ovalnews.com - The Range Rover & the Range Rover Sport

Land Rover LRX Concept Gallery - Updated

Michael — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 09:03:00 +0000

I received the official press kit today and added all 64 pictures to the LRX gallery:


	Click for Galleries

Also - check out the LRX Official Website - they have some more great pics & videos:

http://lrx.landrover.com/

Misc Land Rover Links

Michael — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:31:00 +0000

From The Land Rover Chronicles - Video & Print article links for the LRX Concept

UK tuner LSE Design makes the Range Rover Sport a 2-Door

From The Land Rover Chronicles - More news of the 500HP V8 Tests

Land Rover LRX Concept Gallery & Press Release

Michael — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:38:00 +0000


	Click for Gallery

LAND ROVER PRESS RELEASE:

Land Rover unveils a vision of its future at the NAIAS (Detroit Show) in January 2008, with the world debut of the LRX concept - a bold evolution of Land Rover design that signals the brand's shift into new areas of the market, while remaining true to its core values. As the company prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary during 2008, the three-door LRX, with its more compact size, lighter weight and sustainability-focused technologies, clearly addresses the needs of a changing world.

"The LRX concept delivers the powerful message that we are as serious about sustainability as we are confident about the continuing relevance and desirability of our vehicles," says Phil Popham, Land Rover's managing director. "LRX is in every respect a Land Rover, but it's a very different Land Rover.

"LRX has unmistakable Land Rover design and the breadth of capability that you'd expect from our vehicles. But it carries those essentials into a segment where the brand has never been before, and with a proposed level of efficiency that would make it one of the cleanest vehicles in its class. It is Land Rover's way of affirming the brand's responsible approach to future product development. At this stage, LRX is purely a concept, designed to help us develop our thinking as well as gauge customer reaction - but this feels like a hugely exciting direction to take."

Compact and premium

LRX is described as a cross-coupe and dramatically extends the scope of what Land Rover represents. Though smaller than the Freelander 2 / LR2, LRX was conceived as a premium car, designed to appeal to new customers in the luxury and executive sector - those who want many of the benefits of a 4x4 and the presence of a larger vehicle, but in a more compact package.

The first all-new Land Rover revealed since Gerry McGovern became the company's design director, LRX is a natural extension of the Land Rover range, complementing the existing models and helping to define a new segment. Its many recognizable Land Rover design cues include bold new interpretations of the signature clamshell bonnet, the floating roof and the solid 'wheel-at-each-corner' stance.

"LRX is a design born out of passion for the brand, but it is different, relevant, engaging and exciting - because Land Rover has never built ordinary cars," says Gerry McGovern. "LRX has a highly desirable identity and the design alludes strongly to its capability, while clearly underlining our forward-looking philosophy - it's a Land Rover that would be comfortable on Bond Street or Fifth Avenue, but wouldn't flinch at getting its wheels dirty."

Its compact size is one of its greatest assets, which will appeal to anyone who wants the versatile ability of an agile 4x4 with the cachet of the Land Rover name. In addition, its lower weight and the reduced aerodynamic drag resulting from the smaller frontal area give significant gains in fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions.

The LRX concept also adopts intelligent power management systems and other technologies first shown by Land Rover in the Land_e concept in 2006. Further details of LRX's powertrain and sustainability technologies will be released at the Detroit Show.

Extending 'breadth of capability'

The positioning of LRX could be described as moving subtly from traditional SUV to crossover, with its more car-like appearance and dynamics that are sportier and on-road biased. But while its character is underlined by excellent agility, handling and performance, LRX also promises the widest breadth of capability in the class. To help achieve this, it has full-time four-wheel drive and Hill Descent Control, as well as a special version of Land Rover's acclaimed Terrain Response system, to optimize traction on difficult surfaces ranging from icy roads to wet grass, gravel and snow. But to reflect LRX's on-road bias, Terrain Response also gains a new 'Eco' mode for lower emissions during urban driving.

The design of LRX was developed entirely in-house, driven by a passion to create a car that truly represents Land Rover's future thinking. It has a very dynamic profile, with a distinctive taper to the floating roofline and a muscular shoulder running the length of the car, accentuated by the rising beltline. The glazing wraps right around LRX, with no exposed pillars, creating a bold design graphic. The architectural structure of the upper body can be glimpsed through the windows and roof - echoing some of the best contemporary buildings.

