What is it?
2003 Land Rover Range Rover
What's special about it?
Just to make sure that it all makes sense, here's a little background. At one time, BMW thought it would be a good idea to buy Land Rover in order to give the company entry into the lucrative high-end sport-utility market. What looked like a match made in heaven eventually turned into a nightmare that BMW wishes it could forget. In order to cut its losses, the company unloaded Land Rover to Ford. During its short ownership period, however, BMW completed a significant amount of engineering work on this latest Range Rover, hence the 4.4-liter engine and very Germanic interior.
As only the third new Range Rover in 31 years, you can expect some major improvement in both ergonomics and drivability. A unibody structure replaces the more traditional body-on-frame setup of the previous model, with aluminum used throughout to reduce weight. A fully independent suspension forms the connection with the road, employing a more advanced version of the height-adjustable air suspension used on the previous model. Power comes from a 4.4-liter V8 producing 282 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque, while a five-speed Commandshift automatic transmission does the shifting. Electronic control systems include Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD).
The interior is larger and features a much more carlike design. Buyers will be able to choose from two different styles of wood trim and a wide range of colors for the seats and door panels. Optional equipment will include in-car entertainment and on- and off-road navigation.
Sales are expected to start in June with a starting price of around $70,000.
Why should you care?
Range Rovers have never really been our thing. They weren't that attractive, had fussy controls, and a lackluster drivetrain to boot. Factor in the sky-high price tag and snob factor, and we could barely fathom the thought of choosing one of these thoroughly average machines in place of the perfectly competent Lexus LX 470. This latest version, however, has a chance of earning back some respect. With a slick interior, BMW V8 and the promise of vastly improved handling, this new Range Rover could very well take its place at the top of the food chain once again. — Ed Hellwig
2003 Land Rover Range Rover
What's special about it?
Just to make sure that it all makes sense, here's a little background. At one time, BMW thought it would be a good idea to buy Land Rover in order to give the company entry into the lucrative high-end sport-utility market. What looked like a match made in heaven eventually turned into a nightmare that BMW wishes it could forget. In order to cut its losses, the company unloaded Land Rover to Ford. During its short ownership period, however, BMW completed a significant amount of engineering work on this latest Range Rover, hence the 4.4-liter engine and very Germanic interior.
As only the third new Range Rover in 31 years, you can expect some major improvement in both ergonomics and drivability. A unibody structure replaces the more traditional body-on-frame setup of the previous model, with aluminum used throughout to reduce weight. A fully independent suspension forms the connection with the road, employing a more advanced version of the height-adjustable air suspension used on the previous model. Power comes from a 4.4-liter V8 producing 282 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque, while a five-speed Commandshift automatic transmission does the shifting. Electronic control systems include Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD).
The interior is larger and features a much more carlike design. Buyers will be able to choose from two different styles of wood trim and a wide range of colors for the seats and door panels. Optional equipment will include in-car entertainment and on- and off-road navigation.
Sales are expected to start in June with a starting price of around $70,000.
Why should you care?
Range Rovers have never really been our thing. They weren't that attractive, had fussy controls, and a lackluster drivetrain to boot. Factor in the sky-high price tag and snob factor, and we could barely fathom the thought of choosing one of these thoroughly average machines in place of the perfectly competent Lexus LX 470. This latest version, however, has a chance of earning back some respect. With a slick interior, BMW V8 and the promise of vastly improved handling, this new Range Rover could very well take its place at the top of the food chain once again. — Ed Hellwig
Add A Comment »