Video: Watch a Range Rover Sport dispatch 999 steps without breaking a sweat

This time they’ve gone to China to pit the latest Range Rover Sport plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV) against the Dragon Road, aiming to be the first vehicle to get all the way to the spectacular Heaven’s Gate rock formation. On the way to the top: 99 hairpins and 999 steps…

The hairpins are, well, just hairpins even if the sheer number of switchbacks makes the Stelvio Pass look tame. But those steps up are most definitely not vehicle friendly in any way, shape or form.

The short video tells the story of what happened better than words ever could – and it certainly gets across the worrying steepness of the steps better than saying “45 degree incline”. And don’t you just love all the people in the film saying: “It’s impossible. He’ll die”.

Well, JLR’s  Le Mans class-winner and Panasonic Jaguar Racing reserve and test driver Ho-Pin Tung made it to Heaven’s Gate – and thankfully not heaven itself. He’s a very happy boy at the end of it.

What we want to know is: how did the Range Rover get down again? Or is it still up there?

The stunt is the latest in a series of adventures for the Range Rover Sport. Past exploits have included a water race against a swimming world champion, descending the 2k Inferno downhill ski course in Mürren, Switzerland, and – our favourite –  an off-road race against a Supermarine Spitfire right here at Goodwood.