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748: Nissan GT-R
It’s fast, sexy and a bargain. So what’s the catch?
744: Jaguar XF
The new sedan from Britain’s storied automaker proves that appearances are, in fact, deceiving
736: Suzuki Swift Sport
Suzuki’s bargain hatch proves big fun can come in small packages
732: Dualis & X-Trail
Nissan introduces a new SUV while its marquee model continues to play tough
728: Toyota Vanguard
Head off to the concrete jungle with a bit more vehicle than you need
724: Subaru Impreza S-GT
Japan’s automotive loudmouth learns some manners
720: Tokyo Auto Salon 2008
Get ready for some modification mayhem at Makuhari Messe
716: Dodge These!
Chrysler introduces three muscle-bound imports to Japan
712: Licensed to Drive
We guide you through the bureaucratic jungle
708: Tokyo Concours D’Elegance
Exotic autos from the past and present glide into Roppongi
704: Car Knows Best
Automakers are introducing technology that will let your ride decide if you’ve had one too many
700: Range Rover & Land Rover
We put three SUVs from the fabled British maker through their paces
696: Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Channel 007 in this latest incarnation of the marquee automaker’s “baby”
692: BMW R1200GS Adventure
The storied bike maker competes with itself to create a three-in-one masterpiece
688: Lexus LS460
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684: Alfa Romeo Spider
We unleash the Italian monster on a 1,200km road trip
680: Ford Mustang
The American classic goes back to its roots
676: Citroën C6
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672: Nissan’s Pino and Otti
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668: Jaguar XK
Forget James Bond—this is the UK’s sexiest export
664: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
660: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
656: Alfa Romeo Brera
This gorgeous Italian coupe is both poised and sexy
652: Premium wheels
Business is good for Rolls-Royce in Japan, with an eagerly awaited convertible due out next year
648: Citroen C3 Pluriel
The quirky French automaker barrels into the 21st century
644: Jeep Commander& Grand Cherokee
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640: BMW Z4 M Roadster
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636: Name dropping
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632: BMW Mini Cooper S
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628: Mazda Roadster
Redesigned and retooled, this two-seater is now a car for enthusiasts
624: Hyundai Sonata
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621: Lexus IS350
Toyota brings its upmarket brand to Japan—finally
616: Volvo XC90 V8
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612: Chrysler 300C
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608: The Big Ideas
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604: Tokyo Motor Show 2005
The automotive world’s big players zoom into Japan with some high concepts in tow
597: Three brothers
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593: Ducati 1000S DS Multistrada
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589: Mazda Demio Sport
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585: BMW K1200S
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581: Chrysler’s Cruisers
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577: Suzuki Skywave 650LX
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573: Cadillac STS 4x4
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569: Tour de Force
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565: Alfa Romeo GT and 156 GTA
With stunning looks and power to spare, these two Alfas are an enthusiast's dream
560: Driving the Future
The talk of the auto industry in 2004 was hybrids, safe driving and intelligent vehicles
556: Deja vu
Blast to the past on Harley-Davidson’s Road King Custom
552: Sports sensation
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548: Lean machine
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544: Kings for a day
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539: Rules of the road
New traffic laws are on the horizon. Turn off your cellphone, watch where you park and don’t ride in gangs, Chris Betros warns.
537: Open roadster
William Bonds gets up-close with the elements courtesy of the Nissan Fairlady 350Z convertible.
535: Extreme makeover
Volvo sheds its stodgy-but-safe image for sleek-and-sporty with the new S40 T5. William Bonds likes what he sees.
533: Sporting chance
Mazda has brought the station wagon up to speed with its Atenza Sport Wagon 23Z. William Bonds takes one for a spin.
531: Street smarts
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529: Speed zone
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527: Italian Stallion
The Alfa Romeo 147 carries on its maker’s reputation for hot cars with unmatched sex appeal. William Bonds gets carried away.
525: Hot wheels
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523: Mean Machine
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521: Show stealers
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519: Mighty mouse
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517: Trail blazer
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515: Up to speed
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513: Good save
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512: The road ahead
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509/10: Top of the class
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507: Mom-mobiles
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505: Cubic's rube
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503: Globe trotters
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501: Back to the future
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Cars & Bikes

Text and photos By William Bonds

Range Rover & Land Rover
We put three SUVs from the fabled British maker through their paces

Range Rover Sport

As a youngster in Britain, my only connection to Land Rover was when I used to visit my friend’s family farm. Farms in the UK usually consist entirely of mud and cow crap drenched in rain, so trying to get around the fields in a Ford Cortina was obviously a bad idea. My friend’s father cruised the countryside in a classically chunky Land Rover—but to me it always felt like riding a magic carpet as it navigated its way through the muck.

However, when it got out of the sludge, it mysteriously still felt like you were riding through muck. Land Rovers never struck me as being great for the open road—and if you’re going out to dinner at a fancy restaurant, squelching into a parking lot in a car covered in cow crap is hardly going to make the right impression.

