IRVINE, Calif. — Land Rover today passed a historic milestone when the four millionth vehicle rolled off the production line, 59 years after production began at the company’s factory in Solihull.

The vehicle, a Land Rover LR3, was donated to the Born Free Foundation, a charity dedicated to wildlife conservation and animal welfare. It was collected by the actress Joanna Lumley, Born Free’s Founder patron, and will become a ‘Rapid Response Rescue’ vehicle for deployment across the UK and Europe.

Will Travers, Born Free chief executive, said, “This important vehicle will enable us to carry out important frontline conservation and animal welfare missions at will. Without Land Rover’s support we simply would not be able to reach some of the off-road remote destinations or tackle some of the rescues that are a vital part of our work.”

This summer is likely to see the Born Free Rapid Response Rescue Discovery 3 extensively used by Born Free’s partner, British Divers Marine Life Rescue, rescuing, treating and releasing stranded or abandoned marine mammals, especially Common and Grey seals, who frequently get into trouble along Britain’s shores during the breeding season.

Born Free has been one of Land Rover’s Global Sponsorship Partners since 2002. The sponsorship includes financial and vehicle support in the UK, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa and Sri Lanka. In 2006 Land Rover’s support contributed to the rescue and relocation of three lions from a circus in France to Shamwari in South Africa.

Land Rover has pioneered responsible off-roading through its ‘Fragile Earth’ policy globally and Tread Lightly support in North America for many years and currently works with Earthwatch, Royal Geographical Society (RGS), China Exploration and Research Society (CERS), and Biosphere Expeditions.

Land Rover helps sustain over 50,000 jobs and exports 78 percent of all production, generating substantial wealth for Britain. Since the production of the 3 millionth Land Rover in 2001, an average of 700 cars have rolled off the production lines per day.

Phil Popham, managing director of Land Rover, said, “We are delighted to hand this car over to Born Free. The production of the four millionth Land Rover is a major milestone and it is only fitting that it goes to such a worthy cause. I’m proud of our support for the charity and the company’s contribution to both the local and national economy over the past 59 years.”

The Land Rover Range Rover Awarded Third Consecutive Automotive Loyalty Award by Polk

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ — Land Rover was honored by R. L. Polk & Co. during its eleventh annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards ceremony at the 2007 Automotive News World Congress in Dearborn, MI. Range Rover won the Prestige SUV category for the third consecutive year.

“We are elated that our customers are loyal to the Range Rover,” said Kevin Donovan, Market Manager for Land Rover North America. “To lead the Prestige SUV segment for three consecutive years reflects our customers’ passion for the unique driving experience provided by this award winning vehicle.”

The Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards recognize manufacturers for superior owner loyalty performance. Loyalty is determined when a household that owns a new vehicle returns to purchase or lease another new vehicle of the same model or make.

Land Rover has produced preeminent sport-utility vehicles since 1948 and has positioned itself globally as a brand synonymous with adventure, innovation and understated luxury. The Range Rover, Land Rover’s flagship model, epitomizes these attributes.

Land Rover North America is part of Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover with headquarters in Irvine, California. Land Rover established operations in the U.S. in 1986, and now imports and distributes Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and LR3 vehicles manufactured by Land Rover in Solihull, England. Land Rover’s worldwide operations are wholly owned by Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan. For information about the Land Rover retailer nearest you, call 800- FIND-4WD or log on to www.LandRoverusa.com.

Vehicle specifications and features are subject to change. For the latest Land Rover pricing and product information, contact Land Rover North America Corporate Communications at (949) 341-5800. Land Rover-related press releases and electronic photos of the company’s products are available on-line in the Land Rover section of Ford Motor Company’s news media website (media.landrover.com).

With a history of pioneering initiatives both off-road and on, Land Rover now leads into cyberspace with the global launch of a new interactive adventure website called Go Beyond.

Go Beyond can be accessed through the www.landrover.com website, or you can go directly here: http://gobeyond.landrover.com/index.html.

The Gobeyond website is flash-driven and kind of slow. Content is limited and the media player on some segments works better with Internet Explorer than Firefox. In fact, my first run through a segment the media player crashed Firefox on me.

Neat idea - let’s see if it actually catches on, though…

IRVINE, Calif. — Land Rover revealed the all- new LR2 that enters the compact premium SUV market with outstanding breadth of capability and Land Rover’s signature technologies.

The fourth new model from Land Rover in just four years, LR2 joins the impressive line-up of Range Rover (2002), Land Rover LR3 (2004) and Range Rover Sport (2005) that together have seen record-breaking sales performance around the world.

