Land Rover reveals details of record-breaking SVR
Land Rover has unmasked the new Range Rover Sport SVR at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California.
The British brand has made no secret of the SVR, which last month became the fastest SUV to lap the Nürburgring and is also the first Land Rover to bear the SVR name – set to feature on future high-performance Jaguars and Land Rovers – but until now the car has only been seen with dazzle camouflage wraps.
Armed with the same 550hp, 5.0-litre V8 as the Jaguar F-Type R, the Range Rover Sport SVR accelerates from 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds, on a par with the entry-level Audi R8, and can hit an electronically-limited top speed of 162mph, making it the fastest Land Rover ever built. More impressively, its Nürburgring lap time of eight minutes and fourteen seconds makes it the fastest production SUV to lap the ‘Green Hell’.
To provide an appropriate soundtrack, the SVR has been fitted with a two-stage active exhaust, which features electronically controlled valves to offer a raucous, race-inspired sound at high revs, but a subdued, refined hum at steadier engine speeds.
Though the SVR has 40 more horsepower and 56Nm more torque than the standard supercharged V8 Range Rover Sport, it has the same 22.1mpg fuel economy, and it’s just as competent off-road.
With permanent four-wheel drive and a low-range transfer box, the SVR has plenty of grip, and upgraded air suspension and the Terrain Response 2 ensures the car is set up for whatever surface it happens to be traversing. The wading depth is unchanged, at 850mm and the maximum towing weight is an impressive three tonnes.
On the exterior, the SVR is set apart by the black grille and gaping vents at the front, as well as the black roof and door mirrors, while the interior’s star features are the model-specific sports seats.
John Edwards, Managing Director of Land Rover’s Special Operations, said: “The Range Rover Sport SVR is a natural progression beyond the core vehicle’s outstanding on- and off-road capabilities and leading-edge design. Its exhilarating performance will satisfy a particularly demanding customer set. 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 SVR is available to order from October at price of £93,450 and first deliveries are expected in the first quarter of 2015.