Range Rover Sport: British Heart, German Wings Motoring
Channel Staff - 27/July/2007 | 
Range Rover SUV with swing wing doors -
otherwise called the Arden British Pegasus
Indian Pegasus?Arden
has extensive tuning programmes for both Jaguar and Range
Rover
models, and is calling it's new exotic SUV modification the 'British
Pegasus. But it may have to change that moniker to Indian Griffin or
something like that, as Indian auto groups Tata Motors
and Mahindra & Mahindra are both reported to be in the bidding for
the
Jaguar/Land Rover assets that Ford is currently seeking to offload. Jaguar
and Land Rover to become an Indian company? That's how it's looking, as
Ford wants to get rid of the premium car brands any way it can to stem
the haemorrhaging of funds. Neither Jaguar nor Land Rover has been a
particularly profitable company for Ford. -
Feann Torr, Editor |
|
Krefeld, Germany —
Nicknamed the "British Pegasus", this Range Rover Sport with wing-type
doors will be the envy of all other SUV owners. It gives the car a
completely new attitude, one that's absurdly exotic and very
eye-catching. The swing-wing door system costs roughly €20,000, or about $31,000 in Australian currency. Arden is the German company that is behind
the conversion, which employs a new door hinge unit to make the doors
swing upwards, adding a level of automotive showmanship rarely
seen on an SUV. According to Arden, a company which has
been modifying Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles for more than 30 years,
the swing-wing door is no longer the exclusive reserve of Italian
sports cars. The door system itself initially
opens the original door away from the cars body, which then glides
upwards and gently opens completely. Arden explains that a gas spring
supports the opening phase and reduces unnecessary strain. This
vertically opening door mechanism is made of high quality stainless
steel, and Arden claims that all mechanisms are thoroughly tested in
accordance with manufacturing vehicle UN-ECE regulations. In other
words, it's impact protection is still intact. Arden
can also juice up the engine of your Range Rover Sport, so that the
swing-wing doors won't be the only thing bystanders marvel at. It
has tuning options for both diesel and petrol engines and, for
example, the powerful V8 diesel can be given increased performance to
232kW (315hp) and 700Nm of torque. The supercharged V8 is stroked
to 4.5-litres and with 353kW (480hp) and 680Nm, it's claimed top
speed of around 270km/h is easy to believe. Exhaust tuning systems help
the engines breath a little easier, while also altering the acoustic
characteristics of the V8 Range Rover Sport models. The
German tuning group can also upgrade the interior of the car, with a
range of high quality materials, and there's even a wide-body kit that
gives the car even more presence. Of course, oversized rims are
mandatory in any sort of pimped-out SUV such as this one, and Arden
offers "Sportline" in 23-inch or monoblock "Dakar" rims sized at
22-inches. Either way, you're going to get noticed. Chassis
upgrades can also be specified for the customers with deep pockets,
which includes a new brake system that was developed in house by Arden.
Bespoke brakes. Related Links:
Range Rover Sport |
