Climb every mountain. Ford every stream… Maybe that should be Jeep every stream! Because, the US offroad brand clambered its way across plenty of 'em on its way to the summit of the world's highest volcano last month. And in the process, the pair of Wrangler Rubicon Unlimiteds set a new 4x4 altitude record -- an accomplishment certified by Guinness World Records.
The feat was achieved on March 13 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the first climb of Ojos del Salado. The Chilean volcano is an impressive 6646m high -- around 21,800 feet and the second highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere. It's now the "highest parking lot in the world" according to Jeep.
The ascent to took five days and the Wranglers were driven by a team of mad Germans (who else?) from Extrem Events. During the climb, according to Jeep, the team endured hurricane-strength winds, -30 degree temperatures, thin air, the sheet ice of the Ojos del Salado glacier and bad German folk songs (actually we said that last bit, not Jeep!).
The V6 petrol Wrangler Rubicons were standard save for the Goodyear MT/R tyres, winches and altitude measuring equipment, claims Jeep.
"This was exactly the challenge to separate the new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited from all other 4x4 vehicles," said George Murphy, Chrysler Group Senior Vice President of Global Marketing.
"A climb like this in not just off-road, but extreme conditions, is a testament to the performance of the vehicle's powertrain, suspension and overall quality.
"We are very proud that Wrangler Unlimited was the first vehicle to be able to complete such a rigorous challenge, and believe that it really does set the vehicle apart from its competition," Murphy opined.
Closer to home, the new Wrangler was recently launched (on the same day as the summit was reached!) in the wilds of Tasmania -- though closer to sea level. To read our review click here.
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