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Old 31st August 2011, 09:35   #1
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New Land Rover Defender, have they really goofed up?

wow. the new Land Rover Defender concept is horrible. its like a cartoon. LR execs were talking about how they were aware of the burden of history they carried. Bull. they blew it. It looks ridiculous. Thank Goodness Chrysler shows with the Wrangler that it knows how its done

New Land Rover Defender, have they really goofed up?-lr_concept.jpg

Last edited by Vid6639 : 31st August 2011 at 16:51. Reason: HArbir, kindly upload pics directly using T-bhp. See PM for details.
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Old 31st August 2011, 09:41   #2
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

This isnt the new Defender, just a design study to gauge reaction. Even so it looks really bad sort of a japanese Yeti
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Old 31st August 2011, 09:57   #3
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

When did someone bought a Defender because of the way it looks? It a vehicle with a virtue but that said family resemblance shouldn't have hurt.
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Old 31st August 2011, 10:28   #4
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

Well, there will always be two opinions here. One will be group who would want to have a complete overhaul of the Defender, a thoroughly modern Defender. And the other group who would want the Defender to carry on its traditional values, looks, pure mechanical nature.

Also, first of all there are still at-least 2-3years before we get to see anything close to the new production Defender. Though it does seem like the above pic is the new concept Defender. And looking at how less the RR Evoque differs from the LRX concept, it may as well be that the final production model will not look much different than this concept.

But, overall I kind of like this concept. And if we go by the design philosophy of LR, this will be the basic look of the Defender even in 2030. Thus LR have to keep in mind a design which will age very very well. It has a certain modernity to it. It has a Defender look too, with its door mirrors, the look of the roof,2 round headlamps, big bumper upfront, with winch and twin tow hooks. It is easily recognisable as both a Defender and a Land Rover. And it really looks like a vehicle which will have some extreme capabilities.

I would not mind it at all, if the production version looked exactly like this at all.
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Old 31st August 2011, 10:40   #5
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

I see no Defender in it. TO me it has completely lost the classic land rover defender face. it looks some monkey at the top of LR insisted that vehicle have the LR corporate face. it fails. The BMW Mini and the Jeep Wrangler keep true to the iconic "face" that they are trying to evoke. A Freelander face with cheesy semicircular headlights does not have ANYTHING about it that says "defender"

And face apart, it looks like an oversized Yeti with big wheels.

it certainly doesn't make me think that its a work horse that is immune to the passing fads and fancies of the market and styling studios.

I am sorry for the Land Rover executives. they are facing the challenging of keeping an SUV brand relevant in a time of tightening emissions and fuel consumption requirements, and they are resorting to styling and looks as THE bottomline reason to buy a land rover.

If this is to be the new Defender, all remaining affinity I have for the brand will be extinguished, and I will switch to waiting for Jeep owner FIAT to bring RHD variants of the wrangler to the Indian market.


EDIT: I think it is time for Defender fans to accept that the defender is dead. Its now only going to exist as a variant of the LR4 and all the traits and characteristics about it that we loved are going to exist only as synthetic superficial artifices that LR lays over the LR platform. A short wheel base LR4 with a chunky body on it and a defender badge is still an LR4 and not a defender.

The jeep wrangler will soon be the only vehicle of its kind. but I wouldn't be surprised if it too lasts as it is for just one more generation.

Last edited by Harbir : 31st August 2011 at 11:00.
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Old 31st August 2011, 10:57   #6
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

This looks like a bad PS job on the Skoda Yeti!!!! Hope this is not the real thing!
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Old 31st August 2011, 11:04   #7
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

Like I said, you are looking for one of those imitation E-types. Which have pretty much the same look from the outside, but has a bit of a modern engine, some modern suspension etc. to make it more compatible and tolerable in the modern world.

You are looking for an slight evolution, like what the Jeep continues to be. The present Defender too has evolved for the last 25 odd years. And you are of the opinion that it should continue to evolve for time immemorial.

But what Land Rover seem to have set out to do, is to achieve complete revolution, start from scratch kind of approach. In such cases, the design is always going to alienate a certain number of people. But it will also attract a complete new buyer, who loved the Defender's abilites, but didnt like the 80's look of it.

