16 May 07
Along with new shocks, bigger front brakes and the Mitsubishi 165bhp power chip, the whole package (expected to cost between £3,500 and £4,000) creates a performance special. Ladies and gentlemen, check your mirrors. The L200 TWR is fast upon you.
At Walkinshaw's Oxfordshire base, I'm liking the fatness of the wide 255/55 tyres seen from the front. The 20" wheels, sourced by TWR, fill out the arches and complement the glowering blackness of this Warrior-spec L200.
Remove a rear wheel and you'll see the biggest difference. Gone are the arcing sheaves of steel that really are a hand-me-down from the horse and cart era. Instead there's a prominent coil-over shock absorber and an arm to locate the rear axle.
The idea was Walkinshaw's own. A part-time farmer, he became aware of the leaf-spring shortcomings while driving his old Nissan Navara. Tough and durable the leaf system may be, at road speeds it's just not up to both keeping the axle in line and providing the springing. In tight bends it locks up and the rear wheels go skittering.
