John Deere 8R 410: Real oomph!

Thanks to the collaboration with BMW Designworks in California, the new 8R is easy to spot with its boxy roof, daytime running lights and colourcoded mirrors; it's just a shame the size of the mirror glass seems to have been sacrificed as part of the styling makeover. In contrast, if you look at the big mudguard extensions from behind, you'll notice that no functionality has been lost here.

Twin turbos and 9.0 litres

Take a peek under the easy-to-open bonnet and you'll discover the latest generation 8R gets the familiar DPS six-cylinder, 9.0-litre motor. The 8R 370 and range-topper 8R 410 both have twin turbos, while the three smaller models (8R 280, 8R 310 and 8R 340) have just the one, albeit a variable geometry unit. Instead of the variator used for altering the fan speed on the older Stage IV engine 8R, the new range returns to a viscous fan design. Perhaps an adjustable blade fan such as the Hägele Cleanfix, as found in the X9 combines, would be even more efficient.

On the latest generation 8R, the ancillaries such