cazalea[Seiko Moderator]
17248
Does anyone here have experience with an INEOS Grenadier?
May 08, 2024,23:14 PM
I've known about the vehicle project for some time, and growing less and less interested in the Cybertruck, I'm looking in other directions. This is the dream of Jim Ratcliffe who owns INEOS, a conglomerate of 20+ companies primarily chemicals. Sketched out over drinks in the Grenadier pub in London about 5 years ago. We are about the same age, and the only difference between my dreams and his is that JimR is worth £25 billion more than I am. A few years ago he was the richest man in England, then for some reason (!) he moved to Monaco.
“The brief was simple. Design a modern, functional and highly capable 4X4 vehicle with utility at its core; a design that’s ‘easy-to-read’, with no ambiguity about its role in life. Everything there that you need, and nothing you don’t. Nothing is for show. Fill the gap in the market, which was abandoned by a number of manufacturers, for a utilitarian off-road vehicle, not a luxury SUV."
Engineering in Austria and assembly in the former SmartTwo factory in NE of France. About 20 sales outlets in North America and 150 more in the rest of the world.
Even if you would never buy such a vehicle, the videos are very entertaining (educational too).
GRENADIER VIDEOS PAGE (English)
Shown here in my driveway is the basic truck with only matching steel wheels (powder-coated), a baseball-glove leather steering wheel and brake handle, and trailer towing equipment.
For about the same price as the Corvette I had sitting here for awhile...
I like the instrument and switch panels. A minimum of electronic trickery and screens thank goodness. The sales manager brought it to my house so I could look it over.
Specially-tuned 3.0L BMW straight six with ZF 8-speed automatic, proprietary hi/lo transfer case, full-time 4WD with center locking and optional locking front and rear diffs. All new, but old school solid axles & ladder frame.
Seats 5 and has room for a EU-size pallet in the back (1m cube, I think plus a bit)
Amusingly, this is the same dealership showroom that once sold us this Fiat!
Cazalea