Land Rover re-ignites spirit of adventure with epic challenges
LAND ROVER is re-igniting the spirit of adventure which so characterised the brand in its early days.
The Solihull-based company, whose vehicles are renowned for tackling some of the harshest terrains on earth, is mounting an expedition which will pit its new products against one of the toughest landscapes in the world.
It sees the company attempting to set the fastest recorded time for a land vehicle crossing of the ‘Empty Quarter’ – one of the harshest and most challenging desert environments on the planet, using a standard production Range Rover Sport.
In the days running up to the challenge last minute checks are being made, with the challenge vehicle being prepped at the start line in Wadi Adda Wasir, Saudi Arabia. The route will run from there towards the finish line on the border of the United Arab Emirates, a distance of over 1,000km – further than the length of France.
The driver will be Moi Torrallardona, a 47 year-old Spanish off-road racer with extensive experience of the Dakar Rally, in which he competed for 10 successive years with a best finish of sixth overall.
A dangerously arid climate with no reliable water sources and an ever-shifting terrain, the Empty Quarter in the Arabian Peninsula is said to be one of the most treacherous terrains man and machine could face. The driving conditions will be incredibly harsh, with temperatures of over 50°C in the day and towering sand dunes stretching 850ft into the air.
The Range Rover Sport will be production-spec, challenging a terrain where usually only specialist sand vehicles are found. Torrallardona will be exercising its capabilities to the limit in the process.
The challenge vehicle is due to be displayed at the Dubai Motor Show on November 5, together with a short documentary of the record attempt.
Elsewhere, Land Rover Global Brand Ambassador and Polar explorer Ben Saunders, left, and fellow adventurer Tarka L’Herpiniere are currently attempting a new world record for an expedition on foot from Scott’s Hut, Antarctica to the South Pole and back.
At 1,800 miles it will be the longest unsupported polar journey in history and the first completion of Captain Scott’s iconic but ill-fated 1910-12 Terra Nova expedition.
Saunders’ Land Rover Discovery has played a vital part in assisting his training, which has taken place in hard to reach places of the UK, Europe and Greenland. The preparation for the expedition also included the use of the Cold Climate Chamber at Jaguar Land Rover. The chamber is an integral part of the development of all Jaguar Land Rover Products.
