Latest news with #LandRover
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
ECD Conjures Up 1967 Ford Mustang ‘Ghost'—with a Scary Price
ECD Automotive Design is expanding its bespoke offerings to Ford's popular pony car after establishing itself with Jaguar and Land Rover products. The first example of ECD's approach to the Ford Mustang is a 1967 Mustang dubbed 'Ghost.' ECD says anything from a nut-and-bolt restoration to an over-the-top custom is in the realm of possibility. Commissioning a full restoration or a custom car seems daunting, at least from the perspective of one who can't afford it. There's having to place a deposit in the hopes of months—or more than likely years—down the line seeing the fruits of a craftsman's labor. Adding to that, the fear that your dreams might one day wind up on the evening news. Fortunately, there are more than a handful of solutions to toss a vintage machine into your collection—for a fee. From Crumpets to Mustangs While not the latest to jump into the bespoke restoration and modification world, the folks at ECD Automotive Design have recently set aside their crumpets, scones, and Whitworth tools to expand their offerings to first-generation Ford Mustangs. The publicly traded restoration and customization firm formerly known as East Coast Defenders made its way, as its name would suggest, restoring and modifying vintage Land Rover Defenders. Even though the company has found success with its Land Rover operation, it's been branching out to Jaguars and now the Ford Mustang. The first example from what is now named ECD Automotive Design started life as a lowly Mustang coupe before going through a fastback conversion at ECD's facility. Of course, this fastback conversion wasn't the only major change from ECD. This '67 Mustang, dubbed Ghost, now rides on a Roadster Shop chassis and leans on a stroked Windsor powerplant from Roush. Going down the build sheet, the bones underneath the Ghost read like a pro-touring enthusiast's trip through the SEMA show after hitting the Mega Millions—seemingly no expense is spared on the hardware. The Parts and Pieces 'The thing that we do well is we try to build quality into every single aspect of the car,' says Elliot Humble, ECD's CTO and one of its founders, while walking around Ghost. 'So every single part we buy is a quality part. We don't cheap out on pretty much any area of the vehicles.' And, he doesn't seem to be wrong. The high-end Roush mill and Roadster Shop RS chassis are only two, albeit important, pieces of this Mustang. The interior gets Recaro power seats that are finished in custom leather coverings. The AM radio is gone, and a touchscreen Alpine head unit handles your podcast or Bob Seger playing duties. That Alpine head unit also enables Apple CarPlay, which should help you navigate to the next stop on the Hot Rod Power Tour. The Roadster Shop chassis comes equipped with the rear four-link controlled Ford 9-inch rear, and the Roadster Shop SPEC IFS control arms manage the front wheels with Fox fixed-valve dampers. Bringing this Mustang to a halt is a set of Baer four-piston calipers that clamp 11.0-inch rotors at each corner. Those brakes don't see any vacuum assist, but you do get power rack-and-pinion steering to make the machine more nimble for low-speed maneuvers. How It Drives If you're wondering how this all translates to the driving experience, well, it still feels like a first-generation Mustang, if that makes sense. Admittedly, we weren't given the chance to push this Mustang to its limit on a skid pad or autocross, but just cruising around the Detroit suburbs shows that it still has some of the charm of an early Mustang. Body roll and dive are better managed, of course, and there's plenty more power on tap than a worn out 289 CID mill. The beating heart of the operation, the 347 CID Ford small-block from Roush Performance, makes this custom Mustang a treat for the community. Churning out 465 hp, this Windsor-based Roush Performance V8 breathes in through a set of velocity stacks that are managed by Roush's own EFI system. This spendy V8 looks slick with the hood up and offers good part throttle operation, as well as nice throttle management while you're rolling into it. The tune smelled maybe on the rich side, but that could just be a sensitive nose at play. That V8 works through a 4R70W transmission from Bowler, which works well and lets the owner enjoy the car as they see fit. Overall, the transmission did what you'd expect from a lightly upgraded 4R70—the shifts are smooth but firm. That said, folks at ECD would be more