Chicago,
IL - A "Global Extremes" Toyota
4Runner is on display at the 2003 Chicago Auto Show. Eight
of these 4Runners, modified by Safari Gard Inc. in Murrieta,
Calif., are currently participating in a landmark television
event titled "Global Extremes: Mt. Everest - 4Runners
of Adventure."
Toyota
Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. partnered with Outdoor Life
Network (OLN) in early 2002 for this program which will
take participants on adventures around the globe. This "Global
Extremes" made-for-TV event consists of two phases
- the first phase taking place in the U.S., the second in
three separate international locations.
Fifty qualifying, highly skilled, amateur athletes were
grouped in teams in October 2002. They will be challenged
in a series of grueling eliminations that include mountain
biking, trekking, running, climbing, caving and more. The
Global Extremes 4Runners, customized to handle the extreme
environments, will be incorporated into each expedition
as support vehicles and will be prominently displayed at
the start and finish of each event.
The
first phase of "Global Extremes" consisted of
elimination competitions in Moab, Utah and Elk Mountain,
Colo. which concluded in December with 12 remaining finalists.
Those 12 finalists will move onto the second phase and face
challenges in Kalahari, North Cape, South Africa; Costa
Rica and Iceland that will ultimately eliminate all but
five participants.
These
final five athletes will then attempt an ascent to the summit
of Mt. Everest - televised live - to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of world-renowned adventurer Sir Edmund Hillary's
ascent. "Global Extremes" will be a major television
event broadcasting on OLN and ABC.
For
17 years, 4Runner has been Toyota's high-volume, high-image
SUV leader with sales of more than 1.2 million units since
its introduction in 1985. During that time, 4Runner has
delivered on a promise of legendary off-road capability
with a style and an image that is aspirational, youthful,
sporty and most of all, genuine. It has set the standard
in the mid-size SUV class for ruggedness, dependability,
and day-in and day-out versatility.
The
all-new, fourth generation 2003 Toyota 4Runner raises the
bar and improves upon the vehicle's core strengths with
technologically advanced features such as a Downhill/Hill-Start
Assist Control, X-REAS Sport Enhancement Suspension, and
a Torsen Center Differential. For the first time in a 4Runner,
Toyota offers a 4.7-liter V8 engine with a five-speed automatic
transmission, as well as a new 4.0-liter V6 with a four-speed
automatic. The all-new 2003 4Runner launched this past October.
The
Global Extremes 4Runner will be on public display throughout
the remainder of the Chicago Auto Show.
Global
Extremes 4Runner Aftermarket Modifications
* Safari
Gard Inc. front bumper
* Safari Gard Inc. winch mount
* Safari Gard Inc. rear bumper
* Safari Gard Inc. rock sliders
* Goodyear Wrangler MTR 265x70R17 tires
* Allied Wheel beadlock wheels
* Hella Rallye 4000 lights
* Hella FF300 lights
* Yakima roof rack and net
* Pelican cases
* Superwinch X9000
* Odyssey battery 1700
