INEOS Automotive has used the opening day of the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed to reveal six new hard-core concept vehicles based on the INEOS Grenadier, all of which are described as “potential future Grenadier variants”.
They include higher-riding portal-axle versions of the Grenadier Station Wagon and Quartermaster pick-up, plus a short-bed ute, V8-powered wagon, eight-seat Safari-ready conversion and an FIA-approved rally-ready version.
Beginning with the portal-axled Grenadier wagon and ute, the British 4×4-maker said it worked with famed German vehicle modifier LeTech to raise ground clearance from the standard Grenadier’s 250mm to a whopping 514mm.
This is claimed to allow the upgraded Station Wagon and Quartermaster ute to wade up to 1050mm – a big increase from the standard’s Grenadier’s 800mm.
INEOS says modified portal-axle equipped Grenadiers are already on the road in some markets, with the fire service in Mühlheim in Western Germany already taking delivery of a higher-riding Grenadier.
The next concept unveiled was the new INEOS ‘Shortermaster’, which was created by the company’s factory in Hambach, France. The short-bed ute rides on a 2922mm wheelbase – 305mm shorter than the standard Quartermaster.
It’s thought that instead of chopping the Quartermaster, engineers produced a ute based on the standard Station Wagon’s ladder-frame chassis.
To help maximise the load bay, INEOS pushed the rear seats forward, sacrificing legroom to increase load-carrying capacity.
The Grenadier V8 Prototype, meanwhile, is the answer for those who might think the standard BMW N58-series 210kW/450Nm 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine or the BMW B57-series 183kW/550Nm 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-diesel just don’t cut the mustard when it comes to performance.
Described as a one-off, the V8 was created by apprentices at the company’s German engineering partner Magna. The fastest-ever Grenadier adopts a GM-sourced 6.2-litre V8 that pumps out no less than 317kW/625Nm.
The V8 conversion was no easy engine swap is claimed to have involved the fabrication of new engine mounts, bespoke electrics and new engine management hardware.
The V8 features bespoke oil-cooling and a new exhaust manifold and rear silencer, while the automatic transmission gets fresh bearings to cope with all that extra torque.
The eight-seat Safari game-viewer concept, meantime, was clearly created to poach sales from a market once dominated by the Land Rover Defender.
Based on a modified Quartermaster, the Safari was converted by Botswana-based company INEOS Kavango, which specialises in not only game-viewers but also vehicles used by anti-poaching squads, vets, healthcare workers and movie producers.
Claimed to comfortably accommodate three tiered rows of seating, the Safari offers enhanced off-road protection including more durable wheels and front and side armour.
The last vehicle to be unveiled was the FIA-compliant Grenadier that will compete in the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship.
Featuring an upgraded version of the Grenadier’s BMW petrol six, it increases outputs to 260kW (+50kW) and 550Nm (+100Nm) via modifications including a sports exhaust, and also adds race-spec suspension, bigger brakes, bespoke wheels and a stripped-out cabin.
Other modifications include a built-in safety cage, fire suppression system, a pair of race seats, roof vents and carbon-fibre door cards.
“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,” said INEOS Automotive CEO Lynn Calder.
“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.”
