2014
who just handed you a champagne flute [this is not a daily occurrence in this journalist’s life —ed]. As you climbed the stairs to the upper deck, you stared at the lights of the Manhattan skyline as well as those from Our intrepid editor capturing the Discovery Vision a splendid yacht, Concept up front and center. rumored to be that of a member of the Saudi royal family. With considerable multimedia fanfare—lights, sound, action!—a white cocoon rose up onto the flight deck via the plane elevator. Once pulled apart, it revealed the Discovery V Concept vehicle. Background: Discovery Vision Concept. Photos: Land Rover.
New York International Autoshow
Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Design chief, called this vehicle “A new vision for a new age of Discovery, for new customers and their new needs.” Among them must be a need for speed, as McGovern also announced that 2015 would see the arrival of a Discovery Sport, “a mid-sized compact.” Phil Popham, the CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, lauded “the new family of vehicles based on the Discovery, whose sales now exceed 1.1 million.” The Discovery Concept elicited a wide range of responses, from jaw-dropping to stomach-churning. Some features, such as the “suicide doors,” will unlikely appear in production, but others, such as the built-in seat tracks to allow for easier interior configurations, could transform automobile manufacture. Gerry McGovern noted the “strong, passionate base” of Discovery enthusiasts and claimed that the concept “recognizes the past but is not harnessed to it.” He hailed the “distinctive silhouette, step roof, rising beltline and floating C pillar” as examples of its connection to the Discovery I, which he stated, “clearly never went near a wind tunnel.” The Discovery Concept retains the alpine windows, now fully
Rovers Magazine
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