Jeep for Lara Croft in Tomb Raider II
Lara Croft will be blazing across screens again this July as she criss-crosses the globe in Tomb Raider II, which has the official title of Tomb Raider: Lara Croft and The Cradle of Life.
In the first Tomb Raider movie, you may remember that she had a ‘comprehensively-equipped’ and presumably modified Land Rover Defender to take her through the jungles of IndoChina. The vehicle really didn’t get much exposure in the movie (which collected some US$300 million worldwide from cinema showings) although it must have helped the image of the rather elderly Land Rover model.
Since its movie exposure was limited, Land Rover made sure that the public could get a closer look at their efforts and displayed the vehicle at motorshows around the world.
In this new movie, ignoring her British roots (though Angelina Jolie who plays Lara Croft is really American), Lara’s vehicle of choice is a Jeep Wrangler, specifically the latest Rubicon version.
The Chrysler Group’s Jeep Design Studio team, in collaboration with the Paramount Tomb Raider II production team, designed and built the customized Jeep Wrangler Rubicon for the film.
“To create the vehicle, we took the ultimate off-road machine, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and tailored it to fit what aristocratic Lady Lara Croft, would need to do her job as a ‘tomb raider’,” said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President, Product Design, Chrysler Group. “This specialized vehicle includes original Rubicon features, after-market components used by many off-road enthusiasts and also unique never-before-seen custom features.”
Lara’s unique vehicle (three were built for the film) boasts an array of functional modifications, such as a roll cage with grab bars, a skid plate with simulated HID lighting and an interior with specially-designed gauges, shifters, instrument panel, console and door trim.
The aftermarket components used to complete the Lara Croft’s Jeep Wrangler Rubicon include Hanson Enterprises front and rear bumpers, Mickey Thompson 35” Baja Claw tyres and Classic II wheel with bead locks, Skyjacker four-inch skyjacker Double Flex suspension lift, Warn winch and Bushwacker riveted fender flares.
Chrysler Jeep executives are obviously thrilled that their product will get to be shown to audiences worldwide, as these remarks from Jeff Bell, Vice President Jeep, Chrysler Group indicate: “In the movie, this vehicle will be showcased in many rugged and extreme situations, highlighting key strengths of the brand in a new and exciting way. You’ll see the Jeep driving 80 mph across harsh desert and jungle terrain without any difficulty. That’s real Jeep 4×4 capability and that’s Jeep adventure!”
Tomb Raider: Lara Croft and the Cradle of Life was filmed between August 2002 and March 2003 and is scheduled for release in Malaysia and Singapore on July 25 2003.
