JEEP TJ SAHARA EDITION

Guam has a lot to offer when it comes to the sport of off-roading. Probably the first thing that comes to mind for most people is Smokin' Wheels, one of the biggest off-road events in the Pacific Rim. The true off-road culture can be discovered almost every weekend, up in Manenggon hills. That's when all the jeeps come out to play. Hans Ullrich can hang with the best of them when it comes to off-roading. After all, he's been doing it for almost fifteen years, in Europe, North Amercia, the Caribbean, Palau, and now here on Guam. This is his third jeep, and possibly the his best.

This 200 Jeep TJ Sahara Edition was purchased about a year ago, used and bone-stock. Of course, Hans' intention from the start was to setup a vehicle that could conquer any terrain, and his extensive experience allowed him to do just that. Hence, the Skyjacker 8-inch long arm Rock Ready lift kit, 35-inch tires, ARB air differential lockers, and a Warn XD90001 winch, just in case. Obvioulsy that looks good on paper, but how well does this setup actually perform? Well, when is the last time you saw a jeep driving up a car?

While this jeep is built solely to have fun, Hans is also very eco-conscious. After all, he's assistant general manager of Micronesian Driver's Association, so he makes his living off the ocean and the reefs. In his own words, "Being a conscious off-roader is important for everyone on Guam. Guam off-roaders are a great group of people that make going out there a lot of fun, and they are not there to litter or destroy the environment. We just want to have a good time and push the limits of our vehicles." All the work on this jeep was done by Off-Road Performance in Tamuning, a fact that Hans was very careful to point out. "These are the guys that go out there everyweekend, so they know their stuff. Been there, done that, you know?"

Maruti Suzuki Gypsy 1996

Specifications
Soft Top
Overall Length 4010
Overall Width 1540
Overall Height 1875
Wheel Base 2375
Minimum Turning Radius
Ground Clearance 210
Weight in Kgs.
Kerb Weight 965
Gross Vehicle Weight
Engine Performance
No. of Cylinders 4
No. of Valves 8
Piston Displacement (CC) 970
Maximum Output in BHP 45
@RPM 5500
Maximum Torque 7.5 KGM
@RPM 3000
MPFI No
Transmission 4 Forward, 1 Reverse
Brakes Disc & Drum
Front Suspension Leaf Spring with
double action damper Leaf Spring with
Rear Suspension Leaf Spring with
double action damper Leaf Spring with
Tyres Radial
Seating 8
Fuel Tank (in Litres) 40

CJ7 rescues Hummer H2

For those who weren’t there, I took this picture last Sunday, 21st May, out in Phase VIII, only about a half a km from where Karachi’s aspiring rally drivers were launching their 4×4s into the criss-crossing offroad trails in the empty plot that will be the venue for next Sunday’s rally, supposedly the first of its kind in Karachi.
A multitude of Land Cruisers, Patrols, Pajero Evolutions, Wranglers, Jimneys and various other 4×4s had come out to get a feel of the place, running up and down the trails and trying not to run into each other. Meanwhile, this 2005 Hummer H2 was at the other end of the still unpaved road milling about a couple of dunes. Apparently, the big boy didn’t want to play with the all the other leaner and meaner machines out there.
Back at the rally point, someone in the crowd that had assembled there suddenly drew attention to the lone Hummer stranded away on the distance churning up angry showers of sand this way, then that way. A few minutes later, with the Hummer well and truly stuck, the sand stopped flying and the occupants came out wondering in amazement as to how the unstoppable had become mired in the lowly sand of Phase VIII. As other vehicles passed by one by one, a few began making the detour to take in this rare sight. Taimur Mirza was then heading towards the rally point himself in his Jeep CJ7 when this small gathering, with the haplessly high centred Hummer as its crown jewel, caught his eye. Being the Good Samaritan that he is, TM stopped to see if he could lend a helping hand, or in this case, as it would be, a helping winch. No stranger to pulling such rescues out in the Phase VIII area, TM is considered by many an avid offroader to be their guardian angel.
First, TM hooked up a tow strap to the mired Hummer and tried pulling it out, but its heft just proved too much for the Jeep, itself no lightweight. Realising that trying this again would only make the Jeep dig in too, TM broke out the big guns - the 12,000 lbs rated Toyota winch gracing the front bumper of the Jeep. Of course, since this also required that the Jeep be pulling back as well, lest the winch drag the Jeep right up to the Hummer’s rear bumper, Dr. Mansur assumed driving duties while TM waited outside with the winch controller in hand. Ready or not, the winch proved just far too much for even the Hummer and yanked it right out.
But wait, our story doesn’t end here (just a little longer now)… the Big Boy’s pride was obviously hurt. How dare a lowly sand dune put up such resistance to the Big Bad Granddaddy of all offroad machines? So the Big Boy backed up a few feet and lunged again head first into the exact spot from where he’d been pulled out moments earlier. As one can imagine, the result was no different this time, but he was able to back out under his own power. Then he went back at it with a longer run up. Finally, all 6.0 litres of V8 fury came out clawing and biting at the sand, throwing all 6400 lbs of the beast right through the dune rather than over it. As if to add insult to injury, in the Hummer’s wake was Omar Salim in a beat-up, fresh-off-the-auction-block CJ7 with nothing more than a raspy sounding 2.8 litre 4 cylinder diesel, which ambled up and scooted right over the same dune without much drama at all, not once BUT TWICE!!

The Land Cruiser Prado the Sophisticated Modern Car

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) launched the Land Cruiser Prado which is the result of redesign or facelift. The part which redesigned is the headlights with new design and the cabin is more spacious because the increased space between the front seat and second row. Additionally, the structure of body and frame is strengthened as well.
The interesting thing is the additional of sophisticated devices that make the driver of Prado more comfortable and exciting when through any road conditions from smooth road to off-road.
Multi-terrain Monitor
The special technology feature from Land Cruiser Prado is the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) which makes the damping that generated by the car fits with road surface conditions. In the latest version, there is also additional a Multi-terrain Monitor.
Multi-terrain Monitor display images from cameras that placed at all four sides of the vehicle. With this way, the driver can see the road surface conditions at six surrounding areas, front, rear, front side, and rear right and left.
By using KDSS, the stability of Prado is more stable when driving on the pavement or off-road. For the latter, Prado is also equipped with crawl control. As a result, the ability of Prado in various off-road terrains becomes more stable.
Interior
The windshield uses material that can muffle the noise. In this way, the sound of the wind from the front can be prevented into the cabin. Remarkably, the whole of the body equipped with sound-dampening materials so that the cabin is truly quiet.
The effort of Toyota provides the great silencer related with a sophisticated audio system that used in the Land Cruiser Prado. Toyota calls it "Super-live Sound System", designed by the development themes of Dotou, that is 465-watt amplifier and 14 speakers that optionally placed throughout the cabin.
The system is capable of producing acoustic space with impressive bass tones, a clear high voice and much better if compared with surround sound system 5.1. Like other modern car audio, the interior of the Land Cruiser Prado is also equipped with a plug for an iPod or MP3 player.
There is also the system of "smart entry" and "start" that used to open and lock the front and the back door by only holding the handle of the door. Another feature is the system of start and stop engine via a button.
Engine
Two engines that offered by the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado are a 2.7 liter (2TR-FE) and 4.0 liters (1GR-FEV6). The 1GR-FE uses double Variable Valve Timing-Intelligent (VVT-i) technology.
The system can automatically control the valves. Moreover, Toyota uses a roller valve type. Thus, Toyota claims that the power of engine increased up to 20 kW (27PS) and can save fuel 0.4 km / liter.
1GR-FE engine is installed with five Super ECT sequential shiftmatic transmission. This transmission allows the driver seemed to drive with manual transmission. In addition, this new engine can use regular gasoline (92).
AWD or full-time-wheel drive system and axle equipped with Torsen LSD in all types. The system directly determines the distribution of power to the front and the rear wheels adjusted with the speed, road surface conditions, acceleration, turning and so forth.
The best Version, TZ-G is equipped with AVS (Adaptive Variable Suspension System), or NAV / AI-AVS). This version uses air suspension system that controlled electronically, but only works on the rear suspension.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado also installed the "multi-terrain select" button on the steering wheel. The objective is to facilitate the driver to select mode, that is Mud & Sand, Loose Rock, Mogul and Rock and to control the traction for optimizing the power and the brakes to get a steady performance in the off-road.
Other Features
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado installed the equipment that called Multi-terrain ABS. By using this tool, the brake performance will be stable on various road conditions, such as road dust, gravel, and sand.
Another system is the Downhill Assist Control (DAC) which functioning to maintain the speed of vehicles and ensure the stability. In addition, there is also Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), this system works by controlling the brake fluid when braking or accelerating. The aim is to prevent the vehicle backward, especially when parked on the ramp and slippery surface.

