The major auto shows are a flurry of action during the media preview days. Sometimes, there are just 30 minutes between unveilings and all of the cool concept cars hit the media scene pretty much at once. The South East Automotive Media Organization has taken a leisurely look back at the concepts that were on display this past show season and decided that the Land Rover LRX (pictured) and the Saab 9-X BioHybrid were two ABG faves that deserve to be named at the seventh annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards, announced last night. The LRX earned the Concept Truck of the Year prize and the Saab was crowned the 2008 Specialty Concept Vehicle of the Year.

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If you have a passion for Tata-owned British luxury vehicles and you're willing to move to central England, then Jaguar/Land Rover may have the opportunity of a lifetime for you. The newly Indian-owned British marques are looking to fill 600 positions to beef up their engineering staffs that work on emissions performance. Both experienced engineers and yungins fresh out of college are needed, as well as a few HR schmucks and some purchasing and finance bean counters. The reason for the new hires includes tough new European CO2 emissions targets coupled with the fact that former parent Ford Motor Company had been supplying much of the brain-power to meet those targets.

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Is it just us, or is every carmaker celebrating its sixtieth anniversary? The end of WW2 in 1945 and the resumption of industrial activity across Europe certainly played a big role, but the coincidence is still staggering. Ferrari celebrated its 60th last year.

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Updated Land Rover Discovery 3 models go on sale in the UK in August.

The 2009 model-year Disco receives revised bumpers (now body-coloured on all versions) and body-coloured wheel arches, a body-coloured tailgate handle, new 'tungsten'-coloured side vents and door handles, and clear-lensed side repeater indicators.

New 19-inch, seven-spoke alloy wheels are on offer, with three new metallic paint colours available: Santorini Black, Galway Green and Bournville (described as black with a hint of brown). There's a new almond-coloured trim option and an updated Bluetooth system.

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Analysts are saying that both Jaguar and Land Rover have a very bright future under the ownership of Tata Motors. Land Rover will get a shot at a production version of the LRX Concept by 2011 and a facelifted Range Rover and a Ranger Rover Sport by 2010.

However spy photographers have recently spotted what they say is a V12 powered Range Rover. The car was spotted with quad-exhausts a new front bumper layout with larger intakes indicating a big power boost.

While it’s too early to say for sure if the Range Rover will go V12, Land Rover has been planning to move the next version of the SUV up market. We’re talking about up market in the price range of Bentleys.

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Ford has issued a press release confirming that it has sold both Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors for an approximate price of $2.3 billion, which comes under some numbers as high as $2.65 billion that were being tossed around yesterday. The rumor that Ford will contribute to pension funds associated with the brands is also true, as it confirmed that $600 million will be dropped into the retirement coffers of the brands once the deal closes. It is, of course, subject to regulatory approval in a number of countries, but the automaker expects the deal to be done by the end of the following quarter. As part of the deal, Ford will continue to supply powertrains, stampings and other unnamed vehicle components to Tata for "differing periods", as well as R&D research, environmental and platform technologies, and even accounting services, among others. Clearly the ties that bind Jaguar Land Rover to Ford are strong and will take some time to undo. Judging from the press release, it seems all parties involved, including the employees of Jaguar Land Rover, are pleased with how the deal went down, and for the time being both brands will be run business as usual during the transition period.

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Solihull is still a problem for the company. Although quality is on the rise, this facility has in some ways not totally left the days of BL behind. Moreover, it is struggling with three different platforms. The Range Rover’s steel BMW-designed chassis, the T5-based Discovery and Range Rover Sport and the labour intensive Defender. If Solihull is not to be wound down over the next five years, the management need to reduce the duplication of effort and parts inventories. The Defender would probably be best re-located to India.

Retiring the Defender abroad opens up another opportunity. In the 1970s and 80s, poor quality allowed Land Rover to lose its grip on the huge market for rugged off roaders in Australia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. Toyota walked into this slot and made it it’s own. So what about another pitch at the market with a series of T5-based vehicles? Perhaps leading with a sort of simplified Discovery, with in-field serviceability and first-grade reliability? And, eventually, crew-cab and pick-up spin-offs?

