FCA announced Friday that its Jeep brand will not be attending the Easter Jeep Safari (EJS) this year due to coronavirus fears. However, as of Monday, the Red Rock 4-Wheelers who is the promoter of the event held on the red rock of Moab Utah, says EJS is still going ahead.
The EJS is an annual mass gathering of Jeep owners and fans in Moab, Utah that includes a week of trail drive, vendor displays and parties, and the reveal of Jeep’s EJS special builds.
This news comes just a week after it was announced that the vendor fair would be cancelled to limit large groups of people gathering in one place but that the trail drives that are what EJS is all about would still be going ahead.
As for Jeep itself, the team there has a swag of wild new concept vehicles ready that were set to be revealed in Moab but says they will be revealed at a later date, at an event yet to be decided. For many international fans that can’t get to EJS themselves, Jeep’s concept vehicles are the highlight of the event as their reveals are announced online. We’ll be keeping an eye out for them appearing soon.
One place Jeep won’t be revealing its concepts, is the New York International Auto Show which was due to happen in April but has now been postponed, possibly until August. The brand looking to cut in on Jeep’s off road vehicle market this year with its new Boncos, Ford was planning to unveil its Bronco Sport SUV at the New York Show while media and dealer events to reveal the proper Bronco 4×4 ahead of its official launch have also been cancelled or postponed.
We guess we’ll have to make do with the countless daily Bronco leaks to get our fill of the new Ford 4×4 and keep our eyes open for Jeep’s EJS concepts.
SINCE ol’ mate Karl Benz invented the automobile some 135 years ago, car designers and engineers have been trying to improve it, and there’s no doubt they have, in a very big way.
From what was once seen as little more than a horseless-buggy oddity, the automobile has come a bloody long way. Today we can buzz up and down freeways at more than 100km/h in supreme comfort, with windows up and climate control set to 21.5°C, and never really gain a true appreciation of the conditions outside the vehicle, other than seeing the wipers sweep across the windscreen if it starts to rain or watching the lights come on when the sun drops below the horizon.
Many modern vehicles will accelerate from 0 to 100km/h quicker than you can select your Daily Mix on Spotify, all the while sipping fuel at a rate of less than 10.0L/100km. You can throw some vehicles into corners with barely the need to back off the throttle, safe in the knowledge the ESC has got your back. And if you dare wander out of your lane chances are a camera will steer you back on track, while a radar will stop you slamming into the back of someone when you look down to grab your morning coffee.
But it’s this looking down to grab one’s coffee that has me stumped. It should be an easy task, right? After all, the easier it is, the quicker you can do it, thereby minimising the time your eyes are off the road.
Bearing this in mind, it’s a no-brainer that car designers should situate cup holders in easy to reach spots – after all, putting a cup holder where it’s easy to reach would be much easier than developing stability control or lane departure warning systems.
However, I have driven so many new vehicles where this is not the case. Some cup holders are situated immediately in front of the centre console armrest, and you almost need to be double-jointed to contort your arm in such a way as to lift out your coffee cup, while others are jammed under the dashboard so it’s nigh impossible to grab a bottle or cup without bumping it on the dash and spilling your drink. Placing it back where it was after a sip is even worse, because you also have to look down to find the illogically placed cup holders.
There are many other flaws when it comes to vehicle interior design, some of which are almost inexcusable. Take, for example, 4X4 Australia’s latest 4X4 Of The Year, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
Sure, it’s an absolute weapon off-road, and its overall design achieves several goals including evoking the look of the original WWII Jeep, and providing incredible versatility thanks to its removable roof panels and doors, but its driver’s footwell is an ergonomic disaster, reminiscent of Italian sports cars from the 1960s and ’70s; the transmission hump is so large that it leaves no space for a footrest, so your feet feel as though they’re squeezed into a bucket. Some claim this design flaw is simply the result of the vehicle being predominantly designed for the North American (left-hand drive) market, but the JL Wrangler was always planned as an international vehicle, and in this day and age the LHD excuse simply does not wash.
Another big problem with design involves the location and legibility of switches and controls. One example where a vehicle manufacturer absolutely got it right was when Land Rover launched the Discovery 3 with Terrain Response, the controls for which were operated by a dial. Then someone at Land Rover decided with the launch of the Discovery 4 it would be a good idea to use the dial setup for gear selection rather than Terrain Response, moving the latter to a switch-based setup. What originally worked intuitively had now become a far more complicated operation.
