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2009 Chevrolet Captiva MOONLANDER celebrates 40 years of space exploration

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Posted on 07.20.2009 15:00 by Terence
Filed under: Chevrolet | Europe | suv | Chevrolet Captiva | special editions

chevrolet captiva moonlander celebrates 40 years of space exploration picture

It was on July 20, 1969 when the NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first stepped out of their Apollo 11 lunar capsule and onto that desolate wasteland becoming the first men on the moon, more importantly, they became the first men to drive on the crater ridden surface.

This historic anniversary of man reaching out into the galaxy fits perfectly with the special edition MOONLANDER based on the European Chevrolet Captiva prepared by the German manufacturer, fahrmitgas.de. Not only does the Rödermark based company create unique limited edition vehicles, they are also the largest LPG supplier for Chevrolet, so it is only fitting that the MOONLANDER can run on either gasoline or autogas, more commonly referred to as liquid petrolium gas; the fuel has the added benefits of a more affordable cost and lower emissions.

The first version of the MOONLANDER will be offered with a 2.4 Liter four cylinder that sends 136 HP to the front wheels while the upscale MOONLANDER 3.2 has a powerful V6 combined with an all wheel drive unit that sends the 230 HP wherever the Captiva needs it most. The exterior of the MOONLANDER is covered with a unique Universe White/Orbiter Black color scheme that is reminiscent of the original Saturn V rocket. The Captivas also feature "MANNED MISSION LUNAR VEHICLE" decals and the names of the Apollo 11 crewmembers on the silver-mirrored rear side windows.

Continued with press release after the jump.

The MOONLANDER has been given some 21st century rolling stock with a set of white multi-spoke 20 inch rims and a set of lowering springs. Whereas the original lunar rover rode on piano wire, fahrmitgas.de selected a set of high performance rubber sized 245/40 to wrap their light weight 20 inch alloys.

The interior of the limited edition MOONLANDER comes complete with a white placard verifying the vehicle’s serial number as well as an iPod to match as well as a replica space suit complete with helmet. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, fahrmitgas.de is producing only 40 MOONLANDER vehicles, and they start at 21,500 Euros.

Press release

"Drive me to the Moon..." That’s the motto under which fahrmitgas.de presents the special model MOONLANDER based on the Chevrolet Captiva on occasion of the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing on July 20, 1969.

The SUV is equipped with a dual-mode engine that runs on gasoline or autogas regardless of equipment line. The front-wheel-drive entry model of the fahrmitgas.de MOONLANDER is powered by a 2.4-liter engine with 136 hp / 100 kW. The MOONLANDER 3.2 model boasts a V6 engine with 230 hp / 169 kW and four-wheel drive.

The universe-white/orbiter-black color scheme of the ’Lunar Rover’ is reminiscent of the Apollo 11 rocket as are the "MANNED MISSION LUNAR VEHICLE" decals and the names of the Apollo 11 crew members on the silver-mirrored rear side windows. White 20-inch light-alloy wheels and a ride-height lowering round out the eye-catching looks.

The interior of all 40 vehicles in this limited-edition series features a white fahrmitgas.de MOONLANDER placard with the vehicle’s serial number and an iPod. Prices start at 21,500 Euros and include a replica of a space suit.

fahrmitgas.de has been the official supplier of Chevrolet for LPG autogas systems since 2004. But the company from Rödermark in Germany also develops individual concepts for special models. On occasion of the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing the fahrmitgas.de engineers and designers have developed the MOONLANDER based on the Chevrolet Captiva.

The dual-mode engine allows operation of the five-door vehicle with either gasoline or autogas. In autogas mode the MOONLANDER delivers fuel-cost savings of more than 50 percent, depending on national fuel prices. The clean-burning autogas also reduces CO2 emissions by some 12 percent and thus lowers emission-based vehicle taxes.

Customers can choose from two engines for the fahrmitgas.de MOONLANDER. The entry-level model is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 136 hp / 100 kW. Power is transferred to the front wheels via a five-speed automatic gearbox. The exclusive SUV is also available with a 3.2-liter V6 engine with 230 hp / 169 kW and a peak torque of 297 Nm at 3,200 rpm. This top-of-the-line model features a five-speed automatic gearbox and permanent four-wheel drive. The MOONLANDER 3.2 sprints from rest to 100 km/h in 8.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 204 km/h.

The appearance of the special model is based on the color scheme of the Apollo 11 rocket: The exterior sets itself apart from the rest with a two-tone color scheme painted universe white/orbiter black. MOONLANDER logos characterize the appearance as do the "MANNED MISSION LUNAR VEHICLE" decals with starting number 11. The silver-mirrored rear side windows carry the names of the astronauts of the first moon landing.

White-painted 8Jx20 ten-spoke wheels with black MOONLANDER emblem are also part of the standard equipment of the limited-edition MOONLANDER. The production run will end after just 40 vehicles, one for each year since the first time man landed on the moon. fahrmitgas.de selected tires in size 245/40 R 20 as the optimal solution. fahrmitgas.de sport springs that match these high-performance tires lower the ride height of the Captiva by some 35 millimeters. The lowered center of gravity further optimizes handling.

The fahrmitgas.de MOONLANDER starts at 21,500 Euros. The standard equipment includes automatic climate control, a stereo system, an iPod and a replica of a space suit complete with helmet.