All-New Range Rover Sport Pikes Peak Driven Challenge

First drive: 2013 Land Rover Range Rover delivers the royal treatment

A British motoring icon, the Land Rover Range Rover has a decades-deep reputation for being an upscale, go-anywhere vehicle at home in royal company or traversing Midlands fields. Under BMW ownership, the previous-generation Range Rover set a high standard for wood- and leather-lined opulence, as well as refinement and comfort, something the company has built upon under the ownership of the Indian conglomerate, Tata.

The latest Range Rover uses an all-aluminum body structure and has shed more than 900 pounds compared with the previous model. The base engine is the new supercharged 340-hp, 3.0-liter V6 engine shared with the Jaguar XF. The Range Rover we drove had the supercharged 5.0-liter V8, which is standard on the (very) high-end Supercharged and Autobiography editions. We can attest to this engine's effortless acceleration, which Land Rover claims accelerates the premium SUV from 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds.

The high perched cabin is finished more opulently than many people's living rooms. A new infotainment system embeds virtually all radio controls, save power and volume, on an 8-inch touch screen in the center of the dash. All the gauges are also digitally rendered. The navigation, voice recognition, and phone pairing systems are all state of the art, but the menu structure and on-screen buttons are intimidating at first. The Range Rover has adopted Jaguar's hockey-puck dial shifter, which is unintuitive to use.

Rear-seat passengers get room to stretch out in new standard bucket seats, separated by a center console. A three-person bench is optional, as is a twin-screen rear entertainment system. The new Range Rover has a huge cargo hold in the extended rear overhang.

One thing that comes through clearly is the stately ride which is absorbent and steady. Handling is also surprisingly responsive for such a large coach.

We're sure the Range Rover's loyal buyers will be enthused with the new model. And they'll undoubtedly appreciate the 25-percent improvement in fuel economy, based on the EPA rating of 19 mpg.

Courtesy of Consumer Reports.

2013 Range Rover Supercharged review

Were it a person, the Range Rover would be the Most Interesting Man from those cerveza commercials, as at home wearing a suit in a swanky bar as rock-climbing on the weekend.

When Land Rover says this 2013 Range Rover is "all-new," it really means all-new. The latest model to wear the Range Rover badge returns to showrooms with an updated look that stretches elements inspired by the pint-size Evoque over proportions that still read classic Range Rover. The SUV also features a host of new dashboard and safety technologies, but perhaps the biggest change is beneath the sheet metal with the move to a more carlike, unibody construction.

It goes pretty much anywhere...
Interestingly, all 2013 Range Rovers are supercharged, so the difference between our "Range Rover Supercharged" and the entry models is that our example is powered by a 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 rather than the automaker's 3.0-liter V-6. Output is estimated at 510 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque. The noise that this aluminum block engine makes at full bore is akin to the world's angriest, largest vacuum cleaner being unleashed -- but that just means that Land Rover didn't waste a lot of time making things sound pretty.

Torque exiting the engine must first pass through the Range's single-option, eight-speed automatic transmission. Drive direction is controlled via a motorized shift knob that rises out of the center console when the engine is started. You've got your standard PRND selection of drive directions and an S for "sport" mode that adjusts the transmission's shift points for more responsive acceleration. The driver can also manually select gears with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. I especially like that the paddle shifters can be set to respond only when the gearbox is in its Sport mode via a menu option, preventing accidental shifts when you're merely tooling around in the standard Drive mode.

The Range Rover is equipped with a two-speed transfer gearbox that defaults to the standard high-range gearing for daily driving, but also features a low-range setting that is good for low-speed, high-torque applications such as rock crawling or scaling extreme grades. The low-range gearing has a maximum recommended speed of about 10 mph, as indicated on the digital instrument cluster when activated.

Land Rover's Web site states that the 2013 Range Rover is able to make use of stop-start anti-idling technology to increase fuel efficiency, but our model never did such a thing. According to the EPA's estimates, the Rover will average 15 mpg over a combined driving cycle. According to my observations, it averaged a pretty spot-on 15.1 mpg over a 600-mile mix of relaxed highway cruising and city driving, with a dash of off-road crawling and climbing for flavor.

While we're on the subject of off-road capability, the Range Rover has it in spades. The SUV is equipped with Land Rover's Terrain Response 2, a sophisticated permanent four-wheel-drive system that is capable of automatically sensing the characteristics of the terrain and adapting the drive and suspension systems to provide the best grip and drive characteristics for the situation at hand. There are manual settings for rock crawling, sand, deep ruts, and gravel or snow. Chose any of these modes and the Rover will handle all of the differential locking or unlocking, suspension adjustment, and driver-aid selections for you. In rare cases, it may prompt you to make manual changes that it can't, such as putting the gearbox into neutral and selecting the low-range gearing when the Rock Climbing mode is activated. However, the automatic setting would probably work best for most drivers in most situations.

