Tianmen Mountain is located in the homonymous national park, near Zhangjiajie Town, in Hunan Province of China. There, in the middle of a fantastic but terrifying landscape, is the “Heaven’s Gate”, a great natural hole high up on the mountain. To get there, you have to drive a 14km road with a countless turn to end up on a 999-foot hill whose top is lost in the mist. No native imagined that a car could get there. But a Chinese professional driver dared it …

The Range Rover Sport PHEV successfully completed the Dragon Challenge at Heaven’s Gate, on Tainmen Mountain, China.

The challenge consisted of climbing 999 steps at a 45 degrees angle. It began at the bottom of the Tianmen Mountain Road, which has a stairway and 99 dizzying turns.

Produced by Claudia

The hybrid SUV is the first vehicle to climb the stairs. Professional racing driver Ho-Pin Tung was behind the wheel.

  • The Range Rover Sport PHEV climbed 999 steps at a 45 degrees angle.
  • It was part of the Dragon Challenge at Heaven’s Gate, on Tainmen Mountain, China.
  • The hybrid SUV is the first vehicle to climb the stairs.
  • Ho-Pin Tung was behind the wheel.

To tackle the road the car was set to ‘Dynamic Mode’ which sharpens the throttle, changes gears in high revs, and also engages dampeners so the car stays planted.

The Range Rover Sport has a 300PS Ingenium petrol engine as well as a 116PS electric motor. Together they produce 404bhp and 500Nm of torque.