The Range Rover Evoque has been stealing the show for the past year or so, but come 2013, the new Landrover Range Rover will be back in the saddle showing off its svelte aluminum body while still maintaining its offroad capabilities.
Our spy photographers caught the new Range Rover during hot weather testing in Southern Europe. These images show small changes to the exterior of the SUV, such as the slightly modified front end and the smaller rear window. It’s clear that, so far, LandRover has chosen to sharpen the design of the Range Rover as opposed to completely redefining it. The most attention has been paid to the materials used to construct the vehicle. There are rumors stating that Landrover will be adopting a new platform from the RangeRover, quite possibly using a modified Jaguar XJ platform that has been tweaked to maintain the Range Rover’s off-road performance. The perfecting of this platform is vital to Landrover’s lineup since the upcoming Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover Sport will also be utilizing it. The new Range Rover will also be a lot lighter than its predecessor thanks to the use of more aluminum on the vehicle’s chassis and body. The lighter makeup of the 2013 Landrover Range Rover will also benefit the vehicle with an improvement of fuel consumption.
UPDATE 08/16/2011: Some guy’s lame attempt to cover up the future Range Rover made from some hilarious spy shots! Check them out in the gallery provided and keep an eye out for those full LED headlight displayed for all to see. Also, stay tuned for more images of the 2013 LandRover RangeRover as it takes its laps around the Nurburgring for its hi-speed testing!
UPDATE 08/17/2011: It’s hi-speed testing time and our spy photographers were there to capture the action. Check out the new images of the future Range Rover as it takes its turn at the Nurburgring!
UPDATE 01/30/2012: The upcoming Land Rover Range Rover has been caught testing again, this time during winter conditions. Also, for the first time we have some spy shots of the interior. Enjoy!
More on the 2013 Landrover Range Rover after the jump.
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This week’s episode of Top Gear USA brought us back to the one segment format. The trio of Adam Ferrara, Tanner Foust, and Ruttledge Wood had the challenge of proving which was the toughest off-roader in America by subjecting three of the best 4x4 vehicles to a series of tests.
Adam opted for a 1994 Ford Bronco with a 351 HP V8 and Ruttledge chose a 1989 Chevrolet K5 Blazer with a 350 HP V8. Tanner was the only one with an inline six in his 1983 Jeep Renegade. All three of them were dropped off in the middle of the Mojave Desert to sweat it out for 400 miles as they cruised to Vegas, dealing with the 134 degree weather. By the way, Tanner’s Jeep had no air conditioning. Yikes!
The whole point of this challenge was to find the best 4x4, so to put the vehicles through the test and put the guys through hell, the first 350 miles of the trip had to be made without their tires ever touching asphalt. What happens after this was made known is entirely predictable and grueling.
Hit the jump for details on Top Gear USA: Season 2 Episode 4.
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You know those build-your-own kit cars that all of us loved when we were kids? How would you feel if we told you that you could relive those old memories on a real vehicle that’s the definite personification of a bad-ass ride?
We first saw Local Motors’ Rally Fighter at SEMA a few years ago where it predictably caught the attention of many a heads while flaunting its awesomeness during the event in Las Vegas. Since then, the Rally Fighter has become one of the most unique car purchases you can ever have, complete with the opportunity to help build the car from the ground up.
The futuristic off-roader is a self proclaimed "premium, authentic off-road experience, custom designed and built for the deserts of the American Southwest." Even better than that is the fact that this machine is completely street legal and is actually 50-state-emissions compliant.
Don’t mistake it for a bare-as-bones niche vehicle that is catered only to a specific market. The Rally Fighter is an all-purpose ride that commands serious attention from just about all walks of life.
Speaking for ourselves, we’d certainly want to have one to call our own someday.
Find out more on the Rally Fighter after the jump.
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The boys from Top Gear USA were back this week and they are starting to pick up a little bit of speed in terms of entertainment value. The discussions still tend to be a little too rehearsed, but we didn’t want to turn off the television as soon as they started talking. Well, except for when Adam opened his mouth, but we’re used to that.
The main focus this week was trying to figure out which truck was the best in America. After spending the entire first episode trying to convince us all that pick-up trucks could be convinced by two-door models, this was a welcome change. Other segments included battling it out between the Local Motors’ Rally Fighter and an airboat, and a trip around the Top Gear test track with actor/comedian Bill Engvall.
Hit the jump to check out the full details on Top Gear USA: Season 2 Episode 3.
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With 24 years of history, the Jeep Wrangler has become one of the most successful models in the Jeep line-up. Currently in its third generation (JK starting 2007), the Wrangler is about to receive one of the most important updates for the 2012 model year.
Up until now, the Wrangler was powered by a 3.8-liter V-6 engine that delivered a total of 202 HP and 237 ft-lb of torque. This engine wasn’t bad, but it lacked the power needed for the Wrangler to really flex its muscles during those off-road activities. In 2012, that will all change as the boring V6 engine has been dropped on favor of a new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine that delivers a total of 290 HP and a peak torque of 237 lbs-ft.
The 2012 Wrangler hasn’t been announced by Jeep just yet, but a Georgia based dealer has already placed a Rubicon version on sale on eBay for a price of $35,628.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
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