Ben Collins was the first person to drag a car down the Inferno Murren’s longest downhill road.
Inferno Murren is one of the most extreme downhill ski races in the world. The course descends 7,119 feet (2.170m) from Piz Gloria, at the top, to Murren, Switzerland. It covers 9.25 miles (14.9 km).
The course can be wide and open at times, but it is also fast. It becomes tight, twisty and dangerous the next time. It could prove to be your last mistake. If you do it correctly, you’ll be among the greatest. Even if you make it to the top in one piece, that is still a huge achievement.
To tackle the ski run, you need to be very brave. To tackle the run on skis, you need to be insane. This is what Ben Collins , a former Stig and stunt driver, proved to be able to do, becoming the first ever driver to do it.
Collins used a Range Rover Sport to attempt the challenge. It had a 510 horsepower (380kilowatts), supercharged V8 engine and a 5.0-liter. The vehicle was also completely stock except for a roll cage, race seat, harness and stronger tires.
Collins and Range Rover Sport had to contend with snow, ice and loose rock instead of the thick snowpack that covered the route during Inferno. All of this is not ideal for charging down steep slopes at speeds up to 75 percent (154 km/h)
Collins stated that this was “truly one of the most difficult tests I’ve faced in all my driving careers.” The route was extremely difficult and definitely the most challenging I have ever done. It was as difficult as it gets. There were torrential rains mixed with trees and cliffs.
“The Range Rover Sport was a great help. The Terrain Response was a great tool that helped me get out of trouble. It helped us save a lot of time and gave me faith in the car. It was the best machine for the job.
This isn’t the first time Land Rover has tested the Range Rover Sport. It became the fastest SUV production ever to climb Pikes Peak’s hillclimb in 2013.