DC100 bit of a damp squib with enthusiasts

Some of the media rabble listen to John Edwards, Land Rover's global brand manager, after lunch in Auckland.

The stylish DC100 Defender concept has ben greeted with less than boundless glee by Land Rover enthusiasts, says John Edwards, the global brand manager for Land Rover, who was in Auckland today. He outlined some of Land Rover's plans during a media lunch just over the road from the RWC's Party Central. However, Land Rover's message to enthusiasts seems to be: get used to it. 
He also confirmed the item below about the current Defender remaining in production until 2017, but says it could be even longer: "We'll build it as long as there's demand." He expected continued demand would come from "emerging" rather than traditional markets.
He said versions of the new Defender will be rolled out gradually from around 2015 and that it would be some time before a full range was available. He said the DC100's still very much a work in progress; important items like the engine and drivetrain are far from finalised.
Here's the original post.

Ute shortage looms

The flooding in Thailand, where our Japanese utes are built, is likely to cause a shortage. Although the factories themselves may not have been damaged, those of many suppliers have been. Toyota told 4wdNewz that 13 of its 30 suppliers have been affected and "six haven't even responded". The latest shipload of Hiluxes was supposed to comprise 222 units, but the vessel has sailed with 26. Expect similar stories from the other manufacturers. Any shortage probably won't last for long.

Defender's obituary apparently premature

According to the UK Autocar magazine, much of the current Defender range is likely to continue in production until 2017 or later, at least two years after the launch of the Defender replacement in 2015. The long-wheelbase 110 and 130 versions are likely to be beneficiaries of the reprieve, the magazine predicts. How come? Check the article here.

Thought for the day

Nothing whatever to do with 4WDs or four wheel driving, but a friend in Canada sent me this piece of wisdom and I couldn't resist sharing it.

What a difference 1000km makes

Just been driving the new Toyota Hilux double cab manual for a week. Still a nice truck despite being somewhat eclipsed by the new Ford Ranger, but what a horrible gearbox – vague, sticky and generally unpleasant. Was this because the truck had done less than 1000km and the mechanism needed to free-up? I've just swapped into an SR5 extended-cab version (above) with about 2000km and what a difference. Same gearbox, but it's slick and almost smooth; not exactly sports car, but a night-and-day difference. The other thing I've learned in this changeover is that I wouldn't pay extra for the "luxury" SR5 over the standard-spec version, the extra features aren't worth it and I far preferred the standard sound system over the annoying touch screen "media centre" of the SR5.

On diff locks and recovery points

ARB's newsletter is always worth reading – it's more like a full sized magazine than a newsletter – but the new one (photo, right) is particularly interesting. It describes in detail the two-piece diff lockers that are superseding the older three-piece designs for which the company is so well-known. It also explains why those useful recovery points have been disappearing from many of its bumpers, and what they're doing about it. All sorts of other interesting articles, too. You can view or download it as a PDF here.

Food for thought

If the old yellow Hilux 4WD flat-deck chef Al Brown uses on his Get Fresh TV series (TV One, Saturdays) looks past its prime, that's because … it is. The 1981 2.0 litre petrol-powered truck is coming up to 400,000km! Its role in the show is as a mobile kitchen for on-site cooking demonstrations. Best bit, other than the fact that it's still going, is the neat wind-out canopy. Meanwhile, here's an earlier posting on the Jeep featured in Annabel Langbein's last TV series.