There’s a little something for everybody at Land Rover’s Geneva Motor Show display. Land Rover took the opportunity to cover all of its bases by showing its new Range Rover Evoque Convertible concept, a Firenze Red Defender Concept 100, and the 1,000,000th Discovery complete with a bit of road dust. Also on hand were Land Rover executives and the Journey of Discovery expedition team. 

Range Rover Evoque 
Convertible Concept

The Range Rover Evoque Convertible concept is the first real life spin-off we’ve seen from the 2012 Evoque. Land Rover plans to expand the Evoque lineup to include several variations, including a high-performance “R” version and a Grand Evoque that seats seven passengers. Land Rover has yet decided whether the Evoque Convertible will see the production line. If it does, it will go up against vehicles like the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. UPDATE 3/8/2012: What Car? reported today that the Grand Evoque is no longer in consideration for production. 

From where we’re sitting, it seems the market for unusual convertibles is rather slim. It is an experiment that has been tried before, which resulted in a few short-lived curiosities. You may recall the Dodge Dakota convertible that debuted in 1989 or the Chevrolet SSR that first saw the light of day in 2003. You could probably fit the Plymouth Prowler in there, too.

Jeep, recognized as a long-established American icon with serious off-road chops, could find a long-absent British competitor in the DC100 come 2015.

Here in the U.S., we have the aforementioned Murano and, of course, the Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited. The sales figures on the CrossCabriolet are reportedly not stellar, but apparently Nissan does not publicly break down the sales totals between the Murano and the Murano CrossCabriolet. As far as the Jeep, it is certainly not positioned against the Evoque, much less a convertible Evoque. However, the American off-road icon could find a long-absent British competitor in the DC100 come 2015.

Aftermarket Evoque Convertibles

Additionally, if you want a convertible Range Rover Evoque, there are already aftermarket conversion companies who will be happy to accommodate you. In fact, Startech, a German tuner known for its bespoke Land Rovers, is also displaying a convertible Evoque of their own creation. The Startech Evoque Cabrio is quite similar to Land Rover’s official concept. 

Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Dr. Ralf Speth and Land Rover Design Director, Gerry McGovern, pictured with the Range Rover Evoque Convertible concept.

1,000,000th Discovery at the Geneva Motor Show

Land Rover’s 1,000,000th Discovery also made a stop at Geneva. The 1,000,000th Discovery is part of a three-vehicle team that is traveling from Birmingham to Beijing in support of a water sanitation project in Uganda administered by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The journey will cover 8,000 miles, visit over a dozen countries, and aims to raise $1.6 million for its cause. You can  help Land Rover meet its goal by visiting the donations page. 

Right to Left: Mark Cameron, Land Rover Global Brand Extension Director; Goli Ameri, IFRC Under Secretary General of Humanitarian Values & Diplomacy; John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director; Ben Saunders, Land Rover Ambassador and polar explorer; the 1,000,000th Discovery vehicle; and the Journey of Discovery expedition team.

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