Believe it or not, this one-of-a-kind concept car changed Range Rover’s design language forever.
Alongside afternoon tea, and fish and chips, Land Rover sits at the very top of things most British. The brand has a rich history steeped in military service and royal transportation. The Range Rover has been synonymous with wealth and luxury for many years. It’s hard to look at a Range Rover and mistake it for anything else, the brand’s design language is tight and thorough.
However, there was a time when these cars were not as sleek and luxurious but more utilitarian and rugged. Land Rover has been producing the finest British motorcars since their beginning. The course of Land Rover’s future changed with one concept car. In fact, it was the first concept car ever in the whole history of the brand. At the time designers and engineers weren’t quite aware of how impactful this car would be. So let’s take a look at the V8 Range Rover Sport with custom Lamborghini style scissor doors.
A Scissor-Door V8 Range Rover: The Range Stormer
This is the Range Stormer. A 2004 concept car that previewed an all-new model line in the shape of the Range Rover Sport. But it was also created to showcase Land Rover’s growing design confidence at a time of great change in the company. Previewed at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show, It was like nothing the brand had produced before.
A team of UK and Italian-based designers came together to bring this project to life. At the point in time that they were designing this, there was only the classic, full-sized Range Rover. There was no Evoque, there was no Sport, and there was definitely no Velar. The purpose of this striking concept car was to prepare the consumer for the first-ever new Range Rover product; the Sport.
Now it would seem logical and common for Range Rovers for products to share the DNA but still be unique, at the time this thought was completely radical. This prototype had a panoramic glass roof, 2 doors, and an aggressive rear diffuser. And don’t forget the scissor doors! The strange thing is, the development of the Range Rover Sport had already been completed, and the Stormer was purely a marketing stunt for the brand.
Marketing stunt or not, it showcased features that would come to be standard on future Range Rovers. The elevated driving position, eclectically split tailgate, and Terrain Response control. The concept car had huge 22-inch wheels, a thumping great supercharged V8 paired with an automatic gearbox, which nowadays is almost standard for any Range Rover. The Stormer set the tone for what was to come from the brand, it showed that it was possible to carry over the Range Rover DNA to new models while still being unique.
Who Designs Range Rovers?
The brief for the first Range Rover was simple. It was essentially a project to civilize the Land Rover. Overseen by Charles Spencer King and designed by David Back, it laid out the blueprints for SUVs of the future before SUVs were really a thing. It was so well received it remains the only car to ever have been exhibited in the Louvre in Paris.
Originally the prototype for the Range Rover was called Velar. A name that would come back in 45 years’ time. It was badged as this to keep the press away and cover its identity. In 1969, it was a closely guarded secret that 26 prototypes began testing. Following the testing success of this vehicle, the Range Rover was revealed to the world. It was met with critical acclaim thanks to its rare combination of elegant design and capability. It was the first vehicle to provide constant four-wheel drive and feature a split tailgate, a feature that would become synonymous with the brand for years to come.
After 11 years on the market, the Range Rover Classic was made available as a four-door vehicle allowing it to be used for a whole new range of purposes. By 1994 the second generation came, and it was more luxurious and elegant than before. Then the third generation followed in 2001, again more updated but still unmistakably Range Rover. This generation is the one that Range Rover fanatics claim to be the purest with Jeremy Clarkson still holding on to his.
Now in its 5th generation, the Range Rover is arguably it’s the world’s defining luxury SUV. Offering a product to suit all needs and being an early adopter of the SUV trend that would take over the motoring world, the brand has grown to one of the leaders in the automotive industry. It’s argued that owes its widespread success to one concept car.
Sources: YouTube, JLR