Another example of poor switchgear design is the heater/ventilation switches on the Ford Ranger – they are almost impossible to see if you’re wearing sunglasses. Then there are all the different steering wheel switches on different vehicles to operate cruise control systems that require the driver to look at them to use them. They are not at all intuitive, unlike the early wand setups found on Toyotas and Mitsubishis when cruise control was first being introduced on 4x4s back in the 1990s. Simply flick down to set speed, move up and down to change set speed, pull in to cancel and flick up to resume. You’d have it all worked out in five minutes and would never have to look at the wand again.
Oh, and do you reckon all car designers can place a steering wheel directly in front of a driver rather than offset to one side? I mean, really, how hard can it be?
If I close my eyes I can almost hear tribal whispers, but it’s just the breeze drifting across the dry lake floor. Around me is red earth and a dramatic landscape, and I feel like I’m on the moon. The silence compels me to sit, to be still and experience the land with all my senses.
This is Mungo National Park, one of Australia’s heritage-listed treasures, in the heart of NSW’s Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area. It’s an outback oasis that transports and captivates all who visit, a place far removed from the madding world and yet readily accessible from Mildura, Wentworth, Balranald and Broken Hill.
I’m back after my first visit nine years ago and just as enthralled as the first time. It was a wild welcome. Groups of kangaroos, dozens of them, flocked to us as we arrived at Main Camp; large ones, small joeys, a whole family it seemed. There were no other campers, just ’roos. We had the pick of more than 30 sites, most of them had shelter, tables and fire pits. The kangaroos converged, curious yet friendly, as though used to human company.
I was initially unnerved by their boldness, but they seemed thirsty. The landscape was barren and dry and so we gave them a drink from the water tank attached to the shelter. Together with a squadron of apostlebirds they hovered in the background during our stay, in the shade, never bothersome, just there.
We travelled to Mungo after an overnighter at Wentworth, where the mighty Murray and Darling rivers meet. It was an easy drive towards Pooncarie before turning onto Top Hut Road. Here the road became rougher and corrugated, so we let some pressure out of the tyres to make for a better ride.
Entering Mungo territory is like entering another land. Big skies, endless horizon, low-lying mallee shrub and not another vehicle in sight. Driving across the expansive dry lakes feels almost like a time warp. Years of wind, searing sun and droughts have eroded the area of dry lakes, leaving essentially a fossil landscape.
Interestingly our GPS still showed blue lakes, but forget any idea of swimming. Mungo is one of 17 dry lakes that make up the Willandra Lakes World Heritage area and there’s not been a drop of water here in more than 1400 years. Once, however, this lake was full of water and teeming with life. It was a meeting place for generations of Aboriginal people.
Mungo’s History in a Nutshell
When the lakes dried up about 10,000 years ago the bones and relics of the people who once lived on its shores were swallowed up by the desert sands. Then the wind exposed a fragment of history.
In 1968, a geologist by the name of Jim Bowler found remains of what became known as Mungo Man. Years later he found Mungo Lady. In doing so, Australia effectively became home to the oldest human skeletons ever found including some of the oldest found outside Africa. Over the years it’s been said that Jim Bowler didn’t find Mungo Man and Mungo Lady, but that they found him. “Because they had a story to tell, even after 45,000 years. They wanted to let white Australia know that the Aboriginal people had been here for a long time and were still here.”
Mungo has since become a place of significant archaeological importance, and today the Mungo lunette preserves thousands of snapshots of indigenous life. These discoveries have given scientists clues on how ancient tribes lived and adapted to climate change more than 40,000 years ago.
It’s an extraordinary story of how a culture was able to stay strong and care for country, even as climate change dried up the lakes that were the lifeblood of the region. More discoveries and relics are being unearthed all the time and, understandably, this fragile area is now protected with restricted access. The remains of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady, which were taken away and studied by scientists for decades, will, in 2020, be returned with no fanfare to their resting place in Mungo.
