The Challenge
The Land Rover G4
Challenge is the ultimate global adventure. Unfolding amid both remote areas of
outstanding natural beauty and dramatic cityscapes, the five-week Challenge will
be the adventure of a lifetime for the sixteen young men and women who are
selected to compete on behalf of their home countries in 2003.
Named G4 primarily because it comprises four consecutive global stages, each
in a different time zone; the annual Land Rover G4 Challenge focuses on 4x4
driving skills and features each one of the four Land Rover models. From New
York to Quebec, Cape Town to Durban, Sydney into the Outback and Moab to Las
Vegas, bi-national teams will battle it out through a mix of extreme off road
driving and a variety of demanding adventure challenges in a bid to take home
the inaugural title.
The Land Rover G4 Challenge is as much a test of initiative, strategic thinking
and team spirit as physical fitness, sporting skills and driving ability. The
scoring system is designed to test every aspect of the Adventurers characters,
and as well as striving for individual success, they will also have to
demonstrate their flexibility as bi-national team players by working with a
different team mate during each Challenge stage.
In line with Land Rovers stated objective of inspiring and creating adventure
for everyone, entry to the Challenge is free and open to ordinary people with a
thirst for adventure. Through a rigorous recruitment and selection process, by
the end of 2002, thousands of applications will be whittled down to just two
shortlisted applicants per country who will both go through to an intensive
international training and selection event to decide who takes the driving seat
for the Challenge itself in March 2003.
Over nearly 10 000 exhausting yet exhilarating Challenge kilometres across
daunting terrain, competitors will swim, climb, run, ride mountain bikes and
paddle kayaks as well as driving their Land Rover vehicles to reach
pre-specified locations, each with a given number of points. The winner; the
competitor whose strategy has amassed them the highest number of points over the
four Stages, will drive away in a new Range Rover with the inaugural title.
Winners or not, all 16 selected competitors who compete in the Land Rover G4
Challenge can be sure to find real adventure, challenge their comfort zones and
return home with a different view of themselves and their abilities.
SCORING SYSTEM
The Land Rover G4 Challenge is not a race, or a rally, or even simply a
navigation exercise. The scoring system has been designed specifically to test
the combination of physical ability, skill and brain power of the competitors.
The Challenge, however, is about more than winning. It gives people who lead
ordinary lives the opportunity of a once in a lifetime experience - and the
chance to represent their home country. While everyone will be out to win,
taking part is all. At the finish line, there wont only be prizes for the
winning team and individual, but also for those who demonstrated the best
spirit of adventure and team work throughout the Challenge.
The Land Rover G4 Challenge offers adventurers the opportunity to use their
heads as much as their physical ability. Each bi-national team collects points
by visiting a variety of pre-identified locations, marked by ovals, in each
stage. Ovals are placed in a wide variety of locations - some easy to reach,
others much harder, but all places of interest or natural beauty. Many ovals
will be close to the shortest route between two overnight stops, while others
may be well off the beaten track, only accessible by foot, mountain bike or
kayak! All the teams will be supplied with a location directory at the start
of each Challenge stage, which details all the ovals on the route and their
respective points values.
Teams are comprised of two people, who will invariably have culturally diverse
backgrounds as they will come from different nations. At the start of each
Challenge Stage, competitors will choose their partners completely at random,
forming new two-person teams for each of the four time zones. This competitive
format tests each competitors team working and communication skills to the
limit, as they will need to quickly establish trust and rapport with their
chosen partner in order to compete successfully. Because points scored as a team
will contribute to the individual standings, competitors must continually
balance their own interests against those of their team.
The key to scoring maximum points will be in identifying the location markers
that best suit the collective talent within the team, especially as some of them
can only be reached using specific skills such as skiing or abseiling. By
developing a strategy and deciding beforehand which location markers to aim for,
teams can strike a balance between driving to relatively simple low-scoring
locations, and expending valuable effort in reaching difficult yet high-scoring
locations.
During the pre-Challenge briefing, each competitor will be issued with an oval
metal key, unique to their country, which clicks into place when placed over the
location markers out on the Challenge route. Once a competitor fits their key
into a location marker and rotates it into place, a sequence of numbers becomes
visible. These numbers are then relayed by satellite phone to the Challenge
competitions team, confirming the team has visited that specific location, and
to grant them the relevant number of points. A different number sequence is
generated for each key, and for each location marker, ensuring competitors can
only report number sequences for locations they actually visited.
