Brit 4x4 answers call of the wild

Surrey firm creates ultra-tough off-road exploration vehicle with a 4000-mile range

- STEVE CROPLEY

An extraordinary new transglobal exploration vehicle called the Fering FP1, a “green” 4x4 built for expeditions as extreme and diverse as crossing the Antarctic and penetrating uncharted Amazon rainforest, is under development at a secret facility in Surrey.

Designed to traverse pristine environments without leaving a heavy footprint, the FP1 is being built by a crack team of British engineers. They originally came together to build some of the world’s greatest hypercars but believe they now have a better mission to “create something really useful”.

Their company, named Fering (believed to be an old English word for companion), comprises around 20 people, including entrepreneurs, engineers, designers and even an expedition logistics expert.

The FP1 has been in development for about 18 months, with design sketching having begun in earnest around a year ago.

Early testing has started, but while the FP1’s mechanical layout is largely fixed, its shape and body layout are likely to change, because customers’ requirements will vary widely.

Fering estimates eventual demand to be 150 to 200 per year from adventurers and emergency services willing to pay £150,000-plus for a standard FP1 or considerably more for a specially equipped or adapted one.