Keith Adams
Land Rover, it seems, is going niche-hunting. The well-received Range Rover Evoque, winner of the AROnline Reader car of the year, has lifted its lid for the Geneva show – and you can guarantee that this ‘concept’ will be leading to a production version very soon. Built very much to test the public’s reaction to the idea of a drop-top sporting SUV, the chunky soft-roader is bound to cause plenty of conversation.
The plan is that if the Range Rover Evoque Convertible is given the go-ahead, it will go into production in two years’ time, and will be available with the same engine and transmission options as the three- and five-door versions. Land Rover Design Director, Gerry McGovern and his team. McGovern said: ‘The Evoque lends itself beautifully to the idea of a convertible. This study is not a traditional convertible design execution – instead we have worked with the balance of the Evoque’s lines to retain its distinctive shape and create something that is unique and, we believe, highly desirable.’
We’ll bring detailed reaction from Geneva.
Is the Editor of the Parkers website and price guide, formerly editor of Classic Car Weekly, and launch editor/creator of Modern Classics magazine. Has contributed to various motoring titles including Octane, Practical Classics, Evo, Honest John, CAR magazine, Autocar, Pistonheads, Diesel Car, Practical Performance Car, Performance French Car, Car Mechanics, Jaguar World Monthly, MG Enthusiast, Modern MINI, Practical Classics, Fifth Gear Website, Radio 4, and the the Motoring Independent...
Likes 'conditionally challenged' motors and taking them on unfeasible adventures all across Europe.
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First co
Ment
Not as bad as I anticipated
Perhaps a bit too ‘California’ for my liking, but certainly attractive.
Katie Price, your car is ready.
Ah well, if it sells well, good news for JLR, means good news for Jag.
At least this one will have good headroom and you will be able to see out of the back in the rear view mirror :-))
Been there before…
I was waiting for somebody to bring the Roger Moore Range Rover up…Range Roger :-D?
It will sell like hot cakes, both sides of the pond
I like it, and think it will do very well.
@ Keith Adams:
Ah, yes, bring it on… the great Roger Moore in that 1983 classic Octopussy. What a memorable film (remember the glorious Alfa Romeo GTV6 as well?) and a lovely Range Rover, too.
As for the Evoque? It looks rather convincing in its transistion from two-door Coupe into soft-top and I particularly like the Speedster-style rear parcel shelf. Looks like another success story for Land Rover Ltd. Good luck to it!
I remember Sindy used to have a Range-Rover with a removable roof. i know i used to nick my sisters one when i was little, far more cool than the Action Man Jeep haha
Doesn’t float my boat one iota – but, if it sells, and keeps car industry jobs going in Blighty, then it’s the greatest, most useful car ever made this year etc.
Yes please
I always thought LR slightly missed a trick with Freelander 2, only producing the sensible, and slightly dull 5dr, whereas McGovern’s brilliant Freelander 1 included 3 door versions with a removable back. The Evoque shows that people will pay for a bit of style!
I like it, but I think it will be a bit too much of a posers’ motor if you ask me, but I’d love a hard top Evoque. That said, I hope it sells by the bucket load, as that can only be a good thing for JLR and this country. Just imagine what JLR could do if they launched a new range of Rover badged cars…
Any news of what type of roof it will have? Assuming it will have a folding metal roof?
@ Keith, been there even earlier…
Nice enough, but if you didn’t know how big it was you say it is turning into a MINI…… 😀
There is a company in Wrexham blue bird engineering. Who specialise in Range Rovers. They will still make you a drop top RR Out of a classic RR
I tink I prefer these I actually built one out of a classic RR a few years ago http://www.blitzworld.co.uk/traka-range-rover-i81.html
Great FUN 🙂
nice 🙂 and one more seatbelt than the Mini i expect 😉 alex
and the Bell Aurens Land Rover Coupe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsIUiI9x1po
Fantastic 🙂
leave the roof on,or it will end up just another wag/drug dealer car.
A bit more pose than purpose but I do like it. It’s an almost guaranteed success.
At first, I thought ” a convertible off roader, that’s novel”. However, as pointed out above, it’s hardly a new idea. Except the Land Rover 88 (?) pictured above is all purpose, virtually no pose!!
As an aside – getting my own lap top (and e-mail address) in days. Then, my visits to AROnline will become (even) more frequent!!
Wow… but I prefer the 5door
Another car for the retarded chavs and drug dealers of the world, with the structural rigidity of a cornflake packet. Hello scuttle shake. If they actually rounded up all the drug dealers in the UK, JLR would probably fold due to lack of sales.
Well i think the Americans did it even earlier with an 88″ wheel base, 1941 i believe….
Actually the likes of Aveling and Porter were making topless Off roaders in 1892.
Maybe any convertible is a backward step, after all Roof’s used to be an optional extra on any vehicle.
AR’s roving continental reporter aims to be the first in geneva to ask Gerry McGovern how this willl affect his coiffure….
Hate it or hate it, if it sells, it’s a good thing. The more cars JLR sell, the more variants JLR will consider. I’m sure that they’ll have many vehicles that they wish to build and it’ll be determined by profit as to how many do get built.
I’d like to draw the line at an X6 competitor though. That is such an awful concept of a “car”.
alexscott @ 20:
Now THAT is much more like it!
It’s the first time I’m seen a Merlin engined car that looks like it was meant to be built that way in the first place!
Oops, that’s “just” the cooking V8 version. A V12 Merlin engined version has been built and I want one!
Brilliant execution hope they go for it before the German competition come up with some low rent alternative
Reading the Evoque road test on Autocar, it seems that people are prepared to pay a hefty premium for this 4×4 which does nothing better than a Ford Focus. Go figure.
Not all JLR products are sold to Drug dealers, or i would be one, (anyone fancy a snort)the Evoque CC is a very rigid car, even without the roof, which is why they followed the lines of the car.
with teh vast mark up on the Evoque already this CC will bring in great amounts of wonga (ooooo i found a rolled up five pound note in my pocket.
This car is to be a four seater, with a large premium on top of the already hig margined mainstream models, JLR have made massive inroads into niche markets recently, and with teh XFSW, XT and the two sports cars coming up, as well as a new RR, which looks like a larger Evoque at the front, revised Freelander 2 coming up, and the new defender, the future is really looking great for them.
Whats all this white power on the coffee table, Ouch just cut my finger on a razor blade.
So please dont judge everyone the same just because one or two happen to deal drugs from Range Rovers….
Snifffffffffffffffffffffffffff
@Jagboy:
You are correct about Range Rovers, not everyone who owns one or aspires to own one is into the supply of an illegal Class A or B substance. I am a huge fan of the Range Rover and certainly don’t snort white powder or supply it. I also don’t play football in return for a large salary or have something called a WAG (although I do have a Springer Spaniel; is it the same thing?).
When is the XF SW actually going to be unveiled as it is almost old news now? Also, what is the XT?
That white powder on the coffee powder is possibly Coffemate or milk powder.
Pahh! Still no Discovery 2.0 mpi though
jag boy ,could not stop laughing.