Getting the jump on the 2016 L.A. Auto Show rush, Land Rover stuck its flag in the Venice Beach sand to debut its new Discovery against the back drop of sun and surf. The full size SUV is redesigned for 2017, and the Discovery Pop-Up in the heart of the booming cultural melting pot of Venice brought in potential buyers from various walks of life to see what the vehicle will include.
The Pop-Up beat the L.A. Auto Show and its press preview days by almost a week, looking to do more than simply present an important debut for Land Rover ahead of the four-wheeled pageantry. The idea was to explore the Land Rover lifestyle.
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The new Land Rover Discovery is a true full-size SUV offering seating for seven. It’ll replace the stately, outgoing Land Rover LR4 with a smoother, sportier aesthetic and an estimated starting price tag of $49,990.
For this new Discovery, Land Rover employed lightweight aluminum construction throughout the body to cut about half a ton of weight off of the automaker’s outgoing SUV models. That’s not to be understated. It’s a big deal when a company cuts a couple hundred pounds from an engineered car design. When 1,000 fall away, that’s a near-revolutionary achievement toward better fuel efficiency.
The Land Rover Discovery will make its official international debut this week on the floor of the L.A. Auto Show, but the Venice Pop-Up gave the public a chance to behold her alongside a selection of cutting edge “active lifestyle gear” to accompany any Land Rovers on their owners’ adventures.
Since it’s Los Angeles, that lifestyle means celebrities flitting about here and there. The Pop Up had its own share with visits from husband and wife surfer Laird Hamilton and champion volleyball player and fitness leader Gabby Reece, Chef Stuart O’Keeffe, Olympic gold-medalist swimmer Conor Dwyer and interior designer Nathan Turner.
As for the companies nuzzling up alongside the Discovery, they were a who’s who of today’s top brands. The list included (deep breath):
- Peloton Bikes
- Surfset Surfboards
- Land Rover Bar VR Experience
- Curated Gear
- ROKA
- Parsons Xtreme Golf – PXG
- Cerevo – SNOW-1, RIDE-1, CAM-1
- Eddyline Journey Kayak
- Blind Dog Surfboards
- YERKA Bike
- FEND
- AIRLOK
- Helios
- PTX Performance Products USA
- Zenith Watch
