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Driving impressions
Page 15
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• ex took three Multidrive vehicles to an off-road site at Catterick Army base, with the formidable looking articulated eight-wheel-drive M8-40
with multi-load ejection system first up. The power from Its Caterpillar C15 45011p engine is linked via the propshaft to the rear axle bogie.
Once you get over the size and the manoeuvrability—it has two rear steering axles, it begins to feel very comfortable to drive. It is tremendously strong and agile, and the moving floor ejection system means the driver has complete control over where the load is placed, rather than having it tipped onto one area, Next up was the FF88 fiexi-frame concept vehicle with the same propshaft design under the drawbar connection. Again It is an eight-wheel-drive vehicle powered by the Cat C12 450hp engine. It is remarkably swift and responsive and, although we weren't able to put the torque convertor's first gear stall limit of an 84% gradient to the test, the two hill climbs we did proved pretty impressive.
Finally, we got the chance to drive the 4x4x4 specialist support vehicle. The extra four gives it the ability to crab sideways, an unnerving sensation. This vehicle is powered by Cummins ISBe 7.2-litre 270hp engine which is found between the axles on the nearside. Its rear-steer axle gives a turning circle of less than half compared with a fixed rear axle.
On all the vehicles, the Allison automatic gearbox can be held in one gear for more controlled hill climbs or descents,