Thread: McGoverns weasel words, get used to it...

I suppose his job at the moment is to make the new cars sound exciting, without actually giving away any detail yet. Frustrating for everyone.

Re the new looks: When Disco's first came out, I thought they looked terrible. I remember sitting in one thinking, 'I would NEVER buy this.' I now drive a D2 and enjoy it immensely - best looking car on the road.

When D3's first came out I thought, 'Ugly.' Now I'm looking enviously at them - they're almost as good looking as D2's. Probably if I owned one, I'd think them better looking.

I think I'm just slow to appreciate new designs. I'm expecting when the D5 is released (and the new Defender), I'll think they look terrible for a few years, then grow to appreciate and desire one.

Originally Posted by carjunkieanon

I suppose his job at the moment is to make the new cars sound exciting, without actually giving away any detail yet. Frustrating for everyone.

Re the new looks: When Disco's first came out, I thought they looked terrible. I remember sitting in one thinking, 'I would NEVER buy this.' I now drive a D2 and enjoy it immensely - best looking car on the road.

When D3's first came out I thought, 'Ugly.' Now I'm looking enviously at them - they're almost as good looking as D2's. Probably if I owned one, I'd think them better looking.

I think I'm just slow to appreciate new designs. I'm expecting when the D5 is released (and the new Defender), I'll think they look terrible for a few years, then grow to appreciate and desire one.

Looking at the spy pics of the D5 it looks like a ssang yyong from side on , will take a while for anyone to think it looks sexy.
Also looks like the same old chassis from the D3.

Originally Posted by carjunkieanon

I suppose his job at the moment is to make the new cars sound exciting, without actually giving away any detail yet. Frustrating for everyone.

Re the new looks: When Disco's first came out, I thought they looked terrible. I remember sitting in one thinking, 'I would NEVER buy this.' I now drive a D2 and enjoy it immensely - best looking car on the road.

When D3's first came out I thought, 'Ugly.' Now I'm looking enviously at them - they're almost as good looking as D2's. Probably if I owned one, I'd think them better looking.

I think I'm just slow to appreciate new designs. I'm expecting when the D5 is released (and the new Defender), I'll think they look terrible for a few years, then grow to appreciate and desire one.

Yes funny how that happens isn't it. The way the look of things grows on you.

My concern is that it's the 'look' of Land Rovers that is driving the design team, rather than the practicalities of designing a 4WD vehicle. Yes you can all call me a troglodyte or whatever, but I'm actually very interested in how to make new technologies work with HD working 4WD's, rather than just urban centric SUV's. One of the best things going for the Disco 4 is the retained boxy body, which at least brings a certain level of pragmatism to a vehicle aimed mainly at hip hop video dudes (and mums and dads who think it's cool to drive a Land Rover all over the city). The new design clearly dumps that last vestige of pragmatic architecture in favour of sleekness. So now all the vehicles Land Rover design are essentially 'sport' editions of various sizes, with wide low profile tyres, designed primarily for the urban SUV market.

Surely I'm not the only one who sees this as a travesty for the brand 'Land Rover' at its very core identity?

Fugly

Originally Posted by MrLandy

Yes funny how that happens isn't it. The way the look of things grows on you.

My concern is that it's the 'look' of Land Rovers that is driving the design team, rather than the practicalities of designing a 4WD vehicle. Yes you can all call me a troglodyte or whatever, but I'm actually very interested in how to make new technologies work with HD working 4WD's, rather than just urban centric SUV's. One of the best things going for the Disco 4 is the retained boxy body, which at least brings a certain level of pragmatism to a vehicle aimed mainly at hip hop video dudes (and mums and dads who think it's cool to drive a Land Rover all over the city). The new design clearly dumps that last vestige of pragmatic architecture in favour of sleekness. So now all the vehicles Land Rover design are essentially 'sport' editions of various sizes, with wide low profile tyres, designed primarily for the urban SUV market.

Surely I'm not the only one who sees this as a travesty for the brand 'Land Rover' at its very core identity?

Yep, it they try to make the new Defender look sleek they will just get laughed at, like the DC100 was. Work trucks don't need to be sleek.

When the 100series cruiser came out I felt it was the ugliest thing on wheels...
It grew on me
When the 200series cruiser came out I felt it was the ugliest thing on wheels...
It is growing on me

When the D2 and D2a came out - I loved the shape from the get go
When the D3/4 came out I felt they were the ugliest things ever made on wheels and to be honest I still do. The new discovery shape has never looked anything but fugly. The best looking D3 I ever saw had the arse chopped off and a terrible job of a ute tray tacked on... It was terrible fabrication BUT it still looked better than the factory C-pillar back design of the D3/4

Nothing LRover can do to the discovery can possibly make it uglier

Oh and MrLandy you are truly kidding yourself if you think "function" will ever take anything but the seventh seat on the "form" bus that is now LRover...

anyways what was the point again

s

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Yep, it they try to make the new Defender look sleek they will just get laughed at, like the DC100 was. Work trucks don't need to be sleek.

Anecdotally, in recent times the Australian market for new defenders has been dominated by enthusiasts rather than by businesses/tradesmen, so I'm not sure about the need for a Defender to satisfy the criteria of a work truck. Much of McGovern's talk of appealing to a broader market has appeared to imply appealing to a broader consumer base.

Originally Posted by carjunkieanon

. When D3's first came out I thought, 'Ugly.' Now I'm looking enviously at them - they're almost as good looking as D2's. Probably if I owned one, I'd think them better looking.

Haha i was the same - owned a D1 and really wanted a 2004 D2a with the newer headlights - they look great! The D3 came out and i thought LR had lost the plot with not only the styling but the function underneath.

I now own a D3 and everytime i look at it I love it. I do look at the latest D4's with a little desire tho...

Cheers

Dan