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4X4

Guess these 9 Australian 4X4 touring locations

19 August 2021 Robert Pepper

Microsoft Flight Simulator now has graphic rendering of the entire world…so I thought I’d fly it over a few 4×4 touring locations in Australia. Can you pick which they are? There’s jump links in the video description. And if you’re into car racing, here’s one flying over some Aussie racetracks:

4X4

Beware the confirmation-bias meme, 4X4 edition

22 June 2021 Robert Pepper

It’s really easy to see something on the Internet, and because it supports a view you hold strongly, you accept it uncritically. We’re all prone to it, and confirmation bias seems to be more of a problem when there’s tribalism involved. So when this came up on my Facebook feed, I was intrigued. Now I’m […]

4X4

Which type of vehicle forum is the worst for misinformation and butthurt?

2 June 2021 Robert Pepper

We’ve all seen stunningly wrong advice and fights online, but which type of forum is the worst? I decided to ask my readers that question, and here’s the results: Yes, a clear win to the caravan forums. For once I agree with my readers..there’s really no contest. Right now my eyes are seared by someone […]

4X4

What Russians think of Gaz

22 May 2021 Robert Pepper

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My first drive of the Gaz Trackmaster attracted a lot of commentary from Russians, which sent me to Google Translate to figure out what they were saying! There seemed to be a theme emerging, and one viewer posted a comment which really explained to me a lot about Russia, vehicles and Gaz. I’m reproducing it […]

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Which Caravan Reversing Partnership are you?

16 May 2021 Robert Pepper

Watching couples back a caravan together is one of my all-time favourite pastimes. You know it’s going well when the driver uses 5000rpm to move the rig three metres! So I’ve come up with a few different models for Caravan Partnership Reversing…which one are you, or maybe another? Remote Control – the spotter directs everything […]

4X4

Hey men. About women and 4X4s…

8 May 2021 Robert Pepper

Blokes, we need to fix this. Women are around 50% of the population, but a small fraction of the 4X4 world. Now why is this? Nature, or nurture? We don’t need to aim for 50%, but we do need to ensure that all who want to have a go, can have a go. So I […]

4X4

Why is the Queensland government looking into engine immobiliser technology?

25 February 2021 Robert Pepper

The ARMA sent me a link to an announcement by the Queensland Government that it would be setting up a committee to “inquire and report on vehicle safety, standards and technology, including engine immobiliser technology.” The terms of reference are below, and there’s some good and potentially bad news: So let’s take a look: a. […]

4X4

When I sold my Defender

23 February 2021 Robert Pepper

This is the sad story of the sale of one of the finest vehicles I’ve owned, or that anyone could own for that matter. Of course, that would be a Land Rover Defender 110. I say ‘sale’, but while money changed hands, I don’t like to think of it as a sale any more than […]

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Automotive Journalism in 2021

16 February 2021 Robert Pepper

From time to time someone asks me, or rants to me about the business of automotive journalism. So I’m writing this as sort of a general answer to various queries, and to let people know where I’m coming from as a journalist. Is that even the right term for what I do? I don’t mind – […]

4X4

$170 fun – Carisma MSA-1E review

26 January 2021 Robert Pepper

Can you go wrong with a radio controlled 4X4 for $170? Radio controlled cars are a lot of fun…but sometimes that fun can wear off. Personally, I find the high-speed cars a bit boring – they’re fun to see zoom off, but you can’t actually much other than a blur, and they need a lot […]

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