Land Rover to take the Siberian test to prove its resilience

The have won a grant to drive a Land Rover Defender to the Pole of Cold just as winter sets in later this year. Aiming to 'road test' the vehicle in Arctic temperatures of minus 50C degrees, the journey is in partnership with Britain's Royal Geographic Society.

The team driving the British-made Discovery comprises Felicity Aston, who already has a number of Antarctic Expeditions under her belt, Gisli Jonsson, an expert mechanic in sub-zero temperatures, and Manu Palomeque, a filmmaker/photographer, revealed the Birmingham Mail newspaper. 

'The intrepid explorers will trace the onset of winter across Europe to Siberia as far as the Pole of Cold, the coldest place in the northern hemisphere in North-East Russia'.

They won a £30,000 Land Rover Bursary - 1.42 million rouble or $45,300 - and the loan of the 4 by 4 Defender. 

'Felicity and her experienced team have really captured the essence of the Bursary through the concept of their expedition,' said Mark Cameron, Land Rover Global Brand Experience Director.

'We are delighted to support their journey to properly understand how different communities across Europe and Siberia deal with the onset of winter.'

The team expect temperatures of between minus 20C and minus 50C on their three month odyssey.

'The 12 week journey will begin from the Royal Geographical Society in London, in November, with the team working its way across northern Europe through Russia to Siberia, then dropping south back through Kazakhstan to Europe, arriving in England in February 2014.'

They have been told residents in Oymyakon - In Sakha, also known as Yakutia - keep their cars running all day: will they need to do the same with the Land Rover?