Month: May 2018

A Ford Fiesta is perfect for bustling city traffic, while a BMW 5 Series is ideal for motorway mile-munching. But whack either of them into a challenging situation and they soon become unstuck – they simply aren’t rugged.

These cars are, though. We’ve rounded up nine of the most hard-wearing and brawny cars you can buy today, ideal for surviving a nuclear war – or the muddy car boot sale in Sandford, Gloucestershire.

Jeep Wrangler

The latest Jeep Wrangler is set to come to the UK after debuting in America. It’s more refined, luxurious and car-like than ever, but still retains the DNA of the original Willys Jeep – one of the most iconic off-roaders of all time.

Solid axles ensure simplicity and this enables Wranglers to be modified for just about any purpose. Whether you want to traverse sand dunes, go mud-plugging in a deep forest or simply park on the kerb without scraping your alloys, the Wrangler is about as tough as they come.

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Originally known as the G-Wagen, this military-spec beast has morphed into the ideal transport for those who want to be seen. With glitzy chrome atop the blocky body, and the option of insane AMG-tuned engines, it’s often seen in London’s most glamorous districts.

But the G-Class isn’t just all show and no go. It’s one of the most serious off-roaders you can buy today, thanks to a super-sophisticated 4WD system plus three locking differentials. Opt for chunky tyres rather than shiny alloys and the G-Class is near unstoppable.

Toyota Land Cruiser

The Land Cruiser is a true legend – it’s the vehicle that pushed Land Rover out of Australia, and showed the world that not only could the Japanese build off-roaders, they could build off-roaders that never broke down.

Though the Land Cruiser isn’t as luxurious as a Range Rover, treat it properly and it’ll probably outlast you. There’s no compromise to be made off-road either.

Isuzu D-Max AT35 Arctic Trucks

Isuzu’s D-Max pickup is already a pretty rugged vehicle, with a beefy diesel engine and four-wheel drive. The specialists at Arctic Trucks, however, have turned it into something rather spectacular.

With enormous tyres and widened arches, the car’s stance is far more purposeful, and custom Fox suspension offers it enough travel to deal with terrain that would trouble a mountain goat.

Toyota Prius

This may be an odd inclusion, as the Toyota Prius isn’t exactly known for its go-anywhere ability. In fact, it’s far more likely to be seen as a taxi on the streets of London rather than blasting through sand dunes. But it’s there where the ruggedness lies.

Nobody expected the Prius to be as reliable as it is – but even daily abuse as Uber cabs can’t break them. Many of these Prii have over 500,000 miles on the clock and are still going strong on their original battery packs.

Ariel Nomad

Most off-roaders are designed to traverse rough terrain at about 5mph. The Ariel Nomad is designed to do it at 50.

With an engine and body pinched from the Atom road car, the rear-wheel-drive Nomad bounces across the terrain rather than plowing through it. It’s hardcore, totally open to the elements and buckets of fun.

Subaru Forester

Subaru has a reputation for producing reliable, rugged cars, and the Forester is no exception. The darling of farmers everywhere, Subaru owners tend to keep their cars for longer than any other – because they can’t bear to part with them.

The brand’s symmetrical all-wheel-drive system is legendary for its simplicity and reliability, while boxer engines lower the centre of gravity and make for a reassuring drive.

Toyota Hilux

Our third Toyota on this list is perhaps the most legendary – the Hilux, famously the ‘unkillable car’. Made famous by BBC’s Top Gear, a Hilux survived being left at sea, falling off a building, being crashed into a tree and crushed with a wrecking ball – and still started up at the end.

Today’s Hilux is rather plusher than the 1994 model that Top Gear used, but it still retains a well-earned reputation for serious reliability.

What is it?

Meet the white van man’s ultimate dream machine. Designed for tradespeople who demand a little more style and flair from their load-lugging daily runabouts, the MS-RT Transit Custom combines usefulness and stand-out-from-the-crowd looks. With a whole new look, performance exhaust and smart new interior, the hand-crafted £32,995 van offers those working the tools the chance to dress to impress.

What’s new?

Well, quite a lot. Hand-built in south Wales by a team of talented craftsmen, the MS-RT is now officially available through a handful of Ford Transit dealers across the UK. The coachbuilding firm has had a meteoric rise, going from zero to 60 vans a month in just over two years and that’s set to balloon again. All the parts are built in the factory in Pontypool, including the new front and rear bumpers, spoilers, side skirts and interior trim.

