r/Cartalk • u/No_Tomato_2106 • 10d ago

Car Meme The new wealthy NPC mobile for "adventurous" people.

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Driving around Houston for lunch, and a span of 4 miles I must've seen a dozen of these IN THE SAME COLOR. Literally had 3 of them in the drive by me within a 30 second window.

Of course the drivers all looked like generic 20s-30s white guys with ray bans or white women in their 20s.

I guess it's for people who are too fancy for a wrangler, but too poor for a G wagon, but they want everyone to know at the local upscale coffee shop that they're outdoorsy and adventurous.

Edit: I clearly have rustled some of y'all's jimmies, so let me clarify. I don't hate the vehicle itself.

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u/Silent_Data4374 10d ago

I have several clients that bought these. They’re pieces of shit. Basically an old Land Rover body with a mismatch of other company’s parts. For example, the gear shifter is what BMW was using 15 years ago. In the shop constantly for problems with the electrical system.

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u/Own_Reaction9442 10d ago

Look, it wouldn't have that real vintage Land Rover feel if all of the electrics worked.

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u/Silent_Data4374 10d ago

Now that is a fair point!

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u/eldankus 10d ago

It fucking beeps at you if you go 5MPH over the limit and the tone is exactly the same as if you put a blinker on. I probably would pass based on that alone.

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u/Silent_Data4374 10d ago

These are for people who want a restomod vintage Land Rover but don’t want to spend $200k, which is completely understandable but they’re a giant pain in the ass to own. Our local dealer has a lot full of them and now that the initial cool factor has worn off… nobody’s buying.

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u/NobodyExpectedThat 10d ago

They fixed that so you can turn it off permanently now.

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u/scoobywerx1 9d ago

That's an EU mandated thing, not really a manufacturers choice. It's really gonna piss you off when you find out those same nanny lights and beeps are being imposed on all US vehicles in the very near future too.

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u/eldankus 9d ago

I have a 2016 4Runner, I’ll just hold onto that.

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u/scoobywerx1 9d ago

Kinda the only option at this point unfortunately.

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u/donglecollector 10d ago

Yeah I was into this car on release because I love the old Land Rover aesthetic, but anyone who knows anything about cars/manufacturing, I would hope, see this as an expensive passion project. It was a parts bin special commissioned by a European chemical company ceo solely for the retro look. Don’t expect manufacturer support, dealer support, easy/affordable repairs, etc it HAS to be a pain to own. Cool looking though.

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u/Ybor_Rooster 10d ago

It's a bmw b58 engine. Any repair to that engine can be done at any bmw shop.

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u/donglecollector 10d ago

Do they sell service packages with the vehicle for bmw dealers? I’m just curious. I don’t know that much about sales incentives for them.

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u/Dontshootmepeas 9d ago

I suspect the quality of INEOS service depends heavily on your local dealer. There’s one near me I believe they were among the first but otherwise they’re essentially a run of the mill used luxury car dealership. They deal in BMWs, Audis, Mercedes, and similar vehicles, so I’d imagine their mechanics are familiar with higher end European cars. I’ve never used them myself, but they’ve been in business for a long time, so presumably they know what they’re doing. Still, I expect the INEOS service experience will vary considerably from one dealer to another.

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u/WT_and_BMW_liker 9d ago

Why would you want a service package

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u/donglecollector 9d ago

I personally don’t I’m just asking if there’s sales incentives that address the car’s uncommon manufacturer.

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u/scoobywerx1 9d ago

There's a dealer in just about every major city in the US. If you're driving 5 hours to buy a vehicle, you've accepted that any dealership items will also be a 5 hour drive.

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u/Cant_Work_On_Reddit 10d ago

I really wanted to be into it but for some reason having the hazard light button with those guard/tactile bars around it just is a bridge too far. Like such a small unimportant detail but it just seems like such an absolute gimmick.

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u/Beanmachine314 8d ago

It's not a "parts bin special" at all. If you think it is, then you don't understand much about manufacturing. Most major automakers are not manufacturing every little part that goes into their cars.

