Land Rover to unveil Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition in Geneva

Filed under: SUV, Geneva Motor Show, Land Rover, Luxury

Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition

Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you look at the very pinnacle of the automotive market, you’ll mostly find exotic sportscars and luxury sedans. There are plenty of high-end SUVs out there too, but not quite at the same level. But demand for luxury sport-utes continues to rise in “developing” luxury markets like Russia and the Persian Gulf, prompting automakers to dial up their high-riding game time and time again. And the latest ne plus ultra comes courtesy of Land Rover.

Called the Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition, this top-of-the-line SUV is exactly that: the ultimate. It’s billed as the most luxurious Range Rover ever, and that’s no mean feat. To get there, Land Rover has outfitted the SUV with a veritable first-class cabin that includes four individual buckets, separated front and back by middle console with aluminum tray tables and a drinks cooler in the back. The rear-seat passengers also get the use of a pair of Apple iPads docked into the front seatbacks, and the cargo area gets a yacht-inspired teak deck. Of course the leather is top notch, offset by Kalahari wood veneers.

Outside, prospective owners will find a dark grille, color-keyed door handles (which are available with a couple of new paint options), along with the requisite special badging and unique 20-inch alloys. Buyers can choose from either the 4.4-liter V8 turbodiesel or the 5.0-liter supercharged V8, both mated to ZF’s eight-speed automatic transmission and capable of catapulting the truck to sixty in 7.5 or 5.1 seconds respectively.

Pricing has yet to be announced, but the Autobiography Ultimate Edition is set to be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, now just weeks away, but you can read all about it now in the press release after the jump and soak up the opulence in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition

[Source: Land Rover]

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Land Rover to unveil Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2013 Land Rover Range Rover mule spotted winter testing

Filed under: Spy Photos, SUV, Land Rover

Land Rover Range Rover spy shots

Next-gen Land Rover Range Rover spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Even though it won’t hit the streets for another couple of years, the next-generation Land Rover Range Rover is already out on the prowl in development mule stage. Thus, we can’t tell what sort of new design elements will be found on the next-generation Range Rover, though the larger, bolted-on wheel arches give off the impression that the next SUV will likely be slightly wider than the one currently on sale.

Expect the usual crop of eight-cylinder powerplants to be available in both naturally aspirated and supercharged variants. There’s also been talk of a possible Range Rover Hybrid – a vehicle that would likely make its debut in the SUV’s next generation. Our spies are calling this Range Rover a 2013 model, so look for it to debut sometime in 2012. Click through our high-res image gallery to see the full set of spy shots.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Land Rover Range Rover

Spy Shots: Land Rover Range RoverSpy Shots: Land Rover Range RoverSpy Shots: Land Rover Range RoverSpy Shots: Land Rover Range RoverSpy Shots: Land Rover Range Rover

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: 2013 Land Rover Range Rover mule spotted winter testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota’s unstoppable Land Cruiser turns 60

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Japan, Toyota, UK

Toyota Land Cruiser

The Toyota Land Cruiser turns 60 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The year was 1951 and Toyota was hard at work creating a new all-terrain vehicle for military use. After much development, the Toyota BJ was the result of the Japanese automaker’s hard work, and the go-anywhere SUV quickly established itself as a capable workhorse. In fact, it was the first vehicle to be driven to Mt. Fuji’s sixth hill station, a climb rising 2,500 meters. After that feat, the Toyota BJ was applied to police fleets around the country. Sixty years and a name change later, the Toyota Land Cruiser is still running strong around the world.

The Land Cruiser name was applied to the BJ in 1954 and five million of these tough trucks have now been sold around the world. Evolving from the beloved FJ through the 20 Series and on to the 200 Series, the Land Cruiser has gained a level of luxury far removed from its distant BJ ancestor. However, it remains a capable off-road vehicle suited for tackling whatever this planet can throw at it.

Turning 60 is a big deal and Toyota has created two 60th anniversary models of the 2011 Land Cruiser, though these special edition models are currently being built for the UK only. Essentially, the anniversary Land Cruisers are fully-loaded versions of the well-to-do SUV sporting special badging and trim pieces. Follow the jump for Toyota’s official press release.

