More than 20 years ago, Land Rover came out with a car that totally shook up the conservative SUV market. The Range Stormer concept, which cost €1.5 million to develop, still impresses with its futuristic solutions, which only became a reality many years later.
More than 20 years ago, Land Rover presented the impressive Range Stormer SUV, which was ahead of its time. Its doors lift up, and it’s got cameras instead of mirrors.
The only Land Rover Range Stormer produced in 2004 is now on display at a car museum in the British town of Gaydon. It was featured in a video on the Horsepower Hunters YouTube channel.
The innovative Land Rover Range Stormer concept was unveiled at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show, and it cost €1.5 million to create. The car’s got a bold, angular look, with a convex hood, high window line, and bulging fenders.
The Range Stormer has a panoramic roof, 22-inch wheels, bi-xenon headlights, and cameras instead of rearview mirrors. But the car’s most unique feature is its Lamborghini-style “guillotine” doors, complete with electric drive and remote control.
The inside of the Range Stormer is pretty minimalist. They used leather and polished aluminum on the trim. The sporty front seats have built-in monitors.
The Land Rover Range Stormer came out with a 4.2-liter supercharged V8 that cranks out 400 horsepower and a 6-speed automatic transmission. It sped up to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds and reached a top speed of 225 km/h. But now, it’s got an older 4.6-liter naturally aspirated V8, hooked up to a 4-speed automatic transmission.
The Terrain Response system was also introduced on the Range Stormer. This system lets you adjust the all-wheel drive transmission settings for different types of off-road terrain.
The Range Stormer never made it into production, but you can see its design features in the first-generation Range Rover Sport. And a bunch of the concept’s cool new features ended up in production Land Rovers.