autoevolution
 

Diesel-Powered 2017 Land Rover Discovery Tows 120-Ton Road Train

120 metric tons or 264,555 pounds. That’s a lot of heft, but then again, what did you expect from a 100-meter long road strain with seven trailers out in the Australian Outback? A V6 diesel-powered Land Rover Discovery towing it? Challenge accepted!
2017 Land Rover Discovery Tows 120-Ton Road Train 9 photos
Photo: Land Rover
2017 Land Rover Discovery Tows 120-Ton Road Train2017 Land Rover Discovery Tows 120-Ton Road Train2017 Land Rover Discovery Tows 120-Ton Road Train2017 Land Rover Discovery Tows 120-Ton Road Train2017 Land Rover Discovery Tows 120-Ton Road Train2017 Land Rover Discovery Tows 120-Ton Road Train2017 Land Rover Discovery Tows 120-Ton Road Train2017 Land Rover Discovery Tows 120-Ton Road Train
This is not the first time Land Rover pulled off a marketing stunt centered around towing capacity. Remember the Discovery Sport that was put to the test along with three train carriages? And it’s not just Land Rover. Porsche is the undisputed leader in towing records, thanks to the Cayenne Turbo S.

As a brief refresher, the range-topping Cayenne from the former generation managed to pull an Airbus A380 in May 2017, an aircraft that tips the scales at 285 tons. Be that as it may, what Land Rover achieved with the Discovery is nothing to scoff at. Just press play and witness the towing action!

Equipped with the range-topping Td6 turbo diesel, the Discovery with the oil-chugging 3.0-liter V6 boasts a maximum permissible towing weight of 3,500 kilograms. Despite this, the Discovery didn’t break a sweat over the course of 16 kilometers (10 miles) at an average speed of 44 km/h (27.3 mph) while lugging behind the massive tractor and equally ginormous trailers.

All that with just 254 horsepower and 600 Nm (443 pound-feet of torque), figures that pale in comparison to the Cayenne Turbo S. And the road train’s 529 ponies and 2,983 Nm (2,200 lb-ft). Big figures for a big rig, alright!

“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 Quentin Spottiswoode, Land Rover engineer. “Pulling a rig and seven trailers, with the rolling resistance of so many axles to overcome, is a huge achievement.”

After accomplishing this feat, the question is, what’s next for the British automaker in terms of PR stunts? Dragging the moon out of its orbit?

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories