Expedition Portal contributors Andy and Mercedes Lilienthal knew they had a huge challenge ahead of them when they entered the 40th Anniversary Alcan 5000 Rally. The Lilienthal team (known also as Crankshaft Culture) are Alcan veterans, but this year would be different. The unpredictable road conditions, the tricky TSD (time-speed-distance) challenges, the brutal Arctic weather, and the sheer length of the competition all conspire to make this one of the more difficult rallies anywhere on the planet—none of that has changed from previous editions. For the 2024 Alcan, however, the Lilienthals took the wheel of a brand new Ineos Grenadier, untested in this unique rally.
They also won.
The Ineos Grenadier is an all-new, from-the-ground-up purpose-built overland vehicle, so on paper, it would seem like a logical choice for the Alcan 5000 (our own Scott Brady is currently driving one across Africa). But plans based on theories often fall apart when the rubber hits the road. And there’s a lot of road on the Alcan 5000, over 5,000 miles of it (as the name suggests). The event takes place in the depths of winter. Teams endure long hours of ice and snow driving and frigid temperatures, as well as endless days with only a shred or two of sunlight to break through the darkness, all while attempting to hit TSD navigation targets, and competing in skills tests, like ice slalom. The 2024 event started near Seattle, Washington, and ended in Coldfoot, Alaska, with stops in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and Whitehorse, Yukon.
Andy, the team’s driver, said,
“With temps as low as -32 degrees Fahrenheit, the INEOS Grenadier was a solid performer in every condition we put it in. Its suspension easily soaked up hundreds of miles of frost heaves and potholes, the turbocharged engine had plenty of power to get by slow traffic, and the interior was comfortable and versatile.
It was a champ in the deeper snows on the ice slalom competition too. The Grenadier was an excellent vehicle to have on this long and demanding rally. To have this new vehicle on the 40th year of the Alcan 5000 and take top honors in our class was amazing.”
Competing against 17 other drivers in the Truck/SUV classification (there were 39 overall entrants), Andy and Mercedes topped the category in a hard-fought battle that went down to the final days. This was a historic first rally win for the Grenadier, but there are sure to be more in the future.
Watch more: Ineos Grenadier Build for Crossing Africa: Detailed Walkaround Video
Images: Andy and Mercedes Lilienthal, Crankshaft Culture
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