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Range Rover SUVs Look Way Posher With the Latest Aftermarket ‘Shoes’ on Display

Sure, the primordial off-road vehicle was the WWII-forged Jeep Willys MB (and its rebadged Ford Model GPW), but the legend of SUVs was also crafted with help from Britain, Japan, or Germany.
Custom Land Rover Range Rovers by RDB LA and Forgiato Designs 10 photos
Photo: rdbla / Forgiato / Instagram
Custom Land Rover Range Rovers by RDB LA and Forgiato DesignsCustom Land Rover Range Rovers by RDB LA and Forgiato DesignsCustom Land Rover Range Rovers by RDB LA and Forgiato DesignsCustom Land Rover Range Rovers by RDB LA and Forgiato DesignsCustom Land Rover Range Rovers by RDB LA and Forgiato DesignsCustom Land Rover Range Rovers by RDB LA and Forgiato DesignsCustom Land Rover Range Rovers by RDB LA and Forgiato DesignsCustom Land Rover Range Rovers by RDB LA and Forgiato DesignsCustom Land Rover Range Rovers by RDB LA and Forgiato Designs
True, you could say these were copycats – though not of the design but rather of the attitude – as the Land Rover, Land Cruiser, or G-Wagen basically followed most of the same recipe. And they all not necessarily had various degrees of success (they’re all legends, nowadays) but instead different strategies that led to their actual roles. As such, today there is a massive difference between a Jeep Wrangler, a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, or a Land Rover Range Rover.

The follow-up to the original Jeep is nowadays a proud compact or mid-size two- or four-door SUV that does battle with the Ford Bronco and Toyota 4Runner, rather than anyone else on this list. The Toyota Land Cruiser has evolved into a staple of the comfort-oriented off-road niche, and the Mercedes-AMG G 63s live a sporty luxurious life when they’re not trying to conquer all dunes or rocks in ritzy 4x4 Squared attire.

As for Land Rover, the British company is enamored with the higher echelons of the premium sector. So much so that even the modern reinterpretation of the ubiquitous Defender (the heir to the Land Rover Series), the L663, is now living a comfortable and luxurious compact (90), mid-size (110), or full-size (130) SUV lifestyle. Much to the chagrin of diehard fans, of course.

And here’s another example of this evolution from a rugged, no-frills adventure vehicle into something you can only buy if you can spare six-digit sums. Yep, the mighty Range Rover has grown out of its initial ruggedness throughout just five generations, and now the L460 has a minimalist design on the outside and a quest for ultra-luxury glory on the inside.

Few people would dare put the Range Rover alongside the new stratosphere of ultra-luxury super-SUVs (Bentley Bentayga, Lambo Urus, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Aston Martin DBX, etc.) but Land Rover certainly hopes it will soon join the party. After all, in the United States, you cannot buy a Range without paying an MSRP of at least $106,500. And that is for the ‘base’ SE P400 AWD with an inline-six MHEV powertrain and 395 horsepower. If you splurge, then you can easily climb the V8 ladder to a 523-hp Range Rover SV Long Wheelbase P530 AWD, which is at least $226,500 without any options.

Custom Land Rover Range Rovers by RDB LA and Forgiato Designs
Photo: RDB LA / Forgiato / Instagram
While some people doubted the fifth iteration of the iconic Range Rover is different enough from its predecessor to grasp a positive measure of success, the truth is slightly different. It might not beat too many of its peers in terms of sales but at least as far as the North American aftermarket realm is concerned, the latest flagship Landy is certainly something cool that can be easily used to stand out in any crowd, even the poshest of them sitting on the West Coast. And there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have an example – or two.

First, the good folks over at Hollywood, Los Angeles, California-based RDB LA have just completed yet another Range Rover transformation and they’re highlighting it alongside a Porsche Taycan Turbo riding on RDB Wheels and now also fitted with a full Techart carbon fiber styling kit, and more, in their latest YouTube vlog episode that we got embedded below. This brand-new Range Rover was quickly yet carefully wrapped in a highly non-traditional Satin Khaki Green film, and it also rides posher than ever on RDB ‘Zero’ Wheels, a new type of Aerodisc-style ‘steelies’ that look shinier than a diamond-cut silver plateau when contrasted by the wrap and the California sunset.

Secondly, there are also their neighboring LA-based Forgiato Designs, who are some of the most ubiquitous aftermarket forged wheel creators when it comes to crazy or outrageous ideas. They, too, chose a couple of Range Rover SUVs – this time of the darker and more menacing black variety – for their latest introduction. On this occasion, the accent in the second video embedded below is not necessarily on the ritzy British SUV but rather fell on the company’s introduction of the all-new Forgiato ‘Slantlip’ design, “the ultimate in strength and style.”

Best of all, this new design is a fresh series on its own and can be had as a 24-inch model with “any Forgiato wheel design.” Well, maybe the aftermarket outlet will add even more styles to their online portal, but for now, only the Maglia, NB6, and Trimestre options can get the ‘Slantlip’ treatment. Anyway, now there is just one more question to be asked. Which one would you take home, the irreverent green Range Rover with those shiny ‘Zero’ Aerodiscs or one of these Forgis which have a ‘Slantlip’ atmosphere that would make a lot of SUV detractors blush with envy or (depending on their POV) burst into laughter?

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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