- Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari
The global economic downturn is affecting other things than the availability of credit, the unemployment rate and the fate of the world's largest automaker. We had already heard that Suzuki was planning on skipping this year's 2009 Detroit Auto Show in January (Porsche passed on the 2008 show), but the small Japanese brand has now been joined by a few heavyweights that compete at the very high end of the automotive spectrum. It turns out that Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Land Rover are all three not attending this year's Detroit show, presumably because they don't have anything exciting to announce and the money could be better spent elsewhere.
What's surprising about this trio of top shelf brands missing out on Detroit is that we always thought luxury goods were least vulnerable to a crappy economy. Sure the middle class and poor get poorer, but the super wealthy usually have a few million stuffed under their mattresses to see them through. Thus, if not less expensive Land Rovers, at least Ferraris and Rollers would still be bought in decent numbers. Apparently that's not the case, as even the most expensive of autos are seeing sales slow and if they don't have a new production vehicle or concept car to show, then a trip to Detroit is the vacation nobody wants to take.
[Source: LA Times, Photo by STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty]Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Land Rover pass on 2009 Detroit Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Government/Legal, Jaguar, Land Rover
Whenever there's auto industry-related lobbying going on in Washington D.C., the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is there. Consisting of eleven automakers representing 77 percent of all vehicle sales in the United States, the Auto Alliance has a "role in shaping meaningful public policy on the federal, state and even global levels," according to President and CEO Dave McCurdy. The newest member of the Alliance is Jaguar Land Rover, representing the two brands that were recently sold by Ford Motor Company to Tata Motors.
With the addition of the Indian-owned, British-based automaker, the membership now consists of BMW Group, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.
[Source: Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers]Continue reading Jaguar Land Rover joins Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
Jaguar Land Rover joins Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Spy Photos, SUVs, Land Rover
When you produce one of several bad-ass SUVs available to consumers, there's no need to mess with a successful formula. So while the Range Rover is due for some cosmetic tweaks, they're very subtle. Spy shots show the upper-crust truck with the stiff upper lip in action at der Nurburgring, reportedly vetting some powertrains that may not make it to North America. We may see the rumored 5.0-liter V8, but probably not the 3.0-liter diesel. No surprise. The tape job covers up the small changes to the front fascia pretty well, though the grille looks a little different upon closer inspection. But we just can't get over the image of a Rangie screaming around the track like an angered top hat, no matter what the styling changes are.
[Source: World Car Fans | Photo: Automedia]Spy Photos: Facelifted Range Rover in the works originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Jaguar, Land Rover, Tata
Fans of our monthly By the Numbers posts may have noticed the conspicuous absence of sales data for both Jaguar and Land Rover over the past few months. The reason we haven't included their sales figures is because we haven't been able to find them since Ford handed over ownership of the two British brands to Tata. The automaker from India says that it will no longer report U.S. sales data for its two newest assets because of what it calls a strategy that "stresses quality over quantity." A spokeswoman for Jaguar tells Ward's Auto that the brands were forced to report their numbers when owned by Ford and now, since they're privately owned by Tata, they don't have to. She also notes that the sales figures could create a "distorted and potentially harmful commentary." Yeah, we suppose that happens when you sell a fraction of what your competition does. Still, Jaguar is missing out on an opportunity to revel in the relative success of its new XF, which we know has bumped up the brand's pitiful sales performance in the U.S. Regardless, By the Numbers will no longer include spots for Jaguar and Land Rover unless someone wants to go out and count their sales by hand. Thanks for the tip, Joaquin!
[Source: Ward's Auto]Tata: No Jaguar/Land Rover sales data for the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Crossovers/CUVs, Land Rover
Click above for high-res gallery of the Land Rover LR2 HSE
The LR2 gives Land Rover a semi-affordable entry model that is much more fuel efficient than the rest of the luxury SUV-maker's lineup. To help keep LR2 sales strong in a car market that is increasingly tougher for crossovers and SUVs, Land Rover is reportedly looking at adding a third row of seats by 2010. So the question is, how does Land Rover differentiate the seven-seat LR2 from the five-seater? Sometimes an automaker will just increase the number in the model's name by one, but that apparently doesn't work well with the luxury automaker's brilliantly simple naming convention.
