Land Rover G4 Challenge

Last updated

The Land Rover G4 Challenge is a global adventure competition, and as the successor to the Camel Trophy it has off-road driving at its core. As of the cancelled 2008/2009 event, the G4 Challenge was to be run in support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Contents

Land Rover announced the cancellation of the G4 Challenge on 18 December 2008 due to the current global financial situation.

Selection

The 18-month programme began with National Selections held within each participating nation, followed by an International Selections event at Eastnor Castle in the UK. Each stage of the Challenge included athletic activities such as mountain biking, kayaking, rock-climbing, abseiling, trail running and rope work as well as off-road driving and mental aptitude challenges.

2003 G4 Challenge and launch

In 2003, the first Land Rover G4 Challenge launched with 16 participating nations and traversed the US, South Africa, and Australia over the course of 28 days. The 2003 Challenge was won by Belgian fighter pilot Rudi Thoelen. Rudi declined the prize of a brand new Range Rover, opting instead for two new Defenders. The Team Spirit Award was won by Tim Pickering from the UK, this award was given by the other competitors for the person who in their view contributed most to the race.

2006 G4 Challenge

18 nations participated in the 2006 G4 Challenge which was staged across Thailand, Laos, Brazil and Bolivia. Land Rover delivered a more vehicle-focused event in 2006 after some criticism that the 2003 event focused too strongly on the adventure-sports element. South African adventure racer Martin Dreyer was the eventual winner of the 2006 event. Dreyer recalled:

“The Land Rover G4 Challenge was the best experience of my life. I mean, nothing has come close to it in terms of the enormity of it. The experience was out of this world.”

The Team Spirit Award was again won by the UK competitor Brian Reynolds, who said:

"I’m a little surprised to have won that, I think it’s because I had a lot of bad luck but was able to keep a positive attitude throughout."

Commitment to the Red Cross

In 2007, the Land Rover G4 Challenge announced a partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which would have seen the programme aim to generate more than £1 million over the course of the next two Challenges.

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]

Prize

In the 2003 and 2006 the prize for the winning competitor was a brand new Range Rover. However, this was intended to be altered for the 2009 event, the prize for the winning team would have been the donation of a Land Rover to their nation's Red Cross or Red Crescent Society.

Vehicles used

In 2003:

Vehicles usedNumber preparedStages used By competitors
Defender31 (29 used on main challenge)Stage 2: South Africa
Range Rover30 (28 used on main challenge)Stage 3: Australia
Discovery 262 (60 used on main challenge)Stage 4: USA (Las Vegas & Moab Desert)
Freelander I30 (28 used on main challenge)Stage 1: USA (New York)

In 2006:

Vehicles usedEngineNumber preparedStages used By competitors
DefenderTd5 Diesel 110 CSW31 (29 used on main challenge)None - Support Vehicle Only
Range Rover4.4 V8 Petrol Vogue24 (19 used on main challenge)None - Support Vehicle Only
Discovery 3 (LR3)4.4 V8 Petrol HSE39 (38 used on main challenge)Stages 3&4: Bolivia
Freelander I2.5 V6 Petrol SE15 (14 used on main challenge)Stage 3: Brazil
Range Rover Sport4.4 V8 Petrol HSE35 (34 used on main challenge)Stages 1&2: Thailand

In 2009:

Although the 2009 Challenge was cancelled, a few vehicles were prepared and used as pre-event recce vehicles. The 2009 vehicles were decked out similarly to previously Challenge vehicles with the distinctive Tangiers Orange paintwork, but with new body decals emphasizing the G4 Challenge's new association with the Red Cross. At least two Defenders, two Discovery 3s (LR3s), two Freelander 2s (LR2), and one Range Rover were produced for the Recce in Mongolia in 2008 before the main 2009 event; For the actual G4 Challenge in 2009, the following were vehicles were prepared: six (6) Defender 110's, five (5) Defender 130's, Sixty Eight (68) Discovery 3s (LR3s), seven (7) Freelander 2s (LR2), and two (2) Range Rovers, eight (8) Range Rover Sports were produced. Visitors to the Solihull factory in the autumn of 2008 spotted a number of Tangiers Orange vehicles in the production stores.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "Land Rover INT - Latest News - Corporate News". Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land Rover</span> Car marque and former British car company

