2003 Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography - Custom-Built for You

NEW AUTOBIOGRAPHY RANGE ROVER STARS IN GENEVA

Geneva, 4 March 2003 - The new Autobiography version of the award-winning Range Rover will be the star on the Land Rover stand at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Autobiography is a personalised Range Rover, and allows owners to pick from a large menu of features, ranging from distinctive colour and trim combinations to entertainment extras like DVD television. It enables customers to tailor-make a Range Rover to their exact personal requirements.

Land Rover will also be showing the latest version of the ‘normal' Range Rover, which is proving a worldwide success with strong waiting lists in most countries. Also on the Land Rover stand will be the new 2003 Discovery, which was introduced only six months ago. The latest Discovery features a range of improvements compared with its predecessor, including a Range Rover-like family face, and technology upgrades including the availability in most markets of a differential lock for improved off-road performance.

Subtle changes to the Freelander, Land Rover's innovative small premium 4x4, are also showcased at Geneva, including improved heating and ventilation and a larger fuel tank to improve the range of the petrol 1.8 and V6 models.

The evergreen Defender - which has probably been on the Geneva catwalk for more years than any other 2003 show car - gets further improvements for the current model year, including a new upmarket SE version.

The Land Rover stand will also highlight the G4 Challenge, Land Rover's new international adventure that starts from New York City at the end of this month.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY - THE BESPOKE RANGE ROVER

Geneva, 4 March 2003 - Land Rover can now make personalised versions of the new award-winning Range Rover. An example of the new Autobiography Range Rover will be displayed at this year's Geneva Motor Show.

The Autobiography programme allows Range Rover customers to choose from a comprehensive menu of previously unavailable colours or trim combinations, both inside and outside the vehicle. It also serves up new technology features, such as eight-inch twin DVD screens mounted in the rear of the front seats. An improved version of the already-acclaimed Range Rover Harman Kardon sound system is also available - ‘Logic 7 Sound' - a seven-channel ‘surround sound' experience.

"Land Rover has long had a vigorous and successful bespoke vehicle service that has made vehicles for a variety of famous and interesting customers, including Her Majesty The Queen," said Land Rover's managing director Matthew Taylor. "It's all part of listening to customers and giving them exactly what they want."

The new Autobiography programme for the Range Rover is just step one. As the programme develops, many more options and varieties will be available.

Invariably, a Range Rover Autobiography starts life as a Range Rover Vogue, the top of the range model. The customer can choose from 25 dedicated Autobiography colours, ranging from bright shades such as Sahara Yellow and Volcano Orange, to more subtle hues like Black Cherry and Bordeaux Red. There are 10 interior trim colour-way combinations and the availability of perforated leather upholstery in the centre band of the seat. Four new interior real wood veneer finishes are also available: Grand Black Lacquer, Burr Maple Prussian Blue, Lined Oak Anthracite and Vavona Burl Amber.

This huge choice, all using fully engineered and ‘signed-off' materials, gives the customer a vast range of possible colour and material combinations. There is also the peace of mind of knowing that all paints and materials have passed the same stringent durability and safety tests as normal production materials. The customer gets a hand-finished vehicle that is often unique - but one that passes the same rigours as normal factory assembled models.

Other personalised touches include polished sill tread plates, Autobiography badges and a colour choice for mats or rugs. There are four colours available for high-pile carpet, and 10 different sorts of sheepskin rugs in colour-matched shades.

The Autobiography programme also enables customers to mix and match carpet colours, door trim shades, steering wheel colours (including the use of two-tone wheels), door grab handles and leather seat insert hues. Add them up, and there are thousands of possible combinations.

The twin screen DVD uses two rear eight-inch screens and includes a six-disc auto-changer. One passenger can watch TV while another enjoys a movie. When parked, a front DVD TV screen can also be activated. Anti-glare privacy glass is available to improve viewing enjoyment.

The Logic 7 sound system, is not so much ‘hi' fi as ‘super' fi. Harman Kardon's experts spent over a year tuning the 14 speakers and sub woofer perfectly to match the Range Rover's cabin acoustics. The result is an area offering almost professional sound studio quality. Combine the Harman Kardon Logic 7 sound system with the DVD, and you can enjoy a genuine mobile cinema.

New Land Rover ‘Supaglass' is another feature of the Autobiography programme. A high-tech glass coating makes it non-shattering, and prevents broken glass from entering the passenger area in the event of an accident or attack. Owners who want protection levels beyond toughened shatter-proof glass can order an armoured vehicle from the Range Rover Protection and Security programme - another example of Land Rover personalising vehicles for customers.

Land Rover will have one example of its new Autobiography programme on its stand at the Geneva Show. It's a Bordeaux Red vehicle featuring Sand interior with Jet piping and Jet carpets, privacy glass, Vavona Burl Amber wood highlights, front and rear DVD screens and a dual tone steering wheel.

"The whole point of the Autobiography programme is to allow a customer to tailor a car to his or her taste," said Mr Taylor. "But the Autobiography Range Rover on display gives a good taste of what's available."