The title of the award may be ‘Custom 4×4 of the Year’, but the public vote has been counted and a six-wheeler has beaten 11 other contenders to claim the coveted crown for 2023.

Callum and Nicole McDevitt’s Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain scored a total of 597 votes, clinching the win by just 12 votes ahead of Richard Swindel-Hurst’s Barra-powered FJ45 which ended up with 585 votes. Proving that six-wheelers are popular in the touring community, On Track’s Nissan Y62 Patrol 6×6 rounded out the podium with 446 votes.

The winning D-MAX X-Terrain underwent a significant transformation by Six Wheeler Conversions, where a third undriven axle was added beneath the chassis. The conversion included a two-inch lift and a Formula two-inch upgrade at the front to maintain balance.

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This extra axle redistributes 60 per cent of the vehicle’s rear weight over the rear drive axle, and the enhanced setup supports the extended canopy and additional tow-ball weight for a caravan. With six-wheel braking and a raised GVM of 4630kg (with a 4500kg towable capacity), the D-MAX achieved a GCM of 8130kg, allowing legal road use in Australia. CORE Off-Road then designed its first dual-axle-supported canopy to complete the project.

By being voted the 2023 Custom 4×4 of the Year, Callum and Nicole have won a MAXXIS Tyres voucher valued at $2000, an MSA 4×4 Accessories voucher valued at $500, and a MAXTRAX voucher valued at $500.

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A total of 3815 votes were tallied to find a winner, with one lucky voter plucked at random to win a suite of prizes which included a MAXXIS voucher valued at $1000, an MSA 4×4 Accessories voucher valued at $500, and a MAXTRAX voucher valued at $500. The lucky winner was Georgia from Victoria, who was rapt to accept the prizes.

“Wow, thankyou so much! My partner is heavily involved in the 4×4 industry. You may know of him, he has a pretty cool HiLux. Who knows, one day he might be lucky enough to feature in 4X4 Australia magazine,” Georgia said. “We actually just bought four brand new MAXXIS Razrs, but a few spares will be unreal before we head to Cape York in May. We absolutely love and support the 4×4 community.”

Thanks to everyone who voted, and congratulations to our winners!