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2011 Land Rover LRX to Debut at Paris Motor Show

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Production 2011 Land Rover LRX rendering Click above to enlarge

Is the world ready for a kinder, gentler Sport Utility Vehicle? Land Rover is betting on it, and the rugged British off-road brand will reportedly debut its hotly anticipated LRX at the Paris Motor Show later this year. Shortly thereafter, the production LRX will make its North American debut in LA. According to Automotive News, the LRX will go on sale in the third quarter of 2011.

We first saw the LRX Concept at the 2008 edition of the Detroit Auto Show, where it was generally well received by both the press and the showgoing public. The LRX is expected to be Land Rover's most efficient model and is likely to be offered with some sort of hybrid powertrain.

Late last year, Autocar reported that Land Rover's first hybrid drivetrain would include a 3.0-liter diesel V6 engine mated up to a 25kW electric motor. The system would be a full parallel hybrid, meaning it could operate on any combination of gasoline or electricity using its onboard lithium ion battery pack.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req'd]

The Classicist: Celebrating the Best of the Season

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Shoes, Books, Men's Style, The Classicist


As we head inexorably into winter here on the East Coast, it's time for The Classicist to take a look back, raise a glass and celebrate the best of the season. Perhaps you're looking for a last-minute gift for the holidays or just want to treat yourself once the dust settles. Here's our rundown of seasonal favorites, some we've mentioned before and others appearing for the first time. See the gallery for full pix:

1. Barbour Dunelm jacket: A slimmed down version of the classic foul weather parka style jacket in signature waxed cotton with an attached hood, utility pockets and a two way zip under a studded-front storm flap, from the classic British outerwear company. Founded in 1894 and holders of the Royal Warrant, they've opened a new chapter in classic sporting style with updated designs.

2. LINCS by David Chu cardigan: From Chu's new collection of clothing for the "gentleman adventurer", a weighty cashmere cardigan in a heathery loden weave with a leather buckle at the collar and suede trim under the placket. The epitome of Chu's classic and rugged yet elegant ethos.

3. Ralph Lauren tartan duffel: Part of Lauren's luxe new Holiday Collection, rooted in the spirit of 1930's Sun Valley, the famous Idaho ski resort frequented by socialites and celebrities. Tartan plaid wool with saddle leather trim embodies wintry sophistication.

4. Wolverine Gentry Upland boots: From the 125-year-old company's new vintage-inspired 1000 Mile Collection, finished in rough full-grain leather with loden Pendleton wool inserts and lug soles. Equally at home in the field or on the town.

5. Caesar Guerini Apex shotgun: The rich heritage of fine Italian shotgun makers meets British lines and classic style in the Apex field and sporting models, blending beauty - Oiled Turkish Circassian walnut stock and intricate engraving - with performance and lasting value.


The Classicist: Rambling in the 2010 Range Rover Sport

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, The Classicist


The Range Rover is the automotive embodiment of a distinctly upper class British sporting aesthetic, as quintessentially English and aristocratic as the country houses dotting the verdant landscape. The luxe SUV was introduced in 1970, expanding upon the utilitarian Land Rover first designed by the Wilks Brothers in 1948. The preferred country conveyance of Prince Charles and his kin, the marque continues to dominate the upper end of the SUV spectrum in the UK and abroad despite having passed out of British hands.

For 2010 the Range Rover and its rakish younger sibling, the Range Rover Sport, were treated to a makeover encompassing several significant engineering and design upgrades. We had a chance to ramble 'round the scenic byways of Vermont recently in the latter. At 375 hp, the normally aspirated Sport model has nearly the same power as the previous year's supercharged version, capable of 0 - 60 mph in 7.2 seconds (just 0.1 seconds off the pace of the outgoing supercharged unit).

The Sport's smooth, refined, responsive performance and good looks mark it as a thoroughbred in all respects. For 2010 the exterior has a somewhat cleaner, more sculpted appearance. LED headlamps combine with a new two-bar grille, front bumpers and fenders to create a more sporting, aerodynamic, low-slung stance. At the rear, new light clusters and a revised bumper design mirror the smoother front-end. The interior has been comprehensively redesigned as well, using higher quality materials and finishes.



