Bouscatel: Can you tell us about yourself, Laurent?

Hello! Delighted to be here! I organize expeditions around the world, in vehicles or not. I also publish photo books, TV documentaries, press articles...

Nicolas: What was the purpose of this journey? Was it to test the car, for advertising, or a personal desire financed by Renault?

The main idea was to test drive the vehicle in real conditions before lauching it. We also wanted to inspire the public by showing Koleos in far away places.

bastien: Who went on the adventure with you?

There were 3 of us. Megan, an American journalist, Pierre, an aerial photographer and myself.

Franki: How many kilometres did you travel?

25,000km between Korea and Istanbul over a 2-month period. Then I went just as far through Europe over a 3-month period to talk about our raid.

Simon: Hi! How were you received by people? Does Renault have a good image in the countries you visited? Thanks for answering!

Overall, we received a warm welcome. In Turkey, Renault is a very well-known brand and the people we met asked us a lot of questions. We crossed countries where Renault vehicles are not sold and people were very interested by this original vehicle.

DreamTeam: How did your journey through Iran go? Were you anxious as a westerner considering the current international tensions?

Not at all! Iranians are lovely people and they are extremely open to meeting the few foreigners that travel through the country. The only complication that arised was getting a visa - it held us up for a week.
Helene: Did you have a "standard issue" Koleos (like the one I could go out and buy) or was it decked out in special equipment for the raid?

No, Helene, it was a standard issue vehicle that had no special adjustments for the raid.
The only preparation was to add an aluminium plate under the chassis to protect it.

Brian: Why Koleos?

Good timing for me because I was coming back from an expedition in the Andes and I was available. Good timing for Renault, too as I was able to show how reliable the vehicle is and demonstrate its 4x4 capabilities 3 months before it was laucnhed.

Romain_des_Bois55100: It is nice to drive? Is it a real 4x4 or a novelty vehivle like the Scénic 4x4?

They are two different vehicles. The Rx4 was designed for clients living in regions with slippery surfaces like the mountains. Koleos on the other hand, was designed from the outset as a 4x4 with excellent cross-over capabilities. I have crossed Eurasia behind the wheel of an RX4 and the Koloes, and I can say that the Koleos has far superior 4x4 capabilities compared the RX4.

Diki : Were there any dangerous moments (25,000km)?

Crossing the transiberian plains in winter turned out to be very difficult. Snow storms, 5,000km of frozen tracks and the fea of armed attacks...

nico33: 25,000km in 58 days is a lot of kms. Which countries did you visit? Which one do you have the fondest memory of? Can we see photos of you trip anywhere?

You can check out our adventure at www.koleos-adventure.com. You'll find photos and videos about our adventure. Best-ofs and making-ofs were put on line as soon as I got back. We crossed Korea, Siberia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Ouzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey. I think my fondest memory was of the Caravanserai on the Silk Road.

Boris: Is this 4x4 environmentally friendly?

I don't know about the fuel consumption of the various models. What i do know is that the unleaded petrol vehicle I drove on teh raid will not represent more than a very small percentage of vehicles sold in Europe. Most vehicles of this type sold in Europe run on diesel fuel. Many non 4x4 sedans are much less environmentally friendly than Koleos. Tacking 4x4 vehicles as a class is misdirected. Many of the regions I crossed would not be accessible in anything but a 4x4.

badongo: Did you have any breakdowns? If so, any major ones? How did you find the spare part(s)? Was there a back-up Koleos?

We didn't have any breakdowns at all. Given the trails we were on, it was unavoidable to blow some tyres. We also got a cracked windscreen...but that was it. We didn't have a back-up Koleos.
We're lucky it went so well because we were on a short deadline and I wouldn't have been able to make it on time if there had been problems. In addition, we had no way of communicating because satellite telephones are not authorised in former Soviet bloc countries.

DreamTeam: What were some of the magnificent places that you would consider highlights?

The Mongolian Steppes were undoubtedly the most beautiful landscape we saw. Driving by a herd of wild camels in the middle of a gigantic snow-covered landscape was absolutely fabulous. The nights we spent in Mongolian yourts were unforgettable, too. They're such kind people.

juliana: How many hours' driving did you do per week?

We did an average maximum of 400 kms per day. The nights were short because the tracks were caved in and the average speeds were very low- about 35km/hr.

loop de loop: What was the longest stage?

Between Lake Baikal and Kazakhstan, we drove non-stop for 1,200km because our travel visas were about to expire.

baptiste: What's your favourite memory?

The gas craters in the Karakuym desert in Turkmenistan - no doubt about it! When we arrived around 4 o'oclock in the morning, we saw an amazing sight. Flocks of birds were circling over the flames. It was surreal. It's hard to put the feeling into words, but you can see for yourself on the video on koleos-aventure.com!

Cait: Did you have time to work on a video or a book?

Various films were broadcast on the website during the journey - you can still watch them now. No book is planned for this adventure as yet, but I will publish an illustrated book on the Andes adventure with Editions Geo: it's called "A la Recherche de le grande route Inca" (In Search of the Great Inca Road).

maxth38: Many professionals and individuals who have test driven KOLEOS have mentioned a baking defect. What was your personal feeling on this?

Personally, I did not have any braking problems. I drove on very difficult tracks, especially coming down mountains which is highly demanding on the brakes.

I read vehicle magazines and I haven't got the impression that Koleos has braking issues.
In the media, Koleos is often compared to vehicles fit with 100% asphalt tyres. My Koleos had « mud and snow » tyres which are standard issue.

rocambole: Is it possible to get to these places, like the gas craters, if you don't have a vehiclue or are they easily accessible to tourist?

Yes, tourists can get to the craters from Ashgabat. What you can't do as a foreigner is travel alone in the country so you must go with an offical guide.

gisela: Who took the photos we see scrolling down? They're magnificent!

I did! Thank you! I'm very flattered.

solange: Are you planning another expedition?

My next projects are for documentary series for TV. They will involve travel. My next « mini-journey » is to the French Alps for the 4x4 motor show in Val d'Isère on August 8.

klra650: How do you sleep? Were the stops planned in advance or determined by your level of fatigue on the road? How did you manage in isolated countries?

Everything was improvised. It was impossible to plan where we would sleep. When we woke up in the morning, it was impossible to know when and where we would sleep that night. We did a lot of camping, too.

Sot-l'y-laisse: Isn't it difficult to spend 60 days with the same 2 people (or 3 people) in a vehicle? Were there any tensions?

We had major administrative problems at borders. The tension was more between our group, the police and the customs officials.
Obviously, at times the fatigue and sheer number of kilometres caused tensions, but never for long.

hulisse: Did you have a sore back after so much driving?

No! Koleos is amazingly comfortable. The press unanimously agrees on that.

gatou: How did you feel when you arrived in Istanbul at the end of the journey?

I was extremely happy to have crossed the continent without any problems, particularly for the team. And I had hundreds of images in my mind and so many wonderful encounters with people!

Thank you, Laurent Granier! A word to conclude?

I'm very happy to have spent this moment with you all! See you soon! I encourage you to relive the best moments of the adventure on www.koleos-adventure.com!