What do you do with a 63-year-old automobile icon? You give it a total facelift and voilà - you have the new Land Rover DC100 Concept and these live pics from the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. The new Land Rover Defender is set to get a totally revamped generation in the future, and this is the model which should herald a significant change.

While currently viewed more for its design features, the DC100 (and DC100 Sport) will be more than just a younger, prettier face. But at this stage that’s where we see most of the changes, with a rounded off look, brand new front end, high-tech features, 21-inch wheels and solar roof panels (we like this idea for the future environmental viability of the Defender).

On the inside we get what Land Rover’s calling “social seating” - a fancy name for the traditional bench seat. Or in this case a third front seat which folds down. Currently the engine equipping the DC100 Concept is a two-litre diesel with start&stop and an eight-speed gearbox. Next generation Terrain Response system features with Terrain-i for alternative route selection and Wave Aid for measuring water depth before crossing. The Defender just got awfully cool. Check it out in the DC100 live pics below.

Continue reading: Land Rover DC100 Defender Concept live at 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show

....

0 comments

It looks like there will be a new generation Land Rover Defender and we’ll get a preview of it with the Land Rover DC100 concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Among the coupes, crossovers and sedans it’s refreshing to feel like we’re getting back to some raw motoring roots with the legendary Defender.

That might suggest though, that this is a wishy washy concept where Land Rover didn’t want to risk too much playing with an icon. Instead what we get is a bold design proposal that should carry the tradition of the offroader into a modern, 2015 Land Rover Defender production vehicle.

The big challenge for Land Rover has clearly been to envision a future Defender in a world where cars must be greener, sportier, more luxurious and far less hard core than the classic offroader. As designer Gerry McGovern says:

Replacing the iconic Defender is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive design world; it is a car that inspires people worldwide. The DC100 isn’t a production-ready concept, but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century.

Land Rover DC100 Defender Concept

Continue reading: Land Rover DC100 Defender Concept

....

0 comments