SWB Motorsport

A trip in the countryside with a difference?!

Jump in the back of one of our fleet of modern CVRT tanks for the best fun you'll have this side of the driver's seat!

We'll kit you out in a camo jacket, helmet and some ear defenders ready for a quick briefing and then in you go, jump into the back of 8 tons of Britain's finest tracked machinery!

You'll be able to see out of the top, maybe even stand in the turret or the best seat in the house - the commander's position. Wherever you are, this is an amazing ride in a very capable, tracked armoured vehicle that will take your breath away, they don't hang about!

Alvis CVR(T) Spartan Tank

This is what we affectionately call the ‘sports tank’! The reason behind this being the engine and performance of this 8-ton beast… The engine is straight out of the Jaguar E-Type! A 4.2 litre, 6-cylinder petrol engine giving out over 200 horsepower. It propels this aluminium fabricated APC to well over 50mph!

With a semi-automatic gearbox with 7 forward and reverse gears (yes, that means it’ll do 50+ mph backwards too!) it’s got fingertip steering controls and even a separate braking system due to its phenomenal performance. With room in the back for only half the passengers of its big brother, the FV432, the Spartan is designed for speed and agility and not brute force.

Participant Guidelines

• Minimum age: 12
• Fitness/Health: You should be in reasonable health and able to climb in and out of the vehicle. This experience is not suitable for those with epilepsy, heart complaints or pregnant ladies
• Please note: anyone deemed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted to participate
• The experience content, equipment used and restrictions may vary

Go off-roading in military-style

Go off-roading in military style. You’ll take the controls of the Leyland DAF 45/150. Your absolute beast of a truck weighs in at just over 6 tonnes, so you’ll know all about the power coming up from that huge diesel engine. Fully kitted out in your safety gear, your instructor will show you the ropes before you put those special tyres through their paces across the tricky terrain. Simple to drive, you’ll have mastered the clutch and amazing power steering in no time.

The most versatile vehicle in the fleet, these trucks are exceptionally capable over all terrains. We even let you lose in them on our off-road course so that’s a sign of how confident we are in their ability! The DAF ‘4 Tonner’ (So-called due to its load capacity) is available in many different guises including, tankers, cranes and troop carriers. Ours are set up as troop carriers with specially designed seating systems designed by the army to seat 14 troops/passengers safely. Come and have a go if you think you’re ready!

What's included

• Take the Leyland Daf for a run
• Test the capabilities through tricky manoeuvres
• Guidance and safety briefing from your instructor

Participant Guidelines

• Minimum age: 18
• Minimum height: 4ft 6in
• Maximum height: 6ft 4in
• Weight should be in proportion to your height
• Fitness/Health: You should be in reasonable health and able to climb in and out of the vehicle. This experience is not suitable for those with epilepsy, heart complaints or pregnant ladies
• Please note: anyone deemed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted to participate
• The experience content, equipment used and restrictions may vary

The truck of all trucks when it comes to off-road

The brand new MAN SV is the truck of all trucks when it comes to off-road. With 325bhp, a 12 speed automatic and adaptive gearbox, lockable front, rear, centre and cross diffs, it really is top dog. With a payload of 6 tonnes, space for 3 people in the air-conditioned cab in serious comfort with air-suspended seats, it’s everything a new recruit could possibly want!

Participant Guidelines

• Minimum age: 18
• Minimum height: 4ft 6in
• Maximum height: 6ft 4in
• Weight should be in proportion to your height
• Fitness/Health: You should be in reasonable health and able to climb in and out of the vehicle. This experience is not suitable for those with epilepsy, heart complaints or pregnant ladies
• Please note: anyone deemed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted to participate
• The experience content, equipment used and restrictions may vary

SWB Motorsport has organised military vehicle experience days since 2016. Our site is home to the Alvis CVR(T) Spartan: light, nimble beasts affectionately referred to as the ‘sports tanks’!

In our Tank Drive Experience, you will have the opportunity to drive one first-hand!

Alvis CVR(T) Spartan Tank

This is what we affectionately call the ‘sports tank’! The reason behind this being the engine and performance of this 8-ton beast… The engine is straight out of the Jaguar E-Type! A 4.2 litre, 6-cylinder petrol engine giving out over 200 horsepower. It propels this aluminium fabricated APC to well over 50mph!

