Land Rover Range Stormer
Range Stormer is a high performance, sports tourer SUV concept car, which showcases a future design direction for Land Rover and the companyÌs increasingly bold approach to new technologies. The Range Stormer is the precursor to a production vehicle which will share some of its key characteristics.

ÎThe challenge was to translate fundamental Land Rover design values into a concept for a high performance machine that looks powerful, muscular and edgy,Ì says design director Geoff Upex. ÎWe certainly want to challenge established views of our vehicles and yet Range Stormer is clearly an authentic Land RoverÌ.

He continues: ÎIt has classic Land Rover design language, such as the clamshell bonnet, Ïfloating roofÓ, castellated corners on the hood, the straight waistline and short front overhang. Take one look at the vehicle and itÌs obviously from Land Rover, and obviously has strong Range Rover genes.Ì

The pillars are slim to aid visibility Ò another typical Land Rover quality Ò and the roof is glass, giving a light and airy feel to the cabin. Less traditional Land Rover cues include the low roofline, power bulge in the hood and the huge 22-inch forged alloy wheels.

The design is peppered with interesting and practical ideas. The doors are a two-piece type: the upper half hinging up and forwards, while the lower half drops to provide a step to the cabin. The doors are electrically powered. The two-piece tailgate is electric, the upper half lifting and the lower dropping behind the bumper to give optimised access into the loadspace.

Headlamps feature Îcrushed iceÌ glass lenses and throw out an excellent light spread from the Bi-Xenon bulbs. These diamond-like lights also swivel with the steering wheel to help the car to ÎseeÌ around corners.

The interior features four distinctive individual seats. Their radical design is inspired by the concept of the Mñbius strip, the deep brown saddle leather facings being cut from a single hide.

ÎThe saddle leather not only looks fantastic but it is very hard wearing,Ì says Geoff Upex. ÎThat reflects Land Rover philosophy. Our cars are renowned for their toughness and longevity.Ì

Natural materials dominate in the cabin, with leather and oak wood alongside aluminium. As well as covering the seats, dark saddle leather is also used on the top roll of the dashboard and centre console. For contrast, the lower facia, door inners and headlining are all finished in ivory leather, and even the floor is covered in a softer, grained leather. The seat frames are aluminium, as are many of the switches. Instead of a needle, the fuel gauge uses a level of liquid which drops as the fuel tank empties.

The sporty, high performance SUV concept features a supercharged V8, based on the Jaguar engine used in the XJR and XKR. As well as dedicated power and torque outputs, the engine has been engineered to meet Land RoverÌs particular requirements, including the ability to run smoothly at acute fore/aft and side angles and waterproofing, for safe wading.

The engine delivers power to all four wheels by a smooth-shifting ZF six-speed electronically controlled automatic gearbox. Like all Land Rovers, the four-wheel drive is engaged permanently and electronically-selectable low-range is available for tough off-roading.


Features
- Fully integrated, cross-range platform.
- 'Terrain Response' optimises vehicle performance for conditions (suspension, powertrain, throttle response and traction control)
- Permanent four-wheel drive
- Steering-aligned headlights.

Details
Make	Land Rover
Model	Range Stormer
Year Shown	2004
Event	Detroit Auto Show
Designer(s)	n/a
Propulsion
Type	Petrol
Capacity	V8 (Supercharged)
Dimensions
Vehicle Width (mm)	n/a
Vehicle Length (mm)	n/a
Seating Capacity	n/a
Performance
Top Speed	n/a
0-60	n/a