Two days hence, the humbling conversion was complete. on winding and slender paved roads, as well as on dirt tracks and over highly technical, off-road courses set up by some of the best-of-the-best to be the some of the toughest-of-tough, it was time let go of solid axles, manual transfer cases, pushrod engines and body-on-frame construction. The 2005 Land Rover LR3 was unflappable. Capable and luxurious. Able to tow and stow more wellies, wax-cotton jackets and fly rods…and able to bring more of your buddies or girlfriends along for the ride to the mountains or the museum. With increased power, improved throttle response, upgraded steering and braking, and an on-road ride and handling prowess that rivals the more expensive Range Rover, the Land Rover LR3 is able to ford 28 inches of water, traverse 35-degree side slopes, and climb and descend slopes of up to 45 degrees thanks to improved angles of approach, departure and breakover. But, more than that, Terrain Response comes from the engineering analysis of fifty different surfaces that included grass, gravel, low mieu, mud and ruts, snow, sand, forest track, and rock crawling. It’s the technological equivalent of ABS: no matter how good you think you are, Terrain Response improves the driveability (and therefore, safety) by automatically making adjustments that control your ride height, gear selection, throttle mapping, Hill Descent Control, and locking differentials. Perhaps best of the lot is an LED display that provides a picture map of the vehicle, including steering wheel angle, so you have a visual representation of positioning when driving over difficult obstacles or across rough terrain. It helps to know what your coming up to and how you’ve positioned your vehicle to handle the challenge. The display also lets you know whether the LR3’s differentials are locked or open, a great training mechanism for beginners It has great potential for bringing newbies into the four-wheeling fold.
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