Playing in the Dirt at Pebble Beach

"I can't believe we just did that," says Rick Blakemore after test‑driving the all‑new 2012 Range Rover Evoque coupe up a seemingly near‑vertical wall of dirt.

Rick, from Carlsbad, Calif. was one of the first consumers to take the lightest and most fuel‑efficient Range Rover off‑road, as part of Land Rover North America's new Range Rover Evoque Experience tour, which kicked‑off this past weekend at Pebble Beach.

More than 90 consumers signed‑up for the challenging 15‑minute test drive that was coinciding with Friday's The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering event where Land Rover was a sponsor.

The 1.5‑mile off‑road course they used was part of the Land Rover Experience Driving School that is based at Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, Calif. It featured a series of steep climbs, sheer drops, ruts and ridges designed to showcase the new Range Rover Evoque's off‑road capabilities.

Bob Burns, Land Rover North America's Events Manager, said, "Most consumers who test‑drove the new Range Rover Evoque came back with an ear‑to‑ear grin and were completely surprised with the new Range Rover's go‑anywhere skills."

"The idea behind the Range Rover Evoque Experience tour is to reinforce the message that while the new Range Rover Evoque might look as if it has been designed for the city, it is very much a true Range Rover with real off‑road capability", Burns added.

Following its Pebble Beach weekend debut, the tour will make stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Miami and San Francisco, where Burns and his team will create special city center off‑road courses.

As Rick Blakemore's dusty, dirt‑covered Range Rover Evoque coupe clawed its way down a rock‑strewn sheer drop, its Hill Descent Control (HDC®) kept everything under control, and Blakemore simply had three words to say: "This is fun!"