Disco Fever
New Discovery is here and it's looking good
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The Discovery 3 also introduces sophisticated new technologies, among them Land Rover’s patented Terrain Response system, previewed on the recent Range Stormer concept car. This fiddles with all manner of things underneath you in order to optimise driveability and comfort, as well as to maximise traction.
The driver simply chooses one of five terrain settings via a rotary switch on the centre console: a general driving programme, plus one for slippery conditions (known as ‘grass/gravel/snow’) and three special off-road modes (mud/ruts, sand, rock crawl). Terrain Response then automatically selects the most appropriate settings for the vehicle’s advanced electronic controls and traction aids – including ride height, engine torque response, hill descent control, electronic traction control and transmission settings.
Another innovation is the Integrated Body-frame structure supposedly delivers comfort, refinement and on-road attributes of a monocoque, while continuing to set new standards in off-road performance. The Discovery 3 also features adaptive headlights that swivel with the direction of travel to illuminate the road ahead.
Gone are the days of the venerable Rover V8 though. The top-of-the-range engine is a specially developed 4.4-litre version of Jaguar’s acclaimed V8 petrol engine. Changes for Land Rover use include increased capacity (from 4.2 litres), more low-end torque, enhanced dust- and water-proofing, and revised breathing to enable the car to wade rivers as well as cruise highways. In Land Rover guise, the engine must also be able to run at acute angles for extreme off-road use.
The top-selling engine in Europe is likely to be Land Rover’s new 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel (not available in North America), a common rail unit that uses variable geometry turbocharging.
The third engine in the line-up (for selected markets only) is a petrol 4.0-litre V6, a version of one of the world’s best-selling SUV powerplants now further developed for Land Rover use.
All three engines offer strong on-road performance, with full-time four-wheel drive. Both petrol derivatives are matched to a six-speed automatic ‘intelligent shift’ transmission, also available with the diesel though this is offered with a six-speed manual as standard.
Sales begin later this year.
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very Ford Fusion 
SniffPetrol said:
NEW DISCOVERY IN WRONG DOORS FIASCO
There was panic at Land Rover last night as it emerged that the new Discovery could be delayed because it has been fitted with the wrong doors.
'Oh God, what are we going to do?' wailed one anonymous engineer. 'The doors don't match at all. I think they must be off a different car.' According to a bloke we spoke to, the problem stems from the deep groove which runs along the front and rear wings, in stark contrast to the doors which are completely smooth. 'We used a lot of black tape to disguise Discovery prototypes,' explained one slightly less anonymous engineer. 'So when we first peeled it off we initially thought the missing groove must have just come off and be stuck to the sticky side of the tape. But it wasn't there. I think we've somehow ordered the wrong sort of doors.'
Due to the complicated way the car industry works, doors must be ordered long before a model goes on sale and there is plenty of scope for errors. In this instance experts believe Land Rover simply forgot to tick the box marked 'groove' on their special door order form. This is in marked contrast to former sister company Rover's experience with the original 800 where some clot ticked the groove order box far too many times.
'It's not uncommon for a groove to be lost,' noted Dr Upe Geoffpex, Head of Stuff at St Gobain College. 'For example, the Artist Now Known As Prince Again lost his groove some time in the late 1990s and, judging from his pedestrian new single, he still hasn't got it back.'
with the 4.4 V8 it should be nippy 
Liszt said:
Actually I don't think you can get a manual petrol now, and frankly why would you want to?
They did make some s11 v8 manuals..
and i want one as i want to drive my cars and hate slush boxes..
i dont understand why fecking l/r wont make what you want. i've got to put up with a crappy td5 as they wouldnt make the commercial with a v8? why they come down the same line...
they say there is no demand for the v8's but have you ever tried to buy a v8. on several occassions i've asked about v8's ( normal not the commercial) only to be told " you dont want one sir the diesel is much better" like feck it is.... im almost considering sueing them for false description... compaired to my wifes 10 year old 3.8 v8i my now 11 month old td5 engine is a bucket of bolts with no low down tourqe at all, and all that for an extra 7mpg ? lifes to short..
now dont get me wrong i love my Disco its just i hate the crappy engine its got and everyone telling me its great? I dont understand the mentality of people who spend 30k plus ( 60kplus on a rangey) and then want diesel as its a couple of mpg better?
Now the new thing i do hope it looks better in the flesh as its god awful in the pics i think the spy shots with a bag over it looked better, and i agree about the doors being for somthing else...
with the current Ford offerings it looks like my 15 year association with Landrover Products is drawing to a close
7 seats (with 2 folding)
2.7 twin turbo diesel developed by Jag and Peugeot
Range Rover looks
ZF 6 speed auto
unitary construction
At around 30k to £40k
Its exactly what the market wants
Witness the following
X5-only 5 seats-good engine, v expensive and 2 year waiting list
Touareg-underpowerd with 2.5 5 cyl engine and only 5 seats-v expesnive once properly equipped-elec seats are £2.5k!
Volvo XC90-7 seats but underpowerd with 2.5 5 cyl engine and 12-18 months wait..
Cayanne-Hmmm
I'd prefer to see a Disco than Merc M class that Avon & Somerset Constabulary have just changed to.
Yep they can afford £40k - just think of all that lovely camera cash!
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