV8s. We hear that a particularhighlight has been ne-fettling theRange Rover Sport 3.0-litre SDV6,which, it seems, becomes a seriousdrivers machine once its beenbreathed on by JEs experts.

Right now, JE is concentrating ondeveloping new products to offer itscustomers in the latter part of the year.Interestingly this will include an evolutionof the Zulu model with upgrades to theengine and transmission to increase

performance, renement anddriveability. There will be a new additionto the Super Defender range, featuringa larger capacity turbo diesel engineand new transmission options, plus a

smaller capacity petrol engineconversion for developing markets.Interior wise, JE will be launching a new,bespoke premium interior range with JEupgraded front comfort seats.

Of course, JE is also known for itstake on the latest Range Rover Evoque.Called the JE Evoque Dakar,customers can either cherry-pick theoptions list and create their ownexample, or buy new through exclusiveLondon dealers, Clive Sutton. Specialinterior features include retrimmedNappa diamond-quilted leather incontrasting colours, Dakar engravedlogo to the gear knob and Dakar/ Startech pedals. The exterior istransformed with colour-codedaerodynamic front and rear bumperpanels, wheelarches and side skirts andcolour contrasting highlights to the roofand trim in orange or blue. To nish off,there are Dakar/Startech 20-inch alloysmated to 30mm lowered sportssuspension and under the bonnet JEhas tuned the engine with a Stage 1remap. Interestingly, JE will belaunching a new model Range RoverSport Dakar edition also this year, withperformance enhancements andStartech body styling.

Next year marks JE Engineerings40th anniversary, making it the longestrunning Land Rover performancespecialist in the business. No doubt thebrains behind JE will celebrate withsomething suitably gobsmacking!

Above: The JEEngineering Zuluconversion for theDefender creates avehicle in demand bya Middle Eastern royalfamily, no less

Below: The latestRange Rover can nowhave JE Engineering'sStartech mods

COVER FEATURE

Special 4x4s

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COVER FEATURE

Special 4x4s

Auto StylingTel: 0845 644 4992Web: www.autostylinguk.co.uk

Bespoke CarsTel: 01423 888888Web: www.bespokecars.co.uk

JE EngineeringTel: 02476 305018Web: www.jeengineering.co.uk

Kahn DesignTel: 0207 751 4555 (London)01274 749999 (Bradford)Web: www.kahndesign.co.uk

Nene OverlandTel: 01733 380687Web: www.neneoverland.co.uk

OvernchTel: 0207 416 6199 (London)0844 477 2888 (Leeds)Web: www.overnch.com

PrindivilleTel: 0207 624 2911Web: www.prindiville.co.uk

Tune My DefenderTel: 01825 841148Web: www.tunemydefender.comTwisted PerformanceTel: 01845 574990Web: www.twistedperformance.co.uk

TO FIND OUT MORE

AUTO STYLING AUTO STYLING Truckman, the expertsupplier and manufacturer of 4x4accessories, stocks a wide range ofstainless, chrome and lightingaccessories specially designed to addair and style to 4x4s, SUVs andpick-ups.

Front bars are a popular choice with4x4 drivers. Made from high-qualitystainless steel, the Cobra 60mm frontbars supplied by Auto Styling are apopular accessory, which t many 4x4sand pick-up trucks. It features spotlightbrackets for drivers who want to kittheir vehicles out with a smartcombination of bars and lights. Thesebars also serve a practical purpose,protecting a vehicle in the unfortunateevent of a bump. Auto Stylings entirerange of front bars are pedestrianfriendly, fully compliant with EUregulations and TV certied. Pricesrange from between 305 to 566,depending on the make and model ofthe vehicle.

If it's lights that oat your boat, thenthere is a wide range available through

Auto Styling. Hella driving lights are oneof the companys most popular

products; the Hella Comet FF75 drivinglamps are discrete and can be tted tothe front of 4x4s at Auto Stylings WestMidlands-based facility. These small12V lights are all the rage and lookgreat teamed up with 76mm stainlesssteel front bars. These particular Hellalights t the current model NissanNavara and VW Amarok, but AutoStyling also sells other Hella accessoriessuitable for other 4x4 models.

There is also a wide range of chromelight guards on offer, which is a stylishmethod for protecting headlights fromminor scrapes and are individually-moulded to ensure they t perfectly toeach different 4x4. A pair of these canbe bought for just shy of 40 and t awide range of 4x4s including the ToyotaHilux and Mk5 Ford Ranger.

