FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterestYouTubeTiktok

Land Rover Previews Bespoke Defender Pedal Car Concept At Frankfurt Motor Show

Defender Pedal Car

  • Exclusive Defender pedal car concept set for public debut at Frankfurt
  • Pedal car hand built in the UK and previews production model, due to go on sale mid-2016
  • Creation of scale Defender collector’s piece celebrates over 60 years of Defender production
  • Authentic interior details featuring leather finish with trimmed seats, steering wheel and rear stowage
  • Rugged aluminium body, protective door sill chequer plate, running bars and durable rubber tyres retain Defender’s traditional design characteristics

Land Rover has created a special collector’s Defender pedal car concept, previewing a full production pedal car model that will go on sale in Spring 2016.

Defender Pedal Car

With production of current Defender now in its final phase, the unique pedal car concept represents a fitting tribute to the one of the world’s most iconic vehicles; the Series Land Rover and Defender has been produced in Solihull, UK, since 1948.

The exclusive Defender pedal car is hand built in the UK and styled to commemorate the legacy of the first-ever pre-production Land Rover affectionately know as ‘Huey’ given its original numberplate of ‘HUE 166’.

The concept model is constructed using a rolled-edge aluminium frame complete with individual chassis number and personalised numberplate. It is hand finished in the same Loire Blue found on the full-scale Defender colour palette.

The show car is meticulously hand built in the UK and this exclusive version is constructed precisely to scale to incorporate all of the Defender’s distinctive characteristics such as protective chequer plate, cylindrical running bars and rugged off-road tyres complete with mudflaps.

The drive assembly is constructed to enable the young driver to pedal both forwards and backwards while a spring suspension and working brakes – complete with parking brake – will allow the little one to go on many big adventures.

It’s no different inside, where engineers have drawn on their passion and experience for creating special commissions by constructing an authentically styled dashboard, working hooter and rear stowage section with cover. A leather finish and trimmed seats and steering wheel complete the overall design of the Defender pedal car.

Defender Pedal CarDefender Pedal CarDefender Pedal Car

Jaguar Land Rover’s Director of Branded and Licensed Goods Lindsay Weaver said: "This is both a wonderful collector’s piece and children’s toy. It demonstrates our ability to produce goods with world class quality and attention to detail that can emulate our world class Jaguar and Land Rover cars."

The final production version of the Land Rover pedal car concept is expected to cost around £10,000.

Defender Pedal CarDefender Pedal CarDefender Pedal CarDefender Pedal CarDefender Pedal Car

2015-09-15T12:03:21-04:00September 15, 2015|
Read More

Jaguar Land Rover introduces the 360 Virtual Urban Windscreen

  • Jaguar Land Rover reveals its ‘360 Virtual Urban Windscreen’ research, which uses transparent roof pillars to give the driver a 360o view outside the car
  • To aid navigation on busy urban roads, a ghost car could be projected in front of the car for the driver to follow
  • The concept uses future Heads-Up Display technology to provide information to keep the driver’s eyes on the road and reduce distraction
  • ‘360 Virtual Urban Windscreen’ and ‘Follow-Me Ghost Car Navigation’ are part of a suite of new concept technologies that Jaguar Land Rover is developing to reduce the potential for accidents

Whitley, UK: Jaguar Land Rover has launched a research project to develop technologies that will offer drivers a 360o view out of their vehicle, uninterrupted by the pillars that support the roof.

A screen would be embedded in the surface of each pillar inside the car and would take a live video feed from cameras covering the angles outside the car usually obscured in the blind spots created by the A, B and C-pillars.

jlr_urbanwindscreen_invisibleapillars

Pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles would be visible all around the car – and by combining the transparent pillars with an advanced high quality Heads-Up display, the movement of other road users could be highlighted to the driver with an on-screen halo moving across the car’s virtual windscreen.

When the driver indicates to change direction, when they move their head to look over their shoulder during an overtake manoeuvre, or as the vehicle approaches a junction, the system would automatically make the left or right-hand side pillars transparent.

Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover, said: "Our ultimate aim is to reduce road accidents and enhance the urban driving experience. The Jaguar Land Rover research team is developing this technology to improve visibility and to give the driver with the right information at the right time. If we can keep the driver’s eyes on the road ahead and present information in a non-distracting way, we can help drivers make better decisions in the most demanding and congested driving environments."

The full potential for the 360 Virtual Urban Windscreen would be delivered by connecting the virtual windscreen to the Cloud. By connecting the car to roadside infrastructure and businesses in the urban landscape, the Virtual Urban Windscreen could present information ranging from petrol station prices to the number of parking spaces available, so drivers won’t have to look for this information themselves.

The connected car could also enhance navigation by advising the driver to turn left or right at more visible landmarks, such as pubs or shops, rather than just road signs or street names. 

