Rainer Zietlow is a German world record holder and long-distance driver with Volkswagen cars, best known for his extraordinary automotive expeditions and the planning of international record-breaking tours through his agency, Challenge4 GmbH, based in Mannheim, Germany. He holds six long-distance and two altitude world records officially recognized by Guinness World Records.
Zietlow’s career as an adventure driver began in 1988 when he crossed the Sahara to Niger in a Mercedes 230—with a mere six-week-old driver’s license in his pocket. He repeated a similar feat in 1990, this time reaching Cameroon in a Toyota Land Cruiser. In 1996, he completed a round-the-world trip in a Land Rover Defender 110 in just six months.
In 2004, he founded Challenge4 GmbH, which has since successfully completed over 20 major projects with Volkswagen cars, specializing in the organization and execution of long-distance and record-breaking drives. Almost all of these projects have supported SOS Children’s Villages, with Zietlow making donations to the organization during village visits on his tours.
Rainer Zietlow continues to push the limits of automotive endurance und innovation, cementing his reputation as one of the world’s most accomplished long-distance drivers.
several long-distance world records
and eight Guinness World Records™
- 2005: Guinness World Record for reaching 6.081 meters with a standard Volkswagen Touareg
- 2006: Guinness World Record for the first circumnavigation with a VW Caddy powered by CNG
- 2007: Long-distance drive from Berlin to Bangkok with a Volkswagen Caddy powered by CNG
- 2008: Long-distance drive to all CNG-stations in Germany with a VW Passat powered by CNG
- 2009: Long-distance drive from Lisbon to Magadan with a Volkswagen Caddy powered by CNG
- 2010: Long-distance drive from Argentina to Alaska with a Volkswagen Caddy powered by CNG
- 2011: World Record drive on Panamericana from Argentina to Alaska with a Volkswagen Touareg
- 2012: World Record drive from Melbourne to St. Petersburg with a Volkswagen Touareg
- 2013: Guinness World Record drive from Moscow to Camchatka with three Volkswagen Amarok
- 2014: World Record drive from North Cape to Cape Town with a Volkswagen Touareg
- 2015: World Record drive from Cape Town to North Cape with a Volkswagen Touareg
- 2016: World Record drive from Magadan to Lisbon with a Volkswagen Touareg
- 2017: Long-distance drive from Dakar to Moscow with a Volkswagen Amarok
- 2017: World Record drive from Shanghai to Lisbon (Silk Road) with a Volkswagen Tiguan
- 2018: Long-distance drive with a VW Touareg to its world premiere in Beijing and back to Wolfsburg
- 2019: World Record drive on Panamericana from Alaska to Argentina with a Volkswagen Amarok
- 2020: World Record drive through Germany in a fully electric Volkswagen ID.3
- 2021: Guinness World Record drive through USA in a fully electric Volkswagen ID.4
- 2022: Guinness World Record for reaching 5.816 meters with a fully electric Volkswagen ID.4 GTX
- 2023: Long-distance drive from Alaska to Florida with a Volkswagen ID.4 for the first time in winter
- 2023: Guinness World Record drive through Canada in a fully electric Volkswagen ID.4
- 2023: Long-distance drive from Geneva to Doha with a VW ID.BUZZ for the Geneva Motor Show
- 2024: Guinness World Record for the largest GPS drawing driven by VW ID.4 GTX in Australia
- 2024: Guinness World Record for driving through all ten Australian deserts in a VW Amarok
All long-distance world records and eight Guinness World Records™
- 2005: Guinness World Record for reaching 6.081 meters with a standard Volkswagen Touareg
- 2006: Guinness World Record for the first circumnavigation with a VW Caddy powered by CNG
- 2007: Long-distance drive from Berlin to Bangkok with a Volkswagen Caddy powered by CNG
- 2008: Long-distance drive to all CNG-stations in Germany with a VW Passat powered by CNG
- 2009: Long-distance drive from Lisbon to Magadan with a Volkswagen Caddy powered by CNG
- 2010: Long-distance drive from Argentina to Alaska with a Volkswagen Caddy powered by CNG
- 2011: World Record drive on Panamericana from Argentina to Alaska with a Volkswagen Touareg
- 2012: World Record drive from Melbourne to St. Petersburg with a Volkswagen Touareg
- 2013: Guinness World Record drive from Moscow to Camchatka with three Volkswagen Amarok
- 2014: World Record drive from North Cape to Cape Town with a Volkswagen Touareg
- 2015: World Record drive from Cape Town to North Cape with a Volkswagen Touareg
- 2016: World Record drive from Magadan to Lisbon with a Volkswagen Touareg
- 2017: Long-distance drive from Dakar to Moscow with a Volkswagen Amarok
- 2017: World Record drive from Shanghai to Lisbon (Silk Road) with a Volkswagen Tiguan
- 2018: Long-distance drive with a VW Touareg to its world premiere in Beijing and back to Wolfsburg
- 2019: World Record drive on Panamericana from Alaska to Argentina with a Volkswagen Amarok
- 2020: World Record drive through Germany in a fully electric Volkswagen ID.3
- 2021: Guinness World Record drive through USA in a fully electric Volkswagen ID.4
- 2022: Guinness World Record for reaching 5.816 meters with a fully electric Volkswagen ID.4 GTX
- 2023: Long-distance drive from Alaska to Florida with a Volkswagen ID.4 for the first time in winter
- 2023: Guinness World Record drive through Canada in a fully electric Volkswagen ID.4
- 2023: Long-distance drive from Geneva to Doha with a VW ID.BUZZ for the Geneva Motor Show
- 2024: Guinness World Record for the largest GPS drawing driven by VW ID.4 GTX in Australia
- 2024: Guinness World Record for driving through all ten Australian deserts in a VW Amarok
