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| RoddyK05 Member Since: 08 Apr 2015 Location: Inverclyde Posts: 633   
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So now that our dear old Defender is no more, what will companies such as this use as a base, or will they have stocks of Landys lying handy just now. Same with places who deal in a lot of 'new take off' stuff, that's going to run out soon too I would imagine?
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12th Mar 2016 1:11pm |
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| Brewstop Member Since: 28 Oct 2012 Location: South Oxfordshire Posts: 313  
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I can imagine the sense of joy you get when you have to unload the whole wagon to get at the sand ladders......
and when you replace said sand ladders after use in thick gloopy mud.... Sandy |
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12th Mar 2016 2:17pm |
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| jezhermer Member Since: 30 Mar 2015 Location: Dorset Posts: 49
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Well.. 'Companies like this' will build their own vehicles... from the ground up! www.oviks.com  Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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13th Mar 2016 9:13am |
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| K9F Member Since: 12 Nov 2009 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 9610 
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^As one of the Chief Designers you should know......
The demise of the Defender may open up more opportunities for a 'company like this?' Wonder how many 'they've' sold and their cost effectiveness in comparison? Functionality will undoubtedly come at a hefty premium, no doubt whatsoever. If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!! Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!! |
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13th Mar 2016 4:32pm |
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| jezhermer Member Since: 30 Mar 2015 Location: Dorset Posts: 49
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The reality is... the demise of the DEFENDER really had no impact upon us - other than a brief press flurry of interest.
CROSSWAY really isn't a DEFENDER replacement - it could never be that. The vehicle is far, far more expensive than a DEFENDER because we build in low volume - (50 per year is average). Even if we were building a vehicle of almost identical spec to a DEFENDER (which we're not) it would cost roughly double the cost of a DEFENDER's retail price just to build... then you'd need to add margin to cover overheads (and possibly a bit of profit on a lucky day) and add VAT. Bottom line is - to build an almost identical vehicle to a DEFENDER you'd need to be selling, retail at around £50K to make it a worthwhile business. Who the hell would pay that when you can buy a RANGER or a LANDCRUISER or a PATROL et al - for about £25K? The answer is - virtually no one. We developed OVIK CROSSWAY initially to make up for the technical and capability shortcomings of DEFENDER - specifically in the armoured vehicle arena (initially). After armouring (fully) 178 x DEFENDERs as our OVIK PANGOLIN vehicles for the Police Service of Northern Ireland - we understand the really very severe shortcomings of DEFENDER once you start to push the GVW over 3.5 tonnes and up towards 4.5 tonnes. Poor power to weight (at that mass), terrible suspension, inadequate brakes, atrocious handling. Let's be honest - the DEFENDER wasn't designed to be a 4.5 tonne vehicle. And yet - even at 4.5 tonnes - as an armoured vehicle, DEFENDER has its limitations; the internal volume is too small to be of any real use to eight coppers in full riot gear (the body can't be made any bigger because of the impact upon mass), the chassis is under stress and the electrical power budget is inadequate for radios, A/C, fire suppressions systems, blue lights, sirens, cameras etc. The drive line is also too weak to be of any use at that mass - and there is no auto transmission option which, to be frank - is what armoured vehicles, particularly those on predominantly urban operations, really need. With PANGOLIN, OVIK spent VAST sums of money on drive line, brakes and suspension / steering design improvements, and spent cosmic amounts of money at MIRA and MILLBROOK developing a truly unique suspension setup and braking system which included a proportional braking system, - which allowed us - through VOSA to plate DEFENDERS to 4.5 tonnes (legally) - whilst achieving Euro 13H braking standards and UK Home Office VSAG 12 handling standards (at 4.5 tonnes|).. but even PANGOLIN - which is a massively advanced ' DEFENDER' is still working beyond the grass roots capabilities of DEFENDER which is, in all honesty - a bloody good farmers' truck - but a crap military / security vehicle. It's been used by defence and security because it was (once) the best of a pretty poor, off-the-shelf bunch of 4x4s. So - four years ago - at OVIK, we took stock of the future - knowing that DEFENDER was inadequate and also had a limited future life; we looked at other vehicles to armour. The usual suspects - Toyota, Nissan, G Wagon etc... all of them good and bad in different areas. But all of them - really only designed to go to 3.5 tonnes - because that's where the market is and OEMs don't over-engineer stuff - because it costs money. We knew we needed a new platform - but there wasn't anything suitable. We also knew that to produce a vehicle, armoured to the correct levels - and armoured properly - with future proofing potential (to absorb ballistic threat increases over time) that we would need a vehicle that would go - comfortably - up to 5.5 tonnes GVW in 4x4 format - and possibly to 7.5 tonnes in 6x6 format. Our calculations and experience showed us that we needed a vehicle' whose internal volume (specifically width) was at least that of a FORD TRANSIT van - with a power to weight ratio of at least 40 BHP per tonne at 5 tonnes and a torque nearing the 500Nm mark and a power budget of at least 200 AmpH - and a dual / split charging system with CANBUS / plug and play electrics There was nothing available on the market like that So - we designed and built CROSSWAY - which - as a 26 man team of engineers, designers, fabricators, armourers, mechanics and finishers... was an odyssey of epic proportions. But we did it - and it works. Really well. But it's EXPENSIVE! So we could never build a DEFENDER like for like replacement - it couldn't be done viably and economically at low volume. So to justify the relatively extreme cost of CROSSWAY vehicle - we have to add massive additional value - we have to put the vehicle in a league of its own, to do stuff that other off-the-shelf (3.5 tonne) OEM vehicles simply cant do - in order to gain a market position andf tp justify the cost. So we made it 5.5 tonnes - and as such it makes a really useful off route utility vehicle - fire tender etc. We gave it 12v and 24 volt electrics (standard) twin batteries with split charging (standard), OVIK designed and produced axles and differentials (with a 5 tonne per axle capability) - variable track axles (standard) CAN BUS plug and play electrics (which allow end-users to add electrical functions easily), diesel and petrol engine options up to 650 BHP!... auto six speed transmission with tiptronic option, hi and low selection on-the-fly and diff locks front centre and rear. Plus a massive host of other features. CROSSWAY is a very specialist tool - which - to an extent - owes it's roots to DEFENDER... but it's no DEFENDER replacement and DEFENDER's demise hasn't - thus far - made any difference to our sales. Hope that answers it for you. Jez H - CEO and founder - OVIK |
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13th Mar 2016 8:11pm |
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| jezhermer Member Since: 30 Mar 2015 Location: Dorset Posts: 49
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But - if anybody wants one... give me a bell!
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13th Mar 2016 8:11pm |
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| K9F Member Since: 12 Nov 2009 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 9610
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Nah, thanks for the offer but believe it or not I am happy with my Defender. Good luck anyway!
If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!!
Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!! |
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13th Mar 2016 8:46pm |
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| RoddyK05 Member Since: 08 Apr 2015 Location: Inverclyde Posts: 633
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As mine is used just as a car then the 90 is fine, but if I ever feel the need to overthrow a small country then I'll give you a shout.
Excellently engineered vehicles, may your company go from strength to strength. |
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13th Mar 2016 8:58pm |
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