While the most intuitive and efficient way to navigate to a specific location is to be able to follow someone who knows the best route – so the Jaguar Land Rover team is developing ‘Follow-MeGhost Car Navigation’,which projects an image of a vehicle in front of the driver’s car for them to follow, turn by turn, to their destination.

jlr_urbanwindscreen_followmeghostcar-and-transparent-pillars_01

jlr_urbanwindscreen_followmeghostcar_02

jlr_urbanwindscreen_followmeghostcar_03

"Driving on city streets can be a stressful experience, but imagine being able to drive across town without having to look at road signs, or be distracted trying to locate a parking space as you drive by," added Dr Epple. "We want to present all of this information on a Heads-Up Display in the driver’s eye-line, so the driver doesn’t have to seek it out for themselves and take their eyes off the road ahead."

2014-12-15T01:31:40-05:00December 15, 2014|
Read More

Jaguar Land Rover Develops The Self-Learning Intelligent Car Of The Future

Continued tech news from last weeks Jaguar Land Rover Technology Showcase:

jlr-self-learning-car-lo-res

  • The intelligent car will have its own on-board ‘Smart Assistant’ to carry out a host of functions to allow the driver to concentrate on driving
  • The ground-breaking system will minimise driver distraction to reduce the potential for accidents – with an eventual goal of zero accidents
  • New state-of-the-art software recognises the driver and learns their preferences. It can then predict their routine and changing preferences based on variables such as the weather and their schedule for the day
  • The ‘Smart Assistant’ will check your calendar in advance and remind you to take your child’s sports kit to sports day
  • The self-learning car will learn an individual’s driving style and apply them when Auto Adaptive Cruise Control (AACC) is engaged

(more…)

2014-07-15T00:15:03-04:00July 17, 2014|
Read More

Jaguar Land Rover Develops Virtual Technologies To Enhance Performance Driving And Reduce Distraction

Jaguar Virtual Windscreen

JLR_Tech_Showcase_3D_Cluster_090714_02JLR_Tech_Showcase_3D_Cluster_090714_01

  • Jaguar Land Rover reveals its ‘Jaguar Virtual Windscreen’ concept that will aid road and track driving
  • Hazard, speed, navigation data and the racing line could all be projected onto the entire windscreen.
  • Jaguar Land Rover demonstrates virtual imaging technology that could offer drivers a spectacles-free 3D image instrument cluster, replacing the rear view mirror
  • ‘Jaguar Virtual Windscreen’, 3D cluster and gesture control are part of a suite of new concept technologies that will reduce driver distraction

Whitley, UK: Jaguar Land Rover is creating cutting-edge technologies to develop new ways to give drivers higher quality, life-like graphics and information that will offer an enhanced ‘virtual’ view of the road or race track.

The ‘Jaguar Virtual Windscreen’ concept uses the entire windscreen as a display so the driver’s eyes need never leave the road.  High quality hazard, speed and navigation icons could all be projected onto the screen together. For performance drivers, imagery that could aid track driving includes:

  • Racing line and braking guidance. Virtual racing lines on the windscreen appear to be marked on the track ahead for optimum racing line, with changes in colour to indicate braking guidance.
  • Ghost car racing. Improve your lap times by racing a ‘ghost car’ visualisation of your car on a previous lap, or compete against a lap uploaded from another driver.
  • Virtual cones can be laid out on the track ahead for driver training. These could be moved as the driver’s ability improves.

2014-07-15T00:13:53-04:00July 16, 2014|
Read More

Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept is real and it’s spectacular

Land-Rover-Discovery-Vision-Concept-(15)

Land Rover has promised us that a lot of new vehicles were on the way and they weren’t just teasing.  After a successful Range Rover Evoque launch and then completely new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, it’s time to move on to the next part of the three family Land Rover plan – Leisure.Bgu8A_nCcAAy09G[1]

Discovery will be the start of a new full line of Land Rover vehicles, some of the Land Rovers have been neglected for a while but now it’s time to change that.

I’m never a huge fan of concept cars, everything is so over the top and we rarely see the amazing technology or extreme design make through to production.  But Land Rover is usually different when it comes to their concepts of which there haven’t been too many.

Range Stormer it’s production counterpart the Range Rover Sportstormer-rrs

Land Rover LRX and the Range Rover Evoquelrx-rre

And while we’ll never see all of the things listed in the PR below make it into production, I still think quite a few will become reality in the next few years.  It’s great to see Land Rover keeping right on top of innovation (for the most part, haha)

Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (1)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (2)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (3)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (5)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (16)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (7)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (4)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (8)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (9)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (11)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (12)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (13)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (10)Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept (14)

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY VISION CONCEPT

(MAHWAH, N.J.) – April 14, 2014 – The Land Rover Discovery has carved an enviable reputation for itself – from deserts, jungles and barren peaks, where its extraordinary capabilities have seen it through the harshest terrains.

From 2015 onwards, the Discovery nameplate will be born by not just a single model but a distinct range of vehicles that symbolize the essence of the premium SUV: modern, versatile, practical and desirable, with the unmistakable DNA of Land Rover at its core. The future Discovery range is set to take on the adventures of life.

(more…)

2014-04-13T12:37:34-04:00April 14, 2014|
Read More
Go to Top