Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i NZ4WD

Born in 1941, Jeep celebrates 75 years of 4x4 motor vehicle production this year with a range of diamond anniversary models set to arrive in New Zealand in the second half of the year. All 75th Anniversary special-edition models will be available in Jeep-exclusive green exterior paint (Sarge Green, Recon Green or Jungle Green, depending on model), with bronze wheels, and unique interiors. Pricing and specifications for the New Zealand Jeep 75th Anniversary editions will be confirmed closer to arrival time.…

The United States Army has awarded US defence vehicle specialist Oshkosh Defense a $US6.7 billion contract to manufacture a new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). The JLTV program fills a critical capability gap for the US army and marine corps by replacing a large portion of the legacy HMMWV fleet with a light tactical vehicle with far superior protection and off-road mobility. During the contract Oshkosh expects to deliver approximately 17,000 vehicles. The JLTV Family of vehicles is comprised of two variants, a two-seat and a four-seat variant, as well as a companion trailer (JLTV-T). The two seat variant has one base vehicle platform, the Utility. The four-seat variant has two base vehicle platforms, the General Purpose and the Close Combat Weapons Carrier. The Oshkosh JLTV combines the latest in…

When they couldn’t find an existing vehicle to meet their needs, three sand racing enthusiasts from the United Arab Emirates, Bruno Laffite, Mohammed Al Qadi and Iannis Mardell, decided to build their own, the Zarooq Sand Racer. Named after the fastest and most agile snake in the desert (the Schokari Sand Racer), the Zarooq Sand Racer is a road-legal production race vehicle tailored to the desert with a closed cockpit and air-conditioning. Designed in the UAE by Anthony Jannarelly, the man who designed the Lykan Hypersport car used in the movie Fast and Furious 7, the Zarooq is being built in Dubai where the men behind it believe there is a ‘huge demand’ for such a bespoke machine. The Schokari is built around a lightweight, long travel carbon fibre chassis…

The obvious visual changes are in the reshaped grille, bumper, headlight and bonnet package at the front and new LED tail light cluster at the rear. Not so obvious is the addition of the latest Toyota Safety Sense package which consists of the Pre-Crash Safety System, Pre-Crash Brake, automatic high beam headlamps, dynamic radar cruise control and lane keep assist. For 2016 Land Cruiser 200 also gets a Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Emergency Stop Signal. In its latest form Toyota’s outstanding DOHC/32-valve 4.5 litre V8 turbo-diesel engine produces 200 kW of peak power 650Nm of peak torque and has an improved overall combined fuel consumption of 9.5 litres/100kms. The addition of a diesel particulate filter has contributed to the Land Cruiser 200 achieving EURO 5…

Its Saturday morning, November 28, 2015. It’s early (very) with the sun not yet up, and with the rain falling it may not come out at all. The Patrol is loaded, and I head for my farm gate and the open road, left at Woodville and through the gorge, right at Ashhurst and then a left heading for Vinegar Hill. The sun’s still not up as I hit the cloud and wonder if this is what the day will hold. Taihape for a refuel and a coffee before heading for Moawhango School (northeast of Taihape, Ed) for the twelfth annual scenic 4WD fundraiser. By the time we get there the rain has gone but there are still patches of cloud about. A few vehicles are already there, but there’s very…

As a world leader in aftermarket 4x4 accessories, Australia’s ARB Corporation has been working tirelessly to build an accessory range to complement the newly released Toyota Hilux. Designed and engineered with strength and practicality in mind, ARB’s range of gear includes front, rear, side and under body protection, suspension, air lockers and more. Summit bull bar Utilising 60.3mm outer frame and cross bar tubing, as well as an extensive use of press forming in the construction, the Toyota Hilux Summit bull bar uses a split pan design for maximum strength and airflow as well as under wing protection panels for the vulnerable lower parts of the vehicle. The bar is able to accommodate a range of low-mount electric winches, up to 10,000lb, and includes twin Hi-lift jack points to assist…

This issue has a nautical component – for the boat draggers, slipway skidders, wave dodgers and halyard haulers. Late September last year one of the last surviving coastal steamers ran aground on the notorious Waimakariri bar north of Christchurch, her second and last grounding there. She was the MV Tuhoe (named after the tribe), built in Auckland 1919 for the Northland coastal trade. For WW2 she was commandeered and sent north of Australia, where she was fitted with a pair of 0.50 calibre machine guns and sailed as military transport. She probably carried Jeeps and trucks as well as general cargo and drums of fuel. Her original engines were replaced there with Chrysler truck motors. When she returned home those were in turn replaced with a pair of huge Atlas…

The weekend turned out to be hot; more so once you climbed up into the gullies where the course was marked out, compact and wet in places, although it didn’t take long to dig down if your foot was still on the gas pedal, as often as it was. Spectators enjoyed the day as they could view heaps of obstacles from one place and action was happening everywhere. As always the mission for the 62 entries was to get the lowest points while at the same time surviving to drive their vehicles onto the trailer at the end of the day – but this time the ground took its toll on many as they were carried back to the pits by a Merlo lift. Uneven numbered obstacles were first up.…

