Hampshire has become the first county to obtain an armoured vehicle for this type to aid its policing with protection that can withstand gunfire, grenades and bomb blasts.

NP Aerospace helped develop the vehicle for the Hampshire Constabulary, and their chief executive Roger Medwell commented, “This is possibly the most advanced vehicle we have ever produced. It’s made of the strongest material known to man - Dyneema. It will stop all the threats you are likely to get in the UK and is extremely good against bomb blasts. If there was a bomb blast this is the vehicle you would want to be in as it actually absorbs the energy of the blast. We have been working with the Army for 30 years and built the armoured vehicles used in Northern Ireland. No army in the world has this sort of advanced technology.”

Although it is somewhat hard to imagine the vehicle being tested the fullest of its abilities in Hampshire, this move makes more sense as we see it as the beginning of an initiative to kit out UK-wide constabularies with similar equipment.

The Land Rover vehicle base means the car will be capable of supporting the extensive armouring without sacrificing stability.

North Wales air ambulance have received the generous donation of a Land Rover Freelander 2 from Conwy Land Rover - a dealer in the local area. The Wales crew primarily use a helicopter to reach emergencies in the area, but when conditions are unfit for flying their task is considerably harder. The surrounding countryside is rough and hard to traverse, so the Freelander is an essential addition to their arsenal, allowing them to reach people in need when regular cars cannot manage the terrain.

Normally costing £25,000, the Freelander is the third such vehicle that Conwy has provided the ambulance.

“Over the past 16 months the Land Rovers have proved invaluable on occasions when the weather has prevented the helicopter from taking off or when it was being serviced,” said paramedic supervisor Ian Binnington.

The Dirty Weekend Multi Sport Festival at the start of July in the Scottish Borders has a competition sponsor in the form of Land Rover G4.

The G4 Challenge sees national competing in an active adventure, pushing their Land Rovers and themselves to the limits. The competition takes 18 months in all, beginning with recruitment competitions in all 18 nations participating, and then a final off-road multisport adventure in Asia with the teams.

The Dirty Weekend is offering a male and female place in the group that will represent Great Britain in the final competition in Asia. Winners of the ACE Race Adventure are in for the price, and that ACE adventure already carried a £5k prize.

Anyone can enter, and you can find more information on the weekend’s activities here: www.dirtyweekendadventure.com

You may also want to check out the G4 website, to find out what you’re letting yourself in for, before competing for a place on the Great Britain team! You can find the site here: www.landroverg4challenge.com

After the recent buyout of Land Rover from Ford, Tata are considering the possibilities of bringing the model to India. They have not discussed whether they are proposing importing the vehicle, or moving manufacture to their country. Most arrangements of this nature involve importing, so it seems the likely way they will go. Add to this the agreement that Tata made with UK unions to keep manufacture within the UK (to maintain employment levels) and they don’t have many options. Tata have a formidable task ahead of them, and are hoping that the high volumes of Mercedes and BMW cars in India bode well for their plan to rebuild Land Rover’s profits.

Tata are now going through the process of looking for replacement financial support for the company in the UK, while Ford Motor Credit are providing cover during the transition.

Yet another success for Land Rover, with the Discovery 3 maintaining its title as ‘Best Towcar Over 1900kgs’ at the Practical Caravan, What Car? and Camping & Caravanning Club Towcar Awards 2008.

Facing tough competition from the likes of Mercedes ML and Audi Q7, the Discovery proved its mettle with a towing capacity of 3500kgs and superior stability, parking assistance, suspension, terrain response, brake assist and many other features.

Judges were high complimentary of the vehicle after awarding it for the second year running, “Last year the Discovery 3 was a clear winner in this class. In 2008, some very tough competition ran the Land Rover close, but it has held on to the heavyweight class for a second year. Other cars can’t match the Discovery’s broad blend of talents. In particular, the cabin is exceptionally spacious and versatile. In fact, the Discovery barely dropped a point in our practicality tests.”

What Deisel? Magazine has voted the Freelander 2 as the Best 4×4 at their 2008 Car Of The Year Awards.

The 2.2 litre engine drew favour with the judges, beating both the Nissan X-Trail and Land Rover’s own Discover 3. Ian Robertson, editor of the magazine, commented, “Not only does the Freelander 2 now take compact SUVs to a new level of competence in off-roading, it ups the ante to such an extent that most manufacturers will find it intimidating to share the same road space with it.”

Land Rover were happy to accept the award, “It’s outstanding news for the Freelander 2 to have received this recognition in such a competitive sector. It is testament not only to its refined diesel engine but also to its all round capability.”

Jaguar Land Rover has reacted to the recent fuel crisis and emission targets by employing 600 new engineering and technicians dedicated to the task of developing a most efficient engine.

Currently, none of the Jaguar or Land Rover vehicles meet EU emission targets, which are currently set at 120 grams per km. In a few years time, engines that fail to meet these guidelines with incur penalties and the manufacturer risks suffering.

Gaydon in Warwickshire will house most of the new jobs being offered, and will also see the beginning of a graduate program.

Tata, the Indian company that now owns the Jaguar Land Rover group, approved the plan but was not the driving force, and will not be directly involved in running the campaign.

(photo by Paul Sancya of AP)

Written by Andrew Clark in Detroit

Land Rover’s smallest ever car has made its public debut at the Detroit motor show - complete with a built-in champagne cooler in the boot for tailgate parties at Twickenham or Henley.

The three-door LRX is powered by a mixture of diesel and electricity with sufficiently low carbon emissions of just 120 grams a kilometre - low enough to be exempt from London’s congestion charge.

It is intended to appeal to a young, sporty car buyers who want a four-wheel drive vehicle suitable for urban use without environmental guilt. (more…)

Land Rover has run a series of full-page press ads outlining its green credentials. It comes just months after it revealed it would make sustainability a cornerstone of its marketing plans.

The ads explain the four different areas that the company is concentrating on to reduce its impact on the environment. They are developing environmentally friendly technology, sustainable manufacturing practices, offsetting new vehicles’ carbon emissions and donations to conservation and humanitarian projects.

Last year, Land Rover announced a shake-up of its marketing function, with brand communications director Julian Whitehead handed the role of director of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (MW August 16). (more…)

A team from Yorkshire are aiming to ‘drive’ across the Bering Straits between Russia and Alaska.

Steve Burgess and partner Nicky Spinks, are about to leave their home in West Yorkshire on the first leg of an historic Land Rover journey. Steve is hoping to become the first person to ‘drive’ a vehicle across the Bering Strait, between Russia and Alaska. But first of all, he’s got to get there during the Russian winter; that’s where the de-mountable tracks come in.

Nicky will return home once they reach Moscow. Simon Dedman, an experienced overland adventurer, will take Nicky’s place for the mammoth drive through the interior.

The 56-mile Bering Strait crossing will be attempted in summer, by Steve and Dan Evans, from Protection and Performance. The two collaborated on the creation of the tracks and the floatation system that bolts onto the Defender. (more…)