NO, IT’S not Bananas in Pyjamas, but Bollinger Motors has expanded its line-up of all-electric workhorses to three variants with the introduction of the B2 pick-up.
Joining the original B1 three-door prototype and the B1 four-door wagon, the B2 has an extended wheelbase and a 1750mm-long cargo bed behind the four-door cabin.
“The new B2 incorporates everything that we’ve learned in making the B1 and takes it in an exciting new direction,” Bollinger Motors’ founder Robert Bollinger said. “It’s always been the plan to have both the B1 and B2 start off our line-up. Now that we have so much incredible data from testing our B1 prototype, we can put all of that engineering knowledge into our final four-door B1 and B2 vehicles. It’s the Pickup I always wanted and something crazy better than what’s available on the market today.”
The Bollinger B1 and B2 are set to go into production in 2020, with Bollinger Motors to announce the full list of vehicle options, pricing and delivery details in 2019.
Just like the original B1, the B2 features dual-electric motors powering all four wheels, height adjustable hydropneumatic suspension, in-wheel portal gear hubs, a 120kWh battery pack, large front trunk space, and patented pass-through doors for transporting long items.
With the rear glass open the B2 can carry full 4×8 sheets of plywood, and the B2 has a 4500kg GVM with a 2250kg hauling capacity. The B2’s functional and boxy body remains true to the original B1 wagon and is one of the brand’s most endearing features.
Since its initial unveiling, Bollinger Motors relocated its headquarters from New York to Michigan to take full advantage of the automotive manufacturing network based in and around Detroit. Now in the final stages of engineering development for its first vehicles, Bollinger Motors plans to manufacture the B2 on the same assembly line as the B1.
After a month spent out at Terrain Tamer fixing all the oil leaks and replacing all the worn out parts, followed by a couple of trips to the mechanic before he’d give me the roadworthy certificate, my old mid-wheelbase Land Cruiser is back on the tracks. It had been sitting in the driveway for the best part of five years since moving to Melbourne, but the time had come to get it going again.
Allan Grey and the guys at Terrain Tamer did a heap of major work on it – replacing the rear brakes, the clutch, and various oil seals, rebuilding the steering box, the gearbox and the front hubs plus fitting a Harrop E-Locker in the rear diff. But it was all the little things they were able to replace from their extensive stock at the warehouse that made the big difference.
New rubbers on the pedals, new tail-light lenses, new heater blower switch, washer fluid bottle, indicator stalk, new shocks and steering damper. All the details that make the 38-year-old bus better to drive.
It took a deadline to finally get it on the road and I set myself the magazine’s annual advertiser trip as the date. Each year, we head out for a few days of four-wheel driving with some of our best mates from the industry for a bit of fun, doing what we all love the most. This year we were heading to the High Country on the tail of winter, so the prospect of driving the Middy in snow had me excited.
With the roadworthy in hand I fronted up to Vic Roads to get my 90 days of club rego. This isn’t my daily driver so three months’ worth of use will be enough for it, and I have plenty of other 4x4s I need to drive for the magazine.
On the test drive before the snow trip, the little Middy was going like a champion. It still has all the rattles and squeaks I remembered and it was never much of a rocket ship, but it was great to be back behind its big steering wheel looking out through that flat windscreen.
Honest and simple motoring at its best, until it died at a set of traffic lights and wouldn’t start again. I knew the problem was related to some dodgy wiring on a vacuum solenoid, so I was able to disconnect it and get back on the road to home.
Rather than try and fix the wiring, I chased down a replacement for the missing plug and Early Land Cruiser Spares in South Australia came to the rescue. The 3.4-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel was rattling away again like Thomas the Tank Engine.
And so it chugged on into the High Country on a sunny spring morning. Running on a set of Cooper ST Maxx tyres that have been on for many years, but don’t have a lot of kilometres on them, the Middy was always going to struggle on the steep, wet clay tracks. However, with the E-Locker doing its thing in the rear diff the rig held its head high among some bigger mud-tyre equipped vehicles.
There was one steep clay hill where all but two of the trucks had to be winched up. Alan from Piranha Off Road has a high-pulling-power Gigglepin twin-motor on the front of his 79 Series and it made light work of it. But then as Al lead us into deep snow, it was my Warn winch, freshly fitted with a new synthetic line from Bubba Rope, that was pulling his rig back out.
