High Speed – July 20, 2009: Range Rover 2010

Although I don’t understand a word they’re saying – this is the longest Range Rover review I’ve ever seen and has some great shots of the 2010

Click on that image and you can really get a good look around the factory grounds and see all the little Land Rovers getting ready for delivery.  You can see the Jungle Course & the Land Rover Experience Center, along with its track – neat thing to check out for the enthusiast.

Here’s a shot of the LRX & a real original Series 1, outside the building shown above:

For anyone interested, Land Rover puts out this shot layout every year with the bottom white banner.  I already have the photo in the 2010 album, but didn’t have the one with the blurb – so for anyone collecting, here it is:

Although we’ll never see these here in the US – here are some pics, I forgot to post last month of the new Fire & Ice Defenders.  They are actually only available  in the following markets:

Land Rover Launches Exciting ‘Fire & Ice’ Defender Limited Editions

Gaydon, Warwickshire, 09 June 2009 – Land Rover is introducing two exciting new limited edition models of the iconic Defender 4×4 – the Defender Fire and Defender Ice.

Inspired by the world’s most challenging landscapes – where Defenders have earned their reputation for rugged dependability – the Fire & Ice models blend classic Land Rover functionality with a stunning new style.

The limited editions feature striking two-tone colour schemes. Defender Fire combines a scorching metallic ‘Vesuvius’ orange with metallic ‘Santorini’ black roof, bonnet, centre grille and wheel arches. Defender Ice contrasts the cooler shade of ‘Alaska’ white with the same bold black panels.

The exteriors are finished off with some eye-catching details including ‘diamond turned’ five spoke alloy wheels, black side runners, LED rear lamps with clear lenses, and a unique front light treatment.

Inside the Fire & Ice models, the cabins feature superior materials and special interior treatments to complement the style and functionality of the exterior. The seats combine black leather borders with attractive grey Alcantara centre panels, and head restraints with an embossed Land Rover logo.

Splashes of bold colour bring added life to the interior design. The centre switch panels use the same orange or white paint finish as the exterior, while contrast stitching on the steering wheel, seats, centre cubby box and carpet mats is coordinated to match.

For that extra degree of personalisation, a range of tough optional accessories is available including an A-frame protection bar, a raised air intake, a ribbed aluminium undershield, aluminium wing top protectors and a chequer plate protection kit in black, a luggage rack or a roof sports bar system.

Check out this link for the full official photo release

While I’m not too crazy about excessive changes from the stock Range Rover, there are some great things happening with this special model – they’re just teasing it now at:

www.hollandandhollandoverfinch.com

Overfinch always does a great job on the interior with their extra wood trim pieces, and leather treatments.  The type of wood trim they show, for me is just more classic Range Rover and not as plastic-looking as the current Burl Walnut.  It has a much deeper real wood trim look.  I will say, I’ve never been a huge fan of the gray plastic trim around the center controls.  It’s even worse in the 2007+ models – it actually had texture pre-2007, now it’s just flat smooth colored plastic.  Anyway, I always thought I wanted that to be all done in wood instead of the plastic, but seeing the full wood Overfinch kit on the center controls, it may be a bit too much. 

New Range Rover can be started with the key inside the cabin, but you’ll still need to press the unlock button to unlock the doors – looks like the existing BMW hardware isn’t going to be modified, unlike the Range Rover Sport or LR4 which can unlock with a grab of the door handle.