than happy to give you three pedals and let you row your own gears. As with any custom car or bespoke build, there will be some options that are more to your taste. This Mustang, for example, opted for non-power-assisted brakes, which means its owner is going to have great pedal feel from the Wilwood master cylinder, but might have one leg that is a little bit stronger than the other after a few weeks. Just like the transmission, ECD can give your Mustang power brakes. This is all good, and it's great to see the team at ECD expand its operations into the Mustang. It's also great that there's another seemingly reliable operation churning out collector cars. The downside? The cost. It's How Much?! Commissioning your Mustang from ECD will start at $279,995. Obviously, anyone who has commissioned a ground-up restoration or custom car build from a reputable shop will know the bills start to add up quickly. ECD wants to set itself apart from the average restoration shop by having tight timelines and keeping their customers informed about the process. 'We do absolutely everything possible to hit these timings that we promise,' says Humble. The company notes that for that princely starting price, you'll also net a two-year warranty. All in, this Ghost of a Mustang is undeniably a high-end, expensive-feeling custom car. Even more interesting than this particular '67 Mustang is how ECD is taking a different—and somewhat confusing—approach to the collector car restoration business model. 'The plan is growth,' says Humble. That push for growth is why the company is expanding from the relatively hard-to-find—at least in the United States—Jaguar E-Types and Land Rover Defenders, and is adding a more readily available option. 'People love the car. It's the American icon, isn't it?' he says. 'So, like, it's got to be a good first entry into the American car market for us.' It's hard to say that a Mustang from ECD is a good value—mostly, because that's just a ton of money. Still, having any restoration shop that won't end up on the nightly news take you through the process of completely rebuilding a car will set you back a good chunk of change. The company also has a fun configurator tool on their website that you can play with, even if you don't want to drop over a quarter million dollars on one of their machines. Do you think you'd ever spend that much on a restoration or restomod Mustang? Tell us your thoughts below.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
I sold everything I own to go travelling, now I see the world for £35 a day – my lesser-visited cheap spots in Europe
Plus, the destination where you can do a self-drive safari GOING GLOBAL I sold everything I own to go travelling, now I see the world for £35 a day – my lesser-visited cheap spots in Europe Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WHEN it comes to travelling, Bobby Bolton dived in headfirst with nothing but £600 to his name, his dog, and a truck. Now, he's been through 41 countries, gained a fiancée and has written a book called Truck It!. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Bobby, his fiancée and their two dogs travel the globe in truck Credit: Bobby Bolton 7 They've been through 41 countries so far including Laos Credit: Bobby Bolton Talking to Sun Travel, Bobby revealed all about his adventures, from his favourite islands, to affordable stops and the best way to travel on a budget. Bobby Bolton set off to see the world two years ago, explaining: "Before leaving, I was pretty much broke, at one point I couldn't even buy a coffee on my way to work. "I got the idea to travel in the pub after seeing an old Land Rover pull up and four pints later I told my friends 'I'm going to drive to Mongolia'. "And I literally sold my life to be able to afford it." When Bobby left his hometown of Wigan, he had just £600 and a huge truck, which he converted, being a builder by trade. In his very first destination, France, Bobby met Marie - and they travel together with their two dogs in the kitted out truck. By travelling on four-wheels, the pair can see a lot for not a lot of money. They spend cash on necessities, like food and fuel, rather than forking out on all-inclusive hotels and restaurants. Bobby told us: "What we do is a cheap way of travelling because, roughly, we can do it for £35pp per day." The couple have seen a lot of countries, but when it comes to Europe, there's one place that really stood out: Slovenia. Locals share their best tips for Albania from tropical beaches to 40p dishes… and the tourist traps to avoid 7 Slovenia was one of