Magna Gears Up for Adventure With Employee Team Entered in the 2022 Rebelle Rally


  • Magna joins Rebelle Rally for the first time, an over 1,550-mile, all-women rally raid
  • Two Magna engineers train in off-road driving and navigation skills
  • Team driving a Jeep® Gladiator Rubicon featuring Magna transfer case

AURORA, Ontario, Sept. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Putting two of its experienced employees and its durable transfer case to the ultimate test of endurance and ability, Magna will field a two-woman team for the 2022 Rebelle Rally. The off-road rally, which runs Oct. 6-15, 2022, requires keen driving and navigation skills, without the use of GPS or other digital mapping devices, and covers over 1,550 miles of spectacular desert terrain in Nevada and California.

Magna’s team, called Force de Fem, will share the driving and navigating duties between Michelle Figueroa, System Engineer for Magna’s powertrain group, and Sree Anandavally, Global Director, Factory of the Future.

“Empowering employees to participate in something like Rebelle Rally exemplifies Magna’s commitment to approaching every challenge with grit and determination,” said Eric Wilds, Magna Chief Marketing and Sales Officer. “The entire Magna team is rooting for Michelle and Sree, we know they will inspire many inside and outside our company.”

The Rebelle Rally, now in its seventh year running, is the first women-only off-road navigation rally of its kind. The event features eight full days of driving, from North Lake Tahoe to Imperial Sand Dunes, California. Success is not about outright speed, but about locating hidden checkpoints, driving through difficult off-road terrain and carefully navigating using maps, compasses and printed route books.

The Magna team has been preparing for the rally with training at the Holly Oaks ORV Park in Metro Detroit featuring a 9,000-square-foot peak, called Mt. Magna, designed to replicate the experience of popular, massive rock formations in Moab, Utah. The pair have also tested their skills at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes in West Michigan as they prepare to head to the rally in October.

Figueroa and Anandavally will drive a Jeep® Gladiator Rubicon featuring a Magna Ultimax™ in the rally. The two-speed transfer case with an impressive 4:1 low-range ratio distributes engine output to the front and rear axles and the low-range option improves performance off-road. The proven Magna Ultimax will give the team the 4x4 capability and performance needed to traverse the desert terrain.

Fans of all things off-road are encouraged to follow the Rebelle Rally team’s progress on Magna’s social media channels and online at www.magna.com/rebelle-rally, where photos and videos will be posted as the pair hones their abilities in the coming weeks and during the challenging competition.

TAGS
Rebelle Rally, off-road, 4x4, transfer case, Magna Ultimax

INVESTOR CONTACT
Louis Tonelli, Vice-President, Investor Relations
louis.tonelli@magna.com, 905.726.7035

MEDIA CONTACT
Tracy Fuerst, Vice President, Corporate Communications & PR
tracy.fuerst@magna.com, 248-761-7004

ABOUT MAGNA
Magna is more than one of the world’s largest suppliers in the automotive space. We are a mobility technology company with a global, entrepreneurial-minded team of over 161,000 employees and an organizational structure designed to innovate like a startup. With 65+ years of expertise, and a systems approach to design, engineering and manufacturing that touches nearly every aspect of the vehicle, we are positioned to support advancing mobility in a transforming industry. Our global network includes 341 manufacturing operations and 89 product development, engineering and sales centres spanning 28 countries.

For further information about Magna [(NYSE:MGA; TSX:MG)], please visit www.magna.com or follow us on Twitter @MagnaInt.

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Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b53e5d82-f760-4ef6-b0cd-6cd1c7e5315d

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6c64c0b-81ff-48c5-b645-00959b5073ff

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8305b89f-82b6-4eb7-8f29-c6abf22e7b59


Magna Rebelle Rally Team (2) Magna Rebelle Rally team in Training 1 Magna Rebelle Rally team in Training 2