(July 8, 2012) ZURICH — On July 14, a Chevrolet Aveo departs from Goodwood motor circuit on a no-backup, no support, no-set-route Mongol Rally adventure of more than 9,000 miles, to raise money for childrens' charities. The Aveo's first Mongol Rally Team will take a 1.2-liter Aveo small car on a journey full of obstacles: mountains, deserts, bad roads, no roads, bandits.

The rally team trio, comprising of an experienced marketing manager, Guy White, an investment banker, Ed Kliphuis, and a developmental biology researcher, Arnout Schepers, all of them with no rally or car knowledge, are driving the Aveo to raise much-needed money for SOS Children's Villages along the way.



Asked about their motivation to do this, White answered: "Life is for living and there are only certain moments in your life when you can make something like this actually happen. Driving across a third of the world, meeting so many incredible people, having so many unbelievable memories and doing some good while doing it, is just a perfect combination. I want to be one of those grandfathers that has grandchildren who want to hear his stories."

The team which met for the first time three years ago on a rugby field in Geneva, is collecting donations for SOS Children's Villages in Mongolia — to which also the Aveo will be donated. They are also "selling" interesting interaction opportunities for this good cause along the way: Check it out on: www.indiegogo.com/10000mileMongolRally

The 1.2-kiter Aveo with 86 horsepower is the standard production car — but it has undergone some special preparations for this long trip on often difficult roads: all-terrain tyres were fitted, the suspension was reinforced, stiffened and raised, a front bull-bar and drive-train protection guards were fitted, a high-voltage, heavy-duty battery was fitted, additional headlamps were mounted on the roof carrier and extra interior lights were fitted for map reading, and an engine sump guard was added.
   
The team are carrying a heavy-duty hydraulic jack, fuel canisters and spare wheels and a first-aid kit.

The Mongol Rally is very different from other rallies in that there is no fixed route. There are only two joint milestones that the teams need to hit — the so-called Czechout Party in the historic Klenova Castle in the Czech Republic, where live bands will play and people will camp in verdant meadows, and the arrival parties in Ulaanbaatar.

What the team can expect in between those points and where they will drive exactly is not known to them at this point in time.

Some teams will go south via Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, others will go north via the Arctic circle and another group will travel through central Asia. "To keep the sense of a true expedition, the organisers, "the adventurists", refuse to make any route recommendations or give information on what to expect," says Guy White. "This is not a vacation trip. It is a real adventure, exemplified maybe also by the warning you can find on the adventurists' website that some people participating in their rallies lost their lives or became disabled."

The team expects to drive the nearly 9,000 miles in 34 days and has planned the following route and schedule: