Turn on the lights of your to set a Guinness World Record. That should be a piece of cake, right? Well, not when 796 drivers on board their Suzuki Jimny off-roaders had to coordinate to switch the lights on all at once.
The record for 'Most cars to switch on their lights simultaneously' was set at the 2023 Jimny Gathering, which took place in Clarens, South Africa. According to the rules, the owners of the tiny off-roaders had to turn on the lights of their vehicles within five seconds for the move to count. And they did it. A Guinness representative watched them turn their headlamps on, analyzed the data, and homologated the record.
The 796 drivers own Suzukis (801 if you count the five on the heritage display) built across four generations, the new five-door Jimny included.
It is not just headlights turning on that the owners did during the Jimny Gathering. They took part in an off-road journey through the Maluti Mountains in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park as well. The owners also attended the Safari Town Music Festival at the Clarens Town Square, where they enjoyed performances from South African bands and DJs.
The event was originally intended as a 50th anniversary for the Jimny back in 2020. But the global pandemic forced the organizers to cancel their plans.
Suzuki introduced the new five-door Jimny variant in January 2023. The five-door model is 157 inches long, while the three-door global variant measures 143.5 inches in length. The five-door example sports a 102-inch wheelbase, which is 13.3 inches longer than the three-door.
The only engine available is the 1.5-liter four-cylinder, which delivers 105 horsepower and 99 pound-feet of torque. The engine is linked to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Suzuki equips the Jimny with a transfer case that allows the driver to switch from 2WD-high, to 4WD-high, or 4WD-low, depending on the terrain.
The Suzuki made its debut back in 1970 as a mini off-roader and has now reached its fourth generation. Despite the tiny proportions, it comes with all the credentials of a real SUV. It sports a body-on-frame chassis and low transfer case, but Suzuki had to compromise on the on-road driving in terms of dynamics and comfort.
Photo: Suzuki
An electric Suzuki Jimny is in the works as part of the brand’s strategy to launch five EVs for the European market before 2030. The Japanese carmaker revealed the plan showing five dark silhouettes. The one that belongs to the Jimny is easy to guess as it displays the angular shape similar to that of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. To identify itself as an EV, it comes with an illuminated radiator grille connecting the round headlights. The model should drop sometime in 2024.
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