Last Land Rover Defender rolls off the line

The very last Land Rover Defender has rolled off the production line in Solihull.

To mark the occasion Land Rover invited more than 700 current and former Solihull employees involved in the production of Series Land Rover and Defender vehicles to celebrate the end of a remarkable run for the Defender.

Reg number H166 HUE, a nod to first Series 1 Defender from 1948 which featured the registration plate HUE 166, was celebrated as it came to the end of the line. Sixty-eight years young, the Defender was launched at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show, and was still going strong, however tighter regulations on vehicle emissions has finally caught up with the automotive icon.

Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, said: "Today we celebrate what generations of men and women have done since the outline for the Land Rover was originally drawn in the sand. The Series Land Rover, now Defender, is the origin of our legendary capability, a vehicle that makes the world a better place, often in some of the most extreme circumstances. There will always be a special place in our hearts for Defender, among all our employees, but this is not the end. We have a glorious past to champion, and a wonderful future to look forward to."

Exported all over the world, owners range from the Queen to James Bond, however the last model (H166 HUE) is destined for JLR’s Heritage Collection. The last of the current Defender vehicles includes an original part that has been used on Soft Top specifications since 1948 - the hood cleat. The vehicle will be housed in the Jaguar Land Rover Collection.

At the same time, Land Rover announced a new Heritage Restoration Programme, which will be based on the site of the existing Solihull production line. A team of experts, including some long serving Defender employees, will oversee the restoration of a number of Series Land Rovers sourced from across the globe. The first vehicles will go on sale in July 2016.

Freelander 1 becomes Land Rover Heritage vehicle

Produced from 1997 to 2006, the Land Rover Freelander 1 is now officially a Land Rover Heritage vehicle. 

A Heritage model is defined as a product that has been out of production for longer than 10 years so Freelander 1 owners will now be supported by the brand’s Heritage experts to ensure they can continue to enjoy their vehicles for many years to come.

Land Rover Heritage specialises in cars, services, parts and experiences for classic Land Rover models and the Freelander 1 becomes the brand’s eighth Heritage model, joining the Series I, II and III, Range Rover Classic and P38 Range Rover plus Discovery 1 and 2.

Over 9,000 individual Land Rover Heritage Part numbers are available for the Freelander 1, adding to the brand’s parts catalogue, which already features over 33,000 items for both Jaguar and Land Rover Heritage vehicles.

Tim Hannig, Director, Jaguar Land Rover Heritage, said: “With the addition of the Freelander 1 as a Heritage model, Land Rover is reaffirming its support and commitment to its loyal customers by providing exceptional cars, services, parts and experiences for models more than 10 years out of production. Genuine Land Rover Heritage Parts for Freelander 1 have been engineered and tested in extreme conditions. As such it gives our customers total peace-of-mind that their vehicles are maintained to the highest possible standards.”

The Freelander became Europe’s best-selling 4WD vehicle for five consecutive years after its launch in 1997 and at the time had 16 patented features including Hill Decent Control (HDC), Immediate Reduction Drive (IDR), a viscous-coupling (VCU) and an innovative ABS system designed specifically for off-road situations.

Range Rover Sport SVR tackles frozen Silverstone

Range Rover Sport SVR tackles frozen Silverstone

Range Rover Sport SVR tackles frozen Silverstone

Range Rover Sport SVR tackles frozen Silverstone

Range Rover Sport SVR tackles frozen Silverstone

Range Rover Sport SVR tackles frozen Silverstone

Range Rover Sport SVR tackles frozen Silverstone

Range Rover Sport SVR tackles frozen Silverstone

Range Rover Sport SVR tackles frozen Silverstone

Range Rover Sport SVR tackles frozen Silverstone

Land Rover has tested a Rover Sport SVR on a frozen Silverstone replica track, near the Arctic Circle.

Land Rover Ambassador and polar explorer, Ben Saunders swapped his snowshoes for winter tyres to put the Sport SVR through its paces at a unique yet familiar test track. The full-scale replica of the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit was carved in the snow on Lake Udjaur. With instruction from former rally champion, Finland's Minna Sillankorva, Saunders tackled driving on ice behind the wheel of Land Rover's performance flagship, the 550PS V8 Range Rover Sport, the most powerful Land Rover to date, which is capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds.

