DEFENDER SUPPORTS THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST ADVENTURE RACE
- Perfect partnership: Award-winning Defender to play vital role as a support vehicle at the world’s toughest adventure race – the Red Bull X-Alps 2021
- Behind the scenes: A fleet of Defender 110 models will transport athletes, medical crew and support staff throughout the challenge, over 1,238km of alpine terrain
- Rugged accommodation: The 4x4 will be a home-from-home for participants, who will sleep onboard using the bespoke Autohome roof tent* developed for the Defender 110
- Extreme endurance: 12-day competition combines hiking, ultra-running, mountaineering and paragliding across five countries – Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and France
- Adventurous pedigree: Land Rover has more than 73 years of expedition heritage, making it the perfect official vehicle partner for the extreme Red Bull X-Alps
Whitley, Tuesday 8 June 2021 – The award-winning Defender will demonstrate its capability and durability as a support vehicle for the extreme Red Bull X-Alps. As official vehicle partner, Land Rover will provide a fleet of Defender 110s to support the world’s toughest adventure race.
Red Bull X-Alps athletes will negotiate more than 1,200km of demanding alpine landscape in up to 12 days, from 20 June to 2 July 2021. Each of the 32 competitors will combine hiking, ultra-running, mountaineering and paragliding in a true test of human endurance and stamina. On a typical day, the athletes can expect to hike over 50km with vertical ascents of up to 5,000m, burning as many as 6,000 calories.
Land Rover’s most capable and durable 4x4 will provide unstoppable transport and shelter from the ever-changing conditions, while carrying vital supplies and equipment. The rugged 4x4s will come kitted with Autohome Roof Tents to aid athletes and crew members in their much-needed recovery, providing a safe and comfortable place to rest.
Seven of the athletes will be supported by Land Rover, including six-time Red Bull X-Alps winner Christian Maurer of Switzerland. Joining him are Red Bull X-Alps veterans Paul Guschlbauer (Austria), Gavin McClurg (USA), Tobias Grossrubatscher (Italy) and Markus Anders (Germany), who have participated in 11 races between them. There will also be debuts for Laurie Genovese (France) and Théo de Blic (France) as part of #TeamLandRover.
Ulrich Grill, Race Organiser, said: “Land Rover is synonymous with endurance adventures and the Defender will play a vital role in the Red Bull X-Alps challenge, supporting the competitors and race organisers as they battle the elements across the 1,238km course. Its unstoppable capability and practical cabin mean it promises to be one constant throughout the 12-day event that participants will be able to rely on come rain or shine.”
The role of support vehicle will see crew members test the Defender’s expedition credentials to the extreme. With a maximum payload of up to 900kg, dynamic roof load of 168kg and static of 300kg, each vehicle will be loaded with equipment and supplies. Terrain Response 2 technology – including world-first Configurable Terrain Response – will allow the drivers to fine-tune the vehicle to suit their driving preferences and the conditions.
Accessories including Land Rover’s Portable Rinse System, Exterior Side-Mounted Gear Carriers and Integrated Air Compressors will combine with Defender’s integrated 4G Wi-Fi connectivity and the Autohome Roof Tents to give competitors everything they need to rest and recover properly at the end of each day and to complete the epic event.
Following its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019, Defender has won more than 58 international awards, including the 2021 World Car Design of the Year title at the annual World Car Awards.
Land Rover has also introduced its range of powerful and efficient in-line six-cylinder Ingenium diesel engines, featuring Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) technology, and its advanced P400e Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), which provides an all-electric range of up to 27 miles (43km) and CO2 emissions of 74g/km*.
Defender is available in 90, 110 and Hard Top commercial derivatives.
Watch the race unfold: www.redbullxalps.com/livetracking
*Roof tent requires Expedition Roof Rack to be fitted
*All fuel consumption and CO2 data quoted above relates to Official EU-WLTP TEL Combined Test Figures for five-seat derivatives. The figures provided are as a result of official manufacturer’s tests in accordance with EU legislation. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ. CO2 and fuel economy figures may vary according to factors such as driving styles, environmental conditions, load and accessories.
About Red Bull X-Alps
The Red Bull X-Alps is the world’s toughest adventure race. Founded in 2003, it’s a race across the Alps by foot and paraglider that only the most skilled and strongest athletes are able to take on. It involves speed hiking, ultra-running, mountaineering, and flying, and requires not only incredible endurance but elite paragliding skills and mental strength.
The race takes place every two years. Over 12 days around 30 athletes attempt to cross more than 1,000km of complicated and forbidding alpine terrain via a fixed set of Turnpoints. In the course of a day it’s not uncommon for athletes to hike over 50km with as much as 5,000m of vertical ascent. On top of that they cover huge distances in the air, often in treacherous mountain conditions few would dare to fly in.
Uniquely, the Red Bull X-Alps is a race where men and women compete equally. Ultimately athletes are not just competing against each other, but against themselves and an even greater foe – the alpine weather.
About Land Rover’s Autohome Roof-Tent
The Land Rover Autohome tent is created by the experts who invented the hard shell roof tent in 1958. Quick and easy to deploy, it has a real mattress and offers the best protection from atmospheric agents. All it takes is a simple gesture to open and close the tent, ready to start off again perfectly rested, safe and focused on driving.
Designed for adventurous hearts, it is durable and fit for the vehicle it was created for: the Defender 110. Land Rover and Autohome, the perfect combination for those who set no limits to their freedom.