The teams will drive a different Land Rover model for each Challenge stage
although a second vehicle will always follow the team to ensure they are abiding
by the rules and competing safely. The second vehicle, driven by a competitions
staff support driver, will carry spare parts, extra equipment and possibly even
members of the media. It will not actually take part in any challenges, but will
always be on stand-by should any problems arise.
The Locations
Dates: Sunday, March 30
2003 - Thursday, April 3 2003
The Land Rover G4 Challenge starts amid the hustle and bustle of one of the most
cosmopolitan places on earth: New York City. Teams will engage in urban
challenges around the famous Central Park, surrounded by 250 acres of lawn with
the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop.
Leaving behind the Big Apple, the teams will travel northwards, up the sweeping
eastern seaboard of the USA.
Five days after setting out from New York City in their Land Rover Freelanders,
the teams will arrive at the end of the first stage in Quebec. They will have
covered up to 1000 miles.
Dates: Monday, April 7
2003 - Monday, April 14 2003
Exchanging the chill of the Canadian spring for the vibrant atmosphere and
moderate temperatures of Cape Town in autumn, teams arrive in South Africa to
begin the second stage of the Land Rover G4 Challenge. An awesome urban
challenge is planned for the famous Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, where the
drama will unfold in front of the familiar face of Table Mountain.
From Cape Town the teams wind their way through some of the best vineyards in
the world, and head eastward towards the Great Karoo desert. From this arid
area, known for its ostrich farms, the route takes teams into the mystical
mountain kingdom of Lesotho.
Land Rover Defenders will be used during the South African stage, which takes
the competitors through some of the most punishing terrain imaginable. Owing to
its natural diversity, ranging from desert to beachfront and savannah to
mountain, South Africa is often referred to as a world in one country, a truly
adventurous location for the intrepid competitors striving to win in the Land
Rover G4 Challenge.
Dates: Thursday, April 17
2003 - Wednesday, April 23 2003
The Australian stage, number three in the Challenge, takes the teams from
fashionable Sydney into the vast Australian Outback.
The majority of the Australian showdown will take place in New South Wales and
Victoria, where the teams will drive Land Rovers highly acclaimed new Range
Rover through terrain that is as challenging as it is beautiful.
The ground covered during this stage is, quite simply, breathtaking, and will
certainly leave an indelible imprint on the hearts and minds of competitors and
spectators alike.
Dates: Monday, April 28
2003 - Friday, May 2 2003
Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Moab - the places that fall into
the fourth and final stage of the Land Rover G4 Challenge read like an exotic
holiday brochure. There will certainly be no lack of awe-inspiring backdrops for
the Land Rover G4 Challenge teams when they brave the West Coast of the USA.
The stage starts in Utahs Moab - famous as a hangout for Butch Cassidys Wild
Bunch in the 1800s - and follows a westerly course towards the City of Lights -
Las Vegas.
Land Rovers recently launched new Discovery will be the choice of vehicle for
the teams during this stage, and it will be a Land Rover Discovery in which the
winner of the Land Rover G4 Challenge will cross the finish line on Friday, May
2 2003.
The Vehicles
For over 50 years, Land
Rover has been building the worlds leading 4x4s: The lavishly appointed yet
tough the new Range Rover, the undeniably legendary Defender, the new Discovery
and the award-winning SUV, Freelander. The Land Rover G4 Challenge will
exclusively feature these vehicles, and competitors will use a different Land
Rover for each Challenge stage.
Support teams, such as medical personnel, film crews and Challenge competitions
staff will also make use of Land Rovers. All vehicles that take part in the Land
Rover G4 Challenge are built to standard specification, although additional
equipment has been fitted to them all, in preparation for the extreme off-road
challenges they and the teams will face. In some cases certain luxury items,
normally fitted in the factory, have been deleted.
All the Challenge vehicles feature a unique and vibrant paint colour, Tangiers
Orange, which has been specially developed for the Challenge.
Additional equipment for each vehicle includes roof lamps, winches, GPS modules,
first aid kits and much more. Essentially, however, the Challenge vehicles are
no different to the vehicles encountered in the local Land Rover dealer
showroom. They are of the same proven construction, with no structural or
mechanical refinements.
Freelander
The Freelander, which will
be the Land Rover G4 Challenge teams primary mode of transport during
the East Coast USA stage, is the most car-like of Land Rovers vehicles. It is
an award-winning SUV that raised more than a few eyebrows when it joined the
fray in 1997. Since its inception the baby Land Rover has proven itself as
worthy of the legendary green oval badge. It astounded seasoned off-road drivers
and novices alike with its impressive overland prowess, and serves as proof that
advanced technology has a place off-road. This vehicle is equally at home on the
highway, as it is negotiating steep, adrenaline pumping terrain. All of which
makes it the ideal vehicle to brave the congested traffic of New York City, the
easy, yet impressive terrain of the USAs eastern seaboard, and the challenging
routes of the Appalachian Mountains.