The Land Rover Defender Expedition

I have to confess to something. I'm a sucker for the old Land Rover series. Call it an innate countryside reaction (rural Yorkshire born and bred, quite feeble arms thank you), but there's something compelling about having a car that you can drive up a dirt track to rescue a stuck sheep without having to worry about whether the exhaust will fall off at the next bump.
I've tinkered with the guts of a Series IIA that is my senior by a decade, like an oil-covered Frankenstein stitching in the very heart of the monster. A classic Land Rover looks like a car that you can service yourself with nothing more than a wrench and hammer, and maybe a good pair of steel-toed boots for the inevitable frustrated kick that follows dropping a nut in the depths of the bonnet.
So it's with more than a little suspicion that I approached my next potential Landy purchase, because the more modern Land Rovers do not look as if they would take so kindly to an amateur mechanic wandering into his garage wielding a spanner and a copy of the Haynes manual. As ever I wanted a used Land Rover, both for the lower price and feeling that it had already been broken in to some extent. As I have already experienced the delights of bouncing about on country lanes in a tatty old Defender I decided to opt for a test-drive in the updated version.
With the vast range of models and specs on offer it may be a little daunting to the first time buyer. However don't be overwhelmed by the choices, because visiting a good specialist used Land Rover dealership means that you will be able to talk through your requirements with experienced sales staff who can advise on the model that best suits your needs. This applies to any used vehicle, and a specialist dealership should be your first port of call to avoid disappointedly kicking the tyres of a rust bucket that looks nothing like the "good as new, one careful lady owner" car that you were expecting.
As I was only borrowing this particular used Land Rover Defender for a few hours, I thought it prudent to avoid any off-road adventures. However travelling the back roads made it clear that the advances in technology have only served to enhance the performance of the Defender. I barely felt a jolt as I mounted the grass at the side of a single-lane country road in order to let another driver pass. And whilst I may love the classic models, one can't exactly pretend that they provide the most comfortable of rides over rougher terrain. The improved suspension of the updated Defender meant that even a vicious-looking pothole evoked merely a shrug from the vehicle.
Land Rover have a solid reputation built upon durability, and with their development of easy handling and ride comfort it's not hard to see why this iconic brand has endured even as local agriculture has sadly waned. I felt slightly treacherous in my enjoyment of the journey in the Defender, but there's no reason why a classic design has to mean a sore posterior.
All too soon I found myself heading back towards the dealership, wondering whether the Series IIA would still provide the same fulfillment now that I knew what I had been missing. Whilst I would be more inclined to leave the more intricate servicing of the newer used Land Rover models to the professionals, I'm sure that given time I'll be rooting around under the bonnet for the smaller tasks that can be handled by a competent home mechanic.
I admit that I was fully won over, and signed on the dotted line with only the briefest moment of hesitation as I wondered whether the Series IIA would throw some kind of sulk.
For anyone looking for a vehicle that combines off-road capabilities with on-road comfort, a used Land Rover could very well prove to be the ideal choice. If you get a chance to test it out on roads that offer slightly more challenge than the A1, you'll be able to get a feel for whether that particular model will be the one to take you up hill and down dale with the minimum of fuss.

The Used Land Rover

Seeing a Land Rover on Britain's roads is almost as guaranteed as seeing birds in the sky. Stylish, practical and arguably quintessentially 'British', the Land Rover has become somewhat of an icon. Have you ever promised yourself one? Maybe? Well, you're not alone. But in times like these where cash is tight and finance is tricky, buying yourself a brand new Land Rover might just be a tad too far out of reach, despite the current incentives available.
However, hard-headed motorists have once again turned to the beauty of the used car market, and doing so yourself might just do the trick for you too. Buying yourself a Used Land Rover could get you the Land Rover you want, at a price you can afford. There are thousands of models available all over the country, all ready to drive away at prices much lower than those of the showroom. Many dealers also offer similar facilities to those of new cars such as warranties, road tax and insurance - every little helps right?
A three year old, base model Range Rover can be snapped up for as little as £30,000. The Range Rover's sheer size and luxury arguably go unmatched in its class, at this price. Furthermore, many of them spend large amounts of time cruising up the motorway or pottering around town - hardly strenuous motoring to wear down condition of Land Rover's flagship model.
On the other end of the scale, however, is the Land Rover Defender. A timeless industry standard, seen crossing both the desert and the Yorkshire Moors. There's thousands of Defenders put up for sale every day across the UK, but be certain you know what you are buying before you commit to it. Many examples may have been heavily modified or abused in the past, which could lead to expensive maintenance bills year on year. Having said that, find yourself a model in good condition and you might just bag yourself a bargain.
Bang in the middle of the scale, however, are the Land Rover Freelander and Discovery models. Loved by farmers and families alike, these two models have shown their true diversity of the years of their production. Recent models share the same space - age styling, and the wide variety of engines used offer both good economy and adequate performance, whatever your needs may be. Spacious interiors are perfect for kids and carrying loads, whilst the bulky chassis is more than capable of towing heavy loads. Again, certain examples may be more 'used' than others, so do your homework before signing the dotted line. Wear and tear is bound to be commonplace, so bear this in mind when searching around. Otherwise, with three year old, base models fetching anywhere between £9,000 and £13,000, you might just find yourself the ideal family car at an ideal price.

