A Life of Adventure

Glady Reign asked:


Just when you think it is over, The Hunt has just another revelation to proclaim. The Volvo Car Corp. is declaring a ‘do over’ in its global online treasure hunt after all 21 finalists failed to solve the final puzzle within the given 24 hour time limit this weekend.

The 21 chosen finalists from all over the world gathered at their respective computer screens Saturday for their ultimate chance of claiming the much-anticipated Volvo treasures. The automaker’s treasure chest is filled with 50,000 in gold doubloons and a key to a new XC90. The midsize crossover SUV shares the P2 platform with the Volvo S80 and other huge cars from the brand. It features the powerful Yamaha V8 engine that produces 311 horsepower and 325 ft•lbf of torque. The vehicle also features trusted parts like Volvo plugs, seatbelts, airbags, engines, radiators and more.

The lucky ‘pirate’ will win a trip to recover the treasure chest from the waters depths ‘somewhere in the world’ where it was buried. But it turned out that Volvo had all contestants ‘at sea’ with a final puzzle that proved too hard for even the hardiest pirates.

“We really didn’t see this coming,” said Linda Gangeri, the national advertising manager for Volvo Cars of North America. “Our Hunt has been tough from the beginning and we have been in awe of all the amazing puzzle-solving skills and sharp minds out there meeting us at every twist and turn. We really didn’t expect to baffle our finalists with the final puzzle. Who knew a car company could keep 21 pirates from claiming precious treasure? For now, at least.”

The famed online treasure hunt is a month-long campaign of the Swedish automaker in connection with Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. The Hunt has drawn more than 32,000 online contestants from 22 markets around the world. Participants solved a series of puzzles that led to a semi-final puzzle, Puzzle 21: World’s End which was posted May 31. The first contestant from each country to submit the correct answer then went on to compete in the Final Leg. All participating markets were represented in the Final Leg with the exception of Italy, who did not have a participant submit a correct semi-final answer within the time limit.

The first of the 21 finalists to solve the ‘do over’ final puzzle Tuesday will be named the winner. The finalists include Andreas Aigner (Austria), Konstantin Popov (Bulgaria), Erin Chock (Canada), Dennis Leifheit (Germany), Cheuk Fung Leung (Hong Kong), Andreas (Indonesia), Yukio Takai (Japan), Siew Hang Teh (Malaysia), Patricia Gabriela Medrano Picon (Mexico), Liss Johansen (Norway), Aaron Joseph N. David (Philippines), Jarosaw Nowakowski (Poland), Ciprian Constantin Grosu (Romania), Alena Zvereva (Russia), Wilson Teo (Singapore), Jungtae Ahn (South Korea), Maria Qvick Faxa (Sweden), Shih-En Chen (Taiwan), Geranun Jiraboonyanon (Thailand), Karyn Burgess (United Kingdom), and Deborah LaValley (United States).

Deborah LaValley, 43, from Juneau, Alaska, is ready for the challenge. LaValley, who was also a participant of last year’s Hunt, is thrilled with this year’s game. “I can’t stop thinking about different scenarios or possible locations. I really have no idea what to expect. I’m just excited that I get a second try at claiming the treasure.”

Once a winner has been announced by the automaker, both final puzzles will be posted on The Hunt Web site for all participants to test their puzzle solving powers one more time. Visitors can also gauge their prowess in solving the greatest mysteries of the deep online.

Glady Reign asked:


Last year, Volvo took part in the promotion of the Disney film “Pirates of the Caribbean”, and this year, the Swedish car company is doing it again. This time, Volvo has sunk a chest where $50,000 worth of gold doubloons is hidden. The said treasure chest is located, according to Volvo, “somewhere in the world”. Along with the booty, the key to a Volvo XC90 awaits the lucky treasure hunter.

The hunt for the chest will be done online and will start on the fourth of May and will run until the second of June. The hunt will be open to interested individuals from 22 different countries. These participants need to be 18 years old and older to join the hunt and have a shot at winning the award-winning XC90.

Interested “treasure hunters” are encouraged to visit the nearest Volvo dealerships in their area for this is where they can get a special pirate chart. They also need to register online at volvocars.us/thehunt. To claim the prize, the winner should present the original pirate chart he or she has procured from a Volvo dealership. After having registered and obtaining the pirate chart, treasure hunters will then embark on an online adventure.

Along the way, they will be asked to solve challenging puzzles in order for them to move closer to the location of the treasure chest. It is, of course, expected that as the hunt steps forward, the puzzles will become more complex. On the second of June, the first person from each of the 22 countries to have finished the online hunt will be competing against each other for the chance to win it all. The winner of this international competition will then be going on a trip to go to the actual place where the chest is buried. The winner will then have to excavate the chest and lay claim to the doubloons and the brand new XC90.

The Volvo XC90 that the winner will claim has been receiving praises and awards since it was introduced in the market. The crossover utility vehicle’s ride stability is praised by the magazine Car and Driver. The article about the XC90 reads: “Ride motions are tidily controlled, the ZF rack-and-pinion steering reacts and reads back faithfully, and the chassis feels stable and predictable.”

One of the most respected auto magazines, Road & Track, also praised the XC90’s interior style cues. According to the publication, “The wood inserts throughout the cabin provide some brightness and give it that upscale look. And the usual speedometer, tachometer and other gauges are as easy to read as ever.”

The interior of the XC90 is not the only good thing about the vehicle. Its powerplant, with high quality parts such as it’s Volvo head gaskets is also being praised by auto experts from Cars.com. “The 6 (cylinder engine) has ample power from the light, and the twin turbos provide sufficient boost when you need to pass or climb that incline,” says the online source of auto information. The booty that the lucky treasure hunter will be driving is also loaded with features and Edmunds.com also praised this array of standard features. “The XC90 is well-stocked with standard features. Among them are dual-zone climate control, a power driver seat, steering wheel-mounted stereo controls, one-touch up and down front windows and a roof rack (cross bars are optional),” according to Edmunds.

And since the XC90 is a Volvo, safety features are, of course, expected to be topnotch. One of the numerous safety features that the XC90 posses is the ROPS. According to AutoWeek, “ROPS (Roll-Over Protection System) uses a torque sensor mounted in the floor to detect when the car starts to rotate about its longitudinal axis, or roll. The system then independently applies brakes to understeer the XC90 out of trouble. We tried to roll the thing and couldn’t.” With car experts singing the praises of the XC90, whoever wins the hunt is a very lucky individual indeed.