Bobby's top spots Credit: Alamy 7 Bobby wants more travellers to see the world on four wheels Credit: Bobby Bolton He told us: "Slovenia is definitely an up-and-coming place, and I couldn't recommend it more to anyone who's outdoorsy. "If you love hiking, white water rafting and climbing, it's beautiful. There's a National Park there called Triglav. "Triglav has been described as being in a 'time capsule' because lots of a lot of buildings are preserved in time - it's beautiful. It's a bit more expensive because it's very near Lake Bled which is relatively famous." For any winter sport enthusiasts who love to ski, Bobby has uncovered one country that you might want to consider for your next trip. "Slovakia was fantastic, especially for winter sports, and in the Tatra mountains, we got ski lift passes for just around £10 a day." As for affordability, Bobby narrowed down five countries that stood out for being especially cheap. He said: "The first is Albania which is affordable and has some underdeveloped coastlines that are amazing. "In Georgia, we had the best bread which we bought for 50p from a woman on the side of the road. "I have to mention Kyrgyzstan too and our favourite was Laos in South East Asia - two people can eat all day there for £10. "And a place I actually haven't been to yet, is Morocco. It has so much history, and I know it's very affordable there." 7 Bobby says Kyrgyzstan is like being in Switzerland 200 years ago Credit: Alamy The couple have also touched on a few tourist-y spots too. Bobby told us: "We fell in love with the Greek islands. I know they're well-known, but they're beautiful, especially off-season. "We were there in April a few years ago and managed to park on white sandy beaches. "We went spear fishing and cooked them on a barbecue at sunset with some tasty Greek wine. It was a romantic couple of weeks we had island hopping. I think we hit five of the islands in the end, Chios, Leros, Kos, Samos. Another destination that Bobby raved about was Kyrgyzstan - a landlocked country in Central Asia with huge mountain ranges and crystal clear lakes. Bobby told us: "I would describe Kyrgyzstan as being Switzerland 200 years ago, there's not a lot of development there but the scenery is fantastic. "You can hike up the mountains, swim in the Alpine lakes - it's the best place and it's really not touristy because there's no infrastructure. "It's raw beauty, and it's really cheap. It's a third of the price in the UK in terms of food and fuel, which is what we spend our money on." 7 Bobby and Marie travel everywhere in their enormous truck Credit: Bobby Bolton Bobby and Marie have been driving around the world for almost two years - and they love it so much that they are converting another truck to continue their travels. Bobby spoke very highly of driving rather than flying or exploring by boat and would encourage others to give it a go too. He said: "By renting out a four-wheel drive with a roof tent, or a campervan, you save a massive amount on hotels and you get the ability to mingle with the locals too. "Generally, it's easy to park up anywhere too, and there are apps and maps that help with that. But for example in Kyrgyzstan you could park almost anywhere, by beautiful lake, at the foot of mountains. One place that Bobby revealed is especially suited for travellers on the road is Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. He explains that the country itself is very set up for driving and that you can even do a DIY safari. "You can hire a pick-up truck with roof tent and camping equipment and explore the most beautiful places with wild ostrich, giraffe, rhino, to the Skeleton Coast. "It's actually called a self-drive safari and I'd definitely recommend it. My dad isn't very well-travelled but he came to Namibia, hired a four-wheel drive and the week he was there he kept saying 'I'm going to come back here'." Bobby is back in the UK but only for a short while as he and Marie are heading back on the road. "We're doing up another truck, then we're going to the Arctic Circle, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, then Africa on the other side. "Then we'll probably do the Americas, and then Australia to finish - potentially." To find out more about Bobby's book Truck It! head to Amazon. And to keep up with his travels check out his social media account For more travel and money saving tips, Race Across the World winner Alfie Watts gives Sun Travel his best advice. And these are Europe's cheapest places for family holidays this summer – package breaks in stunning locations from £282.
