Bowler Wildcat
Encyclopedia
The Bowler Wildcat is an off-road vehicle originally made by Bowler Offroad
, it is an evolution of the Bowler Tomcat which is not based on the Land Rover Defender against common belief. The Wildcat has been entered in various off-road rally raid
s, most notably the Dakar Rally
and Rallye des Pharaons
.
The manufacturing rights to the Wildcat were sold in by Bowler to Qt Services in December 2007, to provide support to existing Wildcat owners while Bowler concentrated on production of their newer vehicle, the Bowler Nemesis
. Since then, QT Services have continued to support owners in competitive events and have made further developments to the vehicle.
In 2011 Supacat
started marketing a militarized Wildcat in collaboration with QT Services. Promotional materials shows the vehicle quipped with a Kongsberg Protector Super Lite remote weapon station
.
construction that incorporates a roll cage
as an integral part of the frame structure. The body panels are made of glass-reinforced plastic
.
The suspension system uses Land Rover Discovery
beam axle
s front and rear. The front axles are located by radius rod
s and a Panhard rod
. The rear axle is located by trailing arm
s and Watt's linkage
.
Bowler originally offered the Wildcat with a choice of 4, 4.6 or 5 litre displacement V-8
engines in several levels of engine tuning
, or a 2.5 litre turbo diesel.
An optional feature offered by Bowler was a lift device that could lift the vehicle past the lowest travel of the front and rear suspension
. The lift was intended to be used to assist in digging the vehicle out of soft ground or to facilitate changing a wheel. The lift device consisted of a large steel plate on a hinged sub-frame attached to the underside of the vehicle frame between the front and rear axles. The lift was lowered by a hydraulic ram
that was controlled from inside the vehicle. The lift plate also served to protect the underside of vehicle when raised.
with fly-by-wire control systems, high-performance computing payloads and sensors for estimating the local terrain, including lidars and cameras. The first of which is used by the BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre as part of their autonomous systems research . The second is used by the Mobile Robotics Group at Oxford University as part of their ongoing research into lifelong infrastructure-free navigation for autonomous vehicles .
Bowler Offroad
Bowler Off Road is the manufacturer of off road racing vehicles based on the Land Rover Defender and Range Rover chassis. The company is located in the village of Hazelwood, Derbyshire, in the United Kingdom....
, it is an evolution of the Bowler Tomcat which is not based on the Land Rover Defender against common belief. The Wildcat has been entered in various off-road rally raid
Rally raid
Rally raid, also known as cross country rallying is a form of long distance off-road racing that takes place over several days. Each day may require traveling up to . The length of the event can be 3–15 days...
s, most notably the Dakar Rally
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
and Rallye des Pharaons
Rallye des Pharaons
The Rallye des Pharaons is an FIM-sanctioned rally raid event that takes place in Egypt, with Cairo being both the start and finishing point at the foot of the pyramids of Giza, and covers roughly around 3,100 km. It is similar in format to the Dakar Rally in that it takes place in desert...
.
The manufacturing rights to the Wildcat were sold in by Bowler to Qt Services in December 2007, to provide support to existing Wildcat owners while Bowler concentrated on production of their newer vehicle, the Bowler Nemesis
Bowler Nemesis
The Bowler Nemesis is an off-road racing vehicle designed, manufactured and sold by Bowler Off Road. The Nemesis is intended to be used in endurance rally raid events such as the Dakar Rally and Rallye des Pharaons.-Design and Construction:...
. Since then, QT Services have continued to support owners in competitive events and have made further developments to the vehicle.
In 2011 Supacat
Supacat
Supacat, officially Supacat Limited, is a British company which designs and manufactures high mobility vehicles. Established in 1981, and based at the Airfield, Dunkeswell, Devon, Supacat develops specialist vehicles for both civil customers and the military.-Products:* The 6x6 All Terrain...
started marketing a militarized Wildcat in collaboration with QT Services. Promotional materials shows the vehicle quipped with a Kongsberg Protector Super Lite remote weapon station
Remote Weapon Station
A remote weapon station, also known as a remote weapon system, is a weaponized system for light and medium caliber weapons which can be installed on ground combat vehicle or sea and air-based combat platforms. Such equipment is used on modern military vehicles, as it allows a gunner to remain in...
.
Design and Construction
The Wildcat has a tubular space frameSpace frame
A space frame or space structure is a truss-like, lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with few interior supports...
construction that incorporates a roll cage
Roll cage
A roll cage is a specially constructed frame built in the cab of a vehicle to protect its occupants from being injured in an accident, particularly in the event of a roll-over. Roll cages are used in nearly all purpose-built racecars, and in most cars modified for racing...
as an integral part of the frame structure. The body panels are made of glass-reinforced plastic
Glass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
.
The suspension system uses Land Rover Discovery
Land Rover Discovery
The Discovery was introduced into the United Kingdom in 1989. The company code-named the vehicle "Project Jay". The new model was based on the chassis and drivetrain of the more upmarket Range Rover, but with a lower price aimed at a larger market segment and intended to compete with Japanese...
beam axle
Beam axle
A beam axle is a suspension system, also called a solid axle, in which one set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft...
s front and rear. The front axles are located by radius rod
Radius rod
A radius rod is a suspension member intended to control wheel motion in the longitudinal plane. The link is connected on one end to the wheel carrier or axle, on the other to the chassis or unibody of the vehicle.Radius rods typically are mounted ahead of the wheel...
s and a Panhard rod
Panhard rod
A Panhard rod is a component of a car suspension system that provides lateral location of the axle...
. The rear axle is located by trailing arm
Trailing arm
thumb|220px|Trailing arm rear suspension of [[Front-engine, front-wheel drive layout|FF]] carsA trailing-arm suspension is an automobile suspension design in which one or more arms are connected between the axle and the chassis. It is usually used on rear axles...
s and Watt's linkage
Watt's linkage
Watt's linkage is a type of mechanical linkage invented by James Watt in which the central moving point of the linkage is constrained to travel on an approximation to a straight line...
.
Bowler originally offered the Wildcat with a choice of 4, 4.6 or 5 litre displacement V-8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engines in several levels of engine tuning
Engine tuning
Engine tuning is the adjustment, modification or design of internal combustion engines to yield optimal performance, to increase an engine's power output, economy, or durability....
, or a 2.5 litre turbo diesel.
An optional feature offered by Bowler was a lift device that could lift the vehicle past the lowest travel of the front and rear suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
. The lift was intended to be used to assist in digging the vehicle out of soft ground or to facilitate changing a wheel. The lift device consisted of a large steel plate on a hinged sub-frame attached to the underside of the vehicle frame between the front and rear axles. The lift was lowered by a hydraulic ram
Hydraulic ram
A hydraulic ram, or hydram, is a cyclic water pump powered by hydropower. It functions as a hydraulic transformer that takes in water at one "hydraulic head" and flow-rate, and outputs water at a higher hydraulic-head and lower flow-rate...
that was controlled from inside the vehicle. The lift plate also served to protect the underside of vehicle when raised.
Research platform
Two Wildcats have been retrofitted by BAE SystemsBAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
with fly-by-wire control systems, high-performance computing payloads and sensors for estimating the local terrain, including lidars and cameras. The first of which is used by the BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre as part of their autonomous systems research . The second is used by the Mobile Robotics Group at Oxford University as part of their ongoing research into lifelong infrastructure-free navigation for autonomous vehicles .