Germany’s Delta4x4 transforms Volkswagen Amarok into high-riding bakkie ‘Beast’
Munich - Located in the German state of Bavaria, Delta4x4 has been making off-road vehicles more bush-worthy for over 40 years.
It has worked on quite a diverse range of vehicles, from the diminutive Suzuki Jimny right through to Mercedes G-Class and there are a few wild cards in its portfolio too, such as a Tesla Model Y with off-road rims, roof racks and all.
However the company’s latest project transforms the second-generation Volkswagen Amarok into something of a “Beast”.
The Delta4x4 Beast, as they call it, rides a significant 150mm higher than the regular Amarok bakkie thanks to a 100mm lift kit, which includes aluminium spacers and lengthened components, as well as a 50mm suspension distance kit.
This theoretically raises the ground clearance to around 380mm, pitching it higher than the Ranger Raptor (272mm clearance) and the Arctic Trucks Isuzu D-Max AT35, which has around 282mm.
Although it’s tempting to compare it to Ford’s Raptor, the Amarok beast doesn’t get a fancy Fox suspension or a performance upgrade for that matter, but it still packs some impressive bundu-bashing kit.
This includes a set of unique 18-inch Delta4x4 “Hanma” wheels shod with 35-inch FB Goodrich off-road tyres, which have a mud terrain profile. The new rims have a removable ring that can be replaced without having to fit a whole new set of wheels.
To accommodate the wider ‘tekkies’, the Beast also gains widened fender flares that increase the width by 60mm on each side.
To improve night vision, Delta4x4 also offers a set of PIAA spot lights, which are seamlessly integrated into the front apron.
The Beast is based on the Amarok V6 turbodiesel model and although there are no performance mods to speak of, the 3.0-litre Ford unit is hardly short of ponies in its standard guise, offering 184kW and 600Nm.
The latest Volkswagen Amarok, which is based on the Ranger and built right here in Ford SA’s Silverton plant, went on sale earlier this year.
At this stage there’s no word on local availability of the Delta4x4 conversion.
In Europe the components are sold separately, with the lift kits together costing 2 600 euros (R55 000), and the wheels and tyres retailing at 4 900 euros (R103 000) while the fender kit adds 1 800 euros (R38 000) to the bill.
“Since its launch in 2010, the VW Amarok has become a favourite in the demanding off-road scene. Thanks to its reliability and good off-road properties, a real fan base has developed over the years, which regularly organises meetings and joint trips,” said Delta4x4.
“The next chapter is now being opened with the conversion. The Amarok becomes the "Delta4x4 Beast" for the second time with some impressive upgrades.”