Around the world in 70 days: Land Rover Russia goes all the way
Land Rover Russia completed its circumnavigation of the world last week in Moscow. Led by travel blogger Sergey Dolya, the unforgettable trip lasted 70 days taking in 22 countries on six continents.
In total the crews passed through 100 cities, travelling 70,000km across the globe in a convoy led by Land Rover Discovery SUVs. The route met the international standards of a complete circumnavigation: it started and ended in the same place and passed two antipodes – geographic points on exactly opposite sides of the globe.
Starting in Moscow, the expedition drove across Russia. The crews visited Cheboksary, Ufa, Kurgan, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude, and then, more than 6,000km later, turned towards Mongolia. After three weeks they reached the first antipode, the city of Enshi in China, where they planted a Land Rover flag.
The 1,000km Asia leg was completed in Laos, Thailand and finally Singapore, from where the crews flew to Australia. One week and 3,000km later, they headed for South America, where they reached the second antipode near the city of La Serena in Chile.
Week eight was spent in the USA, driving from coast to coast through 11 states and nine cities, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Africa. They reached Europe through Morocco and Gibraltar for the final week. They returned to their starting point in Moscow on 15 August after 70,000km.
Sergey Dolya, leader of the expedition, said:
“During the 70 days we tried delicious local cuisine from all over the planet, swam in two oceans, encountered elephants, monkeys and kangaroos, and met lots of Land Rover fans. Some of them gave us gifts and everyone took photos. All this was made possible by Land Rover, and each member of our team appreciates that extensive experience we’ve collected through this journey.”
The Land Rover Discovery was the main vehicle of the project. Sergey said:
“The Discovery’s enhanced off-road capabilities, versatility, cutting-edge technologies and the highest level of comfort helped us cross deserts and rivers, tackle rocky mountain roads, thick jungles and dirt paths – and just enjoy asphalt highways.”
The 70,000km journey comprised 36,000km of driving and 34,000km in the air. The crews made 169 fuel stops in 500 hours behind the wheel. Fuel for the crews included 500 litres of coffee, 360 burgers and 130 milkshakes.
About Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports sedans and sports car marques.
We employ more than 44,000 people globally and support around 240,000 more through our retailer network, suppliers and local businesses. Manufacturing is centred in the UK, with additional plants in China, Brazil, Austria and Slovakia.
At Jaguar Land Rover, we are driven by a desire to deliver class-leading vehicles, which will provide experiences our customers will love, for life. Our products are in demand around the globe. In 2017 Jaguar Land Rover sold 621,109 vehicles in 130 countries, with more than 80 per cent of our vehicles being sold abroad.
Our innovation is continuous: we will spend in the region of £4.5 billion (R82-billion) this year on new product creation and capital expenditure.
From 2020 all new Jaguar Land Rover vehicles will be electrified, giving our customers even more choice. We will introduce a portfolio of electrified products across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles as well as continuing to offer ultra-clean petrol and diesel engines.
