New Land Rover Defender

[Ronnie]

All that pretty coachwork is not what you want for serious off-road work. Especially when it's not actually pretty at all. Give me sheet aluminium and rivets any day.

I reckon Tata are committing financial suicide with that design, and I sincerely doubt it will see production.

 

[Martyn]

I'm not too bothered that it looks like a big mini but for me I want things to be reliable and easy to repair.
Personally I would rather have a normally aspirated 2.5 litre direct injection Diesel (smilie face) Transit van engine in a landy instead of some poxy (but efficient) common rail thing that's got any form of engine management system in it.
Oh and I want a mechanical Bosch fuel pump that can handle fuels that's not always perfect and a cast iron engine, NOT a warptastic aluminium engine like the POS Lanrdrover TD5s have*
Obviously with that engine I'm not too bothered about top speed either.

Actually, sod it... I'd far rather have a Transit County 4 wheel drive van than anything Landrover has ever produced.







*I wouldn't have a TD5 given as I have a mate with one and I could forgive the fact that it takes up a huge amount of space whilst providing very little internal space if it was even close to being reliable, it isn't though. Its a nail.

You are talking out of your derrière!

I've been running my TD5 as a daily driver for nearly 5 years. It's been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. It's had one oil change, it does 100mph, 32mpg, it doesnt leak - either water or oil and it makes me smile like no other vehicle I've ever owned.

This new thing looks .... well, I think I'll hang on to my POS TD5.

 

[FlyingHaggis]

I may be in the minority here but i like the look of it but I do prefer the one that Nonsuch posted , I have a wee Citroen but do hope that one day I will be able to get a 4x4 and hopefully a landy

 

[Peter_t]

Actually, sod it... I'd far rather have a Transit County 4 wheel drive van than anything Landrover has ever produced.

you do realise that because ford never bothered to uprated the chassis so they where known to snap with the stresses of off road work! i know this because it happed to my bosses old one. the iveco daily 4x4 is the one to have



as for this new defender, im thinking how expensive those vunrable lights and bodywork look to replace.

there is rarely a need to write off a defender or series land rover because parts are cheep and are easy to repair.


i think its wrong to slate land rover as the EU are to blame for much car design these days. bull bars and bumpers are a no go. as are reliable electronic free engines.


pete

 

[demographic]

You are talking out of your derrière!

I've been running my TD5 as a daily driver for nearly 5 years. It's been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. It's had one oil change, it does 100mph, 32mpg, it doesnt leak - either water or oil and it makes me smile like no other vehicle I've ever owned.

This new thing looks .... well, I think I'll hang on to my POS TD5.

Mmmm, the one my mate has needed all sorts done to it, at pretty low mileage as well. Plus anyone I have spoken to about the TD5s has said avoid them.

Still, by the looks of it it managed to get through the ford by the Cathedral cavern at little Langdale and onto the track over to Hodge Close? Looks like the ford where a mate got his Maestro van stuck anyway.

What variety do you have cos the one I know of wouldn't get to a hundred MPH unless it was dropped off a cliff, it runs out of steam at about 80 and that's verified by a calibrated rally computer and GPS, not the rather optimistic speedo.
Not that I'm bothered about top speed mind, but it leaks water in (not just a drip when its raining hard its like a racehorse in full stream) plus the (this goes for all Landys) front window is like being a postbox and looking out through the letter hole. Oh and there's not much internal space which is why they all seem to have all the owners possessions on the roof.

Every once in a while I get the urge for a Landrover then I go in one and the urge is cured.

 

[Martyn]

Mmmm, the one my mate has needed all sorts done to it, at pretty low mileage as well. Plus anyone I have spoken to about the TD5s has said avoid them.

Still, by the looks of it it managed to get through the ford by the Cathedral cavern at little Langdale and onto the track over to Hodge Close? Looks like the ford where a mate got his Maestro van stuck anyway.

That cant possibly be it, the little Langdale ford has been closed for ages.

What variety do you have cos the one I know of wouldn't get to a hundred MPH unless it was dropped off a cliff, it runs out of steam at about 80 and that's verified by a calibrated rally computer and GPS, not the rather optimistic speedo.

It's a 54 plate County Hard Top, factory tune, mud tyres but standard size. The top speed is bang on, also verified with a GPS. It'll only do a ton with nowt in the back and only me driving mind - though in fairness I've probably got 200kg of steel bolted onto it. It doesnt leak at all - not even a little bit. I lkove it to bits. To give you an idea of the pace, I filmed this with my iphone mounted on my dash (which I use as a GPS)...

[video=youtube;iX1g9fwvPJg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX1g9fwvPJg[/video]

It's not a racing car, but it's no steam roller either.

I was testing the iphone video camera for possibly using to film lanes - works pretty good too - I was surprised.