Settling into Mungo time
Once we’d set up the ’van, tents and swag, not to mention the dome ‘dining room tent’ (the flies are friendly here) we settled into camp with a cold drink. Close to camp, Mungo lookout offers one of the most expansive views over the vast dry lakes. A visit here at sunset and at sunrise is awe-inspiring and a reason in itself to stay overnight.
Our first port of call was the Visitor/Interpretative Centre, 2km up the road. This is the hub of Mungo, where you organise camping permits and where most guided tours depart from. There are plenty of interesting displays here including a mega wombat at the entrance. Inside you’ll learn about the rich natural history and cultural importance of Mungo. It’s air-conditioned, a respite from the often-searing heat, and open 24/7. The best part for campers is the very welcome free hot showers.
Don’t miss the shearing shed close by, on what was once Gol Gol Station. It’s a fascinating place with plenty of signs and stories inside depicting the pastoral history of the land. Non-campers can stay in the shearing quarters nearby or at the eco-friendly Mungo Lodge a couple of kilometres away. To me, however, the best way to experience this magical place is by camping beneath the stars.
Out on the tracks the next day, the 70km self-guided tour is a great way to explore Mungo territory. You can pick up a copy of Driving the Mungo Story at the Visitor Centre, which gives route notes along the drive, providing a great all-round experience of Mungo. The loop leads across the lake floor to the Walls of China, over the dunes to the mallee country, and then around the north-eastern shore of the lake walls. You can camp at the remote bush campground, Belah Camp, at about the halfway mark. Keep an eye out for emus and wallabies that have zero road sense and often dart out onto the road.
Allow at least half a day for this tour to appreciate the boardwalks, interpretative signs and nature trails, not to mention the impressive dunes at Vigars Well. This was the site of a watering hole for coaches and drays and you can still see the old wagon and dray tracks that cross the lunette. Here, massive sand dunes rise above you and almost beg to be climbed.
From the car park it’s a steep walk to the top, leading to dazzling vast sand as far as the eye can see. Up high you get a sprawling 360-degree view of the lake floor and surrounding plains, and the sand is like pure silk … and scorching hot on this day. It’s impressive and lots of fun, but make sure you take plenty of water with you.
Our sunset tour on the last night was the highlight and culmination of our time at Mungo. There’s no way to get out to the Great Walls of China without a guide. Visitors can walk to a lookout point, but, beyond that, access to the lunettes is only allowed with an accredited guide. Constant decay from wind and rain has created the formations, and only the Aboriginal rangers and guides know where to step.
At almost 35km long and reaching 30m high in parts, we recommend experiencing this landscape for yourself as words don’t do it justice. A walk to the top of the continually drifting sands opens to a magical view across the dry lake floor. During the day it’s impressive, but at sunset, when the sun changes the colours of the landscape from yellow to orange and brilliant deep red, it’s like another world.
Our guide was Gregory, the manager of nearby Mungo Lodge, and he was a wealth of knowledge with his entertaining and informative narrative. It was also his birthday, as we found out from wife Jo before the tour. As we walked across the western shore of the ancient lake bed and climbed the red sand hills, he had us enthralled, bringing the past to life with fascinating stories of early Mungo history.
We walked mindfully amongst the lunettes and rock formations, as Greg pointed out a midden and other recently exposed shells, evidence of a time when this place was full of water. It was mesmerising, being out there, as the light dipped closer to the horizon. At the top of the Walls, as we gathered for photos, we spontaneously broke out in song, surprising our guide with a Mungo-style Happy Birthday rendition.
The last time we were here, more than nine years ago, it had been my birthday. I still remember the text my sister sent me afterwards: “Compared to Mungo woman, you are spring chicken!” Yes, I certainly felt a sense of timelessness here; a real sense of history in a surreal setting.
We drove back to camp under a big sunset that lit the way. In the one day, I had watched the sun rise and the sun set over Mungo. As you stand and gaze over vast dry lakes, imagining this land once 10m deep with water, you realise this is a place that transcends time.
This land of spirituality, archaeology and stories from the past intoxicates as no place I’ve ever been before; it’s a place where you can walk in the ancient footsteps of time and culture.
Travel Planner
Where Mungo is approximately 110km north-east of Mildura, along the unsealed Arumpo Road or Top Hut Road if coming from Wentworth. All unsealed roads become impassable after rain.
