Out With The Old, In With The New -,
I am often asked "what's the best car?" My answer varies greatly, but over the past two decades in the automotive industry, I have come to the conclusion that European cars are superior. This does not mean I do not appreciate some Asian or American cars, but they do not compare with European car thrills techniques. American and Asian cars lose something that I think is more of a quality than a European car. this time we will discuss aboutOut With The Old, In With The NewLets me talk it
Welcome to 2015. We're now half way through the 202nd decade since calendars began to be positive, and while I try to work on pulling the same trick, here's a simultaneous goodbye and hello from the world of British off-road vehicles, with one iconic name beginning its farewell, and another entering the fray looking to shake things up a bit.
Let's start with the end. 67 years ago, the first pre-production model of a car originally drawn in the sand by Spencer Wilkes (General Manager at the Rover car company) after being dissatisfied with his Willis Jeep, was assembled, registered "HUE 166" and put on the road... or rather, off it. That car was the Land Rover. From then to now, the name has become synonymous with crossing terrain, landscapes and even countries previously untouched by the motor car or the level of civilisation that could've created it. Equipped with a willing four-cylinder engine, an innovative transfer gearbox with a set of "low-range" gears for getting up steep hills and four-wheel-drive, the otherwise extremely basic millitary green box on wheels - few other colours were available at the time - evolved into the Series II, Series III, Ninety & One Ten and in 1991 gained the now-iconic name "Defender." It's been used to fight wars, cross deserts, put out fires, climb every mountain, ford every stream and wander through jungles, to name but a few uses for what is now a British icon. From the very start it's been driven thousands of miles on expeditions across the world, subsequently holding the unique honour of being the first vehicle some parts of the world had ever seen.
While other, more luxurious models like the Range Rover and Discovery have subsequently broadened the company's appeal beyond farmers and mud-pluggers, the Defender has stayed alive from 1948, right up until they switch off the lights in December 2015. It's been fighting for survival for a few years now, as Land Rover's moves upmarket continue to render it an antiquated irrelevance. We would've seen the end by now were it not for its passionate fans appealing to keep it alive, and thus keep it up to date mechanically. However, with the imminent next round of European emission regulations and falling sales, even fan appeals are no longer enough. However, Land Rover, now a powerhouse partnered with Jaguar rather than two brothers with an idea, have given the cult following three little presents to say thank you and that will be all.
There will be not one, but three run-out special editions for the venerable Defender on sale in August, referred to as the Celebration Series. In the middle is the Heritage edition, which pays direct tribute to HUE 166, even carrying a sticker behind the front wheels of that very number plate. It also has "Grasmere Green" paint with a white roof, silver bumpers, big mudflaps and heavy duty steel wheels painted the same hue as... HUE. Other retro touches include a special grille which recalls that of the original without actually putting the headlights inside it. It's a Defender like everyone pictures it. Only less muddy. Prices start at £27,800 and it can be had with either a 90" or 110" wheelbase (the original Land Rover had an 80" wheelbase, if you wanted to know), or in other words, either three or five doors. They will build 400 of them and not a Landie more.
On the right of the above picture is the Adventure edition, painted a vibrant "Phoenix Orange" as a reference to the orange paint on Land Rover's G4 Challenge cars, which take on the toughest trails that mother nature has to offer. To suit, it has a snorkel to help it breathe underwater, a big sump guard and sill protectors, a ladder on the back so you can reach the firewood, spare wheels, tins of beans and Argentinian Car Football trophy you're storing on the roof, and special "sawtooth" two-tone alloy wheels shod in big knobbly Goodyear MT/R tyres, along with comfortable leather seats, a shiny dashboard clock and its own special stickers. If you don't fancy orange, you can also have it in "Corris Grey" and "Yulong White." Prices start at £43,495 and it can again be had in either wheelbase, with the longer 110 [pictured] gaining a pair of doors over the 90. As well as costing more than the Heritage, there will be more of them at 600 units.
So if the Heritage edition is 400 units and the Adventure is 600, how many do you suppose they'll build of the Autobiography edition? Nope, you're ten times higher than the answer. They'll build 80. That's because the Autobiography is about exclusivity and other such posh-ness that Land Rover are about these days. To pander further to the very type of people who are arguably responsible for the Defender's demise, it features a full leather interior, aluminium highlights inside and out, the same "Sawtooth" wheels but in all-black, many fancy black-on-grey paint options and many fancy badges everywhere. Oh, and it has a fancy price, too, of £61,845. The most desirable Defender ever? They say so, and it bloody well better had be at that price! All 80 units of this version will be the shorter '90' variant.
