Land Rover’s design director says he will put third-party tuning companies out of business thanks to the carmaker’s expanded Special Vehicle Operations division, mimicking similar statements he made last year.

In a recent interview with Autocar, Gerry McGovern expressed his disdain towards tuning companies that frequently profit off subtly modified Land Rover models, particularly the Range Rover family.

“It’s easy to take a product that’s already been created and put a little spoiler on it or whatever, but I’d like to see them design their own car. We see them taking our property and making a bit more profit.

“Well, we’re going to put them out of business through SVO. The opportunities we’re creating there, and the quality of our work, are much better,” he said.

Land Rover’s latest model, the Range Rover Velar, will likely prove particularly popular among tuning companies who think they can improve its design, performance and luxury. If McGovern is serious about putting these companies out of business, we expect to see a host of special variants, one-offs and a near-limitless range of customization options.

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