A big thanks to Alan and Michael from Piranha for the use of the snow chains, which were needed when the snow got heavier, and even the double-locked 4x4s on 35s couldn’t get through. The guys were saying that due to the epic snowfalls this past winter it was one of Piranha’s biggest seasons for chains ever and as the only company in Australia that makes snow chains, they are the place to go for a set for your 4×4.
It was an epic trip that showed the strengths of the old Cruiser and a few areas that still need attention. The FRP roof started to come off on the way home and I found that all the bolts on the leading edge near the top of the windscreen had come out, while the old headlights are pretty poor and will be swapped out for an upgrade real soon.
Some proper front recovery points and a set of mudflaps won’t go astray either. It’s great to have it back on the road and on the tracks and I’m looking forward to spending more time in the old bus.
Follow the journey of 4×4 Shed’s 1985 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ73 – Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4
4×4 Shed Log: 1985 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ73 Current mileage: 421,000km Date acquired: 2008 Price: N/A Mileage this month: 900km Average fuel consumption: N/A
Thanks to: Terrain Tamer Harrop Engineering Bubba Rope
OCTOBER 2018 marks 10 years since Isuzu UTE Australia burst onto the one-tonne ute market with its 3.0-litre turbo-diesel-powered D-Max, and the Japanese brand has experienced substantial growth since it landed on local soil.
Isuzu’s local success is evidenced by the company enjoying nine consecutive years of double-digit growth (up until the end of 2017), making Australia Thailand’s biggest export market for Isuzu vehicles. In 2008, only 273 sales were recorded (October-December), but by 2013 sales exceeded 10,000 units.
IUA cracked 100,000 sales in April 2017, and most recent records indicate the brand has sold more than 140,000 vehicles (107,332 D-Max; 32,752 MU-X) since Isuzu set-up shop back in 2008. In tandem with this, Isuzu’s dealer network has shot from 38 to more than 140 across Australia.
“There are too many significant achievements to mention” stated IUA Managing Director, Mr. Hiro Kuramoto. “The highlights have been many, and we continue to be humbled by the Australian response to our products. Since launch, our products have been endorsed with a number of awards, and the positive feedback from customers continues to confirm that we deliver honest, reliable products.”
Two highlights of IUA’s brief Australian history include the launch of the “new-gen” D-Max back in 2012, and the arrival of the seven-seat MU-X in 2013, which is now the best-selling ute-based SUV in Australia. IUA also launched the I-Venture Club in 2015, which gives Isuzu owners the opportunity to take their vehicles to off-road courses – or iconic off-road destinations – under the guidance of experienced 4x4ers.
“Customer satisfaction is a defining factor in our ongoing success,” Mr Kuramoto said, “which combined with the quality of our product and our after-sales care package defines the positive customer experience that people expect when purchasing a vehicle.
“I believe that if we can continue to respond to customer feedback and deliver on our promises, our brand will continue to grow from strength to strength.”
IUA is working hard to ensure the momentum it has experienced since its local inception continues into the future, with the brand aiming to notch up 10 years of double-digit growth. A goal of 30,000 annual sales by 2020 has been set.
AUSTRALIA’S one and only Dakar Champion, Toby Price, added another notch to his belt this morning when he won the Morocco Rally to claim the 2018 World Rally Championship.
Riding his Red Bull KTM, Price won the rally over Chilean rider Pablo Quintanilla. Quintanilla was leading the Championship by eight points over Price coming in to this final round, but he could only finish fourth overall in the Morocco Rally. Price was only able to overtake Quintanilla on points in the final day of racing, after almost 2000km of desert racing.
Following the win, Price said via Twitter: “Damn, what a day. It is safe to say I’m the 2018 World Rally Champion! I’m so lucky to do it with such a great support crew and family and friends, massive thanks Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for all the work and my personal sponsors for always having faith in me!”
Listed among a long career in off-road racing, Toby Price’s first international rally was the Morocco Rally back in 2014 where he finished eighth. 2015 marked Price’s first attempt at the Dakar and he finished in third place. He returned in 2017 to take the overall win, the only Australian to ever do so.
