Ineos Reveals A Bevy Of Prototypes

Goodwood display hints at what’s coming next for Ineos as it prepares to expand its presence in the SUV segment.

Future Ineos Grenadier variants debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Thursday, as the automaker expands its use of the company’s body-on-frame 4X4 platform. The new prototypes come as the Grenadier Station Wagon ­– its name for the SUV – and the Grenadier Quartermaster Pick-Up roll into showrooms.

“The Grenadier’s body-on-frame chassis has already proven itself to be incredibly versatile, so as we look to future product and limited editions, we want to keep innovating,” said Ineos Automotive CEO Lynn Calder. “As our new brand campaign states, the Grenadier is ‘Built for More,’ and over the next few years we will be showing just what that means.”

What’s coming next?

Ineos’ newly-formed Arcane Works displayed its first bit of handiwork. The division is charged with developing customized limited editions, as well as serving as a testing ground for new chassis systems, advanced engine upgrades, and a host of other new materials and features that will be included in future Ineos models.

“We chose the Arcane name for our new division because the limited-edition vehicles it creates will be so unique as to be rarely spotted in the wild,” said George Ratcliffe, Commercial Director, Ineos Automotive. “Working in small batches and hand finishing the cars means we can give a level of individuality not found in the 4X4 market.”

Arcane Works used Goodwood to reveal its first product, the Ineos Grenadier Detour.

“For our first launch, Grenadier Detour felt like a fitting name as the Grenadier is for people who enjoy driving, and sometimes it’s worth taking the longer route.”

The hand-finished Grenadier Detour is limited to 200 samples worldwide, and is still powered by a BMW’s 3.0-liter straight-six. But it sports a fresh appearance with unique front grille and headlight surrounds, 18-inch forged alloy wheels, and one of four hand-polished colors: Magma Red, Whiteout Blue, Squall Green, and Storm Force Silver. Customers can also have bespoke one-off colors of their choosing.

Inside, the transmission tunnel is finished in one of two new satin finishes, doors, and air vents. Other surfaces are finished in leather and fabric. Seats can be finished in one of four quilted fine-grain Bridge of Weir leathers, while the headliners can be lined with one of two cashmeres from Johnstons of Elgin. Laser-etched aluminum door scuff plates will state its limited-edition status, as will the vehicle’s badging, created by British jewelers, Vaughtons.

Ineos did not reveal pricing, nor when the Detour will be available.

More Ineos Stories

• First Drive: 2025 Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster
• Ineos Unveils Fusilier — One Off-Roader, Two “Green” Powertrains
• Ineos Charging More for Grenadier Pickup than SUV

What might come next?

As to what may follow the Detour, Ineos revealed a lifted Station Wagon and Pick-Up sporting a raised chassis fitted with portal axles and offset wheel hubs that increase ground clearance by 10-to-20 inches and wading depth from 31.5-to-41 inches. Larger tires are also fitted. A German fire department recently received Grenadiers with similar upgrades produced by LeTech GmbH, Ineos’ German retail partner and vehicle modifier, so the changes aren’t just wishful thinking.

Of more interest was the short-bed Quartermaster Pick-Up, also known as the “Shortermaster.” The double-cab pick-up’s 115-inch wheelbase, plucked from the Station Wagon, is a foot shorter than the Quartermaster. Engineered at Ineos’ French production facility in Hambach, France, the concept’s rear seats were moved forward to maximize the bed’s capacity, which is fully integrated into the chassis.

Most intriguing was the Grenadier V8 Prototype created by Magna’s engineering apprentices. Magna is a key partner in developing the Grenadier. But what they’ve done is clearly something that could be a huge hit in America, the company’s biggest market. The one-off project used a GM 6.2-liter V-8 rated at 425 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque in place of BMW’s 3.0-liter straight-six currently being used. This was no quick engine swap. It required a complete re-engineering of the engine mounts, engine electrics and electronics, water and oil cooling, exhaust manifold and rear silencer, transmission bearings, and heat shields, as well a revised center console.

Another concept that’s no surprise given the company’s off-road expertise is the eight-seat Safari game-viewer.

This unique concept comes from Botswana-based Ineos Kavango, which converted this Quartermaster Pick-Up with enhanced off-road protection, three rows of tiered seats, and bespoke alloy wheels shod in off-road tires.

A future in motorsports?

Then there’s the first Grenadier that complies with FIA regulations, showcased by Buzz Special Vehicles.

Designed from the ground up to compete in the World Rally-Raid Championship in 2025, it’s powered by an upgraded version of the Grenadier’s BMW 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine that develops 349 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, a 67 horsepower and 74 pound-foot increase over the production engine.

Further readying the Grenadier for high-speed, off-road motorsports is a sports exhaust system, race suspension, bespoke alloy wheels, and an interior stripped and fitted with full internal roll-cage, racing bucket seats, carbon interior door panels, and roof vents.

“The Grenadier’s body-on-frame chassis has already proven itself to be incredibly versatile, so as we look to future product and limited editions, we want to keep innovating,” Calder said. “Over the next few years we will be showing just what that means.”