Garland triumphs in Isuzu MU-X

Offroad race legend Bruce Garland has steered his Isuzu MU-X to the podium in the famous Finke Desert Race.

Garland and long-time navigator Harry Suzuki posted first in class (Class Seven, Production 4WD, diesel, not exceeding 7200cc) and 48th outright after a gruelling two days of competition in Australia's Northern Territory, which marked an international racing debut for the MU-X.

"The car was fantastic. It's really well balanced – the chassis is really good – and we are really happy with it," says Garland.  "It's good everywhere – it took an absolute pounding but it is really, really strong. I could say the same about the new Toyo AT tyres we tested. They worked well in the dunes, under brakes, whatever. They copped a hiding on the rocks but there were no problems whatsoever. They have proved to be brilliant at everything – just like the car."

While the MU-X can't claim the outright speed of the Extreme 4WD-class D-MAX ute Garland has campaigned so successfully in the past during his 14 Finke starts, he says he was still surprised by the speed it mustered – and also by its ability to protect him and Suzuki over the battering course.

"The road was so bad, just so rough. It was bad enough going down on Sunday, but it was cut up even more, of course, by the time we started today (Monday) and it took us longer to get back. But Harry and I feel remarkably good. And we've used the air conditioning all weekend – the joys of having a production car."

Garland also suggested that there's a chance he could campaign the MU-X in the legendary Dakar race next year. "I have absolutely no doubt the MU-X will develop into a very good package for both the Australasian Safari this year and the Dakar in January 2015 – if we can get the funding," he said. "That's our next challenge. We're drawing a line in the sand. We'd love to do both events with this car but we're not going unless we can find the money to do it properly."

The MU-X is Isuzu's first entry into the world of seven-seat family transport. Powered by a three-litre turbo diesel, the standard power and torque figures are130kW/380NM, but the race-prepared vehicle is expected to pump out closer to 195kW/600Nm.
 
The Finke race opens with a prologue, followed by a 226km run from the Alice Springs to the overnight camping stop at the remote Aboriginal settlement of Aputula (on the Finke River), then a return to Alice Springs. This year, 91 cars and offroad buggies started the event, with 38 failing to finish.