When the Freelander was first launched, designer Jerry McGoverns styling proved
a big hit. Suddenly, Land Rover had the worlds best-selling 4x4 in its stable.
The latest incarnation of the Freelander may look similar to the ground-breaking
model originally launched in 1997, but around 25% of the parts used are
different. Styling has also received some attention, with new body colours and
alloy wheels, among other minor refinements.
One of the biggest developments for the new Freelander was the addition of a 2.5
V6 engine, which offers 50% more power than the already capable 1.8 used in the
past. This engine took more than two years to develop, but the end result is
simply stunning. It has 170 kW of power on tap at 6 250 rpm, and 240 Nm of
torque available at 4 000 rpm. Additionally, this torque is available through
most of the rev range, resulting in an engine that has massive pulling power at
almost any engine speed.
Expecting any 4x4 to handle off-road equally as well as it does on the road is
asking a great deal. Creating sheer driving enjoyment was one of Land Rovers
objectives for the new Freelander, and this was achieved by integrating a number
of systems to create a vehicle that is agile, yet supple enough to tackle any
obstacle. The synergy between technologies such as Electronic Traction Control
(ETC), four-channel ABS and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) is what
creates the indefinable thrill of driving a Freelander.
For extreme off-road conditions,
the ETC system is combined with ABS to create Land Rovers unique Hill Descent
Control (HDC) system. This device acts as a virtual low range gear when tackling
extreme downhill gradients. The ETC system also moves power from wheels that
have lost traction to those that have grip, allowing the Freelander to climb
steep inclines easily. With all this technology doing the hard work, the driver
can relax and enjoy the view.
Freelander 5-door 2.5 V6: Specifications
Engine
Capacity 2 497 cc
Number of Cylinders 6
Bore and Stroke 80.0 mm x 82.8 mm
Compression Ratio 10:5:1
Maximum Power 130 kW (177 Ps) @ 6 250 rpm
Maximum Torque 240 Nm @ 4 000 rpm
Combined Fuel Economy 14.4 l/100km (22.7 mpg )
Acceleration 0 - 60 mph 10.1 s
Top speed 113 mph (182 kph)
Dimensions and Capabilities
Length 4 447 mm
Height 1 767 mm
Width 2 071 mm
Turning Circle (kerb-to-kerb) 11.6 m
Departure Angle 33.9 degrees
Ramp Angle 158 degrees
Approach Angle 30.5 degrees
Wading depth 400 mm
Unladen Weight 1 626 kg
Suspension, steering and Brakes
Suspension Front Independent: MacPherson strut, lower arms, coil springs and
anti-roll bar
Suspension Rear Independent: Macpherson strut, trapezoidal link, coil springs
Steering type Rack and Pinion (power assisted)
Brakes Front 277 mm Discs
Brakes Rear 254 mm Drums
ABS 4-channel anti-lock system
Safety Twin front airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, driver seatbelt load
limiter, integral rollover cage, diagonal side intrusion beams
Discovery
With more than 700
refinements made over its most recent predecessor, the latest Land Rover
Discovery represents the pinnacle in innovative design and capability. It is
clearly well-adapted for the fourth and final stage in the Land Rover G4
Challenge, which starts at Moab in Utah, and ends in Las Vegas. The landscape in
between paints a vivid picture of the latest Discoverys go-anywhere attitude.
The twin-pocket front headlights may be the most noticeable change in the new
Land Rover Discovery, but under the skin, a wealth of other enhancements have
been made, to ensure that Discovery remains unbeaten as the worlds top
do-anything 4x4. The interior has been refined, and while it retains the
versatility and practicality of the past, it now adds new levels of comfort that
complement Discoverys unquestioned off-road prowess.
With the addition of Land Rover Dynamic Control Systems - in particular Active
Cornering Enhancement (ACE) and Self-Levelling Suspension (SLS), four-channel
anti-lock brakes (ABS), Electronic Traction Control (ETC) and Electronic Brake
force Distribution (EBD), Discovery has become a vehicle that combines car-like
qualities on the road with class-leading off-road ability. It has been designed
to provide safety, ease of operation, ultimate control, and freedom from
normality.
Despite its 4x4 system and extremely powerful V8 engine, Discovery can feel
deceivingly nimble in town. The responsive steering and well-balanced suspension
add to this feeling. Throw in Land Rovers unique command driving position and
the flexible and responsive engine, and it becomes clear why the new Discovery
commands so much attention from so many diverse owners.
