The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Behind the wheel Jaguar Land Rover Reborn
THE classic car market is booming. Even cars that may not be considered massively desirable are fetching incredible prices. But what happens if you don’t want to have to deal with the reliability issues associated with an older car? What if, perhaps, you want a car with all the patina and age that you expect from a classic, but with rock-solid mechanicals and running gear? Well, that’s where Jaguar Land Rover’s Reborn programme steps in.
The purpose-built classic car restoration works, based in Coventry, follows a simple system: It finds and purchases historic models of its cars which have been left unloved and uncared for, and restores them to modern standards using the company’s original factory specification. If original parts can’t be found, they’re re-made using original designs.
We headed to Sussex to try three models which have had the Reborn treatment – a Mk1 Range Rover, Jaguar E-Type, and a Series I Land Rover.
Up first, the Range Rover. Standing resplendent in ‘Bahama Gold’ with an equally shocking orange velour interior, it is nut-andbolt perfect in every way, but feels very much of its period.
It’s easy to see why the original Range Rover was such a game-changer. The ride is good, and allows the car to glide over road imperfections. The steering is heavy but features bags of feel, and the engine is buttersmooth – marred only by a gearbox which takes a little getting used to.
Next, it’s the E-Type, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever made, and this makes it a little scary to drive.
Its snug cabin, features a beautifully finished dashboard and a wide forward view over the long, sweeping bonnet. In the middle is a new feature from the Reborn team – a modern infotainment system housed within a classic-looking shell. You get satellite navigation and media functions, but it’s all wrapped up in a retro housing.
A turn of the key and a press of the starter button and the 4.2-litre engine breathes into life. At low speeds, the E-Type is a struggle; all heavy steering and weighty clutch – but as soon as you gather speed, the car makes complete sense.
The engine is a peach, delivering torque pretty much wherever you want it. In truth, though the four-speed manual gearbox is a delight to use, you don’t need to stir the ‘box all that much – there’s simply so much lowdown punch available that you can often drag it out in far higher gears than you’d expect.
It is both effortless and relaxing to drive, something you don’t expect from a car of this age.
Pulling back into our car park base, we slot in right next to Reborn’s Series I Land Rover – our final test car for the day. It’s a mesmerisingly pretty thing, the Series I. It’s also almost impossibly tiny. Each part of this example is picture-perfect but faithfully
original; everything feels exactly as it should be, right down to the dials and knurled gear lever for the four-speed ‘box.
Up and running, the Series I sends a dizzying variety of sensations towards you. You’re always busy driving this car – the throttle needs to be managed to keep momentum, the gearshift takes a little getting used to and, all the while, you feel like you’re travelling at over 200mph – only to look down at the compact speedo and see you’re only doing 36mph.
We manage to see the heady heights of
The seventh generation BMW 3 Series has been completely revised, and is due to go on sale from next March.
With prices starting at £33,610, the revamped model aims to eclipse the success of its predecessor by offering more space and improved handling. The popular 320d version remains, powered by an upgraded 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, and is available with both rear and all-wheel drive. The rear-driven 320d can hit 60mph in 6.9 seconds, with the xDrive version shaving that to 6.7 seconds.
A powerful four-cylinder petrol will be used in the 330i and is capable of hitting 60mph in 5.6 seconds while delivering a claimed combined fuel consumption of 48.7mpg. The M Sport specification remains too, offering a more dynamic look as well as sports suspension.