Ever fancied trying out the latest 4×4 truck off-road, across a challenging and dynamic course? The latest addition to the Midlands Machinery Show’s ‘ride and drive’ arena has this covered.

Joining forces with Woldmarsh – a member owned farmers buying group – The Midlands Machinery Show has introduced this new ‘ride and drive’ element to the exhibitor area offer visitors a fully immersive experience.

“The course will run for both days alongside the popular range of dealers showcasing the latest 4x4s, hybrids and pickups,” says Elizabeth Halsall, event and show manager.

This is the first off-road experience at the Midlands Machinery Show, explains Paul Massey, farm business and machinery head at Woldmarsh.

“The set up and purpose of the ‘ride and drive’ exhibitor area is to offer visitors a selection of vehicles that are fit for agricultural and light commercial use. The weather will truly dictate this undulating course – it will not be for the faint hearted, but alongside a professional driver it will be a lot of fun.”

The vehicle providing the thrills is the Ford Ranger Double Cab Limited, a 2.0ltr six-speed manual transmission with 210HP. The Ranger was picked for the task because it is a dual-purpose pick-up, explains Stewart Foster, business development manager at Stoneacre Motor Group.

“It is every bit the work horse but with practical leather seats and a centre console cool box, to make it suitably comfortable for life in between farming.”

There will be a catalogue of vehicles on display with experts on hand to help in a relaxed atmosphere. “The benefit of having several dealerships side by side at the show is that it allows for open conversation with knowledgeable vehicle specialists in an unpressurised environment,” says Mr Massey.

So what other vehicles can visitors expect to see?

The showstopper for Mr Foster will be the Ford Ranger Raptor, which will be on display at the show. And an interesting vehicle for visitors will be Stoneacre’s bespoke Fiat Ducato.

“It is one of the vehicles that we can really tailor to a particular specification, allowing the main body to be fitted out as required; from plant carrier to horse transportation.”

Visitors can also expect to see a range of Isuzus from Duckworth Isuzu, including the D-Max Utah and D-Max Yukon. In addition, Duckworth Jaguar Land Rover will display the popular Discovery 5 and Discovery Sport.

Sam Lane, business development manager at Marshalls Nissan says: “Alongside the Nissan Navara, which visitors will be able to demo on the standard track, we are bringing along a Nissan e-NV200.”

The inclusion of the Nissan e-NV200 – sharing its battery technology with the Nissan LEAF – addresses the movement towards environmental sustainability, giving visitors the opportunity to discuss the availability of electric vehicles and how they can fit in with agricultural fleets, explains Mrs Halsall.

Listers Toyota will also be in attendance, with pick-up models including the Toyota Hilux Double Cab and Landcruiser, while Marshalls VW will be displaying models including the VW Transporter Kombi and the VW Amarok Black Edition.

Visitors can test drive a selection of demo vehicles over the two-day show on the perimeter runway and enjoy the Ford Ranger Limited on the off-road course, says Mrs Halsall.

“Simply visit the ‘ride and drive’ exhibitor area to enquire about vehicles on display and for demonstrations. The addition of the new off-road course should provide a real thrill for visitors to enjoy.”

Entry to the show is free of charge, however, visitors will be required to register their attendance. For fast track entry, pre-registration is available at: https://midlandsmachineryshow.ticketsrv.co.uk/tickets/