Land Rover has always been the leader in luxury utility vehicles even if their reliability has not been what was expected. The British company has made no secret of the fact that they intend to raise the bar of luxury in its vehicles. So much so that you might not even need a luxury sedan such as a S-Class or 7-Series. These days however there’s word that they will have to fend off the likes of Bentley for the title of the most “high-end” sport utility vehicle available.
Well not to wait around, Land Rover has upped the game over its already top of line Autobiography with the Long-Wheel-Based and Black Series. Well once again they have teamed with the exclusive British gun maker Holland & Holland to commission a piece of art to be built by their Special Vehicle Operations. Of course it’s not cheap by any means.
The official release via Land Rover follows:
Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations Joins Forces With Holland & Holland To Create Their Most Luxurious SUV Ever
- Unique Holland & Holland Range Rover embodies craftsmanship of two iconic British marques, both associated with luxury outdoor pursuits
- Builds on Range Rover luxury with a set of features specifically designed for Holland & Holland customers
- The most expensive Range Rover ever benefits from a raft of SVO-designed exclusive features to complement outdoor pursuits.
- The new car builds upon a long and successful association between the two Royal Warrant-holding luxury marques.
Whitley, UK, November 6, 2014 The Holland & Holland Range Rover builds upon the strengths of the two iconic British brands to provide the perfect vehicle for the sporting gun manufacturer’s customers. Thanks to the skill and craftsmanship of the team at Special Vehicle Operations, the new car is able to combine the unrivalled off-road capability of the Range Rover with an extensive range of bespoke features. Both Land Rover and Holland & Holland hold Royal Warrants and the collaboration between them has resulted in the most luxurious, and most expensive, Range Rover ever.
Based on the Range Rover Autobiography Black, the summit of the Land Rover model portfolio, the new model has been designed by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), which will build 40 units per year over a three-year period. The collaboration demonstrates the new division’s rapidly growing and ambitious repertoire of high-end luxury bespoke commissions, as well as extreme performance vehicles.
John Edwards, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, said, “The whole SVO team is very proud of this car, a bespoke design, which perfectly meets the very particular needs of Holland & Holland’s customers. This shows the huge potential of SVO, which encapsulates both off- and on-road performance as well as luxury and craftsmanship.”
The Holland & Holland Range Rover is available with a choice of powertrains: the diesel-powered 4.4-litre SDV8, which delivers 339PS and the 510PS petrol-powered 5.0-litre V8 Supercharged.
Both SVO and Holland & Holland represent the very pinnacle of craftsmanship, and the new car is where their collective skills combine. It is instantly discernable from a distance, even among other Range Rovers, thanks to the unique Holland & Holland Green of the full bodywork, mirrors and bonnet vent. The grille is painted in the same deep green and has chrome highlights.
Holland & Holland badging can be found on the lower accent door badges of both long and standard wheelbase versions, as well as on the tailgate.
On the inside, the Range Rover Autobiography Black has been tailored to accommodate the lifestyle pursuits of Holland & Holland’s customers. The Executive Class seating package in the long wheelbase car makes the most of the additional 186mm (7.3 inches) of legroom and 17 degrees recline available to the rear seat passengers. Two individual fully adjustable seats are complemented by an extended and re-designed centre console with electrically deployable walnut tables, integrated USB charging sockets, enhanced stowage and bespoke lighting.
In the Holland & Holland car, the interior is upholstered with the softest tan and espresso leather hides, with precision leather detailing including Holland & Holland embroidery on the front seats. Even the sides of the transmission tunnel are trimmed in the same shade of leather. This is perfectly complemented by the sustainably-sourced French walnut veneer, subtly polished to resemble the oil-finished gunstocks for which Holland & Holland’s craftsmen have been famous since the company’s foundation in 1835. To mark this, their logo is inlaid into the front centre console. The car’s woodwork is made from a single huge piece of walnut, 1500mm long by 500mm wide, to ensure that every veneer is perfectly matched.
The engraver’s art is well represented too, with Holland & Holland’s brand-defining acanthus scroll turning the internal door handles into works of art. The fascia letterbox panels are decorated with gunstock checkering and the exquisite engraving of the centre console panel has been inspired by Holland & Holland’s distinctive forend diamonds.
What really sets the new Holland & Holland Range Rover apart, though, is located in the boot. A stunning leather-trimmed aluminium loadspace cabinet – debossed with the Holland & Holland logo – has been designed especially for this car. Its espresso Alcantara-trimmed interior can be precisely fitted to safely transport the owner of the car’s pair of Holland & Hollands – although it is also removable when maximum luggage capacity is required.
It sits on a deployable loadspace floor, engineered from aluminium and carbon fibre and finished with leather and wood veneer. The floor components are machined and cut to produce a unique platform that slides out with a perfectly damped action, to ensure that the cabinet is easily accessible, even when the tailgate is open. The sliding floor is also designed to be load-bearing so that it can still be sat upon when owners wish to change their footwear or stop for a brief picnic. When floor and box are in their travel position, they sit low and well back in the boot to ensure that there is still plenty of room for luggage or sports equipment.
Daryl Greatrex, managing director of Holland & Holland, commented: “This project represents two great British brands working together to produce a car that perfectly represents our shared brand values. Stunning form and perfect functionality unite in a car that is supremely fit for purpose.”
The recommended retail price (RRP) for the Holland & Holland Range Rover will be £180,000.
ENDS