DISCOVERING THE MAGIC LAMP

DISCOVERING THE MAGIC LAMP

By Contributing Editor KURT FUHRMANN

“I Dream of Jeannie", is one of my all time favorite comical TV shows. I am not sure if it was the shear goofiness of the series or the breathtaking beauty of Barbara Eden that kept my attention throughout the series - perhaps both. But the key concept is the magic lamp that Major Nelson found on the beach, and Aladdin found in the desert, and that all of us at one time or another dreamed we could find. I am sure that at least one of the wishes we have all thought of is richness beyond our wildest imagination.

For one week, Land Rover granted me that wish of amazing wealth in the form of the 2003 Discovery HSE. Slip inside the Discovery and feel the sumptuous leather that is expertly tailored and the fragrance of the lush aroma producing a metamorphosis within the driver to make one feel snobbishly wealthy. The interior of the Discovery is an extraordinary amalgam of function and luxury. Beautifully executed and attentively finished, the cockpit offers superior levels of both control and comfort.

Imagine a vehicle that is as adept at touring along a twisting canyon road as tackling the sweltering heat of endless sand dunes of the desert. A vehicle that can take you from a primitive dirt road of an extinct riverbed to the bright lights of Beverly Hills during Christmas with equal competence and style.

When feeling as haughty as I was, where else would one go but to the Desert Springs Marriott Resort Hotel. The ambiance of this luxurious resort is a perfect destination to continue the euphoric feeling of this majestic all-terrain vehicle. Since Palm Springs is about an hour and a half from my home, this distance provided me with the opportunity to experience the Discovery on the open road. The finely tuned eight cylinder engine was exceptionally smooth, quiet, and powerful. I turned on the seat warmers, upped the volume of the Harman-Kardon stereo system, and in what felt like just minutes, I arrived in Palm Springs.

Looking out towards Palm Springs. Photo by Kurt Fuhrmann

Amongst all the luxury cars parked at the Marriott Desert Springs Hotel, the Discovery demanded unsurpassed attention and it wasn't disappointed as two valet attendants actually bumped into each other as they both scurried to open our doors. With an embarrassed look on their faces the attendants straightened up, brushed the wrinkles off their attire and finally compromising, each taking a door to open. The dream continued when asked if I would like my car parked up front "why yes, that would be perfect".

The next morning was an all-new experience. I left the high-class that I had been playing all night to settle down to experience the 4x4 talent that Land Rover boasts in its slogan the best 4x4xFar. The Palm Springs desert offers an abundance of exceptionally soft sand combined with areas of a variety of rough rocky hillsides. I put the Discovery in low and ventured off. In reference to the theme of Aladdin, the Discovery was indeed a magic carpet; it planed across the thick desert sand, as a diamond back rattler in search of it's next pray. Ask the magic carpet to climb and the powerful V-8 climbs hills of loose rock and debris with little hesitation.

Like all episodes of "I Dream of Jeannie", my days with the Discovery had to end. Although my adventures explored over four hundred miles, each time I entered the Discovery it felt like the first.

I am not sure the Discovery is for everyone who is looking for an SUV, but I am sure that if one decides on the Discovery, it will be an adventure of class and prowess.

 

Check out www.landrover.com for more information.