New LAND ROVER DEFENDER... Thoughts?...

[PaykanHunter]

These images were published yesterday: New Land Rover Defender for 2015, DC100 Concept to be shown in Frankfurt

 

[Albert Ross]

Utterly horrendous. That's not a Utility vehicle any more. Where would you put the recovery crane, snowplough, winch, rear power take off, cherry-picker, etc. There's not even anywhere on the bonnet to put the spare tyre.... or is it an "inflation kit" now? Hope it fails dismally. It's meant to be a basic utility vehicle. This isn't it.

[Father Ted]

No room for the shit up pigs or sheep in the back.

[Shep Shepherd]

I really cannot see it appealing to farmers, the Armed Forces, off-roaders, etc. in the way that the current model does.

[RedSparrow]

Utterly revolting. I wonder what it's actually like off road.

 

I think these things are now desgined to sell in 2 places - California and Essex.

[Albert Ross]

Looking again, there is a roller fairlead, but no cable. I wonder if they turned the engine sideways to accommodate the winch? If so, bad move. These things need to be fixable in the field, with baling twine, a hammer, and a fence post. This monstrosity looks lke it would throw a rod at the hint of a flower bed in Sainsbury's.

[PaykanHunter]

Any chance of a picture of your alleged Defender, Pecan?

 

Here it was... I sold it last month! ;(

 

 

[eddyramrod]

Oh shit, what the fuck is that? It certainly isn't a Land Rover, whatever badges they put on it!

 

Hey, design office, you listening? The X5 is a vastly inferior rip-off of the brilliant tool you already make. Don't try to copy the rip-off! You will fail and you'll deserve every bump you hit on the way down.

 

Sadly, we just know that this abortion will make it into production, and enough fashion victims will buy it to make the first year look profitable. That'll be the only year that does.

[PaykanHunter]

Well the VIN plate might have been made in '85...

Absolutely NOT! Had a 300TDI conversion, and had a thick folder fully documenting all the maintenance from new. Believe me I am aware of the VIN swaps, I do my research well, just look at my "Paykan" Blog as an example!

[Des]

I'm wondering if the intention was to copy the BMW X5 abortion, but had a mix up and wound up using the BINI for inspiration. And where's the flat surfaces for the chequer plate?

[Station]

It'll obviously sell, but then something else will fill the large gap from India/China/Malaysia. Like the new Mini, it's missing the point completely.

 

They are all concept renders though (ie. the vehicle doesn't exist at all).

[eddyramrod]

 

This is a concept render, did you say?

[PaykanHunter]

They are all concept renders though (ie. the vehicle doesn't exist at all).

Yes it is just a concept car but I believe that this is very close to production version (except for the wheels/tires which are heavily cheated) just look at the Range Rover Evoque concept vs. the production version.

[PaykanHunter]

This is a concept render, did you say?

Nope that is/was Real!

[PaykanHunter]

I like this one.

 

Yes!!! Ford had serious plans to make the next Gen. Bronco and Defender on that platform, but they decided not too!

[Pete-M]

I love it.

 

I know a chap who's on the development team at LR. He's not someone who gives praise where it isn't due, he can find fault with absolutely anything but he's rather happy with the way the new Defender chassis is shaping up, and there's another couple of years to get it spot on.

 

I'll have whatever the 110 is gonna be if it looks like that green one.

 

Progress is progress. Things change, and to me, they look like a 21st Century Land Rover should.

 

The 90 / 110 is iconic and a great shape but it's over 60 years old. Eventually things need to move on or nothing will ever change. By moving away from the 'proper' Land Rover shape they may actually be able to manage decentish fuel economy and a 90 mph cruise without worrying too much about wind. It'll be strong as anything and insanely capable off road. There will be custom body options - LR make too much money to give that up - and all this will make them a lot more appealing to foreign markets. Which means more will sell. Land Rovers aren't cheap, never have been, so if they're as good as they should be then they'll be the one to beat.

 

Land Rover have a world beater in the Range Rover, another in the current Disco, something to annihilate the X3, CRV etc with the Evoque, a weapon for spotting knobheads in the Range Rover Sport and the odd one out is the current Defender. The Defender has a reputation for being damn strong and incredibly agile but not as trustworthy as a Land Cruiser or Patrol in the markets that matter. So they're buying Patrols and Land Cruisers. To get those buyers back LR need something very new but as much of a step forward as the original. This new Defender looks funky as fuck to me, and I bet it's immense off road. Just hope it's reliable and does the job.

[catsinthewelder]

 

Hmm can't see it myself

[Pete-M]

Needs the wobble

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I always thought Lego Technik was a fascinating product line. Apparently, the Indians agree with me.

[Amazo]

Has anyone on this thread heard of the concept of a concept car?

 

The Land Rover DC100 concept will star at the Frankfurt motor show next month – and the dramatic design proposal could form the basis of the replacement for the iconic 4x4 Defender model.