It also features a twin exhaust system – with the option of a speaker that imitates the sound of revving V8 engine, controlled by an App on your phone – unique MS-RT exterior badges, special OZ alloy wheels and lowered Eibach suspension.

What’s under the bonnet?

Don’t get too excited, because here it’s all pretty standard. The 170bhp EcoBlue 2.0-litre TDCi engine found in other Transit Customs is still in situ. It has 405Nm of torque and comes with a six-speed manual or auto gearbox. As it stands, it’s a great engine and more than enough to propel the van along at pace, especially with an empty load space. As the van is sold through the official Ford network, tweaks to the engine aren’t allowed before it’s sold. However, customers can come back to MS-RT after they’ve bought their vehicle and have it uprated to 208bhp with an M-Sport kit.

What’s it like to drive?

The lowered suspension makes it look cooler, but hasn’t had any dramatic detrimental effect on the ride either. On the Welsh test route, it coped fine with a mix of road surfaces. It’s swift too and although you have to work the manual gearbox to get the best of it, it’s even quite fun to drive. The good news is the modifications haven’t affected the payload either – it’s still 1,392kg.

How does it look?

This is the key selling point of the MS-RT van. Available in both single and double cab variants, it is said to appeal to tradesmen and leisure users alike. Although the looks won’t be to everyone’s tastes, with a whiff of aftermarket about it, there’s little doubt that company owners or family buyers who want to stand out will find it an attractive proposition.

What’s it like inside?

MS-RT has improved the Transit Custom’s standard interior adding Ford’s latest SYNC3 entertainment system with sat nav and reversing camera. The seats have been retrimmed with nappa leather and suede and the steering wheel is new and feels like it should be in a sports car. It also features a heated windscreen, heated seats and upgraded HID headlights.

Verdict

While it won’t tick everyone’s boxes, there’s certainly a market for a supercharged-looking white van for the masses. MS-RT went to great lengths to show us the level of detail they put into hand-building each vehicle and there’s no doubt the finish is excellent. We actually quite like the looks, it’s just a shame it doesn’t have an uprated engine to match the sporty styling.

Facts at a glance

Model as tested: MS-RT Ford Transit Custom
Price (as tested): £32,995
Engine: 2.0-litre TDCi
Power (bhp): 170
Torque (Nm): 405
MPG (combined): 44.1
Emissions (g/km): 157

Yes, conventional cars are all well and good, but sometimes rare, limited-edition models just tickle our fancy a little more. Ultra-sought after and therefore a little more special than ‘regular’ models these cars have consistently set the motoring world alight.

These aren’t just high-end cars, either. Some limited-edition cars have appeared at the lower end of the price range – but are still just as memorable as top-price models.

Toyota Yaris GRMN

We’re kicking things off strongly with this – the Toyota Yaris GRMN. Based on the tiny Yaris city car, the GRMN takes things in a sportier direction courtesy of beefed-up brakes, suspension and steering.

The engine is a supercharged 1.8-litre too, and this gives the little GRMN a 0-60mph time of 6.3 seconds. However, this limited-run Yaris isn’t all about power – it’s the way this thing corners which makes it quite so impressive.

Audi R8 RWS

Audi’s sports cars have traditionally utilised four-wheel-drive for the very best traction and power deployment in all manner of conditions. The RWS, however, is different. Rather than going to all corners, the V10 engine sends drive to the rear wheels only – an Audi first.

Thanks to that change, the RWS is lighter and keener to drive – and it’s restricted to just 999 units. It’s a limited-edition car, and one that really broke the mould for Audi.

BMW Z3 M Coupe

The Z3 M Coupe was a limited-edition take on BMW’s two-seater Z3. However, this breadvan-shape sports car stands out against the ‘regular’ Z3 thanks to its iconic styling and powerful engines. It first appeared with the engine from the E36 M3, before being updated with the 3.2-litre from the later E46.

It’s gone down as one of the most memorable BMWs ever made, and is a distinctly rare sight out on UK roads.

Ford Racing Puma

The Ford Racing Puma was an incredibly limited-run car, with just 500 examples produced. Underneath the bonnet is a 1.7-litre petrol with 153bhp, while the flowing bodywork featured wider arches to support larger alloys.

