Xtreme Land Rover
As seen in Land Rover Owner International, Oct., 2004

THE YEAR 2000 was the beginning, both of a new millennium and a new dream – Marc Ward’s “Xtreme” Land Rovers! It all started at Marc’s idyllic home on the island of Barbados when he decided to turn his dream into reality. At the time, Marc was part of group of avid Land Rover enthusiasts on the island. He drove a classic 1972 Range Rover himself. Now he wanted to build a “team” of the most extreme Land Rovers ever built outside of Land Rover’s own shops.

First on the drawing board was an endurance racer capable of anything from a drive to the supermarket to winning the 7,000 mile Dacar Rally. Next up, two amazing support vehicles later dubbed “the Rhino Chasers,” featuring a custom-built trailer made from the rear quarter of a Defender 110. These would be the ultimate in speed, strength, convenience, quality, comfort and exclusivity!  It took three years, countless hours of brainstorming, planning and collaboration – and now they’re available for sale to the discriminating enthusiast!

After a couple of Barbados Ministry of Defense auctions, Marc had the basic vehicles he needed to begin. He had acquired several Defender 110s, including a couple of a two-door models and a four-door. The back half of a two-door eventually became his one-of-a-kind Defender trailer with three lockable, weatherproof storage compartments already built in.

Marc shipped in all new body pieces from the UK, including new half-doors, door catches, and even new hinges. The panels were sandblasted, and then a two-part aircraft green primer was applied. Next, the body pieces were painted Arctic White.  Then all three chassis were painted with the same coal tar epoxy used on supertankers, which Marc chose for its excellent moisture-resistance. He made sure that there was no aluminum-to-metal contact anywhere to prevent galvanic corrosion. The special paint also acts as an extra insulator to prevent galvanic corrosion. Next up were the custom roll cages, designed to withstand a tumble down a ravine. Simon Gilmore of SRG Engineering and a top rally car builder himself built these cages to full FIA specs. It took three months to finish the cages. Huge, one-inch diameter bolts screw into specially-designed sleeved holes, joining the tubing uprights to custom brackets on the chassis. The tubing was painted the same Arctic White as the bodies.

Marc acquired 3.9-litre fuel-injected V8 engines to power the two Rhino Chasers. Chris Choat of ACE Engineering in Barbados installed a rebuilt Salisbury axle in the rear of the four-door, along with a Detroit soft locker. In the two-door he put Range Rover axles front and rear, and new dynamically balanced propshafts. Rover Accessories supplied the suspension components - Old Man Emu heavy-duty 751 springs (230 Ibs-in) in the front and 7628 in the rear. The 762*8 progressive spring rate of 300-340 Ibs. /in. is the recommended spring for those who load their vehicles down with extra gear such as roof racks and rooftop tents. It makes for a firmer, but still acceptable, on-road ride when the vehicle is unladen. Old Man Emu Nitrocharger heavy-duty front shocks and N46 rear shocks completed the set-up. All told, the Rhino Chasers gained an additional i.5-in. of lift, increasing the vehicles' approach, departure and break-over angles.

For the racer, Marc went to a 4.6 litre Cross Bolted Range Rover V8 Engine featuring stage one heads and stage two valves, with a Lucas gems hot wire type ignition system.  This is a single fuel rail design similar to the one used in the BMW straight six X5 and is ultra reliable. Then he added a Range Rover Transverse Gearbox, Low+High and Lock or unlock diff., Front Range Rover Axel with Teflon Balls, Rear Range Rover Axel with Detroit Soft Locker, and Headman Headers going into 2 flow master mufflers. Topping that off are an Earls custom Oil Cooler, 2 Bosh 12 V High Capacity Fuel Pumps on Separate Circuits , 2 Billet Reusable Eldebroc Filters and an Aeromotive Fuel Regulator set at 50 PSI. Drew Bowler supplied a TVR chip which will turn the engine into a snarling monster – but has not been installed as yet.

A custom NASCAR radiator and shroud was added in the back to hold the twin Land Rover fans.  This unit is soft mounted with high temperature blue silicone and marine stainless steel clamped to stainless steel pipes that run the cooling water. An extra-large roof scoop traps the air as it comes up the windshield and directs it over the roof to the two fans at the back of the radiator. This has an over ride switch which is left on during special stage events. The engine oil cooler sits in front of the engine with the R380 gear box cooler.  A custom Halon Fire Surpression System for the engine can be manually activated by the driver. A small diameter tube left over from the fire suppressant system was added to run a water spray bar for use in very hot conditions.  To manage dust and dirt two massive water jets are aimed at the windshield. Marc's high-tchc Land Rover Brake System includes a double diaphram servo with a bias valve on the rear wheel circuit. THen for extra safety, he spiral wrapped the high-grade stainless steel brake lines, as well.