Land Rover Range Rover

The prestigious Land Rover Range Rover brand has created a luxury sport utility vehicle this year that proves the company is focused on consistently out-doing itself - the Range Rover Supercharge. And Imagine Lifestyles has added one to our fleet of luxury rental cars.
Land Rover has a reputation of both on and off-road prowess, a legend on four-wheels. For that reason, the Supercharge was crafted for rugged off-roading, and to entice on the regular roadways as well. We have always been impressed with Land Rover Range Rover as a brand, and have invested in it many times.
Specs of the five passenger Supercharge Range Rover include a 4.2-liter superchargedV8 engine capable of 400 horsepower. The V8 was an environmentally friendly option, the Supercharge still has plenty of muscle, but consumes less fuel than a V10 or V12 would.
Two editions are available, the HSE and the Supercharge. The Range Rover HSE features a 4.4-liter V8 engine, capable of 305 horsepower. Both powerplants have six-speed automatic transmissions with CommandShift manual shift mode, full-time four-wheel drive with Land Rover's acclaimed "Terrain Response" system and electronic air suspension. The only challenge is to find the most rugged destination you can locate, and feel the vehicle respond!
The HSE comes standard with 19-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights, a power sunroof, heated leather seats, satellite radio, Bluetooth wireless connectivity and a navigation system.
The Supercharged includes all of the standard HSE amenities, and takes some of them a notch further. The legs on the Supercharge are exclusive 20-inch alloy wheels, interior leather and wood trim are upgraded, front seats are both heated and cooled, four-zone climate control and there is a rear seat entertainment system. One could effectively live inside.
With all that off-roading potential, safety is accounted for in every step of the design process. This is evident in the safety features, including nine airbags (it's a 5 passenger ride), electronic stability control with traction control and roll mitigation, four-wheel anti-lock brakes with brake assist, front and rear fog lights, tire pressure monitoring, and park assist. In other words, Range Rover has you covered as you roam the land.

We think the Range Rover Supercharge will make a stunning and popular addition to our fleet of exotic rental cars and luxury SUV rentals. To read about our experience attending Land Rover CherryHill, follow link.

The Land Rover is British SUV For the World

Between 1989 and 1998, the Land Rover Discovery 1 was the British Rover Group's answer to the emerging and later heated SUV competition that has become a phenomenon of sorts in the automobile history as the 20th century ended. Starting with the Jeep Cherokee introduced in 1984, the market for all-terrain 4X4 utility vehicles never saw any let-up. The Land Rover didn't fail to notice the signs as the name was synonymous to what an all-weather all-terrain 4X4 utility vehicle is about, eversince it started the business in 1948.

But it was more than that. It wasn't enough to have rugged manly attributes of a utility off-roader, but it must have the luxurious creature comforts that the daily commuter cannot live without on a daily city commute. That was what SUVs are about.

The Land Rover SUV Answer

The familiar Land Rover we see on post war pop culture media ended with the Land Rover Series III in 1985. That was about the time when the SUV started making inroads. The Rover Group took note and had embarked on enhancing its Series III with the pre-Defender line of all-terrain 4X4 utility vehicles that still harked back to its dated image with a cursory node to the luxury aspect of SUVs with optional accessories to make their products achieve SUV appeal. But that wasn't enough. Hence you have the new Discovery and later the Defender line to take care of the wider budget-conscious markets where its Range Rover had a more upscale high end market to target.

A Cheaper Range Rover by Design

The Discovery 1 was first unveiled in the UK markets in 1989 with a 3-door model. The larger 5-door variant appeared the following year. At the same time, the Japanese counterpart was marketed by its partner Honda as the Honda Crossroad in the Japanese markets for a good 10 years ending in 1999, 5 years after losing the partnership when BMW bought the Rover Group in 1994. As a cheaper shadow of the Range Rover, the Discovery was in fact a Range Rover in sheep clothing, though not necessarily shabby clothing. It had the interior structure of Range Rover with all the interior appointments left out from a Range Rover mock-up that eventually gave the Discovery its SUV standing in the eyes of the markets.