For some added bling, Auto Stylingcan supply a 76mm stainless steelMitsutonida roll bar. Hand polished andmade in Italy, these easy to t, largediameter sports bars instantly upgradethe appearance of any 4x4. There are ofcourse plenty of other stylingaccessories available from Auto Styling,depending on budget and taste.

Top: Pick-ups arecatered for by AutoStyling. Includes, HellaComet FF75 drivinglamps and chromelight guards (above)

Left and below:Stainless steel rollbars and Cobrafront bar

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ADVENTURETrans Africa

brother-in-law is a fabulous welder, heoffered to manufacture reinforcedbumpers, roof rack, swing-awaydoors for jerry cans and a sparewheel. Happily we agreed what wedidn't know was that he is a pedantic,precise welder who took six monthsto make all those parts.

We had often read about winchesand that they were indispensable forsuch a trip. And an Engel fridge as well.

And this and that and those Whenwe nally had all the equipment on andin the car, our Patrol looked like aslammed expedition vehicle something was wrong! We had noteven wasted one single thought on thesuspension, and so we nally decidedto buy an OME heavy-duty suspensionkit. To be honest, those springs didn'treally convince me, so I inserted

another leaf into the back springs. The other problem was our hard top its great that you can easily transformthis car into a cabrio, but there is no

Having previously criss-crossed Australia in a NissanPatrol, I had always had thisdream about a real

expedition to have to dig myself out ofmud, to be dirty, camp in the bush andmaybe also feel fear of fierce locals orwild animals. Itches like this need to bescratched and so a plan was made; mypartner, Andrea, and I would cross

Africa, from north to south. The rst question, however, was what

vehicle to use; Land Rover, LandCruiser or stick with the Nissan Patrolthat we knew so well? After looking atprices, we quickly realised that it had tobe a Nissan Patrol, so we bought ablack SWB Nissan Patrol 2.8-litre TD.

We spent the following 15 monthsbuilding, repairing, and welding. First,out with the back seats and in with a

bespoke drawer system. Theproduction bumpers went, as well asthe side steps and we startedplanning the replacement parts. As my

CONTINENTAL DR

way it can carry a long roof rack with aroof tent, spare jerry cans, anotherspare wheel and all souvenirs andartifacts. So on top of everything wedeveloped a frame structure, whichreached down and was bolted to thechassis. And then, nally, in October2008 we were ready to go

Tunisia was a slow drive into the African continent, there was still toomuch asphalt for our taste but we couldslowly get used to our equipment. Ourrst route took us along the coasttowards the Algerian border, from wherewe veered inland to get to the table deJughurta, a table mountain, whichserved the Berbers as a fortress againstRoman invaders.

What we were looking forward tomost in North Africa was the Sahara what we hadn't expected were

thousands of Italian and Frenchweekend adventurers digging up thesea of sand!

It may surprise you to know we

It had to be a real adventure, and so there had to only be one route, traversingthe continent of Africa, from north to south. The choice of off-roader was

perhaps a little more surprising, as the journey was completed by Nissan PatrolWords and photography: Rene Bauer

Main: Alone, in Africa

photographing thewildlife. Is there abetter way to spendthe day, we wonder?

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hadn't practised off-road driving athome, which meant we got stuckalmost immediately, just outside ofDouz. On one hand that's ratherembarrassing, on the other, it's a goodopportunity to try out our sand boards.We had never heard about reducingtyre pressures before.

But we managed to get far enough

into the desert and make camp behinda big dune. There we spent our rstnight in the Sahara, around us only starsand sand. It was a beautiful feeling.

We had organised a guide for Libya.Our expedition car was a little too heavyfor trips deep into the desert, so we haddecided to cross Libya in four daysfrom one border to the next. What ourguide didn't know was, that we wouldsqueeze him into an already overlledcar. Andrea somehow managed to nda place behind my seat and this dwarf

of a guide had the comfy front seat. Those four days in Libya passedquickly, but Gadda's face never left us he was looking down on us from

nearly every building.In Egypt we could nally relax a bit.

A bit means that instead of one monthwe stayed two! But driving here wasalso very stressful at times, Egyptians

just don't like using headlights at night.How they can see at night we don'tknow but somehow it seems to work.

As the pyramids werent our mainconcern, we turned off south rightbehind the border our destination wasSiwa Oasis. When arriving there we feltthrown back a few hundreds of years.Life in the oasis is quiet and peaceful,there are more donkey carts here thancars, palm plantations, hot springs,gardens and traditional locals. Thereare no campgrounds in Siwa, weretreated into the desert every night.