Standard on the 2013 Range Rover is a hill descent control (HDC) system that automatically restricts downhill speed using the brakes.

Also standard is an air suspension with four levels of ride height adjustment. The normal ride height is fairly tall. Press a button and the Rover lowers to its access height, which lowers the vehicle significantly to aid entry and exiting and to help the tall SUV clear low garage ceilings. For when you need a bit more ground clearance, there are two off-road heights that raise the vehicle. The off-road and access heights are speed-limited and will revert back to the normal mode at about 50 mph and 10 mph, respectively. The access height can be locked to prevent automatically raising the Rover into harm's way in cramped parking decks, but even locked it will revert back to normal ride height at about 15 mph after warning the driver to slow down.

But no one reading this review is interested in hearing about driving the 2013 Range Rover around a smoothly paved parking deck; you want to hear about driving beyond paved roads.

I took the new Range Rover for a spin and was first surprised by the feats this vehicle was able to achieve on its standard street tires and 21-inch wheels. The Rover descended steep hills that, were it not for the seatbelt across my lap, would have sent me sliding into the footwells, and climbed inclines steeper and more slippery than I could on foot. It effortlessly flew down rutted and washboard dirt roads and clawed its way around gravel corners, and it did most of this in its automatic mode. Every once and again, I'd try to push the SUV up a hill too tall, too steep, and too slick with gravel, but it wouldn't complain. Instead, the digital instrument cluster would just display a message, "Low Range recommended." A few button taps later and I'd be at the summit of the ascent, the nearly $100,000 SUV a lot dustier, but no worse for wear.

As my day of off-roading and trail riding progressed, I was left with the feeling that I wasn't really able to explore the full extent of what this vehicle is capable of (and wasn't comfortable doing so). It had scaled and descended hills that would have left most SUVs calling for a tow, and it had done so on street tires. Toss some knobbies into the Range Rover's wheel wells and there probably aren't many places that this go-anywhere couldn't get you.

...But it does it with style

Though outside of the Range Rover, the air was dry and hot and clouded with dust kicked up from climbing gravel trails, I was seated in relative comfort. My rear end could be heated or cooled at the touch of a button, thanks to the leather seats, which were also massaging my back. A massive, panoramic sunroof let the sunshine in, but not too much. A refrigerated cool box in the center console kept bottles of water chilled, and the premium audio system played back my favorite podcasts with crystal clarity. Were it not for an occasional shrub sliding across the $1,800 Barolo Black paint, I could close my eyes and image that I was in First Class on a flight that was experiencing mild turbulence. (Don't keep those eyes closed too long, though.)



Courtesy of CNET.

All-New Range Rover Sport Sets Pikes Peak Hill Climb Record

Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, 7 June 2013 -The all-new Range Rover Sport yesterday established the record for a production-standard Sport Utility Vehicle and broke the long standing record for any kind of production-standard vehicle on the Pikes Pike International Hill Climb course, venue of the spectacular annual competition known as 'The Race To the Clouds'.

The Range Rover Sport rose to the challenge of the 12.42-mile asphalt course, powering its way from a standing start, in just 12 minutes 35.61 seconds - an average speed of 59.17 mph (95.23 kph) on a snaking road that clings to the edge of the mountain with precipitous drops on one side and unyielding rock faces on the other. The record was independently timed and sanctioned by PPIHC (Pikes Peak International Hill Climb), organisers of the annual competition at the Colorado venue.

The Pikes Peak course goes through 156 corners as it ascends beyond the treeline from 9,390 feet (2,860m) above sea level to 14,110 feet (4,300m). At that altitude the air contains only 58% of the oxygen it does at sea level, diminishing engine performance and blunting human physical and mental performance.

The new record was set by a Range Rover Sport with a 510PS 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8 engine, the vehicle altered from production specification only in the fitment of a roll cage and harness seatbelts to meet racing safety requirements.

The Range Rover Sport was driven on the record run, by American competition and stunt driver Paul Dallenbach. Best known as a Pikes Peak specialist, Dallenbach, 45 years old, from Basalt in Colorado, has won his division at the Hill Climb six times and won the event outright three times.

Dallenbach said; "There's no margin for error at Pikes Pike - you only need to misjudge one of those 156 turns and you're into the trees or over the edge of the mountain. To take on this place the way I did today, you need complete confidence in your vehicle, and the Range Rover Sport sure gave me that - it's fast, responsive and agile. I was able to place the car exactly where I wanted it on the road to keep to the optimum high-speed lines through corners. This is a hugely capable vehicle and I'm proud to have been part of demonstrating that by setting a new Pikes Peak record"

The Pikes Peak record run is the first of a series of global driving challenges to be taken-on by the all-new Range Rover Sport, pushing the vehicle to new limits in a series of the most punishing drives to be found on earth.

