As development of the Discovery Sport enters the final stages with prototype fleets being tested in some of the harshest terrains and climates around the world, Land Rover and Virgin Galactic have provided a unique insight into how their partnership has made progress in the world of testing and development of new vehicles.
The pioneering partnership between Land Rover and the commercial spaceline, which was announced in April this year, has enabled both parties to share values and experiences and develop cutting edge technologies for both land and space.
Murray Dietsch, Programme Director, Land Rover, said: "There is a common philosophy towards engineering between Land Rover and our partners Virgin Galactic. We start with an idea and build from there, spending years refining a design and completing virtual testing before the first prototypes see the tarmac. As our partnership with Virgin Galactic develops, it will be fascinating to get closer to their team and explore common areas of engineering and expertise.
"Discovery Sport prototypes have covered approximately 750,000 miles during the testing phase, in some of the world's harshest and most challenging terrains and climates. A total of 181 prototype vehicles were built, completing over 11,000 tests over their lifetimes around the globe, ensuring total confidence in the robustness of build and design of the vehicles."
The brands have released two videos to compare the parallels and complexities behind the testing and development of a new vehicle:
