For anyone that missed it, Land Rover did a digital magazine showcasing their past 64 years in pictures. Great stuff from the original Center Steer to the 2011 Range Rover.
Got to love the drop shadow on the cover!! Click below to check it out.
One thing that stuck out for me in the Range Rover Evoque Special Edition with Victoria Beckham press release was the mention of Land Rover’s Engineering to Order (ETO) program. I hadn’t heard of this prior and had to do a little searching around. This appears to be a replacement/subset/superset of the Land Rover Special Vehicles.
The always interesting Jaguar Land Rover Careers site had this to say:
Engineered to Order (Special Vehicles Division)
Engineered to Order (ETO) is responsible for designing and developing personalised vehicles. Their philosophy is to provide unique customer features in a nimble and responsive manner. The following categories outline the department’s key work streams:
Not sure if Special Vehicles still exists but either way, that seems like a very cool job to have.
*****
And here’s the official PR they released on 4/23, I guess they had to fill everyone in:
Jaguar Land Rover Introduces Bespoke Engineering Division
Today at the Beijing Auto Show, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) showcased the Jaguar XJ Ultimate, a car developed by the company’s specialist ETO division. The division is responsible for extending the Jaguar and Land Rover brands with a series of ‘special edition’ models as well as a range of personalisation options allowing owners to tailor their cars.
Dr Ralf Speth, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover explained: "The specialist ETO division is the next step in the evolution of JLR as a fully-integrated premium automotive business. It is an extension to JLR’s world class engineering capability and further proof of JLR’s passion to meet customers’ demands."
Following the recent success of two earlier ETO-built cars – the limited edition Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate and the 300km/h (186mph) XKR-S, the fastest and most powerful production sports car Jaguar has ever built – the ETO division is now focussing on further expanding the company’s product offering.
Initially, as well as handcrafting the ultra-luxurious Jaguar XJ Ultimate, ETO will also be responsible for the Range Rover Evoque Special Edition, a collaboration between Land Rover and the British fashion designer Victoria Beckham. This hand-finished, bespoke vehicle with unique matt finish paint and rose gold accents is limited to a maximum of 200 examples worldwide.
The designers and engineers in ETO will work alongside the JLR Product Development teams on future products with a focus on offering additional luxury, performance and capability, exploring different facets of the brands’ personalities.
Jaguar XKR-S
The Jaguar XKR-S is a very different animal, engineered by ETO to push the outer edges of the performance envelope and explore the capabilities of the company’s lightweight aluminium architecture. The engineering involved went far deeper than simply liberating more power from the company’s renowned supercharged V8.
ETO worked with the Jaguar Design team to create the specific exterior changes – informed by Computational Fluid Dynamics – that allowed the car to cut the air cleanly and solidly at very high speed and developed bespoke machined aluminium suspension components to give the car even greater levels of agility and driver involvement, refining the entire package at Jaguar’s Nürburgring testing facility.
Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate (2011)
The Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate took the already luxurious Land Rover flagship model and added a level of craftsmanship and unique exterior and interior appointments to create a truly first-class experience.
ETO was responsible for the handcrafted interior that used the finest soft-feel leathers and unique veneers for the four individually tailored seats as well as the seamless integration of the iPads, machined aluminium laptop table and drinks chiller.
ETO also created the bespoke paint colours and alloy wheels individual to this model and, as a final unique touch, a teak-floored rear loadspace to evoke the decking of luxury yachts.
ETO will support the Jaguar and Land Rover brands by offering specialist products ranging from design and performance enhancements, to the development of a wider portfolio for customers to personalise their vehicles, and an extended capability in engineering armoured and specialist vehicles.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Land Rover is celebrating 50 years of using the Eastnor Castle estate in Herefordshire as its centre for off road testing and development. Tucked away in rural Herefordshire, this historic piece of English countryside is still an important tool in the research and development of new Land Rovers as well as offering a completely unique Land Rover driving experience to members of the public.
In 1961, Land Rover first chose the 5,000 acre Eastnor Castle estate located near Ledbury, Herefordshire to assess the off-road credentials of their vehicles. Half a century on, the tradition continues, with Eastnor playing a pivotal role in the research and development of Land Rover’s outstanding all-round capability and class-leading off road performance.
As well as the cars themselves, Eastnor has been instrumental in developing an impressive collection of Land Rover technologies; such as Anti-lock Brakes, Adjustable Air Suspension, Electronic Traction Control, Hill Descent Control and Terrain Response® – many of which were world firsts in the 4×4 sector.
The tradition of testing all Land Rover models at Eastnor continues to this day. The Range Rover Evoque was the most recent model to complete its off-road apprenticeship and a large part of the Evoque’s technology, including MagneRide™, was proven on the estate, where ride dampers were tested extensively.
Terrain Response® offers drivers optimal vehicle set-up (electronic and mechanical), and performance, under a variety of off-road conditions.
Whether driving in mud, ruts, rocks, sand, grass, gravel or snow, Terrain Response® has the appropriate setting, and will optimise ride height, engine torque Response®, Hill Descent Control, Electronic Traction Control and transmission settings, ensuring a safe and controlled passage across any terrain. The Eastnor estate provides the ultimate test for all these conditions and is instrumental in the continuing development of this technology.
Eastnor has been used as not only an ideal off-road engineering ground, but since 1989, as an off-road learning centre for the emergency services, explorers, humanitarian societies such as the British Red Cross and, more recently, the general public.
Customers and fans of the brand can now book drive experience days to hone their on and off-road driving skills with tuition from a team of highly qualified Land Rover Experience instructors. Eastnor is one of over 30 centres around the world, and hosts over five and a half thousand visitors every year participating in half or full days, beginner and intermediate training as well as exciting night drives. Over a third of these visitors have travelled from overseas, keen to experience Land Rover in its heartland.
Leftovers and never posted items, posted now for my own reference. I’m sure you’ve seen it all posted somewhere else before. Which is why I never posted it, how many identical posts do we need saying how many awards the Evoque won, haha.
Left Lane News: Interview: Land Rover design chief Gerry McGovern
Wall Street Journal: Car Designer Gerry McGovern Heads Off Road
THE JOY OF A 55-YEAR-OLD LANDIE from Kim McCullough, Brand Vice President, Land Rover North America.
Noise, Vibration & Harshness: Off-Road, Through The Canyons Of My Land Roving Mind
Range Rover Evoque Instructional Videos
Startech-Tuned Range Rover Evoque to Debut at Dubai Motor Show
And finally, not really a link but just more great how-to videos from Powerful UK:
How to remove center console from Range Rover Evoque 2012
How to remove Side Vents on Range Rover Sport 2010
How to remove the front door card on a Range Rover Vogue
Official PR – 2012 Land Rover Defender
A new EU5 2.2-litre diesel engine replaces the EU4 2.4-litre diesel for 2011, bringing new levels of performance and refinement to the Defender for 2012. The smaller capacity engine delivers the same power, torque and economy as its outgoing sister but makes this the cleanest Land Rover Defender yet produced. In EU5 markets, the new engine comes with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) to ensure the lowest possible levels of regulated emissions.
Following a major upgrade in 2007 which included a new facia and six-speed manual transmission, the Defender’s specification has been further improved for 2012. In addition to the existing ‘S’ and ‘SE’ trim levels, there are five new option packs, new alloy wheels, ventilated discs on all variants and a number of detail improvements to the interior. Three speed-limiting options will also be offered to fleet users wanting to gain more effective control of fuel costs.
The Defender can trace its roots back to 1948 and during that period Land Rovers have earned a reputation as the most rugged and versatile off-road vehicles in the world. Since 2002, the Defender has consistently sold an average of 25,000 units a year worldwide. Retail and utility customers, armed forces and NGOs in over 100 countries believe that the Defender’s off-road ability, durability and towing capability are still head and shoulders above the competition. Such a unique combination of attributes explains why this legendary vehicle commands such exceptionally high standards of customer loyalty.
"The substantial improvements to the Defender in 2007 transformed its on-road refinement and comfort whilst extending its legendary capability off-road for which Defender is synonymous. With the introduction of the new 2.2-litre diesel engine and five option packs, the Defender for 2012 now offers greater customer choice than ever before," said John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director.