Land Rover says the DC100 is just a pointer to future. The concept, it says, “builds upon essential elements of the Defender’s character and allows us to open the debate and inspire people to dream about Defenders of the futureâ€Â.

Gerry McGovern, director of design for Land Rover, said: “Replacing the iconic Defender is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive design world; it is a car that inspires people worldwide. The DC100 isn’t a production-ready concept, but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century.â€Â

 

From here: http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/258886/

 

Annnnd... unclench.

[John F]

I've just been a little bit sick in my mouth over this new "Defender"

[Father Ted]

To me the roof height looks wrong, certainly if its primary market is the utility sector (armed forces, farmers and so on) - I can understand changes needed to the front end as it [the current Landy] gets legislated out of existence as being too pedestrian unfriendly, but surely they can still make it look like you can get half a dozen squaddies or a sick sheep and some bales of hay in the back.

 

Now is the right time for PSA to introduce the Mk2 shape Berlingo Dangel for the farmers market in the UK I think.

[dollywobbler]

On the one hand, they do need to replace the current Defender. The 90 is so horribly cramped that I think farmers must be genetically designed to fold in ways that most humans just don't. You say "they need to be fixable with baler twine" but most farmers around here now seem to use Jap 4x4s, which are presumably more reliable (well, not always from what I've heard!) and offer much more practicality.

 

The good points about this concept are things like the separate chassis. It'll be the Disco 3 one from what I understand, which means you'll be able to pump the suspension up to play off-road. Downsides are the introduction of shit loads of electrically controlled crap to go wrong - like handbrakes. Worst invention ever.

 

Still reckon they should launch a replacement and then ship the production lines for the 'Classic' Defender to India. It's the only way to make such a labour-intensive vehicle to produce. Lob in a remanufactured Tdi or something and bingo - nice simple tool still in production.

 

The biggest problem this new Defender faces is that it'll look shite covered in dents, rather than brilliant.

[overheadvalve]

The pics in the first post are: New Land Rover Defender for 2015, DC100 Concept So what if recent L/R concepts have looked a little too close to the real thing? If it looks exactly like the pics its's a big step forward!

If it is the opinion of some posters on here basically crap, what would they suggest?

Please remember it's almost 2012. A new Landrover is not introduced every 4 years like an updated E Class.

Don't forget that the new Land rover must be a step forward (and then some) to be better than the oposition, it must be able to compete in all morkets where it is sold. Land Rover must be able to make money on the product.

How many people on here would actually buy a new Land Rover, the current shape one?

How many have actually lived with one and compared it to a Mitsubish or a Toyota?

Land Rover were probably the king of the market in the 60's and early 70's but then along came the utter reliable Toyota Land Cruiser, the Mitsubiishi something and the Nissan Patrol not to mention anything from Subaru Diahatsu......

Whatever they do, i hope it works.

At least they are making an effort to compete instead of flogging a dead horse....Hmmm where have i heard that before.....

Jobs Jobs jobs......

[John F]

Compete with what? The MINI?

 

This thing is not a utility / light goods vehicle, it's a "lifestyle" vehicle.

[Albert Ross]

So basically, local councils who need utility vehicles will have no choice but to buy foreign. Land Rover has become a "brand" just like BINI. Sure, lifestyle vehicle have their place, but the Freeloader is there for that. The Defender should be a simple to maitnain utility vehicle. I can't imagine anyone buying on of these and going to Africa in it. The locals would laugh so loudly we would hear it on these shores. I drive my Land Rover daily. Slow, noisy, simple, AND USEFUL to me. Why would I want a cramped shiny box? At the moment, I have a spare engine and two gearboxes in the back. You might laugh, thinking that it's so unreliable, why would I want a spare engine? Well it's 40 years old, and parts are out there, but these bits were free. And they don't need programming to make them work. The current cylinder block is cracked... but still running. Try that in a modern.

[254575]

I really cannot see it appealing to farmers, the Armed Forces, off-roaders, etc. in the way that the current model does.

 

I was under the impression that the armed forces wiped their hands of them when they started using transit engines. not robust enough, to many electronics so was a liability in the field

[Pete-M]

Compete with what? The MINI?

 

This thing is not a utility / light goods vehicle, it's a "lifestyle" vehicle.

 

So to be a 'utility' vehicle it can't be good looking? Dammit.

[Albert Ross]

No, it has to be practical. Not about the looks, it's about usability. Would you lob 1/2 a ton of gravel in the back of that? I'd lob it OVER it to improve the facade a little.

[dollywobbler]

Albert - surely you wouldn't buy a CURRENT Defender? That makes any complaints about a replacement much weaker. Land Rover are hardly likely (or indeed actually able) to build a vehicle that matches the abilities of a car they built 40 years ago. Even if they did, I can't see any Autoshiter stumping up the £30,000 they'd probably want for one. The only vehicle that has so far managed this is arguably the VW Type 2 now being sold over here in brand new form, and that only proves that some people have more money than sense!