PROJECT CARS: Project P38 V8 LPG Articles

For the past year, we've been running a iconic Land Rover Range Rover V8 top-spec, 4.6-litre Vogue as a project car. We bought it at auction (which is a right laugh), and have been slowly enhancing it, fixing stuff and generally fettling it to make it a better vehicle.
So, if this sort of V8, LPG, tuning, product testing, 4x4 and spannering stuff floats your boat, you can read the first two instalments on 'Project P38 V8' here on the Road Magazine website. There are 11 instalments in total. Enjoy V8 fans!

NEWS: Subaru Forester SUV Award

Subaru’s best-selling model and a personal favourite of Road Magazine, the Forester compact SUV, has won the coveted 2014 Sport / Utility of the Year award from the USA’s influential Motor Trend magazine.
The Forester’s latest accolade makes Subaru the first and only brand to have won three Sport / Utility of the Year awards from Motor Trend, which is read by over 1.1 million people every month. The previous-generation Forester picked up the award in 2009, and the Subaru Outback was also crowned winner in 2010.
The Subaru Forester beat 21 other SUVs to take first place during Motor Trend’s exhaustive testing process, with models graded according to six criteria: Design Advancement, Engineering Excellence, Intended Function, Efficiency, Safety and Value. The new Forester scored highly in all categories.
Motor Trend Editor-in-chief Ed Loh commented: “Smart design, thoughtful engineering, and a compelling performance on-road and off were the keys to the Forester’s win. Our editors were particularly impressed by the powerful yet efficient turbocharged engines, the intelligent and sporty CVT transmission, and the excellent visibility and interior package.  Practical, affordable, efficient and fun-to-drive – the Forester truly ticked every box.”
The new Forester went on sale in the UK in May 2013, and builds upon the model’s reputation as a modern, rugged SUV with improved performance, safety and efficiency and a more spacious and better appointed cabin.
Since the UK launch, sales of the new model have been strong, with particularly high demand for the XT Turbo model which is bucking the market trend for diesel SUV sales, equipped as it is with a 240ps 2.0-litre turbocharged direct injection petrol engine delivering smooth and strong pulling power both on and off-road.
To find out more about the new Subaru Forester and the rest of Subaru’s range of All-Wheel Drive models, visit www.subaru.co.uk.
Or you can wait for our review of the petrol turbo Forester coming here soon!

NEWS: Suzuki Swift 4x4 Launched

Suzuki have launched a fun, funky, fresh 4x4 version of their popular Swift model – with permanent 4x4 and a 25mmm raised ride height over stock Swift models – priced from £11,516 for the SZ3 spec and £13,116 for the higher-spec SX4 model and available with VAT free until September 30th.
The new soft-road supermini features a peppy 1.2-litre petrol engine and manual gearbox, five doors and a fully automatic and permanent 4WD system, which weighs just 65kg more than an equivalent 2WD model, impressively. CO2 emissions are also low at only 126g/km.
Suzuki say: "We have a strong global heritage for our 4WD models and now, following sales success in Japan as well as several European Countries including Germany and Switzerland, Suzuki is launching the 4x4 Swift in the UK and it goes on sale this month. It is an ideal choice for customers living in rural areas needing additional mobility or for crossing slippery surfaces during winter without owning a larger and more conventional SUV sized vehicle."
Apart from 4x4 badging and a slightly increased body ride height of 25mm the SZ3 grade appears identical to an equivalent SZ3 five door. The SZ4 model has a more rugged appearance and offers extra protection over rough ground by adding front and rear skid plates, black wheel arch extensions and black side skirts.
This new model has a proven and simple fully automatic and permanent 4-wheel drive system which transfers additional torque to the rear wheels when required via a viscous coupling, further enhancing the already highly acclaimed cornering ability of the Swift.
Thanks to the use of small and lightweight components Swift 4x4 is just 65kg heavier than an equivalent 2WD petrol model and emissions are only 10g/km higher at 126g/km.
Included in Suzuki’s recently extended VAT free offers, the 4WD Swift is priced at £11,516 for SZ3 and £13,116 for the higher specified SZ4 model which now includes power folding door mirrors with integral indicators and Daylight Running Lamps as standard equipment.


We reckon it looks like another great value, fun, quirky, funky looking new car from Suzuki – a possible new era Panda 4x4? And we're begging them to make a pepped-up, hot hatch version – loaded with Suzuki's rally pedigree – like their Swift Sport, only with a turbo! Think mini-WRC: Go on. Go on. Go on! Please Suzuki! 

NEW: 2014 Jeep Cherokee & Harman Kardon High Efficiency Audio System

Our staff snapper Neil Denham just got back from Italy to test out the brand new Jeep Cherokee – fitted with the Harman Kardon High Efficiency Audio System. See a range of his ace images on our Facebook page.

The new Jeep features a raft of ace new features including: New exterior design with LED headlamps and enhanced, handcrafted interiors, a brand new eight-speed automatic transmission with multiple off-road modes to suit any surface including three 4x4 systems, Quadra-Lift air suspension and Jeep Selec-Terrain and Selec-Track traction management systems, new 8.4-inch touchscreen with 7-inch customer configurable cluster display and advanced UConnect (designed by Harman) with voice commands, "the most complete array of advanced safety features" including new Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop, Forward Collision Warning with Crash Mitigation and new Selec-Speed Control and a brand new model range with Laredo, Limited, Overland and SRT - now complemented by a more exclusive Summit top-of-the-range model.
The Uconnect system by Harman enables off-board connectivity to entertainment and other content through the Connected Media Centre (CMC). It is faster and has increased voice recognition capabilities – so much so, AOL Autos in the US named it Technology of the Year in 2012. It is set to be rolled out in other models including the Viper and some Fiats later this year.
The new Cherokee also has a wide choice of engines including one diesel and three petrol lumps: An efficient 3.0-litre turbo, direct-injection V-6 Common-rail diesel engine fitted with Multijet II Technology and the 3.6-litre Pentastar V-6, the legendary 5.7-liter V-8 and the powerful 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8 engine that powers the high-performance SRT model, as tested. 

