This is from a few months back but still interesting – can’t say I love every design decision made for this but those floor mats really look cool.
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/landrover/2011-range-rover-spirito-divino-by-anzom-ar108161.html
Great video of a Range Rover in the snow and on top of that, the instructor along for the ride is Fred Monsees. Fred has been at all the off-road events my local dealership has put on for many years, he’s a Land Rover expert and a real nice guy.
Just something I shot for the minutia nuts – enjoy!
Most of the official 2011 Range Rover pictures came out around the middle of last year, but they were focused on the TDV8 model with it’s 8-speed transmission & rotary gear selector. Here are the Land Rover USA official shots of the North American spec Range Rover Supercharged. I’ll add in the PR & spec sheet below for good measure.
Introducing the 2011 Range Rover: the most capable and luxurious SUV in the world
Class-leading V8 engines, a multi-talented 6-speed transmission, Terrain Response® upgrades and external styling enhancements all combine to ensure the 2011 Range Rover retains its crown as king of the luxury SUV segment.
The range-topping, 5.0-liter, 510hp supercharged and 375hp naturally-aspirated V8s deliver supreme performance. Their uncompromising, world-class performance is not accompanied by an increase in fuel consumption and emissions compared to their predecessors. These lightweight, direct injection engines combine benchmark efficiency with outstanding power and torque. Acceleration in the naturally aspirated car to 60 mph is reached in just 7.2 seconds, while for those who want the utmost in performance, the supercharged V8 will rush to 60 mph in a mere 5.9 seconds.
The 2011 model year Range Rover is further enhanced by improvements to the Terrain Response® system in the form of Hill Start Assist and Gradient Acceleration Control. Dynamically, the Range Rover is equipped with the last word in suspension systems by offering Adaptive Dynamics technology offering firm control of body motions through turns while providing the calm, composed ride Range Rovers are famous for.
Active safety aids include available Adaptive Cruise Control, Emergency Brake Assist, available Blind Spot Monitoring, available Automatic High Beam Assist and an available Surround Camera System. Detail improvements to the exterior include new ‘Jupiter’ grilles and side vents for the naturally-aspirated models. To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the introduction of the very first Range Rover, a new Autobiography Black 40th Anniversary Limited Edition gives customers a more individual model to choose from.
Some 2011 highlights:
· Terrain Response® enhancements including Gradient Acceleration Control and Hill Start Assist
· Improved interior equipment levels with optional reclining rear seats and laminated privacy glass
· Revised exterior design features enhance Range Rover’s classic looks
· Optional Harman/Kardon 1200-watt, 19-speaker audio system
· 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 with 375 hp, 375 lbs-ft torque
· 5.0-liter Supercharged V8 with 510 hp, 461 lbs-ft torque
· Autobiography Black Limited Edition
Harman Kardon® Logic7® high dynamic (HD) system – Exclusively Available on Range Rover
KARLSBAD, Germany–(BUSINESS WIRE)–(www.harman.com/automotive) – HARMAN, the premium global audio and infotainment group, prides itself on its principle of designing, developing, manufacturing and supplying branded audio systems. This authentic approach has been applied to its latest technology offering, the Harman Kardon® Logic7®HD system, exclusively available on Range Rover Autobiography and offered as an option throughout the model range. The new system continues 16 successful years of collaboration between Harman Kardon and Land Rover.
In celebration of this latest evolution in the Land Rover/Harman Kardon relationship, an exclusive launch event was held in June at the recording studios of music icon Mark Knopfler. British Grove Studios in London was selected as the perfect venue to demonstrate the capabilities of the Harman Kardon® Logic7® HD system in the Range Rover, reinforcing the depth of competency of HARMAN’s heritage in the professional recording process, coupled with the authenticity of our approach in automotive audio systems.
British Grove Studios is a state of the art facility with the ability to record in 5.1 surround and was used to best effect with Grammy winning Producer and HARMAN aficionado Steve Levine producing two tracks performed by Ivor Novello nominee Patch William. The studio was a hive of activity for two days as this young band worked under the expert supervision of Steve, producing a number of 5.1 recordings for demonstration on the Harman Kardon® Logic7® HD system in the Range Rover Autobiography.