Camping and permits Main Camp: 33 sites, pit toilets, fireplaces, gas barbecues, tables and shelter. Camping fees and park entry fees are payable at the nearby unmanned Visitor Centre. Belah Campground: halfway camp if doing the Mungo self-drive tour, with 12 sites, pit toilets and tables. No fires allowed here.
Supplies and Facilities The closest town for food and fuel is Pooncarie, 81km away, with supplies, spare parts, fuel, LPG and beer available here.
Contacts and Information Accommodation and tours are available at Mungo National Park and Mungo Lodge. For information on Mungo National Park including accommodation, tour bookings and internal road closures and alerts, visit: http://bit.ly/MungoNPNSW
ADVENTURE, Explore and Challenge are themes ingrained in the 4×4 world that’ve probably been punched out millions of times on these pages. And the young family you’re looking at now understand these words far more than most.
2020 CUSTOM 4X4OTY: Vote now for a chance to win!
While the Toyota LandCruiser may have started out as a bit of fun, it has led them down a path that has changed their lives forever. With little Ryder staring down impending kindergarten, Amie and Mitch have packed in their full-time gigs, sold everything that wouldn’t fit in the ’Cruiser, and are setting off into the sunset for one hell of an adventure. They don’t know where they’re going or when they’ll be back, and they’ve built the rig to do just that.
If you were to ever look for a serious long-term adventure rig, a 105 Series LandCruiser might just be the perfect choice. A knife’s edge between old-school reliability and new-school comfort, it balances live axles with ABS, a sturdy six-cylinder diesel with a modern interior that won’t rattle your ear drums loose on every corrugation, and rugged reliability with modern comforts.
There’s only one big problem, and it blows. While the 105 Series might have kept the old-school suspension of the 80 Series, it also kept the old-school engine options: the petrol-drinking 4.5-litre straight-six 1FZ and the gutless 4.2-litre naturally aspirated diesel 1HZ. If you wanted the turbo-huffing, god-among-men 1HD-FTE, you could find it in the softer IFS 100 Series.
The solution for Mitch and Amie was simple: yank the old 1HZ and slot in a factory turbo 1HD-FTE engine and get to work. Where the stock 1HZ was struggling to push out 120hp to the rear wheels, the new factory turbo motor now pushes out a huge 300hp and 850Nm to the rear treads. It has achieved that with a healthy dose of internal and external goodies.
Starting with the four-inch Moonlight Fab snorkel, fresh air is sucked down through the custom air-box into a red-wheel GTurbo that compresses it to an eye-watering 30psi. From here it’s forced through a PDI front-mount intercooler and into the head.
Inside, ceramic-coated pistons cope with the added stress, before DPU injectors pump in 30 per cent more fuel than stock, all timed together perfectly with a DPU chip. An Xforce three-inch exhaust rounds out the package, with a H151 manual cog-swapper and 25 per cent reduction gears in the HF2A transfer case sending power to each end.
“I think the whole conversion all up probably owes me $30K,” Mitch tells us. Not bad at all for modern power and old-school reliability.
Underneath there’s beefed-up coil-sprung live axles at either end. Up front, the stock housing has been stuffed full of chromoly, with RCV axles and CVs providing a serious strength upgrade. King 2.5-inch remote reservoir shocks smooth out undulating terrain, with matching King progressive coil springs keeping it four inches higher than stock.
The OEM radius arms have been dropped off at the tip, with Comp Rods radius arms replacing them to correct the all-important caster and stop wandering steering, while also providing a significant strength upgrade.
The drag link, tie rod and Panhard rod were also swapped out for stronger units, this time from Superior Engineering. In the rear, matching Superior Engineering stickers can be found on the upper and lower control arms as well as the rear Panhard rod. A second set of Kings progressive coils and King 2.5-inch remote reservoir shocks also got the nod. Both diffs have been fitted with Elockers from Aussie company Harrop Engineering.
DBA-slotted rotors are bolted to the end of each axle and provide upgraded stopping power, a must-have to get the big rig engineered and legal with the 35-inch BFGoodrich KM3 mud tyres. Braided stainless steel brake lines helped with pedal feel, too, and the whole lot resides around 17×9 -25 PCOR rims. They’re matched to the Patriot Campers X1 GT in tow, making for a simple setup with spare tyres and rims.