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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orienteering</span> Group of sports that requires navigational skills

Orienteering is a group of sports that involve using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points. Originally a training exercise in land navigation for military officers, orienteering has developed many variations. Among these, the oldest and the most popular is foot orienteering. For the purposes of this article, foot orienteering serves as a point of departure for discussion of all other variations, but almost any sport that involves racing against a clock and requires navigation with a map is a type of orienteering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magen David Adom</span> Israeli medical service, Red Cross member

The Magen David Adom is Israel's national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service. The literal meaning of name is "Red Shield of David," but the symbol is more frequently called the "Red Star of David" in many languages. Since June 2006, Magen David Adom has been officially recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as the national aid society of the State of Israel under the Geneva Conventions, and a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. MDA has a dedicated medical emergency phone number in Israel, 101. MDA can become an auxiliary arm of the Israel Defense Forces during times of war. In 2022, MDA became academically affiliated with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Following the October 7th attacks against Israel, the American Red Cross presented Magen David Adom with the International Humanitarian Service Award stating that the organization "exemplifies and inspires the humanitarian values of human dignity, respect, [and] compassion."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land Rover Discovery</span> Series of British mid-size luxury SUVs

The Land Rover Discovery is a series of seven-seater family SUVs, produced under the Land Rover marque, from the British manufacturer Land Rover, and later Jaguar Land Rover. The series is currently in its fifth iteration, the first of which was introduced in 1989, making the Discovery the first new model series since the launch of the 1970 Range Rover – on which it was based – and only the third new product line since the conception of the Land Rover by Rover in 1948. The model is sometimes called influential, as one of the first to market a true off-road capable family car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land Rover Freelander</span> Compact crossover SUV produced by Land Rover (1997—2015)

The Land Rover Freelander is a series of four-wheel-drive vehicles that was manufactured and marketed by Land Rover from 1997 to 2015. Initially a compact SUV built on a body-on-frame chassis, the second generation model, sold from 2007 to 2015 in North America and the Middle East as the LR2 and in Europe as the Freelander 2, transitioned to a car-based platform which placed it into the compact crossover SUV class, and was developed alongside the Volvo XC60, the Volvo S80 and the third generation Ford Mondeo. The name 'Freelander' is derived from the combination of 'Freedom' and 'Lander'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land Rover Defender</span> Motor vehicle

The Land Rover Defender is a series of British off-road cars and pickup trucks. They consistently have four-wheel drive, and were developed in the 1980s from the original Land Rover series which was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show in April 1948. Following the 1989 introduction of the Land Rover Discovery, the term 'Land Rover' became the name of a broader marque, and thus no longer worked as the name of a specific model; thus in 1990 Land Rover renamed the 90 and 110 as Defender 90 and Defender 110 respectively. The 127 became the Defender 130.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Off-roading</span> Activity of driving on unsurfaced roads or tracks

Off-roading is the act of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, dirt, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, or other natural terrain. Off-roading ranges from casual drives with regular vehicles to competitive events with customized vehicles and skilled drivers.

The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with more than 17,200 volunteers and 3,400 staff. At the heart of their work is providing help to people in crisis, both in the UK and overseas. The Red Cross is committed to helping people without discrimination, regardless of their ethnic origin, nationality, political beliefs or religion. Queen Elizabeth II was the patron of the society until her death in 2022, and was replaced by her successor King Charles III, who previously served as president between 2003 and 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian Red Cross</span> National Red Cross Society in Italy

The Italian Red Cross is the Italian national Red Cross society. The Italian Red Cross was one of the original founding members of the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1919.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transverse engine</span> Vehicle engine whose crankshaft axis is perpendicular to the direction of travel

A transverse engine is an engine mounted in a vehicle so that the engine's crankshaft axis is perpendicular to the direction of travel. Many modern front-wheel drive vehicles use this engine mounting configuration. Most rear-wheel drive vehicles use a longitudinal engine configuration, where the engine's crankshaft axis is parallel with the direction of travel, except for some rear-mid engine vehicles, which use a transverse engine and transaxle mounted in the rear instead of the front. Despite typically being used in light vehicles, it is not restricted to such designs and has also been used on armoured fighting vehicles to save interior space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land sailing</span> Wind-powered ground transportation