He has won the Australian Off Road Championship five times, the Finke desert Race six times and countless other wins in Australia, Europe and the USA. He has twice attempted the win the Finke Desert Race on both two and four wheels in the same weekend, winning the bike class both times and finishing second on his first attempt in 2016 (his first time in a Trophy truck) and recording a DNF in 2018 after losing his power steering on day two.
The 2018 World Championship title places Toby Price among Australia’s most successful international motorsport competitors of all time and, with his career far from over, he may well become our finest.
Price moves to four wheels for his next event, the Baja 1000 in Mexico, where he will compete in a Trophy Truck with fellow Red Bull racer Bryce Menzies. He will then switch back to two wheels for another assault on the Dakar Rally on the KTM, in Peru in January.
HERE’S are five reader-submitted 4x4s picks that was recently featured on the October issue of 4×4 Australia.
To get involved post a pic and a description of your rig on our special site here or post it to our Facebook page.
We feature a bunch of readers’ rigs in the magazine each month, where we award one lucky punter with a $200 voucher to spend at Piranha Off Road.
2006 TOYOTA LC HZJ105: ANDREW RANDALL (4×4 Australia Readers’ Rigs Winner of the Month)
I bought it in 2016. It came with a roadworthy that turned out to be not worth the paper it was printed on, so it needed a full engine rebuild, new head, turbo, an injector pump tidy-up, and a fair bit of other general work.
It has a Raslarr Engineering snorkel and front bar with a Warn 8274 winch, 4-inch Dobinsons MRR lift kit, 35-inch Mickey Thompson Baja MTZs, ARB air lockers, upgraded gearbox and a few other bits. I built it to be able to go out on my own and have it capable enough to get me back again. It’s a dead-set beast and goes anywhere, and it’s so much fun to drive.
The motor was built by Turbo Engineering and the gearbox by 360 Gearboxes & Diffs.
1986 LAND ROVER 110 COUNTY V8: PAUL GEAR
I just finished an engine conversion to a later 4.0-litre V8 from a Discovery 2, with a Wolf ECU, high-compression pistons, dyno tune, extractors, etc. Other than that, the mods list is small: 2-inch lift, restored interior with Golf GTI seats, new waterproof carpet, headlining, full sound insulation, custom dash, dual batteries, spotties, and custom DIY kitchen, storage and sleeping setup in the back. It also has a roof platform up top for the Oztent, and a Front Runner wheel carrier at the back.
Not perfect and it will never be ‘finished’, but it’s an awesome, fun classic tourer with heaps of character. Best places have to be Vic High Country and the NSW Blue Mountains.
2015 FJ CRUISER: BRENT HILL
Mods: Safari snorkel, ARB bar, Kaymar rear bar, ARB onboard compressor, ARB diff breathers, GME TX3350, Redarc BCDC1225D twin-battery setup w/solar, HID IPF lights, ARB 40 light bar, OME nitro chargers, ARB underbody kit, Rhino-Rack Pioneer platform, two-metre ARB awning and Mickey Thompson AT 38-inch tyres.
It’s been to Fraser Island, Moreton Island, Double Island Point and Bribie Island – we live on Bribie Island.
2002 NISSAN PATROL GU UTE: KYLE GRIFFITHS
I’ve had it for just over a year. Kit includes a Smittybilt front and rear bar, Warn winch, Raslarr snorkel, Bushwacker flares, Pro Comp rims with Toyo 35-inch muddies, a light bar, CB radio and Skyjacker lift kit.
It’s currently at Double Black Off Road getting some work done: new leather seats, exhaust and extractors, rock sliders and a long-arm 3.5-inch lift kit. I haven’t done much 4WDing to date, but I love Bunyip and Kinglake.
1997 TOYOTA GXL 80 SERIES: LUKE FRY
Mods: 3.5-inch front lift, 3-inch rear lift (so it sits level), Dobinson springs, Tough Dog shocks, Tough Dog heavy-duty Panhard rod, superior heavy-duty adjustable rear trailing arms, ARB alloy roof cage with ARB side and rear awnings, stainless steel rear tailgate ladder (my wife’s favourite mod), steel bullbar with Runva 11XP winch, 1Hz turbo, 33-inch Toyo Open Country M/T (best tyre I’ve ever had), homemade rear cargo area storage setup with recovery gear drawer, and an Engel 40-litre fridge on a Piranha fridge slide.
