Future defender ???

The few interesting bits I caught were:
Sharing the new disco3 chassis (sub chassis) meaning all-round independant air suspension and the new terrain-response system.

Looks like the live axle will leave the marque after all.

Pitty that the only live axle based cars of any note will be Jappo ones :cry:

Doesn't seem right when you have to flick a dial to select what type of road you are driving on and the car does the rest....

Might make the last of the "true" defenders worth quite a bit in the years to come ????

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Originally posted by Goblin
Doesn't seem right when you have to flick a dial to select what type of road you are driving on and the car does the rest....

Might make the last of the "true" defenders worth quite a bit in the years to come ????

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Couldn't agre more, I like a proper low range shift.

The thought did occur to me, as I signed up for a 2004 Defender, that there wouldn't be many more live-axle, seperate chassis vehicles sold! Once the Patrol and Defender goes that pretty much leaves the 75/9 Series. Maybe they'll then put coils all round.

Live axles are :twisted: evil :twisted: and should be destroyed.

Luckily, this happens easily. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] 8O

Seriously though, I'd hate to see the end of the live axle Landy. That would mean no new Defender for me (just a recent 2nd hand one, one day - a TD5 would be nice!).

Coz I don't want to buy a Jap one.

Vlad's right (did I just sat that?? :? ) it would be sad to see the end of the live axle Landrover
It would be even sadder to see the end of the Defender(Read real Landrover here {well almost anyway, it would be real if it had leaf springs}) concept Its what many like about Landrover's

But all may not be lost, while the saftey nazi's and greenies are trying to legislate 4x4 into history it is pleasing to see that Landrover's parent company is doing somthing good (did I just say that about Ford :evil: )

These poor quality photo's scanned from a recent Landrover mag show F--d's new Bronco concept vehicle and if you ever wanted to know what F--d wanted rover for this has to be part of it 8O

Look's like the F--d boy's have poking around in the Landrover design room

and I can't get the photos to post here :evil: :evil: :evil: :oops: :oops: :oops: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

HELP :oops: :oops: :? :?

I don't really care one way or another for live axles. As long as the system (independant, live or whatever) works at least as well offroad as the existing arrangement, then fine. To date, the main beef with independant suspensions is their bias towards on road rather than offroad ability, but that doesn't mean the bias can't be switched around, whatever the system used.

I'm also not fussed about the retention of a full chassis or not. Once again, so long as the result is there, I don't care how it's achieved. What I do care about, from a Defender standpoint, is that the vehicle to inherit the illustrious heritage is as serious and singleminded in delivering the utilitarian strength and offroad ability the model is so famous for. If Ford can still deliver that, as well as povide better on road abilities and creature comforts etc, well, fine, I'll take it. As long as it's reliable, I won't care what they use to achieve it either. What I don't want to see is the trade off in the former for the latter.

I don't subscibe to the idea that technology and reliability are mutually exclusive either. I believe electronics can be reliable and we don't need to be held to ancient mechanical injection systems, carburettors and cart springs to be confident that the vehicle will get us home. It just takes development. Remember the early eighties when everyone said EFI would never be as reliable as a carby. Back then it was probably true, but not many people are so afraid of simple EFI now.

If Ford can go further and provide us with decent engines (which start with 6 cylinders and go up from there!) as well as a dealer network that isn't so far up itself it's gone all crosseyed, then I'm ready to sign right now.


Paul [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

http://users.pandora.be/eforum/emoti...happy/1074.gif

well said Defender200Tdi [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] . I completely agree. The jeep cherokee is a good example, the old model was a solid off roader, not it might be nice on road, but it is considered a lightweight 4x4, or even a softroader in it's new guise.

On the other hand, the independent LR3 promises to be one of the most capible 4x4's seen to date (yet to be proven, but i'm sure it will).

As long as the defender stays true to it's utilitarian roots, and is recognisable as a defender, i'll be buying one (when I can afford it that is :roll: ).

Exactly, it is that utiliarian, militaty robustness that makes the Defender what it is and to stray too far from that would result in a defender in name only :evil:

If you can't hose it out, strip it down or fix it easily and quickly in the middle of no-where then it's not a Defender [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img]

I have no probs with independant systems (aaaahhhhh HUMMV :twisted: ) it's just sad to see all the makers heading blindly down the gadget and techy track [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]

A bit more comfort would be good but does it have to be at the expence of the things that make the Defender what it is :?



ps there is no better sight to see in your driveway than a Landrover and one of GMH's finest big saloons 8) 8)

True, true true.

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Originally posted by medic455

ps there is no better sight to see in your driveway than a Landrover and one of GMH's finest big saloons 8) 8)

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Umm, no. A LandRover and an Italian motorcycle... then you'd be talking !

(of course if you had a series landy you'd have to have an old trumpy bonneville to match !)

A series Landy goes without saying 8) and I like your taste in bike's (but its hard to get Her indoors and the 2 teen ankle biters on a bike) :twisted:

Any how I have given up trying to post my slack pic's and found a couple of links to good photo's of said Ford product

www.ford-trucks.com/news/2004/news2004-1.html

and

http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/...rtd=20285&pg=1

this second one gives a good scale example, with a bloke standing beside said beast

If the new Defender looked like this, with a high/low box and a little less carpet and TV's I'd have a misses and to kids for sale in a flash (to pay for it):twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :wink:

I like it too. Definite heritage lines. But Vlad is right. What is the point in yet another station wagon? If LR drop the ute models, that would seriously reduce the marketability of the vehicle.

I'd trade my Disco in on one, if the new Defenders are still as ballsy off road as the current ones are. That is one of my main selection criteria. If it isn't going to go well off road, I don't want to know about it. No point forking out 50-60 gorillas and having to spend another 20 on diff locks, lift kits, suspension fit-outs and engine mods just to get the thing to make it through a mud puddle without needing rescuing!

The current Defenders and Discos go very well off road, right out of the box. And the Rangies too, I 'spose - even with their gizmology.