Land Rovers Old and New

**I have no intention of turning this into a car review blog, but these are Land Rovers, come 

on, special case - the go-to tool for conservationists and adventurers alike for decades!! **

As a patriotic Englishman, there are certain nonnegotiable loyalties - Fish and Chips, Full English Breakfasts and Land Rovers among them. That last national requirement comes pretty easily to me, I've always loved Land Rovers. I still have the small toy Defender I played with as a small boy, now a bit rough around the edges - like real Land Rovers of its vintage - but still going plenty strong enough for my young son to play with at present.

I've come a fair way since the dinky toy, via poured over brochures and magazines, unrealistic and as yet unfulfilled dreams of a suitably utilitarian and perpetually muddy Land Rover gracing my future drive way, through to a poor mans Defender (Suzuki) a full 10 years after I learned to drive. But I did end up choosing a career that would, I hoped, on a relatively regular basis send me to places where Land Rovers are in their element. So far the plan has worked... a bit. I've driven various Land Rovers over the past few years, among other makes and models, and relatively often 'off road' - off metalled roads at least.

A few weeks ago I found myself reversing up a very steep, grassy slope in a double cab Defender 110 with 250kg of water destined for a conservation contractor in the back. (It handled it easily by the way, and it felt REALLY steep!) Looking across the deep-cut, wooded valley bottom from the cab, I thought to myself that this wasn't such a bad day 'in the office'. (I changed my mind a little later after carrying the water the rest of the way up the hill!)

What made this particular day in the office even better is that the next day I wasn't going to be in the office at all, because I was going to the Land Rover experience centre at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire.

Like many other fans will have done, when news of a new Land Rover model was released, in this case the new Discovery, I signed up to be 'kept up to date on developments' - in all honesty I was just after another brochure of another vehicle I couldn't possibly afford to idly flick through and then discard. But back in June I got an e-mail which seemed too good to be true:

Lots of love, 

Land Rover

Well, it may as well have been signed with lots of love, because that's how it felt!

I triple checked the small print for the price, but no - Land Rover really were giving me (and a guest) the experience session for free! Arrangements were made, a date was set, my guest invited (thank you for keeping me company and having fun, beautiful wife) and eventually the day dawned wet and grey. Perfect - more mud!

I'd never expected to have the opportunity to drive both Land Rover's longest serving stalwart and newest recruit so close together. And what a stark difference! The Defender is by far and away the best, worst car I have ever driven; the New Discovery on the other hand, is probably the best car I have ever driven, full stop.

We drove it round the tracks at Peckforton for several hours: muddy tracks, deep water, steep hills, ruts, wheels in the air, the works. And it ate it all, never mind for breakfast, without even waking up - it was incredible. The technology is phenomenal - HDC, ATPC, Terrain Response 2. I didn't even notice the Air Suspension raising the ride height. The sheer number of buttons is bordering on intimidating. And then there is all the automated cleverness. Add to that supreme comfort, limousine refinement (at least so it felt to my limited experience of premium vehicles), the gadgets, screens, cameras, everything - the head up display was a particular favourite of my wife. Oh, and I could definitely get used to an automatic gearbox.

If someone were to hand me the keys and tell me to drive off into the sunset, which to be fair is almost what Land Rover did for half a day, I would thank them and do exactly that, with barely a backward glance.

But...

... I'm pretty old school in my tastes. I love the Defender. I have always loved its determination to retain function over form. And frankly, for me, in terms of looks it still beats all of Land Rovers current models hands down in its unashamed, utilitarian uniqueness! The only control at your disposal to alter the performance ready for an off tarmac adventure is a large, clunky lever which needs manhandling into position. I love the way that in low-range first gear it will do almost everything the Discovery can do with all its electro-trickery - that is to say it will slowly, patiently, crawl up or down, over or through almost any obstacle you care to point it at.

But...

... it doesn't do it comfortably, or quietly. I couldn't in all fairness subject my family to the discomfort of living with one, because no matter how much you love them, you cannot deny that they are as crude, unrefined and uncomfortable as a daily driver as they are unparalleled and unstoppable off road. In fact to be brutally honest, I enjoy driving the 2016 Defender at work, because it makes my 13 year old, well used Suzuki (poor mans Defender remember) feel refined, comfortable and quiet.

My poor mans Defender alongside the real thing.

And yet there is a certain something about them. Drive a Defender in the British countryside and you are an instant local, a stranger with a familiar face. Wave to villagers as you drive through a village you've never been to before and they will wave back - they really do, I've tried it. There is no other vehicle that has quiet the same familiarity or popularity, despite being 30 years out of date when production ceased.

The Discovery is worlds apart; unquestionably a 'better' vehicle than the Defender as far as facts and figures go, and undoubtedly a great vehicle in its own right. In fact, based on my very limited but very enjoyable experiences, it may just be that the only thing wrong with it, is that it isn't a Defender.

Unfortunately for me, or perhaps luckily because it means I'll never have to chose, there is one flaw which both share which makes a large proportion of what I have just written irrelevant. I can't afford either.

So to close, I want to reiterate my thanks to Land Rover for:
Firstly, kindly offering us such an enjoyable half day (the whole team were great by the way, we were made to feel very welcome, and our Instructor felt like an old family friend by the time he was through helping us make your lovely, new, shiny Discovery muddy) and,
Secondly, for making vehicles worth writing about for the last 60 odd years - please keep it up.

Richard

Family Adventure Day: Take 1

Who better to share adventures with than your family? Growing up as one of seven children there was never a shortage of adventure buddies. We were lucky with the places we lived, and the places our extended family lived - there was never a shortage of places to have 'adventures'.

Now, as a semi-responsible adult and with a family of my own I have the priviledge of introducing the next generation to the concept of adventure. What better place to start than where many of my own childhood adventures were based: Mid-Wales. This naturally raises the question of what 'adventure' really is, but I think I'll leave addressing that question for another time.

Anyway, as a birthday treat to myself back in early March, Emily (my wife) and I woke the children (Megan 4 and Jack 1) early, loaded them into our all-terrain family adventure wagon, Rhino (a Suzuki Grand Vitara) and headed west for the heartlands of Wales. 

To say the weather was perfect would be stretching the truth, but the excitement factor was high, the snack bag full, the traffic light and the views getting better by the mile. Our plans were simple: 1) visit an area of forest which hosted many a family outing plus an annual easter egg hunt when I was a lad; 2) next on to the Ystwyth River where I basically learned to swim and where if I was feeling brave I'd go for a dip, then 3) onto the beach at Aberystwyth for fish and chips on the beach while we watched the sun set. 

We arrived at the forest where the adventure was to start - while I had been many a time to walk there was adventure which had been denied me; a 'green lane' which snakes for miles across the Welsh mountains following the route of an ancient road. Indeed as a green lane it is still legally a road and public right of way and I had wanted to drive it since well before I ever had a driving licence - the realities of adult life had prevented me for a long time from acquiring a vehicle capable of tackling the route. But a change in work circumstances had finally allowed me to justify buying a 4x4 and so my wait to attempt to tackle this route (although only a small part of it on this occasion) in something more substantial than a pair of wellies was about to come to an end. In Megan's parlance we were going to 'drive the bumpy road!'

Unfortunately we were turned round sooner than hoped by a puddle (more like a small lake really) which pushed the limits of what I was comfortable to drive without a snorkel and a back up vehicle. Sadly there was clear evidence that many people had come to the same conclusion about the puddle and forged their own path instead, carving up the surrounding land and making a mess alongside the legal right of way - something I was not willing to do. With a slightly heavy heart we turned around and headed back down. But I will be back, when the water levels are lower and with back up to make the whole trip. Rhino might just be getting a snorkel too!

 Ystwyth River, one of my favourite places in the UK. It will always hold a special place in my heart. We paddled and threw stones, had a picnic on the pebbles and watched Dippers fly up and down past us for an hour or so, but I wimped out just short of a proper dip - wading knee deep was enough on this occasion. It was still pretty chilly

On to the Ystwyth River valley, one of my favourite places in the UK. It will always hold a special place in my heart. We paddled and threw stones, had a picnic on the pebbles and watched Dippers fly up and down the river for an hour or so. I wimped out just short of a proper dip - wading knee deep was enough on this occasion. It was still pretty chilly!

The weather had been pretty changeable up to this point ranging from dull, damp and chilly through to beautiful sunshine, although never really warm. As we were leaving the Yswyth to head to its mouth (the literal translation of Aber-yswyth is 'mouth of the river Ystwyth') the rain set in with greater determination and the weather was against us when we arrived at the coast earlier than planned. Megan and I took some time to throw stones, watch the waves, and take some pictures on the beach while Emily and Jack napped in the car, then with the weather getting ever less friendly we changed our plans and started heading for home via a scenic route North up the coast. We got our fish and chips, but there wasn't really a sunset to watch!

Regardless we had a great day - we were outside in the fresh air, surrounded by nature; we were spending quality time together as a family. My own little ones were learning the concept of 'going on an adventure' and this won't be the last family adventure day. In fact we are heading back to Wales, although North Wales this time, in the next few weeks.