Mitsubishi here is bullish about its new Pajero Sport (see launch story later this issue). “This is a premium new-generation SUV with luxury features and a sumptuous interior complemented with a full high-tech safety catalogue and the superb, class-leading all-terrain performance that stems from its Pajero heritage, says the company’s head of sales and marketing strategy, Daniel Cook. “We anticipate huge interest.” Pajero Sport slots between Pajero and Outlander into the local company’s line-up and incorporates a number of firsts for a Mitsubishi vehicle, such as its eight-speed auto transmission, hill descent control, blind spot warning system, off-road mode, electric parking brake and high T centre console. Powering the all-new model is the 2.4 litre MIVEC turbodiesel featuring Mitsubishi’s new ‘idle neutral control’, which automatically disengages the torque converter when…

The success of his inaugural televised, Suzuki Extreme 4x4 event near Wanganui in May last year has prompted truck builder, driver and now promotor Dan Cowper to organise another one. This year’s Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge will be held on Sunday April 10 (starting at 9.00am and finishing at 5.00pm) at Turakina (21kms south of Wanganui) and will again be filmed for later viewing on TV3’s CRC Motorsport show. So impressed were they with the inaugural event, TV3 is planning four 30 minute shows to screen consecutively over a four week period. Taking on 12 extreme 4x4 courses over the day are 15 of the country’s top 4x4 trucks and drivers/co-drivers led by last year’s event winner Andrew Garner. The other 14 drivers are Scott Biggs, Hamish Auret, Kevin Hermansen,…

Yarning with a friend, a flash of red caught my eye. Camera in hand, so I lifted zoomed and clicked before realising what we were seeing. It was then apparent that it was a ‘Duzgo’. Moving. Not that I had any doubts Duzgos could move, just that I’d never actually witnessed it previously. I was instantly charmed as it chugged past. South Westland is one of New Zealand’s wettest areas, with rivers that rise and fall rapidly and vast bogs that can swallow tractors when wet or are lumpy and hard when occasionally dry. Currently it is fat-tyred quad country but historically getting stuck was the way of life. WW2 Jeeps and Land-Rovers came along and improved things but, as we all know, 4WDs get stuck too and can be…

February 27th 2016 Glen Massey 4x4 Safari 2016; in conjunction with Glen Massey School and Cossie Four Wheelers Club. Glen Massey is approximately 10 mins west of Ngaruawahia. This is a family friendly tag-along event, Suited to all 4x4’s with low range. It is a great day for all to enjoy, from beginners thru to experts. Funds raised will go to benefit the students of Glen Massey School. For more information please contact Andrew, email cozzie4x4safari@gmail.com or view our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/GlenMassey4x4 February 27 2016 Porter Group Counties Classic Series Round 3; Hosted by Counties Manukau Offroad Racing Club at Colin Dale Park, Manukau. Refer to www.countiesoffroad.co.nz/Links/Events for further details February 28th 2016 National Trial Series 2015/2016. Round 5; hosted by Windy City Offroaders Club (to be held in Masteron)…

While the biggest SUV trend among car manufacturers these days is making tiny ones based on the platform of your smallest car, the second biggest would seem to be using the name of a legendary big one and slapping “Sport” after it when you come up with a name for your newer, slightly smaller one. Range Rover did it when it introduced the Range Rover Sport and then Land Rover did it when they replaced the Freelander with the Discovery Sport. Now Mitsubishi is getting in on the act with the Challenger-replacing “Pajero Sport”. But the Pajero Sport’s heritage is actually far more intertwined with its larger namesake than it would first appear. The original Challenger was a real parts-bin special that was based on the second-generation Pajero platform and…

Bull bars are where most 4x4 owners start when it comes to adding extra protection to their trucks and Ironman 4x4 manufactures and sells a range is carefully crafted from premium grade materials and components to deliver the most comprehensive frontal protection and styling available. Ironman 4x4 bull bars are winch and airbag compatible and carefully modelled using 3D vehicle scanning techniques to achieve optimal looks whilst providing maximum vehicle collision protection. All bars are made from the highest quality SPHC oil and pickled steel (not mild steel) to give maximum strength and rust resistance. The finish on Ironman 4x4 bull bars is top quality using the Akzo Nobel powder coat system, which gives a thicker, smoother and more durable coating. Three types Ironman 4x4 has three bar types available…

There is always something to do on vehicles, especially around the Dodgy Bros workshop. This time it was the speedo on our own Discovery V8. On a trip out of town for a day the speedo suddenly decided to play up registering speeds of anything up to 180km/h while just coming to a stop at the lights. I know it can exceed the speed limit and get me into trouble, but that fast on the larger tyres, I don’t think so! Other times there was no reading at all even when driving. Idling away while stationary the speedo could ‘bounce’ with readings so I knew something was amiss somewhere. When the rev counter stops working you know that is an indicator that you have an alternator problem, but the speedo…