One idea is to shuffle names around to differentiate the two LR2 models. The seven-seat LR2 could be called the LR3, while the current LR3, a different model entirely, would then get bumped up to LR4 status. We understand there aren't many options for Land Rover, but shuffling around model names with which customers are already familiar seems extreme. Why not make the seven-seat model the LR2 L or LR2 XL or LR2 ES? There is, after all, already an LR2 HSE.
[Source: Auto Week]Seven-seat Land Rover LR2 could hijack LR3 name originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: SUVs, Jaguar, Land Rover
Land Rover sales are tanking along with the rest of SUVs sold here in the States and in Europe, but strong sales in China and Russia are keeping Tata's new luxury SUV brand to within 3% of last year's sales volume. Encouraging sales in emerging markets isn't enough, however, for the Indian automaker to keep from cutting production to hedge against a further worsening of market conditions. In an effort to keep production in line with sales, two shifts have been cut from the Solihull Land Rover plant and 300 workers have been moved to the Castle Broomwich Jaguar plant. Tata is also executing production cuts at the Halewood Jaguar factory where the perpetually disappointing X-Type is produced.
With Land Rover making up all the profits between Tata's two newly owned British Marquees, the Indian automaker is keeping a keen eye on production to make sure the luxury SUV brand continues to bring in profits. If sales begin to slip further, we'd expect Tata to make more drastic cuts, and quickly. Thanks for the tip, Mayur!
[Source: Times of India]Tata cuts Land Rover production originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: SUVs, Land Rover, First Drive
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Range Rover Sport
Driving a Range Rover Sport is like wearing an Izod circa 1980-anything: everybody immediately knows what you're about. And that's not a bad thing. We never wore Izods, but we'd drive this thing all day long -- and in fact, we did. The sport is supposedly the Range Rover for people who just want to go from work to the golf course to the watering hole, and don't need to traverse the Andes do it. Turns out, though, that it's suitably equipped for both. Follow the jump for the rest of the Rover story, and check out the gallery of hi-res shots below.
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Range Rover Sport
First Drive: 2008 Range Rover Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Concept Cars, SUVs, Land Rover, Special/Limited Editions
Luxury sport-utes and yachts go together like champagne and strawberries. The good folk at the Volkswagen Group know that, which is why they came up with the VW Touareg North Sails and Audi Q7 V12 TDI Coastline concepts. But the British aren't about to leave all the wet n' wild fun to ze Germans, so they're cooking up a few sailing-themed SUVs of their own.
In cooperation with Land Rover, luxury yacht broker Edmiston has commissioned seven of the world's top yacht designers to participate in the Superyacht Range Rover Design Competition. The results of the design regatta will be put to sea (figuratively speaking) at the Monaco Yacht Show next month, at which point the obscenely wealthy may place orders for these bespoke SUVs at prices ranging from $300,000 to $1.2 million.
[Source: CarScoop]
Naval architects float designs for nautical Range Rovers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Car Buying, Euro, Jaguar, Land Rover, Earnings/Financials, FIAT, Tata
Remember the first time you moved out of your parents' house? Suddenly you were out on your own, without the security of a financial safety net. Same goes for car companies, so after Jaguar and Land Rover moved out of the Ford house and in with its new roomie Tata, suddenly the pair of British auto marques is searching for a new financial arrangement. And it's found one, thanks to the close relationship between Tata and Fiat.
Through a joint venture with French bank Credit Agricole, the Italian auto giant will be handling the financing of all new Jaguars and Land Rovers purchased across Europe. Fiat may have opted out of buying the two English automakers themselves, but the collaboration with Tata seems to be bringing them closer to Turin with each passing day.
[Source: Automotive News Europe - subs. req'd]
Fiat takes over financing for Jaguar/Land Rover in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Jul 2008 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: SUVs, Contests, Green, Land Rover, Carsumer Advocacy
Click above to watch Ryan's call to action
Ryan Mickle, seen above and apparently afraid of no ghosts, has had a change of heart since purchasing his Range Rover Sport new in 2006. Since then, gas prices have shot through the roof and fighting climate change has become a favorite global pastime. Seeing that his SUV gets about 13 mpg, Ryan doesn't want to drive it, doesn't want to sell it and doesn't want anyone else to get behind the wheel -- ever. Trouble is, he's not quite sure how to go about it just yet. So, he wants you to help him decide the fate of his SUV. A few initial ideas: catapult it into the Pacific Ocean, blow it up or convert it to a run on either electrons or biodiesel.