The latest Harman Kardon® Logic7®HD system offers the audio connoisseur a unique listening experience. Utilising the most up-to-date digital technology, an impressive 1200W D class amplifier is at the heart of this premium sound system, delivering high dynamic performance, authentically reproducing the recordings back to the listener with the same unparalleled quality achieved during the live performance.
Fifteen independent channels drive the audio system, offering levels of control previously unavailable in an automotive environment. With nineteen hi-powered speakers strategically located throughout the Range Rover cabin, this class leading system delivers smooth and controlled vocal performance from the most challenging of tracks. Complemented by the new 200mm front door woofers and subwoofer in the rear quarter deck, the control of the low end frequencies is truly remarkable. Coupled with Harman Kardon’s® proprietary Logic7® surround sound processing technology this creates an all encompassing, multi-layered experience releasing the subtle nuances of the original recording, irrespective of the seat location.
HARMAN is proud of its long standing iconic and visionary collaboration with Land Rover. With the new Harman Kardon® Logic7®HD system exclusively available on Range Rover, the bench mark has been set once again.
HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.4 billion for fiscal year ended June 30, 2010. The Company`s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE: HAR.
Links:
http://www.lro.com/news.php?sid=709&page=1
They have quite a few other videos up as well, posted by rangeroverusa. The channel itself only shows 4 videos but they do have 28 videos currently. It can be difficult to find them all. For some reason, they only list 3 or 4 of their 28 videos on their actual channel. So you have to go in a round about way to see them all. Not sure if this is an oversight or the way they want it?
Hopefully an owner won’t have to get their new Range Rover TDV8 towed but if they do, be sure the person towing knows what they’re doing. I first found out about this when the 2011 rotary selector was revealed. I started looking up how the Jaguar system worked and found references to the “Emergency Park Release(EPR)” – then further searching showed how this worked on both the Jaguar XJ & XF explaining how to get the vehicle out of Park and into Neutral, until you reset it.
Here are the reasons for the EPR:
•Shift-by-Wire is now incorporated into the automatic transmission
•In the event of vehicle failure a mechanical means of selecting Neutral is now required, the EPR provides this functionality
•Failures that could result in the use of EPR:
•Transmission / Engine failure
•Electrical failure
•Recovery of vehicle -by towing
•When the EPR hand lever is operated the park pawl within the transmission will be released and will not be allowed to re-engage until the hand lever is released from its latched position.
•WHEN EPR LEVER IS PULLED VEHICLE WILL BE IN NEUTRAL AND WILL BE ABLE TO FREE WHEEL.
On the Jaguars. the EPR is located within the center console, on both the XJ & XF, you need to remove some small trim to get to it, but it’s not very hard to do. Once that trim is removed, it’s just a matter of turning a lever. Here’s how it’s done on an XJ:
And here’s the XF with the trim removed – the red arrow on the left side is pointing to the EPR![JaguarDriveSelector[1]](http://www.ovalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/JaguarDriveSelector1.jpg "JaguarDriveSelector[1]")
So anyway, I was waiting to see how Land Rover was going to handle it with the new setup – would they modify the center cubby or maybe something under the cup holders that could just pop out?
So finally the 2011 Owner’s Manual is released and it has all the instructions for using the new gear selector. First thing I noticed are a few warnings throughout the manual but nothing on the EPR beyond this:
If your transmission is controlled with a rotary drive selector, the recovery agent
MUST activate the Emergency Park Release before towing commences.
NEUTRAL
Disconnects drive to the wheels. Use the parking brake while N is selected.
Do not use for vehicle recovery purposes.
Do not use rotary gear selector position P for vehicle recovery purposes. If your vehicle
requires recovery by towing, the recovery must be undertaken by qualified personnel. They
must activate the Emergency Park Release before towing commences. This procedure is
explained in a separate publication for service personnel.
So it gets more interesting, it appears you aren’t supposed to do this to your own vehicle. And I guess they assume you’d be towed by Land Rover Roadside, and they should know what to do.
But I didn’t stop there, I went over to TOPIx, the Land Rover tech site and started looking around. I found the document there and the process surprised me, and there they call it: “Emergency Park Position Release Lever”. Now it’s possible there is a different way to do this, but from everything I’m reading you actually have to remove most of the center console trim that surrounds the transmission selector(Floor Console Upper Panel) – here you can see it with that trim removed and the EPR in blue:
So it does appear that you really do need qualified personnel doing this, that know how to remove the side wood trim then the floor console upper panel, possibly even a trim piece from the HVAC controls area & parking brake lever, all in at least 8 screws, before finally getting to the EPR. Info is sparse on this, so it’s possible I’m getting something wrong, so please correct me if you’re in the know and let’s just hope no one needs to be towed!
