WHEN Jeep wanted to show off to the world the awesome capabilities of its newest extreme off-roader, they were immediately on the phone to Wildtrackers.
The global launch of the all-singing all-dancing off-the-shelf Rubicon Wrangler had to impress hard-bitten journalists from 21 countries – and it blew their socks off.
Wildtrackers’ Duncan Barbour looked at various locations for this five-star event, including Venezuela, Europe, and New Zealand. In the end, though, the decision was to go for the US, Jeep’s own backyard. Montana, with the breathtaking backdrop of Yellowstone National Park, provided all the natural elements for a hugely successful launch.
After an initial recce, Duncan pieced together the off-road element of the event from scratch, spending days looking at potential routes and locations for the extreme off-road challenges. He found the bed of an old stream in a narrow gully, with loose flat rock to provide the perfect test for the Rubicon.
The team also built an enormous bridge across the Gallatin river to Jeep’s Renegade Ranch where the journalists – who had travelled from as far as Europe, Japan and Australia – were staying. Measuring 140 foot and made from 25 tonnes of logs, the bridge took four men seven days to build by hand. ”We needed permission from the US Forestry Department and the Conservation Department,” explained Duncan. ” There was a very strict environmental brief – we couldn’t do anything to the banks, dislodge vegetation, move rocks in the river, or use heavy equipment. And at the end of the launch, the bridge had to be removed and everything reinstated.”
Safety was paramount throughout the launch experience. Going into remote locations, the groups can encounter extreme wildlife such as black and grizzly bears – Duncan even found a black bear in his cabin! He and the other instructors are always at hand to make sure the drivers make it through unscathed.
As well as the Rubicon Wrangler, the launch event involved the new Grand Cherokee Overland model and the Cherokee Renegade, and each of the vehicles has very different capabilities. But the experience of Wildtrackers and the weeks of preparation on the routes ensured that each of the vehicles was shown off to the very best of its abilities.
”We’re helping create an image,” said Duncan, ” and we know what people will be impressed by. It was an extremely successful event and there was very positive feedback in the world’s press on all the vehicles.”
