Land Rover Monthly October 2019

January 29, 2016. The day Defender production ended at Solihull. Now over three and a half years later and we know for certain that the launch of the new Defender is closer than ever. How? Well the other day I opened my curtains and a camo version of the new Defender drove past. True story. They are bloody everywhere. The Duke of Richmond recently drove one up Goodwood Hill to officially open the Festival of Speed. Conservationists in Kenya were spotted using one in the Borana Conservancy. And most of you would’ve seen the recent footage of the Red Cross using one to blast up and down the dunes of Dubai (according to reports no dunes were harmed in the process). Then if you believe everything you see and read…

WITH the new Defender not far off from its world premiere (register your interest at landrover.com/defender/index.html) stories of its prototypes being tested all over the world are rife. The latest one to emerge in the press is of it being put through its paces under the watchful eye of all-terrain experts from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The prototype vehicle visited the IFRC global fleet base in Dubai where it tackled the region’s rolling dunes and shrugged off steep ascents, demanding side slopes and blind crests. With temperatures in excess of 40 degrees, the iconic hairpins of the Jebel Jais highway were the next destination, as the Defender demonstrated its on-road comfort and agile handling, scaling altitudes of nearly 2000 metres to scale the…

ON September 29 the infamous Billing Lakeside Off-road Course in Northamptionshire will be hosting a Driving Day exclusively for women. A brand-new event for 2019 and LRM, it will run from 9.30 am to 1 pm and guests will get to trial their Land Rovers on the less technical of the two courses at Billing, and learn what they need to do to take on all types of terrain, giving them the confidence to take their vehicles out whatever the weather. The LRM Women’s Day offers a fantastic opportunity for ladies to take their vehicles off-road in a safe environment, complete with help and advice from on-site experts – including Ro Furby who is the LRE Lead Instructor for Solihull and specially supporting the day for LRM. Ro has hosted…

LAND Rover Classic is introducing a range of upgrades for 90 and 110 Defender derivatives built between 1994 and 2016. All parts are covered by the brand’s standard aftermarket parts and accessories warranty and deliver enhanced performance and on-road agility inspired by the Defender Works V8. Calum McKechnie, Head of Land Rover Classic, said: “In 2018, Land Rover’s 70th Anniversary year, we saw unprecedented demand for the limited-edition Defender Works V8, which brought new levels of handling and performance to this iconic vehicle. Extending the range of fully engineered, tested and approved upgrades offered by Land Rover Classic underlines our commitment to supporting existing Defender owners.” Upgrades start with diamond-turned 18-inch Sawtooth alloy wheels (£2160 for a set of five, or £432 for one) which can be fitted to Defenders…

REFLECTING its ever-growing success within the Land Rover world, Exmoor Trim has opened a new state-of-the-art showroom and shop at its site in Williton, West Somerset. The launch of the new retail outlet attracted specially-invited visitors and Land Rover fans from around the world, while the ribbon to declare it officially open was cut by Lew and Rita Gostling whose son, Julian, has taken the firm from being a small single-operator business to employing more than 55 staff. Julian, chairman of Exmoor Trim, said: “Our skilled staff understand exactly what is required and ensure that all our specialist Land Rover seats and hoods are made with care and attention to detail.” Visitors to the showroom now have the chance to study the heritage that has allowed Exmoor Trim to build…

JAGUAR Land Rover is trialling an innovative recycling process which converts plastic waste into a new premium grade material that could feature on future vehicles. It’s estimated that the amount of waste plastic is predicted to exceed 12 million tonnes globally by 2050. Today, not all of this plastic can be recycled for use in automotive applications – especially in vehicle parts that are required to meet the most exacting safety and quality standards. Working in conjunction with chemical company, BASF, JLR is part of a pilot project called ChemCycling that upcycles domestic waste plastic, otherwise destined for landfill or incinerators, into a new high-quality material. The waste plastic is transformed to pyrolysis oil using a thermochemical process. This secondary raw material is then fed into BASF’s production chain as…