So what are the 2013 regulations you guys are talking about? Regulations in building it or bringing it to the US?

 

Basically all auto companies will have to average a certain MPG for their entire fleet. In the US the average fuel economy standard will increase to 35 mpg and this has to be acheived by 2020 for both cars and trucks. The current CAFE standard is 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.5 mpg for trucks. Unfortunatly, LR has to do this by 2013 because of european laws. Im not 100% if their numbers are the same for the fuel economy standard, but its going to be close. Its a pretty in-depth thing thats going to happen in the auto industry, I dont fully understand all of it, but the MPG thing is the biggest concern among the companies. Research CAFE standards and you'll find tons of stuff on it. To me CAFE standards are just another way for government to stick their nose into business where they dont belong. Its ok to have basic standards, but they have gone to far with all the 2020 regulations IMO.

 

There should be an exemption for specialty companies like LR.

 

I say there should be an exemption for LR. Just because. :P

 

why would we need defenders here in the US? We have change we can believe in!!! Here's the sadly ironic part, even if we sacrifice our rovers and our economy it still will not make a difference world wide with the amount of pollution china and india will be producing.

 

Yes you have a VERY valid point, and its affecting the UK already and its annoying........

how ever, the U.S has been guzzling away LOTS of fuel cheaply for a LONG LONG time!!, ie emissions from cars etc........ well before india and china.

for example.......is it not true that some states in the U.S dont even require emissions testing ? (correct me if im wrong )

ALL vehicles in the UK and most of europe must pass an emmisions test EVERY year.

With ref the the pending end of the Defender, Im not sure its so much related to emissions etc as the new engine , the TDci from Ford, exceeds the current and future regulations, most of the demise of the "current" defender will be down to its construction, ie vehicle safety in a crash etc.

 

Unless something has changed, this is a non issue. It's part of the cost of doing business in the US for many companies. Mercedes and BMW pay the lion's share of these:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/Cars/rules/...D-SUMMARY.html

 

No its an issue. Cafe standards were revamped and the new regulations will go into place in 2020. I think its plently of time, but the money that will have to be spent by american auto manufacturers, who are currently struggling to even stay in business, will be insane. The list you posted doesnt include american companies. My main concern with the new standards arent with "can they do it?" because they can. But will they have enough money to do it and how much more expensive will vehicles be in 2020? Remember, the new standards mean TRUCKS have to average the same MPG as cars. Sure CAFE fines have been around for years, but the more pressure we put on the auto industry to keep up with tough standards, the more your going to have to pay to buy a new car.

(EDIT: I meant to add, thats the same reason LR is thinking about changing the defender so much, in Europe they must meet their new standards by 2013, and just like any business they dont want to be paying crazy fines so they have to find a way to bring the guzzling defender up to par.)

 

We need tougher emissions laws, and the car companies can do it they just dont want to because it would cut into profits
Add another gear to the transmission, lean out the cruising fuel ratio, require your car to run on premium fuel, add diesels to your line up.
Ford could very easily sell the Focus with a diesel, VW has the Jetta TDI and people who buy it love it.
Panzer you are correct, not every state has emissions testing, Michigan does not have it, should they? Yes. Do I want them to? No, only because I dont want to have to pay to have my cars tested, I already pay $230 per year to renew my licence plates and that is going to go up next year.
And lets not forget that not all cars and trucks have to meet that MPG standard, your FLEET average must be that.
So your car that gets 50 mpg will raise the average of your truck that gets 22 mpg.
There is absolutly no way a 1/2 ton pick up truck can get 30 mpg and the government knows this, even Chevy's hybrid Silverado can only get 24mpg city.
There are ways around meeting the standard, DexCool is one fine example.
Another is extended oil change intervals, car companies get "credits" for other ways of being enviromentaly friendly.
Most of GM's engines are still of the push rod design, simply switching to over head cams will improve MPG, a smaller engine with a turbo increses MPG too.
If we American's would just gives diesels a chance we could reduce emissions today, Panzers DII with the TD5 gets 28 mpg, our DII's with the V8 get 16 mpg, seems obvious to me what we need to do.
China and India have already stated that they will not reduce emissions unless we do it first, if we dont why should they?
America is the country that all others look up to and strive to be like, we are the big brother who is the All Star on the High School football team that dates the head cheerleader so we need to set a good example.
Farmers defeted the largest army in the world, we were the first to reach the moon, this is America, we can do anything.

 

Except buy a TD5

Oh and judging by what "I've seen" not a SINGLE act with ANY talent on Americas got talent!!!!!!