 

[rik_uk3]

I like Land Rovers but...this is more the reality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbPERR2aybc

 

[Martyn]

I like Land Rovers but...this is more the reality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbPERR2aybc

Most Land Rovers have had very hard paper rounds. The vast majority are commercial vehicles, bought from new by companies who want them as work horses and they get hammered from day one. They get enough maintenance to keep them functional and nothing more. The 25 year old ex-works vehicles that people buy for £2 grand as toys, are worn out old pit ponies. In most cases, they are not buying a 25 year old car, they are buying a 25 year old commercial vehicle. What amazes me is that people expect them to be as loved, clean and reliable as £2 grands worth of used car and are disappointed when they realise they've bought a project. The reality ...is that if you want a properly good Land Rover, you've got to drop at least £10 grand on one to get it before it's had the life hammered out of it. You can buy good examples cheaper than that, but you either have to get lucky, or look long and hard and know what you're buying. Most dont and are unsurprisingly disappointed and then base their opinions of the marque on this experience. They are an old world philosophy though - in that they are designed to be regularly maintained, as opposed to the disposable, turnkey solutions everyone wants these days. Caveat emptor.

 

[Pandabean]

Juding by the reactions here I am not sure you will like the newly unvieled sport edition:

http://wot.motortrend.com/2011-frankfurt-land-rover-dc100-and-dc100-sport-117383.html

Interesting Tech though:

Land Rover is also showcasing new technologies such as a new terrain Response system dubbed Terrain-i that automatically adjusts without driver input. The Terrain-i utilizes Intelligent Terrain Mapping, from a headlight mounted scanner, to evaluate the route to choose the safest route. Land Rover says the technology is also beneficial in urban environments to help the driver avoid pedestrians and other automobiles. It also uses cameras mounted on the vehicles’ corners to give a 360 degree view of the environment.

Still I wonder what the MPG will be.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I have terrain responce in my jeep, small handle next to the gear stick, it switches between Tonnes of fun two wheel drive to safe a responsible four wheel drive, for the real fun stuff!

 

[spandit]

The two concepts slab sides are devoid of extraneous detailing for a from-follows-function design that “captures the inherent simplicity and confidence” of the original Defender. The DC100 is immediately recognizable as a Land Rover

On the one in the picture there's about 2 square inches of "slab side" - utter nonsense

It's "immediately recognizable as a Land Rover" largely due to the "Land Rover" written on the side.

They have the posh SUV with the Disco & Freelander, why can't they make something really basic/rugged that will appeal to people who will otherwise buy a Hilux? Fit portal axles & locking diffs and I might be interested...

 

[Martyn]

Juding by the reactions here I am not sure you will like the newly unvieled sport edition:

I really like it - that is if you forget it's supposed to be a Defender - which it absolutely is not.

[video=youtube;WIO1IXMKLCw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIO1IXMKLCw[/video]

[video=youtube;SiJMma-MOVQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiJMma-MOVQ[/video]

[video=youtube;G1UDQaAVbXY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1UDQaAVbXY[/video]

[video=youtube;TK492oW1e7c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK492oW1e7c[/video]

Tyres with spikes that automatically shoot out for ice driving - that's not a Defender, it's a Bat-Mobile.

I want one.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Reminds somehow of a taxi a Judge would use

 

[santaman2000]

I was thinking it reminds me of a more high tech version of the old Suburu Brat from the 1980s. It should have a niche but as Martyn said, "not a defender."

 

[EdS]

They have the posh SUV with the Disco & Freelander, why can't they make something really basic/rugged that will appeal to people who will otherwise buy a Hilux? Fit portal axles & locking diffs and I might be interested...

But hte work horse market is already flooded wih a number of other makes and models. Many of which also bear little in common with the basic modle form 20 -30 years ago that made their name.

 

[spandit]

Land Rover was founded on the utility vehicle, it seems a shame they're exiting this market

 

[Retired Member southey]

Land Rover was founded on the utility vehicle, it seems a shame they're exiting this market

Completely agree with you there, IF they stay close to the concept car then i guess the pull of the footballer driving a shiny range rover sport was to much for them to resist, very sad indeed,

 

[Badger74]

To me it looks like a big mini.

 

[lou1661]

personally i think they should let the Defender name die in its current incarnation, there seems to be no family lineage between this concept car and a Defender!
Its just a Land Rover utility

 

[Aristotle]

Worldwide people need the defender as a rugged, simple system that can be beaten up, abused and repaired with some bodging knowledge. It's easy upgradeable and an offroad workhorse for everything from the aforementioned Farmer through Relief Workers in stricken areas to expensive Expeditions all around the world!

Worldwide, people use Toyota Hilux and Land Cruisers or Mitsubishi pickups these days....