Land Rover shows off new Defender ‘concept’

Just a reminder of what concept cars are: They are a warm-up, a chance to go way off tangent and test new/futuristic/silly ideas. Kind of like Formula 1 is to the sedan market-a test bed for innovation but ultimately disconnected.
When it comes time to actually make the real deal, these innovations and flights of fancy are reigned in, compared, tested, reconsidered, watered down, rehashed, and often for the most part scrapped. Of course, some car companies, including LR, have turned a concept into reality with the RR Storm/RR Sport, or Isuzu with its VehiCross, or Holden with the newer Monaro. But those are the exceptions that prove the rule.
So what you see here could still be a long way from what we see in 2015. There isn't much that can be read into such an early concept.
At least LR are happy to show it off road and winch equipped rather than sparkling by a harbourside restaurant...

From my post on Land Rover's Facebook page:

Quote:

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I'm 25 and am a creative professional living in Australia. I currently own a Defender that I use as my only car, for heavy off road driving and outback touring. I love my Defender, so does my girlfriend and 90% of my family and friends. I was planning on buying the replacement Defender...but in all honesty unless the final Defender replacement is closer to its heritage I won't be a customer. Please Land Rover take all the feedback you're getting onboard. We want a Defender that's still a Defender - not a softroader or a Discovery 4.

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I just hope that this is a radical concept aimed at getting people stirred up enough to give feedback they can take on board for the proper model launching in 2015. But then again, when have Land Rover listened to their customers in the last 10 years?

I'm pessimistically optimistic.

It truly saddens me to know that the true iconic Land Rover is coming to an end, but I understand the need for it to happen. I, as I'm sure many here do, find refuge in the fact that I have many happy experiences and memories and feel privileged to have had it as a large part of most of my life. However, I do not plan for this to end.

Could I be so bold as to suggest that perhaps those of us who find that whatever the new design may be is not suitable could stick with the model that suits our own need? This is what I am already doing. I have the model/era which best suits my application and I intend to stick with it in aeternum. The cost of maintenance or even restoration outweighs the depreciation on a new vehicle anyway. If you're not happy about a minor aspect of an older model over a newer model, upgrade it. We're always modifying our vehicles anyway, because it's so easy with a Land Rover. It is one of the things that makes them truly great.


James.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by samuelclarke

From my post on Land Rover's Facebook page:



I just hope that this is a radical concept aimed at getting people stirred up enough to give feedback they can take on board for the proper model launching in 2015. But then again, when have Land Rover listened to their customers in the last 10 years?

I'm pessimistically optimistic.

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Makes me consider just getting a Facebook account so I can tell LR how wrong they've got it. Never used FB before now and never considered I have had a need until now.

Looks like a cross between a Mini and a Pajaro.

Solid looking recovery points.

looks ok to me, sure it will be dumbed down a bit for production so wont be quite so radical, if they can get preformance up comfort up and better economy but still keep off road ability be an even better all round car for my needs.
biggest problem i can see is that plastic bumper but thats mainly because i have a habit off road of driving into things.
ian

I thought it was going to look like this...
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

but maybe thats just one of the computer generated wishful thinking pictures someone did up...

anyway, like someone else said, concepts are rarely anything but near reality.
we can take comfort in knowing that fact.

And I don't think that's a real winch they have on the front of it in the offroad shot, just a stuck on plastic dummy to trick you.

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

Windscreen is curved and has excessive slope - make it into a hothouse. Wheels are quite unsuitable for offroad - drive over that rocky surface at the speed Australians would typically take it at, and you would probably have four wrecked wheels.

<snip>

John

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I bet they'd love it at my local mosque! Although it's not black, the wheels are not sufficiently chrome, nor are they big enough with extra low profile rubber bands.

What do they like again 32" rims with 15 profile tyres?

With all the styling changes, they should change the name to Freefender!

What concerns me more tho, is that all the utilitarian features I've grown to love appear to have been removed - the modular body that makes it easy to work on and modify, solid axles that don't rely on electrickery to provide clearance and the boxy front which makes it easy to tell exactly where your wheels / bumper etc are at all times.

On the upside, I'm sure this time round the roof will be leakfree, and the back is still nice, boxy and (hopefully) easy to load.