In 2007, BBC automotive TV show Top Gear featured a special episode where the three presenters were presented with a challenge to reach the magnetic North Pole in a car. Acclaimed for its robust durability, the adventure team had chosen a fleet of Toyota Hilux trucks specially prepared for hardcore Arctic duty. The journey was a success and the episode has been one of the most memorable specials in Top Gear history.
Five years later, Left Lane News reported that event organizers Extreme World Races seeked a new challenge that similarly followed BBC's example. Once again choosing a Toyota Hilux, a team was prepared to successfully tackle the magnetic South Pole. Facing extreme climate conditions including temperatures that drop down to nearly -60 degrees Fahrenheit as well as climbs that reached altitudes as high as 11,000 feet, the team prepared its fleet of three Hilux trucks by enlisting Arctic Truck, 4x4 build specialists based in Iceland. The experienced cold-temperature outfitters prepared the vehicle with A1 jet fuel, a fuel that can best cope with the relentlessly freezing conditions. Other modifications also include a special suspension to take on steep approach angles as well as an enormous tire setup featuring large, low-pressure tires that offer a footprint that is 17 times larger than what's offered on the standard tires.
Impressively, the team's three Toyota Hilux trucks have all retained its standard 3.0 liter D-4D Diesel engines without any mechanical modifications. What's more, apart from the addition of a crawler gear, the transmission remained bone stock as well.
Overcoming the odds, the team and its trio of jet-fueled Japanese pick-up trucks eventually completed the 9,500-km (5,900-mile) journey, supporting scientific research as well as an 800 km ski race along the way. In doing so, the Toyota Hilux has officially travelled farther into the frigid belly of Antarctica than any other vehicle.
Check out the awesome Toyota Hilux video below:
