Land Rovers have run Jaguar’s rorty AJ V8 engine since Ford got tired of sourcing engines from BMW. CAR magazine has dug up information on some mules running around in Finland with a new 4997cc engine underhood. Their photographers also caught the vehicles while they hung out in a parking lot full of tantalizing 2 and 7 series Volvos. While the AJ is a great motor, it’s well into its design life. Range Rover’s new engine is being developed with Bosch, and sports direct fuel injection to boost efficiency while keeping power up and emissions down. Output is rumored at 350 horsepower in naturally aspirated form and 460 ponies come to the party when a supercharger pressurizes the intake. The new engine will wind up in the engine compartment of Land Rovers, Range Rovers, and Jaguars, and will be part of a freshening of Landies and Rangies expected to drop soon.
[Source: AutoBlog]
The Range Rover has long been known as one of the best off-road vehicles on the planet, and it goes about its dirty business in class and style, if not snobbery. The current Rangey isn’t getting any younger, so to keep its top dog fresh, Land Rover is offering North Americans 500 of its new Westminster edition models. Equipped with a 400-horsepower supercharged V8, the usual interior appointments, and ten-spoke 20″ rims, the Westminster has the niceties its prospective buyers are looking for. Real wood is prevalent, as Land Rover incorporates a 14-piece lined oak extended wood veneer and a lined oak anthracite gear shift knob. The wood trim is further accentuated by special edition “java black” leather seats with tan inserts and tipping.
Of course, all the luxury and exclusivity that accompanies the Westminster comes at a price so steep you practically need another Land Rover to carry the cash you need to pay for it. If you’ve got $105,600 burning a hole in your pocket and an off-roading fantasy that will likely never be fulfilled, the Range Rover Westminster is in your price range. Unfortunately, we seem to be a little short on both funds and 60 degree grades here in the Detroit-area suburbs.
[Source: AutoBlog]
German tuner Arden is best known for giving Jaguars sharper claws, but it occasionally takes on Range Rovers, as well. They recently released their AR7 package that includes an understated body kit, larger wheels and tires, new interior appointments and, of course, a boost in power that comes from an increase in displacement of the supercharged V8 to 4.5-liters. The result is 480 horsepower and 422 lb-ft torque with a 0-62 mph time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 149 mph. The OEM-look body kit includes a wider front fascia with a stainless steel grille that fits nicely with the upper grille, as well as wider wheel arches, side skirts, and a rear fascia. The three-piece forged wheels come in either 22″ or 23″ sizes, and larger brakes with 6-piston calipers up front and 4-pistons on the rear. Finally, the customers have a variety of choices with upgrading the interior, including leather and alcantara seats in any color as well as chrome, carbon fiber, or aluminum accents. Check out the full details in the press release after the jump.
[Source: AutoBlog]
The upcoming Alfa Romeo 169 flagship sedan is slated to be based on a modified platform from sister-company Maserati, but a potential tie-in with Jaguar could provide an interesting alternative.
A report from British magazine Autocar recalls that Alfa’s parent company Fiat initially expressed interest in acquiring Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford, but decided to pass in favor of focusing on the rejuvenation of its own divisions instead. However, Indian automaker Tata, which is tipped to have placed the winning bid for the English marques, shares close relations with the Fiat Group. The Italian auto giant advised Tata on its acquisition bid, and the partnership could stand to benefit the Alfa Romeo division.
Borrowing a platform and powertrain from Jaguar could, according to Fiat chief Sergio Marchionne, lead to a “stunning” rear-drive Alfa 169, while optimizing the cost to benefit ratio for the Italian automaker. As Autocar points out, Land Rover’s existing American dealership could also prove an irresistible asset for Alfa Romeo’s imminent return to the US market.
[Source: AutoBlog]
According to numerous published reports today, Ford is expected to announce within days that India’s Tata Motors will be the preferred bidder for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. Assuming this happens, look for Tata to pay Ford up to $2 billion USD for the pair of iconic British marques. As has already been reported here and elsewhere, the British labor unions have come out in support of the Tata bid, and the Indian company also has Fiat lined up to help show it the ropes when it comes to managing major European brands. Tata has also stated that the three British factories used to produce Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles will be retained. We’ll keep tabs on the developments, since it now sounds like some sort of announcement is imminent.
[Source: AutoBlog]
In case you missed it yesterday, the Land Rover LRX is the SUV coupe concept the British marque will introduce next month in Detroit. Based on the Freelander, it’s shorter, lower, and exceptionally slick-looking. That goes for the interior, too, which uses ambient lighting to communicate what drive mode the truck’s in. Red’s for sport, green’s for off-road, and blue’s for normal. Here’s hoping that somewhere, a green light’s being lit regarding a production version as well. You can check out our original post here. The attached gallery is now stocked with all the currently available media shots as well. We’ll crawl all over the LRX and give you firsthand impressions in a few weeks when we get to see it in the metal.
[Source: AutoBlog]
