09-15-2015

STARTECH Nobilis Exclusive design and privacy in the rear for the long-wheelbase Range Rover

STARTECH Nobilis – a new interior concept for the long-wheelbase Range Rover celebrates its European premiere at the IAA 2015 under this label.

STARTECH, a BRABUS Group company, is the global market leader in the exclusive customization of Range Rover, Land Rover and Jaguar automobiles at the highest level of perfection.

The STARTECH Nobilis equipment line fulfills the wishes of many owners of the English SUV for more privacy in the rear. To this end, the STARTECH interior designers developed a tailor-made bulkhead that thanks to numerous intelligent detail solutions lives up to this standard without restricting the space available on the rear seats.

In addition, the company upholstery shop can create masterfully crafted interiors to customer specifications from fine leather and Alcantara in any desired color. Just as extensive is the selection of wood and genuine carbon trim sets.

Tailor-made business and multimedia systems made by STARTECH turn the Range Rover into an office, movie theater or concert hall on wheels.

Of course, the STARTECH Nobilis concept can be combined with all refinement options offered by the German company for the latest Range Rover.

These not only include sporty and elegant bodywork conversions culminating in the STARTECH WIDEBODY version, but also tailor-made wheels with diameters of 22 or 23 inches, a suspension solution calibrated to those wheels, and a sports exhaust system with electronic sound management.

STARTECH stands behind the high quality of its parts and modifications, all of which are independently safety-certified, with the one-of-a-kind STARTECH warranty of three years, up to 100,000 kilometers (see STARTECH Warranty Terms and Conditions, updated June 2013).

Many owners of a long-wheelbase Range Rover do not drive themselves, but rather use a chauffeur. The wish for more privacy in the rear compartment is expressed correspondingly frequently. The STARTECH interior designers specialize in fulfilling such wants. Of course, STARTECH does not limit itself to exclusive accessories such as stainless-steel scuff plates with backlit STARTECH logo on all four doors or aluminum pedals and footrest.

The STARTECH Nobilis concept involves the installation of a bulkhead behind the front seats. It is stylishly integrated into the interior and features numerous intelligent detail solutions that guarantee perfect comfort and undisturbed travel in the rear.

The STARTECH bulkhead is designed to offer maximum legroom for rear-seat passengers. To this end, an elaborate mechanism guides the power-retractable window in the bulkhead down at an angle. This creates several extra centimeters of legroom compared with a conventional design.

The bulkhead window is made from safety glass with a special electro-chromatic inner film. This innovative technology makes it possible for the glass to turn opaque at the push of a button, creating the desired privacy.

A tailor-made center console, which optionally can be equipped with power-retractable tables, blends with the bulkhead perfectly. An intercom allows communicating with the chauffeur even when the window is closed or opaque. Two large leather pockets on the bulkhead can store the travel accessories of the two rear-seat passengers securely and properly.

The bulkhead and the center console of the STARTECH Nobilis interior are covered with the same high-grade leather as the rest of the interior and a number of additions to the standard leather appointments. The variety of colors ranges from the production leather colors to leather or Alcantara dyed to individual customer specifications. Just as limitless are the options for the finish of the high-quality materials. Stitching and quilting can also be adapted to the customer’s personal preferences.

The wood insert and the ambient lighting strip below it in the STARTECH Nobilis bulkhead runs the entire width of the window. This wood trim features the same grain as the other inlays in the interior. STARTECH also offers exclusive wood and carbon trim sets with a variety of grains and surface finishes. Especially exclusive are the yachting design wood interiors that are assembled by hand from myriads of individual pieces and then sealed. The STARTECH teakwood floor in the trunk also exudes a maritime touch.

In addition, the bulkhead can be equipped with two LED screens, which can be connected to the standard entertainment equipment or a state-of-the-art multimedia system from STARTECH.

Power-operated curtains on both sides and the rear window shield the rear compartment effectively from prying eyes. Exclusive, high-pile STARTECH floor mats with leather edging provide maximum comfort.

The exterior of the long-wheelbase Range Rover can be customized as well. The sporty and elegant STARTECH aerodynamic-enhancement package for the Range Rover can be expanded and culminates in the especially exclusive STARTECH WIDEBODY version. All parts of the widebody version are manufactured in OEM quality from PUR-R-Rim or genuine carbon and consequently offer a perfect fit as well as impeccable paintability.

