Thread: Next generation Range Rover

Shamelessly plagurised from lro in the UK.....



AUTOCAR recently reported on a significant development of the Range Rover line-up that could eventually spread across the entire range saving weight and reducing fuel consumption into the bargain.

Obviously it will be sold on its environmental benefits but it could actually be more to do with the problem of how to get more gadgets and luxuries into an already overweight vehicle.

Rather than ditch the gadgets they’re planning to make the vehicle lighter from the start by utilising a body and chassis made entirely from aluminium. The construction process will further benefit from techniques developed and mastered on the Jaguar production line with panels glued and riveted together. The end result could be a significant 400kg saving in weight with Land Rover aiming for a kerb weight of 2200kg.

Scheduled to be in showrooms – always assuming the bean counters at Ford give the go-ahead – for 2012, the new Range Rover could have a Bentley-like price tag of over £100,000. And although you could think that was a crazy price tag, it is pretty easy to get near that already with the current range once you’ve added a few extras and custom options.

Recent sales figures show an increase in Range Rover sales while sales of all other ‘luxury’ SUVs are in decline so it might not be such a bad idea. Lets just hope the sales trend doesn’t peak too soon.

The materials

Land Rover have a long-standing appreciation of how to utilise and work with aluminium so you can be assured that there should be no adverse durability issues to give the warranty underwriters anything to worry about. In previous models they have only had to contend with weaknesses and premature failure of areas where aluminium and steel join together. Using Aluminium for everything neatly eliminates this.

Design and Power

AUTOCAR reported that the design of the vehicle would be a rather conservative tweaking of the existing model rather than anything too drastic. Possibly more along the lines of the Range Rover Sport with a nod towards sleek and fast rather than a complete redesign of a monster-truck off-roader.

Power could come from the Jaguar developed 5-litre Petrol V8 with rumours suggesting a supercharger version being added to the range delivering around 460bhp.

So although this is about as far removed from the original concept of the durable off-road workhorse as you could possibly get it is an important development to secure the financial future of the brand which ensures the continuation of the models the rest of us buy.

Aluminium chassis

One decent hit and it'll be f****d, as if the chassis' on modern Landrover's weren't week enough allready.

I can say the car would be a write off after the first obsticle.