Well, i met a Land Rover Tech today (works at the factory in Brum) the L405 is going to look more like the sport in its roof line etc as its built on the sport platform! Will be made on the same build line as the sport and LR4... The new FF will have Evoque style lights front and rear and look like a conservatively facelifted 322/Sport hybrid!
There is no plan for a new Sport this side of 2014 and no replacement due for the LR4 as the LR3/4 was not expected to sell as well... Strange!
Craig
That can't be right, it's a red herring I think. The new FF is meant to be built on an all new weight saving aluminium monocoque platform. There won't be much weight saving if it uses the RRS/D4 platform. More likely the other way round - the new RRS and Disco will be built on a modified version of this new FF platform.
No replacement for the D4? Doubt it.
Discovery 4 SE Baltic Blue
Previously D3 SE, D2 Td5
Well, i met a Land Rover Tech today (works at the factory in Brum) the L405 is going to look more like the sport in its roof line etc as its built on the sport platform! Will be made on the same build line as the sport and LR4... The new FF will have Evoque style lights front and rear and look like a conservatively facelifted 322/Sport hybrid!
There is no plan for a new Sport this side of 2014 and no replacement due for the LR4 as the LR3/4 was not expected to sell as well... Strange!
Craig
That can't be right, it's a red herring I think. The new FF is meant to be built on an all new weight saving aluminium monocoque platform. There won't be much weight saving if it uses the RRS/D4 platform. More likely the other way round - the new RRS and Disco will be built on a modified version of this new FF platform.
No replacement for the D4? Doubt it.
Aluminium monocoque on a ladder platform... Weight saving... And no, no plans for a replacement LR4 yet!
Dont shoot the messenger! Im just trying to help!!! Shall not bother next time!
Dont shoot the messenger! Im just trying to help!!! Shall not bother next time!
Craig
Sorry Craig, I wasn't attacking you, and didn't mean for it to sound that way... I was just surprised at the misinformation the LR tech gave you. I really doubt he knew what he was talking about.
No hard feelings mate.
Discovery 4 SE Baltic Blue
Previously D3 SE, D2 Td5
Dont shoot the messenger! Im just trying to help!!! Shall not bother next time!
Craig
Sorry Craig, I wasn't attacking you, and didn't mean for it to sound that way... I was just surprised at the misinformation the LR tech gave you. I really doubt he knew what he was talking about.
No hard feelings mate.
Well, he's the brother of a contact i have dealt with on a business level for many years now... Never met him before and he was introduced as one of the higher ranking techs in the factory with 20yrs+ experience...
He is part of the team making the changes to the Sport LR4 line to accept the new FF...
And finally he had a Land Rover laptop/workpad type of device with a number of pictures of the New RR 405 on so... No, i dont doubt his word for a second actually...
"The main difference between the outgoing L322 and the new L405 is the all-new modular aluminium platform, which will also underpin the next Discovery, which will drastically reduce the current car’s portly 2.7-tonne kerbweight. The word on the street is that the new Rangie is a much more car-like driving experience – a deliberate ploy from a company that’s trying to take an increasing share of the luxury car market."
"The main difference between the outgoing L322 and the new L405 is the all-new modular aluminium platform, which will also underpin the next Discovery, which will drastically reduce the current car’s portly 2.7-tonne kerbweight. The word on the street is that the new Rangie is a much more car-like driving experience – a deliberate ploy from a company that’s trying to take an increasing share of the luxury car market."
The split tailgate setup can be clearly seen on the shot of the rear. There definitely appears to be some sort of cosmetic vertical "fins" on the front door.
The car seems to have quad exhaust pipes.
Discovery 4 SE Baltic Blue
Previously D3 SE, D2 Td5
I got to say I think it is looking good, sure there is a styling nod in the direction of the Sport and Evoque, and why not as they are both more modern but overall it still looks more like a FF than anything else.
One could note that the L322 looks different to the P38 both inside and out, which it does - but that isn't a bad thing is it?
The problem is not only is it less distinctive, it's less dignified.
The profile (sloping front, shallower tapering glasshouse, rising shoulder-line, sloping back window, prominent rear spoiler, smooth bumpers) could be a Q7 or anything.
Replacing a design as good as the existing one was always going to be difficult, but the L322 had an elegant simplicity to it when launched - this doesn't, even ignoring the Evoque-lite front end, lights, lines in the doors etc.
Oh dear, I am quite liking those last photo's I think it looks a whole lot better than anything we've been lead to belive it would look like in those movk ups over the last year.
I was a bit dubious from the 1st picture 'cause it does look a bit wedge shaped, but that maybe 'cause it's braking at the time of the photo ? The side shots look quite pleasing to my eyes.
The tailgate looks like it might have a 3 way split ! Probably not, but that could be good if the top opens as normal, then the bottom splits normally at the top of the number plate, but could also fold back on itself from the bottom of the numberplate. Certainly make life easy for reaching into the boot as well as being able to sit on it for a picnic.
What's going to be interesting is to see how the new sport is modelled against this - will it be almost the same & even closer than now ? Or will that get a whole new styling as well, so it'll be sort of like that but lower & bigger arches as they sort of are now to the FF ??
Discovery 4 SE Baltic Blue
I think it looks a whole lot better than anything we've been lead to belive it would look like in those movk ups over the last year.