We're hoping that common sense wins out here and the vehicle is somehow saved from such an inauspicious fate as being merely blown to shreds -- after all, that's not very eco-friendly either. While a biodiesel conversion might be fun, we'll put our official vote on the EV idea. Yank the engine, drop in a nice electric motor and some decent batteries in the rear cargo area... presto-chango, problem solved. Well, maybe it's a bit more complicated than that. Watch Ryan's video after the break. Thanks for the tip, everyone!
[Source: One Fewer]The fate of a Range Rover is in your hands, people originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrids/Alternative, SUVs, Green, Land Rover, Misc. Auto Shows
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Land Rover's London concepts.
Land Rover's luxury mud-plugging image isn't fairing well in an era of high gas prices and eco concerns, so its rolled out two new technologies at the London Motor Show to prove that the automaker has its eye on a sustainable future.
Two LR2 prototypes are on hand featuring a parallel hybrid system mated to a turbo diesel engine. Testing is currently underway and so far, LR has seen a reduction in CO2 emissions by up to 20 percent. The Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD), originally shown on the LRX concept, can deliver power to all four wheels through a 288-volt electric motor producing around 150 lb.-ft. of torque. When complete, the system is expected to proliferate across the Land Rover line-up, along with a new lightweight architecture and a refined start-stop system, under the banner of e_Terrain Technologies.
The second development is the Crankshaft Integrated Starter Generator (CISG), which incorporates an electric motor into a dual clutch transmission, giving a boost in torque and starting the diesel mill.
Both systems aren't going to be ready for primetime for a few more years, but Land Rover's start-stop technology should find its way to production sometime next year.
[Source: Land Rover]Continue reading London 2008: Land Rover Announces Diesel ERAD Hybrid, e_Terrain Technologies
London 2008: Land Rover Announces Diesel ERAD Hybrid, e_Terrain Technologies originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, SUVs, Etc., Land Rover
Here's the four wheeled bearded lady of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, courtesy of Kahn Design and (God help us) Cosworth. To us, spending tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle, then affixing a bodykit to it that would make an '88 Grand Am sneer seems a bit nonsensical. Then again, being of means doesn't always translate into having sense. As if that wasn't enough, even Cosworth hasn't coaxed much out of this abomination. The 3.6-liter diesel V8 gets an extra 30 horsepower, for an even 300. We're not likely to see that powertrain in US-bound Range Rovers any time soon, but it'd be a lot easier to stomach if it were wrapped in the Sport's sheetmetal. We can only hope that this kit isn't glued on that well - from the looks of that front bumper, it's not - and we're guessing that it ends up as tire fodder on the Earl's driveway.
[Source: AutoTrader UK]
First (hopefully last) images: Cosworth/Kahn Range Rover Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, SUVs, Land Rover, UK
Click for hi-res gallery of Overfinch's RR Country PursuitsTake a ride through Los Angeles and you very well might see a Range Rover with a gun rack, but even with those giant spinners it won't be as pimpin' as Overfinch's Range Rover Country Pursuits Concept. Although labeled as a concept vehicle, the Overfinch Country Pursuits is available for order for a cost-no-object $287,000.
The show car unveiled at the London Salon Privé appeared resplendent in Aubergine purple with custom bodykit, including custom front and rear bumpers, side skirts, roof spoiler and exhaust tips. Inside it's all posh in Light Avocado and Cordovan leather with Olive Ash wood trim, plus a specially-crafted gun compartment complete with three sliding drawers for a removable gun case, ammo, and -- just to round things out -- a crystal stemware set. But just in case you thought it was all show, Overfinch has tuned the 4.2-liter supercharged V8 from 396hp all the way up to 470, along with fitting Brembo brakes with silver branded calipers and a special on-the-fly adjustable suspension. We know this is targeted as the ultimate hunting accessory, but frankly we're not sure who would be buying such a vehicle, nor are we sure we'd want to meet him.
