Now a Grand Evoque...

I saw an Evoque on the road, they look utterly hideous, who the hell would buy one?

The real problem is what's gonna happen to 'our' Landrovers when Evoque/RRSport et al become extremely good cash cows and Landrover decide _everyone_ wants a car-based, non-off-road vehicle instead of a workhorse.

There are already a lot of people already making spares, all the way from a lamp glass to a chassis.

As long as there's a market they'll make the parts.

That assumes that Tata will not be moving the Defender plant somewhere where there's cheap labour and a demand for a basic 4x4 that doesn't cost Land Cruiser money.

Yeah, long may they, and we, continue!

Heh, I'm not going to assume anything regarding money-making ..

I've been saying since Tata bought LR that they're going to move the Defender factory to India.

Even if that were true, we wouldn't see the product sold in the UK as the Defender is being/has been legislated out of use here by our 'friends' in Europe. We're stu**ed!

Hopefully we may see the parts, though.

I imagine an import will be possible.

Why has it been legislated out of Europe?

I mean, what stops it being sold?

I though this sort of legislation wasn't retrospective.

Anyway, I imagine there's very little except the usual paperwork stopping you going to India and buying one there and shipping it back to the UK as a private import.

Plenty of people are still doing that with old Enfield motorcycles, even though you can now buy them in the UK.

It's obviously not yet reached that stage 'cos it's still on sale, but failure to meet exhaust emission requirements soon will, for a start.

Anything being 'placed on the market' (i.e. sold) in Europe needs to meet the requirements of all manner of directives relating to 'safety'. The CE plate confirms that the requirements are met for machinery, a type approval process for 'cars' etc.. The penalties for manufacturers who break the rules can be huge.

It's not retrospective but the goal posts move. Such that, for example, from year 2014 a hugely lower level of sound emission could be demanded for anything newly built.

I've no experience of that. But under today's rules it may be permissable.

"Paul - xxx" wrote

They already have a number of "Defender" concepts out there which we have seen in the press. They have also said they want to recapture the third world market, take it back from Toyota. I see a new Defender being built in the UK meeting all present and future requirements with even better capability than the present one both on and off road. However once that happens there is no reason why they could not move production of the old one to India or similar to supply old cheap technology to the third world. Whether they could then export it back to the EU is another matter and by then with the new one available would we want it anyway? Don't forget they have also said the company will be split into two makes, Range Rover and Land Rover with the latter being much more utilitarian such that the next Disco will not be a rival to lower Range Rovers as it is now but be more an upmarket Defender (the new Defender not the old one). Still bet you can't hose it out though. :-)

One thing that continually gets me is that LR in their press releases, concepts etc. are always putting forward a 'car'. Where, if it exists, is the utility vehicle, workhorse, serious pickup (even 'truck', but I don't use that word) that they claim to be making available as the Defender replacement.

Well they're on about the fourth or fifth Defender engine so far so I imagine a new engine isn't beyond the bounds of possibility.

Well I know people who have imported a variety of US exotic vehicles into the country over the years and the only problem they had were solved by changing the light bulbs and lenses.

Somehow I think that's unlikely - but it is a potential solution. I believe that there are other issues, too, and sorting them on a low volume platform isn't likely to happen.

Me too, they seem intent on stopping Defender manufacture in the UK.

What makes you say that? I've seen or heard nothing to suggest it. As for engines, they are changing so quickly these days that a new or totally revised engine is a distinct possibility.

OK then.

They seem intent on stopping making a conventional utility 4x4 with a ladder chassis, a high ground clearance and a conventional mechanical drive system that all bolts together.

Despite being a life-long fan & owner of *many& Land Rovers of all shapes & ages I can quite easily say, i will *never* buy another one.

D3 - what a pile of utter s**te.

RR - great car, unreliable & ridiculously expensive if anything goes wrong.

They are just not worth the hassle.