Land Rover LR3 Navigates Hercules Aircraft

The sky's no longer the limit for Land Rover North America as an LR3 has accomplished something no vehicle has ever done before. In the second installment of the 'Designed for the Extraordinary' marketing campaign which kicked off earlier this year, a 2006 LR3 was filmed boarding a 75,562 lb. C-130 Hercules cargo plane.

Once airborne the Hercules crew used the LR3's navigation system to direct the plane from Nice, France to the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. At a height of 9,000 feet, the navigation system equipped in the LR3 was able to accurately direct the plane to its destination.

Land Rover North America's 'Extraordinary' marketing campaign showcases actual events, not dramatizations.

Land Rover LR3
The LR3 offers two engines, a 4.4-liter 300 bhp V8 engine, and the new 4.0-liter 216 bhp V6 engine for 2006. Both models come equipped with options for four-wheel drive technologies, including the Terrain Response(TM) system, and four-corner electronic air suspension.

A touch screen DVD-based navigation system is available in the LR3 with both 2D and 3D map displays, which includes both on-and off-road navigation. The personal telephone integration system allows owners to use their own mobile phone in the car either via an integrated cradle or with the wireless convenience of Bluetooth(TM) technology. The system that links in-car entertainment and navigation systems uses fiber optic cabling and is called MOST(R) (Media Oriented System Transport) network.

Hercules C-130
The C-130 is arguably the most versatile and enduring aircraft of all time. Designed as a troop transport and cargo vessel, it has become the main tactical air-lifter worldwide. Its first prototype flight occurred in 1954, and by December 1956, it joined the U.S. Air Force inventory. It since has logged over 20 million hours of flight. It has the longest continuous production of any military aircraft in history and operates in 60 countries around the globe.

Before shooting the advertisement, a test program was conducted in England to determine if the vehicle's navigation system could actually navigate the plane. Raw footage from this program, along with documentary footage, still photographs and interviews with the crew are available online at www.landrover.com.