Landrover

MARCH, 07, 2011

Written by Mihnea Radu in Autoevolution on 3 March 2011

Created by the Land Rover design team, under the direction of design director, Gerry McGovern, the newest “member of the Range Rover Evoque family” has just been presented. Light, nimble and sporting a design that is clean and contemporary, these are all attributes that should describe a car, but the new product is in fact... nothing but a bicycle.

But this is no ordinary bicycle. It sports a new high modulus carbon fiber monocoque frame, crafted by Karbona using techniques derived from Formula 1. Now, that sounds like something that will get any automotive enthusiast interested!

Other carbon fiber elements include the oversized handlebar stem, which is engineered to cope with the high torque developed by top-class sports cyclists. The handlebars were created especially for this bike and are made of aerospace alloy. Further weight savings were achieved by integrating the seat tube section into the frame.

Design wise, the steering components and frame are color-matched. Meanwhile, the frame sports big Land Rover and Evoque graphics. The wheels were specially commissioned for the Evoque project and offer a strong visual impact. The have an aero-profiled construction, offering improved air flow at speed. Meanwhile, the tire tread is made from triple-density rubber compound with hard-wearing and high-grip qualities.

"I wanted to create the ultimate accessory for the Range Rover Evoque – and what could be more perfect than an utterly contemporary, beautifully designed, bespoke Evoque bike. Like the Range Rover Evoque, the bike not only looks fantastic but is precision engineered for ultimate performance," said Gerry McGovern, Land Rover design director, who is a keen cyclist himself.