New Range Stormer Concept

As a P38a owner I actually think the P38a starting to look a little dated and would give my right arm to own a new rangerover after borrowing my bosses for a week. I personally think its stunning and with the exception of an Aston there is no vehicle I'd rather own. But the new concept certainly is a Ka on steroids....... 'orrible!!

Why is it the Defender 90/110 still looks so cool when basic shape has not changed for 50+ years????

Spencer

Love it or hate it, it's the future of Land Rover.

Or the death of it.

This is the damn Land Rover Ka. It really is.

Except the Freelander was the Land Rover Ka.

So was the Discovery.

And the P38a.

And the 2002 RangeRover

People don't like change is I think what I'm saying.

The current model rangerover is still pig ugly though. The P38a had grown on me by this point in its life.

P.

Twas Thu, 08 Jan 2004 20:43:58 +0000 when Tim Hobbs put finger to keyboard producing:

But what does the future hold for the Defender? If they mess with it too much I'll buy a Nissan Patrol... I will... I'm not bluffing!

-- Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.) ___________________________________________________________ "To know the character of a man, give him anonymity" - Mr.Nice.

mrniceATmrnice.me.uk

Race memory. It's been around so long that it's got into the genes. "Defender shape == Good!"

Of course it doesn't quite work these days. There's no gap between the wings.

What I would love is for Fords Prestige Marques bunch to get together and build something to kill the Cayenne. Aston, Jag and LandRover between them should be able to do it. Pity there's none of the old Ghia left to do the styling.

I don't care if I end up driving a Range Rover Vitesse Vogue Ghia that is the same car at a lower price point to the Aston Martin DB4x4xfar that is the same car as the Jaguar XJ4x4 that is the same car as the Ford Maverick XR8. I just want that car.

Oh yes.

It has to be able to outdo the best Overfinch currently offer.

And Fly.

P.

My gut feeling is that there may never be another Defender. If there is I think it will be a rehash of the next Discovery, and therefore nothing like the Defender. My biggest fear is that they will do a horrible pastiche, like the Jeep Wrangler or New Mini or Beetle, which looks a bit like the original but replace style and values with 'competencies'. I'd rather they just killed it off, or better still sold it to a kit car manufacturer (for that is what they are really).

Land Rover today is all about Range Rover, because that is where they make all their money and all their image. Not the 'good boy Shep' rose-tinted image, or "best 4x4xfar" image. I mean the image that says 'you've got a Rangie so you must be minted and have too much taste to drive a Cayenne'. Of course people who are really in the know and are so minted they don't give a toss about image will all buy Toerags, Volvo thingies or possibly Discoverys.

Spencer> As a P38a owner I actually think the P38a starting to Spencer> look a little dated and would give my right arm to own a Spencer> new rangerover after borrowing my bosses for a week. I

Yeah, I kind of agree. My comment after seeing the Overfinch'ed version was that I'd happily kill for one.

I probably wouldn't go quite that far, but I'm still working out how I could raise the money....

AndyC

--

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Andy Cunningham aka AndyC the WB | andy -at- cunningham.me.uk | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | - Everything you wanted to know || about the P38A Range Rover but were afraid to ask. |+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+"And everything we want to get/We download from the InternetAll we hear is/Internet Ga-Ga/Cyberspace Goo-goo" -- from "Radio Ga Ga"/"We will rock you"

Interesting. They spent goodness knows how many thousands making the original Range Rover into a 4-door, only to have some twit in the marketing department say "Why not have a 2-door Rangerover?"

Talk about re-inventing the wheel

Alex

hate it

Won't ever be able to afford it ;-)

You're right, Land Rover has seriously changed. In the 1990's, even Range Rovers were marketed "dirty" and from their adverts, off road ability was one of their most important features. (off road ability in "Landrover new-speak" seems to be "terrain response")

I would never have thought Land Rover marketing would use words like this: "Yet light varies wonderfully with the surface it touches. Light streaming through the goedesic domes of futuristic green houses, for instance seems very different to light filtered through (wait for it.......) a rain speckled translucent umbrella, or a fish's eye view of the surface of the sea." In reference to the glass roof which "pushes the boundaries of SUV design" (this, from the UK site)

I think though, if any of us were head of Land Rover and (importantly) wanted to make a profit, we would be doing the same. There's not much money in basic off-roaders, (I'm a basic off-roader fan and I'm skint!)

