ARK ReDesign unveils three-door Range Rover Sport conversion
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Land Rover has been threatening to build a sport-oriented three-door model for some time now. The British offroaders first whet our appetites with the Vesuvius orange Range Stormer, a 2004 show vehicle that eventually evolved into the production five-door Range Rover Sport. More recently, Land Rover has shown off the LRX, also a three-door concept, but word is that it, too, could grow an extra set of doors by the time it reaches showrooms.
Thus, the aftermarket has taken up the slack, with companies like LSE taking up the slack and building shortened, "coupified" versions of the Range Rover Sport. Now, a new UK firm called ARK ReDesign is taking up the torch, and it plans on offering its own three-door variant shortly. Official details remain slim, but ARK says they will offer to perform the door-ectomy on either a new Sport or a customer's pre-existing vehicles, whether stock or modified. Official press release after the jump.
[Source: ART ReDesign]
PRESS RELEASE
3 Door Range Rover Sport under development by emerging UK automotive design & engineering company ARK ReDesign.
ARK ReDesign – The absolute finest in bespoke automotive engineering.
Introducing the bespoke 3 door Range Rover Sport - the product of a series of enhancements to the original vehicle and soon to be available from ARK ReDesign.
The three door variant offers an enhanced sporting look and feel and yet remains
in-keeping with the design intent of the original vehicle – being equally at home on the most challenging terrain as it is on the high street.
Initially offered to a factory level specification, the 3 door vehicles will have standard factory trim and paint options. In addition, there will also be the option to individually tailor a vehicle to meet any specific requirements (phone or email to discuss individual requirements).
ARK ReDesign also plan to offer these modifications to current Range Rover Sport owners (standard and modified vehicles).
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Eric Bandholz 7:04PM (2/09/2009)
Looks good.
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AMcA 8:21PM (2/09/2009)
Quite nice. What it should always have been.
Leave it to a stuck in the mud company like Ford to take the "people like 4-doors" approach. They should have done the 2 door, sold a bunch of them and let that establish what an Range Rover Sport is, then acting all reluctant, go out and build the 4 door - and sell boatloads of 'em because they're sporty.
Now, having built the 4 door first, all they accomplished was to establish a cheaper alternative to the big Range Rover. It's a car that makes the big Range Rover look great, while undercutting it in the market.
Dumb.
Jorge 11:03AM (2/10/2009)
I saw that show too. It was TLC´s Rides a long time ago, maybe 4 years or so, a company in middle east in a joint venture with West Coast Customs built one like this based on the prototype, that I think is the one mentioned in the article. It was for a sheik or someone like that.
Kumail 7:11PM (2/09/2009)
why?
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Slade 7:21PM (2/09/2009)
Some people like a 3 door. Land Rover. I think it's rather handsome.
AC0 7:36PM (2/09/2009)
Check out the original Ranges, i wish they could do this for the full size Rover! The proportions might be a bit off though...
Rich 7:37PM (2/09/2009)
Because the original Range Rover was conceived as a three door. I had a 1979 model, and they were nice. When the Rangestormer was unveiled, it kicked me in the environmentals (i.e. I wanted one), but then they did me a favour and castrated it by adding two more holes. This time they did me a favour by forgetting to paint it in a colour. Thanks, whoever owns the company now!
Rich 7:42PM (2/09/2009)
@Rich: duh it's not a real Land Rover model, it's just somebody's idea of what they should make.
In other words, I could have done this. Give me some money: I'll take two doors off your car.
Seminole 8:03PM (2/09/2009)
Why the hell is Rich talking to himself...
giorgio.giorio 7:16PM (2/09/2009)
go and look some amazing news on www.mad4wheels.com
there are so many hires pics
enjoy
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the vegas style guy 7:22PM (2/09/2009)
I like the idea. However, I can already here the conversion rattles. I worked for the Saudi royal family and they have a two door convertible that sounds like buckets of rocks whenever it hits the smallest bump. I assume this would be the same.
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Mobius_1 7:25PM (2/09/2009)
I'd much rather have a Defender. :)
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aaron 10:27PM (2/09/2009)
Mobius:
My dad had a '94 Defender 90 w/stick. He took it off-road several times where a manual is much more appropriate, but he soon learned that the auto is much more reliable with the failure of several cluthes with the stick. Fortunately, the work was under warranty, so if you ever go for a '97 model (the last model year sold in the U.S.), get an auto.
Maverick Saturn 7:51PM (2/09/2009)
I'd say defender as well, but it looks nice regardless
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Xander 7:53PM (2/09/2009)
Oh it will never sell without rear doors!
I swear the auto companies are all freakin idiots; lets just say as little as a fifth of the people out there would want a 3 door SUV; too small a market to bother with they would say. Not if your have no competition for it!
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Torrent 8:03PM (2/09/2009)
I'd much rather have the LSE Range Rover Coupe.
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Quan 8:07PM (2/09/2009)
I'd much rather have the LRX. Speaking of which, what happened to the LRX? Is it still on the way?
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trevor2k 2:09PM (2/10/2009)
Yes. Recent reports from Haldex show that they scored a contract to provide an AWD system to a new Land Rover product that launches in 2011 - the LRX
Quan 5:11PM (2/10/2009)
Sounds good.
DreamTheater 8:49PM (2/09/2009)
the original Range was offered as a 3-door... that's all I have to say...
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