LT Sam May, USN, is currently stationed in Japan. He has completed several tours to Iraq and Africa with Army and Navy Special Operations Forces. A paramedic, climber, diver and linguist, he and his family have lived, worked, and traveled all over the world –ed. Text & photos: Sam May
This isn’t a tall tale of jungle adventures or African savannahs. Compared with many of the articles we’ve been glued to in this magazine our trip sounded pretty lame. We set out to show our kids the western half of the United States before our move to Japan. We assumed this trip would be cathartic; however, it never occurred to us that it would change our lives. I’ve lived my life with the belief that the journey is the destination; all else in this life we cannot and should not control. (…)

Story & Photos by Jim Edson

Land Rover Bluff City, Memphis, TN, will be hosting a guided trail ride for all Land Rover owners. Whether you’ve never been off-road, or you are an experienced rock crawler, this is your chance to experience what your Land Rover is truly capable of – we have a trail for you. If you don’t want to take your Rover “off-road,” come ride with one of the trained staff from Bluff City, we will have room for you along in one of our vehicles.

I had not been off-roading since SCARR last April (South Central Area Rover Rally in Texas –ed). So, right away I gave up my spot at the annual Texas Rovers trip to the Texas State Fair scheduled the same October weekend. With my ’04 Discovery II G4 running well, new tires on the Casita camper and my new camera I felt ready for this adventure. I had not been to the Superlift Off-Road Vehicle Park in Hot Springs, AR, in several years; all I could remember were some very rocky, long steep hills. (…)

Land Rover’s UK sales for October 2009 have risen for the third consecutive month in a row.

Land Rover sold a total of 2855 units in October 2009 and 28,042 year to date. This is 89% better than October 2008. All of the models saw a rise in sales with Defender up 25%, Freelander 2 up 55%, Discovery up 112%, Range Rover Sport up 210% and Range Rover up 43%.

John Edwards, managing director, Land Rover UK commented: “It’s great to see the market up over 30% and we’re excited to achieve an 89% rise in October versus last year. It demonstrates what an outstanding success the new 2010 model year vehicles have been and proves the importance of having new products in an ever competitive market.”

Land Rover currently sells in over 170 markets around the world. The UK is currently Land Rover’s largest market.

Doug Evilsizor and Gustaf Kupetz discussing build strategy on the LR3 (left to right). Story by Gustav Kupetz, Photos by Matt Martin

Join LRL as we take Land Rover’s LR3s and push them right to the limit on a few epic LRL trips. We take on challenging terrain and historic locations with temperatures from Speedo hot to Polar Bear cold, all in the name of adventure and a good time. Blood and sweat await those who make it, and green tears for those who are left behind. In case you can’t join us, we’re sharing the good times with The Rovers North News. Armchair enthusiasts will have the distinct pleasure of forgoing the sweat and the tears.

We’ve kitted out our LR3s for the wide range of off-road experiences encountered in the US. To round out our Land Rover experience, we’re including a Defender 110 as our support truck. For these events we’ve teamed up with many sponsors but few more important than Rovers North, who have handled the bulk of our build needs. (…)

Story & Photos by: Josh Williams | Land Rover Experience
Let me say right off, there was a time when I favored the Discovery. After graduating from Montreat College in North Carolina in 2004, I started working for The Land Rover Experience at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. There my vehicle of choice was the Discovery. We also used Range Rovers and Freelanders - but I preferred the Discovery.

The Discovery proved itself a great vehicle to learn the “ins” and “outs” of Land Rover. It taught me how to bleed green in more ways than one! At tremendous driving locations like the Greenbrier [VA] and Biltmore Estate I learned to hear and to feel the vehicle. From the driver’s seat of the Discovery I feel like I’m on top of the world and there is nothing like the sound of the V8 - to this day I hear a Discovery well before I see it.

by John Robison
In this article I’d like to take you inside the electronics on a Range Rover Sport. I think you’ll be amazed at how sophisticated these machines have become.

If you were to name one particular capability that Land Rover was known for, what would it be? The wise guys among you would pick oil leaks or Lucas electrics, but I’d pick surefootedness or superior traction. To me, that’s what Land Rover is all about. From the very beginning, the Land Rover was a vehicle that went where nothing else could. And even more important – it came back, under its own power.

Story & Photo by Bob Mohan
[Bob Monhan, Chester, VA, works as the logistics manager for an Italian specialty foods company and is a Virginia Master Naturalist. With Mary Beth, his wife, and their Discovery II, they enjoy hiking, nature photography and biking. Life was incomplete, however, until they found their first Series Land Rover. –ed]
Mary Beth and I bought our first Land Rover, a 2004 Discovery II, about 3 years ago after looking at virtually every other make of SUV out there. The unobstructed views offered by the seating position clinched the deal on the Discovery for us. I also liked its uniqueness (you don’t see yourself coming down the road several times a day) and quirkiness. I retained a vague awareness of it heritage and off-road prowess.
Nine months later we attended a dealer off-road event; simply put, the Discovery’s offroad capability blew us away. Now I had to take the Rover off-road more often. (…)

By Jeffrey B. Aronson
A fisherman friend came up to me in our island’s village parking lot, a wharf on the edge of the main harbor. “You know, Jeff,” he said, “You can actually buy cars made after 1980.” He then touched the door handle on his family minivan and watched the door slide open electronically.
So what if his door moved automatically? Does his car provide him with health benefits? I don’t think so! Performing even the simplest maintenance on a Land Rover gives you a fitness workout usually accomplished only with the aid of those strange devices extolled by Chuck Norris and introduced by lovely blondes on late night infomercials.
The Land Rover exhaust is a series of bolted together pipes. Replacing them gives you the chance to get eaten alive by bugs while lying on the ground, chew on rust flakes, spit out dirt and search for nuts, bolts and washers that fall onto the ground. And it’s free! (…)

Story & Photo by Jim Edson
[Jim Edson, Irving, TX, entered the Land Rover world with a rare ’95 Discovery manual transmission. Once hooked, he upgraded to a 2004 G4 Discovery. He’s a past president of the Texas Rovers and now serves as the webmaster of their site, www.texasrovers.org. Here’s his story on the 2008 South Central Texas Rally –ed.]
Five years ago, the late Ross Mabey and fellow Texas Rovers Club members (texasrovers.org) started an annual event for Rover enthusiasts in the Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas area. Each year, it’s been hosted at Barnwell Mountain, located in northeastern Texas (Four Wheeler Magazine listed it as one of the 101 places to wheel before you die). Each year, it has grown; this year, with over 150 participants and great sponsors, Texas Rovers rented the entire park for the nearly 100 Land Rovers. The vehicles ranged from a 1962 Series II to a 2008 Range Rover Sport – but the majority of trucks were Discoverys. (…)

The Land Rover Discovery 3 Awarded Best Premium SUV at Auto Express New Car Honours Awards. Photo: Land Rover UK
Land Rover has won two prestigious accolades in the Auto Express New Car Honours awards, beating tough competition to win Best Compact SUV and Best Premium SUV.

The Land Rover Freelander 2 Receives Best Compact SUV accolade at Auto Express New Car Honours Awards. Photo: Land Rover UK
The Land Rover Freelander 2 fought off the likes of the VW Tiguan, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Kuga in what is one of the most hotly contested sectors to win Best Compact SUV, while the Discovery 3 beat the BMW X5, Audi Q7 and the Mercedes M-Class to win Best Premium SUV.
Auto Express road test editor, Chris Thorp, said: “Here is the proof that when it comes to building compact sports utility vehicles, Land Rover cannot be matched. Not only is the Freelander 2 as capable on the road as it is off it, the upmarket 4×4 is as refined as some of the best limousines. (…)