New Land Rover powered train
Onlookers stopped in their tracks as Discovery Sport pulls 100-tonne train in SwitzerlandAutomotive writers often describe muscular 4WDs as having 'stump-pulling torque' or the ability to 'pull like stream-train'. But Land Rover has taken the idea of pulling-power to a new level… On a bridge, in Switzerland, pulling a locomotive!
British 4WD specialist Land Rover has released images and video of a Discovery Sport pulling 60 times its own weight, in the form of a 100 tonne, three-carriage train, along 10km of train tracks in the Rhine region of northern Switzerland.
The 100 tonne weight of the train is significantly more than the Disco Sport's 2500kg rated towing capacity.
It's not the first time a grunty 4WD has towed something absurdly large and heavy, either.
The Volkswagen Touareg V10 diesel dragged a 155-tonne Boeing 747 along a runway in 2006, which was bested by the petrol-powered V8 Nissan Patrol in 2013, when it hauled a 171 tonne Russian cargo plane.
A very expensive (but dramatic) PR stunt, the most recent train-pulling exercise was undertaken to showcase the Land Rover's new 2.0-litre Ingenium turbo-diesel engine, which generates 430Nm of torque and 132kW of power.
"For a vehicle of this size to pull a combined weight of more than 100 tonnes demonstrates real engineering integrity. No modifications were necessary to the drivetrain whatsoever and in tests the Discovery Sport generated more pull than our road-rail Defender, which is remarkable," said James Platt, the MD of Aquarius Railroad Technologies, the company that fitted rail wheels to the Land Rover.
The stunt reprises a similar deed undertaken by Land Rover when the Discovery SUV was launched in 1989. Back then, the converted Discovery had a 200Tdi diesel engine and hauled a train in Plymouth.
Although 100 tonnes may seem like a lot of weight to move, bear in mind the low rolling resistance of the train. Given enough preparation, many other vehicles could undertake such a stunt.
Nevertheless, this achievement has all the ingredients of a viral video – audacious challenge, gorgeous scenery, and a couple of car nerds.
Just make sure that 'ex-demo' Discovery Sport with 'low kilometres' your uncle wants in Europe for a super cheap price didn't pull a train… That'd be a drag.
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