They were stripped of most of their equipment by Land Rover before they were released, making restoring the vehicles to their original competition condition expensive and time-consuming.
[9] In 2003, competitors representing sixteen nations helped Land Rover fill the gap left after the demise of Camel Trophy.
The "ultimate global adventure" was a test of skill, stamina, and mental agility in four separate stages, each in a different time zone.
The competitors, working in bi-national teams faced thousands of miles of vehicle-based activity in Thailand, Laos, Brazil, and Bolivia.
The 2008-9 G4 Challenge, supporting the Red Cross and based in Mongolia, was cancelled in December 2008 in the middle of the selection stages due to the current global economic downturn.