Ben Saunders, who has led expeditions to both the North and South Poles, said: "Obviously, I had an amazing day. It was my first time driving on ice and the most fun I've had on four-wheels. The performance of the Range Rover Sport SVR is simply breathtaking and its poise in the corners was astounding given the slippery conditions."

Features to enhance all-terrain performance, such as Land Rover's advanced Terrain Response 2 system, and permanent four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case, and a 50/50 percent torque split front-to-rear helped the polar explorer keep his Range Rover Sport SVR on track.

'Optimum traction' is further maintained with the aid of an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch in the centre differential, as well as the Torque Vectoring by Braking system which uses the SVR's brakes to constantly balance the distribution of engine torque between all four wheels during cornering. This system monitors the vehicle via the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) module as it accelerates through a corner, where sensors detect the onset of understeer.

Mike Cross, Chief Engineer Vehicle Integrity, said: "We pride ourselves on the all-terrain capability and composure of our vehicles, putting them through intensive hot and cold climate testing. The Range Rover Sport SVR is the most dynamic model we've ever produced and combining these qualities showcases the unique talents and expertise of our dedicated engineers."

New Land Rover Discovery models revealed

New Land Rover Discovery models revealed

New Land Rover Discovery models revealed

New Land Rover Discovery models revealed

New Land Rover Discovery models revealed

New Land Rover Discovery models revealed

New Land Rover Discovery models revealed

New Land Rover Discovery models revealed

New Land Rover Discovery models revealed

New Land Rover Discovery models revealed

Land Rover has unveiled two new Discovery models - the Landmark and the Graphite.

The Discovery Landmark builds on the specification of the HSE Luxury derivative with new interior and exterior features that offer customers a more 'premium and unique' look and feel. The exterior upgrade sees the addition of full length roof rails in a bright finish along with distinctive black front wing vents, grille and mirror caps which complement silver bonnet and tailgate badges. 'Landmark' badging on the side and rear further distinguish this model, while 20-inch 5-split spoke alloy wheels complete the design. The Landmark is available in a limited range of five body colours, including Zanzibar which has been exclusively reserved for the Landmark edition and is not available on any other Discovery.

The enhancements to the interior includes the addition of Windsor Leather seats and the Extended Leather Pack throughout, furnishing the dashboard, door casings and fascia. The interior is purposefully limited to three colourways - Ebony, Almond and Tan. The latter is offered for the first time in a Discovery, with Tan Windsor Leather Seats complemented by Ebony door casings and fascia and a Straight Grained Walnut veneer trim finisher. Customers can opt for either the Grand Black Lacquer or Straight Grained Walnut Wood and Leather steering wheel with two other variants fitted as standard to complement the choice of veneer.

The Discovery Graphite introduces a modern and distinctive look to the model range with 'striking finishes'. A grey Graphite finish to the wing vents and grille, which also sports a gloss black and lighter grey frame, blend with existing grey highlights appointed to the door handles and the Discovery badging to the bonnet and tailgate. Exclusive to the Graphite is the 19-inch 7-split spoke alloy wheel in a high gloss dark grey as standard.

A full 7-seater with stadium seating and over 2,500-litre stowage capacity, the Discovery can be reconfigured with its versatile interior and variable seating. Drive power and all-terrain capability comes from efficient diesel and petrol engine options when matched with fuel-stretching Stop/Start technology and the ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. The 3.0-litre SDV6 remains, delivering 256PS, 36.7mpg and a CO2 figure of 203g/km on a combined cycle.

"The appeal of the Land Rover Discovery has just got even greater. We have launched two new models - the Landmark and Graphite, which offer the customer greater on-road presence and enhanced comfort to complement the Discovery's existing versatility and capability attributes," says Finbar McFall, Jaguar Land Rover Product Marketing Director.

Available to order now, pricing for the Discovery Landmark comes in at £55,995 OTR while the Discovery Graphite costs £47,495 OTR with first deliveries in January 2016.