The new Range Rover Velar – which debut at the Geneva Motor Show last month – displays plenty of attention to detail, and it’s obvious that much effort has been put into what the company calls a “visually reductive approach”, resulting in a strikingly clean design that’s very pretty to these eyes.
However, clean and minimalist is not what third-party tuners are about, and these independent styling houses have been riding on Land Rover’s recent popularity while laughing their way to the bank. This irks Solihull, and the firm’s design director Gerry McGovern has vowed to put these tuners out of business by creating better variants of standard cars through LR’s own Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division.
“It’s easy to take a product that’s already been created and put a little spoiler on it or whatever, but I’d like to see them design their own car. We see them taking our property and making a bit more profit. We’re going to put them out of business through SVO. The opportunities we’re creating there, and the quality of our work, are much better,” he said.
He won’t like this. Lumma Design has come up with a wide body conversion for the Velar, which also includes carbon fibre trim, sporty big wheels, a green paint job, extra exhaust tips “Lumma CLR GT” badging to replace “Range Rover”. Pretty mild for the German outfit’s standards, but enough to spoil (or enhance, depends on your taste) the Velar’s original design philosophy. And to make Mr McGovern rage, for sure.
So, minimalist Velar or widebody Velar for you?
GALLERY: Range Rover Velar
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Mr McGovern/Solihull is a sore looser. LR should go the way of Mercedes AMG to make a special/better/sporty looking vehicle with one of the alleged profitable tuner.
If a person wanted to make his LR looks “better/sporty”, who is he to tell it’s customers what he want to do ! Bear in mind a customers take his own responsibility if there is any warranties that may be void by the “upgrade”
If the bottom line is $$$/profitability, it also mean you can make more $$$ if your SVO can replicate the success rate of other independent tuner.
just on time for deepavali
My favourite color