An in-dash DVD player plus twin headrest DVD players keep the daughter and her friends amused on long, boring trips. The best place I’ve taken it is probably Fraser Island, but I love weekend camping trips around the mid-north coast of NSW. I bought it about three years ago in totally stock condition; it didn’t even have a bullbar, which is unheard of around here.
If you have been following Whichcar, you would be familiar with 4×4 Australia‘s adoration for the wilds of the Victorian High Country. With its stunning landscapes, challenging tracks, historical mountain huts, and goldfields, the High Country has everything a 4×4 enthusiast would ask for.
So it is of little wonder that the Victorian High Country has become the setting for the first season of our new 4×4 Adventure Series where we explore the beauty and history that lies in this magnificent part of Australia.
Season 1 Episodes
- Episode 1: Exploring the area’s historic huts, in part one of the Victorian High Country 4×4 Adventure Series.
- Episode 2: Snaking our way through the Victorian High Country’s old gold-mining sites.
- Episode 3: The last stop in our High Country adventure includes a few of the area’s most iconic delights.
Season 1 Articles
- Part 1: The extraordinary people and places throughout the Victorian Alps.
- Part 2: Following the gold seekers through the Victorian Alps, from Omeo to Mansfield.
A crazy, meticulously pieced together custom Hilux headlines a monster issue of 4X4 Australia this month.
In addition to analysing this hardcore weekender, we also pit two mid-sized Toyotas – Fortuner and Prado – against each other and reveal which one deserves your hard-earned. We’ve followed the build of Mark Allen’s Holden 1 Tonner from go-to-whoa and, with the build finished and finally road legal, we unleash it on some rough tracks.
How does Range Rover’s 2019 SDV8 Autobiography handle the fluffy stuff? We hit the snow with the burly Brit to find out. Plus, the JL Wrangler Rubicon traces the stateside trail it is named after.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE?
- 4X4 Adventure Series to the Corner Country (part two).
- Pub talk at the Eulo Queen Hotel, QLD.
- Exploring Mareeba in Queensland’s north-east.
- Buyers’ Guide: UHF radios and aerials.
- Why you need Safari’s Armax ECU.
- New products explained and tested.
- Inside Club 4×4.
- Defender and BJ73 in the 4X4 shed.
- Deano’s rant and Expert View with Cooper Tires’ Ken Reuille.
This month’s mag also provides your last chance to enter into the draw to win an HSV SportsCat+.
The November issue will be on shelves – and in the magshop – on October 11.
LAST week Land Rover unveiled its emergency response Discovery that’s set for duty with the Red Cross in the Austrian Alps, but you can always count on the Americans for a little one-upmanship to take things to the next level.
Nissan USA has partnered with the Red Cross to create the Ultimate Service TITAN, a mobile command centre and first-aid unit armed with the supplies required to conquer any obstacle. The specialised vehicle was donated to the Red Cross in South Florida, where it will assist first responders during critical times of need.
The base Titan XD Midnight Edition Crew Cab is powered by a Cummins 5.0-litre V8 turbo-diesel engine and features a heavy-duty ladder-frame chassis. To that extended chassis, a Conqueror Campers body has been bolted on to form the base of the mobile command centre.
Features inside the Conqueror body include Goose Gear Custom Interior, Pelican professional gear cases for first-aid supplies, a desk, a couch, a mobile kitchen, a generator, solar panels, Wi-Fi, and a wrap-around awning. A SnoMaster refrigerator is included to store blood, while additional storage is available on top via a Rhino Rack Pioneer Tray.
The Titan’s underpinnings are beefed up with a three-inch lift using Icon Vehicle Dynamics coil-overs, which is a Nissan-approved accessory available for Titan through Nissan USA dealers. The rolling stock is completed with alloy wheels (also from Icon) and Nitto Ridge Grappler rubber.
Other off-road-oriented accessories include a Stealth bumper by Addictive Desert Designs that mounts a Warn Zeon winch and LED lighting from Baja Designs; while a custom fuel cell holds 285 litres of diesel to ensure supply during times of emergency.
