| 40 | DISCOVERY / RANGE ROVER HYBRID | ||
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The ReDiscovery has a Range Rover Vogue interior, complete with Vogue grey livery and walnut finishing
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snicked the auto selector into'D', pressed my foot to the floor... and the seat back clouted me between the shoulder blades. With just the hint of a growl from the engine the speedo needle wound itself round with surprising speed. Surprising, because I wassitting in a Discovery. Or was it a Range Rover? To be honest, I'm not really sure.No, Barker hasn't flipped because I reckon you would be just as confused, whether you saw this special machine from the outside or from one of its comfortable seats. Other drivers see in their rearview mirror a blue Range Rover approaching rapidly from behind, transforming itself Frankenstein-like into a Discovery as it whispers past. It's the same inside. The seats andfittings are Range Rover, and there's no mistaking the Range Rover bonnet standing proudly alongside lesser mortals. But surely the shell is Discovery? They never made a Range Rover with the stepped-up roofline, did they? As we hustled our way throughthe traffic I learned all about it, relieved to find I wasn't in the middle of a Boddington's-induced hallucination. This very special vehicle has proved a dream-come- true for its owner, Dennis Shepherd, |
managing director of the Jade Press Group. He likes roomy, comfortable cars, with plenty of power on hand when needed. But he had never tried Land Rovers until his son, Darren, acquired a Discovery TdiS and the advantages of four-wheel drive soon bccame apparent. Dennis borrowed the Discovery for camping trips and found he was able to reach campsite parts other vehicles couldn't. He liked the space and seating, too, but wasn't sure about which vehicle would suit him best. Test drives in a Range Rover andanother Discovery failed to convince him. Then, two years ago, he saw something a little different, tried it out... and here I was playing with it. As I said, it's a Range Rover atthe front - well, grille and bonnet - and the rest of the exterior is Discovery. Look inside and it's Range Rover again, with full Vogue interior, seats. dash and door trim. And hiding away beneath thebonnet is a very special package topped off with a 4.5-litre V8, giving ample power and performance. Appropriately enough, it's called the ReDiscovery. It was originally built by BrianSlingsby of Four Plus 4 (formerly Rover Plus) in Leeds, to combine the better features of both Discovery and Range Rover with a bit of extra indulgence for good measure. |
He took a rolling chassis from a rolled-over Range Rover, and fitted new ABS axles with vented front brakes. Leaving the original Range Rover front, bonnet and wings in place, he married a Discovery five-door body and front bumper to the mix. Inside the Discovery bodyshellwent a Range Rover Vogue interior - dash, front and rear seats - leaving the two Discovery occasional seats in the back, re-trimmed in matching Vogue grey. Vogue door trims, including RangeRover door lights, and matching carpets throughout were fitted. Further touches of luxury included air conditioning, CD autochanger. leather-rimmed steering wheel and a heated front windscreen. The engine bay treatment was justas special. The package was: normal Range Rover V8 3.9 'hotwire' engine, bored and stroked to 4.5 litres, gas-flowed heads and ports for extra performance, and modified ECU for better fuelling and improved rev range. The engine was originally matedto a five-speed gearbox and viscous- coupled transfer box. When Dennis bought the vehicle, this was changed to automatic. Handling and ride comfort wereimproved with Land Rover Genuine Parts front and rear anti-roll bars. | ||
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The engine is a Range Rover V8 3.9, bored and stroked to 4.5 litres |
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and Bilstein steering damper for more feel. But the main change was to therear suspension. Twin shocks were used, one set being Monroe Air Adjustable, fed from an on-board compressor, adjustable from the driving seat, with settings from soft to very hard. The only other modification has been the fitment of side steps for older members of the family, and the whole thing is rounded off with 8.5x16 wheels and 235/70/16 XPC tyres. After two years. Dennis has notchanged his views on the vehicle, even if he does feel the fuel consumption is a slight drawback. "It would be nice to do a trip to Scotland and back without having  | |
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| LRO May 1998 |
