Drivers Attempt Record Run from London to Cape Town in Panda

Philip Young and Paul Brace will attempt to drive a modified FiatFiatItaly, 1899 > present159 models
4864 photos
35 videos
Panda TwinAirFiat Panda 0.9 TwinAir Lo...Italy, 2012 > present3 photos
from Cape Town, South Africa to Marble Arch in London in an overland route in February to break the previous record of 14 days, 19 hours and 26 minutes set by British Army Brigadier John Hemsley in a Range RoverLand Rover Range RoverUnited Kingdom, 1983 > present1 photo
in 1983. They believe that they can run the route in less than 11 days and 14 hours if everything goes to plan. 

The two men will have to drive at least 1,000 miles a day and have set a rule that they will obey all local speed limits. The plan is to drive home to London from Cape Town because it fits the border closings better. They will take a ferry in Tunisia across the Mediterranean and drive the rest of the way to London. 

The car is a mostly stock Panda TwinAir with some upgrades for better reliability. The team did a very careful run-in procedure on the Panda to ensure everything is seated properly. The team replaced the stock seats sheepskin-covered seats from a Volvo 340, which the drivers prefer for their comfort. The rear seats have been removed in place of a mattress, tools and spare wheels. The roof has been insulated to keep the interior cooler. 

The suspension has a stock layout with heavy-duty stocks and springs that raise the ride height. It also reinforced the shock towers and mounting points. 

The engine is completely standard except for a heavy-duty sump guard, extra fuel tank and protection for the fuel lines and brake lines. 

Young and Brace drove the route twice last year as part of the 2012 London to Cape Town World Cup Rally and both competed in the 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally. 

The other record that the men are trying to break is the London to Cape Town run by three drivers in 2010 with a Land Rover Discovery 2Land Rover Discovery Gen.2United Kingdom, 1999 > 20042 versions
2 photos
Td5 who did it in 13 days, 8 hours 48 minutes.

The first successful attempt to cross Africa from north to south by car came in 1924 in a CrossleyCrossleyUnited Kingdom, 1903 > 19475 models
, and it took from September to December of that year. 

The team has setup a blog discussing the preparation for their adventure, and you will be able to follow the journey thanks to satellite navigation from the web site when the endeavor begins. 

Source: Autocar