Land Rover Discovery (LR3) Facelift First Photos

Land Rover released a very minor facelift of the Discovery 3 (LR3 in some markets) in August this year. What is this we are spying then? It looks much more pronounced where clear changes have been made to the front and rear bumpers. New square fog lights and two rectangular exhaust pipes give fresh detailing as well, so too do the rear lights cluster that take on a clearer, almost Asian kind of look. The entire look is much more Range Rover than Disco3, especially at the front end.

New engines will feature, both petrol and diesel. Land Rover is still in the process of relocating from the house of Ford, and therefore has no immediate plans of hybrid, although Land Rover executives do state a continuing parts-sharing arrangement with the former parent.

New GM for Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover Australia today announced Christopher Lidis will be taking the helm from December 1 as the company’s new General Manager. Lidis replaces Dorian Lapthorne who transferred to the Jaguar Brand Manager’s role in China last September.

Jag’s Managing Director, David Blackhall said that Lidis represented the ideal combination of deep industry experience and maturity overlaid with the important leadership skills needed to guide the brand to the ‘niche premium’ positioning it is targeting over the next few years.

The new General Manager joined Ford Australia as a graduate trainee, filling many varied roles for the company, and was recently Ford’s Regional Manager. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Politics and an MBA from Macquarie.

 “Chris ticked every box for us – outstanding academic qualifications, high quality Ford experience and training here and abroad, strong dealer expertise, broadening experience in the credit company and most of all a proven track record in nurturing, mentoring and managing young teams,” Blackhall said.

Bell Aurens Longnose: Custom Made Land Rover with 235 to… 1,500+ Hp!

The Bell Aurens Longnose is the byproduct of two German Land Rover enthusiasts, Thomas Bell and Holger Kalvelage who got together through an online forum creating this one-of-a-kind off-roadster version of the classic Landie. Under the Bell Aurens Longnose’s never-ending bonnet lies a choice of two Rover V8 engines, a 4.6-litre with 235 Hp and a 5.0-litre delivering 280 Hp.

The German duo is also working on a V16 engine created by joining two Rover V8 engines. If the latter meets German MOT standards, it will be offered as 8.0-liter producing 420 Hp and a 10.0-liter with 700 Hp. However, the ultimate version (and probably the company’s ultimate promotional vehicle) will be powered by a 27.0-litre supercharged V12 engine, the Merlin, produced by Rolls-Royce to power an airplane, with a little over… 1,500Hp! -Continued

The basic price of a Bell Aurens Longnose with standard tail and a 4.6-liter V8 engine will be around €125,000 (plus tax). The German company will hand-build 10 cars a year with each model taking about 4 to 6 months to be delivered.

Via: WFC , Source: Bell Aurens

2009 Land Rover G4 Challenge: Past, Present and Future

The 2009 Land Rover G4 Challenge is an exciting global adventure competition with driving at its core, run in the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The program begins with a grueling series of selections and culminates in the Challenge Finals, when teams of two competitors from each of the 18 entered nations will compete for victory



Land Rover G4 Challenge: The program begins with a grueling series of selections and culminates in the Challenge Finals, when teams of two competitors from each of the 18 entered nations will compete for victory.
The Challenge Finals will take place in some of the world's most spectacular locations and will pit competing teams against each other in tests of driving skill, initiative, strategic thinking and physical fitness.

"The Land Rover G4 Challenge is the ultimate adventure," notes Gary Moyer, president Land Rover Canada. "It adds a fresh, thoroughly modern chapter to Land Rover's already storied history of adventure competitions, and importantly, a new humanitarian effort with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies."

History of the Land Rover G4 Challenge

Rooted in Land Rover's lasting heritage of adventure, the G4 Challenge is a global competition that was inaugurated in 2003, with a thrilling four-week competition that saw Belgian fighter pilot Rudi Thoelen emerge victorious from a cliff hanging finale in Moab, Utah.

The next Challenge, in 2006, went deep into rugged, remote locations in Thailand, Laos, Brazil and Bolivia, coming to an end at an altitude of over 13,000 feet with South Africa's Martin Dreyer emerging victorious.

The "G" stands for "Global", as the Challenge takes place in a variety of global locations, and the competitors represent nations from across the globe. The "4" is an abbreviation for "4x4" - one of the most important facets of the Challenge.

The 2009 Land Rover G4 Global Competition

Canadian National Selections - June 2008
For the 2009 Land Rover G4 Challenge, Land Rover Canada, in conjunction with the Quest for a Cure, will select a number of amateur athletes from around the country to compete in the Land Rover G4 Challenge/Quest for a Cure. The adventure competition, June 20-22, will serve as the Canadian national selection event for Land Rover's Global G4 Challenge, taking place at the Fairmont le Chateau Montebello in Quebec, also home of one of the world's best Land Rover Experience Driving Schools.

Participants will be selected from a pool of applicants entered online at www.landroverg4challenge.com based on athletic background and off-road driving experience. Deadline for entries is June 3, 2008.

Each team will race through the sprawling land in Montebello, competing in driving challenges and outdoor adventure activities designed to test teamwork and skills such as off-road driving, navigating, trail running, mountain biking and kayaking.

International Selections - Early 2009
The top two teams from the national competition in Montebello will advance to the international selection event in England in early 2009, where one team will be selected to represent Canada in the final challenge in Asia.

G4 Challenge Finals - Early 2009
The successful competitors will travel to spectacular remote locations in Asia where off-road driving will be mixed with sporting challenges to test the team's strength, stamina and strategic awareness. In a major competitive change to past Challenges, each country in next year's Challenge Finals will have its own national vehicle with two competitors - one male and one female - working together as a team. This will double the number of participants and will foster a much stronger national element, with competitor vehicles displaying highly visible country flags.

The nations represented in the 2009 Land Rover G4 Challenge are Australia, Austria, Belgium/Luxemburg, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway/Sweden, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the USA.

As a part of the International Federation partnership, Land Rover will donate a vehicle to the National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society associated with the winning team in the Challenge Finals.

The 2009 Challenge will follow Land Rover's brand-wide environmental program and will be fully CO2 offset, supporting specifically identified global projects through Land Rover's partner Climate Care. This program, coupled with considerate competition design, will ensure the event has neutral environmental impact while leaving a positive humanitarian legacy with International Federation projects around the world.

Land Rover Canada is part of Jaguar Land Rover with headquarters in Bramalea, Ontario. Land Rover established operations in Canada in 1991and now imports and distributes Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, LR3 and LR2 vehicles manufactured by Land Rover in Solihull, England. Land Rover's worldwide operations are wholly owned by Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan. For information about the Land Rover retailer nearest you log on to LandRover.com/ca.

Vehicle specifications and features are subject to change.

Source: Ford Motor Company