4×4 racing offers viewers the opportunity to see exciting and sometimes extreme motorsports.
The industry is seeing a spike of interest of late, with Lewis Hamilton announcing the founding of his own 4×4 off road team, according to a News24 report.
Behind this surge of interest is technology, which is helping the industry to move to the very forefront of the automotive sports hierarchy. Without the constraints of regulation such as that found in NASCAR, F1 and MotoGP, 4×4 racing is showing the way forward.
Better accessories
The use of accessories is helping to preserve classic 4×4 car ranges and make them once again suitable for offroading. The Daily Record highlights the recent deal between Bowler and Land Rover to save the classic, box-like Defender shape, and the real trick is the emergence of the best 4×4 accessories in years.
High-tech maintenance tools and on-the-track devices are making maintenance a breeze on the track, and ensuring that both old and new vehicles are able to survive in competition.
Extreme challenges
The resumption of sporting events has led to 4×4 finding new crowds in New Zealand. The NZ Herald reports that the 4×4 Extreme Challenge, sponsored by Suzuki, is an excellent expression of the technology behind many 4x4s.
This includes better power, better steering systems, and the new balancing of car components to help with challenges like driving over gigantic HGV tyres. With new competitions to take place around the world, this is an opportunity for enthusiasts to see the exact improvements in classic 4×4 tech.
Electric conversion
For road-based sports, the electric conversion has been a slow one. Due to weight and relatively low power, electric engines aren’t suited to the loud and wild crashes and bangs of offroading. This is set to change with the launch of Sky Sports’ Extreme E; touted as a successor to classic Rally Prix around the world, it will use exclusively electric vehicles that can, nevertheless, reach the high speeds of classic designs.
This conversion is an environmentally friendly one, and one which might expand the interest in 4×4 motorsports to a new, more green conscious generation.
Old vehicles or new, 4×4 racing is seeing some huge technological jumps. Filling the gap left by other more restrictive sports, the wild nature of the 4×4 scene is creating excitement for an entirely new generation of motorsports enthusiasts.
