Land Rover design director vows to put third-party tuners out of business

Utah200

Adventurer
autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/land-rover-design-director-vows-put-third-party-tuners-out-business

Hmmm...wonder if this only applies only to urban styling or if they plan on offering options that might actually prove useful?
 

aek50

Adventurer
Wow! that has to be one of the most arrogant statements I have read in a while. We know what is best for you and don't dare think there may be a different interpretation of what this vehicle is supposed to be.

Example of typical central planning thinkers and advocates at their best. Will never succeed as impossible to have a monopoly on ideas and interests. Don't they understand that a vibrant and large enthusiast following with a variety of providers and supplier of accessories helps to promote and foster a healthy and sought after brand? Good grief.
 

DiscoDavis

Explorer
They say this but whatever they decide to put out, there will always be people wanting to get away from the design and have their own exclusive model. I just don't see Overfinch, Kahn, Twisted, Tweaked, etc going away any time soon. No matter what SVO does, a customer will always want more luxury, more lift, more rando accessories or features (not that I agree with questionable tastes), that a third party can provide. As Clarkson stated with the Disco Volante, I would love to see a resurgence in the idea of coachbuilders providing that individual touch to the cars we love.

That said, if Special Vehicles wants to start making skunk-works level stuff a la Camel Trophy, more power to them.

Besides crap like this is what made said houses start stockpiling defenders before the end of production just so they'd have stock for the near future, no matter what LR said.
 

Utah200

Adventurer
Agreed, it was an incredibly myopic, ignorant, insular remark and one that has no basis in reality beyond the current trend of designing vehicles that are harder and harder to modify into anything useful.
 

ColoDisco

Explorer
Let's see... nope! Never added a spoiler to any of my LR's. :D
Now adding 4 wheel drive equipment and protection, yes!
 

mpinco

Expedition Leader
Sounds like Gerry McGovern is butt-hurt on something. Maybe the mid-size crossover Discovery 5 rear end design? :Wow1:

If SVO is to be a viable entity they better step up to the challenge. I noticed they applied special paint to the Velar. Really? I would not have claimed that contribution as SVO.

The next-gen Defender makes or breaks McGovern's career.
 

Ray_G

Explorer
While I don't really care for the SVO statement nor a lot of Land Rover's direction I think we need to be clear that in the grand scheme we may be the outliers. The reality is Land Rover is doing more than well in terms of profits and their model lineups speak to where the profits are.

Are profits everything? No, but it is a business-and it is a business that still creates products that do well off road, and on road, for what they are. More than that they are a business that does things that other brands don't with their products-and continues to do so (anyone havea $160k laying around and want to buy a 2 door RRC from the factory?).
 

Utah200

Adventurer
While I don't really care for the SVO statement nor a lot of Land Rover's direction I think we need to be clear that in the grand scheme we may be the outliers. The reality is Land Rover is doing more than well in terms of profits and their model lineups speak to where the profits are.

Are profits everything? No, but it is a business-and it is a business that still creates products that do well off road, and on road, for what they are. More than that they are a business that does things that other brands don't with their products-and continues to do so (anyone havea $160k laying around and want to buy a 2 door RRC from the factory?).

True, but if the $2000 market correction premium the local Toyota dealership was asking for today on this TRD Pro is any indication, rigs aimed at our demographic seem to be selling rather well.

Snapseed.jpg
 

Ray_G

Explorer
True, but if the $2000 market correction premium the local Toyota dealership was asking for today on this TRD Pro is any indication, rigs aimed at our demographic seem to be selling rather well.

Valid point, though I think this drifts the convo a bit. Folks that buy Toyotas as their primary offroad/overland platform are def from the same overall demographic but a bit different (I say this having started in Tacomas and having owned three of them including one in the stable). Toyotas are fantastic...and utterly souless. To your point though, Jeep is superb in marketing to the demographic but at the end of all that...you have a jeep (just like everyone else). I have significant reservations about the overly complex nature of modern Rovers but fear that trend is pervasive...

I just don't think there is a profit margin for significant numbers of robust, simple, vehicles. The numbers of Defender sales illustrate that pretty well in comparison (not to mention the reality that the production line was not all that efficient) The idea that they could compete with Jeep or Toyota is somewhat compelling but one wonders what LR's marketing surveys illustrate.
r-
Ray
 

Utah200

Adventurer
Valid point, though I think this drifts the convo a bit. Folks that buy Toyotas as their primary offroad/overland platform are def from the same overall demographic but a bit different (I say this having started in Tacomas and having owned three of them including one in the stable). Toyotas are fantastic...and utterly souless. To your point though, Jeep is superb in marketing to the demographic but at the end of all that...you have a jeep (just like everyone else). I have significant reservations about the overly complex nature of modern Rovers but fear that trend is pervasive...