New from the ground up, LR2 delivers outstanding on-road performance as well as the class-leading off-road ability of a Land Rover. A dynamic design, purposeful stance, smart and spacious interior, and an abundance of advanced technologies complete the LR2 package.

“LR2 combines the advantages of a premium sedan — such as polished ride, accomplished performance, an attractive cabin and ease-of-use — with the attributes of a robust SUV, including go-anywhere ability, toughness, stadium seating, cabin versatility and spaciousness,” says Phil Popham, Land Rover’s managing director. “We believe that no other compact SUV gets closer to blending these best-of-both-worlds abilities.”

Technical highlights of the LR2 include a brand-new 230bhp* transversely mounted 3.2-liter inline-six engine featuring advanced technologies to deliver an outstanding combination of performance and economy.

The engine is matched to a new six-speed automatic transmission, with Land Rover’s CommandShift(TM) offering manual sequential gear changes when required. There is also a driver-selectable sport mode for livelier performance.

The exterior and interior design of LR2 is completely fresh, integrating the company’s unique design language with a form that is instantly recognizable as the latest Land Rover.

“We purposely kept strong Land Rover design cues, such as the clamshell bonnet, stepped roof and the basic form,” says Land Rover design director Geoff Upex. “The overall look is new and contemporary. The design is chiseled, geometric and simple — it looks like it’s hewn from the solid. We have kept a close design relationship with the LR3 and Range Rover Sport, but interpreted the design language to suit the requirements of customers for a more compact SUV.”

The body is a five-door monocoque structure, with a high level of torsional rigidity which benefits refinement, comfort and handling on-road as well as ensuring the vehicle is fit for serious off-road use. The suspension is fully independent and uses the most modern stability control systems, including Roll Stability Control (RSC�), a sophisticated technology that helps mitigate the risk of roll-over even in extreme conditions.

LR2 is packed with new technologies to improve both on-road and off-road performance. Land Rover’s unique Terrain Response(TM) is standard, making off-road use easier. Other interesting technologies include a new intelligent permanent all-wheel-drive system for superior traction and better on-road fuel economy, and the patented Gradient Release Control, which improves driver confidence and control when releasing the brakes on steep and slippery slopes.

Designed and engineered by Land Rover at Gaydon, near Warwick, England, LR2 is built at the Halewood plant in Liverpool, where outstanding build quality has been acknowledged with a JD Power European Plant Quality Gold Award in 2005.

Delray Beach, FL (PRWEB) — Marc Ward, an avid Land Rover enthusiast from Barbados, launched his auction just ten days ago with high hopes of making eBay history, since it featured one of the most unusual high-value items ever offered on the world�s most popular auction site. The high-end eBay auction item was for a custom-built Dakar racing team, featuring a Drew Bowler TomCat racer. (See the original Press Release here:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/6/inktomi398031.htm

The auction was generating a lot of excitement, with over 7,000 visitors and several high bids. Marc was looking forward to the final day of the auction when the action would really get hot. One day a PayPal promotion appeared in the auction in the form of a �Seller Addition.� Since Marc doesn�t use PayPal, he asked eBay to remove it. Instead, eBay employees thought their own PayPal promotion was a third-party security breach - they apparently didn�t remember that PayPal does this normally. Despite several assertions that it was not a security breach, eBay employees de-listed the auction. In the end they admitted that it was a mistake � and allowed the auction to be re-listed (go to:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=4653966446&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT.

Though eBay is the biggest target for auction fraud, that is still only a small percentage of all online fraud. eBay however, seems inclined to err on the side of caution. Online fraud includes:

� Misrepresentation: The merchandise ISN’T what iwaqs represented in the auction description.
� Failure to ship: The seller takes your money and runs.
� Failure to pay: The use of fake money orders, bounced checks, stolen credit cards, or a number of other techniques, the to get the goods without actually paying for them.
� Shilling: Artificially inflating the price on an item by use of fake bids from phony user IDs or accomplices
� Bid Shielding: Using high bids from phony accounts to run up the price and scare off potential buyers, the actual bidder then retracts the higher bids, getting the item at a much lower price.
� Piracy and counterfeiting: The sale of pirated music and software or counterfeit art, phony jewelry or gems, and forged collectibles.
� Internet Fencing: Selling stolen goods through the auction.
� Triangulation: The seller offers to send you the item (usually new, brand name goods) on approval. They then use stolen credit cards to order the item shipped to you. You pay for the goods (in cash) after receiving them, and get a visit shortly thereafter from the police.
� Credit card fraud and theft.
� “Buy and Switch”: The buyer gets the merchandise and returns a similar item that has been damaged, or a fake, with the claim, “It isn’t what I expected.” The seller refunds their money, and is left with broken and unsaleable product.
� Fee stacking: Fees, usually “related” to shipping costs, are added to the cost after the sale has been made.
� False Loss or Damage Claims: Often these claims are a result of the buy and switch, or careless handling by the buyer.
� Shell Auctions: No merchandise exists. The sole purpose of the auction is to get money or credit card numbers from unwary buyers.

