A Land Rover Discovery once took on a 110-tonne road train and defied all odds
- A Land Rover Discovery pulled a 110-tonne road train
- The SUV managed to haul the train 16km
- You can see it in action below
Published on Sep 18, 2024 at 7:40 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Sep 18, 2024 at 7:36 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A Land Rover towed a 110-tonne road train across the Australian Outback in an incredible display of its power.
The impressive feat saw the SUV successfully hauling the seven-trailer train 16km across the Northern Territory.
The somewhat unbelievable stunt, which took place in 2017, used an unmodified Discovery Td6.
The car made use of its advanced towing tech to drag the 100-meter-long road train through the outback.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
The road train measured 100 meters long
This isn’t the first impressive feat we’ve seen from a Land Rover vehicle – in 2018, a Range Rover Sport made history after tackling China’s Tianmen Mountain Road to get to Heaven’s Gate.
In an equally as attention-grabbing scenario, the folks from Land Rover decided to put the Discovery’s towing prowess to the test.
Usually, road trains traveling along Lasseter Highway in the Aussie Outback are only permitted to be four trailers long or 53.5 meters in length.
But Land Rover reached out for special permission so the Discovery was facing seven trailers and the 12-tonne tractor unit fitted to the front to operate the trailers’ hydraulic brakes.
The Discovery had its standard 259PS 3.0 liter engine, eight‑speed automatic transmission, and four‑wheel drive system – it was hooked up to the road train using a factory‑fitted tow bar attachment.
It also made use of the in-car touchscreen infotainment system and Discovery’s Advanced Tow Assist technology.
The Land Rover Discovery made the impressive feat look easy
With everything securely hooked up, the Discovery set off along a closed-off section of the highway and was able to pull the road train without issue.
It even managed to pick up a fair bit of speed along the way, topping out at 44km/h – no mean feat when you’re hauling such a hefty weight.
“Towing capability has always been an important part of Discovery DNA and the raw weight of the road train tells only half the story here,” said Land Rover product engineer Quentin Spottiswoode.
“Pulling a rig and seven trailers, with the rolling resistance of so many axles to overcome, is a huge achievement. We expected the vehicle to do well but it passed this test with flying colors, hitting 44km/h along its 16km route.”
Impressive stuff.
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
