Do You Have Enough Grit to Take Part in the Defender Trophy Challenge?

Gen-Xers will likely remember the mud, grit, and glory of the Camel Trophy, an expedition in sand-yellow Land Rovers with the now iconic Camel livery. For two decades, the Camel Trophy brought together teams from around the globe to battle through the world’s toughest terrains—from the Amazon to Siberia—for the prize of survival, camaraderie, and stories they’d never forget. While the Camel Trophy ended in 2000, the race has lived on through YouTube. Twenty-five years on, the legendary race returns as Defender Trophy, a Land Rover-backed global expedition challenge that you can take part in.

“We are bringing epic adventure very much to the forefront again,” said Andy Hunt Cook, head of global communications for Defender at a recent Defender Arena set up in the woodlands of West Sussex for Goodwood Festival of Speed. The revival race will pit teams driving Defender 110 Trophy Editions in either Deep Sandglow Yellow or Keswick Green. Under the hood is a 3.0-litre inline-six engine mated to an automatic gearbox making 395 brake horsepower. The model also has modifications for off-road, including a deployable roof ladder, a side-mounted gear carrier, mud flaps, and raised air intake to help keep dust out.

The Defender Trophy is meant to put the new special-edition model to the test, but contestants from more than 50 countries will contend at the regional level before moving on to the global final staged in Africa next year. “It couldn’t just be the challenge of getting from one place to the next,” Hunt Cook added. “We wanted it to be a legacy.” Thus, the final—a test of physical, mental, and emotional limits focusing on driving, engineering, navigational, and physical skills—will be hosted by Tusk, an African wildlife conservation group. If you’re in a participating country—Canada is one—at least 23 years old, can swim 50 metres, drive internationally, and speak fluent English, this challenge is for you.

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