An impressively powerful brake system was fitted too, giving the Racing Puma a lot of stopping power – and the bright blue interior wasn’t bad, either.

BMW M3 CSL (E46)

The BMW M3 is a lightweight, more powerful version of the popular 3-Series. The E46 is easily one of the most iconic incarnations of all time, and the CSL version only builds on this reputation.

The CSL – or Coupe Sport Leichtbau or Coupe Sport Lightweight – was produced in extremely limited numbers, with just 1,400 cars rolling off the production line. It was 110kg lighter than the standard M3, thanks to its use of lightweight materials while redesigned suspension made this one of the best-handling M3s of all time.

Renault Clio Williams

The Renault Clio Williams waded into battle that was raging between hot hatches in the early Nineties, squaring up against rivals such as the Peugeot 205 GTI. Just 390 arrived in the UK, which makes the icon incredibly sought after.

The suspension borrowed components from the Clio Cup racer, and this made it as agile and corner-hungry as can be, while the bulging arches housed wider wheels wearing fatter rubber. It took the hot hatch world by storm, and remains one of the true greats.

Volkswagen Lupo GTI

The GTI moniker is one of the most recognisable in motoring, having adorned some of the all-time hot hatch greats. However, it also appeared on one slightly less-known model – the Lupo GTI. Extremely compact yet packing a 125bhp 1.6-litre engine, the Lupo GTI was, despite its small size, a fully-fledged hot hatch.

It’s now turned into somewhat of a cult classic, with prices rising each and every year. Just under 1,000 examples came to the UK – so get your hands on one while you can.

Ford Focus RS MK1

The first incarnation of the Focus proved immensely popular, offering plenty of practicality as well as a surprisingly involving drive. The RS version built on this by offering supercar-beating performance, but the base car’s decent boot and interior spaciousness.

Some 4,500 examples were produced – so it’s not the most limited car you’ll find on this list – but it’s not one you’ll see on UK roads all that often either. A turbocharged 2.0-litre engine gave the RS a 0-60mph time of 5.9 seconds, along with a top speed of 143mph.

Mercedes-AMG 300CE ‘Hammer’

What a name for a performance car – ‘Hammer’. Mercedes-AMG produced just under 30 of these V8-powered super-saloons back in the late 80s, and it went on to become one of the German manufacturer’s most iconic creations.

With around 350bhp being produced from the car’s 5.5-litre V8, the Hammer could take all four occupants in supreme comfort up to a top speed of 180mph. Incredible now, and other-worldly when it first came out.

Fiat Panda 100HP

The little Fiat Panda is best known as a reliable and nimble city car. The 100HP, however, was a more serious affair. A peppy 1.4-litre engine sent 99bhp to the front wheels, but the 100HP is more about cornering than all-out pace. Lowered suspension over the regular Panda makes this special edition incredibly good in the bends, where maintaining momentum is the name of the game.

These make for an exceptionally good used purchase but be warned – they’re being snapped up.

One Lamborghini driver in America can consider themselves lucky to be alive, after a crash into a concrete pole split their supercar in half.

The incident took place in Fairfax County, Virginia on Thursday night. It’s not clear how the accident occurred, but the aftermath is – with the Lamborghini Huracan’s mid-mounted engine and rear axle completely separated from the front of the vehicle.

From Gallows Road and International Drive overnight. Lamborghini hit a concrete light pole and was cut in half. The back end was on fire and quickly extinguished by the crew from Engine 413, Dunn Loring. One adult driver was treated for minor injuries by Medic 413. #fcfrd #news pic.twitter.com/vOG4o1Ovfo

— Fairfax Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 27, 2018

According to authorities, the Italian machine caught fire as a result of the crash which was quickly extinguished. Incredibly, nobody was seriously hurt – with the driver treated on the scene for minor injuries.

A tweet from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said: “From Gallows Road and International Drive overnight. Lamborghini hit a concrete light pole and was cut in half.

The back end was on fire and quickly extinguished by the crew from Engine 413, Dunn Loring. One adult driver was treated for minor injuries by Medic 413.”

When completely attached to the car, the Lamborghini V10 power unit develops 602bhp and 560Nm of torque in all-wheel-drive Huracan models, sending the £155k supercar to 60mph in 3 seconds flat with a 202mph top speed possible.