Club News

2007 Arizona Land Rover Rally

Visit the official site to register and get more information: azlandroverrally.com

Registration Deadline - Please register no later than October 15, 2007 to ensure a spot.

Imagine you're overweight. A friend of yours tells you about a diet he got great results from. If you do the one simple thing he did, you'll lose around 1,000 pounds. You'd try it, wouldn't you? That's what's in store for the next generation Range Rover, with plans to give the Posh-UV an all-aluminum chassis.

It's had a lot of challengers, and to stay at the top, Land Rover has been rolling out consistent updates to its flagship Range Rover model. Last year it was the upgraded engines: the 305-hp 4.4-liter V8 and the supercharged 400-hp 4.2-liter V8. For this year, the Range Rover gets upgrades to the interior and to its traction systems.

Over the past half century Land Rovers have become synonymous with naturalists and peacekeepers the world over. The Land Rover factory in Solihull, England turned out the first of those famous off-road vehicles 59 years ago and yesterday, the four millionth example of the breed rolled out the plant and into the hands of the Born Free Foundation. Since these vehicles have so often been used explore and film nature, the historic model will be used to help preserve it.

With Ford selling off parts of its Premium Automotive Group (PAG) one at a time, it remains uncertain if Land Rover and Jaguar will end up under the same ownership in the future. In the meantime, Land Rover is collaborating with Jaguar on a future flagship model that will draw on Jaguar's expertise to produce a new Range Rover with a lighter-weight construction that could expand both upmarket and down.

Head's up if you're one of the 33,000 owners of 2002-2004 Range Rovers. The NHTSA has launched an investigation into those vehicles' front driveshafts and differentials. The government agency said it had received 38 owner questionnaires pertaining to the situation and 17 of those claimed the drivetrain parts had failed while traveling at 40 mph or more.

Ford isn't wasting any time or taking any chances with the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover. The Blue Oval has hired accounting firm KPMG to go over the English carmakers' books to get them in shape for sale. Specifically, KPMG is tasked with getting the automaker's financial paperwork ready for examination by potential buyers, and to give 'a clear picture of Jaguar and Land Rover's performance as businesses separate from the influence of Ford.' KMPG's duties will also include looking at the companies' pension liabilities. Through it all, Ford has still not declared outright whether it actually intends to sell the brands.

[source: autoblog.com and autonews.com]

Lot Number 1536.1: 1993 Land Rover Defender 110 White/gray/black

Here's a vehicle that sticks out like a sore thumb among the muscle cars and high profile customs at Barrett-Jackson. It's Defender 110 number 194 of only 500 made back in '93. The Defender 110s were real-deal off-roaders that could tackle just about any conditions. This particular one is just about perfect with only 13,500 original miles on the clock. Sure it has the rather antiquated and weak 3.9-liter V8 engine, but 135 hp was considered adequate at the time. OK, maybe not, but still it has enough grunt to make it through most situations you'd encounter thanks to its permanently engaged 4 wheel drive, differential lock and 5-speed manual transmission. Almost seems a novelty to see a stick in a Land Rover nowadays with the public's penchant for auto trannies.

From Brandweek/Adweek: a new marketing campaign for Land Rover that leaves a bad taste in our mouth. Ad agency Young & Rubicam Brands took the Land Rover LR3 to actual disaster areas and filmed it among the wreckage to create spots that present the SUV as a 'hero car'. The campaign's theme is called 'Created for the one,' the idea being that the Land Rover LR3 was designed to handle that one unexpected event like a snowstorm, flood or hurricane.

Land Rover's Freelander 2 has been crowned SUV of the Year by BBC Top Gear at the magazine's annual awards celebration hosted by Jeremy Clarkson. First unveiled at the British International Motor Show in London earlier this year, the Freelander 2 is on sale this month, and already, 1,500 of the new models have been sold.