Pushing the wheels out to the four corners helps give the car its purposeful stance, and its front-end design makes a powerful and instantly recognizable statement of Land Rover's identity. There are new interpretations of Land Rover's traditional clamshell bonnet, distinctive headlamps, jewel-like, tapering blade indicator clusters front and rear, and subtle side vents. LRX's wheelarches are wide but softly integrated, housing 20-inch alloy wheels.

The carefully sculpted corners dramatically reduce the car's visual overhangs front and rear. With its perforated two-bar grille, door releases concealed in the car's shoulders and graphic details 'punched out' of the smooth body surfaces rather than overlaid on them, LRX is beautifully proportioned and elegantly simple - but very dramatic and distinctive.

Impeccable, premium interior

The interior of the LRX concept clearly demonstrates how a compact Land Rover can still be roomy, practical, versatile - and sophisticated. The impeccably executed cabin features a combination of soft leathers in rich tan and dark chocolate, with polished aluminum details.

The 'fast' sloping architecture of the center console reflects LRX's sporty dynamics, as does the distinctive binnacle over the instrument cluster. The electronic display uses 'floating' LCD graphics to create a three-dimensional look that can be personalized for different drivers, as well as interacting with LRX's touch-screen display.

The instrument graphics present data in layers depending on their level of importance, to give maximum relevant information with minimum distraction. When appropriate, displayed information transfers between the main instrument cluster and the touch screen. Further adding to LRX's involving personality, the different drivetrain modes are matched by changes in the cabin's background lighting color - green in economy, red in sports and blue in standard mode.

Clever use of space

Although LRX is compact, clever use of space makes it impressively roomy, and many neat design touches maximize its practicality. A second touch-screen area gives a fully interactive display and control for LRX's iPhone docking facility. On either side of the horizontally-split, power-operated tailgate, removable and power-adjustable speakers include an iPod docking station. There is also a coolbox, plus a bottle chiller that can be clipped to the lowered tailgate. This also has integral aluminum cupholders between two padded seating areas, for a new twist on the idea of a traditional Land Rover tailgate lunch.

Every interior design detail combines to maximize both actual space and the feeling of space. The clear roof is supported by a 'spider' frame running into the A-pillars, and the rear quarter pillars have glazed apertures for improved visibility and a lighter feel in the cabin.

LRX's distinctive seats 'float' on individual plinths and have open frameworks to reinforce the impression of light, airy interior space - while also creating useful under-seat and under-floor stowage areas. The clever, powered mechanism of the seat backs maximizes interior flexibility and helps create a large, flat storage area when needed, complete with multiple tie-down options. The generous load space and through-loading option also help accommodate bikes, skis or surfboards.

"Flexible load-carrying capacity is fundamental to the concept of LRX," says Gerry McGovern. "With this car, we've interpreted the idea of Land Rover 'breadth of capability' to be more about versatility and on-road dynamics than about ultimate off-roading. This meets the needs of the new customers that we believe would be attracted by this type of car; they will not only appreciate LRX's flexibility, but will also recognize that it has been packaged with the highest levels of precision."

Sustainable product design

The structures of the seats and instrument panel are elegant enough to be left exposed - one novel approach that Land Rover's designers have taken to reduce vehicle weight. Another example is replacing the glass for the side windows and roof with polycarbonate, which is around 40% lighter.

Even the choice of premium-quality trim materials reflects Land Rover's deep thinking about sustainability, with vegetable-tanned leather (chromium-free, so better for recycling), extensive use of aluminum (both lightweight and readily recyclable) and carpeting made of felt from sustainable sources. And the luxurious, vanilla-colored 'fine suede' on the door inserts and headliner is a 100% recycled material made from used plastic bottles.

"We are determined to make sustainability a key element in our future product design and the way we do business, while still creating vehicles that have a strong emotional appeal as well as fulfilling people's practical needs," says Phil Popham. "No single technology delivers all the answers to whole-life sustainability, but the LRX concept brings together some of the ideas for the future that interest us, integrating them into a car that we believe represents an exciting way forward for Land Rover."