Summary of product changes for the 2011MY Range Rover (standard features for all models):
• New Exterior Paint:
Fuji White [replaces Alaska White]
Baltic Blue [dark blue; replaces Buckingham Blue]
• The iPod lead has been deleted from all models as standard equipment; the iPod lead is now only available through Accessories
• The Tow Bar Receiver has been deleted from all models as standard equipment; the Tow Bar Receiver is now only available through Accessories
HSE and Supercharged model changes:
• Electronically Variable Locking Rear Differential deleted from Supercharged as standard
equipment (after September 2010), however this feature will be available as an option
• Adaptive Front Lighting (AFS) deleted from HSE w/LUX and Supercharged as standard
equipment
• Automatic High Beam Assist (AHBA) deleted from HSE w/LUX and Supercharged as standard equipment
• Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) deleted from HSE w/LUX and Supercharged as standard equipment
• Vision Assist Package (VAP) introduced across all trim levels as an option and includes:
• Adaptive Front Lighting (AFS)
• Automatic High Beam Assist (AHBA)
• Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
• Surround Camera System
Autobiography model changes:
• New standard features include:
• 1200-watt harman/kardon LOGIC7 AM/FM 6-disc CD changer with 19 speakers
• Unique Autobiography 20" Sparkle Silver alloy wheel – Style 17
• Rear Seat Recline including 4-way lumbar support and heated and cooled rear seats
• Vision Assist Package (VAP) including:
• Adaptive Front Lighting (AFS)
• Automatic High Beam Assist (AHBA)
• Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
• Surround Camera System
It’s all but official now, the NAS market(USA) will not be seeing the Rotary Transmission Selector nor will we be seeing the Touch screen Rear Screen Entertainment(RSE) controller for 2011.
They are saying that the Rotary Selector was designed for use with the 8-speed transmission found in the new TDV8 models. And I’m assuming we won’t see the Paddle-Shift either. The thing I don’t get with this decision is that the US spec Range Rovers use the ZF 6HP28 transmission. That’s the same transmission used in the Jaguar XF – the first vehicle to use the Rotary Selector system in the Jaguar/Land Rover family. So there’s obvious compatibility at the system level and on top of that, they went to the trouble to engineer & implement the rotary selector but then not utilize it across the range. This feels to me like they still have a surplus of BMW-era shift levers and want to run down the supply.
There was no specific reason given for the RSE Touch screen to not be sold here – my guess is that it’s just too cool, therefore the US doesn’t get it.
So instead of this:
We’re still stuck with this (btw – there are more buttons on the back):
Prior to Land Rover un-officially confirming this – there were signs that we weren’t going to see it. A great ibis1 post from the RangeRovers.net web board of the official 2011 Range Rover Product & Pricing Summary, did not mention the shift paddles, rotary selector or touch screen controller for the RSE. The official Land Rover US Media site had no specific text or pictures of the 2011 Range Rover beyond one single exterior shot and the basic press release.
I know we’re getting to the end of the line for the L322 MKIII Range Rover – and in the past these last year or so models have gotten some big changes, more bells & whistles as standard (see the ‘95 Classic, 2001 HSE 4.6), so I had though we were going to see this here.
So we discovered and posted what I believe were the first pics online of the new Rear Seat Entertainment Touch Screen Controller yesterday – the real press who already knew about it are now starting to post. Here’s CNET UK’s take on it with some new small bits of info
CNET UK (http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/cars/range-rover-2011-review-49306144/#):
A bespoke touch-sensitive remote control unit has been developed specifically for the Range Rover. The 64mm (2.5-inch) display, which uses resistive touch technology, allows you to choose video and audio sources independently for each display. It’s extremely clever, but we won’t go as far as to say it’s perfect. It doesn’t show you artist, playlist or video information and its graphical user interface takes some getting used to. We’re not complaining though — it beats the hell out of standard rear-seat remotes, so well done Land Rover.
Range Rover items on eBay
