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This Adventurer Broke A World Record With The INEOS Grenadier

This Adventurer Broke A World Record With The INEOS Grenadier

John Balsdon dominated the legendary Cape to Cape challenge with the Grenadier.

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The INEOS Grenadier, despite being quite new to the market, has a look and design cues that are reminiscent of the most cherished classic off-roaders. That’s a deliberate move, as the INEOS Grenadier is inspired by the off-roading vehicles that characterized past decades. While reviving their legacy, the Grenadier also exists in a competitive SUV market with those very nameplates that have lasted for years, and INEOS Automotive has proved quite successful with the model.

With impressive versatility and rugged design, the INEOS Grenadier is quickly building a legacy as a highly capable off-road vehicle, and the latest feather in its cap comes from a broken world record, achieved by adventurer John Balsdon, who got behind the wheel of the Grenadier for the Cape to Cape challenge.

The legendary challenge involves getting from the North Cape in Norway to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of South Africa. With a distance of well over 12,000 miles, the Cape to Cape challenge is one of the toughest long-distance driving challenges, and Balsdon, along with a five-person support team, crossed the finish line in just 28 days and 13 hours, breaking the previous record from 1984 by five hours.

The journey consisted of an incredible variety of conditions, with temperatures going well below freezing and then well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The African leg of the trip had to be completed with little time for breaks; Angola, Namibia, and South Africa were traversed in just two days. By completing the drive while towing an expedition trailer and bringing two cars simultaneously for the trip, two other records were broken. As a fine art photographer, Balsdon also captured the journey on film, with a documentary set to premiere later this year.

About the journey, Balsdon said, “Our Grenadiers took us from the coldest place in Europe to the hardest and hottest places in Africa. They were heavily laden, with one of them towing an expedition trailer for nearly 24,000 kilometres.  It was tough on us but much tougher on the cars - but they performed and were reliable no matter the environment or our demands.  Being with them across this journey showed us the character of these cars and they endeared themselves to all six of us!”

INEOS Automotive provided full expedition prep for the team and kitted out the cars before the start of the journey. Demonstrating undeniable capability by tackling a journey from some of the northernmost to the southernmost reaches of our world, the INEOS Grenadier, John Balsdon, and the expedition team all have reason to celebrate an amazing achievement.

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Image Source: INEOS Automotive

Tyler Rampersaud