As the Discovery 4 nears the end of its life, Land Rover produces two special edition models to boost end of life sales.

• Greater on-road presence with the introduction of the Discovery Landmark and Graphite
• Distinctive exterior design features enhance fourth generation Land Rover Discovery
• World-renowned all-terrain capability and versatility retained

Land Rover continues to broaden the appeal of the Discovery with the launch of – the Landmark and the Graphite. New distinctive exterior design features to both enhance the design of the fourth generation Discovery, while unique interior touches to the Landmark bring more luxury and exclusivity.

These models give the Discovery even greater on-road presence than ever before. Available to order now, they will be seen on the roads from January 2016 onwards.

“The appeal of the Land Rover Discovery has just got even greater. We have launched two new models – the Landmark and Graphite, which offer the customer greater on-road presence and enhanced comfort to complement the Discovery’s existing versatility and capability attributes,” says Finbar McFall, Jaguar Land Rover Product Marketing Director.

Landmark

The Discovery Landmark builds on the generous specification of the HSE Luxury derivative with new interior and exterior features that offer customers a more premium and unique look and feel to their Discovery.

The exterior upgrade sees the addition of full length roof rails in a bright finish that highlight the familiar stepped roof design of the Discovery. Distinctive black fender vents, grille and mirror caps complement silver bonnet and tailgate badges, alongside Landmark badging to the side and rear to further distinguish this model. 20-inch 5-split spoke alloy wheels complete the design.

The Landmark is available in a limited range of five body colours, including Zanzibar which has been exclusively reserved for the Landmark edition and is not available on any other Discovery. The other four available body colours are Waitomo Grey, Santorini Black, Yulong White and Indus Silver.

Enhancements to interior refinement come as standard inside the Landmark with the addition of Windsor Leather seats and the Extended Leather Pack throughout, furnishing the dashboard, door casings and fascia. The interior is purposefully limited to three colourways – Ebony, Almond and Tan. The latter is offered for the first time ever in a Discovery, with Tan Windsor Leather Seats complemented by Ebony door casings and fascia and a Straight Grained Walnut veneer trim finisher.

Customers can opt for either the Grand Black Lacquer or Straight Grained Walnut Wood & Leather steering wheel with two other variants fitted as standard to complement the choice of veneer.

The Discovery Landmark is available through Land Rover Retailers for an on the road price of £55,995.

Graphite

The Discovery Graphite builds on the success of the Black Pack and introduces a modern and distinctive look to the model range with striking finishes. 

A grey Graphite finish to the fender vents and grille, which also sports a gloss black and lighter grey frame, blend with existing grey highlights appointed to the door handles and the Discovery badging to the bonnet and tailgate. 

Exclusive to the Graphite is the 19-inch 7-split spoke alloy wheel in a high gloss dark grey as standard, with the option of a 19-inch 7-split spoke alloy wheel. The customer can choose between a spectrum of nine body colours and three interior colourways.

The Discovery Graphite is available through Land Rover Retailers for an on the road price of £47,495.

Efficient technologies

The optional Land Rover InControl Apps complements the Discovery’s existing infotainment system to provide the ultimate in-car connectivity. It brings the convenience, familiarity and original look and feel of compatible smartphone apps into the owner’s vehicle, which are displayed and controlled from the vehicle’s touchscreen. The customer can find parking spaces, stream their favourite music or simply locate the nearest hotel for that invaluable pit-stop.

The acclaimed Terrain Response® and Hill Descent Control drive technologies ensure optimal and responsive driving across any terrain as standard. Add in the twin-speed transfer box  offering high and low range for the most demanding off-road conditions, and optional Wade Sensing™ technology to alert the driver to deep water, and the Discovery is equipped to tackle whatever path the customer decides to travel.

The Discovery has been at the top of The Caravan Club judging panel’s list of capable towing vehicles consistently for the last nine years in the UK, recently scooping three top honours, including overall winner. To support the Discovery’s award-winning towing capacity of 3,500kg, Tow Hitch Assist is available as an option to help hitch a trailer to the tow bar and Towing Assist acts as an extra pair of eyes as the vehicle is maneuvered into position. Safety and security options – such as Blind Spot Monitoring, Closing Vehicle Sensing and Reverse Traffic Detection, offer the driver further assistance when out on the road.

A full 7-seater with stadium seating and over 2,500-litre stowage capacity, the Discovery can be reconfigured and equipped to fit seamlessly into the changing lifestyle of its owner. Its versatile interior with variable seating and a range of essential hard-wearing and practical accessories, ensure everyone travels in premium class comfort without compromise. The split tailgate and adjustable air suspension are an added bonus for easier loading and unloading.