A warning has been issued to motorists to urgently check the condition of their towbars after a corroded bar on the rear of a vehicle failed in dramatic fashion while attached to a boat trailer. The towbar (pictured) was severely corroded and snapped completely in two whilst in use, but fortunately it happened in a parking lot and not on the open road and there was no other damage or injuries. The severe corrosion is attributed to the vehicle constantly backing into salt water when launching and recovering the boat – which had gone unnoticed during use. The incident came to the attention of Best Bars Ltd, the largest manufacturer of original equipment towbars and vehicle accessories in the country, and its CEO, Stephen de Kriek says it is a…

Helping give Toyota’s stand at the big SEMA trade show a lift late last year was this – the Tonka 4Runner concept vehicle. Commissioned by Funrise Toy Corporation, manufacturer of Tonka toys for Hasbro, the life-size Tonka SUV . The Tonka 4Runner is powered by the same 4.0-litre V6 as the production 4Runner – but that’s about the only similarity between the two. The concept vehicle’s body features a ten-inch Bulletproof Suspension lift kit, set of King coilover shock absorbers, 20-inch Ultra Motorsports wheels and Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ 38×15.50R20LT off-road tyres and is finished in matte black and yellow Tonka graphics and has Rigid Industries LED lights lighting up the wheelwells so that it is as hard to miss at night as it is in broad daylight. Bulletproof also…

The new five seat, AWD RX SUV from Lexus offers a six model line-up with the RX 350 and RX 450h available in base, F Sport and Limited grades. The RX 350 features an improved 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine mated to a new quick-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, while the RX 450h features a completely re-engineered V6 petrol electric hybrid engine with Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT), both achieving a EURO6 emission standard. The new 2016 RX builds on the success of its previous generations, said Spencer Morris Lexus New Zealand’s Product General Manager. “The RX has been a significant vehicle for Lexus both globally and in New Zealand. Since introducing it to the local market in 2003 it’s found a strong following in the fast growing luxury SUV segment,” said Mr…

Taking in 23 km of the 32km-long Stockton Beach that runs north of the city of Newcastle in NSW, Australia, the Worimi Conservation Lands were officially created in 2007 and are made up of the 1,825 hectare (4,512 acre) Worimi National Park, the 1042 hectare (2,575 acre) Worimi State Conservation Area and the 1,568 hectare (3,875 acre) Worimi Regional Park. While home to a number of natural attractions, it is the incredible sand dunes that are of most interest to off-roaders. In places the beach is more than one km wide and can boast sand dunes more than 30 metres high – in fact, in many places you can’t even see the ocean and would swear you were in a desert… Stockton Beach itself is scattered with relics from WWII,…

The Kauri Coast Safari (from Dargaville to Oramahoe in the Far North and back) is usually a biennial event. However last year the organisers skipped a year so that their event no longer clashed with other major safaris around the place also held every second year. So it was three years since the last event and some five years since I last went along and even then it was a shortened event for me due to other commitments. Therefore I was really looking forward to completing the full six-day safari. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans and a couple of the off-road sections had to be cancelled due to damage caused by a storm with slips on roads and many fallen trees. Hosted by the Dargaville-based Kauri Coast 4WD Club,…

Time was when fleet owners were happy with the ‘poverty pack’ version of a manufacturer’s six cylinder car or ute. Those of us with long memories will still wince at this time of year at the thought of a vinyl bench seat, a three-on-the-tree manual gearchange, and a pair of short Stubbies… Even parked in the shade that vinyl would heat up in a matter of minutes and if exposed to bright sunlight the result was positively nuclear…… These days things have – thankfully – gone full circle. You only have to look at the various utility vehicles in use by power and/or telecommunication authorities around the place. Even in our major urban areas of Auckland and Christchurch it’s not unusual to see ‘work trucks’ fitted with front bars, winches…

Rather than take the usual drive up SH1 to the Turoa ski field on the south-western slopes of Mt Ruapehu in the central North Island we decided to do a loop up the Turakina Valley. The valley runs west of SH1 between SH3 south of Whanganui and Tangiwai on SH49 just out of Waiouru. From Tangiwai we would head across to Ohakune for the night, before visiting the mountains. Our return route was to be across to Pipiriki then down the Whanganui River Road ending up back on SH3 near where we started. We left about lunchtime but had barely got onto SH1 before being held up by an accident, giving us an hour’s wait (admittedly on a beautiful fine sunny day) until the road was reopened. On the move…

It rained on Saturday (scrutineering day at the local Farmlands branch) and the clouds were definitely lurking on Sunday. The rain made the pits a little damp to get into and that initial drive in was enough to forewarn people of the ground conditions and how quickly they can change. With uneven obstacles set for the start of the day the competitors wound their way down the track to line up in readiness, long green damp grass meant the grip wasn’t going to be easy and wheelspin would take over. Standing in a spot to be able to view a number of obstacles was great. I got a great view, for instance, of No 13 – where a drop-off before a little kink with a sidling then up the bank,…