Thanks to the hot springs, ourhygiene and washing was safe! So fullyrefreshed and cleaned up we couldmove on to the next destination theSinai. This peninsula counts as Egypt'swild west, a conict zone betweenEgypt and Israel, home to opium

Above left: Thedecision from thestart was to have aroof tent. Secure, andsimple to unfold

Right: Rene and

Andrea spent acouple of hours withwild lions - who istaking the picture?

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traders, gunrunners and Bedouins. We

had nearly landed on one of thosepoppy plantations when looking for aplace to bush camp. We had turned offthe main road at dusk and had found agood spot behind the many hills.Unfortunately it only took two minutesbefore the rst dshabilld Bedouinarrived and begged for cigarettes. Wepacked up quickly and moved on.

Our trip continued along the banks ofthe Nile, south to Assuan, where wehad planned to cross into Sudan byferry. Well, ferry is quite an

overstatement. We were a little afraid to

load our reliable travel companion ontoone of those tubs, especially afterhaving paid an extortionately high fee of$900US for the tickets. The idea was tosend the car a day earlier and follow thenext day by passenger ferry so wewould all arrive in Wadi Halfa in Sudanat the same time. As we had to savesome money, we didn't book a cabinbut spent 24 hours on deck. And whilethe sun was slowly cooking our brains,we waited on deck all day beforeeverything was loaded tin cans,

fridges, TVs, goats, people etc etc. At

some point at night, when the heatslowly gave way to a mild breeze, wefell asleep.

Completely exhausted, we arrived inWadi Halfa but there was no car waitingfor us. We were very nervous so wetried to nd the captain and ask himwhat had happened. Thankfully, heexplained that the car ferry had hadengine trouble and would arrive the nextday. We had wanted to continue on ourway but now had to take a hotel inWadi Halfa for a night.

Above: The NissanPatrol is dwarfed by aBaobab - the Tree ofLife, and an enduring

African image

Below: Rene wantedto get stuck, and oneday he did! He hadto remove the winchfrom the front bumperand t it to the rear topull the truck out

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Thankfully, the next day, our cararrived and Sudan was ours to discover.

Finally we could enjoy sand andgravel tracks, endless scenery, smallvillages and camping in the desert that's how we had imagined it. Thistime we didn't even need to use sandboards. Sudan has a bad reputation butthe locals we met were so hospitableand friendly that sometimes we couldn'teven drive 10km without being invitedfor a tea or coffee.

When entering Khartoum we gotstopped by a group of Sudanese whoadmired our truck, and proved to be4x4 crazy! One of them, Abdel Salam,

had a workshop in Khartoum. We hadno choice but to get invited for lunchand on top of this even got invited tostay at their place and go on 4x4 tourswith them. One of those tours led us toa huge airplane cemetery in the desert,then along small villages and elds, andthen at a little dam, we got stuck. Wesank slowly into the soft, muddyground. Fortunately, a group ofSudanese got us out, by standing onthe front bumper and thus putting thewheels back on the ground. With muchbetter traction I nally got out, with a lotof smoke and a screaming engine. To

put it mildly, I felt embarrassed. After a few days with these lovely

people we had to leave. Travelling onabsolutely desolate, washed out dirttracks we nally arrived in Kadugli in theNuba Mountains, where we again by

coincidence got in touch with a few

tribes, and even got invited for aceremony; Andrea even got a weddinghenna! There are literally no tourists inthis area, so we were received with awarm welcome.

Soon though we left the dusty, dryand hot Sudan and swapped it for theEthiopian Highland. Just to be preparedwe had bought chicken wire, which westretched over our back window. Othertravellers had warned us that Ethiopianbeggars love to throw stones when theydon't get what they want. It happenedto us our truck got spat at, kickedand stones thrown at it. One time a boy

even threw his school book at our car.Unfortunately, the effect of handing outsweets or money is devastating for thelocals, it breeds more beggars andteaches dependence. In north Ethiopiawe got to an altitude of 4500m abovesea level and suddenly our truck startedsmoking and spitting it just lackedoxygen, so much that sometimes wecould only move forward in low range.

The very dirty, bad diesel didn't helpeither often we thought that our headgasket was blown to pieces by the waythe truck smoked blue, white, blackand everything inbetween.

