Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) has opened its new Technical Centre in the heart of the British Midlands. The innovative new £20m facility near Coventry will be the headquarters of SVO and will house manufacturing, paint, technical and customer commissioning and presentation zones inside the 20,000 sq.m facility.
The new Technical Centre is significant representation of the growth of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations – the specialist division of Jaguar Land Rover created in June 2014 to build a business responsible for halo car products (SVO), Vehicle Personalisation, classic car programmes by Jaguar Land Rover Classic and an exciting range of Branded Goods.
John Edwards, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, said: “The new Special Vehicle Operations Technical Centre is a major step forward in meeting the desires of our most discerning customers. There are more than 200 skilled employees here that are committed to outstanding quality and craftsmanship in everything they do.
“The SVO Technical Centre is very modern facility, inspired by a Formula 1 engineering centre. It covers 20,000 square metres including a manufacturing area, one of the world’s most eco-friendly and advanced paint shops, custom-built commissioning suite, technical suite, presentation suite and offices.
“This new Technical Centre enables us to build on the successful launches of the Range Rover Sport SVR, Range Rover SV Autobiography and Jaguar F-Type SVR , and provide an excellent foundation for the growth of the SVO business with the introduction of exciting new Vehicle Personalisation programmes.”
In future, customers will be able to visit the Technical Centre’s Commissioning Suite by invitation, where they will explore the infinite range of possibilities for creating and customising their own Jaguar or Land Rover vehicle. An SVO colour-matching specialist will be on hand to accurately match shades with any item of the customer’s choosing.
Greg Clark, Director of Vehicle Personalisation said: “Our brand new facility delivers industry leading quality, precision and choice. We will encourage customers to participate in the design of their own vehicles, to give a real sense of emotional connection to something that they have created; something unique.
“Our aim is to progressively grow our portfolio to cater to, and exceed, the desires of our most discerning customers”
The exclusive experience will continue through to the food served to customers visiting the Technical Centre. Michelin-starred chef Graham Edwards, who learned his trade in London’s West End and has previously worked with Raymond Blanc, is on hand to create a selection of dishes designed to suit the client or the car they are buying.
The SVO story will continue in the Technical Centre once the customer has left, as their car is built, painted and hand-finished in the other three areas of the building.
The quality and attention to detail throughout the Technical Centre has been inspired by the exacting standards of the top level of motorsport. The workshop features a series of highly advanced workstations and has been created to enable the building of SVO vehicles, by hand, to the highest possible quality.
The largest zone in the Technical Centre is an innovative new Paint Facility. The 12,000m2 zone features 546m of conveyor belts, and is one of the most environmentally friendly paint facilities in the world.
The smart ovens in the facility save enough gas to heat 65,560 homes for a year, while 2.6 million litres of water are saved every year through the use of dry recycled cardboard filters – enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The low energy LED lighting saves enough energy to power 78 homes each year.
The cars are meticulously checked for any imperfections or foreign fibres or dirt, and the team uses specialist lighting to closely inspect the car. All paint finishes are treated to a double clearcoat that provides extra protection and an impeccable world-class finish.
To ensure the car remains flawless, technicians pass through an air shower to remove any loose fibres from their person before they start to manually apply the basecoat.
The final stage to the process is the manufacturing facility, which is home to some of the most extreme quality control procedures in the world.
