V8, POWER, NOISE: The Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge 🎥
Meet the Spectators at Whanganui's Favourite Annual Motorsport Event
New Zealand has the highest car ownership rate per capita in the world. So, it should come as no surprise that the annual Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge is an outrageously popular event.
It’s a made-for-TV,
fossil-fuelled extravaganza,
created by 5-time 4x4 trials champion and engineer Dan Cowper.
Every year, thousands of people flock to Dan’s property in Turakina, traveling on buses from the Whanganui town centre.
Just kidding, everyone drives.
2024 was my third year capturing the event.
But this time, we weren't there for the 600-horsepower V8s.
We came to speak with the spectators and find out how Aotearoa’s most diehard petrol-heads feel about this event.
“What do you like about this event?”
“The sound. The mud. Machines.”
“V8, power, noise.”
“The noise. The V8’s. The petrol.”
“The roll-overs. The challenges that they have to go through. The mud.”
“What do you like about the four wheel drives?”
“Their capabilities of being able to go up the sides of hills”
“I recommend anyone to come to this thing. It’s great.”
“Better than Speedway”
“Just carnage. It’s pretty mean.”
“Not too bad, better than sitting at home”
“If you’re a petrolhead, then this is the place to be”
“Your safety, or the truck’s safety is more important?”
“Truck’s safety”
“If you [spend money on] motorsport, mate, you got no money for [drugs & alchohol]”
“Are you planning on crashing?”
“No”
