Hi everyone!!!!

Here we are, I'm an automotive design student at Swansea Institute (Wales), and we've been given a brief to design a new LandRover by Andy Wheel (Chief Designer of LandRover) and I thought I would ask you, what do you expect from this brand for the future? A new kind of vehicle? A coupé? A van? Would you like to see some kind of organic shapes? A round roof? A sedan look? Some amphibious? More seats? A smaller 4x4? Something less "boxy"? I leave it to you and I'll wait for your answers ... Thanks a lot for your precious help!!!! Enjoy your drive!!!!


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Forward control. Bring back the 101. Just don't go all Judge Dredd on us.

Seriously, FC is great - better visibility, way more cargo room or passenger space. Not sure how to make it safe, but that isn't the designer's job anyhow.

The Brits are now building the Pinzgauer, which hasn't really ever had a redesign. The world apparently needs more vehicles that are safer around land mines and improvised munitions, seems like a v-shaped charge deflector could be grafted on to a FC vehicle and at least be better than a Hummer. Saw an article about these recently and governments were buying them for 750,000 each. But a civilian version of the same should be sellable as well.

Failing that, one of the aspects that used to make Land Rover have appeal was the customizability of the Defender series - you could get anywhere from hard top 90 station wagon to flat bed 130 with tow truck gear, on basically the same platform.

I'd also like to see designers hyping utility vehicles again. Range Rover and Discovery are nice but despite their offroad abilities they're plush pavement princesses, especially as marketed in the US. I want a cheaper, bare-bones rover, like a 90 or 110. Rubber mats instead of carpet, waterproof seats, lots of offroad cred, and cheaper. See the Toyota FJ for example. See the VW Touareg as a counter-example with possibilities - they could sell a bunch of X or utility versions of this, but instead they make it a plushmobile. Make something that appeals more to farmers and dirt bikers and less to rap stars and gucci wearing ******.

Thanks! Hope we get to see/hear about examples of waht you come up with.

 

No probs !!! I'll do my best to show you what we came up with .... Thanks

 

I need MORE reply people !!! Please !!!! Tell me what you would like to see in the future !!!! It'll be yours!! Maybe you'll find some of your ideas in the next one !!!! Thanks !!!

 

Its kind of hard to picture what a LR should look like in the future but I can try. I am one of those who happens to like the fact that LR has turned a new page on "plush" with the line-up because the reality is that no one in their right mind ( IMHO) spends $55,000 plus on a vehicle to park it and only take it out once a month to go off-roaving. For most of us regular working class folk, the LR is our daily driver and for an even fewer of us, it becomes our off-road toy once a month when we can take time off our busy work schedules to drive somewhere to go play with them. So it needs to perform first and foremost like a high priced luxury SUV while on the road since that is what it gets used for 95% of the time, yet remain not just competitive, but at the top of the food chain when it comes to off-roading, after all, it is a Land Rover, is it not?

So with that in mind, perhaps a change on factory tires is the first thing that comes to mind. Land Rover seems to be leaning towards the low profile look just a bit too much in my opinion. Those low profile size 19" and up with shallow tread tires are all but useless when used in anything besides hard packed, dry terrain. I am sure there are more than a few tire selections available out there ( I have found quite a few myself ) that would cater to quiet and confort on road while giving us a bit more sidewall and more bite on the tread.
About the body, perhaps as earlier stated, a small production of a pure off-road version would be welcome by the few hard core out there, but for me, the daily driver, a more rounded, aerodinamic look may be apealing to the future LR costumer as well as better on the gas milage arena. I think the current size is perfect for what it intends to do. Go smaller and loose inside room. Go larger and impede off- road worthiness. Just my 2 cents

 

I'd have to agree with Jantiz. I bought my Rover as a daily driver and rarely get time to take it off road. Unless you consider a curb every now and then. I'd like to see something with a mean look to it. More curves with integrated headlights, harsh angles. I want to see what it looks like without the box shape without looking like the lexus SUV. Just my 2 cents.

 

Me personally, I think the boxy design is what makes it a Rover. I like it. It seems like everything is becoming more streamlined and egg-like. I hate it.....everything looks the same. I say think inside the box. Keep it. Bring back the Defender and just update it.

Then again, I have 2 heavy brick shaped vehicles, '88 780 Bertone Volvo & '97 Disco, so I am partial to the design.

 

I drove over a median today on the way to work. Just wanted to update everyone with the progress of my time spent offroad.

 

LOL. Don't feel bad. Actually driving over a curb qualifies you as spending more trime off-roaving than 66% of LR owners . However, try and take the time to explore the capabilities of LR off road. I seriously recomend it. I am having a BLAST!!!!!

 

I might take some time Saturday to explore some trails around atlanta if I can find some. I'd like to get it offroad soon...