LAS VEGAS, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- When competitors embark on the first
stage of the Land Rover G4 Challenge in March 2003, their primary mode of
transportation -- and their home-away-from home -- will be a Tangiers Orange
Land Rover G4 Challenge Freelander. But before competitors get their hands on
the vehicle, the thousands of people attending the Specialty Equipment
Marketing Association (SEMA) Expo in Las Vegas will get a "sneak peak" at the
G4 Challenge Freelander as part of the Ford Motor Company display. The SEMA
show is the world's largest trade event dedicated solely to aftermarket
equipment and vehicle modifications.
Land Rover G4 Challenge Freelanders are all built on the standard
Freelander production line and have the same mechanical systems as the
vehicles going to customers. However, they have been fitted with a variety of
specialized equipment to make them ready for the Land Rover G4 Challenge.
Each Land Rover G4 Challenge Freelander is equipped with:
* Warn roof-mounted auxiliary lamps.
* Front and rear winch receivers.
* Warn winches.
* Safety Devices custom roof rack, rear ladder and platform.
* Garmin GPS navigation modules.
* Pietzle rappelling gear.
* Land Rover Vehicle Kit accessories, including brush bars, Safari roof
racks, kayak and mountain-bike carriers and first aid kits.
* Front and rear aluminum skidplates.
* Front and rear tow points with heavy-duty recovery rings.
* Air-intake system snorkel.
In addition to this specialty equipment, some of the standard Freelander
features that will be put to the test by G4 Challenge competitors include:
* 2.5-litre, 174-hp aluminum-alloy V6 engine with 177 lb-ft of torque.
* Five-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with
CommandShift(TM) sport/manual operation.
* Land Rover permanent all-wheel drive.
* Center Viscous Coupling Unit (VCU) and Intermediate Reduction Drive.
* Four-wheel Electronic Traction Control (4ETC).
* Four channel, all-terrain anti-lock brakes.
* Land Rover's patented Hill Descent Control (HDC).
The Land Rover G4 Challenge is an adventure competition that pits
individual competitors from 16 nations against each other in a myriad of
challenges -- including on- and off-road driving in Land Rover vehicles,
kayaking, skiing, snow boarding, climbing, rappelling and more. The
competition will last five weeks and cover more than 4,000 miles. The G4 name
comes from the global aspect of the competition -- the four stages will take
place in four different seasons, on three continents, in four different time
zones. All four 4x4 Land Rover models will be employed during the event.
"For more than 50 years, Land Rover vehicles have been the backbone of
adventures all over the world," says Bob Dover, Chief Operating Officer, Aston
Martin Jaguar Land Rover. "The Land Rover G4 Challenge will add another
exciting chapter to our rich history of adventures. Best of all, the G4
Challenge epitomizes the spirit of Land Rover.
The competition was designed to reward teamwork, ingenuity, strategic
thinking, athleticism and, most of all, a positive, can-do attitude. While in
the end there can be only one winner, in a sense, all 16 competitors will win
simply by finishing this grueling event."
The first stage, using G4 Challenge Freelanders, will begin in New York
City and run from the Northeastern U.S. to Canada. The second stage, using G4
Challenge Defender, will cover the wilds of South Africa (Defender is not
available in the U.S.). The third stage will be in Australia using Range
Rovers, while the fourth will return to the U.S., this time in the West using
Discovery vehicles. Each stage of the competition will encompass both major
urban centers and remote rural areas.
The four different stages will test the competitors' physical capability
and mental alacrity as they are called on to navigate a wide variety of
terrain (by whatever means they deem most appropriate) in their quest to reach
the various scoring stations -- electronic location markers with preset point
values. While every one of the sixteen competitors will enjoy an enormous
sense of personal pride and accomplishment upon finishing the event, just one
will win the grand prize -- a 2003 Range Rover worth $71,200.
Land Rover North America, Inc., established in 1986, imports and
distributes Range Rover, Discovery and Freelander vehicles manufactured for
sale in the U.S. by Land Rover in Solihull, England.
Land Rover's worldwide operations are wholly owned by Ford Motor Company,
Dearborn, Michigan. For information about the Land Rover Retailer nearest
you, call 1-800-FINE 4WD or visit http://www.LandRover.com.
SOURCE Land Rover North America, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.media.landrover.com
CONTACT:
Bill Baker, +1-949-341-6843,
wbaker18@landrover.com, or Lynne Slovick, +1-949-341-6809,
lslovick@landrover.com, Deborah L. Sandford, +1-949-341-6184,
dsandfor@ford.com, or Barbara Barrett, +1-905-792-9400, ext. 231,
bbarrett7@ford.com, all of Land Rover North America, or Media
Information Center, +1-800-665-1515 or +1-313-621-0504,
media@ford.com
NOTES TO EDITORS: The Land Rover G4 Challenge web site hosts a
dedicated media section where the latest news and images for
download are available on
http://www.landroverG4challenge.com/pressroom. Land Rover related
press releases and electronic photos of the company's products
are available on-line in the Land Rover section of Ford Motor
Company's news media web site (media.landrover.com). Electronic
photos of Land Rover products can also be received in digital
form through Wieck Photo DataBase at (972) 392-0888 or
http://media.wieckphoto.com.
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