Auto Mobile U Spy: Land Rover Prototypes Snapped Running Around Death Valley

While travelling through Death Valley in Eastern California, Carscoop reader Perry D. stumbled upon a convoy of Land Rover prototypes including the compact five-door Range Rover Evoque and the full-size 2013 Range Rover luxury SUV.

We're not sure what the camo'ed up Evoque test cars with the swirly-whirly disguise were doing in Death Valley as the five-door model was unwrapped at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show and is bound to go on sale in the States in October.

However, unless they had a supporting role, one possible explanation is that Land Rover's engineers were testing the baby Range Rover with a different powertrain setup.

Things are clearer when it comes to the 2013 Range Rover, which we've spied in several occasions with the same exact camouflage while testing in Europe.

The British firm's flagship model is expected to land towards the end of 2012 or early 2013 and will be significantly lighter than the current model thanks to the aluminium chassis and an alloy body shell.

The new Range Rover will be offered with a revised engine lineup of V6 and V8 diesels, and V8 petrol units, the latter in both naturally aspirated and supercharged formats, matched to Land Rover’s 8-speed automatic transmission.

More importantly, Land Rover is said to be developing plug-in hybrid variants paired up with diesel and gasoline engines, as previewed by the Range_e concept shown earlier this year.

Along with the Land Rover models, Perry also spotted a couple of Chevrolet Volts (one of which had a "press" sticker) that don't look any different than the ones that are for sale.

Thanks go to Perry D. for the scoop!

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4X4 Topper : Land Rover Scores 54% of the Vote in MSN Cars’ Poll of Best 4x4 Brands

In a recent online poll, MSN Cars asked its readers a simple question: “Which firm makes the best '4x4' type cars?” The winner, with an astonishing 54% of the 39,663 votes is Indian British automaker Land Rover.

The brand’s winning combination of aggressive yet attractive styling, “go anywhere” off-road ability, ruggedness and comfort have made Land Rover the powerhouse brand it is today – and a deserved winner. Land Rover UK managing director Colin Green is understandably over the moon:

“We are thrilled that MSN users have voted Land Rover their favourite 4x4 brand. We know that Land Rover has some of the best brand loyalty figures in the industry and this poll is testament to that. Taking over half the votes is a great achievement and goes to prove that Land Rover really does make the world's most authentic 4x4s. Thank you to everyone who voted for us!”

Second place was snatched by Toyota (9%) and Audi took a surprising third (8%). Jeep claimed an equally surprising sixth (3%), bested by the likes of BMW (6%), Mitsubishi (5%) and Subaru (4%). Mercedes-Benz shared 7th place with Jeep while Lexus, Volkswagen and Volvo scored 2% a piece.

With a history stretching back 63 years, there have been many noteworthy Land Rovers. It seems every model the company has released – from the Range Rover of the 1970s to the Discovery and Freelander models of the ‘90s – has ignited the public’s imagination and fuelled much debate.

So tell us, readers: what is your favourite Land Rover? Do you go with the traditionalist Series I of the ‘40s, the radical Evoque or the flawed yet brilliant Range Rover? You tell us.

By Tristan Hankins

Story source: MSN Cars

Range Rover VS BMW British Team to Race Range Rover Evoque with BMW Straight-Six at the 2012 Dakar Rally

More than 9,000 km in 14 days in extremely demanding conditions: this is the world-renowned Dakar Rally in which every year hundreds of competitors strive not just for the win, but for a chance to cross the finish line having lived an outstanding experience in the most prestigious off-road race on earth.

The British Excite Rally Raid Team will race three cars commissioned by RaBe Race Cars and driven by an all-British line-up consisting of Martin Rowe, Andrew Coley and John Hardy. And if the photo reminds you of something, you are right: the T3 race car’s body shell is that of the brand-new Range Rover Evoque.

However, power will come from a BMW 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six diesel pumping out 275HP and 650Nm (479.4 lb-ft) of peak torque. A ZF 6-speed transmission will transfer power to the wheel that are dressed in BF Goodrich desert tires.

“We’ve been working on this project for a long time”, said the team’s business manager David Jones. “We were approached by a manufacturer, RaBe Race Cars, whose staff has been around the sport for a long time. Seeing our professional approach, they asked if we could work together. We have goals we can assist each other with, so we have now set our sights a bit higher.”

Mike Jones of RaBe Race Cars commented: “We have years of off-road motorsport experience at every level, from club to international works teams. The last 15 years have been devoted to Desert raging and achieving top honors at Dakar. It is little known, but we have built cars for many other teams who race under their own colors and logos.”

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