Marc’s friend Drew Bowler, considered one of the finest off-road racers in the world (Bowler Offroad, Derbyshire, England) provided R380 gearboxes and transfer cases that had only been used briefly in test vehicles at Solihull, where they had been meticulously maintained. This is a 5 speed constant mesh transmission custom-designed for four-wheel applications. At only 50 KG dry weight it runs on pumped ATF with its own cooler mounts at the front.  It features all synchro-meshed gears including reverse with triple cones on  lst, 2nd & 3rd for loads single rail selector with a 3 plane gate internal reverse behind 5th. 

Custom engine and gearbox mounts were added, as were new R380 gearbox oil coolers. Rover Accessories Air Force One air intake assemblies were added to increase power and fuel efficiency. A Magnaflow setup for the exhaust systems was added to get rid of the gas quickly, thereby adding a few horsepower as well as a deeper sounding note. Steering is handled with Range Rover power steering units, along with new track rods, drag links, ball ends and offset bend tie rods from Rover. Rover Accessories supplied skid plates and guards for the rear diff casings, drive shafts, Custom Rover Accessories front tie-rods were installed to raise the tie rod as high as possible and still retain the OEM connection to knuckles. The list of custom parts and accessories also includes ARB bumpers, Warn HS95OO winches, PIAA fog lights, custom nerf bars, Hi-Lift jack points, Thermo-Tec Cool-It mats, a Max multi-purpose tool combination (shovel, pick, mattock, axe, etc.), front and rear Dixon-Bate recovery points and jate rings, axle and transfer box breather kits for water wading, and a marine-rated radio/cassette stereo system. In the two Rhino Chasers, there are even exotic “Beverage Containment System F2” cup holders, anodized aluminum units feature sealed bearings with viscous fluid to dampen the vehicle's motion and help prevent spills.

Flat tires are a serious problem for a racing team far from civilization, so Marc installed a SmarTire monitoring system to allow drivers to remotely monitor tire pressure and temperatures on the go. Sensors transmit the data within seven seconds if there is a change in tire dynamics. Even if the Rhino Chasers are parked, the system checks the tires every 15 minutes and sends a warning if it detects a slow leak. But, in case one of the 31-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Belted HP tires does need inflating, there are on-board 10 lb. tanks of CO2, which can also power tools such as an impact gun.

For additional storage, each Rhino Chaser has a custom-built marine mahogany-plywood chest. The rich, reddish mahogany-plywood chests each hold hundreds of dollars worth of Craftsman tools, plus 38,000 ­lb. tow straps, gloves, and other equipment. They're a classy way to keep vital equipment out of sight and secure, and they double as tables.

Bowler seats and Williams harnesses are ultra-cool Drew Bowler Offroad units originally designed for use on Bowler's Paris-Dakar Land Rover race vehicles. Fitted with five-point Williams cam-lock safety harnesses, the flashy blue seats instantly catch the eye. Two small fold-up seats in the rear of each Rhino Chaser stay out of the way when not needed.

Deep-cycle Optima Yellow Top batteries, with their 690-amp output, power the Defenders. They have the capacity to keep the vehicles powered while handling heavy winching, yet still have excellent cranking power. Even the battery cables are marine-grade, tinned copper throughout. And the vehicles were fitted with entirely new wiring harnesses as well.

Beautifully-crafted, marine-grade canvas roofs top-off the Rhino Chasers, with an extra insulating layer laced under the main blue canvas top to keep them cool by trapping hot air and keeping it from reaching the passengers. Attached to the roofing is the clever side window design by Roger Edghill in Barbados.

Both Rhino Chasers can become fully self-contained and protect the passengers from the elements thanks to 3M clear plastic side panels. had a Rule Industries bilge pump blower installed. Flip a switch on the hand-made stainless steel dash ($5,000 USD apiece, made at the AK Machine Shop in Barbados) and the powerful blower takes warm air from the engine compartment and keeps the windscreen condensation-free, even with a full complement of people. Marc also designed the Rhino Chasers to work with a Sunbrella awning that opens between them to provide a sheltered, central area for eating, relaxing in the hammock that is also included. Every luxury has been thought of!