I just don't think there is a profit margin for significant numbers of robust, simple, vehicles. The numbers of Defender sales illustrate that pretty well in comparison (not to mention the reality that the production line was not all that efficient) The idea that they could compete with Jeep or Toyota is somewhat compelling but one wonders what LR's marketing surveys illustrate.
r-
Ray

No doubt. Every so often the notion creeps in that I should trade my LR4 and build out a TRD Pro with the cash they'd hand me, and every time I go look at one I just can't bring myself to do it. Like this afternoon for example. While the promise of reliability and more affordable maintenance / repair is alluring, the lack of anything visually or tactilely appealing is just too big a pill to swallow. Furthermore I had an 07 Tundra and it was one of the most lackluster rigs I've ever owned and was traded once electrical gremlins began creeping in after one too many trips to the salt flats.

The Defender languished under it's storied weight. Had LR bothered to actually reinvigorate the product at any point in the past 20 years we wouldn't have had to wait for Tata to come along and hopefully do it for them. Cautiously optimistic that they get it right this go around.
 

Eniam17

Adventurer
I think his goal was to talk up SVO more than actually make a statement about putting third parties out of business, but given his level of d**chebagness in many other interviews I've read, it doesn't surprise me that he said what he said. Also Not surprising from a guy who is heavily responsible for that blasphemous product called the "Range Rover evoque."

The "specialness" of the land over brand , at least in my community, continues to fade unfortunately. 10-15 years ago, a rover got a double take or a compliment almost everywhere . Now, the discovery sports and evoques have weaved their way into the lineup amd the soccer moms driving Range Rover sports and lr4's are as prominent or possibly more so than other premium brand vehicles such as Land Cruisers, Yukon Denali's, GL550's, etc. I used to feel like getting a jeep would make me just "like everyone else," but at this point my lr3 is no different. In fact, if I drove a newer grand Cherokee with a tasteful 2" lift and some 33" a/t's, I'd be more unique at this point (and have a great and capable vehicle and a lot of money in the bank).

The Range Rover sports at 3 years old with 40-50k miles, a 6 cylinder motor, a terrible base Sound system, 19" wheels, no low range or two speed transfer case, no tow package, no heated rear seats, selling for 55k are just not special or premium vehicles anymore. They are a dime a dozen and they are ridiculously over priced in my opinion. I don't mean to bash JLR, but for all the reasons listed above, and the direction the brand is going, my passion and dedication for the brand continues to diminish. I will likely move toward a different daily driver and own a series rover to drive off-road and stay involved in the local rover club.
 

MLu

Adventurer
It's a double-edged sword, brand-building. One the one hand, you want to make something that is really special and wanted by everyone, on the other hand you want to make money. So you take that awesome thing you have and water it down and dumb it down until you have a Range Rover Evoque that absolutely everyone buys. Then nobody wants it anymore because everyone else already has one and it's no longer special and awesome.

Anyway, I think the slightly douchy, statement linked above might be a good thing. Imagine having a Land Rover built (or modified) by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations! How awesome would that be, it's like having a camel trophy defender! Or a BMW M-something (before they made M-sport a package that basically gave you an M logo and a three-spoke steering wheel). Or... oh... wait, I've seen this before. Fast forward to the Discovery 7 SVO, complete with plastic steering guards, ruggedized door sills embossed with "SVO" and yeah ok nevermind.
 

JSBriggs

Adventurer
Im just going to leave this here.

cb40_15.jpg


-Jeff
 

low_49

Whats this button do...
Or, LR could be planning to go the way of John Deer and becoming a stringent enforcer of DCRM and micro chipping every part so that it has to be re-paired to the computer when it is replaced, requiring special factory software to pair the part and a special factory tech to come out and perform the pairing at $200 per hr. and stating in the purchase contract that when you purchase the equipment, you are merely paying for the right to use and operate the equipment and are not the "owner" of said equipment and that LR reserves the right to reposes or disable equipment that is believed to have been tampered with, ala John Deer. In this day and age, honestly wouldn't surprise me.
 

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