Enter the Range Rover. When the vehicle made its debut in 1970, the impact was astonishing. It injected actual luxury into off-road vehicles for the first time—at least in Europe. There were some SUVs in the United States that were less rudimentary than the Land Rover, but the Range Rover just redefined the market. It was like a stately home on wheels. Amazingly, today’s version looks very similar to the original—after all, stately homes aren’t exactly prone to change—but it has been through a number of transformations and even has a number of cousins bearing the Land Rover marque. To find out what they were like, I took out the Range Rover Sport, a Land Rover Discovery 3 and the new Land Rover Freelander 2.

Range Rover Sport

Range Rover Sport

I’m no fan of SUVs, but I’m beginning to suspect that I’ve just been driving the wrong models. The Range Rover Sport initially asks the question: “Are you cool enough to drive me?” Well, Mrs Bonds is, but she can’t drive, so I clambered aboard the jolly red giant with white leather seats. “Power seats,” you could call them, because when you’re in them, you really feel more at the helm of a power boat.

And power is what the Range Rover Sport is all about. As soon as you press the throttle, the supercharged V8 4.4-liter engine responds, gulps down a bucket of gas and throws you along at an alarming rate. The power is delivered very smoothly and actually gives you more control over your driving; maybe that’s what other SUVs lack. The Sport has been shortened and lightened in comparison to the regular Range Rover (it’s also cheaper at ¥9.2 million) to give it more on-road advantages, but it still has most of the attributes of the classic Range Rover, including death-defying off-road capabilities.

Land Rover Discovery 3

Land Rover Discovery 3

While the Range Rover is the polar opposite of the classic farmer’s Land Rover, the Discovery sits somewhat in the middle. All three have prodigious off-road capabilities, but while the Disco is extremely comfortable, it is hardly refined. It can, however, go where the hell it likes with its powerful 4.4-liter engine, permanent 4-wheel drive and solid build. It looks impressive and not too dissimilar to the Range Rover, but it feels like a workhorse. The interior is also utilitarian, and Mrs Bonds was turned off by the imposing cliff-like dashboard.

Land Rover Discovery 3

It’s also a bit of a monster to drive. The engine lurches into life (no supercharger on this one) and gives the impression it will only be comfortable—or under control—when climbing slowly up a stiff mountain with all the 4-wheel drive gadgets locked on. The main problems with the Discovery are that it’s too heavy, too thirsty and too big for Japan. Driving around the country roads of Chiba was hair-raising when the track was completely covered by the car. When you come to a rice-paddy intersection, you have to drive through and reverse back to make tight turns. This baby belongs on a farm in areas where the roads are relatively wide. Japan’s country roads are just too small to justify its cost of ¥5.68 million to ¥7.59 million

Land Rover Freelander 2

Land Rover Freelander 2

Call it Land Rover “Light,” if you must, but you’ll be insulting the badge on the vehicle. For those who don’t want the industrial capabilities of the Discovery or can’t come up with the cash to get into Range Rover territory, the new 3.2-liter Freelander 2 gives you all the good things Land Rovers have to offer at a scaled-down price (¥3.9 million to ¥5.3 million).

More importantly, this is the car that makes sense in Japan. Stepping out of the Freelander and into the Discovery was like going from a K-Car to a 3-ton truck. The Freelander is nimble (it reaches 100 kph in under 9 seconds), easy to drive in the city and in the country (its wheelbase is 29cm shorter than the Discovery and it’s 600kg lighter) and still robust enough to cope with anything the Japanese countryside has to offer. You can even turn corners. The Freelander has 4-wheel drive and Land Rover’s innovative “wheel of terror” gear settings, which you can turn to suit the terrain you are approaching.

Land Rover
Freelander 2

If Land Rover were giving these cars away, then I’d take the Range Rover Sport. It’s fantastic to drive and cool to be seen in. The Discovery seems to be more trouble than it’s worth, but for ¥3.9 million, the new Freelander 2 is a no-brainer: a fine combination of style and substance at a decent price.

As a bonus, they’re all British.

Autofile

The 40th Tokyo Motor Show will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba from October 27 through November 11. This year, the organizers have added special events to promote audience participation—including test rides.

In addition to the usual attractions (which includes, of course, the babes adorning the various cars), a full lineup of funky concept vehicles will be unveiled. Nissan is showing off its battery-powered Pivo 2 (pictured), a state-of-the-art electric car that can move laterally and has a small robot to assist with navigation—and to keep an eye on things in general. The round-eyed ’bot head sitting on the dashboard has cameras that can tell when a driver is getting sleepy. It’s also bilingual, and can say things like “You look tired. There’s a coffee shop 500 meters ahead on the left.”

Meanwhile, Mazda’s theme for the show is “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom,” and the automaker will be debuting its all-new Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, which visitors will have the opportunity to take on a test spin at the “clean energy vehicle demo drive course.”

www.tokyo-motorshow.com/show/2007/eng. Chris Betros

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