RE: RR Sport vs. 'Empty Quarter': Time For Tea?
Friday 13th December 2013
Given the success of the first generation car, it won’t have surprised anyone that the new Range Rover Sport has proved rather popular. And yet despite this, Land Rover continues to spend big on the marketing and promo campaign.
RR Sport vs. 'Empty Quarter': Time For Tea?
Not content with the Pikes Peak record, Land Rover heads to the desert
Not that we’re complaining. It’s just that, after racing a Spitfire, taking a record at Pikes Peak and getting James Bond to drive it, we had been assumed the message about the Sport’s completeness had got through.
Evidently not, as now there's some ‘proper’ off-roading in a Range Rover Sport. The ‘Empty Quarter’ is an expanse of Saudi desert that has never been traversed by a production car before. Challenge accepted by Range Rover then. So after a moody, dark and intense intro, Range Rover’s pro driver sets off into the sandy abyss. As this is the Middle East, he’s driving a supercharged V8.
We can’t give everything away, but it’s probably fair to say the team faces a few challenges on their way across the Empty Quarter. If Land Rover still felt the need to promote the Sport’s off-road prowess, this certainly does it.
See here.
Discussion
(Un)interesting yarn:
My Dad got lost in the rub' al Hali way back in the 70's along with a few other blokes. The hard surface was littered with sharp stones which shredded the tyres of their Land Rover & they ended up running just on the rims. Eventually they met the point of no return and had to radio for help.
While they were awaiting the Helo / Recovery team to pick them up, they saw a lone figure approaching from afar. It turned out he was a Bedu whose 2WD Toyota pickup had bust the exhaust and needed some kind of temporary repair. Turns out he'd managed to get a Toyota, a wife and 2 kids, a goat, some rice and a load of dates considerably further into the Quarter than a fully kitted out unit of the British Armed Forces.
Dad often told me it wasn't unusual to see the odd Toyota Corolla way out in the Bondu which they'd needed 4WD and a load of kit to reach.
My Dad got lost in the rub' al Hali way back in the 70's along with a few other blokes. The hard surface was littered with sharp stones which shredded the tyres of their Land Rover & they ended up running just on the rims. Eventually they met the point of no return and had to radio for help.
While they were awaiting the Helo / Recovery team to pick them up, they saw a lone figure approaching from afar. It turned out he was a Bedu whose 2WD Toyota pickup had bust the exhaust and needed some kind of temporary repair. Turns out he'd managed to get a Toyota, a wife and 2 kids, a goat, some rice and a load of dates considerably further into the Quarter than a fully kitted out unit of the British Armed Forces.
Dad often told me it wasn't unusual to see the odd Toyota Corolla way out in the Bondu which they'd needed 4WD and a load of kit to reach.
Hmm, so if I ever want to drive for ten hours across a hot sandy desert as fast as possible I should consider a Range Rover? I suppose I'll probably remember that.
I guess it's a bit more interesting than the more usual obsession with 'ring times, but probably even less relevant to what 99% of them will actually be used for.
I guess it's a bit more interesting than the more usual obsession with 'ring times, but probably even less relevant to what 99% of them will actually be used for.
Bit of fun. Do like the noise they are getting out of this engine these days.
I'm assuming that this is more about the time it took as much as anything. But a good bit of marketing on two fronts; to show that LR still consider offroad important even though the Defender is coming to an end and that the new Sport isn't just for show.
I'm assuming that this is more about the time it took as much as anything. But a good bit of marketing on two fronts; to show that LR still consider offroad important even though the Defender is coming to an end and that the new Sport isn't just for show.
DonkeyApple said:
Bit of fun. Do like the noise they are getting out of this engine these days.
I'm assuming that this is more about the time it took as much as anything. But a good bit of marketing on two fronts; to show that LR still consider offroad important even though the Defender is coming to an end and that the new Sport isn't just for show.
