Thread: New Model Defender - more non info

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

Why do I like this!!!??? Don't exactly know why, but I do! Someone said that live front axles are going to be a thing of the past...... Uh? The new Land Cruiser has one.... Any semi, bus, tractor, has a solid beam front axle.... What happened to the common sense society where stepping in front of cars and trucks was a no no?? Why do vehicles have to change??? Oh well, rant over!

I think the front needs a bit of work,,
but otherwise its gunna be close to what you get,

looks like we are going round in circles





Whatever it looks like its going to have to have some visual cues from a traditional Defender .
More so than a FJ Cruiser has to a 40 Series Cruiser (which is bugger all)

If a Jeep Wrangler can still look like a WW2 Jeep and have Live axles then the Landrover has to follow suit.

Originally Posted by goingbush

looks like we are going round in circles.

Going round in circles...

...or getting thrown off the scent???

Originally Posted by goingbush

If a Jeep Wrangler can still look like a WW2 Jeep and have Live axles then the Landrover has to follow suit.

What's this obsession with 'Live Axles'? Why not define WHAT it has to do rather than define HOW it must do it???

Frankly, almost every other car in the range is far superior in off-road abilities, compared to the Defender.

M

Originally Posted by camel_landy

Frankly, almost every other car in the range is far superior in off-road abilities, compared to the Defender.

That may be true when comparing cars on the showroom floor. But if is true, then whilst we see D3s & D4s when we do the mid-level tracks, why don't we see more current model non-defenders doing the more challenging trips?
Perhaps it's just the price tag makes the current model Discos and RRs less capable...

Price aside, a Defender can be modified to an extent that no other car in the LR stable can be. Keeping the discussion strictly to current model Land Rovers, I don't think it would be true to say that a highly modified disco or a highly modified RR would be far superior in off-road abilities compared to a highly modified Defender.

FWIW, I agree with you about WHAT rather than HOW. In 2016 I'm expecting to be in the market for a replacement for my current MY13, so I'm very interested in seeing what the new Defender is like especially if there's an automatic version with a decent sized engine and plenty of scope for after market accessories and modifications. I can wait until the launch though - the hype and speculation don't really do much for me.

The problems associated with any new vehicle are also linked to the markets that they sell in. Defenders do not sell in the USA which makes any development work amortised over the sales high and therefore pushes up the cost of teh vehicle. In Australia we have to contend with stability contro which again is very hard to retrofit to a live axle vehicle NCAP ratingas are also poor and most states won't even contemplate a vehicle taht is not as a minimum at least 3 stars. Pedestrian safety is anothe area where the Defender falls short. The majority of people would like a capable vehicle but also a comfortable vehicle hence the increase in the number of dual cab type vehicles which have become more and more car like. A/C and all the little cup holders for your coffee as well as easy to drive (no industrial strength clutches) easy to park and easy to have serviced (abundance of dealers) is what the average person is interested in. Like everyone else on this forum just because we like to use our vehicles for the purpose that they were intended certainly does not place us in the majority and vehicle manufacturers cater for the majority, hence the prolific number of Four Wheel Drive vehicles sold today, that direct from the showroom floor are incapable of undertaking most 'off-road' trips. They can be modified by the minority who wish to use them but this also has it drawbacks especially with NCOP and other limitations making it harder and harder to modify modern vehicles for any kind of off road work. When you are only selling 2% of what the other manufacturers are selling then the amount of interest you can generate is limited. However compare the Land Rover Discovery to it's rivals such as the LandCruiser 200 series and others and you can see that the sales figures are now much more comparable. Bear in mind that the 2014 Land Rover Discovery will also be more 'road orientated' having a single range transfer box which will also mean that it is no longer as capable as the present Discovery. Will this ultimately affect the sales. I do not think so as I have stated earlier most Discovery owners will be happy to take their vehicle along a mild 'fire road' or on the beach and in these situations they will perform most admirably. It is a fact that the most capable vehicle in the Land Rover stable is arguably the latest Range Rover although I doubt that you will see many of them taken 'off road' Fact is that most Four Wheel Drives have now become status symbols for most people who can only really imagine what it is liek to drive a vehicle 'off road'. Designer mud or 'spray on mud' may become more popular as people try to justify their purchase to their peers.
Unfortunately we will always be in the minority and that is a shame. The Land Rover defender unfortunately is going the same way as the Mercedes Benz G-Wagon. Due to the high percentage of 'hand' assembled parts and low volume these most capable vehicles will slowly disappear from our roads and will unfortunately only be produced in low numbers for emergency services, army and disaster relief organisations. Even in Africa, which was for many years the domain of the Land Rovers has been overtaken by the Toyota Hi-Lux.
If you want a Defender, best you buy what you can get now before they are either legislated off the road or just no longer available unless as a 'special import' at a horrendouusly high price.Manufacturing teh Land Rover Defender in India will not solve the legislation issues encountered around the world and was one of the reasons why Land Rover stopped selling the Defender in the USA many years ago. The good thing is that the price of second hand models should hold their value and in some cases may even increase in value as time goes on.

This makes me want to buy a brand new 13o and put it in storage.

Originally Posted by voltron

This makes me want to buy a brand new 13o and put it in storage.

MrsLagers and I are just discussing exactly that! Defender x 2 that is...