New Defender Concept

[Pskhaat]

Having said all that, if (when) it goes into production, Land Rover will sell bucketloads of them [to] wealthy types who want the "ruffty-tuffty" image but will knowingly never use its capabilities.

My observation has been that even the most hoity-toity are no longer making those kind of vehicle purchases, even in the Westchester, Greenwich, Newport Beach, Boca Raton, Scottsdale, Naperville'ish areas. Given the gross wage changes even in the top of the classes, I'm not so sure I'd bet my business of that target market, but I guess that's why they run a vehicle business and I yet don't.

 

[overlander]

Not sure about that. Icon seems to be doing just fine at $100k plus for each unit.

If all media claims are true and the middle class is disappearing, then that means the wealthy are also growing along with the poor. Good for luxury sales.

 

[Snagger]

i have to say I'm torn, sure its not hardy and heavy like my 88 range rover. Alas I've been converted by my LR3 and have to say maybe times are changing and the Defender needs to as well. Have you've ever taken you smartphone on vacation? Don't we all drool over GPS and new map apps and software? I'm going to bet on technology being rugged enough to work in the field, I'm excited about the future even if it looks a bit silly now. Land Rover, jeep, toyota, all our beloved brands will be in our hands, if we keep using them they will keep building them.

...Though I don't think I'll forget how to use a compass or ride a horse anytime soon either.

I fly Boeings for a living, and experience has taught me one thing - don't trust electronics and keep things as simple as possible and only as complex as necessary. I really don't trust Airbus. Now, if aircraft costing tens of millions of dollars a piece have unreliable electronics, what chance for cars costing 30,000?

I also have an iPhone 3GS, and it has been trouble from day one. Friends with later models have had even more problems.

High technology applied for its own sake is a waste of materials and is just going to inconvenience the consumer at best, and risk their well being at worst. Defender needs to be kept robust and reliable, and that means simple. No gimmicks like air suspension, terrain response or bloody sonars.

 

[overlander]

No gimmicks like air suspension, terrain response or bloody sonars.

Yeah! No to the Sonar! :friday:

 

[JamesDowning]

I do agree there. Example being the new Mercedes adaptive cruise control feature is going to be a huge danger if people start relying on it.

For example:

 

[haven]

Land Rover chief designer Gerry McGovern said "[the new Defender] will be versatile, it will have real 4x4 capability, it will be a real working tool. It will be as hard as nails. It will be the real deal."

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/16/land-rover-dc100-concept-defender-la-2011/

The proof will be in the pudding, of course.

 

[AmericaOverland]

Land Rover chief designer Gerry McGovern said "[the new Defender] will be versatile, it will have real 4x4 capability, it will be a real working tool. It will be as hard as nails. It will be the real deal."

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/16/land-rover-dc100-concept-defender-la-2011/

The proof will be in the pudding, of course.

McGovern is a complete idiot. He should not be working for LR! The engineers of decades ago would be appalled at what's being done to the LR! Measuring water depths?

McGovern!!! GO APPLY FOR A JOB AT SCALED COMPOSITES! YOU DON'T BELONG AT LR! People need UTILITY vehicles, not space ships.

 

[86inch]

My observation has been that even the most hoity-toity are no longer making those kind of vehicle purchases, even in the Westchester, Greenwich, Newport Beach, Boca Raton, Scottsdale, Naperville'ish areas. Given the gross wage changes even in the top of the classes, I'm not so sure I'd bet my business of that target market, but I guess that's why they run a vehicle business and I yet don't.

That may well be the case in your location, but in the UK (and probably most of western europe) there is still plenty of cash around to those above working class.
The new Evoke is selling like the proverbial hotcake with a 6 month waiting list.
Land Rover are in record sales territory again, and its not to the down-at-heel construction or military industries!
The DC100 will be another weapon in the pursuit of middle/upper class wealth.
With some degree of luck, i hope that the current Defender production line will be relocated to India where it will be renamed and sold there and to developing nations as an ongoing concern.

 

[JamesDowning]

McGovern is a complete idiot. He should not be working for LR! The engineers of decades ago would be appalled at what's being done to the LR! Measuring water depths?

You may have missed an earlier link... in which Arthur Goddard (one of those engineers of decades ago) said the following:

I was impressed. It isn’t as crude as the vehicles I did, but we didn’t have the time or the presses they do now. We had to work with what was in the factory, which was why manufacturing and engineering worked so closely.
[parts removed]
They showed me a design drawing of the original Land Rover I was responsible for, and the one from today. They laid one on top of the other, and there was very little difference – everything correlated; the steering wheel, the wheels. It had hardly changed at all, except that everything on the current model is modern, of course.

 

[TangoBlue]

McGovern is a complete idiot. He should not be working for LR! The engineers of decades ago would be appalled at what's being done to the LR! Measuring water depths?

McGovern!!! GO APPLY FOR A JOB AT SCALED COMPOSITES! YOU DON'T BELONG AT LR! People need UTILITY vehicles, not space ships.

Now, now... let's not be too critical.

I'm sure Mr. McGovern has some very nice PowerPoint slide presentations that confirm his vision for future LR vehicles.

 

[Antichrist]

You may have missed an earlier link... in which Arthur Goddard (one of those engineers of decades ago) said the following:

I was impressed. It isn’t as crude as the vehicles I did, but we didn’t have the time or the presses they do now. We had to work with what was in the factory, which was why manufacturing and engineering worked so closely.
[parts removed]
They showed me a design drawing of the original Land Rover I was responsible for, and the one from today. They laid one on top of the other, and there was very little difference – everything correlated; the steering wheel, the wheels. It had hardly changed at all, except that everything on the current model is modern, of course.

I took that to be about the S1 next to the Defender, not the DC100. Did I mis-read it?

 

[discotdi]

Why do so many Jeep owners hang out in the Land Rover forum section and constantly ******* on the product? I own and love Land Rovers therefore I hang out in he LR section. I could care less what's going on over at Jeep, and if I did visit the Jeep forum I wouldn't spend my time running down the product. Secret love affair with LR I think.:sombrero:
Oh, and just because you used to own a LR, doesn't give you standing to *****. Leave the true disappointment to real LR owners and just enjoy your Jeep build threads.

 

[Red90]

I took that to be about the S1 next to the Defender, not the DC100. Did I mis-read it?

No, you read that correctly.

 

[Snagger]

Why do so many Jeep owners hang out in the Land Rover forum section and constantly ******* on the product? I own and love Land Rovers therefore I hang out in he LR section. I could care less what's going on over at Jeep, and if I did visit the Jeep forum I wouldn't spend my time running down the product. Secret love affair with LR I think.:sombrero:
Oh, and just because you used to own a LR, doesn't give you standing to *****. Leave the true disappointment to real LR owners and just enjoy your Jeep build threads.

It's the green eyed monster of jealousy

 

[overlander]

Why do so many Jeep owners hang out in the Land Rover forum section and constantly ******* on the product? I own and love Land Rovers therefore I hang out in he LR section. I could care less what's going on over at Jeep, and if I did visit the Jeep forum I wouldn't spend my time running down the product. Secret love affair with LR I think.:sombrero:
Oh, and just because you used to own a LR, doesn't give you standing to *****. Leave the true disappointment to real LR owners and just enjoy your Jeep build threads.

There's Jeep owners in here? I thought it was all Toyota advocates.:ylsmoke: