Articles by Mike Ryan

A new 2.2-litre diesel engine will replace the current 2.4-litre diesel in the 2012 Defender. The smaller capacity engine delivers the same power, torque and economy as the outgoing unit.

Earthcruiser Overland Vehicles have created a versatile off road machine that combines the luxury of a top end motorhome with the agility of a 4WD.

Consistency and Victorians Steve Riley and John Doble are the 2011 Australasian Safari champions after a week of racing through incredibly challenging terrain and covering distances that tested the mental and physical stamina of all competitors.

Quick times on both stages of leg 6 of the Australasian Safari from Craig Lowndes and John Panozzo look like they won't be enough to prevent Steve Riley and John Doble. With one leg left to run, the 2008 and 2009 are on track for a third win in this year's event.

Fifty years on from the first vehicle crossing of the forbidding Simpson Desert, some of the original participants are set to re-enact the historic event - in an identical Nissan Patrol G60.

Leg 5 of the 2011 Australasian Safari saw Craig Lowndes lose his four-leg lead after an accident in the PWR Holden Colorado. Lowndes and co-driver John Panozzo were attempting to manoeuvre around a tree close to the end of leg 5's first stage, when they tipped the Colorado on its side, damaging the vehicle.

The all-new Ford Ranger will hit the market in Australia next month. Built on a new global compact pickup truck platform, the updated model combines power, safety, fuel economy and comfort.

Leg 4 of the 2011 Australasian Safari was the longest of the entire event, covering 662 competitive kilometres in a looped course around Laverton in Western Australia's northern goldfields on the edge of the Great Northern Desert.

Subaru has slated early January 2012 as the Australian release date for its XV compact Sports Utility Vehicle.

Ssangyong's new concept ute, the SUT-1, has gone on show in a further-refined form, tantalising audiences at the 2011 International Motor Show in Frankfurt.

Leg 3 of the Australasian Safari included the Safari's longest stage, and was described by the route co-ordinator as so challenging it could be a complete Safari on its own. Over 560 competitive kilometres, the 11 remaining auto competitors left in the competition faced many twists and turns, incredibly challenging navigation across rocky breakaways, overgrown fence lines, twisted tracks, stone roads, flood plains, and tricky navigation around bores, tanks, and windmills.

The 2011 Australasian Safari's war of attrition continues, with Paul & Kees Weel forced to withdraw from the event after damaging their Holden Colorado on leg 1.