Driving in Ethiopia can be verydangerous, the whole country isoverpopulated, the roadsides arecrammed with people, mostly menstrolling along with a few goats, whilewomen with bent backs carry

Rene had a strong idea from the start that he wanted to use aNissan Patrol. The ttings were all hand welded by his brother-in-lawover a six month preparation period. They stood the test of Africa!

I had always had the dream of a 'real'expedition - to have to dig myself out ofmud, to be dirty, camp in the bush and

maybe feel the fear of erce locals

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ridiculously heavy amounts of rewood,

mostly with extra 20-litre water cans ontheir heads. After a little excursion to Harer, close

to the Somalian border, where we fedhyenas outside the city walls, weentered our rst national park atNechisar. The rst few tracks in the parkwere actually pretty good, we saw ourrst zebras, hippos and crocodiles, thenwe came upon a hill full of huge rocks,meaning we could only advance atwalking speed. On the map we foundan apparently nice track to follow.

Again, like in Sudan, the track got

smaller and smaller, the grass grew as

high as the car. Then it happened, witha big bang we fell into a hole. Nearly thewhole front of the car had disappeared.What now? I would have nearlyforgotten about the winch, which untilnow hadn't served for anything exceptlooking good on the car. The onlyproblem was that the winch wasattached to the front of the vehicle, andthis was in the hole. Somehow Imanaged to dig my way to the winch,unfasten it and pull it out. We had ourwinch sitting on an adaptor plate so wecould attach it to the back bumper of

the vehicle. There were trees around,

the only disadvantage though allplants in Africa are thorny! We nallymanaged to pull the car out backwardsand saw that we got away prettyundamaged, only the front bumper wasa little bent on one s ide. Relieved I wentbehind a bush for a pee and saw a pairof big eyes there were big cat trackson the ground. Packing up and leavingwas quick!

Our last destination in Ethiopia wasthe Omo valley, known for its wild andtraditional living tribes. Driving here wasgood, mostly sand tracks, dusty attimes but no bone rattling like on

corrugated gravel tracks. To get intoKenya we had chosen the unofcialroute, which led from Omorate, one ofthe last stations in the Omo Valley, toIlleret and along Lake Turkana. Wecouldn't have chosen better. Wefollowed a dry, sandy river bed andpassed between palm islands and greenbush, then we came onto an open,pan-like plain and when we reached thetop of one hill there it lay before us, Lake

Turkana. What a vast moon landscapewith the lake in its middle. No plants,

just rocks and saline water.We camped by the lake but it was a

restless night in our roof tent. The windsgot stronger by the minute and we feltvery lonely there. We felt better whenwe could leave this place in themorning. Soon the vegetation becamethicker and we felt like we had nally

Above: With anOME heavy-dutysuspension lift kittted, wading Africanrivers was not aproblem

Left: Part of the journey has to be thepeople that you meet;most of whom werealways helpful andfriendly


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reached the real Africa, a vast savannadotted with acacia trees. At a littlepolice outpost we registered in Kenya,and soon reached the lands of theSamburu, the mighty cattle herders ofEquatorial Africa. And it was there thatwe ran out of diesel. No fuel station forthe next hundred kilometres. The onlypossibility is to ask in missions andstop every car that passes. But that isa rare thing in these parts of the world.

And of course, one has to be preparedto pay at least double the normal pricefor uncertain amounts of an uncertainquality of diesel. Well, that's what wehad to do, at least until we got toMaralal, where we found a fuel stationand actual civilisation. Kenya wasdenitely an experience for us, wespent a lot of time on asphalt, but thecountry offers so many diverselandscapes that sometimes we felt likewe were on a different planet.

We don't really like big cities but hadto go to Nairobi to sort out some visasfor our further trip. It was there that Ilanded in prison for 10 minutes and hadtwo court cases on my neck, becausewe didn't want to pay bribes. It wasn'tthe nicest experience, but denitelyworth it and at least I had time to scrapemy name into the cell wall. We felt thatafter all these exhausting travels andexperiences we needed to relax andunwind a bit, so we made our way toMombasa and Kenyas white beaches.For a good week we spent our days

lazing around under coconut palms. Andwe could also clean up all our mess,wash and maintain the technical side ofthe car. I didn't nd anything seriousexcept 'vanishing' suspension bushes.

After sun burn, fresh sh andcoconuts we still wanted to get towardsthe Masai Mara. There we found aCatholic mission headed by a priest,who took us in and even had a goatslaughtered for his guests of honour.We p

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