Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor, takes to the fields in the latest big boy's toy
As much as we all love to get down and dirty, there's always been something "serious" among the landed set when dealing with off-road machinery.
Attempts to cajole them into admitting that it's great fun racing across fields, twisting and turning in the soggy ground, are dismissed as unprofessional. "We're far too busy to be up to such antics." Everything must have its utilitarian justification.
Suburban petrolheads have only their ride-on lawnmower to fulfil this fancy. But there's been a revolution of late, thanks to the hedonistic antics of certain petrolhead celebrities who have demonstrated to suburbia that it's okay to admit your flights of fancy. Big boys - and girls - can now freely race through the fields without the slightest hint of agrarian intent.
As more cityfolk take to the hills, their lack of practical training has sent several straight to the emergency rooms, notably Ozzie Osbourne whose recent tumble from trike-bike left him facing life-saving surgery.
Now the growing demand for sporting fun comes with more attention to safety. Enter the Amis-Kennedy. It's list of celebrity owners seems to be growing as many realise that coming a cropper on a quad bike may not gain them the same kudos as James Dean's passing in his Porsche.
Celeb petrolheads such as Rowan Atkinson and Prince Nasseem have AKs in their garages and Jamoriquai's Jay Kay has two. In Dubai, where money is no obstacle and cars are changed like socks, the firm sold out its stock after just one car show.
Basically it's a single-seat go-kart powered by various Honda engines, shod with oversize all-terrain wheels and encased in a roll cage. It's all very Mad Max.
On the soft rolling fields at Cutra Castle in Co Galway, the stacatto explosion of the 24bhp Honda engine breaks the silence. The setting for our encounter with the AK range couldn't be more appropriate. Parked at the front door of the castle, it looks every bit the boy's toy.
The top-of-the-range AK40 which we drove lacks nothing in punch. It's got disc brakes, go-kart style chassis and the all-important roll-cage. Automatic and with a 24 bhp engine, it can reach 70mph on a stiffened chassis with full suspension. We strap ourselves in and touch the accelerator. After a minute or two we have the feel of the pedals and are set for rough terrain.
This is raw and ready. The four protruding pieces of plastic that offer a cursory nod towards mudguards make little difference when you get into the wet stuff, and with ample power to the back wheels you can get the tail spinning out without any difficulty, casting a rainbow of mud around you.
The steering is a basic chain system and, in all AKs, the mechanics are obvious for all to see. A good lawnmower mechanic would be at home with them. But tugging on the small wheel with those over-size tyres embedded in the mud means there's plenty of physical exertion involved (perhaps there's a justification for purchase under the category of keep fit?)
We're accompanied on our cross-country treck by Dominic Gwynn-Jones, Irish agent for the AK range. After a quick tour ourselves, tugging on the heavy steering through the muddy ruts cut by farm machinery, our host takes the wheel. The AK40 screams into the distance before a tight u-turn, then back to us.
Suddenly, taking too sharp a turn on the dry grass, the kart tips over with a thump. Is this for our benefit - to prove the strength of the cage? The scene suggests it's for real, but the incident shows the benefits of the roll cage. Out climbs Dominic, none the worse for wear, the only dent perhaps being to his pride, along with a broken wing mirror and a cracked mudguard.
The range of karts starts with the AK10 designed for 4-7 year-olds and capable of 30mph.
It doesn't try to defy gravity but it's rugged enough to roll back onto all fours and carry on. We suspect that all the added extras such as wing mirrors and mud-guards would disappear within the first few months, leaving owners with the raw shell coated in mud. But that's exactly what they're looking for.
There's a growing market forthese "for fun" vehicles that feature more safety equipment than quad-bikes or treks. Several firms are now bringing them in here (another popular version is from Danish firm BoKart).
The problem is, with prices for adult models ranging from €5,000 to over €10,000, it's going to be hard to justify the spend to your more sensible half, unless you can find some way to tie a lawnmower onto the back.