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We were big fans of Land Rover’s LRX concept from the first time we saw it in the metal at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. And we were among the many who lauded the sleek and stylish leather interior found in the CUV.

Good news then, as Autocar is reporting in the February 27 issue of its print magazine that Land Rover has plans to stick as closely as possible to the concept interior for the production version of the LRX. Reports are that a senior source within the company is directing product engineers to investigate, “how to turn the challenging shapes and structures into production items for the 2010 launch.”

Most concept cars loose their expensive handmade interiors for the transformation to mass production. If the LRX can come to market with something approaching even 80 percent of the concept cabin, we would consider it a job well done.

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While we knew that Land Rover was going to present the LRX Concept in Geneva, what we didn’t know but learned from our sources is that the British firm is planning to unveil a slightly customized version of its compact crossover. According to our sources, the Geneva Show LRX Concept will feature among other things, a two-tone paint-job, new alloy rims and roof rails.

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It looks like 2009 will be a very busy year for Land Rover. Three of the brand’s major models are getting engine, interior and exterior upgrades next year, and our spy shots reveal the look of one of the most important of them: this is the 2009 Range Rover Sport.

This development mule is in early testing ahead of an anticipated winter 2009 UK launch. It's running a new 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine with a seven-speed automatic gearbox, which will replace the current 4.2-litre V8 motor in the Range Rover and Range Sport, helping them to comply with forthcoming European emissions laws.

The new 5.0-litre motor will be available in both normally aspirated and supercharged form, the latter developing some 500bhp in the new Porsche Cayenne Turbo-chasing Range Rover Sport Supercharged.

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Land Rovers have run Jaguar's rorty AJ V8 engine since Ford got tired of sourcing engines from BMW. CAR magazine has dug up information on some mules running around in Finland with a new 4997cc engine underhood. Their photographers also caught the vehicles while they hung out in a parking lot full of tantalizing 2 and 7 series Volvos. While the AJ is a great motor, it's well into its design life. Range Rover's new engine is being developed with Bosch, and sports direct fuel injection to boost efficiency while keeping power up and emissions down. Output is rumored at 350 horsepower in naturally aspirated form and 460 ponies come to the party when a supercharger pressurizes the intake.

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As of March this year, Land Rover will introduce two new range-topping HST models.

The Freelander 2 HST comes complete with a 'sports styling pack', consisting of new side mouldings, bumper aprons and roof spoiler. 19-inch alloys, privacy glass and metallic paint complete the appearance of a miniature Range Rover Sport.

Which has also received a new HST trim. The Range Rover Sport HST can be differentiated from the standard car by 20-inch 'Stormer' alloys, added body mouldings and rear spoiler, electric sunroof and rectangular exhaust pipes integrated into the rear bumper.

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The word out of Mumbai this morning is that Tata will be going for "an outright purchase" of Jaguar and Land Rover when the ink dries on its buyout of the two automakers from Ford. It was originally assumed that Ford would still maintain a minority stake in both luxury marques, as it did with the sale of Aston Martin to Prodrive last year, but the Blue Oval boys have determined that the Tata is well equipped to take over both brands entirely. However, we're unsure if Tata has the infrastructure to supply Jag and L.R. with the necessary components, from drivetrains to switch knobs. We'll know more when the deal is sealed in the coming months.

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The LRX concept is important to Land Rover for two reasons: It shows a new design direction for a very traditionally styled lineup, and it features a diesel hybrid powerplant...

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As Land Rover gets ready to debut the LRX Concept at the Detroit Auto Show, many are wondering where the SUV based brand is headed in the near future. Speaking with Automotive News Europe, Land Rover’s Managing Direct Phil Popham, is confirming the possibility of a new compact fuel-efficient SUV and Land Rover’s future goals...

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