Ford Everest To Take on Sahara Desert
PETRONAS ADVENTURE TEAM PICKS FORD
FOR OFFICIAL VEHICLES
– Two Ford Everest XLT 4×4 manuals and one Ford Ranger XL 4×4 manual
to conquer The Sahara in the Petronas Trans Sahara 2004 Expedition –
Shah Alam, Monday, 5 July 2004: The Sahara – the very mention of this name conjures up images of a hard land, of a harsh environment where only the toughest survive. The world’s largest desert is an unforgiving place that, for centuries, only the indomitable Tuareg people and their camels would call home. Even today, it is a formidable place where the weak have no standing at all.
Ford Malaysia jumped at the opportunity to take up the challenge when the Petronas Adventure Team (PAT) Malaysia called on modern day Malaysian explorers to embark on the Petronas Trans Sahara 2004, an arduous 42-day, 15,000-km (approximately) odyssey traversing six countries.
The Ford Everest sport utility vehicle (SUV) and Ford Ranger 4×4 pick-up, with their proven reputation of “Built Ford Tough,” were selected as official vehicles for the epic adventure.
The journey ahead will be long and difficult and the three Ford vehicles – two Ford Everest XLT manuals and one Ford Ranger XL manual – will be thoroughly tested to see if they are up to the task
The Ford vehicles’ rugged chassis, comprising a robust ladder frame with solid cross-bracing, certainly seem tough enough to take the punishment that the Sahara has to dish out.
Blazing sand will not be the only challenge awaiting the intrepid travelers because North Africa is a land that is truly diverse. They will have to pass through the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, home of the highest peaks in North Africa, which divides the green Mediterranean of the north, and the vast arid desert of the south. Thus, the vehicles and the people riding in them will be subjected not only to the highest temperatures, but to extreme cold as well.
“The Petronas Trans Sahara 2004 expedition is a tremendous challenge that will test man and machine to the limit, and we are absolutely thrilled to send our 4×4 vehicles along to help ensure the event is successful,” said Mike Pease, Managing Director of Ford Malaysia. “I am confident the Petronas Adventure Team Malaysia will appreciate the strength, reliability and comfort of the Ford Everest and Ranger as they take on the obstacles awaiting them in Africa.”
The 45 members of the expedition will require a variety of equipment and supplies to survive, including tonnes of survival gear, clothing, spare parts and tools to cope with all eventualities, plus food and large quantities of water.
The Ford Everest and Rangers, shall be used to haul heavy loads in addition to transporting their passengers, and the vehicles are pre-selected based on their well known capabilities; good handling at all speeds with smooth roll control. The comfort and confidence they inspire in any driving situation will contribute significantly to reducing driver fatigue during kilometre after kilometre of sand and rocks.
The Fords are fitted with identical 2.5-L Turbo Diesel Intercooled engines that develop a powerful 121bhp and high torque of 262Nm, and identical transmissions to see the team through the rough terrain. Having common engines and transmissions is probably a boon to the team in that they would be able to minimize the spares to be carried along
In addition, both the Ford Everest and Ford Ranger are fitted with Limited Slip Differentials (LSD), that automatically transfer drive to the other side of the axle when one wheel starts to slip. This feature will be useful on the loose sand that the expedition is expected to travel on. The 4×4 Transfer Case with 4 High and 4 Low ratios will also allow the vehicles to navigate the treacherous terrain of the Libyan sands or the parched Sudanese countryside.
The Petronas Trans Sahara 2004 expedition, comprising 17 vehicles, will be flagged off on August 30th in Khartoum, Sudan. The expedition will pass through 12 border crossings, traversing the Republic of Sudan, Arab Republic of Egypt, Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Tunisian Republic, People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria and finally arrive on October 7th at Casablanca in the Kingdom of Morocco.
The Petronas Adventure Team Malaysia has been established since its first expedition in 1999, and the Trans Sahara is the team’s sixth expedition. At Autoworld, we wish them all the best.
