The Range Rover Evoque Convertible - the latest in a long line of open top Land Rovers

LAND ROVER has just raised the stakes when it comes to desirable off-roaders - by lowering the roof on the baby Range Rover Evoque.

The company's just shown off this 'concept' (as in a dead cert for actual production) for an open-top version of the award-winning Evoque, which it reckons is going to carve a new niche by blending open air fun with legendary Land Rover mudplugging ability.

Gerry McGovern, the company's design director, said:

"The Evoque lends itself beautifully to the idea of a convertible. This study is not a traditional convertible design execution - instead we have worked with the balance of the Evoque's lines to retain its distinctive shape and create something that is unique and, we believe, highly desirable."

Except, of course, it's not quite as new a concept as you might think. While it would be the first production Range Rover convertible its creators are more than familiar with chopping the roofs of their other products - the first generation Freelander was available with a fabric roof at the rear, while the traditional, leaf-sprung Land Rovers have been available with canvas roofs going right the way back to the very first Series One in 1948.

It's also true that open-top Range Rovers have been available from aftermarket customisers for donkey's years - if you don't believe me, check out the very slick example you could clock way back in 1983 in the opening scenes of Octopussy.

But that doesn't mean I don't think Jaguar Land Rover's onto a winner with this al-fresco version of the acclaimed Evoque. They say they've got no plans to put into production.

Yet...