[Source: CarScoop]
Pursuit Vehicle: Overfinch unveils tricked out Range Rover originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Time Warp, SUVs, Euro, Land Rover, UK, Special/Limited Editions
Click above for more renderings of the Bell Aurens Longnose
Few things define British motoring better than a Land Rover and the classic roadster. So, why not combine the two? While the vehicles share nothing in common except their status as iconis, two German Brit-car aficionados have melded the two vehicle classes into the Bell Aurens Longnose Land Rover. The end result is somewhat reminiscent of a Willys Jeepster, though it's far more serious in intent. Custom bodywork sits atop a classic Land Rover Series chassis, to which V8 or V12 power is added -- it's up to the buyer. Four-wheel-drive and low-range gearing assure that the Landie's off-road credentials are left fully intact.
Based on the rendering above, the vehicle certainly looks long and low, with no protection from the elements to speak of. Its lengthy bonnet leads to a passenger compartment fronted by folding windscreens. A choice of rear end styles will be available, including an optional boattail, perfect for fording muddy waters. You can read the long-winded press release in its entirety over at The Land Rover Chronicles.
[Source: The Land Rover Chronicles]Bell Aurens Longnose Land Rover looks ready to tackle the bush originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: SUVs, Land Rover, Misc. Auto Shows, UK
Click to view the Range Rover Autobiography in hi-res
Land Rover is preparing to unveil a new, even more luxurious version of its range-topping Range Rover at its home-market British International Motor Show later this month in London. Oddly named the Autobiography (though no more odd than the Vogue nameplate), the new luxury trim level features an array of premium features.
Among the elements that set the Autobiography apart from its "lesser" siblings are a choice of three new wheels (you actually get four of them, plus a spare) like the 20-inch diamond-turned alloys seen in the picture above, a pallet of new color options and stainless steel grille and side vents. Inside, the Range Rover Autobiography gets new leather trim everywhere, optional wood trim on the steering wheel and shifter, stainless steel pedals and sat-nav and TV screens.
Follow the jump to read the full press release, and click on the thumbnails below to view in high resolution (and we don't mean like living clean or eating less Doritos this year).
Gallery: Range Rover Autobiography
[Source: Land Rover]
Continue reading Land Rover unveils Range Rover Autobiography for British show
Land Rover unveils Range Rover Autobiography for British show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Archive for the 'LAND ROVER' Category
Tuesday, March 6th, 2007
2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport.
By Warren Brown / The Washington Post
Love for Range Rover Sport HSE overlooks its sins
NEW YORK - It made no sense. I spent $128 on premium gasoline for a round-trip drive of 600 miles — 21.3 cents a mile for fuel alone for the 2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE.
There were other penalties. My favorite East Side garage charges $10 extra to park sport-utility vehicles. That was painful, but fair.
Sport-utility vehicles occupy more real estate than most cars. Real estate is valuable, especially in this city where a one-bedroom condominium can cost $2 million.
The Range Rover Sport HSE is a big sport-utility vehicle. It cost nearly $30 a night to park it here in a 24-hour protected garage.
Parking it on the street was next to impossible, especially in the East Village where my youngest daughter, Kafi, lives in a tiny apartment. On the one occasion I found an on-street parking spot in her neighborhood, I had to pay the worry penalty.
“How much is that Range Rover?” Kafi asked.
“About 60,000 bucks,” I said.
Kafi looked concerned.
“Lots of cars are stolen around here,” she said. “Most people don’t park expensive cars on the street. Are you sure you want to leave it there?”
I wasn’t. But I was sure that, despite its consumptive nature and the many costs and concerns attached to that affliction, I loved the Range Rover Sport HSE — loved driving it, being in it, loved the overall feel, look and even the smell of it.
Love is blind, but I could not resist the power, prowess and prestige of the Range Rover Sport HSE. Thus, I found myself in the nation’s busiest and arguably most congested metropolis in a vehicle that could scramble up mountains, ford streams, or, as demonstrated in a television advertisement, descend steps, enter subterranean tunnels, and drive 200 feet beneath the streets of Tokyo during rush hour.
The seductive word here is “could.” It appeals to the American sense of entitlement. It speaks to the American notion of preparedness, which says you should always have more than you’ll ever need or use just in case you need to use it.