You can see Marc’s vehicles, with detailed specifications and high-resolution photographs, at:
http://xtremelandrover.com

The Land Rover Discovery 3 has scooped an Auto Express New Car Honour - in the 4×4 Off-Roader category - for the second year running, beating off tougher competition than ever.

To claim the 2006 New Car Honour, the Discovery 3 defeated stiff opposition from the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90. With a highly acclaimed TDV6 2.7 litre diesel engine, spacious seven-seat layout and plentiful storage, the Discovery 3 is an agile and practical offering on-road whilst off-road technology such as Terrain Response�, Hill Descent Control and Electronic Traction Control makes it unbeatable off-road too.

Auto Express editor in chief, David Johns commented: “Whether towing, mountain climbing, family carrying or simply taking the sting out of the daily commute, Land Rover�s Discovery never fails to impress us. Champion for the second year in a row, the big Brit has an unmatched range of abilities that sets it apart from every other car in the class.”

John Edwards, Land Rover UK managing director added: “It’’s fantastic that the Discovery 3 has proved yet again its versatility and staying-power in an increasingly competitive sector, with this, it�s 77th award off experts from around the world.”

For further information on the Discovery 3 or to arrange a test drive, log onto www.landrover.co.uk to locate your local Land Rover dealership.

Given they haven’t even unvieled the new land ROver Freelander publically yet, it’s nice to see the undreground taking care of the public’s need to know.

wheels24.co.za

The folks over (or under?) at Wheels24.co.za (South Africa) are ballsy - ignoring legal threats and running with the mantra, “We didn’t do it - first!”

Regardless, it’s a good looking ride which officially doesn’t exist until next month - not nearly as Jay-Leno’s-Chin as the outgoing model.

OK, to be fair, it’s a bit more than “a Jeep Jamboree”. The Land Rover Experience happens at select locations and at select times during the year. They are 100% first-class events with 5-star accomodations and dining - hell, this one took place at the Biltmore Estate - hardly a tent in a field…

The guys over at Autoblog in the UK were lucky enough to snag an invite and are running a multi-part story. Here’s the teaser - more after you jump to them…

Over the last few years, the concept of ‘brand building’ has driven itself to the top of the list as arguably the key to automotive marketing and advertising. As such, driving schools have come to the fore among premium brands as favored tools in automakers’ effort to build brand loyalty, exclusivity, and that crazy little thing called ‘buzz.’

Sadly, as the evening was already drawing close upon us, mucking about in Britain’s finest off-road togs wasn’t on the menu for the day, so we repaired to the adjacent winery for a brief tasting before heading to dinner. Given its majestic surroundings, it’s understandable that…

Full story here at Autoblog

Marc Ward, an avid Land Rover enthusiast is launching an auction this month destined to make eBay history, since it features one of the most unusual high-value items ever offered on the popular auction site - the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own your own Dakar racing team.

Delray Beach, FL (PRWEB) June 14, 2006 — Marc Ward, an avid Land Rover enthusiast from the idyllic island of Barbados will be launching an auction this month destined to make eBay history, since it features one of the most unusual high-value items ever offered on the world�s most popular auction site. Unlike the attention-grabbing �oddball� auctions that often make their way into eBay lore, this auction is for a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity � the chance to own your own Dakar racing team, featuring a customized classic TomCat race and two rebuilt, customized Defender110 support vehicles.

THE YEAR 2000 was the beginning, both of a new millennium and a new dream � Marc Ward�s �Xtreme� Land Rovers! It all started when Marc decided to turn a dream into reality� to build a �team� of the most extreme Land Rovers ever built outside of Land Rover�s own shops.

First on the drawing board was a street-legal endurance racer capable of anything from a drive to the supermarket to winning the 7,000-mile Dakar Rally. Next up, two amazing support vehicles later dubbed �the Rhino Chasers,� featuring a custom-built trailer made from the rear quarter of a Defender 110. Together, these would be the ultimate in speed, strength, convenience, quality, comfort and exclusivity! It took three years, countless hours of brainstorming, planning and collaboration � and now they�re available for sale to the discriminating enthusiast!

