Silverstone, England.
- Builds set to start for world’s only production electric classic Range Rovers
- Global demand leads to a doubling of jobs and expanded production facility
- Recycled and re-engineered cars built-in principles of the circular economy
- Prices begin at £245,000 excluding local taxes
“Re-engineering, electrification, and upcycling are the solutions to the pressing need to further the legacies of the most significant cars in the world. Adding classic electric Range Rovers to the Lunaz portfolio answers sustained customer demand for a clean-air expression of the world’s definitive SUV.”
David Lorenz, Founder, Lunaz
Lunaz, the leading creator of electric classic cars, is delighted to announce the first tranche of production availability for classic electric Range Rovers. The company, based in Silverstone, England will create an initial run of 50 of the luxury SUVs built in the ‘classic era’ between 1970 and 1994.
Since unveiling Jaguar, Bentley and Rolls-Royce electrified classics, Lunaz has been consistently asked by its global customer base to apply its re-engineering and restoration approach to these cars.
In response to feedback from these customers, electric classic Range Rovers by Lunaz will be offered in both ‘Town’ and ‘Country’ specifications. The more urban expression of these cars will be presented with an increased focus on rear-seat and driver comfort, reflecting their dual use as either self-driven luxury vehicles or chauffeured cars. These cars will be available in both standard and long wheelbase.
‘Country’ specification will include a full suite of engineering, technological, and design features that augment a full electric classic off-roading experience for the first time. Every car by Lunaz goes through a full bare metal restoration and re-engineering process ahead of conversion to the company’s proprietary electric powertrain. This approach allows Lunaz to answer the questions of usability and reliability that detract from the experience of owning the most celebrated classic cars in the world
Country specification electric classic Range Rovers by Lunaz will include a 4-wheel drive system, updated suspension, including anti-roll bars and uprated brakes. Within the cabin, the pure utility of the original interior design will be significantly elevated. This will be achieved by applying Lunaz’ design philosophy. This approach balances the integration of technology and usability within a classic architecture. It is executed with the highest quality materials from a palette that responds to traditional and contemporary tastes and lifestyles.
Design Director, Jen Holloway and her team will work in close consultation with customers to tailor the car to their exact requirements. Material palettes that honour the textile interior that debuted on the original classic Range Rover will be offered as well as more traditional upholstery options executed in the very finest leathers and woods. Customers will be able to select from either the classic three-door configuration or the four-door models.
Usability is further enhanced with the inclusion of a full suite of contemporary technologies. Features including infotainment, air conditioning and entertainment screens are sensitively integrated into the existing design scheme to ensure the spirit of the original car is maintained.
Prices for classic electric Range Rovers by Lunaz start at £245,000 excluding local taxes. The first production tranche of 50 vehicles is currently being allocated with first customer deliveries anticipated for the summer of 2021.
SPECIALISED VEHICLES
Lunaz will further the legacy of some of the more specialist interpretations of the classic Range Rover’s celebrated lineage.
From the start of production, fully roofless options will be offered. First seen in the James Bond classic, Octopussy, these rare cars feature in some of the world’s great car collections.
Because of their scarcity, Lunaz’ engineers will take existing conventionally bodied Range Rover classics and convert them to what the firm is calling ‘Safari Specification’ as part of the full bare metal restoration and re-engineering process. The world’s first electric roofless SUV has already been allocated to a European customer.
Every car by Lunaz represents an individual customer build. This provides extraordinary scope for personalisation. Customers will be invited to work with Design Director Jen Holloway and her team to specify features to augment their own lifestyle requirements. The ‘Country Specification’ could include modifications to storage areas or a boot space for the transportation of equipment and refreshments for field sports. For ‘Town’ cars, the creation of a bar area for rear-seat chauffeured occupants can be tailored to the customer’s favourite choice of beverage.
JOB CREATION AND GROWTH
“In the face of a challenging year that restricts every business’s ability to collaborate globally, we have drawn even more intensely on the extraordinary talent-pool that exists in Silverstone, Britain’s automotive and technology manufacturing heartland. We are proud to fly the flag for our nation’s leadership in cutting-edge zero emissions technologies and more traditional automotive engineering skills on the global stage.”
David Lorenz, Founder, Lunaz
Lunaz has enjoyed extraordinary growth in 2020 reflecting shifting global attitudes towards consumption. Indeed, the firm has responded to a rebalancing of car collections for a clean air future. This has led to a doubling in the number of highly skilled jobs at the firm’s manufacturing base in Silverstone and anticipated 2021 demand will lead to a further doubling of the number of skilled engineers, designers and technicians at an expanded manufacturing base adjacent to the current technical HQ.
THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
“By 2030, when the UK ban on internal combustion engine car sales will come into effect there will be 2 billion ICE vehicles on the planet. Without conversion to electric, this will represent mass redundancy of finite resources that could otherwise be re-used. Our approach answers the urgent need to extend the life of these vehicles for future generations.”
David Lorenz, Founder, Lunaz
Lunaz’ approach is in line with the principles of the ‘circular economy’. Its mission is to deliver pinnacle cars whilst exhausting significantly fewer resources than goes into the production and lifecycle of a new vehicle. With major market bans on the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles being brought forward, there is a pressing requirement for industry to find viable alternatives to scrapping the estimated 2billion ICE vehicles that will exist by 2030. Furthering the legacies of classic cars through electrification will preserve their life and make them a relevant and usable proposition for a new generation.
RESTORATION AND ELECTRIFICATION PROCESS
“We designed inherent flexibility within our approach to upcycling the world’s most celebrated cars. The commencement of production of the first electric classic Range Rovers demonstrates the scope of vehicles that can be re-engineered and given an entirely new life through conversion to our proprietary electric powertrain.”
Jon Hilton, Technical Lead & Managing Director, Lunaz
From its inception in early 2018, the company has hired the very best engineering, design and manufacturing talent. The team has been handpicked to satisfy all of the identified requirements of Lunaz’s clientele and includes expertise from Aston Martin, Ferrari, Ford, Formula 1, Jaguar, Volkswagen, McLaren and Rolls-Royce.
The restoration and conversion process represents re-engineering from the ground up. It starts with an exhaustive inspection. Each corner is then weighed to understand the original weight distribution to the gram. This information informs decisions on chassis setup, powertrain packaging and suspension. The internal combustion engine and associated systems are then removed and the chassis is prepared for electrification.
The car is then 3D scanned; this allows the engineers to create detailed CAD models to ensure technical perfection in every step of the process. The specifics of Lunaz’s electric propulsion technology is closely guarded, but each classic by Lunaz is designed, developed, engineered and tested in-house using the highest specification modules available for automotive applications.
Traditional coachbuilding and restoration skills are then employed and the car is stripped down to a bare metal shell. Even imperceptible body defects are addressed by hand before the surface finish process begins.
The same approach extends to the interior. The in-house design team makes subtle adaptations to integrate modern conveniences such as satellite telecommunications, WiFi, audiovisual entertainment and navigation aids.
The accessories associated with electric powertrains including battery chargers and DC converters are sensitively integrated into the existing design of the car, utilizing the fuel filler cap for charging and adapting dials to an appropriate read-out for the electrical powertrain. New air conditioning and electronic heating systems are installed and the accelerator is converted to a throttle-by-wire system. Following the uprating of braking, suspension, steering, and electronics systems every circuit is tested before first start-up procedures begin.
Images Courtesy of Lunaz