But over time, everybody will end up loving the new Defender, for being a thoroughly modern take on a hard-core offroader.
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Old 31st August 2011, 11:17   #8
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

Defender has not changed much in the last 60 years and even though some modernisation is always welcome, I wouldn't like it to lose its characteristic face.

To me this is #utterfail!
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Old 31st August 2011, 11:41   #9
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

Quote:
Originally Posted by julupani View Post
But what Land Rover seem to have set out to do, is to achieve complete revolution, start from scratch kind of approach..
thats fine. but it does mean that original is dead and they are going to slap a defender badge on something entirely different. I.e. they are going to ask you to love as a defender something that is not a defender

Last edited by Harbir : 31st August 2011 at 11:57.
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Old 31st August 2011, 11:48   #10
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

Hey, this Skoda Yeti Concept looks really good

Seriously, if they just change those lights and take a few more looks at the Yeti to make sure their Defender doesn't look the exact same then I think we would have a good package in the end.
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Old 31st August 2011, 11:52   #11
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

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Originally Posted by Harbir View Post
I can't imagine why I'd buy an LR4 with a different body and defender badge instead of an LR4
It's the first concept of what could be a 3-4 year long development process, but you seem to have decided everything about the car. They may have started with a modified Disco4 chassis, but we dont know what we will end up with.

This is what happens when you dont change the look of the car for quarter of a century. People start expecting that it never will, and neither is it supposed to change.

Last edited by julupani : 31st August 2011 at 11:59.
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Old 31st August 2011, 11:58   #12
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

No, its pretty certain that the next defender will be based on the LR4 platform.

Mmy love for LR has slowly been slipping away as their vehicles become increasingly too expensive to treat harshly in rough conditions and their reliability statistics sit at the bottom of the pile, in contradiction to what is expected from a vehicle meant for venturing far from civilization.

I have since my childhood in the 1980s loved the original land rover when there was only the land rover and the range rover, and landrovers were only known as 90 and 110 for their wheelbase, when land rover wasn't the brand but the vehicle we know know as Defender. Then they added others and named the Land Rover as Defender so they could use the land rover name on over vehicles. But I never loved the discovery, or the LR3 and LR4 follow ups or the Ranger Rover Sport spin off, or the freelander. But I did very much retaine a soft spot for the Real Land Rover and the Range Rover. The Range Rover had started to slip just because by now its cost has become so exhorbitant that any notion of using one in the wilderness is out of the question, and that left the Land Rover.

And now the real thing is to just become a spin off of the LR4.

Indeed, the King is dead. Long live the King!

LR is finished for me.
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Old 31st August 2011, 15:45   #13
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

this picture of the concept is indeed very sad
i thought the brits knew a thing or two about preserving their heritage.
my esteem for the LR product and marketing chaps has now evaporated on seeing this concept. this silly vehicle is no replacement for the hoary heritage that LR carries! It wont even pass muster as a decent looking chelsea tractor or maharani bagh light truck for that matter.
yes, it does look like a Yeti on mid level steroids.
sad - but I guess thats the way of all flesh.
One thing is good - if this goes to production, then theres no doubt me old pal Jeremy Clarkson will get a hold of it and rip it to bits on Top Gear. That will be worth watching just to enjoy the way he takes the mickey!
cheers!
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Old 31st August 2011, 16:20   #14
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

I kind off see potential in this version with suitable modifications. TLiked it in some ways. Though this looks like the yeti from the angle it is much larger. They do need to get a bit more modern in their looks, as over time those holding fort for it currently will give up an move on.

Yes this is possibly a bit too radical a step and a mix of the old and the new would be better.

This of course seems to be a SWB version of the defender and not the 4 door variant which would look a lot more proportioned.

Last edited by ACM : 31st August 2011 at 16:21.
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Old 31st August 2011, 16:39   #15
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Re: wow, they really goofed on the new Defender

The round headlights totally spoil the look . Plus theres way too much happening on the front grille . Three different colours and those angel eyes on the head lights take away all its charm . I love the defender with squaerish designs . The minute you put in curves and round designs it loses all its ruggedness .
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