We were impressed by the finish of the new car, the styling and, as usual, the of-road ability. That SRT model is rapid too – propelling the heavy Jeep superbly. 

On top of this there's also a brand new Premium Harman Kardon surround sound audio system, offering unbelievable sound quality – and volume! Jeep say: "Harman Kardon contributes to the unique driving experience delivered on-board the new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Harman engineers have ensured an exclusive approach in the development of the sophisticated audio system that surrounds the occupants of Grand Cherokee in high-definition sound." 

The system is a brand new 7.3, 825-watt Harman Kardon Surround Sound audio system with Logic 7 technology is an exclusive feature of both the top-of-the-range Summit model and the high-performance SRT model. The system delivers maximum audio performance, innovative technology and engineering excellence. It features: 19 High Performance, High Efficiency GreenEdge Loudspeakers in a 7.3 speaker playback architecture including 9 Tweeters, 5 Mid-Range Speakers, 2 Mid-Woofers and 3 subwoofers. High Voltage Class D amplifier with Tracking Power Supply (TPS) and 11 channels of amplification with Logic 7 multichannel surround-sound technology.

NEWS: Manby Motorplex: Ace Motorsport Venue For Sale

One of our favourite shoot locations and motorsport venues, Manby Motorplex near Louth in Lincolnshire (http://www.manbymotorplex.com), is up for sale, for offers over £3.5 million. This is a unique opportunity to purchase a successful motorsport and driver experience venue with prime agricultural land – and save a great motorsport venue, brimming with potential. The stunning, huge, multifaceted and incredibly well-equipped 440 acre site currently operates as a successful motorsport venue and driver experience/training centre offering skid pan, rally and 4x4 school, artic HGV experiences, tank driving days etc. to both private and corporate clients. Offers have been received for the site for agricultural use, but the seller is keen to maintain Manby as a motorsport venue. Manby Motorplex was developed over decades from farmland by MD James Tointon, who has a passion for motorsport and driver training and has taught the likes of WRC and gymkhana star, Ken Block and various top clubman rally drivers over the years at Manby.
James told us: "It’s incredibly sad to be selling Manby Motorplex. It has a high agricultural value, but we have split the site into lots, so the motorsport side could be purchased separately. I’d be very happy to see it run as a motorsport venue, having worked so hard to keep it as a motorsport and motoring venue for all these years. In an ideal world, I’d like to see someone buy the site, develop its massive potential and keep running the popular events, school activities and all we already do here, and keep on the excellent staff. It’s a truly special, unique place and it would be a shame to see a great motorsport venue lost to be developed as housing or turned back to all agriculture, after years of hard work and investment."
The stunning, incredibly versatile site in the valleys just south of the busy market town of Louth in Lincolnshire has been used for motorsport since the 1980s, including: Car rallies, 4x4 trials and challenges, competition safaris, hill rallies, rallycross, supermoto, moto x, motorcycle enduros, grasstrack and quad racing. And this motorsport activity is in addition to the skid pan/rally/4x4/HGV school and fun/corporate driver experience days like double decker buses, tanks, diggers, bulldozers, army vehicles and more for companies like Red Letter Days and Virgin Incentives, as well as to Manby’s own extensive database of clients. Manby has also been used as a test venue for the development of major manufacturer vehicles, rally cars, road cars, 4x4 off-roaders and more over the past three decades. And it’s a very popular venue for film and TV crews including both Top Gear TV and D-Motor and Turbo TV in Germany as well as members of the media as a location, like us at Road Magazine and Mr Ken of the Block.
The site is being sold for personal reasons, to settle a divorce and James Tointon, Manby MD says: "It is with great sadness that we are selling the site and business. I’ve developed the off-road area, rally stages and motorsport and motoring activities from scratch over the years more as a hobby, than a business and people love it here. I’ve lost count of the 1,000’s of incredibly positive comments we’ve had for our unique courses and for the venue – including from World Rally driving star, Ken Block.
"People are amazed how much they learn with us here at Manby. We may not have the shiny cars people like their picture taken with, but people come here to get value for money, to learn and to chuck a car about properly and test it to its limits. That’s a rare and popular formula we’ve found. Our courses are challenging and we love teaching people… and there’s so much we can do with people here at Manby, with its unique, different, challenging venues.
"We are really hoping whoever buys Manby will preserve this venue for motorsport use. There’s a great business here already and so, so much potential left in the site to develop. The five miles of loose rally stages we have require minimal maintenance and are great stages. The limitation is they can’t be used in the wet. But we’ve had interest from the Minicross Drivers Association to develop extra tarmac and gravel stages on site – at their own cost – which would make Manby a leading rally and rallycross venue.
"Manby is already a leading off-road motorsport and hobbyist venue, with acres of some of the most challenging and difficult 4x4 routes in the UK, offering all types of off road challenges, in one compact, diverse area. And the many activities we offer on site for corporate, stag and hen parties and members of the public are a huge success. Manby attracts 1,000’s of clients year on year, many of whom come back, again and again, thanks to its unique charms and the quality of the courses, instructors, staff and facilities on offer here, not to mention the picturesque location."

Manby Motorplex is for sale for offers over £3.5 million via Brown & Co. Brigg office: http://www.brown-co.com
To make an enquiry, contact James Walton at Brown & Co. Agents:
Landline: +44(0)1652-654833
Mobile: +44(0)7920-496350
Email: James.walton@brown-co.com