2008MY Range Rover Westminster

Michael — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:31:00 +0000

Directly from the Rangerovers.net board:

Check out the post for all the info:

http://rangerovers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20027

Dalai Lama's Land Rover

Michael — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:50:00 +0000

I know I usually don't focus on Series vehicles here, but a classic restored '66 like this deserves mention. It's being auctioned on eBay for charity - check it out:

Land Rover Concept Teaser at 2007 Franfurt Auto Show

Michael — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 23:02:00 +0000

Set to be shown at the Detroit Show in January:

Check out these articles for more info:
AutoWeek: FRANKFURT>Land Rover Mini Sport
Auto Express: New compact car from Land Rover
The Land Rover Chronicles: Secret Land Rover concept shown at Frankfurt show!

Related Land Rover Press Release:
LAND ROVER SIGNALS STRONG AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Speaking at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Managing Director, Phil Popham, said the business was in excellent shape with sales continuing to grow and profits "never better". He forecast sales of over 200,000 for this year, with 30,000 cars being sold in countries where Land Rover did not have any vehicles five years ago.

Land Rover also announced the latest technology in its drive to cut emissions and given an indication of the design direction for future, sustainable models.

From early 2009, an innovative stop-start system will be fitted as standard to all Freelander 2 TD4 manual vehicles. The system turns off the engine when the vehicle is stationary and automatically restarts it when the driver is ready to move off. This prevents the engine from unnecessary idling, eliminates wasting fuel and cuts carbon dioxide emissions. It will help to cut CO2 emissions by over 7% from 194 g/km to 179 g/km. This equates to a fuel economy improvement in a combined cycle (NEDC) from 37.7 mpg (7.5/100 km) to 41.5 mpg (6.8/100 km). In the UK, this means the vehicle moves down from VED Band F to Band E.

Land Rover also provided journalists attending the show a sneak preview of its future design and technology direction in the form of a short animated film. This gave a tantalising glimpse of a concept that demonstrates Land Rover's commitment to innovation that embraces the challenges of sustainability while retaining Land Rover's core values.

In addition, Land Rover announced a partnership between the world's largest humanitarian organisation, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Land Rover G4 Challenge, the world's ultimate driving and adventure sports competition. The partnership will raise further awareness of the Federation and help generate funds for its causes. Land Rover is committed to generating £1m for the Federation.

LR2 / Freeland 2 Gets Sleek Premium Pack fro 2008

Michael — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 22:53:00 +0000

Gaydon, Warwickshire, 24 August 2007 – A stylish new Premium pack is now available for Land Rover's best-selling model – the Freelander 2 – which has sold 10,983 units so far this year in the UK.

The new Premium Pack delivers both exterior and interior enhancements to the top specification Freelander 2 HSE. Vehicles with the new pack are distinguished by a distinctive rear spoiler, body-coloured lower sections of the bumpers and doorsills and stylish tungsten coloured door handles. The pack also includes 10-spoke Chrome Shadow 19 inch alloy wheels giving the Freelander 2 an even sportier stance. Interior additions include a new driver's seat with additional seat cushion tilt function and front passenger seat with electric seat height adjustment as well as luxurious, perforated leather panels and extra stitching details. The storage box located at the rear of the centre console also gains a smart new sliding cover. Launched last year and new from the ground up, the Freelander 2 delivers outstanding on-road performance as well as the class-leading off-road ability of a true Land Rover. It is already a multi-award winning vehicle, receiving numerous prestigious accolades including the What Car? Best Compact 4x4, BBC Top Gear's SUV of the Year, and the Auto Express Best 4x4 recreational.

"The Freelander 2 is now firmly established as the premium compact 4x4 of choice in the UK. It demonstrates Land Rover's dynamic design and is complete with a smart and spacious interior, and an abundance of advanced technologies," says John Edwards, managing director, Land Rover. "Now, the Premium pack on the Freelander 2 offers subtle changes for those seeking an even more premium look to their vehicle, which we believe will give it even wider customer appeal."

The new Premium pack will be available to order from October 2007 and will cost £1,850.

