Trekk 4x4 https://www.trekk-4x4.be Sat, 02 May 2026 02:27:59 +0200 Sticking with British premium limousines that attempted to conquer the Dakar, we have this 1978 Jaguar XJ6 that attempted the terrifying 8500-km adventure across the dunes in 2003. Much like the Roller, the Jag, entered for the event by experienced Dutch mechanic Frans Van Engelen, was heavily modified. The chassis was from a Range Rover, as was the five-speed R380 gearbox, LT 230 transfer case, and vented brake discs. The rear axle was rebuilt and set further back to match Range Rover’s 100-inch wheelbase, the stock suspension was ripped out in favour of performance dampers from HT, and the new “Wolf” Defender 130 steel wheels were fitted with heavy-duty mud tires.   Particular attention was paid to the XJ’s 4.2-litre V8, the block of which was based on Range Rover’s more durable 3.5-litre example. Van Engelen even found room for a couple of turbo pistons from a BMW 745 to up the power to 250 hp. Astonishingly, the burly and bruised British brute was on course to take the checkered flag – albeit way down the order – before news broke just 590 km from the finishing line that Van Engelen’s wife had gone into labour. It’s interesting to note that Jaguar’s Formula 1 program would draw to a close just one year after the Big Cat made its unofficial Dakar debut. Coventry may have missed a trick there…]]> https://www.trekk-4x4.be/blog/p-a-car-youd-never-expect-to-be-turned-into-rally-racers https://www.trekk-4x4.be/blog/p-a-car-youd-never-expect-to-be-turned-into-rally-racers Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:23:53 +0000 admin 0 While your Land Rover Defender might leak, this one wasn’t supposed to -- the next-generation Land Rover Defender’s interior allegedly made its way to the internet by a currently deleted Twitter user named rcdesignsuk. Adding to the image’s credibility, Land Rover’s communications director Richard Agnew responded to the image in a now-deleted tweet threatening legal action.    Regardless of how the interior made its way to the world, we can see that it’s definitely a step toward modernity for the Defender. The interior still looks to be in the early stages, without final surfaces or finishes, but the layout looks nearly ready for production. Unlike the rest of the Jaguar Land Rover lineup, the Defender looks like it will use a more standard stalk e-shifter instead of the rotary shifter you’ll find inside a Discovery.    A landscape-oriented infotainment screen will handle your navigation and audio requirements. The steering wheel looks to be multifunction, and it might sport touch-sensitive controls similar to what you’d find on a Mercedes-Benz. The instrument cluster looks to be digital, too, which would follow the growing trend of digital gauge clusters.  By the time you see one of these in person, there will be changes -- at least labels will be printed on the various buttons. Oh yeah, and you will see these: In case you forgot, Land Rover announced the Defender will be coming stateside in 2020. ]]> https://www.trekk-4x4.be/blog/p-leaked-heres-upcoming-land-rover-defenders-interior https://www.trekk-4x4.be/blog/p-leaked-heres-upcoming-land-rover-defenders-interior Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:22:14 +0000 admin 0 One of the industry’s worst-kept secrets is the all-new Defender, which has been leaked in various forms time and again. This time around, a gentleman has published the first photograph of the 110 painted all black and without any sort of camouflage whatsoever on the set of the 25th James Bond movie. Even the DEFENDER lettering up front is black, along with the alloy wheels and mirror caps. There’s a winch integrated into the front bumper as well, but from the looks of it, chances are it’s an aftermarket unit instead of an official Land Rover accessory. Steven Firth highlights on his Instagram page that “the alpine windows are still there.” But wait, there’s more! “The rear passenger door looks massive – you’ll never open that in a Tesco car park!” Considering that the all-new Defender in 110 configuration is a bit larger in every single way compared to the previous generation, we agree with Mr. Firth. “There seems to be quite a bit of wheel clearance,” leading us to believe that the aftermarket scene will swap the wheel-tire combo from the factory for something larger, meatier, more suitable for off-road driving.    Land Rover confirmed the 2020 Defender in three body styles, namely the 90, 110, and 130. Mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid options are also in the pipeline, along with seating for up to eight occupants, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and four-wheel drive with clever technology regardless of trim level. Leaked information from an official presentation of the 2020 Defender puts the D200 four-cylinder turbo diesel as the entry-level powertrain while the P400e and P400e plug-in hybrid are featured at the other end of the spectrum. The plug-in hybrid option could be shared with the Range Rover Sport, which combines the Ingenium 2.0-liter turbo with an e-motor and 13.1-kWh battery. The 110 is scheduled for introduction in October 2019, then comes the 90 in March 2020 as per the Land Rover timeline. The biggest Defender of the lot – the 130 – is planned to roll out in August 2020 with the same wheelbase as the 110 at 3,022 millimeters.]]> https://www.trekk-4x4.be/blog/p-2020-land-rover-defender-110-photographed-without-camouflage-on-james-bond-set https://www.trekk-4x4.be/blog/p-2020-land-rover-defender-110-photographed-without-camouflage-on-james-bond-set Mon, 24 Feb 2020 13:00:47 +0000 admin 0