caymanblack wrote:

adamfawsitt wrote:

I should probably have attached the picture!

I,m not sure i like the new seats. Have you actual seen one Adam?

hi mate,
daft question but where did u see the car, or is that a secret LOL
I spoke to the dealer in Stockport and they said probably December before they get one to actually sit in, which i found bizarre.
My MY17 order hasn't been updated to MY18 yet, so delivery date for me.

It was at the global launch on Tuesday. My understanding is that first customer cars will be delivered in January (I have a 5.0 S/C AB on order).

When I configured mine I was really impressed by the option to specify satin / matt contrast in body colour along the in place of the previously shiny bits.

Oh dear...what on earth do McGovern and JLR think they're doing...? Where to start...it's now boring to suggest that the pricing is now starting to look a bit daft, with product sophistication/quality some way off the competition, but...

...my Rangie was off the road for a month or so recently (was damaged by a third party) and I was provided with a GLS63 as temporary replacement. Whilst that car is grotesque in almost every way (and not available without drug dealer glass in the UK), it's capabilities made the RR feel a bit out of its depth, to say the least.

And, now a green Land Rover of any sort seems to incur a £4k penalty - I use that word intentionally. Unworthily of me perhaps, I wonder whether McGovern actively wants to eliminate green Landies/Rangies (with clear glass...) because it offends his view of how he sees the brand and its customers.

Rather less "four legs good, two legs bad" from him might prevent disenfranchisement of core customers. History tells us that plenty of brands which have deliberately and aggressively shunned existing customers in pursuit of what's deemed a larger/more affluent base have ended up losing both old and new.

I’m entirely with you, but for the GLS - monster engine but they can keep the rest.

I’m sure the muddy, dirty countryside is an alien concept to the Land Rover design studio - unfortunately, it’s also an alien concept to 99% of the people who lease Range Rovers, hence the fashion for ghetto chariots.

Trommel - that's what I found surprising about the Merc, had expected exactly as you say.

The gearbox was the usual AMG wonder; I also have a MY17 RRS 5.0 (Aintree, clear glass, in case you're worried) that has the most dreadful driveline whining/high-frequency vibration/resonance that JLR say is 'normal'. Crikey, it is miles off the pace compared to what AMG could do 10 years ago let alone now.

But it was the ride/handling offering that was revelatory.

The comfort/sport/whatever modes are extremely well judged and calibrated. It covered everything from smooth wafting but still-decent body control to hooligan mode at the other end whilst retaining more than decent ride. I was shocked how capable and sophisticated it was dynamically.

Granted, the interior is bit underwhelming past the front seats, albeit with a huge boot, and the exterior, even with clear glass and less chavvy wheels, would still be OTT. And 16mpg is becoming a bit embarrassing in this day and age.

But, still...

I wonder what the new Comfort and Dynamic Terrain Response modes will offer.

Surprised re GLS gearbox, because the 63 still has the old 7-speed.

Trommel wrote:

I’m sure the muddy, dirty countryside is an alien concept to the Land Rover design studio - unfortunately, it’s also an alien concept to 99% of the people who lease Range Rovers, hence the fashion for ghetto chariots.

Proud to add that, at only 13 Days old....

Click image to enlarge

On the gearbox, I suppose I'm comparing it with the woeful calibration that JLR seems to foist on the otherwise blameless ZF bits, plus the lack of the excruciating driveline issues the RRS seems to have - otherwise, I think you're right. I presume that the next-gen GLS with its 4.0 biturbo and modern gearbox will push the game further.

An underlying thread in all this is the feeling that there is a 'that'll do...' mentality in JLR. I noticed that Autocar magazine took the unusual step recently of criticising the new 2.0 Ingenium engines in recent tests of the Velar and XF wagon - too slow, noisy and rough.

RRS comparison is interesting because it’s basically the same car with different suspension/steering etc. calibration - not sure if/how the transmissions are set up differently too.

Think there are effectively two tiers nowadays - ze German three, and the rest. The number and range of drivetrain options MB/VW/BMW have is ridiculous, they’re ahead in the technology race etc. - no wonder LR were linked to the BMW twin-turbo V8 as a replacement for the AJ one.

Normally I’d need to log on to a BMW enthusiasts forum to read these sorts of generalisations; what’s going on here?

Who fecking cares - I own a Range Rover - always have not some salesmans budget wagon

Edited so I don't upset tripleX Angel in case he sends Ze Luftwaffe after me 2021 L405 Vogue SE 4.4 V8 DIESEL ~ #17

Autobiography and SVAutobiography derivatives have a boot space of over 200 litres less than Vogue and Vogue SE due to the new seats. A big consideration.

Autobiography: Do you know if the boot floor has been lifted as well in the P400e version? A P400e AB will have even less boot space due to the battery, but the hope was that they managed to fit the batteries in the spare wheel space.