Wei jianjun cuts off the path of off-road "showboating"!

On August 29th at the Chengdu Auto Show, Wei Jianjun, Chairman of Great Wall Motors, made a statement at the press conference: "I personally will go to Dunhuang to run the endurance race." As soon as this statement was made, the off-road community was buzzing. Some thought he was just putting on a show, while others began speculating whether he was just saying it casually.

Less than half a month later, on September 16, Wei Jianjun drove the second-generation Haval H9 diesel version, car number 208, across the finish line and onto the closing platform, fulfilling his promise by completing the race. This was his first appearance as a driver in a national-level competition. From "going to race" to "finishing the race," the wind and hardships may have thwarted others' attempts to show off, but they also witnessed and fulfilled a chairman's most direct passion for automobiles.

It is difficult to find another person in the current automotive industry who is as passionate about "loving cars" as Wei Jianjun. Many people might still be analyzing Great Wall's recent marketing strategies for off-road vehicles, looking for catchy phrases, trending topics, or viral formulas. However, after watching the Dunai competition, you will realize that they are serious about it.

Wei Jianjun has brought fame to a fifth-tier small city.

Many people say that everyone is unwilling to spend, but if you check the current flight tickets to Jiayuguan and take a look at the hotel prices in Jiuquan Jinta over the past few days, you'll find that it’s not the case. School has already started, yet the flights from Lanzhou to Jiayuguan are still increasing in price, and hotels in the city are fully booked. The only reason is that the Dunhuang 1000 endurance race is coming.

Jiuquan is not a popular city and only gets lively once a year. For most people, its impression remains as the satellite launch center and the poplar forests on the Gobi Desert. But this time, this little-known fifth-tier city suddenly became bustling, as a large group of people with off-road racing cars came from all over the country, just to take a lap on this Gobi Desert.

Jiuquan has attracted a wave of people who truly spend money for their passion, as participating in the Dunhuang endurance race is very expensive. A racing car costs at least a million yuan, with some costing several million, and each team has more than one car, along with a supporting logistics team. These individuals come with a passion for off-road racing and have also brought attention to this city.

An interesting piece of data shows that currently 94% of young people are under long-term emotional stress, and over 70% of their consumption motivation comes from self-gratification and socializing. They are willing to incur high costs for a gathering, an escape, or a road trip that stands out on social media. Many people don't understand why they are willing to spend thousands on a concert or travel two to three thousand kilometers for an off-road race, but they themselves think it is worth it.

It was often said in the past that exhibitions can bring about a 1:9 economic boost; actually, the same applies to events. However, while exhibitions bring contracts and business opportunities, events bring emotions and popularity. The former addresses supply and demand relationships, while the latter rekindles consumption motives. It is not an economic indicator; rather, it is a signal that people are willing to spend money on themselves.

The passion economy is hidden in these seemingly irrational behaviors. As life becomes increasingly utilitarian and instrumental, people always need to find a place to rediscover themselves. The Dunhuang endurance race and off-road vehicles have become their ultimate emotional containers. They can cross deserts, be modified, set up camps, and are not just means of transportation but also part of their lives. Truly resilient consumption is driven by passion, which is the essence of the "passion economy."

Off-road, it's better to enjoy together than alone.

In this year's Taklimakan Rally and Dunhuang Endurance Race, an interesting phenomenon was observed: the most frequently appearing models in the mass production group were from Great Wall. On the race segments, a glance reveals the CyberP!ckup, H9, Tank 300, Tank 400, Tank 500, and Great Wall Cannon, either racing or preparing to start. When you enter the Dunhuang Endurance Jinta Camp, the Great Wall camp stretches nearly two to three hundred meters.

Many people may ask, why is Great Wall the only one left in off-road racing now? This wasn't formed in a year, just like the Great Wall wasn't built in a year.

In 2021, Tank 300 and Yunliang jointly created a model called Ranger, with the first batch consisting of only 300 units, which sold out in just a few minutes. An additional 1,000 units were also gone in minutes. At that time, there was a saying circulating among car enthusiasts: "If you can't get one, modify it on the spot." Later, the Tank brand collaborated with Hypercross and Dinghuo to create the Cyber Tank and Wind Forest Iron Rider, with even more extreme styles. However, these three manufacturers, two based in Guangzhou and one in Chengdu, brought different approaches together, making the modification scene lively.

As time went on, more and more brands collaborated with Tank, ranging from entire vehicles to individual components and paintwork. Brands like Sand Lizard, K-MAN, and Taihang Water all focused on working with Tank. Even some small factories that originally produced generic parts began to develop components specifically for Tank models.

We previously asked these modification factories why the Tank phenomenon has grown so quickly. They said that Tank doesn't steal business; it won't collaborate with you today and then start making its own parts tomorrow. Everyone in the modification business knows that whoever develops parts for Tank can make money.