“No matter the conditions, a Titan fights to do what it takes to help those in need,” said Fred DePerez, vice president, North America LCV Business Unit, Nissan North America, Inc.
“Built on the foundation of a rugged Titan XD Diesel – and with aftermarket accessories from some of the most reputable companies in the industry – the Ultimate Service Titan ensures that Titans of the community are able to get anywhere, at any time, with the tools they need to get the job done.”
Nissan does not officially import the American-made Titan pick-up to Australia, but it is available here from specialised companies such as Performax and American Vehicle Sales.
Hope your weekends are clear for October and November as a whole host of 4×4 shows, cultural celebrations, and music festivals are set to take place all over Australia.
Mount Hunter Country Music Stampede (NSW)
Kicking off on October 12, the three-day Mount Hunter Country Music Stampede is the product of a partnership between Mick Kearney (owner of K Ranch) and Golden Guitar winner Drew McAlister.
This celebration of all things country music starts with a bang on Friday evening with Christie Lamb (CMC Female Artist of the Year and Golden Guitar winner) and Jasmine Rae (three-time ARIA nominee and CMC Australian Artist of the Year). On Saturday night is the Men of Country showcase, with Adam Harvey, Adam Brand and Drew McAlister.
See www.countrymusicstampede.com
Sydney 4WD & Adventure Show (NSW)
Held at Western Sydney International Dragway from the 12th to 14th of October, the Sydney 4WD & Adventure show is the place to be to test the latest 4x4s, check out the radical driving of Isuzu Team D-Max, ogle the many thousands of dollars’ worth of Land Rovers as they tackle the LR Terrapod, and check out the Engel Bush Camp Stage.
Kaj ‘Bushy’ Busch – the co-founder of Squidgy soft plastic lures – will be there, as will John Rooth. Also joining in the fun will be Terrain Tamer TV’s Allan Gray and Jillaroo Jess.
See sydney.4wdshow.com.au for info.
2018 Eden Whale Festival (NSW)
Head to Eden for its annual three-day whale festival. Running from November 2-4, the festival includes a street parade, hot rod run, live music, activities for kids, and fireworks.
The events will be based at Eden’s Snug Cove Wharf and at the Sports Oval. A whale-watching cruise will run out of Twofold Bay, and there’ll also be a free shore-based whale-watching session. Or just nosh down on local seafood.
Visit www.edenwhalefestival.com.au for more info.
Mansfield High Country Festival (VIC)
Head to the magical Vic High Country for this famous event. Running from November 2-6, the festival includes a fireworks display on the first night, great food and wine, a Grand Parade featuring local businesses and personalities, and the Torch Light Parade where fire trucks and emergency services vehicles load-up with participants and are applauded for their past and no doubt future services to the High Country communities. For the fit, there’s also a Fun Run; for the less fit, the awesome Mansfield Cup race day.
See www.highcountryfestival.com.au for more information.
2018 Huon Show (TAS)
The famous Huon Show will be held on November 17 at the Ranelagh Showground, Tasmania. Events and activities include horse riding, woodchop competitions, home crafts, livestock judging, a cool ute muster, and some crazy dog high-jumping. In other words, all the fun things you remember from the traditional country shows.
Admission prices are $10 for adults; $5 for kids aged 5-16; and $25 for families.
To lock in your admission, check out www.huonshow.com.au
JOIN Aussie off-road legends Ron Moon, Matt Raudonikis and the team from 4X4 Australia as they trek further into the spectacular Victorian High Country.
From a warm log fire and cold beer at the iconic Dargo Hotel, the crew travel via tree-lined valleys and scenic ranges to Mount Blue Rag and on to the Talbotville goldfields, through the mysterious Wonnangatta Valley and finally up the flinty flanks of Mount Stirling.
This stunning 4×4 adventure covers some of Australia’s most challenging trails, including sites made famous by George Miller’s classic 1982 film, The Man from Snowy River. It’s remote, rugged and the sort of rollicking good fun that any well-equipped family 4×4 can tackle.
This episode concludes our Vic High Country travels, but the journey continues to the outback’s Corner Country for Season 2. Stay tuned.
Catch up on the 4×4 Adventure Series: Vic High Country season: – Victorian High Country episode 1 – Victorian High Country episode 2