Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division has spawned its latest creation, a special edition Range Rover that will only available to those who have booked themselves a trip to space on a Virgin Galactic commercial flight. The Range Rover Astronaut Edition is a part of the longstanding partnership between Land Rover and Virgin Galactic. The company is preparing to launch its first commercial flight later this year and already 700 people have put down $250,000 for a ticket to go to space. Since all the future flights of Virgin Galactic is already sold out, the special edition Range will be available for sale to those 700 “Future Astronauts.” The special edition is based on the SVO-developed Range Rover Autobiography which further boasts of a number of unique interior and exterior design touches.
On the outside, the Range Rover Astronaut Edition sports an exclusive Zero Gravity Blue paint, which according to the British automaker was “inspired by the depth and intensity of the night sky.” In addition to that, the special edition Range Rover comes with bespoke puddle lamp design and Astronaut Edition badging on the rear and side of the car. Inside the cabin, the interior is covered with plenty of special elements that indicate its space-exploration-inspired theme. A special ‘DNA of flight’ graphic on the carbon fiber center console lid and rear armrest and engraved aluminum door handles. However, the most notable special design element is the use of a part of the Virgin Galactic spacecraft built into the car’s interior. The two discs within the cup holders of the special edition are made from the front landing skid of the spaceship that completed the first successful space flight in December 2018. The owners can also further personalize their cars by replacing the discs with the ones made from the skid of the ship from their own commercial flight. Two engine options will be available for the Astronaut Edition: The P525 model, powered by a 518-hp supercharged 4.0-liter V-8, and the P400e model, which uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four and an electric motor for a combined output of 398 horsepower. The pricing is yet to be announced, though.
[Via:Autocar]
