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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.

The first leg of the 2011 Australasian Safari was one of two halves, with Steve Riley & John Doble winning the leg's opening stage, but brake problems from the Victorian pair allowed Craig Lowndes and John Panozzo to take the second stage victory and the overall lead.

A roll from the father and son pairing of Kees and Paul Weel wasn't enough to stop the Queenslanders from taking victory in the prologue for the 2011 Australasian Safari. The win means the pair will start first for leg 1 of the Safari from Geraldton to Mt. Magnet.

Making its debut at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show was Maserati's first entry into the sport/luxury SUV market - the Kubang. Maserati see the new model as a way to strengthen its presence in the sport luxury market.

On Thursday, thousands of motorsport enthusiasts gathered at Hillarys Marina to see some of this year's Australasian Safari entrants up close and chat to competitors about their expectations for the event. Today, spectators will have the chance to see and talk to the Safari competitors at Geraldton.

Under the banner of the 'PRW Holden Team' Craig Lowndes will take on a different racing challenge again this year, when he joins Paul Weel, with co-drivers John Panozzo and Kees Weel, in the 2011 Australasian Safari, which starts today, September 22.

The off-road capabilities of Mitsubishi's Challenger 4x4 will be put to the test when a brand new, current model machine will be raced in the Australasian Safari.

Responding to the strong Australian dollar, Peugeot Automobiles Australia has lowered the price of its 4007 sports utility vehicle.

Toyota Australia has defied tradition by launching the TV advertising campaign for its new-look HiLux on the company's 4x4 Facebook site, instead of on TV.

The 2011 Projecta Battery Maintenance and Battery Power Catalogue is now available. Packed with invaluable technical and product information for professionals and lay people alike, it is described as the most comprehensive catalogue of its type ever released in Australia.

Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed its $355 million investment in a new, state-of-the-art advanced engine facility to be built in Staffordshire, near Wolverhampton, UK. The new plant will produce all-new advanced technology low emission 4-cylinder JLR petrol and diesel engines.

The Austin Champ was Britain's answer to the US Willys Jeep. The British Army in the late 1940s sought an all-purpose light truck, with performance similar to the Jeep that they could use in varied operations.

Just like most suburban blocks, in our more remote areas State boundaries are similarly fenced. In certain areas these fences form part of the incredible Dingo Fence, which wanders haphazardly across Queensland, down along the western border of NSW and deep into the deserts of South Australia, where it terminates on the rocky shores of the Great Australian Bight.

Subaru's All-Wheel Drive XV crossover vehicle is on display in production form at the Frankfurt motor show.

Land Rover has unveiled a replacement for its iconic Defender 4x4. The next chapter in the Defender story will unfold at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with the reveal of two DC100 concepts which build on the essential elements of the Defender's character.

Imagine inching your way down another sand dune in the isolation of the northern Simpson Desert, as you complete another day of an extended trip across the remote Colson Track in Central Australia.

Land Rover was one of the first companies to jump on the compact 4WD bandwagon with its Freelander, which had enjoyed great success in Europe.