Memo to Land Rover: Just make it

摘要

...and keep it exactly as it is. That's the verdict of Andrew Frankel after spending a day getting to know the LRX concept car in New York. Few things encountered in the life of a motoring journalist demand a healthier level of cynicism than that weird sub-species of automotive ephemera known as 'the concept car'. Why? Simply put, the reality gap between their actual and claimed purposes is as wide as that among people appearing on Celebrity Big Brother. Go to a motor show and talk to a manufacturer about some gleaming new concept car on its stand and you will be told that "we are showcasing a new design language", or perhaps that "it's a technological test bed", or the favourite, that "it's something our wild and wacky designers did in their spare time because they love this company so much". Not once will you be told, "Er... all our rivals have fresh products here that customers can go out and buy; we've got bugger all so we knocked this up instead." Which is odd, because that's closer to the truth than more frequently peddled excuses.