Range Rover (P38A)

Range Rover (LP)
Overview
Manufacturer	Land Rover
Production	1994–2001
Assembly	Solihull, United Kingdom
Body and chassis
Class	Luxury large off-road 4x4
Body style	5-door SUV
Layout	Front engine / four-wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine	Petrol 4.0 L Rover V8 4.6 L Rover V8 Diesel 2.5 L BMW M51 I6
Transmission	4-speed automatic 5-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,746 mm (108.1 in)
Length	4,712 mm (185.5 in)
Width	1,890 mm (74.4 in)
Height	1,819 mm (71.6 in)
Chronology
Predecessor	Range Rover "Classic"
Successor	Range Rover (L322)

The Range Rover (LP) is the second-generation Range Rover model from British car maker Land Rover. It was launched on September 28, 1994, 24 years after the introduction of the first-generation Range Rover. It included an updated version of the Rover V8 engine, with the option of a 2.5 litre BMW six-cylinder turbo-diesel. The new model offered more equipment and premium trims, positioning the vehicle above the Land Rover Discovery to face the increased competition in the SUV marketplace.

It is usually known as the Range Rover P38 or P38A outside of Land Rover, after the factory building in which the production line was based. During the development stage the vehicle was known by its project designation of 'Pegasus' and during production Land Rover referred to it as either the 'New Range Rover' or by its model designation of 'LP'.

Specifications

Engine

In 1999 the Range Rover V8 received a new Bosch engine management system from the BMW 7 Series. This replaced the Lucas GEMS system. This engine is also known as the Bosch or Thor engine. It can easily be identified by its intake manifold. See Picture.

The diesel edition received an EGR system, which came with a plastic inlet manifold. A modulator sends back part of the exhaust gas into the manifold, thus mixing hot exhaust gas via a vacuum pump into the cold air from the intercooler.

Suspension

The second generation incorporated new engine management and improved electronic air suspension (called EAS) that allowed automatic, speed determined height adjustment. The five suspension heights offered by EAS are (from lowest to highest in terms of height) "Access", "Highway", "Standard", "Off-Road", and "Off-Road Extended". Height was also adjustable manually between the first four settings. The "Off-Road Extended" setting was only accessible automatically by the EAS ECU.

Transmission

The 4.0L V8 petrol and the 2.5L I6 diesel engine were mated to either the R380 manual gearbox or the ZF 4HP22 transmission, as used in the late classic Range Rover, 300 TDi, TD5 or V8 Discoverys. The 4.6L V8 petrol engine was only mated to the ZF 4HP24 transmission.

The R380 gearbox is basically the same as in the previous Range Rover, or Discovery 300tdi. The primary shaft for the diesel is different with a small input diameter for the spigot bearing inside the BMW flywheel and the output shaft has been changed to allow for the different Borg Warner Box.

The Borg Warner transfer box no longer had direct control of High/Low range gears meaning that the vehicle has to nearly stop before shifting from high to low range and the lever from the classic model has been replaced by an electric control on the dashboard for the manual and an H-pattern gate on the automatic gear lever. The transfer case's chain and sprockets have been reinforced. The rear differential on the 4.6L V8 petrol model were a 4-pin version and four-wheel traction control was included with the vehicle, whereas initially the 4.0L V8 and the 2.5L I6 only had 2-pin versions and two-wheel traction control on the rear wheels only. Later versions had the four-wheel traction control and the later 4.6L V8 petrol model had a 4-pin front differential.

Chassis

The chassis was also made stronger and new welding techniques were used. This was the last Range Rover available with a manual gearbox and a classic transfer box. Other features included anti-lock braking system and in some automatic gearbox models two-wheel traction control — although later models saw this feature applied to all four wheels.

1995-1998 Range Rover 4.6 HSE

External links

[http://www.cvcregister.co.uk/ CVC Register - a club of enthusiasts who research and restore pre-production, press-launch and factory-owned P38 Range Rovers.]

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons