Innehållsförteckning för March 2020 från NZ4WD

Red Bull-backed 2WD MINI Buggy driver Carlos Sainz and co-driver Lucas Cruz won the ‘car’ category of this year’s new-look Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia in January, the Spanish pair leading home the V8-powered 4WD Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux of former winner Nasser Al-Attiyuh of Qatar and his co-driver, Matthieu Baumel from France. Former bike and car section winner Stefan Peterhansel and co-driver Paulo Fiuza were third in their Red Bull 2WD MINI Buggy, while American rider Ricky Brabec finally broke a KTM-stranglehold on the motorcycle section (18 years) with Honda’s first victory in 31 years. Casey Currie gave America another reason to celebrate by winning the SSV (SxS) race while Chile’s Ignacio Casale took back the throne in the quads. The 42nd edition of the Dakar took competitors from…

Australasia’s independent vehicle safety authority, ANCAP Safety, has commended Fiat Chrysler Australia for introducing safety upgrades to its Australasian-supplied Wrangler resulting in a safety rating upgrade from one star to three stars, but warned consumers that some safety deficiencies still remain. MY20 Jeep Wrangler models see autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and blind spot monitoring (BSM) functionality introduced as standard safety features across the Wrangler model range, with performance testing of these systems undertaken by ANCAP. “These upgrades are welcome, and I commend the local supplier for moving to provide Wrangler buyers in Australia and New Zealand with collision avoidance capability,” ANCAP Chief Executive, James Goodwin said. The three-star ANCAP safety rating applies to all two and four door Wrangler variants supplied to the Australian and New Zealand markets built from…

An experienced team of designers and engineers ensure that ARB products not only keep up with style trends, but remain industry leaders in strength and compatibility with vehicle systems such as SRS airbags and vehicle sensors. Comprehensive testing goes into each and every product to guarantee not only perfect fitment but also compliance with regulations such as ADR (Australian Design Rules). ARB assesses each vehicle’s crush characteristics and replicates the crush rate into its bull bar and mounting design. ARB’s production facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art tooling such as CNC sheet fabrication, guillotining, robot welding, CNC bending, machining and turning machines as well as in-house powder-coating and spray painting plants. “ARB ASSESSES EACH VEHICLE’S CRUSH CHARACTERISTICS AND REPLICATES THE CRUSH RATE INTO ITS BULL BAR AND MOUNTING DESIGN.” Bull bars…

All Ironman 4x4 products are carefully designed, engineered and tested in Australia. Products include replacement bull bars, side steps and rails, rear bars and underbody protection. Bullbars Every Ironman 4x4 bull bar is carefully crafted from premium grade materials and components to deliver the most comprehensive frontal protection and styling available. Ironman 4x4 bull bars are modelled using 3D vehicle scanning techniques to achieve optimal cosmetic design 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. Along with winch and airbag compatibility, Ironman 4x4…

As the time to lead the promised Wairarapa touring trip for my 4WD club approached, I realised that I needed a more robust plan than my usual “I wonder where this left turn goes,” and a string of dead ends. That is not to say that some of my dead ends have not turned out to be very pleasant places, but for this trip a more organised approach was required. I had the general idea of spending the morning exploring some of the dead-end access roads into the Tararuas then in the afternoon loop back to Masterton using the network of back country roads between SH2 and Castlepoint. Given the nature of the trip I also wanted less driving and more pausing to enjoy places that we often just drive…

Our monthly feature showcases 4WDs doing just about anything except rolling over or burning! We will award a grand prize of a set of four Kumho 4x4 tyres in the NZ4WD Annual issue. This contest is open to all readers who are not professional photographers. IMPORTANT: Photographs must have been taken by the person entering them, or have the photographer’s written permission. Email your digital images and a detailed caption to: editor@NZ4WD.co.nz Send your prints and detailed captions to: Your4s with Kumho, PO Box 65-092, Mairangi Bay, Auckland 0754. Be sure to include your postal address! Submitting photos The basics: as with any photo, there’s no substitute for an image that’s sharp – in focus and free of camera shake. It should be well-exposed. Size and type The ideal submission…

Half a lifetime’s worth of fun and fellowship is set to be celebrated in Gore over the Easter weekend this year as members present and past gather to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Southern Trail Blazers 4WD club. A dedicated club committee has planned an active social programme over the Easter long weekend. Festivities start with a 4x4 vehicle display in the shadow of the town’s famous Trout statue on Easter Friday followed by a social function and registration at the Gore Town & Country Club. There will then be the first of two full-day 4WD trips on Saturday followed by an evening meal (included in entry cost) at which the guest speaker is 4x4Explorer.co.nz main man (and NZ4WD magazine columnist) Richard Soult. Sunday sees a second full-day 4WD…