I think they will have to work very hard to persuade people who need a 4x4I'm assuming that this is more about the time it took as much as anything. But a good bit of marketing on two fronts; to show that LR still consider offroad important even though the Defender is coming to an end and that the new Sport isn't just for show.
To buy them ,they had lost most of that market share in by the 1970s ,surely better to concentrate
on being a luxury brand ..
powerstroke said:
DonkeyApple said:
Bit of fun. Do like the noise they are getting out of this engine these days.
I'm assuming that this is more about the time it took as much as anything. But a good bit of marketing on two fronts; to show that LR still consider offroad important even though the Defender is coming to an end and that the new Sport isn't just for show.
I think they will have to work very hard to persuade people who need a 4x4I'm assuming that this is more about the time it took as much as anything. But a good bit of marketing on two fronts; to show that LR still consider offroad important even though the Defender is coming to an end and that the new Sport isn't just for show.
To buy them ,they had lost most of that market share in by the 1970s ,surely better to concentrate
on being a luxury brand ..
It's better to have a video like this out and about than one with Stan Colletmore spaffing over a rear window.
powerstroke said:
I think they will have to work very hard to persuade people who need a 4x4
To buy them ,they had lost most of that market share in by the 1970s ,surely better to concentrate
on being a luxury brand ..
Their USP is luxury 4x4s that can actually do the 4x4 bit. Landcruiser are a bit low rent and Japanese, Jeep are a bit low rent and American, and BM and Merc aren't off roaders (bar the G-Wagen which is bonkers but doesn't have the ride quality.) they're not selling to people who need a working 4x4 ( To buy them ,they had lost most of that market share in by the 1970s ,surely better to concentrate
on being a luxury brand ..
) but who want a luxury car that can actually walk the walk! even if they only use it in Chelsea.xspencex said:
Crossed parts of the Rub Al Khali myself in the late 90's in a Landcruiser. Also started out at Wadi ad Dawasir. Land Rover's gone all a bit melodramatic with this. . . OTT.
Some oldies!
Great insight there, thanks. You'll have to excuse me while I nip off to this thread to post some pics of a peugeot 205 casually circulating the Nordschleife.Some oldies!
"Never been crossed before" implies it is impossible or very difficult. Chances are it has never been crossed before because alternative options are way more viable and / or there is literally no point in crossing.
There must be many peaks in the Himalayas that haven't been climbed before because there is no point (unless there is something specific, novel or technical about the peak to merit climbing it).
Either that or The marketeers are lying.
There must be many peaks in the Himalayas that haven't been climbed before because there is no point (unless there is something specific, novel or technical about the peak to merit climbing it).
Either that or The marketeers are lying.
My bet is the locals frequent & traverse the area on a daily basis, in the 2wd cars with ease.
Having see this first hand in the Sahara, where our guide drove a 190 diesel Merc & never got stuck, he'd literally drive rings around us (out of jest) whenever we frequently got stuck.
Still an impressive feat & they do sound good!!
Having see this first hand in the Sahara, where our guide drove a 190 diesel Merc & never got stuck, he'd literally drive rings around us (out of jest) whenever we frequently got stuck.
Still an impressive feat & they do sound good!!
sceptical that they hammered it for 5hrs on each leg with one tank of juice ... unless a long range tank, which would be non-standard
great vid tho, and loved the sand showering off the alloy spokes ... just awesome cinematography
have to admit, the only RR and RR-S I see these days are on used forecourts, they just aren't the choice of family wagon/school run anymore in my experience, this seems to have fallen to Audi estates and the RR-E
great vid tho, and loved the sand showering off the alloy spokes ... just awesome cinematography
have to admit, the only RR and RR-S I see these days are on used forecourts, they just aren't the choice of family wagon/school run anymore in my experience, this seems to have fallen to Audi estates and the RR-E
BeefMaster9000 said:
Great insight there, thanks. You'll have to excuse me while I nip off to this thread to post some pics of a peugeot 205 casually circulating the Nordschleife.
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