Would domestic car manufacturer troubles possibly open the door for the Defender?

realdeal

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2008
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Raleigh, NC
I know that nobody likes to see our domestic car manufacturers suffer, but given the troubles of the "big three" and that Jeep might be in a tough spot here shortly, would that open a door for Land Rover to bring in the Defender again?

It looks as if they're competitively priced with an Unlimited Wrangler Rubicon. I'd love to have a new Defender, but not a '97.

Is what is left of the auto market primed for the Defender? Thoughts?
 

MarkP

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Apr 23, 2004
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Colorado
Fiat most likely will be Chrysler's management team. Fiat and Tata have a close relationship. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tata take over the Jeep line and integrate the Land Rover / Jeep product lines into luxury and off-road. Tata also gets access to US manufacturing plants through Fiat.

The 2015 off-road product is a combination of Land Rover and Jeep technologies - Defender + Rubicon.

There simply isn't enough volume to justify a stand-alone Defender in the US.
 

Leslie

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Apr 28, 2004
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Kingsport TN
I read the other day that the Defender itself is gonna go away in couple of years or so due to regulations that it just won't be able to be modified to meet.

They're contemplating seeing if, as the current LR3/RR platforms are retired for their next generation, if they can use it as a jumping-off point for the next Defender, maybe....
 

jim-00-4.6

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Sep 30, 2005
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Leslie said:
They're contemplating seeing if, as the current LR3/RR platforms are retired for their next generation, if they can use it as a jumping-off point for the next Defender, maybe....
I think as long as the new defender has 4-wheel independent suspension, 20-inch road wheels, and more computers than you can shake a stick at, it will absolutely fill the niche market for urban posuer-mobiles.
That's where the money is, right?
Off-road vehicles? :rofl:
not likely.
 

Discoinjapan

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Feb 14, 2006
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Yokosuka Japan via PA
Leslie said:
I read the other day that the Defender itself is gonna go away in couple of years or so due to regulations that it just won't be able to be modified to meet.

They're contemplating seeing if, as the current LR3/RR platforms are retired for their next generation, if they can use it as a jumping-off point for the next Defender, maybe....

:rolleyes:

I cant stand the way the world is going. Who is in on purchasing an island with me?
 

rovercanus

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Apr 24, 2004
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Let me reiterate what I have previously stated, We will never get a new Defender in the US. Did you get that? Here it is again, We will never get a new Defender in the US. How about now? Once more, We will never get a new Defender in the US. Got it?
 

MarkP

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Apr 23, 2004
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Colorado
I disagree. We may get a NEW Defender but it will NOT be the old Defender.

You may not want the NEW Defender. It WILL be computerized and WILL be a Hybrid of some kind.

Now this is not so bad if done right but government regulation is killing the auto industry. I seem to recall a EU regulation on pedestrian/auto collisions that drove Jaguar to implement an exploding hood. The resulting hood tilt created a softer impact area for car/pedestrian accidents. Not sure if it ever took affect as the pedestrians secondary impact with the pavement pretty much negated the benefits of the technology. Point being, the degrees of freedom are decreasing.
 

Ballah06

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Jan 21, 2007
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Savannah, GA
And all these regulations and rules are a result of TRYING TO FIX THE SHIT THAT IS NOT BROKEN. The whole save the planet, green, tree hugging revolution. Let's take precautionary measures not to totally fuck up the planet, but when is enough enough?
 

rovercanus

Well-known member
Apr 24, 2004
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MarkP said:
I disagree. We may get a NEW Defender but it will NOT be the old Defender.
Which is prettymuch what I am saying. We might get that Ford Bronco/Defender concept FJ Cruiser looking thing but the Defender is dead in the US.
 

Leslie

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Apr 28, 2004
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Kingsport TN
rovercanus said:
Which is prettymuch what I am saying. We might get that Ford Bronco/Defender concept FJ Cruiser looking thing but the Defender is dead in the US.

I don't think just in the US..... I think it'll be gone, period. Something will replace it (maybe not successfully, but it depends on how you judge it), but in a few years, the Defender we know, will be home-crafted vehicles bandaged on, like the Series are....

:(
 

LRflip

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Oct 8, 2006
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none of your fucking business
Leslie said:
I don't think just in the US..... I think it'll be gone, period. Something will replace it (maybe not successfully, but it depends on how you judge it), but in a few years, the Defender we know, will be home-crafted vehicles bandaged on, like the Series are....

:(

Hey, if one can be had for under 10K...I can live with it.
 

Roverrocks

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Jan 18, 2009
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Montrose,CO
The way the crazed Greenie whackos are seizing power in this country we may not even see the Jeep Wrangler survive in the next decade let alone ever see a Defender again. Since the Rabid Greenie adjenda is to close all 4wheeling and offroading eventually everywhere then the Jeep may go the way of the dinosaur as well.
 

knewsom

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Jul 10, 2008
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La Mancha, CA
Roverrocks said:
The way the crazed Greenie whackos are seizing power in this country we may not even see the Jeep Wrangler survive in the next decade let alone ever see a Defender again. Since the Rabid Greenie adjenda is to close all 4wheeling and offroading eventually everywhere then the Jeep may go the way of the dinosaur as well.

Now before you go off the deep end... consider what a good shot of technology could do for a 4x4 if done properly.

A hybrid would have more torque, and FULL torque at ZERO RPM. It would also have a LOT more range due to increased mileage. It would also be quieter, scaring away less wildlife on the trail, making offroading more fun and rewarding. You'd also have the gift of more electrical power away from home, which means easier electrical mods like exterior lights, refrigerators, etc. Add solar panels to the mix, and your range could extend even FURTHER.

Don't fear technology. Just fear wankermobiles like I dodge every day in Beverly Hills. :ack:

If LR doesn't supply the vehicle we WANT, someone else WILL.
 

p m

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Apr 19, 2004
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knewsom said:
Add solar panels to the mix, and your range could extend even FURTHER.
No shit?

Say, we've got 4 square meters of the roof real estate. Cover it all up with one mother of a solar panel, and on a sunny day it will be exposed to the U.S.-average of 1kW/m2, for the total of 4kW.

Out of which photovoltaic panels of the future extract about 10%, which gives us 400W. A honking-long 10-hour 1kW/m2 sunny day then results in 4kW-hr in our battery pack.
Something our "48-year-old-technology" Rover engine, running at 2500rpm, produces in about 3.5 minutes.

Goddamn... That's one hell of a FURTHER range extension.
 

knewsom

Well-known member
Jul 10, 2008
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La Mancha, CA
yes, but an electric motor at a relatively slow speed will get a lot more out of that energy than 3.5 minutes of operation time.

Furthermore, if you're on a mulit-day camping trip, and stay parked in one spot for a bit, you'd be essentially recharging your batteries while sitting there. I'ts not a helluvalot, but hey, it's something.

Also consider the possibilites having FOUR individual drive motors would afford. ...no loss of power or efficiency through differentials... raw power straight to the wheel. NO low haninging diff or axle to get hung up, 4-wheel independent pneumatic/coilover suspension with a manual backup regulator... could be pretty badass, dude.