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5 years ago

October 2018

  • Text
  • Rover
  • Rovers
  • Epic
  • Defender
  • Vehicles
  • Donegal
  • Phev
  • Arctic
  • Kolisi
Share the passion of a Land Rover-loving community in a remote corner of India | Experience the thrills of driving on ice in the Range Rover Velar | Explore stunning Donegal with seafarer Monty Halls and his family | Relive the child-like sense of wonder captured at the Above & Beyond Tour | See why the Range Rover PHEV impressed mountaineer Jimmy Chin | Encounter the most powerful Defender: the Classic Works V8 special

PEAK PERFORMANCE

PEAK PERFORMANCE “BEING A VISUAL PERSON, I APPRECIATE DESIGN WITH FUNCTIONALITY” His visual acuity equaled his agility on rock and snow; soon enough, his images from the most extreme environments on Earth were appearing in National Geographic. In 2006 Jimmy not only summited Mount Everest, but was a member of the first US expedition to ski back down it. In 2011 he made the first ascent of the Shark‘s Fin on Meru Peak in the Garhwal Himalaya. Meru, the documentary he made about the experience, won the Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and was nominated for an Oscar. Given his background, it‘s easy to understand Jimmy‘s affinity for Land Rovers, the vehicle of choice for adventurers since 1948. You‘ll occasionally glimpse them in his award-winning commercial photography for big brands, including Virgin Galactic. CHARGING AHEAD The Range Rover may be the luxury flagship of the Land Rover range but it‘s also an adventurer at heart, making the first crossing of Panama‘s infamous Darién Gap in 1972 and completing the arduous 7,500-mile crossing of the Sahara two years later. The Range Rover has always been an innovator too. It was the world‘s first luxury SUV, as well as the first SUV to offer anti-lock brakes and aluminium monocoque construction. This latest innovation goes a step further. The Range Rover PHEV uses a powerful but compact lithium-ion battery, housed under the boot floor and charged through a port in the car‘s grille, to power an 85kW electric motor. This works in tandem with the lightweight, efficient, 2.0 litre petrol engine to produce an impressive total of 404PS – enough to accelerate the Range Rover PHEV to 60mph in just 6.4 seconds, and on to a top speed of 137mph. The impression of effortless performance is heightened by the car‘s near-silence when propelled by the electric motor alone, for up to 31 miles*. Electrifying the Range Rover‘s powertrain transforms its environmental performance, giving it fuel consumption of up to 91mpg, and CO 2 emissions from just 72g/ km**: impressive figures for a luxury SUV. As someone who documents the world‘s most beautiful, fragile environments and campaigns for environmental causes, this is an issue close to Jimmy‘s heart. Land Rover engineer Dan Hook accompanied Jimmy on his drive, and explained how he could use the car‘s different driving modes to maximise the environmental benefit of its drivetrain. With ‘EV‘ mode engaged, the car uses pure electric drive as much as possible; ideal for reducing tailpipe emissions in Jackson Hole‘s historic town centre. ‘Save‘ mode, on the other hand, uses the car‘s petrol engine on the open road and maintains the battery‘s charge so you can save your electric running for the city. And the clever Predictive Energy Optimisation mode gives the best possible fuel economy by calculating the optimal places to use the car‘s charge or regenerate it when following a satnav route: perfect on the mountain roads around Jackson Hole. But as someone who carries huge amounts of equipment when climbing and skiing in the mountains around his home, training and seeking the inspiration for his next project, Jimmy also wanted to know if the plug-in hybrid powertrain compromised the Range Rover PHEV‘s practicality. “The battery is packaged in such a way that it won‘t influence or compromise the way you use the vehicle,” Dan told him. “You can still put your luggage and skis in the back. You don‘t have to change your lifestyle.” As if on cue, some of Jackson Hole‘s 1.7 metres of annual snow began to fall just as Jimmy headed out to the sweeping mountain roads. Nothing to concern a man who has made dozens of difficult, dangerous ‘first ascents‘ – nor to concern the Range Rover PHEV, which like all Range Rovers, is hugely capable across a wide variety of challenging terrain. “It feels like it‘s a really safe car to drive, and that‘s important to me. It‘s great for my family,” Jimmy said. “And being a very visual person and focused on composition, I appreciate design with functionality. I think that this Range Rover has a really incredible combination of the two.” Looks like Jimmy has found the perfect partner for his next adventure... * EV range figures are based upon a production vehicle over a standardised route. Range achieved will vary dependent upon vehicle and battery condition, actual route, environment and driving style. ** Official EU test figures. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ. PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIC L HU, BRITTANY MUMMA 22

PEAK PERFORMANCE 23

 

Land Rover Magazine

 

Land Rover Magazine showcases stories from around the world that celebrate inner strength and the drive to go Above and Beyond.

In this issue, New Defender is put through its paces by two inspirational young adventurers as they prepare for an expedition to the South Pole. We also celebrate 50 years of Range Rover by taking a journey of discovery to Dubai. As well as looking back, we look to future as a group of visionaries explain the technologies that could change the future for all of us.

Jaguar Land Rover Limited: Registered office: Abbey Road, Whitley, Coventry CV3 4LF. Registered in England No: 1672070