As the Discovery Sport launch date approaches, Land Rover has provided an insight into the development work that goes into a new car. There is less than a month until the Discovery Sport breaks cover with the unveiling set for 3rd September.
A total of 181 prototypes were built for the 11,000 tests to which a new Land Rover is subjected. Those trials included driving in temperatures as low as -36 degrees Celsius in North America and the 42-degree heat of the desert in Dubai. Proving the Discovery Sport's mettle off road included tackling 40-degree ascents and 45-degree descents, plus wading through 600mm of water.
It is even designed to work at an altitude of 4,000 metres. In total the test fleet clocked up 1.2 million kilometres, or three times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
Anything else?
Trips into space are the goal of Land Rover's partner Virgin Galactic; the two companies have produced videos comparing the development of the Discovery Sport and Virgin's commercial, passenger carrying spacecraft. According to Murray Dietsch, Programme Director at Land Rover:
"There is a common philosophy towards engineering between Land Rover and our partners Virgin Galactic. We start with an idea and build from there, spending years refining a design and completing virtual testing before the first prototypes see the tarmac. As our partnership with Virgin Galactic develops, it will be fascinating to get closer to their team and explore common areas of engineering and expertise."