At Home in The Range - December 31, 2008
Looking for a luxury sports utility vehicle that’s not only stylish but practical as well? The Range Rover might interest you.
The Range Rover, the luxury SUV division of popular SUV maker Land Rover, is built for your opulent comfort while providing you with the brusqueness and power of off-road vehicles. First introduced in 1970, the Range Rover was built on box section ladder type chassis and an aluminum body. It came with four-wheel drive, all-coil suspension and disc brakes. The Range Rover was powered by a 3.5 L V8 aluminum engine.
The Range Rover proved to be popular, not only in its native Britain, but also in the whole world, which saw a stylish and yet, rugged vehicle. Since its birth almost four decades ago, the Range Rover had become a symbol of capable off-road vehicles that can also dish it out on the style wars.
The Range Rover gained international recognition when it was made the vehicle of choice in the British Trans-Americas Expedition in 1972. The expedition became the first vehicle-based expedition to traverse the American continent from north to south. The especially modified Range Rovers proved to be more than capable in the expedition, especially in traversing the infamous (and roadless) Darien Gap, which had caused problems for previous expeditions.
The original Range Rover is known among enthusiasts as the “Classic”. The aluminum body was fastened using steel bolts and the poor anti-corrosion protection of the chassis caused the vehicle’s rotting after a period of time. But recent technologies, such as Waxoyling it and using stainless steel bolts, can prolong the vehicle’s service lifetime. Originally built as a gasoline-powered vehicle, the Range Rover offered diesel-powered version when customers demanded better fuel economy.
Range Rover’s second generation (“P38A” to hobbyists) came out in 1995, 25 years after the first generation debuted. It featured an updated version of the V8 engine. The P38 became more luxurious, had a smoother and more powerful engine and improved air suspension, allowing the vehicle to raise itself to gain more traction. The chassis was fortified and new welding techniques were used. Anti-lock brakes and two-wheel traction control - later applied to all four wheels – were also included.
In 2003, a third generation Range Rover became available. It carried the BMW M62 engine (the Range Rover was then owned by BMW; today, it is owned by Ford). The improved Range Rovers had better ground clearance, cross-linked air springs and many other improved Range parts. A unibody design was chosen, with many design elements from the Classic.
The third generation used highly durable and lightweight aluminum all over its body, and became more spacious than previous models. Bi-Xenon headlights were used to provide a natural white light over a wide swath of roadway. The headlights also has power washers and wipers, aside from having a light sensor control that puts on and off sidelights and dipped headlights automatically.
The Range Rover’s versatility, mixing style and elegance with off-road power and strength has made it one of the most desired sport utility vehicles. Own one now and experience the Range Rover.
Beatrice Fuller wanted to become an interior designer when she was still in high school. In college, a friend introduced the world of luxury cars to her, and she has been cooking up ideas for automobile interior design for 2 years now. She has a local interior accessories shop at home. You can visit thepartsbin.com/guides/range.html Range parts for more information.