Daniel Craig Closes Down Midtown Manhattan For Live Drive

NEW YORK, March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

At A Glance:

• Daniel Craig drove the All-New Range Rover Sport in live reveal through Midtown Manhattan
• British actor stars in short film by acclaimed Hollywood director Jonathan P. B. Taylor
• New York is Range Rover's biggest metropolitan market and the Range Rover Sport is Land Rover's best-selling vehicle in the US
• The All-New Range Rover Sport is the fastest, most agile and technology packed Land Rover ever
• All-new high strength aluminum structure provides a weight savings of approximately 800lbs. over the previous generation Range Rover Sport
• Superbly crafted, luxurious interior
• Choice of 340hp supercharged V6 or 510hp supercharged V8 engines
• Available new fully automatic Terrain Response^® 2 system

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130326/CL84209)

Tonight, Land Rover celebrated the global debut of the all-new Range Rover Sport at an exclusive star-studded VIP reception at Skylight at Moynihan Station in New York City. In a scene reminiscent of a Hollywood movie, actor Daniel Craig revealed the all-new Range Rover Sport by driving it through the streets of one of the world's most dynamic cities. The British actor, who was entrusted to deliver the fastest, most agile and responsive Land Rover to date vehicle for its first unveiling to the world, skillfully handled the car, drove it through closed off streets and delivered the all-new Range Rover Sport as guests anticipated the exciting reveal.

After the Range Rover Sport was unveiled, Land Rover celebrated at a star-studded reception where guests included Daniel Craig, the co-host of Live! With Kelly and Michael and former NY Giant Michael Strahan, lead singer of Duran Duran Simon Le Bon; jewelry designer and model Jade Jagger; Ralph Lauren model Doug Pickett and Olympic athlete Zara Phillips.

Speaking ahead of the official world premiere at the New York International Auto Show, Land Rover Global Brand Director John Edwards said, "The all-new Range Rover Sport is an extraordinary car and we have revealed it in an extraordinary way – live on the streets of its biggest selling market.  It turned heads and it stopped traffic in one of the most dynamic cities in the world."

"The new Range Rover Sport represents a step change in engineering and technology; it is almost half a ton lighter resulting in significant CO₂ savings and it's faster, more agile and more dynamic than ever."

The dynamic and thrilling drive was filmed as part of a short film titled 'The Delivery'.  It was broadcast live by Land Rover at landroverusa.com/newrangeroversport and told the story of the British brand staging a global reveal live on the streets of its biggest market. Directed by action film 2^nd unit director Jonathan P. B. Taylor, the film tells the story of a driver tasked with delivering a top secret package. The film starts at the Land Rover manufacturing plant in Solihull, UK, and details the car's journey to Manhattan, where actor Daniel Craig expertly drives through the streets of the city, over Manhattan Bridge and through a closed off tunnel to get it to the launch venue on time.

Craig was attracted to working with Land Rover not only because of his love for the British brand and its vehicles – but also because both he and the brand share a link with the charity S.A.F.E., of which he is a patron.  Land Rover, having previously donated a Land Rover Defender to the Kenyan NGO and UK Charity 4 years ago, is delighted to continue its support and is donating an additional vehicle to the charity later this year.

The donated Land Rover will be used by the S.A.F.E. team to assist in accessing hard-to-reach areas to educate, inspire and deliver social change.  Using accessible, mobile street theatre and community programs, S.A.F.E.'s team of local professional performers educate their communities on an array of issues, from HIV to female circumcision to safe drinking water.  S.A.F.E. Founder Nick Reding attended the event in New York with Craig to talk about the charity and said, "Land Rover has generously given us a vehicle in the past, and this event is a great global platform for us to reach out and talk about our work. Land Rover is helping us get the message about what we do and why it works out to so many more people around the world than we could usually hope for."

The all-new Range Rover Sport will go on sale this fall.  Full information including the full film 'The Delivery' is available to view at now at landroverusa.com/newrangeroversport.

All-New Range Rover Sport
Developed alongside the 2013 Range Rover, the all-new 2014 Range Rover Sport delivers exceptional on-road dynamics with genuine Land Rover all-terrain capability through the introduction of the

next-generation version of Land Rover's Terrain Response^® system^*.  The Range Rover Sport features an all-new high strength aluminum unibody architecture to achieve a weight savings of approximately 800lbs; this weight reduction transforms the vehicle's dynamic performance, enabling it to blend agile handling with exceptional comfort and to offer a unique mix of sporting luxury and a dynamic, engaging driving experience. The all-new Range Rover Sport features a choice between a new 340hp 3-liter supercharged V6 engine and the formidable 510hp 5-liter supercharged V8 from the Range Rover Supercharged   (Note to editor: The previous generation vehicle featured an "Integrated body-frame," which was composed of a steel unibody mounted on a full frame chassis).

The 2014 Range Rover Sport is just 191-inches long, shorter than many mid-sized sedans, and is just 2.5-inches longer than its predecessor.  A wheelbase that's longer by 7-inches yields greater room and improved access for rear passengers.  For comparison, it is 5.9-inches shorter, 2.17-inches lower, and weighs about 100lbs. less than the new 2013 Range Rover on which it is based.

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SOURCE Land Rover