With a semi-automatic gearbox with 7 forward and reverse gears (yes, that means it’ll do 50+ mph backwards too!) it’s got fingertip steering controls and even a separate braking system due to its phenomenal performance. With room in the back for only half the passengers of its big brother, the FV432, the Spartan is designed for speed and agility and not brute force.

Participant Guidelines

• Minimum age: 18
• Minimum height: 5ft
• Maximum height: 6ft 4in
• Weight should be in proportion to your height
• Fitness/Health: You should be in reasonable health and able to climb in and out of the vehicle. This experience is not suitable for those with epilepsy, heart complaints or pregnant ladies
• Please note: anyone deemed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted to participate
• The experience content, equipment used and restrictions may vary

Dads and lads, Mums and Daughters, Couples, Enemies… As long as there’s two of you, come for a go at firing a tank as well as driving it! (Passenger/Gunner minimum age is 12, Driver is 18 with full UK Licence)

One of you will drive and the other is in the gunner’s position, The driver will have to navigate the course and try to help the gunner to line-up the target. It’s then the gunner’s turn to step up and load the 76mm gun in our Scorpion and then turn the turret and use the sights to aim at the target before finally pulling the trigger to fire! 3 Goes at the target are yours to see how close you can get. The driver will then have to try and get you out of the vicinity before the enemy realise they’ve been engaged!

If you’d both like to have a go at driving and then firing, this is possible too however everyone driving must be over 18 with a current UK driving licence. You’ll both get to aim and fire the gun 3 times at the target and both get to drive this amazing machine for approximately 30 mins inc firing.

The Dennis Sabre was the leading fire engine up until the early 2000s. Built entirely from scratch as a fire engine, it is still regarded as the Rolls Royce of fire appliances and still beats many modern appliances in performance and handling.

Powered by a mighty Cummins 8.2 litre engine, turbocharged with around 250bhp, this beast will beat the speed limits on the motorway easily as well as out-accelerate some modern saloon cars! At around 12 tonnes fully laden with 1500 litres of water, these statistics are no mean feat.

The 20-minute driving experience involves racing to an emergency call and making a set of challenging manoeuvres, especially our ‘brick wall test’.

With no power steering and an old fashioned gearbox, the Bedford ‘Green Goddess’ is a 1950’s fire engine that stood the tests of time only being decommissioned in 2004! Built not as a fire engine primarily, the RLHZ was to be ready for pumping water into major towns and cities if ‘the bomb dropped’ during the cold war.

A pump capable of putting modern fire engines to shame, the Godiva pump driven by her engine is capable of shifting 900 gallons (4500 litres) of water every minute!

In the beginning…

SWB Motorsport has organised military vehicle experience days since 2016. Our site is home to some of the best army vehicles available to drive!

Bedford MJ Experience

…there was the Bedford MJ, well, in our collection anyway! The Bedford is where our era starts and you can really tell the difference between this and the two newer generations of army truck we have. No power steering, NO automatic gearbox, NO air conditioning! This is trucking in the raw! A fantastic swing back to the 70's and 80's in one of our Bedford MJ flatbeds.

They carried 4 tons, just like their younger replacement, the DAF 45/150 but they have such character. Come and test your arms out on this great truck, either as a novice who is looking to go back in time or indeed as a trip down memory lane! 20-25 minutes driving with various obstacles etc to make it tons of fun, 6 tons to be precise!

Participant Guidelines

• Minimum age: 18
• Minimum height: 4ft 6in
• Maximum height: 6ft 4in
• Weight should be in proportion to your height
• Fitness/Health: You should be in reasonable health and able to climb in and out of the vehicle. This experience is not suitable for those with epilepsy, heart complaints or pregnant ladies
• Please note: anyone deemed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted to participate

The experience content, equipment used and restrictions may vary

Are you ready to drive three of our most powerful vehicles?

For the truly immersive experience, try our three-vehicle combination which includes the Alvis CVR(T) Spartan Tank, the Leyland DAF 45/150 and the Dennis Sabre XL Fire Engine.

