Considering how much time we spend every day either speeding along a smooth highway or, more likely, stuck in traffic on an equally well-paved street, it is easy to forget that a whole different world exists, off the beaten path.
Although Bahrain’s off-road is mostly tame, much wilder terrains beckon across the Gulf region, where roads dip suddenly and steeply, where water and sand do not stay in their designated lanes and where tarred roads are practically unheard of.
But in Sakhir, there is a specially-built course, full of dips and drifts, where you can get a preview of what such an off-road adventure might feel like, while sampling a selection of cars that could easily tame such terrain.
The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) has partnered with YK Almoayyed and Sons for its ‘Off Road Experience’, offering passengers and drivers a chance to tackle sandy, rocky, hilly and wet conditions.
The GDN team was taken on a tour of the challenging course, which runs along the first-of-its-kind facility comprised of 32 natural and man-made obstacles.
The beast braving the burdens of the multi-terrain course and taking us along for the thrill ride was the Outer Banks model of the Ford Bronco.
Although there is an option to drive the course yourself after proper training, our beast came with a rider, I mean, driver, who was all-too-glad to scare us just the right amount, while taking us safely around the track.
Our guide, who asked not to be named, started off with a quick introduction to our 315bhp-packing steed, as its 2.7-litre V6 bi-turbo engine gently neighed on our drive to the start of the course.
Now, even though I have had my share of unique adventures in this job, this was my first time trying the BIC off-road circuit and there really is no way to prepare yourself for it.
The best way to describe it to another amateur would be calling it a mix between a roller coaster and the wildest racing simulator you’d find at the arcade – those places that were not your friends’ homes where we went to play video games.
Of course, at no point did it feel unsafe, with the Bronco’s AdvanceTrac roll-stability control system as well as a range of sensors ready to steady our steed when necessary.
What was truly exhilarating was being able to watch the course through the eyes of the 360-degree camera system on the 12-inch LCD screen, even when I couldn’t quite spot the daunting obstacles through the windshield.
No climb or descent was too much for the 542Nm of torque that our beast was packing, as our well-trained instructor showed off the Bronco’s six terrain management modes – normal, eco, sport, slippery, mud and ruts, and sand.
And about an hour later, with our adrenaline pumping, we drove away with two new unshakeable beliefs – first, the Bronco is an amazing steed-of-choice for any adventure that might take you off the beaten path, and second, I wanted another go at the roller coaster, I mean, off-road experience!
There are two variations of the YK Off Road Experience currently being offered at the BIC.
The Passenger Experience, which the GDN team tried out, is priced at BD13.500, while the Driver Experience, where an instructor takes guests on a demonstration lap before letting them drive the car, is priced at BD71.500.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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