G4 Limited Editions

The G4 Limited Edition (LE) models were created by land rover to sell in parallel to the public during, and after the first G4 Challenge in 2003.  The event itself had to prove itself in the market place which left a challenge from the start, and led to the G4 Limited Edition range of vehicles being born. While the event was a global event these new Edition models would not be sent to all markets and to keep them exclusive, they would be limited in numbers.

The main markets for the Edition would be Europe and North America, this raised its own challenges as not all models taking part in the event were available in both markets and likewise not all powertrains were widely used in each market. This fork in the road led to the split in models and engine variants between Europe and N.America.

When the design was rolled out it was believed that Tangiers Orange would not be loved by all and possibly hinder the sales so a wider colour pallet was selected. Many will be familiar with the Event colour of Tangiers Orange and may have seen a Java Black vehicle with a G4 Edition badge on it and thought to themselves that the owner loves the G4 and stuck a sticker on it, you are both right and wrong. Land Rover Created the Editions in 4 colours for the European market although all  4 colour options were specific to the UK, Tangiers Orange, Java Black, Zambezi Silver and Borrego Yellow. They also limited the run to 200 pieces for each of the models Discovery 2 and Defender which included a split between 90 & 110.

In Mainland Europe the editions were only available in Tangiers Orange and Java Black for the French Market and Tangiers Orange and Borrego Yellow for the German market. Tangiers Orange was to prove the most popular colour amongst enthusiasts followed by Java Black and represented around 70% of sales, Zambezi Silver was 3rd on the list and Borrego Yellow falling last with around only 12-15 pieces being built for each model (Defender and Discovery).

The drivetrain used in the euro market was the most common unit sold being the popular 2.5 Td5 diesel unit. This was a key difference to the majority of the event vehicles as all but the Defender carried a petrol drivetrain. The vehicles were also kitted out inside just the same as the event vehicles which is the same as every other car in the model range as Land Rover wanted to prove that their vehicles are fit for purpose from the factory no matter what you do with it and the only parts exclusive to the G4 Edition the “Black Mogul” seat fabrics and the slightly thicker roof rails.  The optional extras that were offered were standard items in the Land Rover accessories catalogue which included light guards and A-Bar’s for the front of the vehicle.  The vehicles were all built from 2003 to 2004 although in the UK market there are a handful registered in 2005 and were the very last of this run.

In the North American Market, the models differed and while the Discovery 2 led the way the defender was not an option due to regulations on imports so the Freelander was the next logical choice as it was now a growing product in the US. This was also a limited run of 200 units of each model for the N.American market. The colours were limited to just 2 options from the factory Tangiers Orange and Java Black although Tangiers was by far the most popular and around 95% or a bit more of the builds. The other big difference to the Euro market is that petrol was the preferable option of drivetrain.  For the Discovery the 4.6v8 was the logical choice along with the 2.5v6 for the Freelander as the dealer network was set-up and familiar with these units. Internal Specs and options were very similar to the Euro spec vehicles to keep things easier with factory and dealer fit options.

 

Back in Europe there had been a plan to make a Freelander Edition but again it was felt that it would not do as well as other models and a decision was made to apply the UK Edition colour range to the ongoing Kalahari Model. When this decision was made the Kalahari was already rolling off the production line at the start of 2003 which is why some Tangiers orange units appear on very early registrations compared to the official Edition models.  While there is no official Euro spec Freelander Editions the G4 Owners Club recognises the Kalahari in the Edition Colours as a G4 Edition, but this is exclusive to the club and not a public recognition as all paperwork belonging to the vehicles will still read Kalahari.

In the lead up to the 2006 event there were no official G4 Editions to sell alongside the event globally although the French market did sell a G4 Edition Defender with only 115 units to sell making it a very exclusive Edition and all produced in Tangiers Orange.

The dealer networks were gifted a G4 treat for the 2006 event year and had an G4 accessory book to make available to the public which included options such as the roof racks, ladders, lights and other equipment for the Defender, Discovery 3 and the Range Rover Sport. At the same time the Land Rover Gear side of the business also sold through the dealer network had available the G4 Khyam iGloo Tents and G4 Bikes although the bikes looked similar there were a very down spec’d down version of those bikes used on the Challenge events in order to hit a retail price point accessible to all.

With all of these vehicles and kit items there can be confusion between Genuine Event, G4 Edition and a Copy (G-Flaw), if you need help in identification for any G4 related product please get in contact and we will happily guide you.