Land Rover turns sixty in style with one of its most thrilling SUVs ever

When we enter our sixth decade, retirement, a bungalow in Eastbourne and plenty of time for hobbies loom large – but try telling that to Land Rover Defender SVX.

The Land Rover Defender SVX is celebrating it and the firm’s 60th birthday by refusing to grow old gracefully. In fact, the firm is hitting back at suggestions that it should pension off the Defender by revealing the most thrilling version yet!

The SVX is essentially a standard Defender 90 with some cosmetic updates. It’ll be offered as both a station wagon and the soft-top version seen here in prototype guise. This is the first time the roofless model has been sold in the UK for 20 years, and Land Rover has come up with an all-new hood that’s made from the sort of cloth you’d expect to see on a drop-top Jaguar, and stows in a solid box beneath the boot floor.

But the most obvious difference between the SVX and a regular Def­en­der is the metallic black paint. Combined with a silver rollcage, tub­ular side steps and unique five-spoke alloy wheels, it gives the 4x4 a tougher look. Arguably the best bit of the makeover is saved for the front, where there’s a restyled grille with clear light lenses.

Inside, Land Rover has given the SVX new seats in an effort to address the Defender’s perennial problem of limited elbow room. It’s a minor improvement and the one-piece Recaro chairs are certainly supportive, although taller drivers will still feel too squeezed for comfort in the utilitarian cabin.

This anniversary model also comes with Garmin sat-nav and an iPod connection, while there’s a new audio system with a subwoofer in the centre console. It’s a nice touch, but a little redundant once you’re under way, because road, wind and engine noise will drown out the sound system.

On-road, the SVX is like other new Defenders. It’s noisy compared to modern SUVs and vibrates like a car from another era. The new six-speed manual is easy to use, and other controls, particularly the clutch, require less effort than previous models – only the high/low ratio transfer box remains awkward to use. And let’s face it, if you’ve bought a Defender you’ll be using it, because this car is at its best off-road, and effortlessly covers terrain that would defeat most modern vehicles.

A £30,495 price tag ensures the SVX will appeal to a rarefied group of customers, but Land Rover shouldn’t find it difficult to sell the 300 cars
it’s planning to build.


[source:AutoExpress]

Fuel Saving Tips

If you are increasingly concerned about petrol costs after the recent price rises, ask yourself these questions next time you are driving. What is the delay time between lifting off the accelerator and applying the brake? And what gears are you using? You can improve fuel consumption and gain the environmental benefits of advanced driving by lifting off the accelerator earlier on your approach to traffic lights etc, and therefore reducing your braking at the end, because you have already lost speed.

Land Rover turns sixty in style with one of its most thrilling SUVs ever

When we enter our sixth decade, retirement, a bungalow in Eastbourne and plenty of time for hobbies loom large – but try telling that to Land Rover Defender SVX.

The Land Rover Defender SVX is celebrating it and the firm’s 60th birthday by refusing to grow old gracefully. In fact, the firm is hitting back at suggestions that it should pension off the Defender by revealing the most thrilling version yet!

The SVX is essentially a standard Defender 90 with some cosmetic updates. It’ll be offered as both a station wagon and the soft-top version seen here in prototype guise. This is the first time the roofless model has been sold in the UK for 20 years, and Land Rover has come up with an all-new hood that’s made from the sort of cloth you’d expect to see on a drop-top Jaguar, and stows in a solid box beneath the boot floor.

But the most obvious difference between the SVX and a regular Def­en­der is the metallic black paint. Combined with a silver rollcage, tub­ular side steps and unique five-spoke alloy wheels, it gives the 4x4 a tougher look. Arguably the best bit of the makeover is saved for the front, where there’s a restyled grille with clear light lenses.

Inside, Land Rover has given the SVX new seats in an effort to address the Defender’s perennial problem of limited elbow room. It’s a minor improvement and the one-piece Recaro chairs are certainly supportive, although taller drivers will still feel too squeezed for comfort in the utilitarian cabin.

This anniversary model also comes with Garmin sat-nav and an iPod connection, while there’s a new audio system with a subwoofer in the centre console. It’s a nice touch, but a little redundant once you’re under way, because road, wind and engine noise will drown out the sound system.

On-road, the SVX is like other new Defenders. It’s noisy compared to modern SUVs and vibrates like a car from another era. The new six-speed manual is easy to use, and other controls, particularly the clutch, require less effort than previous models – only the high/low ratio transfer box remains awkward to use. And let’s face it, if you’ve bought a Defender you’ll be using it, because this car is at its best off-road, and effortlessly covers terrain that would defeat most modern vehicles.

A £30,495 price tag ensures the SVX will appeal to a rarefied group of customers, but Land Rover shouldn’t find it difficult to sell the 300 cars
it’s planning to build.


[source:AutoExpress]

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Land Rover: Celebrating 60 Years and Going Strong

60 years ago today, a motoring icon made its public debut, when the original Land Rover was shown at a motor show in Amsterdam, on April 30, 1948. The current Defender is clearly descended from that first vehicle, known as a Series 1. Extraordinarily, they even share a couple of original parts, an oil filler plug and a cleat for tying down the canvas roof. But the rest of the vehicle technology has moved on considerably.

2008 Sportec SP600 Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible

(from Sportec AG Press Release) The Sky is the Limit: Sportec SP600 Convertible
Unadulterated pleasure. The smell of fine leather, accurate workmanship in each detail, an eroticising sound - and performance at its best:

The Sportec SP 600 Convertible.
Enjoyed beneath the open sky - a true revelation for any connoisseur and any aficionado of automotive perfection.

A result of interminable development work in Hoeri near Zurich. Breathtaking performance and torque values and the resulting driving performances enable the SP 600 Convertible to something greater than just open gliding.

Presently, the introduction to the Sportec Pleasure begins with the SP530 delivering 530hp and ends with the top-of-the-line model SP680 revealing 680hp. The ingredients for this exclusive high-performance and precision engine from Switzerland are, among others, special Sportec turbochargers as well as a Sportec sports exhaust system with a sound flap system and high-performance catalysts. Modifications to the suction unit and a special sports air filter with an increased airflow take care of the necessary amount of intake air required for this high-performance and precision powertrain.

In order to make sure that the power will reach the tarmac without any loss, the Sportec engineers have provided the vehicle with an additional sports clutch. The electronic system of each customer's car will be individually reprogrammed at the Sportec all-wheel test rig.

An aerodynamically optimised Sportec front spoiler, unobtrusive side skirts, the corresponding 3-part rear apron with a carbon centre part, as well as a larger carbon rear wing will complete the SP 600 Convertible - if desired - technically, but also visually. Those who still want more will have the opportunity to frame, for example, the rear-view mirror or the air intakes with shining carbon. The Sportec aluminium pedal kit and the aluminium footrest come along in a sporty fashion as well. And those who like it a little harder may lower the vehicle by another 20 mm with the Sportec suspension kit.

© Source: seriouswheels
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