Altitude World Record-setting Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Vehicles Make Special Appearance at Euro Camp Jeep

July 1, 2007 , Ardeche, France -  Seventy years after the first man climbed the world’s highest volcano, Ojos del Salado in Chile, two Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited vehicles set a new world record by climbing 6,646 meters (21,804 feet) to the volcano’s rim. The achievement, certified by Guinness World Records™, is not one that is likely to easily be beaten in a production vehicle.

Ojos del Salado is the second-highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere (6,892 meters / 22,597 feet), and now dubbed the “highest parking lot in the world” ... Jeep parking only, of course. Over five exhausting days in March, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited vehicles carried a team from Extrem Events (Germany), led by Matthias Jeschke, from the base of the inhospitable volcano in the Chilean Andes to the highest point that a standard four-wheeled vehicle has traveled.

“This was exactly the challenge to separate the new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited from all other 4x4 vehicles. A climb like this in not just off-road, but extreme conditions is a testament to the performance of the vehicle’s powertrain, suspension and overall quality. We are very proud that Wrangler Unlimited was the first vehicle to be able to complete such a rigorous challenge, and we believe that it really does set the vehicle apart from its competition,” said Thomas Hausch, Vice President – International Sales, Chrysler Group.

Jeschke and the record-setting Jeep vehicles are making a special appearance at this year’s Euro Camp Jeep in southern France, June 30 through July 7. Euro Camp Jeep is an annual gathering exclusively for Jeep owners and enthusiasts and their families from across Europe and beyond, and it is Europe’s largest single-brand 4x4 customer event.

Standard Equipment, Exceptional Result
During the trip, the team endured hurricane-strength winds, temperatures that reached minus 30 degrees Centigrade (minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit) and the thin air of such high altitudes, as it maneuvered over malicious glaciers, fissured rock cliffs and volcanic sand. The last stretch of the climb was the most grueling. Both Jeep Wrangler Unlimited vehicles had to cross a glacier, parts of which were so smooth that any travel by foot required spiked shoes. At the far end was the glacier field, a fissured ice area strewn with razor-sharp snow penitents. It was here that the vehicle’s 3.8-liter V-6 engine and Goodyear’s MT/R tires proved their true capability and made the Wrangler Unlimited the first vehicle to ever cross the Ojos del Salado glacier.

After reaching the initial goal, to surpass 6,500 meters, just beyond the glacier, the team continued to drive on and pushed forward until there was nowhere left to drive. “Unbelievable, tremendous, phenomenal,” was the description from team leader Jeschke after reaching the plateau at the end of the summit. “The Wranglers are unbeatable.”

The two Jeep Wrangler Unlimited vehicles that completed this challenge were standard equipment Rubicon models. In addition to the standard equipment, both vehicles were fitted with Goodyear MT/R tires, electronic altitude measuring technology and winches.

Featuring a one-of-a-kind, four-door, open-air design, the all-new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited offers even more comfort, space, versatility and open-air options than the all-new Wrangler. With room for five adult passengers – a Wrangler first – and the most cargo space ever offered in a Wrangler, the Wrangler Unlimited combines class-leading off-road capability with everyday practicality.

The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited expands the Jeep experience and core values to a broader range of customers who have always wanted a Wrangler, but also needed more space and versatility. Outside North America, two engine options are available, an all-new 2.8-liter common-rail turbo diesel engine, as well as a new 3.8-liter V-6 petrol engine. The Wrangler is available in both left-hand and right-hand drive. With solid axles, removable doors, exposed hinges, a fold-down windshield and innovative removable and convertible tops, Wrangler retains the brand’s coveted core values of freedom, adventure, mastery and authenticity.