To locate your nearest dealership or for more information regarding the Land Rover range, please log onto www.landrover.co.uk
For more information contact:
Natasha Waddington
UK PR Manager
T: 01926 643270
Laura Meyerding
Press Officer, Product Affairs
T: 01926 649294
Editors’ notes:
• About Land Rover – Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true ‘breadth of capability’ across the model range. Defender, Freelander 2, Discovery 3, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover each define the world’s 4x4 sectors, with 78% of this model range exported to over 140 countries. Land Rover employs 9,500 people and supports a further 40,000 jobs in the supply chain
• Land Rover is committed to addressing the challenges of climate change and since September 2006 carbon dioxide generated by Land Rover manufacturing activities and, for vehicles sold in the UK, the first 45,000 miles of use have been balanced through an industry leading offset programme run by Climate Care
• In response to customer demand, Land Rover is now giving more owners of its cars the opportunity to reduce their impact on the environment by widening its industry leading CO2 offset programme. Customers driving pre-2007 model year cars or who exceed the 45,000 miles on 2007 model year vehicles will now be able to offset their emissions through Climate Care

Ford wants out completely of Land Rover & Jaguar

Michael — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 22:47:00 +0000

According to autoblog - it seems Ford doesn't want any part of Land Rover or Jaguar after the sale:

autoblog: Ford to Jag and Land Rover: Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

20th Anniversary Range Rover for North America

Michael — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:59:00 +0000

Here's a cool post I found at:

http://www.d-90.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12081

There is a 20th Anniversary Range Rover Special Edition coming to North America.
Check out the site at: http://www.rangerover20.com
Passcode: RR1OF40

Gallery pictures also available here:

http://www.roverhaul.com/galleries/rrmk3-20th

2008 Range Rover Updates

Michael — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:28:00 +0000

The Land Rover Chronicle

2008 Range Rover Picture Gallery
Ford Media Press Release

NEW FEATURES FOR THE RANGE ROVER, TO CONTINUE STRONG SALES MOMENTUM Range Rover for 2008 Enhancements to the Range Rover for 2008 add a series of further luxury touches and practical new features, including four-zone air conditioning. The improvements are expected to help maintain the strong market performance of the Range Rover, with sales in the first four months of 2007 already 19% up worldwide over last year. "That increase is largely due to the huge popularity of the acclaimed TDV8 diesel that we introduced to the Range Rover line-up last year," says Phil Popham, Land Rover's managing director. "The engine's great combination of performance and fuel economy has not only powered overall Range Rover sales, but also shifted our diesel/petrol mix, especially in Europe. Most Range Rover customers who would previously have bought a V8 petrol now choose a TDV8 instead, which offers petrol-like refinement but with 32% better fuel economy." The list of changes for 2008 is headed by the introduction of four-zone air conditioning, which enables rear seat passengers to control their individual heating and ventilation. This is neatly complemented with 'climate control' windscreen and side glass which is now available in conjunction with automatic rain and headlight sensing. The special glass cuts infrared heat transmission into the vehicle, reducing heat build up when the vehicle is parked in the sun, for example, so allowing the air conditioning to function faster and more effectively on drive away. A redesigned rear seat armrest provides extra stowage space (including a dedicated location for the optional rear seat entertainment remote control) and there is additional leather trim on the heating and ventilation unit and centre console. There are now a total of seven real wood veneers to choose from, all sourced from sustainable forests, and additional wood veneer elements have been applied to the rear of the centre console. A matching wooden gear knob has also been introduced on some models. The attention to detail extends to new tread-plates and revised graphics on the touch-screen and instruments. A new interior colour becomes available, called Storm, as well as two new exterior colours, Alaska White and Lucerne Green, and a fresh set of "designers' choices" for recommended interior and exterior combinations. There is also a new, highly polished 20" alloy wheel design. "We are keeping the Range Rover offering fresh with regular changes: some are major, like the TDV8 engine last year – which, incidentally, will now be badged on the back of the vehicle – while others are about the detail, such as those coming in for 2008," says Phil Popham. "And this approach seems to have continuing appeal for our customers, as we're on track for one of our best ever sales years with the Range Rover."

