Greetings from the US. New to this forum and happy to find it because there's really not any good ones for Land Rover enthusiasts here in the States (well at least none that I know of).

So I'm from the northeastern part of the the US and recently bought a 2012 Orkney Grey AB with 20,000 miles on the clock. I bought it from a LR dealer in Texas site unseen. It's a Certified Pre-Owned with warranty through September 2018.

More pictures to follow after I take delivery and get her all cleaned up. It's just leaving Houston, TX today en route to CT.

A few random thoughts/questions:
-Currently has Style 18 wheels (pictured below), would like to swap somebody or straight purchase Style 14. Does anyone know of a clean set for sale?
-May Decide to pull off the Exterior Design Pack because I'm not sold yet on it aesthetically and don't like the fact that it compromises off-road ability. Make me an offer.
-Looking to get roof rack, which one is best for a casual user (OEM sport removable or regular)?
-Considering deployable side steps. Anybody have any problem with these?

Thank you and look forward to contributing to this board. Anthony

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Hi and a warm welcome.

Nice looking car. I've always been keen on the two tone seating. I totally agree about the design pack - bit too bling for my liking.

I have sports bars and they are great for bike racks etc. and I've always been able to adapt whatever I want to carry so never an issue. That said they are obviously in just fixed positions and two bars are only compatible with the two front fixing points. I was hoping to get the bars to fit on the rearmost two fixing points but this does not work

There are some very poor quality aftermarket roof rails which should be voided. OEM all the way.

The current wheels do look smart.

Good luck 405 AB exec seats Baltic and Cirrus
93 RR Classic efi

Remember it's easier to get forgiveness than permission!

Gone in order:
4.4 TDV8 SE - gone to a good home
93 Classic hard dash Plymouth Blue
03 L322 Oslo Blue
2000 Disco TD5 ES Epsom Green
98 P38 Rioja Red
89 Classic Cairngorm Brown

PM sent




. 2014 FF Autobiography 5.0 SC
2008 FFRR (sold)
2008 BMW M5

Hi hello & welcome sir

For occasional use - I would recommend Thule roof bars

I used them on mine a couple of times per year for 10 years or so with no problems at all

I carried skis, bikes, kayaks etc

They lock to the car & then remove completely when not in use

Congratulations and welcome.

I have same interior leather colours but with piano black instead wood trim and my Style 18s are in Shadow Chrome which aren't as bright as the diamond cut version….

As for the steps, although I don't need them, I still use them to save wear on the side bolsters; mine deploy and retract fairly quickly. If you are concerned about the design pack compromising off-road ability, maybe the steps aren't a good idea though.

Nooooooooooooo

You want to remove style 18's and the design pack and add a roof rack??

It looks beautiful, don't change a thing

Love the seats Good looking RR 2015 4.4 AB
GSXR 1000 K5
R1 1998

nice Range keep the kit on it  _____________________________________________________
Zambezi silver Vogue Se unique

I have a set of Whispbars that fit into the fixing points on the roof without having to break off the plastic flaps that cover them. They lock to the roof and are really easy to fit/remove plus very quiet at speed too.

Due to elderly relatives I frequently ferry around I also have the deployable side steps, which were fitted by the supplying dealer for me just before I picked the car up. I have no issues with mine and as landyman said they save wear on the outer bolsters but limit off-road ability. However, it is straightforward to remove them to avoid damage if you do plan on doing some off-roading.

Great looking car by the way

Thanks for all the comments.

ajac8: Yup, the EDP is a bit much for older generation RR. But the back doesn't bother me too much and the front is growing on me and I haven't even seen it in person. Time will tell. As for the roof rack, I would only consider OEM and perhaps Thule.

horse86: Can't send PMs yet. Not a fan of wheels larger than 20" but thanks for the message. Also, if I were to sell only part of the EDP it would be the front. Nevertheless, thanks for your consideration.

Alistair: Very good looking truck. Had a 2011 S. Black SC that I sold a couple years back (traded for F10 M5), never get tired of the black on the RR. I will check out Thule, before you mentioned it I was only thinking of OEM. I shall think long and hard about the sidesteps because they are such an expensive option (and I really don't "need" them for any reason. You are the first that I've heard not like them!

Giantlandyman: I love either the jet/ivory or ivory/jet combos. From pictures alone, looks like the interior is in good condition (just hope I can still smell all that fine leather!). For the 2012 AB in the US, the shadow chrome Style 18s were an exclusive option, and the EDP was standard. The Diamond Turned 18s were optional on SC and AB. I like the piano black trim, never seen the lined anthracite in person but it should go well with the ivory.

d3rm0: Regarding the EDP, people either love it or hate it! I guess I'm still undecided and will hold off for a while before I make any rash decision. Odds are I won't change a thing (other than buy Style 14 wheels for winter tires).

exalin: I will check into these Whispbars.

Ok because you were concerned about clearance and your rear bumper is lower and it may be a bit longer than stock which makes ground clearance worse. The stock one also angles up a lot more (more ground clearance) 2014 FF Autobiography 5.0 SC
2008 FFRR (sold)
2008 BMW M5

Hi Bluehorseshoe - glad you made it over to this forum!

Your ride looks good.

You know my thoughts on deployable side-steps; I like mine and they seem quite fast to deploy. Certainly nice when I have the suspension on high. The wife approves.

I think the wheels are a bit bling'y for me, but that is highly subjective, everyone has different tastes; they still look good!

I am looking into whispbar , although I have always had thule products however, I don't like any option that would require additional "clamps" near the door. I just want what fits the hideaway built-in rack mounts directly. Maybe they make something I missed? So it's OEM or whispbar from what I can tell?

Bet you can't wait to see it in person!

I've got no experience other than Thule.

As you point out, they do have feet that clamp onto the door opening, but is neat and unobtrusive. They have an additional benefit of locking onto the car and leave nothing behind once removed.

I also like them because they are the full width of the car - the OEM bars only seem to cover about ⅔ of the width.

Plus, clearly. they are designed for all the Thule accessories such as bike and ski/snowboard carriers - which lock to the bars that are locked to the car

If you want a roof rack that is actually