Alvis CVR(T) Spartan Tank

This is what we affectionately call the ‘sports tank’! The reason behind this being the engine and performance of this 8-ton beast… The engine is straight out of the Jaguar E-Type! A 4.2 litre, 6-cylinder petrol engine giving out over 200 horsepower. It propels this aluminium fabricated APC to well over 50mph!

With a semi-automatic gearbox with 7 forward and reverse gears (yes, that means it’ll do 50+ mph backwards too!) it’s got fingertip steering controls and even a separate braking system due to its phenomenal performance. With room in the back for only half the passengers of its big brother, the FV432, the Spartan is designed for speed and agility and not brute force.

Leyland DAF 45/150

Go off-roading in military-style. You’ll take the controls of the Leyland DAF 45/150. Your absolute beast of a truck weighs in at just over 6 tonnes, so you’ll know all about the power coming up from that huge diesel engine. Fully kitted out in your safety gear, your instructor will show you the ropes before you put those special tyres through their paces across the tricky terrain. Simple to drive, you’ll have mastered the clutch and amazing power steering in no time.

The most versatile vehicle in the fleet, these trucks are exceptionally capable over all terrains. We even let you lose in them on our off-road course so that’s a sign of how confident we are in their ability! The DAF ‘4 Tonner’ (So-called due to its load capacity) is available in many different guises including, tankers, cranes and troop carriers. Ours is set up as troop carriers with specially designed seating systems designed by the army to seat 14 troops/passengers safely. Come and have a go if you think you’re ready!

Dennis Sable XL Fire Engine

The Dennis Sabre was the leading fire engine up until the early 2000s. Built entirely from scratch as a fire engine, it is still regarded as the Rolls Royce of fire appliances and still beats many modern appliances in performance and handling.

Powered by a mighty Cummins 8.2 litre engine, turbocharged with around 250bhp, this beast will beat the speed limits on the motorway easily as well as out-accelerate some modern saloon cars! At around 12 tonnes fully laden with 1500 litres of water, these statistics are no mean feet.

This driving experience involves racing to an emergency call and making a set of challenging maneouvres, especially our ‘brick wall test’

Come and drive our amazing Dennis Sabre fire engine with its 8.2 litre, 250+ BHP, turbocharged diesel engine through our various different challenges and then take a trip back into the mid 50's where our instructor will take you around some of our 350 acre WW2 bomber station in one of our Bedford green goddesses.

These wonderful old ladies are the oldest members of the fleet currently from 1956. The petrol engine, wooden cab but with a pumping capacity pretty much as good as its red counterpart, the goddess just has that certain something about her!

Crew up together for this airport fire tender driving and fire fighting experience for two!

This immaculate Alvis RIV fire truck has all the power, hoses and water onboard that you need to drive to the fire - and put it out - on these fun experiences at Bicester Heritage.

These fire tenders were primarily built by Alvis to be in attendance at military airfields. They are surprisingly quick for a hefty appliance, living up their moniker RIV (Rapid Intervention Vehicle). Capable of carrying 2275l water and 150l of fuel, the truck can reach 0-80kph in 23 seconds, as the 9 litre V6 turbo engine whizzes down the tarmac to attend to an emergency landing on the runway.

This Alvis fire tender is in tip-top condition and was demobbed from the MoD with very few miles on the clock. It now has a new lease of life giving you a fantastic insight into being a firefighter, with the opportunity to drive it and get those hefty hoses working too.

So open those big, wide doors and hop into the cab into the driving seat. As the engine roars into life, get the sirens and lights going and you’re off on your call out. After tackling some tricky driving manoeuvres, you’re on the scene.

It’s time to hand over to your crew mate who’ll be taking control of the incident. The first task is to get the roof-mounted hose (called the monitor) going. The aim is to dampen the ground beyond the flames, to stop the fire spreading out of control. Pumping out over 1000l/minute it’s pretty impressive!

Next task is to identify the fire’s hot spots. This is done with the aid of a thermal camera. Then you'll need to set about extinguishing the fire, using the hand-held hoses. With a pressure of around 40 bar you’ll need to be steady on your feet for this bit. And to give you an idea of the force at your fingertips, your typical shower head has around 1 bar of pressure!

Our top airport fire tender driving tip : if you both want to have a go at both driver and firefighter roles, go for the extended two-driver voucher, which gives you time at the wheel and on the hoses.