Around the Industry 4WD192

Around the Industry

AUSTRIAN COMPANY BUILDS ELECTRIC G-WAGON

Austrian company, Kreisel Electric, has been making both home power storage and electric powered vehicles for some time now, however, when they had Arnold Schwarzenegger unveil their latest offering, we had to stand up and take notice. Not that it was Schwarzenegger flashing the goods, but because Kreisel decided they were going to electrify one the most iconic… and horribly inefficient 4WD’s of all time – the Mercedes G-Wagon.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class EV you see here makes use of two battery packs totalling 80 kWh situated under the hood and in the location of the now extracted fuel tank. These batteries send power to a pair of electric motors that produce a combined 360 kW, or 482 hp. That’s good enough to get the 2,600 kg (5,732 lb) G-Class up to 100 kph in a ridiculous 5.6-seconds. Driving more sensibly, the G-Class EV is capable of nearly 300 km in overall range. Even better, it keeps its 4WD system.

JEEP UP 2017 WRANGLER JK CAPABILITY WITH RUBICON RECON

We are in the final days of the Jeep Wrangler JK, quite likely one of the most successful 4WD’s on the planet. Very soon, we will be getting our first look at the JK’s replacement, the JL, but before then, Jeep are sending the JK Rubicon out with a bang. The new Wrangler Rubicon Recon will benefit from some last-minute improvements the company has learned over the decade the JK has been in production.

The new Wrangler Recon will receive a front axle upgrade that features strengthened tubes and heavy-duty end forgings, heavy-duty cast front and rear differential covers and enhanced off-road rock rails that are shortened to accommodate up to 35-in tires. It is equipped with the Wrangler’s part-time four-wheel-drive system that has electronic-locking front and rear Dana 44 axles with power being sent to each through a Rock-Trac transfer case with a “4-Low” ratio of 4:1. A 4.10 front and rear axle ratio is standard as are Tru-Lok locking differentials. With a six-speed manual transmission, the Wrangler Rubicon Recon Edition has an impressive crawl ratio of 73.1:1. Expect to see the new Recon in dealers shortly.

LAND ROVER TO SELL NEW CLASSIC RANGE ROVERS

Land Rover are at it again, and despite our disappointment in the company reselling old vehicles at astronomical prices, only to people with enough dough to afford them, restoring and keeping classic old 4WD’s is a noble act. The “Reborn” project at first took old Series I’s, gave them the full do over with “factory” Land Rover parts and then flogged them on stuffy aristocrats looking to gain some connoisseur cred. Now, they are adding the Range Rover Classic to the mix.

As with the Series 1 effort, the latest restoration project is a limited run. Land Rover will only refurbish 10 examples of the original Range Rover. The first in this line is a three-door 1978 model of the original luxury SUV; it will be shown in public at the Rétromobile classic car show. The proto-SUV is powered by the Buick-derived 3.5L V-8 producing 132 hp with its Zenith-Stromberg carburetors. If you’re interested, and Land Rover haven’t already sold out, jump on the phone soon to Solihull and be prepared to part with £135,000 GBP or $220,000 CAD.