A Force to be reckoned with for avid off-roaders

THERE WAS a time when people regarded diesel engines as slow and unrefined. They used to represent the boringly economical alternative to faster, more glamorous V8s and to own one was to make a statement about your beliefs. It went something like: "I like owning a big 4x4 but I want to maximise fuel economy and be able to drive through water without conking out."

Things have changed. I've seen a couple of V8s head into water splashes and come out the other side with nothing more than a bit of steam rising from the bonnet. More importantly, however, I've also seen some diesel engines that go like rockets.

On production cars, the obvious example would be the VW Touareg V10, which produces over 300bhp. And then there's the big-money upgrades that can in some circumstances lead to a dramatic increase in horsepower and the sort of acceleration that might give Jenson Button pause for thought.

When it comes to performance modifications that are within the grasp of your average 4x4 owner, however, you'll struggle to find better than the products available at Twisted Performance. The company, based near Thirsk in North Yorkshire, began as a hobby for owner Charles Fawcett, but has grown to become a major force in after-market performance upgrades.

The range currently focuses on Land Rover, although this is by no means exclusive. Charles supplies products for most recent models of turbo diesel-powered car and caters for manufacturers as diverse as Audi, Jeep and Isuzu. It is the green oval market that is proving most active at present, however, and this could be attributable to the Twisted Performance demonstrator vehicle.

This is called the Gale Force 90 and is one of the most alluring vehicles I've ever seen. I'm not usually keen on using this kind of language because it smacks too much of the GTI brigade, who use words like "sexy" to describe the latest big-bore exhaust or sub-woofer. But if ever there was a vehicle to make you lust for something other than the muck that is your average off-road enthusiast's dirty secret, the Gale Force Defender is it.

And, Charles is more than willing to rag the 90 round a field and cover it with mud. "Obviously I want to keep it looking nice," he says, "but that shouldn't make me scared to use it!"

There is a strange incongruity to sitting in the cab of a Defender that has the acceleration of a hot hatch and the exhaust note of a TVR. It's rather like going surfing in Wales -- great fun, but hard to reconcile the Swansea skyline with thoughts of bikinis and barbecues.

Charles took delivery of the 90 last September and set about installing the upgrades. First was the Airflo intercooler, for greater fuel economy and, with adjustments to the turbo and fuel pump, a more sprightly performance.

Twisted Performance does not actually manufacture any of these products. Charles approaches people whom he regards as the best manufacturers of a given product and gives them a specification. "We can offer the best of every kind of product," he explains, "because we go to experts for every one."

Of course, if you're going to invest in performance-enhancing products for your off-roader, you'll want to make sure it has the right cosmetic appeal. The Gale Force 90, for example, features 18-inch alloy wheels with 285/60R18 ECSTA STX road-biased tyres, a white light kit and, if a customer desires, full leather interior trim.. There is also a CD player, central locking, electric windows and a roof liner.

Twisted Performance is offering the Gale Force 90 as a completed vehicle, or as a kit with which to convert an existing Defender. According to Charles, this is a very easy job and not at all time-consuming: "It's been designed so that with a standard toolkit you can do the job at home."

And as much as you may like the idea of a complete conversion that utilises every product, you can use things individually. To date, the majority of the firm's business has come from customers who just want, for example, a new exhaust system.

Mind you, the temptation to fit everything is overwhelming. Cruising at a steady 50mph, you can boot the throttle and be doing 80mph before you've even had time to think of a derogatory comment about the Mercedes you've left trailing in your wake, let alone say it. Moreover, if you have your own private racetrack, you can keep on pushing to the right side of 115mph.

In a sports car, the performance you get would be pretty average, if slightly entertaining. In a Land Rover, however, it seems so unlikely that the only reaction is to grin inanely and use words like "sexy" -- maybe I can see where those GTI boys are coming from.

A version of this article appears in the current issue of 'Total Off Road'