Gallery: Toyota Land Cruiser turns 60

Toyota Land Cruiser BJ soft topType 25 BJ Land CruiserToyota Land Cruiser 20 SeriesToyota Land Cruiser 50 SeriesToyota Land Cruiser 60 Series

[Source: Toyota]

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Toyota’s unstoppable Land Cruiser turns 60 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Muscles in Brussels: Land Rover launches Defender X-Tech edition in Belgium

Land Rover Defender X-Tech Limited Edition

Land Rover Defender X-Tech Limited Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Belgians may not be known as much for military prowess as, say, for beer or waffles – at least not since conquering the Congo, anyway – but Brussels is also the seat of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was established as a united front against the Communist bloc, and still stands as one of the most formidable alliances of nations this side of the Star Wars empire. A perfect place, then, to unveil a paramilitary-type vehicle like the X-Tech Limited Edition.

Easily as tough as any Hummer or Jeep, the X-Tech is based on the Land Rover Defender – one of the most rock-solid rock-crawlers ever devised. It’s available in either silver, three-door Defender 90 form or in five-door Defender 110 long wheelbase in olive green, both offset by black roof, wheel arches, interior and new “saw-tooth” alloys. Not a major upgrade on the standard model, but just enough to give it the attitude it deserves.

Unveiled at the Brussels Motorshow, the Defender X-Tech is unfortunately unavailable in the North American market, but you can dream by checking out the gallery below.

Gallery: Land Rover Defender X-Tech Limited Edition

[Source: Land Rover]

Continue reading Muscles in Brussels: Land Rover launches Defender X-Tech edition in Belgium

Muscles in Brussels: Land Rover launches Defender X-Tech edition in Belgium originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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History’s land-speed record cars profiled in poster

Filed under: Etc., Design/Style

Land Speed Record Holders by Stefan Marjoram

As a species, we’ve been obsessed with pushing ourselves ever faster since we first took to two legs. It should be no surprise, then, that the internal combustion engine and the land-speed record have evolved at roughly the same pace over the last century or so. In order to celebrate the Bloodhound SSC’s quest for land speed supremacy, designer Stefan Marjoram took on the ambitious project of creating a massive poster commemorating and comparing history’s official land-speed record holders. Even better, if you have the wall space and are so inclined, you can pick up a massive 16.5 x 23.4-inch copy for yourself.

Marjoram says that he did his best to keep the vehicles size relative to one another in order to underscore just how much land-speed record vehicles have changed over the years. While the drawings are simplified, stylized interpretations of the quickest machines throughout history, this sucker is something we’d be proud to hang on our wall. If you’re interested, head over to StefaanMarjoram.com for more details.

[Sources: Stefan Marjoram, Hemmings]

History’s land-speed record cars profiled in poster originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Land Rover LR4 Landmark edition discovers its darker side

Filed under: SUV, Land Rover, Diesel, Luxury, Off-Road

Land Rover Disco 4 Landmark

Land Rover Discovery 4 Landmark – Click above for high-res image gallery

While Land Rover made a splash in Los Angeles with the new five-door Evoque, back in its native UK, the company was casting a white light and a dark shadow over the go-anywhere Discovery 4/LR4.

Presented as the new Landmark edition, the special Disco can be ordered in either Santorini Black or Fuji White with coordinating interior in either ebony or ivory – the latter being offered for the first time in a Discovery. To complement the stark exterior color, Land Rover has also given the grille, roof rails and 20″ alloys a darker finish and fitted it with tinted glass.

The Discovery 4 Landmark is powered by a twin-turbo diesel V6, and comes packed with all the features you’d expect from a Land Rover, plus a little touch of the exclusive. Details in the press release after the jump and photos in the gallery below.

Gallery: Land Rover Discovery Landmark Edition

[Source: Land Rover]

Continue reading Land Rover LR4 Landmark edition discovers its darker side

Land Rover LR4 Landmark edition discovers its darker side originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Nov 2010 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSJ: Jaguar Land Rover pursuing Chinese joint venture

Filed under: China, Jaguar, Land Rover, Earnings/Financials

Jaguar Land RoverJaguar Land Rover looks to be jumping into the Chinese market in a big way. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company has fired up talks with an automaker in The People’s Republic in hopes of giving birth to a joint venture. For now, neither Jaguar Land Rover nor owner Tata are willing to expound on who the mystery partner could be. Instead, the two are content to simply say that the move is part of a strategy to push Jaguar and Land Rover products in under-developed markets.

