Go to the dictionary and look up the word ‘maverick’. You’ll see it means, among other things, free-spirited, trendsetter, original. Well, these words couldn’t be more appropriate when describing Leon Laing and the entire Maverick Motorsport team from Strand in the Western Cape.

To make a successful modification that they have made to various Polaris Ranger Utility Vehicle (UTV) in line with their customers’ requirements, one needs a ‘maverick’ spirit. “That’s always been our approach,” says Laing. “Whatever the customer need/ we’ll make a plan that is completely
professionally executed.”

Maverick up for challenge

Jacques Bester, a farmer from the Moorreesburg District confirmed this wholeheartedly. “When I approached Leon from Maverick Motorsport with a relatively complex, multi-faceted conversion request their immediate answer was “no problem”. I had some lingering doubts but they were
totally unfounded. The end result was more than I could ever have hoped for and the “new” machine has made a real difference to how I manage the farm,” he says.

The following modifications were made:
* Lockable gun box that doubles as a roof and shooting cushion
* Centre-mounted gun holder for quick reaction
* Height and width adjustable spray boom to spray fences and wheat crop. This is foldable and has breakaway action.
* Working and LED light for night work.
* Height-adjustable shooting bar.
* An extra seat to carry extra passengers.

“Polaris takes utility to max”

“The Polaris Ranger takes the meaning of ‘utility’ vehicle to the max. It’s now a pick-up, spray rig and hunting unit,” Bester said and adds that, apart the added convenience, there has been significant savings “. This machine now does what it would have taken three separate units to do and, being able to get into the wet crops, saving on the expense of getting an aircraft to do it!”

Another modification, this time on a Polaris Ranger EV (electronic vehicle) was for a customer whose business is to prevent Rhino poaching.

E-Hunting with Polaris Ranger

Again, the customer, who cannot be named for security reasons, was over the moon. He said to Leon: “The ‘ E-hunter’ is marvellous – this is really a professional job you have done, and we appreciate it. This will help us enormously in saving Rhinos!”

And there’s more! Maverick Motorsport equipped a Polaris Ranger used on a cheetah rehabilitation farm with a roof that doubles as a work platform. LED lights and a work light was added for night work.

 Another was equipped with special bags for binoculars and books to be used during sightseeing trips. And yet another Ranger 570 working on a flower farm was kitted with a game conversion, as a special favour to the customer. MM converted the customer’s own trailer into a personnel carrier, to enable them to take more guests to view their Proteas.

“It’s all about customer service,” says Polaris S.A. distributor Smith Power Equipment’s Mark Chittenden. “It’s obvious that Maverick Motorsports is giving their customer an extraordinary proactive service that they can be proud of. It is so important to be a ‘maverick’ and to do extra creative things for one’s customers in these challenging economic times,” he concluded.