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
'I visited one of Britain's most expensive towns loved by Vernon Kay and Tess Daly'
The town is frequently ranked as one of the most expensive places to live in the UK, with an eye-watering cost for buying a home. Loved by the likes of Vernon Kay and Tess Daly, the Buckinghamshire town of Beaconsfield might be one of the most exclusive places to live in the country. Found just off the M40, offering convenient links to London, Beaconsfield is a town that seems to be on everyone's wish list. But that demand comes with a serious cost - meaning not everyone can afford to live here. The sought-after town frequently ranks among the priciest places to reside in the UK. According to Rightmove, the average house price in the town is a wallet-bashing £1.1m - having peaked in 2022 at a staggering £1.3m. Having never had the opportunity to visit Beaconsfield, I decided it was time for a roadtrip; I motored into the town via Ledborough Lane, a postcode known for being one of the priciest residential areas in town. Then I took a leisurely stroll along some of Beaconsfield's most exclusive streets. I discovered stunning homes hidden behind massive gates, showcasing a mix of modern and beautifully preserved older properties. Many driveways boasted either a Porsche or a Land Rover. The sight of the grand homes left me gobsmacked and it was clear from the numerous building sites that developers are capitalising on this by constructing even more lavish residences. The town centre isn't too shabby either. I parked up at the local Sainsbury's, where I instantly felt like a fish out of water, sandwiching my now dirt-covered little Peugeot between two Land Rovers. I ventured into the New Town and I was struck by the town's pristine condition. There were a few vacant retail spaces, but nowhere near as many as you might encounter in other UK town centres. I then ambled down to the Old Town, soaking up the rich history and the plush-looking bars and restaurants. I discovered that the Old Town is a hub for high-end boutiques and fashionable bars and restaurants, and Beaconsfield New Town is home to the majority of the area's shops. Having explored both town centres, it's no wonder that Tess and Vernon decided to relocate here. It's also been the home to the likes of Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, Enid Blyton, and Ozzy Osbourne lived in a village nearby until his sad death. With fantastic shops for a spot of retail therapy and intriguing venues - the Crazy Bear in the Old Town being a prime example – it's easy to see why Beaconsfield has become such a hit. It's no wonder living in this middle-class haven comes at such a cost, especially with such stunning homes.
IOL News
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
Celebrating 55 years of Range Rover: the evolution from royal favourite to luxury global icon
Nandi Madida (left), Bryan Habana, Anele Mdoda, Bohang Moeko and Karen Zoid at the Range Rover 55th anniversary event held in Joburg. Image: Supplied In the rarified air of celebrities, royals and moguls, in the star-studded streets of Hollywood and in manicured estates, it seems that the Range Rover is a constant in their choice of vehicle. I doubt many of them, except perhaps British Royalty, are aware of its illustrious history and the fact that this year sees the 55th anniversary of the iconic luxury Land Rover marque. Many have followed, but when it was first revealed on 17 June 1970, it was the world's first vehicle that combined a proper 4x4 with luxury, comfort and refinement. Stayed true As the times have changed, so has Range Rover, including its vehicle portfolio, but it has stayed true to the ethos first envisioned as a luxury SUV with exceptional all-terrain capability. So too has the design, but it's always been eye-catching, and while beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, I have always maintained that Range Rover is the embodiment of beautiful car design and not one manufacturer makes an SUV that can compare. There aren't many cars that can boast an exhibition as an icon of great industrial design in the Louvre shortly after it was launched or as recently as April, at Milan Design week, with an immersive 'Futurespective' installation which transported visitors on a cinematic journey between two distinct eras bookending its history. But it almost was not to be. For 55 years the Range Rover has been a luxury off-road vehicle. Image: Supplied A very British car Despite misgivings from some senior Land Rover engineers, Spen King, nephew of Land Rover founders Maurice and Spencer Wilks, forged ahead with his idea that 4x4s could and should be far more refined and comfortable than existed