Certainly, the Range Rover Sport HSE is one of the most capable sport-utility vehicles, on the road or off, available anywhere.
Depress and turn a rotary switch on the center console and automatically set the vehicle for maximum traction and handling on a variety of driving surfaces — dry pavement, wet or snowy roads, sand and gravel, mud or mountain rock climbing. Executives at Land Rover, the overseer for the Range Rover brand owned and controlled by Ford, call this their “terrain response” system. It works. I like it.
A “tilt control” technology enables the Range Rover Sport HSE to drive at a 35-degree angle with near-perfect traction. A “hill descent control” feature allows you to descend the steepest hills at a constant, safe, low speed. And despite its weight of 5,468 pounds and ground clearance of 8.9 inches, dimensions that could yield unwieldy top-heaviness, the Range Rover Sport HSE, with the proper terrain setting, is so remarkably stable and agile it truly lives up to the “Sport” part of its name.
Vehicles such as car-based tall wagons, which are combination station wagons and minivans masquerading as SUVs, have more seating and cargo space than the 4.4-liter, 300-horsepower V-8, four-wheel-drive Range Rover Sport HSE. The tall wagons generally are more fuel-efficient and city-friendly, especially in terms of parking, than the Range Rover or other truck-based sport-utility models.
But none of that matters when pride and lust for power take hold. You want a worldbeater, or at least a vehicle that looks and acts like one as long as there’s fuel in the tank. You want the Range Rover Sport HSE; or, perhaps, you’d prefer its even more powerful sibling, the Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged.
Go on. Enjoy. You can deal with the “power corrupts” issue later.
Posted in World Cars, Passenger Cars, Sport Cars, Automotive News, LAND ROVER | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2004
Details info: The Photo preview - please click on the Link \”Review Big Image\” below
Alternative names:
Land Rover Discovery SUV 5d
Sales Company:
Available version:
2.5 Td5 Awd
2.5 Td5 Awd aut.
4.0 V8 Awd aut.
4.6 V8 Awd aut.
Previous version:
Variation:
SUV 5d
Info:
Assembly Plants:
Swedish Assembly (Malaysia)
Donors:
Posted in LAND ROVER | No Comments »
Monday, November 22nd, 2004
Details info: The Photo preview - please click on the Link \”Review Big Image\” below
Alternative names:
Land Rover Discovery SUV 5d
Sales Company:
Available version:
2.5 Td5 Awd
2.5 Td5 Awd aut.
4.0 V8 Awd
4.0 V8 Awd aut.
Previous version:
AMI (Malaysia)
Swedish Assembly (Malaysia)
Swedish Assembly (Thailand)
Variation:
Disa (Russia) Armoured Land Rover Discovery
Carat Duchatelet (Belgium) Armoured Land Rover Discovery
Info:
Considerably more luxurious than the Defender, the Discovery offers the ideal compromise between off-road agility and on-road smoothness. In its latest guise, with active damping and a host of useful features, it is a genuine driver’s machine with heaps of appeal.
Assembly Plants:
Donors:
Posted in LAND ROVER | No Comments »
Monday, November 22nd, 2004
Details info: The Photo preview - please click on the Link \”Review Big Image\” below
Alternative names:
Sales Company:
Available version:
1.8 16v Awd
2.0 TD Awd
2.0 TD Awd aut.
2.5 V6 24v Awd aut.
Previous version:
Variation:
SUV 3d
SUV 5d
Info:
Assembly Plants:
Swedish Assembly (Thailand)
Description:
While the sportier 3-door model is aimed at a younger market sector, the five-door is more mature and yet still vibrant and practical enough for use as a working, or leisure vehicle.
Donors:
Posted in LAND ROVER | No Comments »
Monday, November 22nd, 2004
Details info: The Photo preview - please click on the Link \”Review Big Image\” below
Alternative names:
Land Rover Range Rover SUV 5d
Sales Company:
Available version:
2.5 DTi Awd
3.9 V8 Awd
3.9 V8 Awd aut.
4.6 V8 Awd aut.
Previous version:
Variation:
Jankel (United Kingdom) Range Rover Conversion
Dakar (United Kingdom) 4×4
Info:
Assembly Plants:
Donors:
Posted in LAND ROVER | No Comments »
