Land Rover Trials

Ah, Land Rover - the quintessential British marque of rugged off-roaders and luxury SUVs. Once the brainchild of the Rover Company in 1948, the original Land Rover was a no-nonsense, utilitarian 4x4 designed for farmers, explorers, and those who didn’t mind a bit of mud in their tea. Fast forward to today, and the brand has gone all posh. It now churns out upmarket, luxury sport utility vehicles that are as comfortable prowling through Knightsbridge as they are tackling the Scottish Highlands.
Owned since 2008 by Jaguar Land Rover (itself under the umbrella of India's Tata Motors), Land Rovers are currently built in factories across the globe - Brazil, China, India, Slovakia, and of course, the United Kingdom. Yes, the sun never sets on the Land Rover empire.
But let’s talk about Land Rover trials - where the brand's off-road DNA really shines. Imagine a sport that involves navigating a labyrinth of sticks or canes, charmingly called ‘gates.’ The goal? To thread the needle in your vehicle without so much as a brush against the gates or, heaven forbid, coming to a stop. It’s a game of precision driving - or as I like to call it, "trying not to look like a complete berk in front of your mates."
Now, there’s an even more challenging flavor of this - the CCV (Cross Country Vehicle) trial. These aren’t for your average Sunday mud-splasher. Oh no. These events demand serious kit: a full roll cage, a fire extinguisher, and a spill kit for when things go horribly wrong (which they often do). The rules are simple: navigate a dozen gates, get through without touching or stopping, and rack up as few points as possible. One reverse maneuver - a "shunt" - is allowed for the long-wheelbase crowd, but that's it. No clock to race, just the ever-present specter of humiliation if you fluff it.
If you manage to finish a section cleanly, you score zero points - a "clear," in the jargon. The driver with the lowest score across the sections takes home the glory. No flashy timers or fancy graphics here; just you, your Land Rover, and the unforgiving terrain. Sounds brilliant, doesn’t it?