Last weekend my Freelander managed to gain its first participation in an offroad trial . So here is the story and some pictures.

The trial was organized to promote Discovery Channel's show called "One car too far". Maybe you are familiar with it, it's about two guys being left in various remote places with nothing but a Jeep and their adventures of getting back to civilization.

So Discovery Channel organized this in Romania, they got the two presenters of the show here and they put together a trial course for about 30 participants. Most of the participants - in fact all but myself - were driving pure offroad cars, like modified Jeeps, Suzukis and Nissans. There were also three Land Rovers, two Discos and my Freelander 2 - stock, only with MT tires and sump & tank guards.

The track was a very technical one, in the forest, the main difficulties being to avoid hitting the trees and negotiating some big ditches and axle-twisters. It was a short track, taking on average around 2-3 minutes to complete. It was my first participation at such an event and after seing the track and how the first cars did, the main concern was to finish it without damaging the car. Of course, I was not competing for gaining a prize but just for the fun of it and proving the Freelander can do it.

I was very satisfied with how the car managed to cope with the challenges and I managed to complete the track two times without damaging anything. On the second run I even managed to improve my time with around 25% . Overall a great event, very nicely organized.

And some pictures:

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Well done! Good to not damage anything

You were possibly the most comfortable driver in the field (except for perhaps the Disco pilots). Although driving with a clenched sphincter is never comfy

I see an FL 1 in one of the pictures too. It didn't partake? 1st time FL2 owner. 2007 SE i6 in Tambora Flame.

No, neither the Freelander 1 nor the Defender took place in the competition. The guy in the Freelander 1 didn't think he could make it, the guy in the Defender was just visiting...

excellent
The FL2 continues to prove it really is a capable off roader, once the prices come down on some of the earlier FL2's it wont be long before people are stripping them out, lifting them and fitting winches etc.

Are you allowed to switch on the front and rear park sensors for these things? That really would be cheating...

Past master wrote:

Are you allowed to switch on the front and rear park sensors for these things? That really would be cheating...

Yes, sure, why not? Anyway, at least in my car they switch on automatically whenever you put in reverse... and I had to do this at least 10 times during each run. It would have been a pain to switch it off every time . Anyway, it would have been hard to rely on them because I was only interested in the big trees, not every small bush. And the parking sensors' tolerance is too high, when they reach the continuous sound you still have about 10 cm which can be used

And a small movie with the first part of the track, during the first run. Seeing now the movie, seems awfully slow. Maybe this is why on the second run the time was much better.

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The comments from the spectators are delightful - something like "does this have 4x4?", "i came to see it breaking apart", "i bet it's gonna come out crumpled"

And the second part of the track:

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Absolutely brilliant

Forget the time, it's getting there that counts.

Shame about the head gear  Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Didn't seem slow to me. I am even more impressed now. That course seemed tight and you got pretty close to those trees. You must be a legend at whizzing around the super-market car park  1st time FL2 owner. 2007 SE i6 in Tambora Flame.

Thank you for the nice words

Yes, the course was very tight and my most important objective was finishing with the cat undamaged. I think only 2 or 3 out of the 28 participants managed to not hit anything. Of course, for some of the cars damage was not very important as they were properly modified for this - massive bumpers, roll-cage, etc. But however, there was for example a brand-new Jeep Wrangler which left an entire overfender and several other parts on the track...

Andy131 wrote:

..........Shame about the head gear

Yes I remember the first time I was shot out of a cannon too.

Looks like fun and great pics

very good, I don't think my 19" alloys would be in one piece afterwards!

Is yours a manual or auto box?

If manual it's a good advert for the clutch!

Last edited by Boof on 1st Oct 2012 8:51 pm. Edited 1 time in total

It's automatic

Ahh that says a lot, my clutch would have also gone bang as well!