EMG, the company behind Australia's leading precision driving troupe, Team Isuzu D-MAX has unveiled CONCEPT-X; a pair of super-sized off-road behemoths that dwarf their showroom counterparts.
Vastly bigger than most modified 4WDs, the CONCEPT-X duo feature aggressive muscular styling, enormous pumped-out bodies and huge suspension lifts to accommodate massive 38 x 15.5 R20 Toyo Open Country Mud Terrain tyres.
“It was the tyres that got us started,” laughs Team D-MAX lead driver Jack Monkhouse, “following a throw-away comment made at a 4WD show. We saw some gigantic tyres on the Toyo stand and Wayne joked about putting a set on his company car!”
Wayne Boatwright, EMG Director and owner of Team D-MAX has wowed crowds throughout Australia with spectacular precision driving displays for years.
What started as a joke became a light-bulb moment for the team and set them on a mission to build the ultimate double act.
“It certainly got a bit out of control” laughs Wayne, “but once we’d started, we were determined to make them special. We didn’t set out to build a racer or pre-runner or rock crawler, or yet another version of the ultimate 4WD tourer. It would have been easy just to bolt on a lot of accessories but we really wanted to go our own way, so most of the build; the guards, bull bars, bonnet, brakes, suspension and chassis mods are all in-house custom work.”
The result is two vehicles of epic proportions, which could almost look at home in the next ‘Transformer’ movie and the kind of vehicle that every child dreams about.
Combining form and function, the CONCEPT-X spec sheet includes front and rear winches and a bespoke suspension package with 60mm remote reservoir shock absorbers. A high performance four wheel disc brake package on both vehicles delivers the ultimate stopping power and combines six-piston callipers with 390mm full floating rotors at the front and four-piston callipers with 355mm full floating rotors at the rear.
The D-MAX’s full-alloy tray is a work of art, and below it the standard rear leaf spring suspension set-up has been replaced with a custom MU-X style 5-link coil spring configuration. With the big tyres and another 7 inches of suspension lift, the approach and departure angles steepen impressively to 50 and 38 degrees respectively.
While the exhaust systems have been tweaked, the CONCEPT-X vehicles are still powered by unmodified versions of Isuzu’s legendary 4JJ1-TC 3-litre diesel engine and 6-speed automatic transmissions, while the interior incorporates the premium styling and features of the LS-T model D-MAX and MU-X.
Team D-MAX is known for putting their vehicles through the ringer with their spectacular precision driving displays.
Wayne said “We’ve used different vehicle brands throughout the team’s history but Isuzu’s truck DNA sets them apart from the rest. Their diesel engines are simply the best in the business and the whole package has been outstanding in terms of reliability. The performance vehicles are close to showroom spec and get jumped, bumped and driven on two wheels, week in week out. We really want to show people how capable they are without having to go crazy with modifications. The CONCEPT-X duo is a bit on the wild side though. They’re a bit like the evil cousins of the family.” he laughed.
While not destined for showrooms, the public will get the chance to see the CONCEPT-X D-MAX and MU-X in the metal as they tour 4WD shows and other events around the country.
