Land Rover Discovery Sport put to the test ahead ofSeptember 3 debut [w/videos]

Engineers have a heck of a job on their hands developing any new model, but when it comes to anSUV, they've got to conduct testing both on the road and off. That's why, in preparation to launchthe all-new Discovery Sport, the development team at Land Rover has built 181 prototypes that havealready covered some 750,000 miles over all manner of terrain. The prototypes have waded throughtwo feet of water, climbed up 40-degree inclines and down 45-degree grades and enduredtemperatures from -33 up to 107 degrees Fahrenheit.

With over 11,000 tests performed to date, the Discovery Sport is just about ready for itsintroduction, now confirmed to take place less than a month from now on September 3rd. That'swhen the new sport-ute will effectively take the place of the aging Freelander/LR2 in the growingDiscovery family, complete with three-row seating and what promises to be go-anywhere capabilitylike you'd expect of any Land Rover.

The vehicle is being developed out of a new partnership with Virgin Galactic, the engineers fromboth outfits exchanging tips and practices from their respective fields. Watch the videos below tolearn more about the collaboration and testing process, scope out the details in the press releaseand view the latest photos of the prototypes undergoing testing (as well as a nifty infographiccrunching the numbers from all that testing) in the gallery above.

Land Rover and Virgin Galactic Provide Unique Insight Into Test and Development Programmes

- Partners Land Rover and Virgin Galactic make progress in the world of testing and development ofnew vehicles - on land and in space

- New Discovery Sport entering final development phase, with prototype fleets testing globally

- Land Rover is the first global partner of pioneering commercial spaceline Virgin Galactic

Global partners in adventure, innovation andexploration, Land Rover and Virgin Galactic,have opened the doors on the world ofprototype testing and development. For thefirst time both brands compare the parallelsand complexities behind the test anddevelopment of a new vehicle. Both LandRover and Virgin Galactic have used theirpartnership to share values and experiencesthat have steered each brand to developcutting edge technologies for both land andspace.

The pioneering partnership, announced inApril this year, has continued to make stridesthrough Land Rover's continued developmentof the new Discovery Sport vehicle while

Virgin Galactic moves closer to the launch of the world's first spaceline.

As the new Discovery Sport enters its final testing phase, Land Rover and Virgin Galactic, whichcontinues its flight test and engineering programs ahead of the launch of its commercial spaceflightprogramme, are giving a glimpse of what goes into their test and development programmes.

Murray Dietsch, Programme Director, Land Rover, said: "There is a common philosophy towardsengineering between Land Rover and our partners Virgin Galactic. We start with an idea and buildfrom there, spending years refining a design and completing virtual testing before the firstprototypes see the tarmac. As our partnership with Virgin Galactic develops, it will be fascinating toget closer to their team and explore common areas of engineering and expertise.

"Discovery Sport prototypes have covered approximately 750,000 miles during the testing phase, insome of the world's harshest and most challenging terrains and climates. A total of 181 prototypevehicles were built, completing over 11,000 tests over their lifetimes around the globe, ensuringtotal confidence in the robustness of build and design of the vehicles."

"As we look to launching the world's first spaceline,Virgin Galactic continues to push boundaries anddevelop pioneering new innovations that bring to lifeour vision," said George Whitesides, CEO of VirginGalactic. "In engineering and design, like Land Rover,our focus is on precision, ingenuity, and unparalleleddesign."

Note to editors:

- Land Rover Discovery Sport prototypes have covered approximately 750k test miles during thetesting and development phase for the vehicle

- The vehicle was tested to water depths of 600mm

- The vehicle was tested to temperatures of -36° to 42 °

- A total of 11,720 tests were carried out on the vehicle

- The car was tested to inclines of 40 degrees and declines of 45 degrees

Land Rover and Virgin Galactic Partnership

Land Rover and Virgin Galactic announced a globalpartnership in April 2014 against the backdrop ofVirgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, the world's firstcommercial passenger-carrying spacecraft, and LandRover's new Discovery Vision Concept vehicle. Thepartnership demonstrates a shared vision of pioneeringspirit, technological innovation and sense of adventure,and illustrates a desire to push the boundaries of travelfor the next generation.

LandRoverandVirginGalacticareworking together to share engineering and design

expertise for the benefit of research and development, potential future design collaborations,exclusive projects and dual brand immersive experiences for consumers. Both brands have a shareddedication to inspire the youth of today into engineering, science and technology careers that willcontinue to change how we define travel in the future.

For more information on the partnership please visit www.landrover.com

Discovery Sport will be revealed globally on September 3rd.