No doubt about it, we get to drive a lot of interesting machinery doing this job and while some of it is impressive to the point of open-mouthed stupefaction, it's rarely actually 'surprising'.
The Supacat Jackal - military spec
Which is a roundabout way of saying that when I accepted the offer of a shotgun ride around the Devonshire countryside in a military-spec Supacat Jackal, it wasn't in the expectation of experiencing undiluted terror with the potential to soil the editorial under-duds.
Roller-coasters have never been my bag, but that's exactly what this thing feels like on a twisty undulating forest track. Careering down one slope at break-neck speed I was almost compelled to squeal like a girl - although fortunately I didn't have to, as a couple of the real thing provided genuine roller-coaster-rider sound effects from the back seats.
Quiver - the Bloodhound SSC version
Having arrived at the Supacat test course in the PH long-term Defender with its naturally lumpy-bumpy off-road ride (at anything over walking pace), it was the smoothness of the Supacat's high-speed ride that astonished first. With adjustable air suspension the ride is truly akin to being whisked around on a magic carpet (although admittedly no-one's lent PH one of those yet), and the big machine turns-in and brakes on the gravel a bit like an over-sized rally car.
When I get to have a drive later on, it's easy to feel the back end wanting to kick out in 2wd mode, both under acceleration and when lifting-off mid-corner - a sensation which definitely takes a little getting used to when perched on the front of a 7.5 ton truck with no cab or even a windscreen. (Military types like to be able to jump on and off in a hurry, for obvious reasons.) My Supacat guide assures me that lurid power-slides and 'donuts' are all part of the equation too, at least when nobody's watching.
Those will soon be real rockets!
Powered by a Cummins 6.7 litre turbocharged six-cylinder diesel, the Jackal makes a relatively low 183bhp, so it's punch comes mainly from the whopping 516lb ft of torque. A five-speed auto transmission, finger-light power-steering and sensitive air-assisted hydraulic brakes make it incredibly easy to drive fast over rough terrain, and adjustable air suspension means you can alter the ride height for rough terrain or roads - or to lower the vehicle so it can be driven inside a Chinook helicopter. 4wd drive is engaged by simply flicking a switch beside the driver's seat, as are the high and low ratios.
In standard guise the Jackal will wade in up to a metre of water, and the options list includes run-flat tyres, a self-recovery winch, weapon mounts, smoke grenade launchers and mine blast and ballistic protection kit. Top speed is 120km/h, and maximum range 800km, and it all adds up to a package that is getting rave reviews from its primary users in the British Army in Afghanistan where the Jackal was introduced in 2008/9. Or in the words of Lt-General Sir Graeme Lamb, KBE, CMG, DSO, Commander Field Army which are proudly quoted in the Supacat brochure: "I have soldiers and marines alive today because you got it right, you took the time, the trouble and the care to construct some of the world's finest combat vehicles. Thank you."
Quoted top speed is 120km/h (75mph)
We weren't really in Devon to drive the Jackal though, because the event had been organised by the Bloodhound Land Speed Record team. They wanted to show off their own version of the Supacat product range - a six-wheeled truck nicknamed 'Quiver' that will be used to transport booster rockets from one end of the desert speed course to the other, in pursuit of the Bloodhound itself.
The six-wheeled Supacat is just as impressive in action, but has double the Jackal's payload at 3000kgs, and the gross vehicle weight is a heftier 10.5tons. Otherwise the specs are pretty much the same. We had a little thrash around the woods in Quiver too, and the main difference is that the enclosed cab amplifies mechanical and other noises, so there's a little less of the 'magic carpet' sensation and more of the sense of crashing through the countryside inside a mechanical bull elephant.
6-wheeled military version - the Coyote
There are around 600 Jackals in service as we speak, and Supacat is waiting to hear whether its newly developed
SPV400
will be chosen to fulfil the MoD's Light Protected Patrol Vehicle Programme - where it's up against the
Ocelot
from US company Force Protection.
The winner of the LPPV programme will effectively replace the Land Rover Defender in a role in which the iconic British 4x4 served so well for so many years. Which is sort of where we came in...
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