If you’re a fan of BBC 2 motoring show Top Gear, then this Christmas was a real treat, as the long awaited ‘Argentina special’ was finally aired over Christmas weekend. Unless you’ve been closeted away from a news source for the last few weeks, you’ll be aware of all the regrettable controversy surrounding the episode, so we won’t dwell upon that. After all, the stars of the show were the (sadly abandoned) cars that were driven down the length of South America, and, for all those people who think that supercars have style but no substance, a few records were probably set straight!
To put it mildly, you wouldn’t necessarily expect to be seeing Porsche, Lotus or Mustang vehicles trekking through the wilderness, but we reckon this impromptu trio of off-roaders did pretty well! From driving through snow and mud, to wading through boggy ground and a rising tide, and even clamouring over desert sandbanks and a rocky beach, these cars survived every type of harsh terrain that they encountered, albeit in less prime shape than they started out in. As specialists in land rover parts, we also appreciated how effectively these cars could be repaired to withstand their ongoing ordeal. Never let it be said that something that’s broken can’t be fixed!
However, mightily impressive though the feats of these three supercars were (particularly the much-maligned Lotus of James May), what was really needed for a job like this was a proper 4×4. Think of that aforementioned rocky beach; we reckon that something like the new Range Rover Sport could have done justice to such an obstacle course, and it wouldn’t have been lacking on the style front either! However, have you ever wondered just why dedicated off-roaders are able to do what they do? Well, a lot of engineering is needed, but the main benefits come from…
- The Tyres – these are usually larger and broader than the norm, and have treads that are both excessively deep and open. This gives them a greater ability to handle adverse terrain.
- The Suspension – the role of a suspension system is to retain control and absorb impact, so the flexible system used by off-roaders is an essential part of their success.
- The Height – off-roaders need to be high enough from the ground to avoid becoming ‘beached’ on obstacles (a la Clarkson and co…).
- The Ground Pressure – this needs to be as low as possible, otherwise a vehicle will sink into soft earth and need to be rescued by a handy friend.
As fun as this weekend’s Top Gear may have been (up until the well-publicised ending, of course), we don’t recommend that you tackle off-road driving in a supercar, but we do recommend that you keep enough spares handy for some 4×4 maintenance whenever it’s needed. That way, your vehicle will keep going for as long as possible, and at CWS 4×4 our collection of parts is unparalleled. Contact us by calling +44 (0)1458 834930 or email [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help.