The Land Rover Discovery continues to drive power and all-terrain capability with efficient diesel and petrol engine options when matched with fuel-stretching Stop/Start technology and the refined ZF 8-speed automatic transmission.

The 3.0-litre SDV6 remains, delivering 256PS (188kW), 36.7mpg (7.7l/100km) and a CO₂ figure of 203g/km on a combined cycle.

The Land Rover Discovery retains its position as the ultimate vehicle for all-terrain capability and versatility, with over 1,160,000 retail sales and 225 international awards since its launch in 1989.

Mustang celebrates 50 years with a return visit to the top of the Empire State building.

• On April 16 and 17, Ford is celebrating 50 years of continuous production by bringing the all-new Mustang convertible to the Empire State Building’s 86^th floor observatory
• Ford is re-creating the same feat it achieved nearly 50 years ago – unveiling a Mustang on one of the world’s most famous landmarks
• Fans and owners from 16 countries, 10 of which are in Europe, can participate in official celebration of the Ford Mustang in U.S. from April 16 to 20; further celebrations will take place in Europe later this year
• Mustang goes on sale in Europe in 2015

Two of the world’s most recognisable icons are coming together April 16-17 as the all-new Ford Mustang will be on display on the observation deck of the Empire State Building in New York.

The display – replicating the same feat from nearly 50 years ago – coincides with the global celebration of 50 years since Mustang debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. 

“New York is one of the greatest cities in the world, and it’s the place where the Ford Mustang story began 50 years ago,” said Mark Fields, Ford chief operating officer. “We’re thrilled to be visiting the architectural landmark that has been the heart of the Manhattan skyline for 83 years with the newest generation of the car that is the soul of Ford Motor Company.”

Taking a car 86 stories above the densely populated streets of Midtown Manhattan is no simple task. No portable crane can reach the 86^th floor observatory, and the spire towering above the relatively narrow deck makes helicopter delivery impossible. That leaves the elevators as the only viable option. 

When the Empire State Building opened in 1931 as the world’s then-tallest building – a title it held for nearly 40 years – no one would have envisioned trying to transport a car up in the original elevators. But in 1965, a prototype Mustang convertible was sliced into three main sections plus windshield so that the sections would fit into those elevators. 

“Like all good craftsmen, our team is measuring twice and cutting once to make sure we can get this Mustang up in the elevators,” said Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer. “Like the team that did this in 1965, the current crew visited the Empire State Building before starting and took careful measurements of its new elevators and doors before cutting up the car.” 

The new Mustang is nearly 180mm longer and 100mm wider than its ancestor, making the task of transporting it up even more challenging. Working from computer engineering data, team members preparing the display car have found just the right places to make the cuts so everything can be loaded onto custom-made racks that can be rolled into the elevators.

Once everything is transported up 86 floors, the technicians will have less than six hours to reassemble the sections into a complete car that will be on display above Manhattan. 

Visitors to the Empire State Building observation deck can see the new Mustang convertible from 08.00 to 02.00 on April 16 to 17.

Also beginning on April 16, enthusiasts representing 16 countries will gather in the United States to celebrate 50 years of the Ford Mustang. The official international celebration will be so large that Ford Motor Companyand the Mustang Club of America (MCA) will simultaneously hold it at two locations from April 16-20. It is open to everyone, not just Mustang owners and MCA members. MCA has also organised “Pony Drives” so Mustang owners can travel in groups to each venue. 

The UK, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland will all be represented as groups from North America, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand carry their country flags to Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Even though the Ford Mustang has not traditionally been offered globally, the passion for the first pony car is truly international,” said Ronald D. Bramlett, Mustang Club of America’s executive director of the Mustang 50th Birthday Celebration. “Enthusiasts from across the globe are planning to attend and share their personal Mustang stories. Some are even shipping their Mustang to the United States to drive their car as part of the milestone event.” 

Details continue to be finalised for the MCA events. Information is continuously updated on a special website,http://www.mustang50thbirthdaycelebration.com/ and at the MCA website, http://www.mustang.org/.

New Ford Mustang

The new Mustang is the most advanced version yet of the iconic car and goes on sale in Europe in 2015. The sleek new design of Mustang fastback and convertible is backed up by world-class performance from a range of available engines, including an all-new turbocharged 2.3-litre EcoBoost and a 5.0-litre V8 with more than 426PS.

Ford Mustang was revealed to the world with a television advertising campaign on the evening of April 16, 1964, before being shown to the public at the New York World’s Fair on April 17. The car officially went on sale that day, and Ford dealers accumulated a record 22,000 sales and orders that first day on the way to more than 418,000 sales in the first year and 1 million sales in less than two years. Over the past five decades, more than 9 million Mustangs have been sold.