While the wheel and tyre combo were spec’d up for simplicity, when it came time to deck out the barwork Mitch went to town with welder and grinder in hand. Up front, starting with the guts of an Xrox bar, metal has been bent, shaped and hammered into place, with new wings giving a more modern look and housing the Stedi wing lights. The centre section has been subtly warmed over, too, and now houses a Drivetech 4×4 dual-speed winch and Stedi light bar.
Moving down the flanks there are custom-built rock sliders below each sill panel, with a Rhino-Rack flat platform mirroring them above. It houses the Darche 180-degree awning as well as a second Stedi light bar and side lights. The rear has copped more plate steel, with a custom rear bar sitting high and tight against the body. With the stock 50-litre sub tank swapped out for a huge 180-litre unit, the stock spare had to be relocated up onto the rear bar.
Swing open the tyre carrier and it’s clear just how purpose-built the ’Cruiser is. Home-brew storage drawers house the 75-litre dual-zone Waeco fridge, with an extensive Redarc triple battery setup running the 700W inverter, as well as the 4WD Evolution automatic tyre-inflation system. An extensive sound system looks the goods, but the GME XRS Connect unit and Redarc boost/EGT and dual battery monitors are the real workhorses of the interior.
The build sheet of the ’Cruiser might read like a who’s who of aftermarket goodies, but it has been carefully pieced together to do just one job: serve these three adventurers on the next leg of their life. Some folks might have a fancy back deck or a flash new TV, but Mitch, Amie and Ryder have traded all that in for an endless adventure.
Powerful Pottery
WHEN MOST people hear the term ‘ceramic’ their thoughts no doubt run to primary-school art classes but, for us, ceramic is a little more exciting. We mentioned previously the Cruiser’s engine is running ceramic-coated pistons, and there are a couple of pretty cool reasons why.
The first is reliability. Until they invent a 100 per cent efficient engine, you’re always going to lose some percentage of power potential into heat (studies have shown up to 2/3 of the fuel’s energy is wasted through excess heat).
Under load this heat can produce hot-spots in pistons, potentially cracking or melting them. Ceramic coating on pistons acts like a heat blanket, slowing down the heat transfer into the metal and oil beneath the coating.
The second is power. While we don’t know how much difference it’ll make on a dyno, by keeping more of that heat in the combustion chamber, and less of it in the engine’s metals, you’re getting a stronger burn and more bang for your buck.
Now that sounds like our kind of science!
With Coronavirus fears, plummeting global oil prices, and concerns of a looming economic recession, the Morrison government has announced a $17.6 billion economic stimulus package aimed at keeping small and medium-sized Australian businesses running.
Part of the proposed stimulus package includes $700 million being earmarked to increase the instant asset write-off threshold for businesses from $30,000 to $150,000 till the end of the 2019/2020 financial year on June 30th.
According to the Australian Tax Office, the instant asset write-off can be used to claim an immediate deduction for the purchase of new or second-hand assets for businesses, including motor vehicles.
This generous increase in the threshold will be a boon for small and medium business owners or independent contractors who are looking to replace or upgrade their work utes.
The usual rules for claiming deductions still apply as the instant asset write-off only applies to the “business portion of the expense”, so contact your registered tax agent to see if it is right for you.
Not only that, the stimulus package also seeks to expand the threshold coverage to include businesses with a maximum aggregated annual turnover of $500 million, an increase from $50 million.
However a call to the ATO has revealed that the proposed increase in the threshold will require legislative changes before it is enacted, and the ATO will update its website accordingly as soon as it is confirmed.
The Morrison government says that these proposed changes are part of the stimulus package’s measures to support over 3.5 million businesses (over 99 per cent of Australian businesses) that employ more than 9.7 million employees.
The Readers’ Rigs feature in the February 2020 issue of 4X4 Australia features a several customised 4×4 wagons from our enthusiastic readers.
To get involved, post a pic and a description of your rig on our special site here or post it to our Facebook page and stand a chance to win an ARB High Output Air compressor valued at $335.
