Land Rover Owner May 2020

NEIL WATTERSON EDITOR’S WELCOME What a month it’s been. When I was writing the welcome for the last issue, coronavirus wasn’t a concern and we were looking forward to workshop editor Martin and Kristi’s wedding, which happened just before the country shut down. There were no restrictions, life was normal – or at least as normal as life is when you own a Land Rover. But as I type this now – at my kitchen table – life is so very different. But we, as Land Rover owners, are resilient. We may be limited where we can roam – greenlaning is out of the question at the moment – but loads of us are finding time to fit in all the jobs that we had put off doing on our Land Rovers. And the…

1st prize JAMES DUNN WINS A SEALEY LONG-TYPE TYRE INFLATOR ‘The NC500 Scottish Highlands route is a beautiful and popular drive. James’s pic, near Durness, really captures the stunning scenery. Oh, and a cool Defender too.’ NEIL WATTERSON, EDITOR 2nd prize ROBERT BURGESS WINS A SEALEY AUTOMATIC BRAKE & CLUTCH BLEEDER ‘Robert’s photo of his Td5 Disco 2 at Strumble Head Lighthouse in Pembrokeshire is nicely composed, giving Disco, lighthouse and sea equal star billing.’ NEIL WATTERSON, EDITOR…

SEALEY gear in the next issue of LRO 1st PRIZE Sealey Angle Grinder 115mm 900W/230V (SG115) List Price £62.34 For stockists, to order a free catalogue or to buy online, go to sealey.co.uk 2nd PRIZE Sealey Hot Air Gun 1600W 2-speed 375°C/500°C (HS105) List Price £29.45 For a chance to see one of your pics in print, send it to wolr@LRO.com. Include a description of the vehicle, where the photo was taken, and the names of anyone in it. Send the biggest image file sizes you have. This issue, it’s well done to first-placed James Dunn, who wins a Sealey twin push-on tyre inflator. Second prize, a Sealey Automatic Brake & Clutch Bleeder, goes to Robert Burgess.…

Thirteen long years have passed by since I was here at Land Rover’s Eastnor Castle off-road proving ground in Herefordshire to test-drive a new Defender. In 2007 I got behind the wheel of what turned out to be the last major revamp of the iconic old Defender. Land Rover had fitted the 2.4-litre TDCi engine from its then owner Ford’s Transit van, along with a six-speed gearbox, a heater that actually worked and proper, forward-facing rear seats. The main reason behind the engine swap was to maintain the Defender’s compliance with increasingly stringent European emissions regulations, which also forced the move to the 2.2-litre TDCi engine five years later. Since that 2007 test-drive we’ve seen the takeover by Indian multinational company Tata, substantial investment, a proliferation of new models and an…

The new Defender’s first overseas expedition took place appropriately in Africa, where Land Rover forged its reputation for adventure. A group of five UK journalists, including me, and a BBC videographer spent three days driving through one of the most remote parts of the continent’s most deserted country. We ventured through the Kaokoland region in the far north-west of Namibia, known as the country’s ‘Wild West’. Almost all ‘roads’ are for 4x4s only. We were part of a Land-Rover-organised eight-car convoy of new Defender 110s, four D240 diesels and four P400 mild hybrid petrols. Support included two Land Rover off-road driving experts, a photographer, a medic, a mechanic and a ‘logistics’ expert responsible for food and other supplies. Jaguar Land Rover engineering boss Nick Rogers was also with us, getting his…

Land Rover has begun a year of celebration to mark the Range Rover’s golden jubilee by creating an amazing snow artwork at its cold-weather test facility in Arjeplog, close to the Arctic Circle in Sweden. The 260m-wide artwork fills the centre of the steering pad at the test track where all future Land Rover models are put through their paces during development. Land Rover’s Arjeplog facility uses a frozen lake to provide the perfect conditions for engineers to test and assess the latest models. Renowned snow artist Simon Beck created the 53,092m2 anniversary logo by walking more than 45,000 steps across the powdery surface inside the steering pad. Beck creates some 30 works of art like this every winter, usually in the Alps. He began doing this about 10 years ago, just for…