FRIDAY SURPRISE: No granola eaters here!

Friday, August 31, 2007 Filed in: Friday Surprise!, Things I like, Completely irrelevant
We all know the baggage carried by the brand "Volvo": "Vegetarian." "Boring." "Safe." "Comfortable shoes." "Risk-averse." Volvo as a company seems to do little to dispel the image they have, as it's certainly been successful for them.

There is another side to Volvo, though - the take-no-prisoners, rough-and-tumble side, represented by their superb line of all-terrain military trucks. The best known of these models is the C303, better known as the "Laplander."

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The Laplander is a very boxy 4x4 vehicle, similar in design to the Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer but a bit larger. Powered by the superb Volvo B30 inline six and possessing front and rear locking differentials, it it has proven itself more than a match for the toughest terrain. Look at the ground clearance under the rear axle!

The C303 has developed a worldwide following of passionate enthusiasts, though (sadly) there aren't a lot of them here in the U.S. Now I'm not usually one to lust after a mere vehicle, but I've wanted a Laplander for years. I don't know whether it's the need to possess something no one else does, a psychological deficiency that compels me to seek attention, or just a desire to annoy my ever-so-yuppie neighbors, but I want one. Yes, it's probably impractical as a day-to-day driver; yes, the fuel economy is nothing to write home about; yet I still want one!

Check out some of the Laplander's many fan sites:

http://www.volvoadventures.com/Laplander_C303spec.html
http://www.volvoc303.co.uk/


-=[ Grant ]=-
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