The STARTECH Nobilis show car at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor show is equipped with the STARTECH WIDEBODY version. Immediately apparent from the front are the air deflectors, which attach to the sides of the STARTECH front component. They give the English 4×4 an even more bullish appearance and further accentuate the STARTECH front bumper that replaces the production bumper. The front spoiler and the side air deflectors perfectly complement each other at high speeds to reduce aerodynamic lift on the front axle.

Another unmistakable feature of the STARTECH widebody version is the lighting concept of the new front end. To comply with the differing certification rules in different countries, identically shaped LED daytime running lights or LED position markers are integrated into STARTECH front bumper depending on the country of destination. In addition, the front component is equipped with the smallest LED fog lights currently available on the market.

The elegantly curved STARTECH fender flares are mounted above the wheel arches front and back, and connected harmoniously by matching door components extending all the way to the rocker panels. Overall, the conversion adds 60 millimeters to the width of the Range Rover compared with the production vehicle. Of course, the STARTECH widebody version is available for all Range Rover models with standard wheelbase and for the long-wheelbase version.

Similar to the front attachments, the rear fender flares feature stylized air scoops in front of the wheel arches. The STARTECH rear bumper replaces the production bumper in its entirety and with an integrated diffuser lends the Range Rover a markedly sporty rear appearance. This component also combines form and function perfectly: On one hand, it ensures the power-operated trailer hitch works as flawlessly as with the production bumper. On the other, the bumper features tailpipe trim in STARTECH design perfectly integrated into its lines. They can be combined with the STARTECH stainless-steel dual sports exhaust system with electronically controlled butterfly valves or with the production exhaust system of the Range Rover.

The STARTECH front and rear bumper can also be installed on any current Range Rover even without WIDEBODY fender flares.

Apart from ensuring an imposing appearance, a widebody version has above all one function: making room for extremely large wheels! The STARTECH Nobilis show car for the IAA 2015 is equipped with king-sized STARTECH Monostar S 23-inch high-tech forged wheels. The cross-spoke wheels offer a perfect blend of maximum strength and lightweight design. To match the chrome trim on the body, the wheels for the vehicle on display in Frankfurt were produced in an especially exclusive ceramics-polished variant. The cross-spoke wheels of size 11Jx23 are mounted with high-performance tires of size 305/30 R 23.

The STARTECH suspension module lowers the ride height of the Range Rover for on-road operations by about 30 millimeters. The lower center of gravity makes the car’s handling even safer and more agile. For driving off road and for getting in and out of the vehicle, the ride height remains at the production level.

The STARTECH Nobilis can be combined with all engines available for the Range Rover. The STARTECH SD 30S performance kit is available for the twin-turbo 3.0-liter LR-TDV6 diesel. The STARTECH auxiliary control module can be installed by any specialist workshop in less than an hour thanks to a model-specific wire harness and plug-and-play design.

New mapping for the engine electronics was programmed in extensive road and racetrack tests, and with the help of state-of-the-art test bench technology. Instead of the standard 190 kW / 258 HP, it puts an agile 221 kW / 300 HP at 4,000 rpm at the disposal of the driver’s foot. At the same time, peak torque grows from standard 600 Nm to 685 Nm, which are already on tap from a low 1,950 rpm.

In perfect harmony with the eight-speed automatic transmission and in conjunction with the lightweight-design philosophy of the current Range Rover, this power increase is also reflected in considerable better performance: The sprint from rest to 100 km/h takes just 7.3 seconds.

At the other end of the power spectrum is the supercharged eight-cylinder variant on display in Frankfurt. The supercharged five-liter engine has a standard rated output of 375 kW / 510 HP. The STARTECH high-performance exhaust system unleashes an additional 12 kW / 16 HP.

The appearance of the stainless-steel exhaust meshes perfectly with the widebody design. What is more: The exhaust also offers special driving fun thanks to an electronic sound management with electric actuators for the integrated butterfly valves. Via the gear selection wheel in the cockpit, the driver influences the engine sound in the blink of an eye. In the “sport” position, the powerful supercharged version of the Range Rover in particular produces an electrifying exhaust note. When the exhaust flaps are closed, the engine “whispers” very discreetly.

 

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