INEOS AUTOMOTIVE HINTS AT FUTURE 4X4s, WITH A TROOP OF GRENADIER PROTOTYPES

INEOS Automotive gave a glimpse of potential future Grenadier variants at Goodwood Festival of Speed, with a series of prototypes underlining the versatility of the robust body-on-frame 4X4. A big, bold and beautiful portal-axled Grenadier Quartermaster and Station Wagon were shown alongside a short-bed Quartermaster Pick-Up, a V8-powered Station Wagon, an eight-seater Safari conversion and the first FIA approved rally modified Grenadier.

Taking the off-road capabilities of the Grenadier Station Wagon and Quartermaster Pick-Up to literally new heights, renowned German vehicle modifiers LeTech GmbH & Co KG, a retail partner of INEOS Automotive, introduced a raised chassis fitted with portal axles and offset wheel hubs that increase ground clearance by 250mm to 514mm and wading depth from 800mm to 1050mm. Larger off-road tyres complete the modifications. The portal axle Grenadier already has real-world applications, as similarly modified vehicles were recently delivered to the fire brigade in Mühlheim an der Ruhr, Germany.

The short-bed Quartermaster Pick-Up, nicknamed the ‘Shortermaster’, was created by INEOS engineers at the Hambach production plant in France. Based on a standard Grenadier Station Wagon, the wheelbase of the double-cab pick-up measures 2922mm / 115 inches, a full 305mm / 12 inches shorter than the Quartermaster. The rear seats have been pushed forward to maximise the capacity of the load bay, which is fully integrated into the chassis.

The Grenadier V8 Prototype was created as a one-off project for INEOS partner Magna’s engineering apprentices to give them hands-on experience of the Grenadier. This resulted in a complete powertrain exchange, replacing the Grenadier’s BMW 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine with a GM 6.2-litre V8 petrol unit that develops 317kW and 625Nm. The swap required a complete reengineering of the engine mounts, engine electrics and electronics, water and oil cooling, exhaust manifold and rear silencer, transmission bearings and heat shields, as well a revised centre console.

The eight-seat Safari game-viewer is a converted Quartermaster Pick-Up by Botswana based INEOS Kavango, which creates extensive specialist modifications for the conservation, safari, anti-poaching, veterinary, primary healthcare and film production sectors. The vehicle comfortably accommodates three tiered rows of seats offering excellent visibility for all passengers; enhanced off-road protection from bespoke front and side protection bars; bespoke alloy wheels shod in off-road tyres to tackle the most demanding safari terrain.

Showing the Grenadier’s compatibility with high-speed, off-road motorsport, Buzz Special Vehicles displayed the first FIA-compliant Grenadier. Extensively modified to compete in the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship, the Buzz-prepped Grenadier features an uprated version of the Grenadier’s BMW 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine that develops 260kW and 550Nm (a 50kW and 100Nm increase over the production engine), complemented by a sports exhaust system, race suspension from Warwick-based R53 outfit, uprated brakes, and bespoke alloy wheels. A stripped-out cabin with full internal roll-cage, racing bucket seats and carbon interior door panels and roof vents completes the racing modifications.

Lynn Calder, CEO, INEOS Automotive, comments, “The Grenadier’s body-on-frame chassis has already proven itself to be incredibly versatile, so as we look to future product and limited editions, we want to keep innovating. As our new brand campaign states, the Grenadier is Built For More, and over the next few years we will be showing just what that means.”