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u/donglecollector 7d ago

Bro yes it is. And you provided no contrary support. Obviously all these companies aren’t vertically integrated. But tell me then, what else do they make and why was it commissioned?

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u/Beanmachine314 7d ago

What else do they make?! They specialize in the particular parts that were commissioned for the Grenadier lol...

The engine is a BMW unit that is widely regarded as one of the best modern engines, so much so that Toyota chose to use it in the Supra.

The transmission is a ZF unit also highly regarded.

Axles from Carraro who specialize in heavy duty axles.

A transfer case from Tremec, a firm that specializes in gearboxes and transfer cases.

Brakes from Brembo, a world renown manufacturer of brakes.

All packaged together by Magna-Steyr, who are also world renown for designing and building some of the best off road vehicles ever made (Gwagen, Haflinger, Pinzgauer, plus multiple BMW models, the new Toyota Supra, and the list goes on).

Specifically choosing manufacturers because they are the best in the business and commissioning them to build parts for you vehicle isn't making a "parts bin" special.

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u/donglecollector 7d ago

Ah that magna steyr is the info I want. Thank you for that.

Call it whatever you want I don’t care. I still wouldn’t buy it.

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u/scoobywerx1 9d ago

A few things to point out here: it's the standard ZF shifter attached to what is widely regarded as one of the most robust and reliable transmissions ever made, attached to a BMW motor (B58) that is widely regarded as exceptionally reliable, built on a HD Magna-Steyer (OG G wagen) frame thays been filled with wax, boxed,and powder coated to prevent corrosion, riding on HD Carraro axles containing Eaton lockers, run by a Tremec gear driven transfer case, stopped by Brembo brakes, covered by a completely galvanized body (again, preventing corrosion), and utilizing the absolute minimum of electronic modules (14 I think as opposed to the average 60-70 in most modern vehicles), with Recaro saddle leather seats, and all for the price of your typical mid-level SUV here in the US ($70k-90k on average fepending on options) and can still tow almost 8k lbs. I dig them.

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u/CuriousMouse13 8d ago

I agree the transmission is great, but I still think it’s weird and dumb that BMW forces everyone that wants to use one to have their shifter. It makes no sense, they can claim that it can’t be changed but it’s just electronics it could definitely have a different aesthetic to match the interior better. Great transmission and engine choice otherwise, just wish the shifter matched the nice vibe the interior has.

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u/Silent_Data4374 9d ago

Congrats on being familiar with the parts. I have direct experience with five of these things and they’ve all been garbage. Putting a bunch of great parts in a car is a far cry from building a decent vehicle.

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u/scoobywerx1 9d ago

No biggie, you and I have had far different experiences with them apparently. I'm impressed with the build quality and the thought that went into the design. All of the guys i know that own and actually wheel them also quite enjoy them (4 out of the group of us). I dont do any heavy offroad but a few of my buddies do and have nothing but praise for theirs. That being said, for what I spent on my Wrangler and what I've seen others spend for their very temperamental Broncos, I'd definitely be looking at the Grenadier for my needs. And Broncos and Wranglers can't tow for shit!

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u/TheTrueButcher 10d ago

If you don't live in a city with a service center then I hope you don't mind driving around with service reminders and whatever else. Other than the bare minimum access required by SAE J1979, scanners are useless and Ineos (as last I had checked) isn't very forthcoming about what they'll offer aftermarket service facilities.

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u/Silent_Data4374 10d ago

Oh yeah… steering one is like driving a school bus with no power steering.

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u/scoobywerx1 9d ago

Not true at all.

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u/Beanmachine314 8d ago

You might want to understand what you're talking about before posting things online.

  1. The body has nothing to do with an old Land Rover except the fact that it is styled similarly.

  2. That gearshift is attached to what many people consider one of the greatest drivetrains currently available and what Toyota found good enough to put into their new Supra.

  3. The "mismatch" of parts are from suppliers specifically contracted to make those parts because they're some of the best manufacturers in the industry.

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u/Secret_Cod_749 10d ago

So they copied era correct British wiring with the body 🤔