 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > Terrain options/ Eastnor |
 
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| rodjackman Member Since: 22 Jan 2023 Location: Hereford Posts: 3   
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Did my third complimentary half day at Eastnor experience centre yesterday. I’m not an off-roader, I just like to know what my current vehicle is capable of. Eastnor is great, worth travelling to even if it’s not your nearest centre. LR use it for testing new models in camouflage colours.
My first experience was a Freelander, second Disco Sport, missed another Disco Sport due Covid and this last one in L663 Defender. The main point of this post is, I didn’t realise that the standard terrain settings on the L663 does not include the Auto setting, where my previous Disco Sports did. I only found out because my wife is off to Badminton tomorrow, and seeing how wet it is there, I went to show her how to put it in to Auto, having seen it in the Eastnor vehicle, but couldn’t find it. Found out it was an option. It seems odd that the true off-road LR does not come with all the off-road goodies as standard, but then I’ve wondered for years why a tow ball on a defender is an option. Surely, it’s a software option, but at nearly £1300!! Having said all that, LOVE my Defender. |
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4th May 2023 11:04pm |
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| LR Nuts Member Since: 10 Aug 2022 Location: UK Posts: 827 
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Rodjackman - "LR use it for testing new models in camouflage colours"
As I understand it there are TWO test tracks at Eastnor. 1/ is a test track for JLR own use, which is NOT open to the public, EVER. 2/ is the LR Experience test track which is open for Experience and Owners vehicles. I once saw a 'prototype' Discovery 2, on a trailer, which had been on the Private JLR track. You wouldn't want to drive that, it was virtually a write-off 
I do agree the LR Experience at Eastnor is very good.  |
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5th May 2023 8:35am |
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| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 792  
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Maybe once in companies the boss had to worry about profitability while the rest was just working, nowadays it seems most employees are engaged to maximise company income.
What you are seeing is someone's clever idea to get more money from your pocket with minimal effort. BMW said they want to build cars with ALL hardware present which can then be switched on and off at will with software remotely for a monthly user fee. Heated seats, only in winter for $20/month something like that. Interesting as the vehicle passes through the second hand trade. Get a basic 15 year old vehicle and sign up with BMW for features, yeah sure... Or you jail break the thing and get it all for free. In fact in most countries when you buy something it is yours to do with as you please, so should not be an issue in practice. In fact when I lived in Norway there was a court case of a guy called DVD-Jon who had cracked the DVD security code allowing DVDs to be copied etc. His defense (successful in Norway) was that having purchased the DVD he was free to do with it as he pleased. Obviously he could not copy the DVD content, but his argument was that he broke to code just to watch it on any device he wanted (this was when they had country coding etc - goes back a few years). Norwegian consumer laws send all those US lawyer back home.. |
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5th May 2023 8:37am |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11240 
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That isn't strictly true. A few years ago my wife and I went and did a two day driver training course there and we ended up in some very remote parts of the estate including the infamous Gearbox Hill and tracks that were used for Camel Trophy selections. We did some of it in a D5 but mostly in a classic Defender as the instructor said there was too much chance of bodywork damage in the former. All good fun  Darren
110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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5th May 2023 9:07am |
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| XplusYplusZ Member Since: 16 Aug 2021 Location: UK Posts: 413 |
You're talking about the terrain response option, right? It is a shame it's not standard - especially for the situation you're describing. But when the company is fighting to stay afloat, they're doing whatever they can to eek out more profit.
What is weird is that the prices for the same tech varies between models. To add the offroad pack with terrain response, low range gearing, ATPC etc for a discovery = £1600. For defender it's £2685 but includes £1600 air suspension, and doesn't require low range gearbox.. such a mess. To be fair, you can probably do a lot in just comfort mode and traction control. But to be safe, tell the Mrs to pop it in "Grass, gravel, snow" mode. One button and a knob turn clockwise will help with most slippy surface issues, and lets you put that £1300 to better use!  Click image to enlarge |
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11th May 2023 12:43pm |
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| XplusYplusZ Member Since: 16 Aug 2021 Location: UK Posts: 413 |
PS. The full day experience in Dunkeld, Scotland is pretty stunning.
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11th May 2023 12:45pm |
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| Tim in Scotland Member Since: 23 May 2007 Location: The Land that time forgot Posts: 3750
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Yep been there many times on complimentary LRE’s but opted to upgrade to full days. They are running an Off-road Trek Under The Stars on the weekend of 10th / 11th June which will take you into their tracks on the Atholl Estate. They are expensive trees but great fun and worth the trip up to do it (OK I live an hour away from it but I have friends who drove their new Freelander 1 out of the showroom in Colchester and drove straight up there on a weekend event I organised when I was in the Freelander Club - the instructors with us in the convoy took us over places no one ever thought a Freelander on road tyres would ever go too!
Although this is Highland off-road’s website they have the LRE Franchise for Dunkeld - I know also that both the Scottish Land Rover Owners Club and the Scottish Green Road Club have negotiated discounts for members to do the weekend. You can camp at Butterstane Loch or book into the local hotels in Dunkeld or book into one of the many B&B’s in the area. Even when it’s raining and misty this is a very scenic and can be testing but not challenging driving. You can also book through the Land Rover Experience website https://www.highlandoffroad.co.uk/activiti...ctivities. Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come 2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed! |
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11th May 2023 3:50pm |
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