Feature: Desert Stormer
October 1, 2007
In the end, WCC’s long-distance coordination proved successful. Remarkably, when the prince’s representative arrived at WCC’s Corona, Calif., shop for a final inspection, only a single element required fine-tuning: The craftsmen had slightly overestimated the size of the original Range Stormer’s fender flares. "They looked larger in the photos," explains Friedlinghaus.
Before its journey to the Middle East, The Robb Report Collection had the opportunity to take WCC’s Range Stormer out for a
drive. We discovered that getting into the car is somewhat of a challenge. Like
the show car, it features scissor-style doors sans handles. Press a button on
the key fob and the door swings outward several inches; the driver then pushes
the door forward and up, à la Lamborghini. Due to its one-off construction, the
hinge action doesn’t have the polish of a production counterpart, and it takes
several tries to open and close smoothly.
Inside, a center console divides the quartet of Recaro
seats—those in front have ample space, but legroom is virtually nonexistent in
the rear seats. Despite a serious loss of headroom, the open-air sensation
facilitated by the clear polycarbonate roof prevents claustrophobia. WCC left
the steering wheel and dashboard unmodified, leaving a forward view much like
any Range Rover Sport.
Most concept cars are equipped with rudimentary running gear, at best, and
may be driven only at low speeds. This car, however, employs the Range Rover
Sport’s supercharged 4.4-liter V-8 and 6-speed automatic transmission, both in
standard form. On the road, it behaves as if it were a stock vehicle driven off
a dealer’s lot. The only difference is an aggressive exhaust note that rumbles
through the car with any pressure on the gas pedal. Quicker and more agile than the larger Range Rover, it accelerates
smartly and displays sporting handling characteristics as it navigates the roads
winding through undeveloped canyons near Corona.
Contending with a glass roof, the stock air conditioner has
difficulty compensating for the day’s 95-degree heat. This doesn’t bode well for
an SUV on its way to the desert, but Friedlinghaus points out that HRH has over
1,500 cars in his garage. Thus, the Range Stormer will be driven infrequently.
He adds that HRH considered a white paint job—the color most amenable to extreme
heat—but decided to go for accuracy in the end.
Not surprisingly, the Range Stormer draws plenty of
attention on public roads. "The Range Stormer’s successful public response
is a fantastic reaction and endorsement of our future design philosophy and
product direction," says Julian Thomson, studio director of Land Rover’s
Advanced Design team. Far from objecting to the WCC Range Stormer, he finds it
delightful. "This is a very intriguing project," he adds. "We remain very
enthusiastic about the Stormer concept and would love to see a running example
on the road."
At the time of writing, Friedlinghaus had commenced filming
Street Customs, a new show for the TLC network’s fall line-up, with a focus
on actual WCC projects, like re-imagining an S-Class sedan as a coupe and
mounting the body of a vintage Chevy Chevelle to the chassis of a C6 Corvette.
"It’s about the cars we really build and the people we build them for," says
Friedlinghaus. During a visit to his shop—expertly designed with a visitor’s
gallery and ample space for camera crews—we saw Cadillac Escalades, a Chevrolet
Tahoe, a 1961 Cadillac Sedan de Ville, a Mercedes-Benz S550 and a Dodge Charger,
each in various degrees of customization.
Though he declines to disclose the final price of the Range
Stormer, Friedlinghaus says most projects cost between $35,000 and $250,000. As
much as Friedlinghaus enjoyed the Range Stormer commission, he’s always thinking
about the future. "The concept is the challenge," he says. "Every year at SEMA I
look at the picture, what everybody’s going to do. And then do it better.
Anybody can put a body kit on a Mercedes—not everybody can do what I do."
West Coast Customs
951.284.0680
www.westcoastcustoms.com
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