Even Land Rover has never seen off-roading quite like this.
To celebrate the 45th-year anniversary of Range Rover, the company commissioned artist and bridge designer, Steve Messam, to construct a paper bridge to which the iconic SUV would drive right over — easily marking a world's first.
"Just made of paper with no nuts and bolts, no screws, no glue ... it's a daunting task," an uneasy Messam says in the intro of Land Rover's video, which captured the entire event.
Choosing the location of Suzhou, China, which is known for its intricate bridges, Messam and his team of designers went to work on this massive undertaking, layering stacks and stacks of paper as compact as possible to withstand the two and a half tons of a Range Rover Vogue.
With Land Rover's cameras capturing the fascinating — not to mention, tedious — process, it was finally time to see if the paper bridge would pass its test. Anticipation builds up to the moment, when the driver, Chris Zhou, slowly rolls the vehicle up the steep arch, while even coming to a full stop atop the bridge.
From watching the clip, it almost feels like the top of the bridge will cave in to the Vogue's weight, but no ... it stands firm under the pressure pretty remarkably. Zhou is able to drive the Range Rover right off the paper bridge safely onto the other side to plenty of well-deserved applause.
What a unique way to celebrate an anniversary and showcase the iconic SUV.