The Wall Street Journal
reports that Land Rover may be interested in manufacturing SUVs in China at first. Later, Jaguar products may eventually show up, as well. For now, it’s unclear exactly what Jaguar Land Rover would bring to the partnership other than stacks of hard cash and brand equity, though that may be incentive enough for a mystery Chinese automaker.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal | Image: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty]

WSJ: Jaguar Land Rover pursuing Chinese joint venture originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Land Rover revisits claymation for new Freelander/LR2 ad campaign

Filed under: SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Land Rover, UK, Luxury, Off-Road

Land Rover LR2 Clay Mason ad

Claymation ad for the 2011 Land Rover Freeland 2/LR2 – Click above to watch video after the jump

Land Rover is getting ready to roll out a new ad campaign in support of the 2011 Freelander 2, a vehicle we know here as the LR2. You might expect Land Rover to go the traditional route of glamorous clean shots of the car mixed with a flurry of scenes highlighting its off-road capability. That’s not the case here, as it has decided to go in another direction… a rather squishy one at that.

Land Rover is harnessing the advertising power of claymation to promote the new LR2. The “star” of the commercial, besides the little luxury utility vehicle, is a character by the name of Clay Mason. The Mason character discusses his past claymation acting history, his tough work schedule on this shoot and what it was like to drive the 2011 LR2. It’s actually a little on the creepy side…

The spot took five weeks to shoot and then another four weeks were required for editing and production. There’s an astonishing two-tons of modeling clay on display, and the team built a fully operational scale LR2 model for the shoot. It will air in the United Kingdom starting January 2011. The clip, along with a making-of video, is available for your viewing pleasure after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Land Rover Freelander 2

[Source: Land Rover]

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Video: Land Rover revisits claymation for new Freelander/LR2 ad campaign originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Japanese Grand Prix: The sun finally shines in the Land of the Rising Sun [Spoilers]

Filed under: Motorsports, Japan

2010 Japanese Grand Prix – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Japanese Grand Prix has long held a special place in the Formula One World Championship. Traditionally one of, if not the very last race of the season, Japan has crowned many a champion: in fact the title has been decided there 12 out of the 24 times the Pacific island nation has hosted a grand prix. And of the drivers who’ve won there the past ten years running, all but Kimi Raikkonen lined up there again this weekend, Suzuka taking back the hosting duties from Fuji once more.

Would this year’s race see a new winner atop the podium? Or would Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher or even Rubens Barrichello add the trophy alongside their previous wins in the Land of the Rising Sun? Follow the jump to find out.

Gallery: 2010 Japanese Grand Prix

[Images: Greg Baker, Mark Baker / AP | Mark Thompson, Shuji Kajiyama / Getty | Toshifumi Kitamura, Jung Yeon-Je, Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP/Getty]

Continue reading 2010 Japanese Grand Prix: The sun finally shines in the Land of the Rising Sun [Spoilers]

2010 Japanese Grand Prix: The sun finally shines in the Land of the Rising Sun [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 07:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris Preview: Land Rover reveals the Evoque

Filed under: SUV, Paris Motor Show, Land Rover, Luxury

2012 Land Rove Evoque – Click above for high-res image gallery

Here’s the production 2012 Range Rover Evoque in all its glory, and the LRX-inspired CUV is lighter, meaner and greener than anything to come from the Range Rover arsenal.

Buyers can opt for three exterior design themes: Pure, a minimalistic take with 19-inch wheels and natural colors complemented by brushed metal trim adorning the insides; Prestige, a “bespoke exterior” treatment with exclusive 19-inch wheels paired “an indulgent interior;” or Dynamic, with 19- or 20-inch wheels a reworked bodykit, and a sportier cabin complete with perforated leather seats and a bit more bling.

Inside, the interior is influenced not only by the Range Rover Sport, but by Jaguar as well. Seriously bolstered seats straddle a center tunnel where a rotary gear transmission selector rises to hand. The four-setting Terrain Response System dial has been replaced with buttons attending an illuminated menu and controls are mainly managed through an eight-inch touchscreen. Aural enjoyment is provided by the 825-watt, 17-speaker Meridian sound system with additional inputs for other peripherals.

Underneath the Evoque’s hood is a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine that, naturally, is not called EcoBoost. Referred to as the Si4, it’s been developed for North American audiences and produces 240 horsepower that runs through a six-speed automatic transmission. Electric power steering is standard, a regenerative electrical system captures energy when things get hauled down and everything is kept on an even keel thanks to a MagneRide adaptive dynamics suspension.

Sales of the LRX start in the fall of 2011, and all the info you could want can be found in the press release after the jump, while dessert is in the gallery of high-res photos below. We’ll be getting even closer to it in a week’s time at the Paris Motor Show.

Gallery: 2012 Land Rover Evoque

[Source: Land Rover]

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Paris Preview: Land Rover reveals the Evoque originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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