Land sailing, also known as sand yachting, land yachting or dirtboating, entails overland travel with a sail-powered vehicle, similar to sailing on water. Originally, a form of transportation or recreation, it has evolved primarily into a racing sport since the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camel Trophy</span> Annual off-road rally, 1980–2000

Camel Trophy was an off-road vehicle-oriented competition that was held annually between 1980 and 2000. It was best known for its use of Land Rover vehicles over challenging terrain. Occasionally called "The Olympics of 4x4", the event took its name from its main sponsor, the Camel cigarette brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar Land Rover Halewood</span> Jaguar Land Rover factory in England

Jaguar Land Rover Halewood is a Jaguar Land Rover factory plant in Halewood, Merseyside, England, and forms the major part of the factory complex in Halewood which is shared with Ford of Britain who manufacture transmissions at the site, and who opened the site in 1962 as their Halewood Body & Assembly plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haldex Traction</span> Swedish all-wheel drive system manufacturer

Haldex Traction is a manufacturer of intelligent all-wheel drive (AWD) systems, founded in Sweden. Since invention of Gen I in 1998, the company produced several generations of products licensed to and customized for some major automotive brands, that in turn have marketed Haldex Traction AWD under different names. On 17 December 2010, American-based BorgWarner announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire the Traction Systems division of Haldex AB. BorgWarner completed the acquisition of the Traction Systems division on 1 February 2011. Haldex Traction Systems was incorporated in BorgWarner TorqTransfer Systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rally raid</span> Long distance, multiday, off-road racing

Rally raid is a type of off-road motorsport event for automobiles and motorcycles. Along with shorter baja rallies, rally raid constitutes cross-country rallying. Both the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) co-organise a common World Rally-Raid Championship featuring the same events for both types of vehicle.

Rovering in Victoria is part of Scouting in Victoria and is predominantly the Rover section of Scouts Australia in Victoria, Australia, which is run by the Victorian Branch Rover Scout Council. At the 2012 Census, there were 1033 registered Rover Scouts in Victoria, in roughly 100 Rover Crews.

<i>American Ninja Warrior</i> American competition television series

American Ninja Warrior is an American sports entertainment reality show based on the Japanese television reality show Sasuke, which also serves as a successor of American Ninja Challenge. It features a set of obstacle courses in various cities, which contestants attempt to conquer. The obstacle courses are divided into Qualifiers courses, Semifinals courses, and a four-part Finals course which is based at Las Vegas Strip. The contestant who finishes all the courses in the fastest time wins a cash prize of $1,000,000. Starting with season 10, if one remaining contestant fails on any of Finals course parts but has completed it more than the others in the fastest time, they win a consolatory $100,000 prize. The show is hosted by Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila. To date, only Isaac Caldiero, Drew Drechsel, and Vance Walker have won the main cash prize. Furthermore, Geoff Britten and Daniel Gil are the only two runners-up who have achieved Total Victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solihull plant</span> Car assembly plant in Solihull, UK

Solihull plant is a car manufacturing factory in Lode Lane, Lode Heath, Solihull, UK, owned by Jaguar Land Rover. The plant sits on a 300-acre (120 ha) site and employs over 9,000 people in manufacturing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obstacle course racing</span> Sports discipline

Obstacle course racing (OCR) is a sport in which a competitor, traveling on foot, must overcome various physical challenges in the form of obstacles. Races vary in length from courses with obstacles close together to events of several kilometers which incorporate elements of track, road and/or cross country/trail running. Courses may include climbing over walls or up ropes, monkey bars, carrying heavy objects, traversing bodies of water or mud, crawling under barbed wire, and jumping through fire. Since the beginning of modern OCR in 1987, the sport has grown in popularity such that more than 2500 events are held annually across the world and several run organizing companies are commercially successful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land Rover Discovery Sport</span> Compact luxury crossover SUV

The Land Rover Discovery Sport is a compact luxury crossover SUV produced by British automotive company Jaguar Land Rover since 2014, under their Land Rover marque, and since 2017 their best-selling model.