back in the late '60s. It was and still is, a very British car with its romantic relationship with their countryside: a rural idyll of stately homes, landed gentry, elegant gardens and graceful vistas. It has influenced British literature, culture and design and has remained a favourite with the British Royal family from the day it was launched. Range Rover returned to The Championships, Wimbledon, this year as the Official Vehicle Partner, bringing together the world's oldest tennis tournament and another British icon. It's not all strawberries and cream, though, and while you're unlikely to see modern Range Rovers slinging around in mud holes or crawling over mountainous goat tracks, it has all the technology and ability to do that. Still capable It has a storied history of tackling tough challenges that include two first-generation Range Rovers travelling from Anchorage, Alaska, to attempt the first north-south crossing of the Americas. They arrived in Tierra del Fuego in Argentina just over six months later, which saw the first crossing of the Darien Gap, a 100-mile stretch of roadless jungle between Panama and Colombia, where the vehicles averaged a mile a day. Other off-road achievements include twice winning the Paris-Dakar rally, crossing the Himalayas from Solihull (the birthplace and home of Land Rover) to Mumbai and the fastest ever crossing of the Empty Quarter – the world's largest sand desert – on the Arabian Peninsula. Range Rover returned to The Championships, Wimbledon, this year as the Official Vehicle Partner. Image: Supplied Innovative They have also been pioneers in technology and innovation. They were the first with four-wheel disc brakes and coil springs (1970), the first SUV with ABS anti-lock brakes (1989), the first SUV with electronic traction control (1992), the first with electronic height-adjustable air suspension (1992) and the first with a lightweight aluminium monocoque chassis (2012) while today's Range Rover Sport SV has the world's first 6D suspension, to reduce roll and enhance ride comfort. This year sees prototype testing of Range Rover Electric, the brand's first fully electric vehicle with more patents expected to be filed than on any other Range Rover. Range It was only in 2005 that the second Range Rover was launched with the Range Rover Sport, entering the market for more performance-oriented SUVs. The third generation saw the light in 2022 and included the flagship SV. In 2011, the Range Rover Evoque introduced a new sporting luxury compact SUV sector. The Velar joined as the fourth member of the Range Rover family in 2017 and won a host of awards, including World's Most Beautiful Car. The Range Rover is as comfortable in the deserts as it is on the red carpet. Image: Supplied Local celebrity event Not to be outdone, South Africa had their own Range Rover soiree at the Land Rover Experience in Lone Hill, Sandton. Selected clients and media were invited to rub shoulders with celebrities and Range Rover representatives in a luxurious atmosphere while eating top-class cuisine and sipping Champagne, craft gin, Pimms cocktails and award-winning wines. Surrounded by the full array of Range Rovers, the skid pan had been converted into a tennis court with umbrellas and tables scattered around for the spectators while watching Bryan Habana, Bohang Moeko, Nandi Madida and Karen Zoid mix it up between the white lines. Anele Mdoda was the MC for the day, and her comments from the umpire chair should secure her a seat at the next tennis Open. The Range Rover has come a long way since its groundbreaking introduction 55 years ago, and it's just as desirable now as it was then. If I won the lotto, I wouldn't tell anyone, but a V8 Big Body Range Rover will be a sign.
RNZ News
17 hours ago
- Health
- RNZ News
The heart researcher with a love for vintage Land Rovers
Professor Julian Paton is a leading heart researcher and director of the University of Auckland Heart Research Centre, as well as the national Centre of Research Excellence, Putahi Manawa. His research focuses on the connections between the brain and the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Some of his discoveries have resulted in first-in-human trials for treating neurogenic hypertension, sleep apnoea and heart failure. In his spare time, Professor Paton restores and drives vintage Land Rovers, including the oldest Land Rover in the country - a 1948 Series I - nicknamed "20" after its serial number. Earlier this year he drove it from Dunedin to Auckland raising money for heart valve research to assist children with Rheumatic Heart Disease. Professor Paton tells Kathryn Ryan that 17 day trip has been life changing. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
