Fuel Choice

The team have chosen to use diesel as it is more widely available than petrol. Diesel engines can also be more tolerant of varying fuel grades.

Altitude

A significant challenge of this expedition is not the roads themselves but the altitude. Diesel Defender is designed to work at any altitude, given its global appeal. The team had less data regarding the performance of diesel Discovery at altitude. The expedition will be an opportunity to test the boundaries and feedback detailed data on the vehicle's performance to the design team who can implement improvements. A big part of this project has and will be identifying improvements and making the modifications associated with driving passes like the Khunjerab pass (4693m) in collaboration with development work to sell the Discovery in high-altitude markets. The good news is that as a result of some of this work you will soon be able to buy a diesel Discovery capable of performing to the usual Land Rover high standard at these altitudes.

Discovery Transmission Choice

At high altitude engine performance is reduced. The automatic transmission allows the engine to operate across a broad speed range during pull away giving a more consistent power delivery at the wheels. The automatic transmission enables a more relaxed drive especially in stop-start traffic.

Winches and Recovery

The two Defenders are equipped with electric winches, but for extra flexibility we'll also be carrying a portable winch as you can't always manoeuvre the winch car into the position you need it on a narrow pass. In addition, the vehicles will also be equipped with "waffle" boards, recovery "ropes", straps, shackles and appropriate safety equipment for vehicle recovery.

Load Carrying

The Discovery with its varied interior configurations and accessory options and the Defender with its wide range of body styles make them the natural choice for this expedition. The internal space of these models allows us to carry most of the equipment within the vehicles. The generous load space negates the need for excessive roof loading, which reduces aerodynamic efficiency, therefore increasing fuel consumption; this also benefits dynamic stability by keeping weight in the vehicle as low as possible. For those items that will need to be carried outside, the vehicles will be equipped with 'Land Rover Original Accessories G4 Roof Rack'.

Tyre Choice

Throughout Europe the standard tyres will be used as all the driving will be on tarmac. The tyres will be changed in Moscow at the beginning of Leg 2 to account for the more challenging terrain throughout the rest of the trip.

Sat-Nav

The Discoveries are equipped with the standard Land Rover Sat-nav units which because of evolving markets now cover much of the route. For those parts of the route which aren't covered by the standard Sat-nav we have hand held units and Off-road mode which will allow us to find our position accurately on paper maps.

Under-body protection

Land-Rover Accessories offer a comprehensive range of under-body protection, which has enabled the team to safeguard the vehicles for the challenging conditions the expedition will face. The Discovery's air suspension will maintain a consistent ride height regardless of load while allowing multiple height settings to match the terrain.