Following the announcement a year ago that Lunaz Design was taking orders for its first batch of classic electric Range Rovers, demand has been growing and now accounts for 45% of the marque’s total production. The orders are for two configurations – ‘Town’, which focuses on rear seat and driver comfort, and ‘Country’, which incorporates engineering features that enable ‘better-than-new’ off-roading capability – which will be made in a 70:30.
The company says that the first two units are the most complex Range Rover builds ever undertaken by Lunaz Design. The first is a Long Wheelbase variant in ‘Town’ configuration and the second is a fully open Safari model – the same type that featured in the James Bond film, Octopussy – in ‘Country’ specification.
Created for two different customers on each side of the Atlantic, the ‘Town’ Range Rover will be 80% chauffeur-driven and kept in Monaco, while the ‘Country’ Safari model will be used as a sailing yacht tender in New York.
The restoration and conversion process represents re-engineering from the ground up. It starts with an exhaustive inspection. Each corner is then weighed to understand the original weight distribution to the gram. This information informs decisions on chassis set-up, powertrain packaging and suspension. The original internal combustion engine and associated systems are then removed and the chassis is prepared for electrification.
The car is then 3D-scanned; this allows the engineers to create detailed CAD models to ensure technical perfection in every step of the process.
After being stripped to bare metal, each base car is reinforced with box section steel in preparation for its significantly uprated all-wheel-drive powertrain. The specifics of Lunaz electric propulsion technology are closely guarded, but each classic by Lunaz is designed, developed, engineered and tested in-house using the highest specification modules available for automotive applications.
Following its installation – and subject to customer preference – this will deliver roughly 360 bhp/610 Nm, which is approximately 177% more power than the original V8 engine – and with zero emissions, of course.
Six and four-piston disc brakes will be fitted to the front and rear respectively. The brakes also feature a regenerative function, recharging the car’s battery when decelerating or braking. The suspension on both SUVs will be subject to a complete overhaul. All bushings and linkages are replaced then adjustable, long-travel coil-over suspension will be fitted.
Traditional coachbuilding and restoration skills are then employed and the car is stripped down to a bare metal shell. Even imperceptible body defects are addressed by hand before the surface finish process begins.
Range Rovers by Lunaz specified in ‘Town’ configuration receive significant bespoke treatments. Alongside more simple requests for personalised exterior and interior colourways, features requested by customers include integrating vintage clothing into the vehicle’s fabric palette, Starlink wifi connectivity and switchgear and seat fabrics made from upcycled ocean plastics.
Nearly all ‘Country’ vehicles have been commissioned based on their owners’ estates. From ranches in Wyoming, vineyards on the Cote d’Azur and shooting estates in Scotland, each Range Rover by Lunaz has been meticulously tailored to the specific climate, terrain and lifestyle demands of their owners.
While upgrading the off-road capability of the car is often prioritized, customers have integrated field sports equipment stowage and even ski equipment racks with ‘warm boxes’ for hats and gloves in preparation for a day on the pistes.
In the cabin, the utility of the original interior design has been significantly elevated, balancing the integration of the latest technology, such as Apple CarPlay-enabled infotainment with a 6-inch screen and modern audio upgrades powered by a 1300W amplifier, with the iconic Range Rover aesthetic.
The interior of the Long Wheelbase model uses a colour palette inspired by the customer’s second home in Scotland. Rugged greens, warm oranges and rich mineral tones are rendered in both leather and durable box-woven wool on the seats – each electrically operated, heated and cooled with massage functions.
The customer also requested a specific wood species, walnut, for use in her Range Rover, which flows from the dashboard into the centre console. The console itself features wireless device charging facilities, warming and cooling drinks carriers, a separate water fridge and a watch winder for four timepieces. The exterior is finished in a bold coral colour, designed by the customer herself, with a contrasting jet-black roof.
On average, the transformation of each vehicle requires 30,000 hours to complete. However, in the case of the long wheelbase model, experts across Lunaz’ design, engineering and craft functions spent more than 50,000 collective hours.
The open Safari model required significant body and chassis reinforcements using triangular steel section to brace the car in preparation for its uprated powertrain, but also remain stable without a roof.
Electric vehicles have usually been expensive due to the advanced and new technologies but those that have become mainstream models have the benefit of economies of scale to push prices down. Not so with the classic electric Range Rover by Lunaz, each of which is expected to start at £245,000 (about RM1.342 million), ex-factory, because of its very small production volume.