Leather is used extensively on major surfaces, in a wider choice of colors. To create a more sporting feel, rich dark shades "sandwich" narrow sections in lighter tones, completed by a generous selection of stylish wood finishes. There are luxurious new seats front and rear, which feature a deeper, more sculpted shape. A new adaptive sport mode provides more aggressive shift points and "learns" an individual driver's style to provide more appropriate responses to throttle inputs. The supercharged model now comes with F1-style paddle shifters on the steering wheel as well.

The fascia-mounted touch-screen system houses a new hard-drive navigation system while a new portable audio interface also allows connectivity to an array of personal audio storage devices, USB sticks and iPods. A new Surround Camera System features five digital cameras which relay a near 360-degree view to the touch-screen display. You can even zoom in. And one of our favorite new features is the automatic High Beam Assist technology, which turns them on and off as needed, detecting preceding and approaching traffic. Perfect for those country roads at night.

Range Rover Sport Autobiography Edition Comes Stateside

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos


It was a long time ago, but once upon a time the Range Rover was the be-all-and-end-all when it came to luxury sport-utility vehicles. Since then, every premium automaker and its cousin has gotten into the luxo-SUV game, but the Range Rover isn't about to yield the high ground it's held for so long. Hence the Autobiography edition.

The top-of-the-line version of the avant-garde Range Rover Sport has been on sale for a few months now in overseas markets, but has made its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The package includes special touches to the interior and exterior, from the 20" wheels and roof spoiler to the two-tone leather upholstery and special wood trim. They'll only be 250 examples on offer, commanding a princely $88,545  – about $14k over the standard Range Rover Sport – but then you can hardly put a price on exclusivity.

Land Rover Confirms Small Range Rover for Production

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Green

Production Land Rover LRX rendering - Click above to enlarge

Land Rover has today confirmed what we've long expected – that the popular LRX Concept from the 2008 edition of the Detroit Auto Show is headed for production. The British-born automaker doesn't actually say the new 'ute will be called the LRX when it hits the market in 2011, but it definitely will be wearing the Range Rover moniker and will therefore likely be marketed as a premium vehicle.

No details are given about the coupelike SUV's powertrain, but Land Rover does say the new vehicle "will be the smallest, lightest and most efficient vehicle the company has ever produced." Previous reports have suggested the production LRX will share underpinnings with the LR2 (a.k.a. the Freelander) and will be offered with an optional all-wheel drive hybrid powertrain that may use an electric motor to power the rear wheels and a transverse engine underhood driving the front wheels.

Judging from the lone rendering released with this announcement, the basic shape from the LRX Concept should survive mostly intact, perhaps gaining a slightly more pronounced front fascia to go along with the production-necessary external door handles. Expect more details to filter out at the beginning of 2010, but in the meantime, click past the break for the press release.

Holland & Holland by Overfinch: The World's Most Luxurious Range Rover

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports, Men's Style


The Holland & Holland Range Rover by Overfinch, the "ultimate all purpose, all season luxury supercar" with a sporting edge billed as the most luxurious Range Rover ever made, will make its debut in the UK later this month. Limited to only 100 examples and expected to be priced at around $300,000, it will be a contender for the title of world's most expensive SUV, in competition with Spyker's Peking-to-Paris. Based on the supercharged 503 hp 2010 Range Rover, bespoke tuner Overfinch collaborated with Holland & Holland, maker of fine shotguns established in London in 1835 who hold two Royal Warrants, on the vehicle. A saddle-stitched leather interior is offset by a 32 piece, hand-carved woodwork set available in a selection of finishes. The rear console includes an integrated refrigerator, capable of chilling two full size champagne bottles, along with storage space for two flutes. The luggage compartment contains a beautiful hand-crafted bespoke gun cabinet with multiple drawers capable of holding up to eight crystal champagne flutes and whisky tumblers, as well as two cased shotguns, cartridges and all the accessories.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Damon Dash Designs a Range Rover - With Diamonds

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Celebrity Design


Rap mogul Damon Dash's luxury timepiece and jewelry brand Tiret New York has turned its hand to automotive design with its latest creation, the Tiret Sport Coupe. Just unveiled at watch expo Baselworld in Switzerland, the luxurious 2-door SUV is based on the Range Rover Sport and features real diamond accents derived from Tiret's opulent oversized, bejeweled timepieces by designer Daniel Lazar.