2017 TOYOTA PRADO GXL: STEVEN FOOT (4×4 Australia Readers’ Rigs Winner of the Month)
Kit added includes an Opposite Lock triple-loop bar; side rails and steps for protection; Safari snorkel; diesel pre-filter and catch can; two-inch Outback Armour lift with Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs in 265/70R17; Hard Korr 22-inch light bar; GME XRS UHF paired to an RFI antenna, and Cel-Fi Go to an RFI 4G antenna; Roadsafe recovery points up front; and a Domin8r X Winch.
Inside, I’ve added Drifta custom drawers and a 40L Evakool drawer fridge run by a 105amp/h Century battery and Intervolt DCC pro. She has taken us to plenty of great places and many more to come hopefully.
Favourite trip so far is to Uluru and the West MacDonnell Ranges.
1989 JEEP GRAND WAGONEER: TONY CASTELLANO
This is one of the original 26 imported and converted back in 1989. Patiently restored by dad and me. Horrible fuel consumption, a little unreliable and has the turning circle of cruise ship, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
2018 MITSUBISHI MQ TRITON: CRAIG McCARDLE
Blackline model with Stedi Type-X Pro driving lights and a 40-inch ST2K light bar; Ironman bullbar; Terrain Tamer Heavy Duty Suspension kit; two-inch suspension lift; dual-battery system with Redarc Isolator; Windbooster S3 Throttle Controller; Stedi fog lights with DRLs; GME XRS Connect; 370c UHF; Clarion subwoofer; rear-mounted 40-inch light bar with two LED work lights; and a 12,000lb winch.
2019 NISSAN Y62 PATROL Ti: GREG NOBLE
A two-inch lift; Safiery lithium battery; 1200W inverter; Stedi lights throughout; a myCOOLMAN 69-litre fridge/freezer; Darche 180 awning; Runva 11,000lb winch; Dash Predator front bar; Kaymar rear bar; RV aluminium drawer system; XForce exhaust; Apple CarPlay; Maxxis 35-inch MTs; and Method Racing wheels.
2016 FORD EVEREST: SCOTT WILLIAMSON
It has a Dobinson two-inch lift; Toyo RT 285/70R17s; ROH Beadlocks; Ironman bar and winch; ARB UVP and recovery point; SCF sliders (not in this pic); TJM snorkel; Yakima LockNLoad platform; Rhino awning; GME UHF; dual-battery system; CFF45 on custom slide; Kings spotties; and more.
TOYOTA 200 SERIES GXL SUPER TOURER: BRYCE PURDEN
It’s wrapped in matte orange and has two boxes on the back. It also has a Redarc Manager30; ARB Air Lockers; Switch-Pros switch module; Mickey Thompson ATZs; ICOM HF radio; GME UHF; MSA 4×4 seat covers; 40-litre Engel; and an HX-1 GPS.
Jeep Australia has announced a new Capped Price Servicing Program for 2020, which covers the whole range of new Jeep models, including its range-topping V8-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and Trackhawk.
New Jeep models under the program will have a capped-price servicing cost from just $399 per service, for the first five services.
According to Kevin Flynn, Jeep Australia managing director, the program is a key progression for Jeep in delivering transparency and enhanced customer value.
“We have worked extremely hard to analyse and intricately understand the Capped Price Servicing models in the Australian market to build a compelling and competitive offer for our Jeep customers. This is a key element to enhance customer trust,” said Flynn.
“I believe a successful aftersales business is key to delivering an end to end customer experience for Jeep owners and we are committed to enhancing what we offer our customers in this regard, starting with the 2020 Capped Price Servicing program.”
The Capped Price Servicing program follows news of Flynn’s bold strategy to improve Jeep’s poor reputation for aftermarket service in Australia.
Part of this strategy includes radical programs such as the creation of a quick-response team of ‘flying doctors’ technicians to troubleshoot problems at a dealer level, and a complete overhaul of the company’s spare parts catalogue and pricing.
When the new Land Rover Defender 110 is launched worldwide later in March it will be the first of a family of new SUVs to wear the iconic nameplate. The Defender 110 won’t arrive in Australia until August but it will be followed by the 3-door Defender 90 in October with the whole range of 110s and 90s expected to be on sale here by year’s end.
The arrival of the new Defender completes the implementation of the three pillars of Land Rover philosophy as announced back in 2013. The pillars are headed by the Range Rover group which includes the Range Rover, RR Sport, RR Velar and RR Evoque; followed by the Leisure group which comprises the Discovery and Discovery Sport; and the Dual Purpose group based on the new Defender L663 models.
While these three groups cover the gamut of current Land Rover models there are a few holes in the line-up that still need to be filled. It was the intention of Land Rover’s Gerry McGovern that each the Range Rover, Discovery and Defender sub-brands would spawn their own family of models and while the luxury Range Rover brand comes closest to achieving that, the Defender and Discovery segments each have only two models each.
While some might argue that the Defender 90 is a compact SUV, missing from any of the three pillars of Land Rover is a true compact SUV with the smallest vehicles in the current range being the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport cousins.
Compact SUVs are popular with buyers and Range Rover could do with a competitor to the BMX X2, Mercedes Benz GLA and Audi Q2 while the Discovery group would like to be selling against the likes of Mazda CX3, Subaru XV and even the sub-compact Jeep Renegade and the forthcoming Bronco Sport from Ford.
But could a sub-compact Land Rover SUV come under the Defender nameplate? The Renegade and Bronco Sport tiny tots both take on styling ques of their iconic off road bigger brothers and we’re led to believe that Land Rover is working on a new, shorter wheelbase derivative of its aluminium architecture to underpin new models for Range Rover and Defender.
The die-hard Land Rover faithful might cringe at the thought of the Defender badge being applied to a light-duty compact SUV but stranger thigs have happened as vehicle manufacturers look to trade on the heritage of their famous nameplates.
A document leaked last year suggested that the Defender 110 and 90 models will be joined by a 130 wagon in 2021 or 2022, but when asked about the 130 at a recent Defender drive event, a spokesman said “you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet.” The document claimed that the 130 would ride on the same 3022mm wheelbase as the 110 but the sawn-off blunt rear end would be extended to create more overhang and give third row passengers extra space.
A soft-road Defender SUV seems more likely than a Defender pick up at this stage as sources inside JLR say there are currently no plans to produce a ute. The classic Land Rover and Defender ranges have almost always contained a pick-up within their ranks in 90, 110 and 130-inch wheelbase iterations. With the new Defender eschewing the traditional ladder-frame chassis design for a modern aluminium monocoque platform, crating an all-new ute would be a bigger and more expensive task although our spokesman admitted it wouldn’t be impossible to do.
When asked about the prospects of a new Defender ute the spokesman said there were no plans to enter the popular pick up segment at this point and cited the failure of the Mercedes Benz X-Class pick-up as an example of what could happen if a brand got it wrong. Mercedes Benz recently announced that it will discontinue the X-Class from May this year after less than three years on sale globally.
With Toyota LandCruiser FJ40 values rising in the United States, there seems to be a ready market for six-figure restoration jobs.
US-based Legacy Overland is one such specialist in restoring classic off-roaders, which made a splash with its meticulous rebuild of a 1981 FJ40 and the US$100,000 starting price it charges for the complete ‘frame-off’ rebuild.
V8 the world
With a high price expectation set, it is no surprise that its latest build, based on a 1982 example, takes the engine-swap route with an “inconspicuously integrated” GM-sourced 5.7-litre V8 crate engine, complete with a Weber 600 CFM carb and Edelbrock 700R4 four-speed automatic gearbox.
Unfortunately, there is no mention of the V8’s final power outputs or the sort of noise it makes, though its creators are happy to harp on about the quality of its build.
Underneath its beautifully restored Desert Storm Tan body, Legacy Overland reworked its braking and suspension systems, installing new front and rear disc brakes, light load Old Man Emu leaf springs with improved suspension components, and Terrain Tamer gas shock absorbers.
FJ40 with the works
Though Legacy Overland sprinkled this FJ40 with modern amenities, such as LED headlights, a rear LED utility light and a modern sound system with Bluetooth and digital radio, it retained plenty of retro touches.
The FJ40 still features classic OEM-style yellow fog lights, OEM steel wheels and a body-coloured jerry can, and is reupholstered in ‘black vegan’ leather interior with original bucket seats and rear foldable benches with lap belts.
To ensure that it is able to stand the test of time and rigours of off-road driving, the underbody, undercarriage, doorsteps and floors are painted in something called Raptor paint for longevity and extra protection.