New & Updated Galleries

Michael — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 01:05:00 +0000

I know it's been a while, here are some links to the new Galleries:

LR2 / Freelander 2: http://www.roverhaul.com/galleries/L359

LR3 / Discovery 3: http://www.roverhaul.com/galleries/lr3

2007 Defender : http://www.roverhaul.com/galleries/2k7defender

Updated Land Rover Print Advertisements: http://www.roverhaul.com/galleries/ads

First pics - 2007 Range Rover Interior Refresh

Michael — Wed, 24 May 2006 15:15:00 +0000

From this AutoCar Article: http://www.autocarmag.com/news_article.asp?na_id=220095
Here's the first shot of the updated RR interior with Terrain Response & More...

Click here for Full 2007 Range Rover Gallery

And another great article from easier.com:
http://www.easier.com/view/News/Motoring/Land_Rover/article-52932.html
And another: http://thelandroverchronicles.com/journal/2006/5/24/2007-rr-gets-a-powerful-new-v8-diesel-improved-cabin-more-technology.html

Some new links from around the web

Michael — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 06:36:00 +0000

Rover V8 Lives On!!!
RR Mayfair World Debut
Land Rover LCV2/3 Lightweight Concept!
And of course - always go check out what they're posting at: The Land Rover Chronicles
Home of the Legend - Factory Tour

Range Rover - 35th Anniversary Edition

Michael — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 05:06:00 +0000

From the Land Rover UK Site: Range Rover the 35th Anniversary Edition Basically a Supercharged Range Rover with some interesting cosmetic updates - I wish we had the extended Burr Walnum trim here in the U.S.

Long time no post - here are some article links.

Michael — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 07:14:00 +0000

Delphi Launches Three New Technologies to Help Land Rover Achieve...

Land Rover boss says diesel SUVs are unit's future

Range Rover Sport goes virtual

Historical Timeline & Early Development Sections Added

Michael — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 03:44:00 +0000

New Content Added:
Historical Timeline of Land Rover
Early Range Rover Development

New Gallery Added:
Range Rover History

Range Rover Sport G4

Michael — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 05:44:00 +0000

Check out the pics from the Land Rover Chronicles

LRNA Site finally has it Live - RR Sport

Michael — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 04:47:00 +0000

Land Rover NA finally added the Range Rover Sport to the main menu:
http://www.landroverusa.com/us/en/Vehicles/RangeRover_Sport/Overview.htm

They also have the new commercial spot online:
http://apps.us.landrover.com/lr_videos/06RRS/06RRS_Breathe_60sec_420x315.wmv

First hand pictures - 2006 Range Rover Supercharged

Michael — Mon, 27 Jun 2005 07:12:00 +0000

Range Rover Supercharged Gallery

Click on the images above for the entire gallery

Range Rover Sport Links

Michael — Sat, 18 Jun 2005 19:22:00 +0000

UK Accessories Guide & Price List from Tim in Scotland over at RRSPORT.CO.UK

Also check out: http://RRSPORT.CO.UK, a new RRSport specific site with forums.

eBay Search - Range Rover Supercharged

Michael — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 05:24:00 +0000

The car isn't even here yet and people are already selling, badges,
grilles & power vents:
http://search.ebay.com/range-rover-supercharged

Some misc articles

Michael — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 03:43:00 +0000

Range Rover: Beauty or beast?
Traffic Jam: Activists Bring Range Rover Production to a Halt
The Cloned Ranger - This one has some good info, but also has a lot of factual errors, guy didn't seem to like the RR in general.
Ford names Aston Martin design director - This one was interesting, prior to joining AM, he had a hand in designing the Range Rover. He also did that Ford Fairlane concept that had a few Range Rover styling cues.
Big Boosted Brit - Nice RRSC Review from Edmunds

The New Rush

Michael — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 03:39:00 +0000

Although LRNA hasn't added the Range Rover Sport section to the US home page, they did create a new site:
The New Rush

The New Rush

New. Classic. No Longer Antonyms.

Michael — Sat, 04 Jun 2005 20:42:00 +0000

New Range Rover Supercharged ad I've found(click image for full size):

Gallery from the Land Rover Moab Trip - RRSport

Michael — Tue, 31 May 2005 22:53:00 +0000

Great pictures, I wish I could have gone on this trip - it was sold out by the time I discovered it. Looks like this guy had a good time.

Moab Picture Gallery