Driving a Discovery on-road requires almost no effort, and taking it off the
beaten track leaves even the driver with enough time to enjoy the scenery.
During the Land Rover G4 Challenge, Discovery will take competitors from Moab to
Las Vegas, passing mesas and intimidating deserts on the way. However, the power
from the 4.0 litre V8 engine, together with the almost imperceptible changes
from the five-speed automatic transmission, should ensure a safe and enjoyable
journey, despite the competitive pressures of the Challenge. The V8 delivers 136
kW of power at 4 750 rpm, with peak torque of 340 Nm coming at only 2 600 rpm.
Discovery 4.4 V8: Specifications
Engine
Capacity 3 950 cc
Number of Cylinders 8
Bore and Stroke 94 mm x 71.12 mm
Compression Ratio 9.38:1
Maximum Power 136 kW (184 Ps) @ 4 750 rpm
Maximum Torque 340 Nm @ 2 600 rpm
Combined Fuel Economy 16.7 l/100 km (16.9 mpg)
Acceleration 0 - 60 mph 11.9 s (0-100 kph 12.8 s)
Top speed 170 kph (106 mph)
Dimensions and Capabilities
Length 4 705 mm
Height 1 940 mm (at standard ride height)
Width 2 190 mm
Turning Circle (kerb-to-kerb) 11.9 m
Departure Angle 25 degrees
Ramp Angle 126 degrees
Approach Angle 30 degrees
Wading depth 500 mm
Unladen Weight 2 750 kg
Suspension, steering and Brakes
Suspension Front Panhard Rod with Dampers and ACE
Suspension Rear Self-levelling with longitudinal radius arms, Watts linkage and
dampers
Steering type Worm and Roller (power assisted)
Brakes Front Ventilated Discs
Brakes Rear Solid Discs
ABS 4-channel
Safety Driver and Passenger Airbag, ABS, EBD, ETC
Defender
Over the last 50 years,
Land Rovers definitive off-road vehicle, the Defender, has proven itself in
some of the harshest environments this planet has to offer. Tried and tested,
the Defender was the obvious choice for the challenging terrain of the Land
Rover G4 Challenge South African stage. The exact vehicle to be used in the
Challenge is based on the Defender 110, utilising the Td5 turbo diesel engine.
The Defenders design is one of brilliant simplicity. The vehicle has a rigid
chassis, with sturdy axles that articulate underneath. Defender is trusted by
people that demand the most off-road, and is unrivalled in strength, ability and
reliability.
One of the Defenders key abilities is to tackle any obstacle. It is truly
equally at home on a sheet of ice in the Arctic, as it is on the muddy banks of
a river in Borneo. The vehicle is sure-footed and unstoppable whether climbing
high altitude mountain trails (such as those the Challenge teams will encounter
in Lesotho), crossing desert sands or deep-wading through rivers. Where there is
a challenge, Defender delivers.
Even the very steepest slopes are within the Defenders capabilities. Extremely
efficient engine braking allows the vehicle to descend slopes of even 45 degrees
at walking pace, and when the need to stop arises, Challenge competitors can be
confident in the knowledge that the Defenders powerful handbrake will lock the
entire transmission train to hold everything firm.
While the Defender is well equipped to cope with severe cold, Land Rover G4
Challenge teams will be more worried about the African heat. However, efficient
engine temperature control and fuel management enables the Defender at least
will not be raising a sweat.
Thanks to the revolutionary new Td5 diesel engine, this iconic expedition
vehicle has even more pulling power than ever before. With 300 Nm of torque
available at only 1 950 rpm, it is little wonder that the Defender remains the
number one choice with adventurers everywhere. The state-of-the-art, electronic
high speed, direct injection design of the Td5 allows the Defender to retain its
position as a class-leading diesel vehicle. The intercooler-equipped engine
pumps out 90 kW of power at 4 200 rpm, and returns a combined fuel economy
figure of 26.9 mpg (10.5 l/100 km).
Defender 110 Td5: Specifications
Engine
Capacity 2 495 cc
Number of Cylinders 5
Bore and Stroke 84.5 mm x 89.0 mm
Compression Ratio 19:5:1
Maximum Power 90 kW (122 Ps) @ 4 200 rpm
Maximum Torque 300 Nm @ 1 950 rpm
Combined Fuel Economy 10.5 l/100km (26.9 mpg)
Acceleration 0 - 60 mph -
Top speed -
Dimensions and Capabilities
Length 4 631 mm
Height 2 076 mm
Width 1 790 mm
Turning Circle (kerb-to-kerb) 14.36 m
Departure Angle 34.3 degrees
Ramp Angle 152 degrees
Approach Angle 50 degrees
Wading depth 500 mm
Unladen Weight 2 950 kg
Suspension, steering and Brakes
Suspension Front Live beam axle, dual rate coil springs, telescopic hydraulic
dampers
Suspension Rear 3 050 kg live beam axle, multi-rate coil springs, telescopic
hydraulic dampers. A-frame.
