The Range Rover is one of the true undisputed Kings of the car world. Its go-anywhere ability, rock solid build quality, phenomenally luxurious interior and commanding driving position all add together to create something special. It just has that certain ‘X factor’, and it has it in spades. Those looking for the ultimate in luxury motoring would be hard pressed to find a better car for the money, and now there’s a new model that sits right at the top of an already tall tree.. The Range Rover SVR.
Put it on your shopping list and you’ll be greeted by 5.0-litre supercharged V8, offering 405kW of power and 680Nm of torque. It’s all yours for only $218,500 price tag, plus on-roads. Power is plied through an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system offering both on-road performance and off-road duality. It’s claimed that the Range Rover Sport SVR is capable of 4.7-second 0-100km/h acceleration and a top speed of 260km/h.
The Sport SVR’s nearest competitors would be the 386kW AMG ML 63 at $182,900 before on-roads, while those willing to step down further could also consider the 344kW Grand Cherokee SRT for chump change – $77,000. Don’t forget the 422kW BMW X5 M, too, priced from $185,900. But, while the BMW is more powerful, the Range Rover family is the stuff of modern legends; buyers looking at the Sport SVR likely won’t be swayed by these other offerings.
SVO boss John Edwards said at the Sport SVR’s unveiling, “A thorough range of revisions specially developed by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations combine to make this premium derivative even more distinctive both inside and out, as well as taking its dynamic capabilities to the next level without impacting on comfort, refinement or all-terrain versatility. The Range Rover Sport SVR is truly the world’s most capable performance SUV.”
The big V8 is mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic, plus a performance-tuned all-wheel-drive and suspension package, and stuffed underneath the RR Sport’s relatively lightweight aluminium body. Land Rover’s SVO division have tuned the paddle-controlled auto’s torque converter for 50 percent quicker shifts, “shorter, more visceral and audibly crisper” than in its regular application. Fans of a built-in throttle blip will also be accommodated here, with the SVR offering both that and a mean crackle on overrun.
The SVR also benefits from the same ‘Torque Vectoring by Braking’ system that lives in the F-Type, tuning into bias braking to deliver greater turn-in response and limit wheel spin. There’s also big six-piston Brembo brakes with additional cooling to pull it all up in a hurry.
Land Rover says the Sport SVR will still deliver solid off-road capability, however, with permanent four-wheel-drive, a two-speed transfer case and an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch. The Sport SVR also retains the regular model’s 850mm wading depth.
Features include an 8.0 inch touchscreen display with voice control, 19-speaker audio system, 16-way powered front seats and adjustable outboard bucket seats in the rear. All of this is wrapped in a sports styling and aero kit, riding on 21-inch alloys as standard and with $4800 22-inch options available.