2008/9 G4 Challenge and cancellation of the G4 Challenge
The 2008/9 Challenge was intended to be staged in Mongolia with selections events in 2008 and 2009 and the main event later in 2009. the event was billed as: "a thrilling three-week off-road driving and multi sport adventure in the wilds of Asia". 18 countries would have competed. However Land Rover announced the cancellation of the event on 18 December 2008 due to the current global financial situation. It is currently unclear if there will be future events.
"Given the severity of the global economic downturn and trading conditions, we need to make some tough decisions and that means prioritising our budgets on new product launches. We are disappointed for the competitors who have shown so much commitment and put tremendous effort into succeeding as representatives of their nation. We have and will continue to take swift and decisive actions for the benefit of the business; unfortunately that means the Land Rover G4 Challenge has to come to an early close." Phil Popham, Land Rover Managing Director [1]
The 2008/9 G4 Challenge event intended to focus in particular on strengthening Land Rover's links with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The next two G4 Challenge Events aimed to raise over £1 million for the charity. Despite the cancellation of the G4 Challenge both Land Rover and the Red Cross intend to continue their partnership:
"This relationship is something Land Rover highly values and we are proud that it helps to save lives. We will continue to build on the incredibly successful partnership we have with the International Federation and the funds generated to date prove this success" Phil Popham, Land Rover Managing Director [1]
"The International Federation's partnership with the Land Rover G4 Challenge has already had a substantial impact on the lives of vulnerable people in many countries and we are well ahead of the targets we set. We highly value the support we have received and look forward to strengthening relationships between Land Rover and national Red Cross Red Crescent Societies around the world." Paul Jenkins, on behalf of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies [1]
The 2009 G4 Challenge would have seen the introduction of several revisions to the previous Challenge composition. Land Rover announced a slight change to the team dynamics for the 2008/9 Challenge, there would be one male and one female competitor from each country competing as a team with their own team Land Rover against other participating countries. In the previous Challenges there had been one competitor per country, male or female and countries were not allocated their own Land Rover. Instead the entire range of Land Rovers - Range Rover, Freelander, Discovery and Defender were driven by each competitor over the course of the event in individual vehicle based challenges which supplemented the adventure sports element.
The 2009 event was also highly anticipated by Land Rover enthusiasts because it intended to return to a more vehicle based event, with a stronger focus on the competitive off-road driving element in the vein of the Camel Trophy, rather than the multiple adventure sports which the previous Challenges had emphasized.
At the point the 2008/9 Challenge was cancelled selectors had narrowed the UK qualifiers down to a final four: Sarah Davies, Bruce Duncan, Maria Leijerstam and Andy Grieve. They would have represented the UK in the February 2009 International qualifier competing against the top four qualifiers from the other 17 competing nations. The four representatives from each country would have been reduced to two after the International qualifier, judged on their performance this final selection. The final two representatives from each country (one male and one female) would have gone on to represent their country in the Challenge proper in Mongolia, in June 2009.
"I don’t know any other event where you are doing all these sorts of things. You get so many different great fun things to do. That’s why I loved the Challenge so much. It was the perfect competition." Alina McMaster, Australian competitor 2006. [2]
Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers in Brazil, China, India, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. The Land Rover name was created in 1948 by the Rover Company for a utilitarian 4WD off-road vehicle; currently, the Land Rover range consists solely of upmarket and luxury sport utility vehicles.
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