Smaller, cleaner diesel engine for 2012
The new EU5 2.2-litre diesel engine replaces the EU4 2.4-litre diesel while matching it for power, torque and fuel consumption. A new, full acoustic engine cover replaces the previous splash cover, reducing radiated engine noise and improving driving refinement. Meeting EU5 regulations, the engine delivers lower levels of the regulated emissions,NOx,COand HC thanks to an improved combustion system and sophisticated engine management system. In EU5 markets, particulate matter has been reduced to EU5 levels with a diesel particulate filter (DPF).
Despite the smaller capacity and reduced emissions, the new engine produces the same power, 122PS@3,500rpm and torque, 360Nm@2,000rpm, as the outgoing 2.4-litre engine. Performance remains similar too, with a 0-60mph time of 14.7 seconds as before, though the top speed has been raised to 90mph compared to 82mph for the previous version. CO2 emissions on the combined cycle are consistent at 266g/km for the 90 and 295g/km for the 110 and 130.
The GFT MT 82 six-speed gearbox has been retained for 2012 with its excellent ratio spread, high top gear for cruising and enhanced low-speed crawl capability. The lower first gear offers low crawl speed making towing on-road and off-road much easier. The low-down engine torque also helps in-gear acceleration and the tall sixth gear ensures excellent real-world cruising, refinement and fuel economy. Ground gears in both the gearbox and transfer box help contribute to the refinement of the transmission.
Interiors move up a notch
In addition to the ‘S’ and ‘SE’ trim levels, five new option packs have been introduced to the Defender for 2012 to offer more bespoke combinations including, for the first time, part leather seats and leather steering wheel across the model range. The option packs comprise of the following:
Comfort Pack- Air conditioning, CD Player with auxiliary input and convenience pack.
Exterior Pack- Brunel grille and headlamp surrounds, body coloured roof, wheel arches and side runners.
Interior Pack- Carpeted floors, high line cubby, part leather seats and leather steering wheel. Rear stowage net is included in Station Wagons and Hard Tops and the roof appointment pack is included in 90 Hard Tops.
Leather Pack-Part leather seats and leather steering wheel are available on all body styles for the first time.
Off-Road Pack- ABS, heavy duty rim and MTR tyre, tow ball and under-ride protection bar.
In response to customer feedback, a plain black Pick Up hood will now be available as an option whilst a plain beige hood will be introduced for the 110 Double Cab Pick Up. Both options are in addition to existing styles.
Further enhancements for 2012 include the addition of tinted glass on all models and the option of part leather seats. A new gloss black, Saw Tooth alloy wheel with MTR tyre is also being introduced as an option on Station Wagon and Hard Top body styles.
The Defender’s facia is based on a single, large moulding supported on a robust steel rail to help eliminate squeaks and rattles. The instruments provide clear, concise information to the driver, and details like all-LED instrument illumination help ensure high standards of reliability. Versatile stowage shelves are conveniently located for both the driver and passenger and two console options are available: a practical open-tray design that keeps contents to hand and a large, lidded design that provides an impressive 14-litres of stowage.
A powerful heating and ventilation system is designed to cope with the most extreme climates and features aluminium plate and fin heat exchangers to deliver impressive performance.
Tall front seats are designed to improve maximum back support and head restraint ergonomics in the most demanding driving conditions and there are robust, supportive second row seats too. 110 Station Wagon and 130 Crew Cab models can comfortably accommodate three occupants on an asymmetrically-split second row seat. A spring-assisted fold mechanism helps when folding the seats for carrying large or awkward loads.
Defender 90 Station Wagon second row occupants benefit from a pair of individual, full-size, forward-facing rear seats. Providing excellent comfort levels, these seats are also available as a third row option on the 110 Station Wagon. Accessed either through the rear door or by folding the second row seats, they can be easily folded and stowed sideways in the loadspace.
Seat trims include durable all-vinyl and cloth specifications; a half-leather option is also available to add a touch of luxury to the cabin. Three-point safety belts are specified for all seating positions.
Defender’s unique vehicle architecture has been retained for 2012. The chassis frame is available in three different wheelbases and in both standard and heavy-duty guise (for even greater load-bearing capabilities). A total of 14 separate body styles – from pick-ups and soft-tops to crew cabs and station wagons – are produced on the mainstream production line. Beyond this, Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations team offer a range of products from standard drop-side or box-body conversions to bespoke design and build adaptations into ambulances, mobile hydraulic platforms and even airport fire tenders – all of which are covered by Land Rover’s extensive warranty.