Land Rover of Hoffman Estates

Though it's had several names since its premiere in 1948 (such as the Land Rover Ninety or Land Rover One Ten), the Land Rover Defender has always been known as a dependable off-road vehicle that has often been used for agricultural purposes. Now, there's a new Defender on the way for the 2015 model year, and Land Rover claims it will be just as capable off-road as the original. However, the 2015 model should also be much more appropriate for daily driving than previous models and should look a lot less like farm equipment.

A new Land Rover ad will soon make its debut in the UK, but it's so clever that it's also attracting plenty of U.S. fans as well. To the sounds of the popular 1960s hit "Born Free" by Andy Williams (you'd know it if you heard it!), we see a couple enter a dry cleaner on several occasions and deposit soaked goggles and slippers, vests covered in sand, and outfits nearly torn to bits. The latter even has a large tarantula crawling out of one of its pockets.  While the owner tries to look nonplussed, he can't help but wonder what the contented-looking couple has been up to.

Yesterday, February 29, 2012, the one millionth Land Rover Discovery (marketed here in the U.S. as the Land Rover L4) rolled off the production lines in Solihull, West Midlands- one of the British company's three UK plants. In celebration of this milestone, this Land Rover will go on a true adventure- an eight-thousand-mile "Journey of Discovery" from the UK to China to raise money for the Red Cross, which  uses Land Rover and other 4 x 4 vehicles in its endeavors across the globe.

Land Rover enthusiasts in the United States can now explore the brand in the way it was meant to be experienced. The Land Rover Experience Driving School is now open in Manchester, Vermont, home of the beautiful Green Mountains. Combining 80-acres of extensive trail system with seasoned experts, the school offers lessons, terrain programs, full-day adventures, multi-day adventures, and group events. The Experience also caters to needs for special occasions. Drivers can get behind the wheel of a 2012 Land Rover LR4, 2012 Land Rover LR2, 2012 Range Rover Sport, or  take the iconic, stunning Range Rover for a spin.

The Lander Rover Defender saw the final days of its U.S. production back in 1997, when safety regulations forced it off the market, but the vehicle lives on in Europe to this very day. Unfortunately, however, increasingly strict emissions requirements are phasing the off-road SUV out of the European production cycle too.

Originally, the Land Rover was expected to be retired from production in 2015, with a more efficient replacement model being introduced in…