Defender Land Rover Will Unveil Defender Concept at 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

[donkeykong]

It definitely lost it's edge. It's less masculine,and lacks that rugged appeal. Even so Land Rovers's design is clicking with me. Wouldn't mind taking this down to the everglades to see how it fairs on that terrain.

 

[martinbo]

Bear in mind that this is a thought-provoker in the true concept car sense and only superficially representative of the far-from-finished article.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

Why not simply give it a different name?

A thought-provoking design-study it might be, but a Defender it ain't. Maybe Freestyler is more appropriate.

 

[Centurion]

I am sorry but that is a visual disaster. It has the face of sn old dog with bags under the eyes.

 

[martinbo]

Ai caramba. For so many: point = missed.

 

[Heisenberg]

Looks half decent from the side but the front is hideous. I honesty cant see the point in building a new defender full stop if this is the route they are going to take. It's not attractive enough to appeal to the urban types nor does it have the charm of the original. And traditionalist definitely wont like it either so what's' the point? They should just stick to their target market.

 

[Centurion]

All new Land Rover to help motorists overcome mountainous Kensington terrain

Car manufacturer Land Rover has revealed plans to produce an all-new version of its Defender model that it insists will help well-heeled motorists overcome the extreme mountainous terrain associated with Kensington and Chelsea.

Land Rover claim that the 4×4 vehicle will be able to “negotiate pavements and pedestrians as if they weren’t even there”.

“We wanted to produce a vehicle that is roughly the size of a rhino, costs the equivalent of a three bedroom semi-detached house in Gloucester, and is unlikely to ever be driven within 50 miles of so much as a muddy puddle,” said Land Rover’s director of design, Gerry McGovern.

“And let me assure you, the Defender fits that criteria perfectly.”

New Land Rover

Residents of Kensington and Chelsea, who are regularly forced to deal with obstacles such as the elderly and pushchairs, have revealed their excitement at the prospect of being able to negotiate such potentially treacherous inconveniences.

“Trying to contend with conditions that involve people who don’t have as much money as me can be a real pain,” said 42 year old Briony Langdon-Devere.

“To have a car whose sheer size screams ‘get the **** out of my way, you prole’ will save me the awful bother of having to do it myself.”

All new Land Rover to help motorists overcome mountainous Kensington terrain

 

[7saen]

This one needs a vertical front.. sooo badly!!

 

[HighestOfHigh]

Refreshed Land Rover DC100 Concepts

The Land Rover Defender is a tough act to follow, and Land Rover has been paying attention to critics who say the new DC100 concept is more cute-ute than off-road brute. Eager to give the DC100 a bit more testosterone, Land Rover has tweaked the recently revealed DC100 and DC100 Sport concepts in time for the upcoming 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.

According to Land Rover, the updated DC100 and DC100 Sport get “optimized off-road 20-inch wheels,” which seems like a contradiction to us, since narrow profile tires aren’t our first choice for off-road adventure. If there’s a difference in the wheels on the topless DC100 Sport, it’s subtle enough that we’re not seeing it, at least not in the press photos.

Both concepts get more aggressive off-road tires, courtesy of Cooper Tire, and the DC100 hardtop gets “expedition accessories,” including a roof rack and an intake snorkel for deep water crossing.

Although we haven’t warmed up to the DC100’s design, Land Rover is packing in some high-tech features for hard-core off-roading. Land Rover’s acclaimed Terrain Response system, which automatically adjusts power and suspension settings based on terrain, will get help from Terrain-i, a new 3D mapping system under development for the DC100.

Terrain-i will detect dangers and obstacles and suggest the best route around them. In city driving, Terrain-i will do the same thing, advising drivers of pedestrians and road hazards ahead.

Wade Aid will use sonar sensors to detect the depth of water crossings, and will automatically prepare the DC100 for a water fording by closing vents, increasing ride height, selecting a low gear and advising of the optimum speed.

Land Rover wants the DC100 to be greener, too, so it’s developing a driveline disconnect system that automatically disengages the rear axle when not needed in order to maximize fuel efficiency. Put another way, the new DC100 will be front wheel drive, until the terrain warrants a switch to four wheel drive.

Call us cynical, but a front-wheel-drive Land Rover with 20-inch wheels and low profile tires sounds like it’s designed more for Beverly Hills than for the African hills. We know it’s still years away from production, but we can’t help wondering if Land Rover has lost its way on this one.

- Refreshed Land Rover DC100 Concepts Coming To Los Angeles Auto Show

 

[ateekt]

Suzuki Samurai, that's what comes to my mind.