Steering type Worm and roller (power assisted)
Brakes Front Discs
Brakes Rear Discs
ABS -
Safety Integral rollover cage
Range Rover
Under its skin, a new engine, suspension
design and transmission system set the new Range Rover apart from its
predecessor, while visually, the new vehicle is clearly an evolution of a
world-renowned design. It is as tough as nails, yet as smooth as silk. The new
Range Rover represents the ultimate in all-round ability and acceptance - the
vehicle seems to belong equally as well on a rocky incline as it does outside an
opera hall.
With an interior that puts many luxury sedans to shame, Range Rover offers
exceptional off-road abilities, without compromising on the finer things in
life. It combines rugged good looks with technological foundations, to create
one of the worlds ultimate driving machines, and it is in this environment of
tough luxury that Land Rover G4 Challenge competitors drive the inviting roads
and routes of Australia from Sydney to Darwin.
A sophisticated Electronic Air Suspension automatically selects the appropriate
ride height and firmness on the fly, and the new steel monocoque body with
integrated chassis gives the Range Rover class-leading torsional stiffness. The
result is unprecedented levels of ride quality and steering feel, coupled to
inch-perfect straight-line precision.
Like the Land Rover Freelander and Discovery, the Range Rover is equipped with
both Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Electronic Traction Control (ETC). In
addition, the new flagship also carries a Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) unit,
which counteracts sudden side-forces that could unsettle the vehicle, by briefly
transferring engine power to an opposite wheel. A torque-sensing centre
differential automatically locks when needed to prevent wheelspin, making the
new Range Rover one of the easiest vehicles to drive off-road, as well as one of
the most capable.
In the world of off-road driving, going slowly is all-important, especially when
negotiating steep inclines. HDC is Land Rovers answer, which, combined with
normal engine braking and low range gears, produces the lowest crawling speed of
any production 4x4.
The Range Rover is not so much a class leader as it is a setter of benchmarks.
There can be no question about its unrivalled on and off-road abilities and the
quality and design of its interior is unsurpassed in the 4x4 world. A host of
features, such as climate control, cruise control, power steering and much more
comes as standard equipment. It is, however, the fine attention to detail, that
really sets the new Range Rover apart from its competitors.
The quality of the interior materials is unsurpassed, while the craftsmanship
and fit and finish levels are equally impressive. The seats are ergonomically
designed to offer unmatched support in all the right places, while GPS
navigation lets you sit back and enjoy their luxury, confident in the knowledge
that the vehicle knows where you are.
As befits a vehicle of this stature, there is no shortage of engine power. The
4.4 litre V8 engine provides 210 kW of power at 5 400 rpm, with 440 Nm of torque
available at 3 600 rpm. The vehicle comes as standard with five-speed automatic
transmission, which will allow the Land Rover G4 adventurers some reprieve
during their trek across parts of Australia.
Range Rover 4.4 V8: Specifications
Engine
Capacity 4 398 cc
Number of Cylinders 8
Bore and Stroke 92 mm x 82.7 mm
Compression Ratio 10:1
Maximum Power 210 kW (282 Ps) @ 5 400 rpm
Maximum Torque 440 Nm @ 3 600 rpm
Combined Fuel Economy 16.2 l/100 km (17.4 mpg)
Acceleration 0 - 60 mph 9.0 s
Top speed 208 kph (130 mph)
Dimensions and Capabilities
Length 4 950 mm
Height 1 863 mm (at standard ride height)
Width 2 191 mm
Turning Circle (kerb-to-kerb) 11.6 m
Departure Angle 29 degrees
Ramp Angle 150 degrees
Approach Angle 35 degrees
Wading depth 500 mm
Unladen Weight 2 570 kg
Suspension, steering and Brakes
Suspension Front Electronic air suspension with variable ride height
Suspension Rear Electronic air suspension with variable ride height
Steering type Rack and Pinion (power assisted)
Brakes Front 344 mm Ventilated Discs
Brakes Rear 354 mm Solid Discs
ABS Bosch 5.3 4-channel
Safety Front, head and side impact airbags; head airbags for rear outboard
passengers; ABS; ETC; DSC and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
Information and photos reproduced from Land Rover Press release
