Oxfordshire Limited Edition – July 2019

206 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition|June 2019

IanLammingisblownawaybythenewRangeRoverEvoque

A FEAT OF ENGINEERING

C

anyoudothemaths,because

Ican’t.Itisstaggering!

StandinginLandRover’s

HalewoodplantEvoque

afterEvoquetrundleby

everyfewsecondsinvarious

stagesofdressandundress.Theystartat

oneendwithsheetsofTatametal(steeland

aluminium)and 48 hourslateranewEvoque

oraDiscoverySportpopsouttheotherend,

eachonewithanamedownerand,hence,

representingmoneyinthebankforJLR.

ThisisthebitIcan’tquitecomprehend–

700 vehiclesaday, 363 daysayear(theplant

onlyclosesonChristmasandNewYear’s

Day)atanaveragepriceof,say,foreaseof

themaths,£ 50 K.Wellthat’salotthenisn’tit?

Theotheramazingthingaboutbeing

assemblyline-sidearethebewilderinglevels

ofengineeringrequired(haveyoueverseena

wiringloomcloseup,OMG),thelogisticsof

just-in-timemanufacturingandthemindsetto

notonlyworkinafactorybuttoenjoyit.

Withthisinmind,howcouldacritic,

becausethatiswhatmybreedis,darecriticise

orevennit-pickagainstthisbackdropof

humanskill,resolveandengineeringprowess.

CouldIdesignormanufactureanEvoque?

No.ButcouldIdrivethesecondgeneration

ofwhatmustbetheworld’smostsuccessful

luxurycar?Ohyeahbaby,bringiton.So

thosenicepresspeopleatLandRoverdidjust

thatandthelineofspankingnewEvoquesin

theplantcarparkwerejustforus.

Wheredowestart?Well,weareoutside

sotheobviousplaceisthenewlook.Ilikeit;

it’sbecomeababyVelarwiththeupmarket

RangerRoversnoutandlovelyrump.All

that’smissingistheterrace-streetlengthto

differentiatethetwo–there’sonlyamillor

twoinitcomparedwiththeolderEvoque

• andtheproportionsareactuallypretty
  perfect.It’saclassyevolutionofamodel
  whichsoldwelltotheend.

‘CouldIdrivethe

secondgeneration

ofwhatmustbethe

world’smostsuccessful

luxurycar?Ohyeah

baby,bringiton’