If you have a need to traverse some rough terrain without buying a purpose-built vehicle, the usual compromise is road-going 4X4s , but they’re exactly that: a compromise. A product called “Track N Go” may change that.

While it’s a real marvel to see the system in motion (make sure to watch the video below), what’s on offer here is pretty simple: an enclosed track system which uses the rotation of a car’s wheel to turn a track, giving the car a larger surface area to move over undesirable terrain.

Obviously this needs to be a solid piece of engineering to get the job done. The entire Track N Go system is compromised of four separate units, one for each wheel of a regular car. The car needs to be mounted on top of the pieces by using a ramp, the required locking mechanisms are, well, locked, and you’re off to conquer the land. You will need to fiddle with hubs which sit over the rim of the wheels, however.

Not only does AD Boivin Inc. claim that you can get these installed in around 15 minutes, but the versatility to move the system between vehicles and remove them quickly is the real gem here. Versatility is key.

But, now for the bad news. There’s a “vehicle requirements” section on their site which your chosen car will need to meet to make the system work properly. There’s also no direct price listed for you to buy yourself a set if you feel so inclined, and you’ll need to fill out a quotation to get one. We’d like to fill one out and get back to you, but we’d have to falsify some details. If we do get a solid rand (or dollar) amount, we’ll update the story.

More bad news is that the company currently doesn’t have a distributor in South Africa, so getting it here will be a mission. And, while all the advertising seems to show that it works great in snow, the FAQ section does mention that it “works very well in the sand”, which is good news for places like Namibia and its sand dunes.