In case you weren’t content with the plucky, go-anywhere capability of the latest Suzuki Jimny, a company in Germany called Delta4x4, with help from Avus Auto have come up with a complete portal axle conversion for it.
What are portal axles? Well, they essentially allow the wheel hubs to be dropped down via a gearset while the main axle and differential remain high. This provides wide open ground clearance, and is pretty much the last word in off-road capability. Only extremely serious off-road machines feature this setup.
For the Jimny it means ground clearance is lifted from the factory 210mm rating, to a whopping 400mm. This also allows for much large wheels and tyres to be fitted as the wheel no longer sits right in the wheel arch. In this case there’s a set of 18-inch wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres, measuring 265/60.
These show vehicles also feature some other hardcore bits and pieces, including rock slider side steps, a tubular nudge bar and a 3000kg winch, spot lights, a snorkel, and a full roof rack setup. A set of locking differentials and custom suspension with adjustable shocks complete the package.
The interesting thing is Delta4x4 and Avus Auto have actually had the kit homologated so it can be sold in Germany and Switzerland. As such, the plan is to build 12 examples, with a retail price of €56,000 (a regular Jimny is around €22,000 in Germany).