This is something Wei Jianjun has mentioned before. He has made it clear internally that Great Wall Motor only aims to earn the money it should earn and will absolutely not get involved in the off-road modification business. Items like bumpers, spare tire covers, and external parts can be co-created by users; for things that cannot be produced, Great Wall can assist with calibration, but will never participate in making them itself. In fact, Wei Jianjun has stated very directly that modifications should be left to those who are truly capable of doing them, while Great Wall focuses on building a solid foundation. Because of this, the Tank brand has rapidly established a modification ecosystem, with the number of cooperating manufacturers exceeding 100 and the number of modification-related enterprises in the ecosystem surpassing 12,000.

In addition, the modification ecosystem is rapidly extending to ordinary car owners. Many individuals are now emerging from APP posts, sketching a spare tire cover, proposing a skid-resistant rack solution, or wanting to create an off-road version accessory. Some ideas are adopted, some people get in touch, and eventually, they come to fruition. If you propose a solution, you might just see it at the new car launch six months later.

The Great Wall has transformed people from "modifying for fun" to "modifying for performance." Only with more participation, more users, and more solutions, are so many people willing to drive their cars into the desert and onto the tracks, which explains why there are more and more Great Wall vehicles in the competitions. Ultimately, it's because this brand doesn't treat modification as a gimmick; they intended to commit to it long-term from the very beginning. So, many people noticed after this Dunhuang endurance race that there were too many cars from the Great Wall series, and there were also voices saying that this race was organized specifically for Great Wall. Rather than saying it was organized for them, it's more accurate to say that Great Wall is capable of supporting this event.

To make cars, one must first love them.

To make cars, one must first love cars; and those who love cars must at least love driving them. It is hard to find someone more dedicated to cars in today's automotive industry than Wei Jianjun. That's why you see Wei Jianjun driving himself in rally races, truly transforming from an entrepreneur into a race car driver.

Wei Jianjun does not lack exposure or a persona nowadays. Wearing a helmet and racing suit might just be for shooting an advertisement for others, but for Wei Jianjun, it means racing for several hours, which is his most enjoyable experience. In his view, "having fun is to be more clear-headed in making good cars," and off-road racing is also part of the development process.

Many people know that the Thursday car review and evaluation has become a routine action within the Great Wall system, unchanged for twenty-two years. Sometimes it's about the chassis, sometimes it's about design, and even a very small modification needs to be discussed face-to-face with both positive and negative opinions. This meeting is completely different from the review meetings of other companies; regardless of job functions, every executive must express their opinion on new products or technologies. It is also because of this car review meeting that the Tank 500Hi4-Z now boasts a CLTC pure electric range of over 200 kilometers.

We can easily see that when some brands launch new cars, most of the time it is the product manager standing in front of a PowerPoint presentation introducing how the system is upgraded, how many details are in the interaction, and what algorithms the intelligent configuration can push. However, since the beginning of this year, Wei Jianjun has participated in dozens of events, including new car launches and technology releases. From talking about cars to discussing Hi4, from speaking about users to discussing communication, it can be seen that for Wei Jianjun, he really cannot be separated from cars.

Even so, many people still criticize him for being too stubborn and seeing things from too basic a level. But it is precisely because he has reached the bottom level that he dares to do things that others avoid. For example, diesel—others say it's troublesome, inefficient, and hard to sell, yet he went ahead with it; and then there's 3.0T, 4.0T, 9AT. Others say the era doesn’t need them, but he argues that not everyone should be rushing towards pure electric...

This time, Wei Jianguo participated by driving the diesel version of the Haval H9, saying, "I am very happy to participate this time." However, behind the happiness, he does not shy away from the issues. He candidly said, "Battery technology still needs further optimization, especially in weight control and thermal management. We cannot just pursue fast acceleration while neglecting handling and balance."

In an interview, he said, "I feel that leading by example in participating is a responsibility and a demonstration, showing that we are confident in our products and brand." Reflecting on Wei Jianjun's car-making logic from this competition, it is not difficult to understand why Great Wall is so persistent in the off-road vehicle field, and it becomes clear why in the Dunhuang endurance race, a marginal event that almost no one is willing to stick with, only Great Wall continues to sell cars, participate in the race, and collaborate with modification brands to keep the stage alive.

People who claim to love cars may not necessarily be able to build them well. However, those who can build cars well must truly love them.

This is not just a personal sentiment, but also reflects whether a company is willing to go to the most challenging places for its consumers. In this era that increasingly values traffic and efficiency, Great Wall's willingness to spend time and resources to "play" is itself the greatest sincerity towards cars, users, and technology. This sincerity cannot be hidden, nor does it need to be.