However.... I do like the sound of the "hi-powered air jets that replace the back wiper." (My Defender's rear wiper blows the indicator fuse if I use it)

Guy

My point exactly... we're just not LR's target market anymore...

Also, I think it would be tragic if the Defender were to be rehashed into a warmed over reissue like the Mini or Beetle. Those two cars are fine because they just have to be cars, they don't actually have a function beyond that. The Defender does, of course.

Yuck.

The glass roof sounds good at first but I can't see any means of closing it off in summer. Anything left in that car will melt, probably the seats as well. In winter I'd guess that you'd need to wear a hat to fend off the condensation drips. A blast of air clears the rear screen does it? What, clears off the road salt as well?

There's no style to that vehicle. It looks like Nova-boy has grown up and got a job in the design department of Land Rover. I'm surprised it doesn't have lights beneath the vehicle and low-rider suspension.

Bejesus! I've just looked at the interior. What were they thinking of? That leather will sag flat and catch on everything when you try to get in and out of those disgusting seats which look about as comfortable as those sheet-metal seats you get in certain train stations.

What's with all this Terrain Response rubbish? We're rapidly approaching a situation where being a skilled driver means selecting the correct driving profile rather than having an instinctive feel for the road. Does the 'snow' setting tell you how much distance you need to leave between yourself and the car in front? Does the 'sand' setting keep the accelerator pedal down to prevent the tyres from bogging down? Will it be possible to switch everything off for total driver control? I'd like to see one taken over Garburn Pass in the Lake District.

It may be technologically advanced but what about reliability of the controlling components?

Am I alone in liking it?

Land Rover operate in a global economy based in no small way on 'trend and style'. To attempt to please all is brave, to actually move toward a product which does what it should AND gives the skool run a little fashion is a rational move toward maintaining and potentially developing their market share.

Sad I know, but I also _really_ like the new Rangie...

Martyn

There will be :-)

Martyn

You haven't been for around 30 years in reality, however there has to be give and take. Land Rover need to compete in a totally different marketplace with a shrinking representation of serious mud-pluggers and long range overland customers. This isn't to say that they are still true to the ideals that have made them more of an institution than a manufacturer, but in order for one to survive, one needs to adapt. I, personally think they're doing a fair job :-)

Martyn

Oh for goodness' sake- it's a CONCEPT car!! Built for a Motor Show- like all the other concept cars that don't make it to production, or if they do, are very different when put into production. i.e. no glass roof etc., & have seats with padding...

Rover know that whatever their cars look like, they must be supremely capable off-road, even if they are seldom used there- e.g. New Rangie. The well-heeled individuals who buy them want to know they are buying the best that money can buy, and if they hear/read that the new Volvo/BMW/Tuareg is better off-road, then they'll buy that instead- because they want the best, though they may not know why.

Of course, it's the 2nd & 3rd owners who get the benefits of the car's capabilities, because they aren't concerned with preserving resale value that might be reduced if the car's taken off the tarmac. Can't wait for those New Rangies to come off lease in 4 years or so...

Kieran '98 4.0 RR... & loving it!

On or around Thu, 08 Jan 2004 21:23:11 +0000, Tim Hobbs enlightened us thusly:

if they do we can always buy Santanas. seen a new Santana PS10 recently, their take on the CSW, and it does look a tidy piece of kit, I have to say. Pity they never got the coil-sprung chassis, mind, 'cos however good the parabolic leafs are, the coil suspension is damned good, really. but the Santana "series 4" looks good, even so.

Iveco 2.8 TDi, which is a well-sound engine, too.

The best time to criticise a car is when it's in the concept phase rather than when it's in production.