So, the answer to the burning question of ‘can I drive a two-and-a-bit-tonne luxury SUV over a bridge made of paper’ turns out to be yes…
Not content with getting a Jaguar F-Pace to loop-the-loop in Frankfurt, Jaguar Land Rover decided that it was going to have to celebrate the Range Rover's 45th birthday in style. So, on the eve of the Guangzhou motor in China, the firm built a paper bridge for its top-of-the-line 4x4 to drive across.
The bridge, which gad a five-metre span over a river in the Chinese city of Suzhou (famed for its canals and sometimes called ‘The Venice Of The East’ by people who say things like that) used no bots or glue in its construction and was entirely free standing.
"Paper structures capable of supporting people have been built before but nothing on this scale has ever been attempted. It's pushing engineering boundaries, just like the Range Rover, and the ease and composure with which the vehicle negotiated the arch was genuinely breathtaking", said paper bridge designer and artist Steve Messam.
The paper was supplied by specialist manufacturer James Cropper PLC.
The task of actually doing the driving was left to Land Rover Experience chief instructor Chris Zhou, a man with presumable icy veins and steady hands.
Nick Rogers, Director Group Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover, said: "China is an important market for Range Rover, so we have picked the perfect place to celebrate 45 years of our luxury SUV family. Range Rover's advanced lightweight body and peerless all-terrain capability were crucial factors in making this unique drive possible."
