NZ4WD

lucky us

It is wholly appropriate – in this case anyway – that it was one of New Zealand’s greatest home-grown comedic characters, Fred Dagg, who told it to us straight – we don’t know how lucky we are! Comedians it seems can do that in this country; and yes I am well aware of the irony in pointing out the fact. Because my own colleagues in the mainstream media seem hell-bent on digging up and gleefully highlighting the bad – be it climate change, Ihumatao, immigration, or the latest crooked ‘financial advisor’s’ pathetic Ponzi scheme, you’d think that New Zealand was already a long way down the road to ‘hell in a handcart.’ I, however, beg to differ. And I will use what NZ4WD’s off-road racing columnist Bryan Chang jokingly (or at least I…

land rover defender prototype dubai test

Land Rover’s all-new Defender has been put through its paces (which you can check out here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9l0DbNgl2g) in the desert near Dubai under the watchful eye of all-terrain experts from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). As part of its global testing programme, Land Rover engineers demonstrated the vehicle’s breadth of capability to their IFRC counterparts both on and off road, before the IFRC fleet experts took to the wheel to test the vehicle for themselves on the region’s desert sand dunes and the twisty tarmac of Dubai’s Jebel Jais highway, as they wound their way up the tallest mountain in the United Arab Emirates. The test in Dubai coincides with the renewal of Land Rover’s global partnership with the IFRC – a relationship that dates…

4x4explorer goes global...

4x4Explorer website main man Richard Soult and his (by now much modified) Toyota Prado are a familiar sight in NZ4WD. Richard is on a mission to help 4WD owners get to see what he believes is the ‘real New Zealand’ and his website has already helped hundreds of Kiwis (plus the odd Aussie and assorted adventurers from points further afield) find tracks and trails they otherwise might have missed. Right now Richard is somewhere in Europe, scoping out Overlanding opportunities in the Mitsubishi Shogun (Pajero) you see here. Originally he was going to buy a second circa ‘96-98 Prado but when he got to his Northern Hemisphere base in the UK discovered that the second-hand stock which was available was either way too high in the kms, or had suffered the ravages of…

land-rover goes to the dogs

Land Rover is making life even more comfortable for man’s best friend on car journeys. With half of Land Rover owners thought to be dog owners, the business has launched a range of premium Pet Packs to help their four-legged friends travel in the lap of luxury. Each Pet Pack includes a selection of specially chosen accessories to suit a range of requirements. They include a premium quilted load space liner to protect against paw prints, a foldable pet carrier, access ramp, spill-resistant water bowl and a portable rinse system for those muddy walks. “Our customers told us that the comfort of their dogs on car journeys is crucial,’ said company product marketing manager Finbar McFall. “They are part of the family and we recognise that. Our new Pet Packs aim to…

the ed’s dream-come-true – an in-car espresso maker

If you drink as much coffee as the Editor of this fine magazine here is a news item just for you. Spanish car and SUV maker SEAT is offering buyers in the UK a special Handpresso coffee-making device which will fit neatly into the twin cup holders between the front seats in any SEAT model and dispense 50ml of hot, fresh espresso per use in under three minutes. According to research conducted by the company two in five British motorists say they drink coffee whilst driving. The Handpresso machine comes with two sturdy glasses, meaning users can also help the environment by doing away for the need for take-away coffee cups. An estimated 2.5 billion of which are thrown away in the UK alone each year. The Handpresso is powered via the 12v…

camp jeep 2019 – italy

Ever wondered how ‘the other half’ (i.e. 4x4 enthusiasts who live ‘up over’ in Europe) live? Well, wonder no longer, because in July, Europe’s annual Jeep Owners Group (J.O.G.) get-together – Camp Jeep – took place in San Martino di Castrozza, Italy. The Camp Jeep area was set up using 100 cubic metres of tree trunks, totalling 250 tons of wood, all sourced from trees which collapsed in the neighbouring forests during storms in October last year. Activities on offer included off-road adventures with instructors from the Jeep Academy as well as outdoor sports, barbecues, children’s activities, live concerts and a Jeep parade. This year’s Camp Jeep broke all existing attendance records thanks to the 1500 from all over Europe, Africa and even as far afield as Japan who turned up in…