Marc shipped in all new body pieces from the UK. All three chassis were painted with the same coal tar epoxy used on supertankers, which Marc chose for its excellent moisture-resistance. The paint also acts as an extra insulator to prevent galvanic corrosion. Next came the custom roll cages, designed to withstand a tumble down a ravine. Simon Gilmore of SRG Engineering and a top rally car builder himself took 3 months to build these cages to full FIA specs.

Marc acquired 3.9-litre fuel-injected V8 engines to power the two Rhino Chasers. For the racer, Marc went to a 4.6 litre Cross Bolted Range Rover V8 Engine featuring stage one heads and stage two valves, with a Lucas gems hot wire type ignition system. This is a single fuel rail design similar to the one used in the BMW straight six X5 and is ultra reliable. Then he added a Range Rover Transverse Gearbox, Low+High and Lock or unlock diff., Front Range Rover Axel with Teflon Balls, Rear Range Rover Axel with Detroit Soft Locker, and Headman Headers going into 2 flow master mufflers. Topping that off are an Earls custom Oil Cooler, 2 Bosh 12 V High Capacity Fuel Pumps on Separate Circuits , 2 Billet Reusable Eldebroc Filters and an Aeromotive Fuel Regulator set at 50 PSI. Drew Bowler supplied a TVR chip which will turn the engine into a snarling monster � but has not been installed as yet.

Marc�s friend Drew Bowler, considered one of the finest off-road racers in the world (Bowler Offroad, Derbyshire, England) provided R380 gearboxes and transfer cases that had only been used briefly in test vehicles at Solihull, where they had been meticulously maintained. This is a 5 speed constant mesh transmission custom-designed for four-wheel applications. The full list of custom, state-of-the-art specs is too long to list, but is available on Marc�s website, www.XtremeLandRover.com. You can be sure that every luxury has been thought of.

The auction began on June 11th, 2006 at 9:30 PM EST, and will run for ten days and re-listed if necessary. It can be viewed by going to eBay Motors auction number 4650305553, or click here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4650305553&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

You can preview the vehicles, with detailed specifications and over 100 high-resolution photographs, at:
http://xtremelandrover.com

While the auction is running, interested bidders and/or their representatives can have the opportunity to inspect the vehicles on request. The TomCat racer is stored in Florida and the Defender 110 support vehicles are on display in California.

Sample Specs:
Land Rover Hybrid Racer, 1972/2005:

* Range Rover 4.6 L. Cross Bolted Stage 2 V8 Engine
* Range Rover Transverse Gearbox
* R.380 Five Speed Gear Box
* Custom Drew Bowler Tom Cat Tube Frame mated to Defender 100� chassis
* 2.5″ steel-bodied Nitrogen charged FOX Reservoir Shocks
* Custom Land Rover Double Diaphragm Servo Brake System
* Custom Halon Fire Surpression System
* And much, much more!

For more information and full specs on all vehicles, please visit the website at www.XtremeLandRover.com. To schedule an interview with Marc, please contact at P.J. Ward (561) 865-9247.

Land Rover is inviting photographers to go �Wild� with it�s sponsorship of the 2006 International Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) competition. Entrants are advised to try to catch the judges� eye with a portfolio containing �wild� travel images that encapsulate the excitement and adventure of wildlife, dramatic landscapes or climates and extreme sports.

The UK�s leading 4×4 manufacturer has supported the competition for the last three years. It is open to amateur and professional photographers alike and which regularly attracts over 10,000 images from photographers in more than 40 countries. TPOTY has 4 portfolio categories and one single image competition, and there is a special category set-aside for those budding photographers under 17 years old.

The successful photographer will win an adventure for two to explore both the wildlife and citylife of Brazil, organised by Audley Travel and courtesy of Land Rover. In addition they�ll be able to edit the images with Adobe�s Photoshop CS2 software and share those images withthe world from a custom built website from Iridius.

The total prize package is worth over �50,000, with other category prizes including trips to India, The Bahamas, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Mozambique, plus professional-level photographic equipment from Adobe, Fujifilm, Hasselblad, Hewlett Packard and Mamiya.

2nd place winner in the �Wild� category will get a Wacom Intuos3 A5 Wide pen tablet and an HP Photosmart Pro B9180 printer, while the Highly Commended entrant will receive a Lee Filters Starter Kit and Fujifilm Multijet Inkjet Paper and the Commended entrant will win a copy of the new TPOTY book, Journey Two, in hardback, plus Fujifilm Multijet Inkjet Paper.

Entries for TPOTY 2006 are now open, and close on September 9, 2006. Full information and entry forms are available from TPOTY or by sending a stamped addressed envelope to 23A The Business Centre, Earl Soham, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 7SA.