It even had some design element like a unique sunglass holder right at the center of the steering wheel that won a British Design Award in 1999. Some functional designs like its instrumentation and switchgear were borrowed from the Montego and Maestro Rover series, including headlamps from the Freight Rover and the taillights from its Maestro van. Under the hood, the Discovery 1 took off with two engine options - a 2.5 liter Tdi diesel or the 3.5 liter V8 petrol engine. In 1994 it was introduced in the US modified to comply with the strict US motor vehicle requirements. Improvements meant to comply with newer and stricter EU road safety standards were added like a Bosch electronic emissions control, a stronger R380 gearbox, larger headlights, a second set of taillights on the rear bumper and a more comfortable and safer ride.

Other improvements were done to comply with newer European road safety standards. A more powerful 4.0L V8 from the Range Rover SE model was used for 1996 models and onwards with a few enhancements like a larger, cross-bolted main bearings, revised intake, improved pistons and the GEMS distributorless engine management system. The Land Rover Discovery 1 gave way to the second Discovery 2 lines in 1998.

Land Rover a Fantastic 4X4 in All Weather

In my life time I have made a few mistakes such as women, jobs and especially with my choice of cars. The first car I ever purchased was a Ford Sierra which I purchased from a friend of mine. At the time everybody I knew owned a Sierra. It was alright for a period of time but it just wasn't the car for me. Anyway, on one snowy and very icy night I crashed it into a tree so maybe I am just annoyed at the car even though it was probably my fault.
Nowadays I drive a second hand Land Rover. In my experience this is a fantastic car to drive in the snow which is very apt considering the weather we are experiencing at the moment. When I crashed the Sierra 20 years ago technology and overall safety of a car was nowhere near as advanced as it is today. I feel safer in a Land Rover mainly due to the fact it is designed to cope with different types of terrain and adverse weather conditions. When I purchased my used Land Rover I couldn't believe how reasonably priced it was especially when I compared it with a new Land Rover.
There are certain problems though with owning a 4x4 vehicle. Firstly the fuel consumption is high which is what you might expect from a car that weighs over one tonne. This is the same though for any larger vehicles currently on the road such as people carriers. Secondly there is the cost of servicing the Land Rover but this is the case for lots of cars under a certain age. As the car is heavy it can be sluggish to get up to speed and move off the lights particularly because it is a diesel.
I did look at a few other vehicles before deciding upon a second hand Land Rover. I really liked the Chrysler Jeep Cherokee. The 4x4 certainly looked the part with its beefed up wheels and bodywork. However the driving performance was not to my style in some ways it felt heavier than the Land Rover. I also tried out the Toyota RAV4 because I have always had a soft spot for Toyota because in my experience they have been reliable and easy to drive. However the price of a second hand RAV4 that I test drove was out of my league in terms of finance which was a shame because I really enjoyed driving it.
So far I feel that I have made the right decision to purchase a Used Land Rover. But I will probably buy a different 4x4 vehicle in the next few years. Who knows perhaps I will purchase a second hand Cherokee

Range Rover With Land Rover Accessories?

R
The weather in the United Kingdom just lately has been absolutely horrendous with temperatures dropping as low as minus twenty in certain areas. Because of this there has actually been a need for 4x4 vehicles like the Land Rover Range Rover.

People who own these large lumbering 4x4 vehicles have long been accused by environmentalist that there is little to no need for these excessively big automobiles. But try explaining that to the people who got stuck on the M62 at the beginning of January. The Range Rover has been the king of the off road vehicles for a long time and with good reason. The car has everything that you would need to survive in difficult and trying conditions and the new version for 2010 has a host of Land Rover accessories to make owning one even more appealing.
One of the key Land Rover accessories that you can buy for your new vehicle in 2010 is the side steps, yes that's right it doesn't come as standard. If you want to have a little step that you can step up on to it will cost you extra. Likewise if you want to update the standard wheels on your Range Rover then you will have to splash out some more cash on one of the many Land Rover accessories.
If you want to use the car for something practical like towing or carrying then you will need to get the extra Range Rover carry package install on your vehicle available through the Land Rover accessories available for 2010. This is often the part of purchasing a new car that frustrates and angers most clients. It is almost like your car is a Ryanair ticket. You start out with a set price and then slowly but surely increase the budget with each of the Land Rover accessories that you add on to your prized possession.
One more thing you might want to purchase out of the Land Rover accessories package is the Lamp guards, it should help to keep some of the smaller stones away from chipping the lights. However, when you have added all those accessories onto your vehicle you are looking at a sizeable investment. Then Gordon Brown will come along and charge you an extortionate amount of money for car tax and you might be starting to look at reasons to justify why you need this monster of a vehicle. Well if that thought does pop into your head, consider what type of driving you do and make an educated decision, but if you end up buying a Citroen Saxo and get stuck on a Motorway in the next snow shower, don't blame me.