If any of you have looked at Euro trucks in Europe, you will know that many drivers over there bling their rigs up, just like Kenworth drivers do here.
Scania drivers appear to be at the top of the tree in doing this, but they are not alone. In fact many Euro manufacturers have a specialist division to help owners realise the truck of their dreams.
MAN Trucks is one, and Australian importer and distributor, Penske have grabbed the truck by its proverbial horns and let MAN Individual in Munich, Germany, as the specialist division is called – loose on a TGX 26.640, the big boy of the MAN range.
Sold to TNS Logistics out of the Port of Brisbane, the company kindly let Penske show the truck at the Brisbane Truck Show.
Derek Schroff of Penske kindly took me through the truck in detail and there is certainly a lot to like.
The package is called Lion S and TNS have called the truck ‘Lionheart’ to reflect its heritage. All components are genuine OEM apart from driving lights which are fitted locally due to ADRs.
The sides of the sleeper features three flutes to distinguish the truck and give it a more aggressive look. The truck has the MAN Black Optics Pack so all name badging is blacked out.
The mirrors have carbon fibre look covers and the wheels are genuine accessories with the fat steer tyres nicely filling in their arches.
At the front the cab is topped with a black OEM light bar with those aforementioned local spotties. There is also the individual Lion S sun visor which gives it a nice, sharp look at the top of the truck.
Moving down there are more black optics. On this particular truck the company left the chrome MAN badge and grille accent but on many of these packages they are also blacked out.
Personally, I would go for the chrome which pops, but hey, this is the Lion S. You have the choice.
Red accents highlight the grill flutes and there’s carbon fibre-like trim along the bottom of the truck and around the lower lights, giving a really distinct and sharp look.
Fuel tanks are colour-coded with very tasteful scrolling. The painted tanks also come from the factory.
Should TNS decide to enter ‘Lionheart’ into a truck show, it is going to save them a deal of chrome polishing. Finished in a classy cherry red, the truck has been tastefully scrolled without going over the top.
The customisation continues on the inside as well with colour coded trim around the air vents, leather wrapped steering wheel and the carpet edging.
The quilted leather seats with padded armrests (thank you MAN) are both heated and cooled, and in a neat twist (pun coming) the passenger seat swivels around (and there it is).
You can lift the base of this seat for added, and hidden storage. Its backrest also folds in half to create a cool table that you can eat of when sitting on the bed, which also boasts custom pillows and doona.
Other features are the unique to MAN Smart Select which is simply brilliant.
Flip back the cover and there is a dial (two actually – one under the other), similar to BMW’s iDrive which allow you to operate all the functions of the multimedia screen without touching it.
To quote from MAN owner, Volkswagen’s subsidiary, Skoda, it is ‘Simply Clever’. Brilliant, intuitive and why does no one else do this?
The Lion S is one schmick looking truck and whoever TNS put behind the wheel will be one very happy truckie.
I can see a ready market for this type of customisation.