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

The Pikes Peak car and motorcycle hill climb competition is held annually on a 12.42-mile (19.99 km) section of the road that runs up to the summit of Pikes Peak mountain, 14 miles north-west of the town of Colorado Springs. The timed course starts at an altitude of 9,390 feet (2,860 metres) above sea level and rises 4,720 feet (1,440 metres) to 14,110 feet (4,300 metres).

First run in 1916, Pikes Peak is the USA's second-oldest motorsport event. Some of America's most famous racing drivers - Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Rick Mears, and Al Unser - have won the competition, as have internationally acclaimed rally drivers such as Michele Mouton, Ari Vatanen, Per Eklund and Stig Blomqvist. The current outright course record is 9 minutes 46.164 seconds, set by Rhys Millen last year in the Time Attack division in a production-based but radically modified Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

All-New Range Rover Sport

Developed alongside the highly-acclaimed Range Rover, the all-new Range Rover Sport delivers the brand's best-ever on-road dynamics together with class-leading, genuine Land Rover all-terrain capability, while presenting customers with a more assertive and muscular exterior, more luxurious interior and the flexibility provided by the option of occasional third row seating.

Exploiting Land Rover's breakthrough lightweight suspension design and innovative dynamic chassis technologies, the All-New Range Rover Sport's first-in-class aluminium architecture achieves a weight saving of more than 420kg.

Designed and engineered at Land Rover's development centres in the UK, the new model will be produced in a state-of-the-art low-energy manufacturing facility at Solihull, UK.

Courtesy of Land Rover Media Centre.

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A. Kahn Aftermarket Land Rover

A. Kahn Design and crew have delivered yet another bespoke Discovery aftermarket package. 

How many ways can you modify a Land Rover? That’s a question best posed to British aftermarket tuner A. Kahn Design who has done its utmost to come up with a new aftermarket package for the Discovery every couple of weeks. It’s latest project, dubbed the RS300, is based on the TDV6 XS and comes with an RS front grille with 3D mesh, vented front and rear air dams, stainless-steel door entry sill plates, LED light strips for the front wheel arches, enamel wing shields, tinted glass and a set of 22-inch RS600 alloys.

Courtesy of Car Buzz.

Land Rover Diesel Hybrids Could Reach U.S. In 2014

We're often asked why more automakers don't sell diesel-electric hybrid vehicles.

There are plenty of good reasons why, but that doesn't stop people wanting the twin-pronged benefits of highway and city economy.

SUV buyers could get their wish if Land Rover brings diesel-electric hybrids to the U.S, though.

According to Edmunds, diesel-hybrid versions of both the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will arrive on U.S. shores in the next couple of years.

New European emissions regulations in September 2014 will bring European and U.S. standards much closer, improving the business case for selling European diesels in North America.

The new Euro 6 standards are much stricter than the current Euro 5 standards, and NOx emissions from diesel vehicles are cut significantly. Previously, the cost of converting a Euro 5 engine to meet U.S. regulations was prohibitive for many automakers--one of the reason's Europe's proliferation of diesel models never made it across the pond.

It'll also prepare Land Rover for ever-stricter CAFE fuel efficiency targets, culminating in 2025's 54.5 mpg standards.

Diesel hybrids, diesels?

Land Rover is expected to launch diesel-hybrid versions of both Range Rover models at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

Both will match a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 engine in parallel with an electric motor, which sits between the engine and eight-speed automatic transmission.

The vehicles' high floors mean all electrical components--including the batteries--can be mounted below the passenger compartment, with no effect on interior or trunk volume.

The drivetrain is a development of that seen in the Range_e plug-in hybrid prototype, unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. That car was based on the previous-generation Range Rover Sport, but used a similar V-6 diesel and electric motor combination.

It isn't just hybrid models, either--Edmunds also reports that Land Rover's regular 3.0-liter V-6 and 4.4-liter V-8 diesel models could also hit the U.S.

Courtesy of Green Car Reports.

Jaguar Land Rover, ZF, Tesla are 2013 L.E.A.D.E.R. Winners!

PARIS -- Jaguar Land Rover, ZF Friedrichshafen and Tesla have been are the 2013 winners of the fourth annual Automotive News Europe/Automotive Intelligence Center L.E.A.D.E.R. awards.

L.E.A.D.E.R. stands for Leaders in European Automotive Development, Excellence, and Research. The awards recognize one top achievement each for innovation in product development and environmental technology, supplier technology and retailing.

