Monday 5th January 2004

Range Stormer

Muscular Range Rover takes shape

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Land Rover makes history today at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, by unveiling its first ever concept show car, the Range Stormer.

The Range Stormer is a hard man's Range Rover or, in marketing speak - a high performance, sports tourer SUV concept car, which showcases a future design direction for Land Rover. It also previews a new production model that will enter a fresh market segment for the company and will be an additional model line in the Land Rover portfolio.

Commenting on the new concept, Land Rover's managing director Matthew Taylor, said: "The supercharged V8 Range Stormer gives a taste of our forthcoming new entrant in the booming high performance SUV segment. The production vehicle that follows will share many of its styling and technical innovations. It is very much conceived to be an on-road, performance machine, as well as class-leading off-road like all Land Rovers. "

Geoff Upex, design director at Land Rover, added: "The challenge was to translate fundamental Land Rover design values into a concept for a high performance machine that looks powerful, muscular and edgy. We certainly want to challenge established views of our vehicles, but the Range Stormer is still clearly an authentic Land Rover. "

Future technologies previewed with the concept include an all-new platform that will be the basis for future full-size Land Rover models. This advanced, integrated platform, unique to Land Rover, will provide the underpinnings for the production vehicle inspired by the Range Stormer.

Another major innovation showcased is Terrain Response. This smart and simple-to-use new Land Rover technology delivers the best possible on- and off-road composure and control by optimising the entire vehicle set-up, including suspension, powertrain, throttle response and traction control.

The driver simply selects the appropriate Terrain Response setting from the six available and the vehicle does the rest, using technology that offers a choice of settings from 'dynamic' for high speed work to 'deep ruts' for extreme off-roading.

Matthew Taylor concluded: "You'll be seeing an increasing amount of innovative technology in future Land Rovers. But technology that makes the driver's task simpler not more complicated, such as Terrain Response ."

Further information on the Range Stormer is available at www.rangestormer.com .

[Plotloss]

I simply must have one...

What on earth are Overfinch going to make of this?

[tuffer]

uuuuuuuummmmmm TONKA TOY !

[PetrolTed]

It's brilliant. Very derivative of the Range Rover but still one of the few designs in recent years that I've really liked.

[tuffer]

Imagine seeing that in your rear view....."OUT THE WAY, COMING THROUGH"

[Marki]

I like it but what kind of output will it have to have bearing in mind the next generation Mercedes ML is likly to have the 500bhp V8

[tuffer]

700bhp....













No make that 800bhp
















Oooohh no wait a minute, what about that VW W12, I will take 1000bhp and a slush box!!

[cotty]

Looking at that I cant believe it will ever go off road, which means it will end up being another tank that you wont be ablt to see round at junctions, wont be able to see past, gererally get in the way.

Looks like school run mum will have a new plaything and god help anyone who gets in the way.

[Marki]

cotty said:

Looking at that I cant believe it will ever go off road, which means it will end up being another tank that you wont be ablt to see round at junctions, wont be able to see past, gererally get in the way. Looks like school run mum will have a new plaything and god help anyone who gets in the way.

Great ,,,,, looking foward to that

[PetrolTed]

Read somewhere else that it will use the supercharged Jaguar V8. So I guess we're looking at 400bhp in current form.

[liszt]

cotty said:

Looking at that I cant believe it will ever go off road, which means it will end up being another tank that you wont be ablt to see round at junctions, wont be able to see past, gererally get in the way. Looks like school run mum will have a new plaything and god help anyone who gets in the way.

Reading the article it mentions that it will be the frist model to use the new common platform. That should mean it has good offroading ability. Let somebody else pay for the depreciation then rebuild it and "Lets go offroading"

[silverback mike]

It uses the 4.2 supercharged Jag V8.
I think it is fantastic, and the only thing in the last 5 yrs to make me say "Must have one"

[Graham.J]

As I said on the other thread, the thing you can always count on from Land Rover is that it'll be tested beyond belief not only at their test track in Gaydon but at their test track at Eastnor as well so you know it'll be good off road.

Really looking forward to the final release of it, shame I can't say the same thing for the new Defender

[yum]

looks strangely like the old short wheelbase audi quattro on steroids - fantastic.

[chris.mapey]

silverback mike said:

It uses the 4.2 supercharged Jag V8. I think it is fantastic, and the only thing in the last 5 yrs to make me say "Must have one"

Ditto. I want one. NOW!

Chris

[Marki]

yum said:

looks strangely like the old short wheelbase audi quattro on steroids - fantastic.

Absolutly right ,,,,, now why did i not see that on my own

[JSG]

It's never actually going to be built. It's designed to show the ideas that Landrover have but will not make it into production.

[cotty]

liszt said:

Reading the article it mentions that it will be the first model to use the new common platform. That should mean it has good offroading ability. Let somebody else pay for the depreciation then rebuild it and "Lets go offroading"

But with the tyres is has in the pictures it does not look like it is aimed at the green laneing brigade

[Digga]

PetrolTed said:

Read somewhere else that it will use the supercharged Jaguar V8. So I guess we're looking at 400bhp in current form.

It's supposed to be available with the following engines: 3.0 V6 petrol, 4.0 V8 diesel & 4.2 V8 Supercharged petrol. I think both petrols will, as you say, be the Jag engines.

Only one thing I can say about it really; ORDERED!

Anyone else wanting one this side of 2006 (the official launch date is currently May 2005) need to get their green wellies on and visit their local friendly Land Rover dealer today!

[Graham.J]

It is a shame that that EXACT vehicle won't be coming into production but a variation of it will at some point so it'll be very interesting to see what the final product will look like.

Click here to download a short video of the car.

>> Edited by Graham.J on Tuesday 6th January 13:50

[Stig]

It looks like a 400SE (with bigger wheels)