Available by special order at an undisclosed but undoubtedly astronomical price, the car is available with custom watch dial displays derived from Tiret's diamond timepieces, as well as an elegant central clock. A wide variety of color combinations including two-tone schemes is available inside and out in addition to Nappa leather seating and fine wood trim. Exterior modifications include wider flared arches, LED lighting, 22-inch LSE alloy wheels and a full panoramic glass sunroof.

[via JustLuxe]

Project Kahn "White Pearl" Rolls-Royce Phantom

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos


Last month my colleague Deidre Woollard wrote about the bespoke Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe from British-based Project Kahn. Now the ultra-high end customizer has come out with their version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom saloon, dubbed the White Pearl (above). Khan boss Afzal Kahn notes that no modification was needed for the Rolls' V12 powertrain, as there is "no need to even worry about the engine as it is without a doubt one of the best engines made today."

The upgrades are cosmetic, therefore, consisting of 22" Silver Mist alloy wheels with Rolls center caps and a "meticulous diamond polish" for each spoke. The luxury cruiser also gets a unique Pearl White finish, hence the name. Interior flourishes are left up to the individual purchaser's whims, via a bespoke design service, though black piano trim is de rigeur. Project Kahn also recently debuted their take on the Range Rover Vogue, finished in white as well.

Super-Yacht Inspired Range Rover Concepts

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Luxury Cars & Autos


Luxury yacht brokerage Edmiston has commissioned seven avant-garde marine designers to come up with a nautical-themed take on Land Rover's classic Range Rover. The entry shown here, by self-described "yacht design pioneer" Dickie Bannenberg, features wooden side panels and a tailgate that folds into a nautical-style wooden bench, complete with champagne holders, while the rear windshield converts into a sun visor to shade it. The winner of the design competition will be announced on Sept. 25th during the Monaco Yacht Show, one of the megayacht community's biggest annual events. Visitors to the show will be able to custom order a Range Rover in any of the seven designs, with a delivery time of three to six months and a price range of about $300,000 - $1.2 million.

[via Megayacht News]

The Classicist: Land Rover Celebrates 60 Years at the Top

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, The Classicist


2008 is the 60th anniversary of storied British SUV manufacturer Land Rover, and to mark the occasion the company has embarked on a "Choice of Experts" tour showcasing its capabilities. The other day we caught up with them at the historic Astor Courts in Rhinebeck, N.Y, designed by Stanford White as a country retreat for John Jacob Astor IV in 1902. It was the perfect setting for a brand that has come to signify rugged elegance and luxurious rusticity, and while there we got the opportunity to drive a new Range Rover Sport on a hazardous off-road course that showed style and comfort needn't sacrifice anything in the way of practical ability.

We've owned both Land Rovers and Range Rovers over the years, and though these days we don't particularly miss pulling up to the gas pump we certainly pine for them whenever the weather turns particularly nasty or we're called upon to do even the slightest bit of off-roading, so it was something of a treat. Land Rover and especially the Range Rover is the automotive embodiment of a distinctly English aesthetic - regular readers of The Classicist will recognize this as a recurring motif - as portrayed in books like Bernhard Roetzel's British Tradition. The luxe Range Rover was first introduced in 1970, expanding upon the utilitarian Land Rover first designed by the Wilks Brothers in 1948.

The Queen of England drives a Range Rover in the country, and Prince Charles is a longtime enthusiast. His 1978 Range Rover was auctioned off on eBay in 2005. While out for sport in inclement weather he is said to have simply opened a special "huntsman" sunroof, stood on the back seat and poked his Asprey shotgun out to shoot from the comfort of the cabin. We can't say we've ever tried that maneuver and we daresay it isn't the sort of thing encouraged by the company these days. In any case there was unfortunately no shooting to be had at Astor Courts, only demonstrations about cooking and decorating and so forth, but such are the depredations of the modern era.

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