Less weight

Jaguar Land Rover was chosen for its achievements in vehicle efficiency and performance enhancement through the application of innovative materials and technological solutions. This is exemplified by Land Rover's ability to cut the weight in the new Range Rover Sport by more than 500kg.

The weight loss helps keep the SUV's 0-100kph time under 5 seconds, down from a previous best of 5.9 second, while CO2 emissions are as low as 194 grams per kilometer, down from a previous low of 224g/km.

Accepting the L.E.A.D.E.R. awards at the Automotive News Europe Congress in Paris on Wednesday were: Elizabeth Hill, Range Rover business manager at Jaguar Land Rover; Julian Hernando Arcarazo, managing director of ZF Lemfoerder TVA; and Paula den Dunnen, communications director for Europe at Tesla.

Said Jaguar Land Rover's Hill: "This award is in recognition of the 6,000 core engineers who have worked tirelessly with our suppliers to deliver stunning, highly innovative products."

Courtesy of Automotive News Europe.

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Land Rover Supports Ben Saunders’ Bid To Complete Captain Scott’s Historic Antarctic Expedition

Land Rover is pleased to be a leading partner in the Scott Expedition, a mission to retrace and complete Captain Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole. British explorer and Land Rover Global Brand Ambassador Ben Saunders, accompanied by professional adventurer Tarka L'Herpiniere, aims to be the first to accomplish the return polar journey, just over a century on from Scott's heroic attempt.

The 1,800 mile trek will be the longest unsupported polar expedition yet made. Equally, it will set new benchmarks in the use of high-tech digital equipment that will enable the pair to send film, images and social media updates direct from Antarctica.

It is the latest challenge for Ben, one of Britain's most accomplished and experienced explorers. He has been a Land Rover Global Brand Ambassador since 2008 and was supported by the company in another remarkable expedition he made that year, a bid to break the speed record for a solo ski journey to the North Pole. With the history-making Scott Expedition, he will go further to demonstrate the spirit of "Above and Beyond" that's at the heart of the Land Rover brand. The expedition has the support of Captain Scott's family too, with his grandson, Falcon Scott as one of its patrons.

As a 21^st century explorer, Ben has much more sophisticated equipment and technology to help him reach his goal than Scott and his team could ever have imagined, from advanced clothing materials and equipment, to communications devices that can provide instant contact with the outside world and ensure precise geographic location. The world of Land Rover has changed in similar ways in the 65 years since the iconic Series I was created, with continuous advances in design and engineering and high-tech systems giving today's models even greater off-road capabilities and on-board connectivity. At the same time, Land Rovers have retained at their heart the same essential principle of all-terrain ability that inspired the original, in the same way as Scott's polar ambition remains central to what Ben Saunders wants to achieve.

Just as current Land Rovers benefit from advanced, lightweight materials, so too does the Scott Expedition's "transport" - a pair of sleds on which Ben and Tarka must haul everything they need to make their journey - each sled carrying 200kg of food and equipment. The custom made sleds use carbon fibre to keep overall weight down and to withstand the rigours of extreme low temperatures and rough ice terrain.

Although Land Rover vehicles will not play a physical role in Antarctica, they are highly valued by Ben as his transport of choice for all types of occasion - with the versatility to carry all the kit he needs to the remote training areas beyond the Arctic Circle, and take him across the UK on a busy schedule of speaking engagements and personal appearances. A great supporter of the Land Rover Discovery 4 - with its reputation as the go-to vehicle for many modern explorers - he says that it is "never just a journey" in a Land Rover as the brand is so closely associated with "adventure and excitement".

Mark Cameron, Global Brand Experience Director said: "I have huge admiration for Ben and Tarka as their expedition will demand the highest levels of physical and mental fortitude and sheer determination to succeed.  The Scott Expedition is an enormous challenge that honours a heroic spirit of adventure that has endured for more than 100 years, there are very good reasons why no one in history has ever completed this epic polar expedition. We are pleased to support Ben Saunders and the expedition team in their exceptional ambition; it represents perfectly our brand's heritage and its vision for endurance and achievement in the toughest environments.

"Ben is a true ambassador for Land Rover and the Scott Expedition promises to reinforce his status as a worthy successor to Captain Scott and the other great polar explorers in history."

Ben Saunders said: "The Scott Expedition will be both the greatest and most meaningful challenge I've ever taken on. Physically it sits on the very limits of human potential and will require every inch of resilience and determination we can summon to complete it. Equally, it is an opportunity to recognise the remarkable work of Captain Scott and his men and use the benefits of modern technology to celebrate his story worldwide. Completing Scott's Terra Nova expedition is a life-long dream of mine and I'm extraordinarily grateful for the support of Land Rover and Intel in making the Scott Expedition a reality."

Courtesy of the Land Rover/Jaguar Media Centre

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