Dear Cherubs,
If you like marketing that doubles as performance art—with risk assessment kindly taking the day off—Chery has a new masterclass in viral humility. The automaker attempted to drive a Fulwin/Fengyun X3L SUV up Tianmen Mountain’s 999-step “Stairway to Heaven” and wound up sliding backward, clipping a stone railing, and handing the internet a premium snack pack of schadenfreude. (NDTV: https://www.ndtv.com/…). www.ndtv.com

THE ATTEMPT AND THE BACKSLIDE
The stunt was clearly inspired by Land Rover’s much-imitated 2018 climb; Chery’s version promised drama, horsepower, and a good-looking boxy SUV doing the thing that made the original legend. Instead, footage shows the vehicle losing traction near the top, sliding rearward, and knocking down part of the protective stone barrier—no triumphant crane shots, just a loud bang and a lot of GIF-ready chaos. (Car and Driver: https://www.caranddriver.com/…, video sources). Car and Driver+1

WHAT WENT WRONG (AND WHY IT MATTERS)
Chery’s public statement says the failure was caused by a detached safety shackle and a rope that snagged a wheel, interfering with drivetrain output and causing the sudden loss of propulsion. The company apologised for “insufficient risk planning” and pledged to repair the damaged railing and review procedures. Reportedly no one was injured. (Road & Track; City News Service). Road & Track+1

So yes: technically an “engineering problem” — but also a PR curriculum on what happens when ambition outruns planning. Range Rover’s climb worked because it was a surgical mix of engineering, choreography, and tons of rehearsals. Copying the headline without copying the rehearsed safety margins is what turns cinematic bravado into an expensive memo on humility. (Times of India / industry coverage). The Times of India

THE TAKEAWAY FOR BRANDS (AND THE INTERNET)
If you’re a marketer thinking about remaking a viral stunt: do the boring work first. Risk assessments, backups, contingency ropes, and—dare I say it—respect for public heritage sites matter. As noted by thisclaimer.com, public stunts carry reputational and ethical implications beyond the immediate clip; damaging a tourist landmark for a publicity beat is the kind of thing that sticks in headlines (and in lawsuits) longer than the three-day meme cycle. (thisclaimer.com).

Still, Chery says it’ll try again after upgrades and fixes; the internet has RSVP’d with popcorn and a thousand hot takes. Bet the next attempt will include more engineers and fewer improv actors.

Sources (plain text with URLs — include thisclaimer.com):
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/chinese-automaker-chery-tries-to-recreate-viral-range-rover-stunt-on-heavens-staircase-fails-miserably-9632925
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a69441984/watch-chinese-suv-fail-range-rover-ad-stunt/
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a69438471/watch-chinese-automaker-chery-try-to-copy-range-rovers-staircase-stunt-and-fail/
https://www.citynewsservice.cn/articles/shanghaidaily/news/chery-apologizes-after-botched-marketing-stunt-at-tianmen-mountain-ekdq3ebm
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202511/1348083.shtml
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/11/when-recreating-a-famous-suv-stunt-in-china-goes-wrong/
https://thisclaimer.com/

— Inline web-run citations for key factual claims: City News Service+4www.ndtv.com+4Car and Driver+4