So the rumours were true; Jaguar Land Rover finally confirming early in the New Year that its Special Vehicle Operations had indeed acquired Bowler, the UK-based manufacturer of all-terrain performance cars, parts and rally raid vehicles. Founded in 1985, Bowler pioneered the production of dedicated off-road competition cars in the UK based on highly-modified Land Rovers and/or L/R componentry. As such the expertise Bowler has amassed for all-terrain vehicle dynamics, low-volume production techniques, and proving the durability of components under extreme conditions, has become highly sought-after, and cynics might see the purchase as a means of keeping a lot of the company’s intellectual property out of the reach of cash-rich 4x4 upstart INEOS. Jaguar Land Rover – of course – isn’t saying, instead telling media instead that Bowler is simply…

An all-new Pajero Sport VRX hits New Zealand shores later this month, representing a premium package of advanced safety features, enhanced luxury and aggressive styling – at a highly competitive price point. The new Mitsubishi features an evolution of the Dynamic Shield exterior design – a signature of Mitsubishi’s modern line-up – with key safety upgrades including the addition of Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Inside, meanwhile, an all-new, easy-to-read eight-inch colour LCD meter keeps drivers up to speed while a new smartphone app – Mitsubishi Remote Control – can lock and unlock the doors as well as raise and lower the new hands-free Power Tailgate. In fact, a tailgate reservation system can be pre-set by smartphone, enabling the driver to open or close the tailgate automatically…

We arrived in the UK at the beginning of June last year and by the end of the month, had bought and built a Mitsubishi Pajero, suitable for sustained Overlanding. . The first route that we logged took us down through France, into Italy and finally to the French Riviera. Our last article left us having lunch in an Italian mountain restaurant, having failed to drive the magnificent Maria-Stura due to its annual closure. At the restaurant we had met a French couple, new to Overlanding, who had recently bought a truck and this was their first ever trip away. They were basically doing the same route as us and were unsure where they were going to end up that night. I told them that we would be staying at…

Black Duck is New Zealand’s pioneering distributor of Australasia’s number one selling canvas heavy-duty custom tailored seat covers. No matter what type of commercial vehicle, Black Duck will have a seat cover solution. With over 1000 seat cover patterns to suit the agricultural, construction, contracting, mining, forestry and domestic use market, Black Duck covers will protect your vehicle seats and maintain or add value to your vehicle at sale or trade in. Pioneered by Black Duck and continually improved, the canvas seat covers are the ultimate in durability, fit, workmanship and tailored perfection. Unlike other materials Black Duck canvas offers a superior level of resilience and is perfect for resisting tears, rips, spills and general mess as the canvas is fully water proof. Smart choice Investing in high quality canvas…

The Pamir Mountains include peaks around 7,500 metres, with the road we drove going as high as 4,655 metres (nearly one kilometre higher than the peak of Mt Cook!). This 2,000 year-old route taught us valuable new lessons as overland travellers... including one learned the hard way! Most overland travellers would pick just one route through the Pamirs, however I was eager to explore this fascinating region more thoroughly than that. Most go via the not to be missed Wakhan Valley, while others remain on the Pamir Highway, but it seems few even know a middle route exists – we explored them all, as well as two stunning side valleys. Setting off from Kyrgyzstan’s interesting little city of Osh (963 metres), we gradually ascended from the lovely warm climate prevailing…

Wow, those were tough penalties imposed by the Environment Court (see story ‘Big fine/costs for NZFWDA over RMA breaches’ in the Feb 2020 issue of NZ4WD) on a first offence for a breach of water quality! It certainly appears that four-wheeling was to be made an example of. Compare that Wellington decision to a relatively recent Auckland prosecution that collectively fined a landowner and the manager of a property developer the sum of $67,000 for discharging sediment off a construction site in the suburb of Remuera. Will the Greater Wellington Regional Council prosecute as a result of the huge wastewater discharge into Wellington Harbour from the failure of an old sewer line, or will that be regarded as an accident in the same fashion at the sewer pipe collapse in…

How much kW would a woodchuck chuck? It’s a vexing question when people rely on their ‘internal dyno’ to gauge the power and torque of their new or freshly rebuilt engine. We’re forever hearing drivers spout on in pit and paddock about the output of their engines, which have mysteriously gone from stock numbers to NASCAR outputs simply by being chopped out of a wrecked sedan in the USA and freighted to New Zealand. With the popularity and prevalence of Chevy’s rather good LS series engines across many branches of motorsport, it’s happening in off-road racing at the moment. I did some digging and for the record, the standard output numbers of the key LS engines are: • Original LS1: 227-260 kW (305-350 bhp) at 5,600 rpm. • Original LS2:…

In the need for new tyres for both Discoverys (Long story! Ed) in the fleet, the thought on what tyres should I get led to that commonest of questions whenever two or more 4WDers get together for a chinwag, “What’s the best tyre off-road?” Generally the answers are many and varied as the word ‘best’ is too loosely bandied around. Best can mean anything from traction performance, to puncture resistance or even price. Price is often the determining factor for tyre choice though in my humble opinion it should be more about value. Tyres are a compromise between what you need, what you want and what you may not know you need in a tyre. Most off-road tyre comparison tests compare traction performance between tyres, however with so many terrain…

Sure it feels like a year since the final round of the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercar Championship in Newcastle. But it’s really only been two-and-a-bit months since two Kiwis won big at the Coates Hire Newcastle 500. One, obviously, was Supercar series star Scott McLaughlin who claimed his second Supercar series title in as many years. And the other? Well, it was none other than young Ken Smith protégé Tom Alexander, originally form Christchurch but now calling Auckland home. Tom has been contesting the ECB SuperUtes championship for the past two seasons with expat Kiwi Ross Stone (of Stone Brothers Racing fame) and after just missing out on a title shot in 2018, Tom came up trumps for his Caltex Delo Racing Isuzu D-Max squad in 2019. Over the course…

Impressed by the take-up of the hybrid model when it launched its new-look RAV4 medium SUV late last year Toyota New Zealand has added a hybrid FWD model to its smallest ‘SUV’ the C-HR. And company Chief Operating Officer Neeraj Lala reckons it is going to ‘sell like hotcakes.’ “We’re expanding the C-HR with Toyota’s hybrid-electric technology because it’s becoming increasingly popular among consumers due to its low emissions, great fuel economy and proven reliability,” Mr Lala said. “Also it’s great to be able to offer the environmental performance of the hybrid-electric engine in such a visually different and funky compact SUV package.” Available in standard and Limited grades, the C-HR hybrid offers an eye-catching design and a new generation multimedia system as well. While the ground-breaking 1.2 litre turbocharged…

The Hankook Dynapro AT2 (or RF11), is the successor to the well-liked and highly-regarded RF10, an all-terrain (A/T) tyre with a reputation for long life and quietness. In our video review which you can check out at (https://nz4wd.co.nz/article/hankook-dynapro-at2-rf11-tyre-review) we put the company’s claims of ‘advanced technology’ and ‘superiority in every dimension’ to the test on a variety of local terrains and surfaces. The RF11 is a bit of an all-rounder, striking the perfect balance between off-road traction and on-road manners. Aside from producing a tyre that out-performs the RF10 overall, Hankook’s research and development team has focussed on the key ‘demand’ areas of A/T tyre versatility, making huge improvements to the conventional in terms of off-road traction, dry handling, comfort and quietness. For off-road use, the RF11’s multi-way grooves and…

If there was a soundtrack associated with this story it would be all deep basso profundo rumble (think rolling thunder) interspersed with bouts of the sort of manic, nervous laughter you get when – in a driving or riding sense – you know you are living on borrowed time (or luck as the case may be). I know, I’ve tried to be all serious and write up my all-too-short time behind the wheel of the local Jeep importers’ demo Grand Cherokee Trackhawk with the same sort of gravitas I would any other ‘car’ costing $169,990. But in a word – or two – I can’t Because? For a start it is just such an ‘out there’ sort of ‘thing.’ Sure, it’s a car, and this – nominally anyway – is…

There are a great number of places in North America to go four-wheeling, but few have reached the somewhat iconic standing that the area around the town of Moab in Utah has achieved. One guidebook Moab, UT, Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails by Charles A Wells, lists 80 different trails although that’s spread over more than 155 square kilometres (60 square miles). Some however are only just outside the town and include trails such as Fins & Things, Willow Springs Road, Tower Arch, Seven Mile Rim and Top of the World, all of which are achievable in just a few days. While in the US, I was travelling with a fellow Auckland 4WD Club member, Andre Jorna, and we drove from Las Vegas NV to Moab UT via the Grand Canyon…

Hayman Reese, Rola, Titan Tray and Advantage are just some of the top quality brands now more readily available here in New Zealand thanks to Cequent New Zealand, the distributor and manufacturer of these fine products in this country. From the legendary towing products of Hayman Reese to New Zealand’s own Advantage Automotive Accessories, Cequent New Zealand has your vehicle covered from top to tow! With product available nationwide either via dedicated ute fit-out specialists or your local workshop, it’s now even easier to access these quality products around the country. With over 70 years in the business, Hayman Reese has established a legendary place in the towing market. Products built to suit the 4x4 and ute markets go from the standard range of towbars and weight distribution kits, to…

We haul up at the river. Grab the gauge and Philips screwdriver. Twist off a valve cap, start dropping pressure for the soft stuff. Wow, there’s a nail – no, two, three... I utter a four-letter word! My passenger gets out for a look and is also shocked. I’m kneeling next to a fire patch, a circle of recently discoloured shingle from a campfire. It’s about 500mm diameter and is littered with rusty burnt nails and screws. As the air hisses at one hand I pick up a hand-full of fasteners with the other. There’s heaps. We fetch a bag and begin to collect in earnest. This is a disgusting find. It’s a variety of nails and wood-screws with a scattering of staples – small ones to ultra-sharp fencing types.…

‘Old Mate!  Look, as Editor I have a fine line to walk when people want to have their say in the mag…. then insist that they don’t want to put their name to the ‘contribution’ they have in mind. Usually its words though. This month it involved photos. “Been off-work since Sept last year with rust in the pipes,” began the email. “I’ve been so bored of late I’ve been clearing all my old photos from my camera cards and archiving them on the cloud. I want to enter them in your tyre comp but don’t want every Tom, Dick or Harry knowing my business so can I enter it under a nom de plume?” Normally I’d say no but since the bugger provided me with his name, address and…