All three are powered by the Defender's only remaining engine, a 2.2 four-cylinder turbo diesel attached to a 6-speed manual gearbox with the requisite low-range gears as well. This engine produces 122bhp and 266lb/ft of torque, modest for a roughly-1650kg car, but if you want more power, then the Autobiography and Adventure (90 only) come with 150bhp and 295lb/ft. Because I like purposeful cars with some history, I'd actually want the cheapest edition out of the three. Or maybe the Adventure version if I felt like driving around the world. There are precious few better cars to do it in.
And with that, Land Rover draws a line in the sand. Literally.
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| Land Rover Defender Heritage Edition and Ariel Nomad |
Let's start with the end. 67 years ago, the first pre-production model of a car originally drawn in the sand by Spencer Wilkes (General Manager at the Rover car company) after being dissatisfied with his Willis Jeep, was assembled, registered "HUE 166" and put on the road... or rather, off it. That car was the Land Rover. From then to now, the name has become synonymous with crossing terrain, landscapes and even countries previously untouched by the motor car or the level of civilisation that could've created it. Equipped with a willing four-cylinder engine, an innovative transfer gearbox with a set of "low-range" gears for getting up steep hills and four-wheel-drive, the otherwise extremely basic millitary green box on wheels - few other colours were available at the time - evolved into the Series II, Series III, Ninety & One Ten and in 1991 gained the now-iconic name "Defender." It's been used to fight wars, cross deserts, put out fires, climb every mountain, ford every stream and wander through jungles, to name but a few uses for what is now a British icon. From the very start it's been driven thousands of miles on expeditions across the world, subsequently holding the unique honour of being the first vehicle some parts of the world had ever seen.
While other, more luxurious models like the Range Rover and Discovery have subsequently broadened the company's appeal beyond farmers and mud-pluggers, the Defender has stayed alive from 1948, right up until they switch off the lights in December 2015. It's been fighting for survival for a few years now, as Land Rover's moves upmarket continue to render it an antiquated irrelevance. We would've seen the end by now were it not for its passionate fans appealing to keep it alive, and thus keep it up to date mechanically. However, with the imminent next round of European emission regulations and falling sales, even fan appeals are no longer enough. However, Land Rover, now a powerhouse partnered with Jaguar rather than two brothers with an idea, have given the cult following three little presents to say thank you and that will be all.
 |
| Autobiography, Heritage and Adventure |
On the right of the above picture is the Adventure edition, painted a vibrant "Phoenix Orange" as a reference to the orange paint on Land Rover's G4 Challenge cars, which take on the toughest trails that mother nature has to offer. To suit, it has a snorkel to help it breathe underwater, a big sump guard and sill protectors, a ladder on the back so you can reach the firewood, spare wheels, tins of beans and Argentinian Car Football trophy you're storing on the roof, and special "sawtooth" two-tone alloy wheels shod in big knobbly Goodyear MT/R tyres, along with comfortable leather seats, a shiny dashboard clock and its own special stickers. If you don't fancy orange, you can also have it in "Corris Grey" and "Yulong White." Prices start at £43,495 and it can again be had in either wheelbase, with the longer 110 [pictured] gaining a pair of doors over the 90. As well as costing more than the Heritage, there will be more of them at 600 units.
So if the Heritage edition is 400 units and the Adventure is 600, how many do you suppose they'll build of the Autobiography edition? Nope, you're ten times higher than the answer. They'll build 80. That's because the Autobiography is about exclusivity and other such posh-ness that Land Rover are about these days. To pander further to the very type of people who are arguably responsible for the Defender's demise, it features a full leather interior, aluminium highlights inside and out, the same "Sawtooth" wheels but in all-black, many fancy black-on-grey paint options and many fancy badges everywhere. Oh, and it has a fancy price, too, of £61,845. The most desirable Defender ever? They say so, and it bloody well better had be at that price! All 80 units of this version will be the shorter '90' variant.
All three are powered by the Defender's only remaining engine, a 2.2 four-cylinder turbo diesel attached to a 6-speed manual gearbox with the requisite low-range gears as well. This engine produces 122bhp and 266lb/ft of torque, modest for a roughly-1650kg car, but if you want more power, then the Autobiography and Adventure (90 only) come with 150bhp and 295lb/ft. Because I like purposeful cars with some history, I'd actually want the cheapest edition out of the three. Or maybe the Adventure version if I felt like driving around the world. There are precious few better cars to do it in.
And with that, Land Rover draws a line in the sand. Literally.
