As cars age, keeping them on the road gets increasingly difficult and maintenance costs have the tendency to swell as the years go by. One solution to futureproof and simplify a vehicle is to yank off the oily bits and install a purely electric powertrain instead. British company Lunaz is specialized in ICE to EV conversions and has unveiled its latest products based on the first-generation Range Rover: a droptop Country and a long-wheelbase Town.
The convertible takes after the car featured in Octopussy, a 1983 film and the thirteenth motion picture in the James Bond series. It will live a new life as a sailing yacht tender in Southampton, New York after Lunaz will work its magic on converting the original Rangie into an all-electric SUV convertible.
Classic Range Rover convertible and LWB electric conversions by Lunaz
The vehicle is going to be stripped down to bare metal and reinforced with box-section steel. It's also getting upgraded six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes with a regenerative function to juice up the battery. In addition, it's also set to receive upgraded six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes with a regenerative function to juice up the battery.
Other tweaks include a major suspension overhaul by replacing the original bushings and linkages with an adjustable coilover suspension benefitting from a long travel. The all-wheel-drive Range Rover convertible painted in Maya Blue will offer approximately 360 horsepower and 450 pound-feet (612 Newton-meters) of torque.
Lunaz is installing Mocca Walnut flooring for the rear passenger deck where up to six people can sit. It's going to take more than 1,000 hours to apply a hardwearing satin weatherproofing lacquer finish on the wood. The fully open SUV comes equipped with a cool box and USB charging built into a custom center console.
As for the Town commission, the LWB model receives the same restoration and EV conversion, along with a six-inch infotainment with Apple CarPlay and an upgraded sound system featuring a 1,300-watt amplifier. The owner wants certain types of wood to be used on the inside where a center console has heated and cooled cup holders, a wireless charging pad, and a water fridge. Interestingly, there's also a watch winder for four timepieces.
The coral-painted SUV with a contrasting black roof will be mostly chauffeur-driven in Monaco. It's going to boast electrically operated massaging seats that are heated and cooled and wrapped in box-woven wool. Lunaz says it typically takes about 30,000 hours to complete a build, but it'll need more than 50,000 collective hours to finish the Town project.
Prices start at £245,000 (about $278,600 at current exchange rates) and new orders will be delivered in the second quarter of 2023.