How much for a V8 FJ40?
No price is quoted for this V8-powered LandCruiser FJ40, but considering that some restoration specialists like The FJ Company are asking $270,000 for its handiwork and finding its order books being filled, it is likely that the asking price for a build of this scale isn’t cheap.
Are six-figure restoration works on LandCruiser FJ40s and Land Rover Defenders justified, or simply a sign of an overblown market? Let us know in the comments below.
When we did our LED driving light comparison test last year we were all surprised when the Night Hawks from Bushranger 4×4 Gear came up on top. Nothing against the Bushranger brand but these lights were a relative unknown up against some of the biggest brands in the country.
Fast forward to when we had the AFN bar fitted to our Ranger and we were keen to get a pair of Night Hawks on there to see how they perform in the real world. We were also very interested in Bushranger’s VLI wiring system which allows the driver to control the intensity of the lights via an adjustment dial with seven power settings. The VLI harness was not used in the original light comparison test.
The VLI is an electronically switched harness that removes the need for any relays in the system, instead using transistors for switching. It provides a simple plug-and-play harness that automatically senses the vehicle polarity for positive or negatively switched high-beam circuits, removing the need for any rewiring that can otherwise be required for some vehicles.
The VLI harness comes with a dial, instead of a conventional switch, that offers seven different power settings for the lights. The system also has a soft-start fire-up so that it allows your eyes to adjust to the lights when you switch them on.
I have to admit that I thought the adjustable power setting for the lights would be a bit of a gimmick. I mean, doesn’t everybody want their lights at maximum brightness all of the time? To the contrary, I found having the adjustment to be very useful and found myself running the lights in lower power settings more often than expected.
For example, modern LED and HID driving lights seem to be forever getting more powerful and in some situations, too powerful. I find that when driving on country roads that still have road signs on them, the reflection back at you from the signs is almost worse than an oncoming car.
This is worse on a winding mountain road where you still want the extra vision afforded by the lights, but there are more signs indicating curves, corners and turns. Setting the VLI dial in the third or fourth power setting on these roads reduces the glare blasting back to the driver off signs but still gives the advantage of better lighting.
Another time I found it better to reduce the power of the Night Hawks was on country roads where I was getting more than occasional oncoming traffic that required dipping the beams.
Even with the ‘soft start’ feature of the system, the difference between the light thrown by the Night Hawks and the admittedly poor standard Ford main beams is significant, leaving the driver in darkness for the few seconds it takes for your eyes to adjust to the lower light when dipping the beams. Running the Night Hawks in the lower power settings reduces this difference while again still giving improved vision ahead. And it’s easy to turn the VLI power-dial up when the oncoming traffic road conditions allow for it.
The Night Hawks pump out plenty of light. They are a nine-inch light utilising 37 Osram LEDs per light for a total of 175-watts each. They run a mild 5700K light temperature which makes them easier on the driver’s eyes, but still the variable output of the VLI makes it easier again.
The lights are constructed in a sturdy, finned aluminium housing that offers optimal cooling and the 4mm steel mounting bracket keeps them secure on your bumper and allows for sufficient adjustment.
When used with the Bushranger VLI wiring harness, the installation is as easy as can be, with the only drawback being that the VLI power-dial is bigger than a regular switch and you need to find somewhere to mount it. We tucked it up under the HVAC controls where it was out of sight but still relatively easy for the driver to access with his or her left hand.
The Night Hawks come with a pair of polycarbonate protective covers that give you a choice of spread and spot beams. We played around with them and found we preferred to run without the covers on at all, as they did get a lot of dust in behind them and required daily cleaning to get the best performance out of the lights.
This problem isn’t limited to the Bushranger covers, but all covers on lights. That said, replacing a cracked plastic cover is a lot cheaper than replacing an expensive LED light should it get struck by a stone.
With their solid construction, excellent performance, innovative adjustable output and the simple plug-and-play VLI wiring system, we reckon the Bushranger Night Hawks were worthy winners of our comparison and certainly among the best LED lights available for your fourby.
RATED Available from: bushranger.com.au & ARB stores RRP: Lights $447.50 each; VLI harness $89 We Say: Powerful light with an innovative and simple system.