Yet another abbreviation for performance has arrived, but
this one comes from an unexpected place. Land Rover, a brand that usually
trumpets the mudslinging and stair-climbing prowess of its SUVs, is introducing
a new, Nürburgring-tuned version of its Range Rover Sport called the SVR, which
stands for Special Vehicle Racing. One of the first products from Jaguar Land
Rover’s new Special Vehicle Operations arm, the SVR will start at
$111,400.
The most powerful vehicle to ever come from Land Rover, the
SVR makes 550 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque, bumps of 40 horsepower and 41
lb-ft compared with the regular Range Rover Sport Supercharged. The SVR’s
supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 gets its extra muscle from a recalibrated ECU, more
boost from the supercharger, and larger intakes for the intercoolers. The EPA
fuel-economy ratings are unaffected by the additional horses and remain at 14
mpg city and 19 highway.
Yet another abbreviation for performance has arrived, but
this one comes from an unexpected place. Land Rover, a brand that usually
trumpets the mudslinging and stair-climbing prowess of its SUVs, is introducing
a new, Nürburgring-tuned version of its Range Rover Sport called the SVR, which
stands for Special Vehicle Racing. One of the first products from Jaguar Land
Rover’s new Special Vehicle Operations arm, the SVR will start at
$111,400.
|
The most powerful vehicle to ever come from Land Rover,
the SVR takes 550 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque, bumps of 40 horsepower
and 41 lb-ft compared with the regular Range Rover Sport Supercharged. The SVR’s
supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 gets its extra muscle from a recalibrated ECU,
more boost from the supercharger, and larger intakes for the intercoolers.
The EPA fuel-economy ratings are unaffected by the additional horses and
remain at 14 mpg city and 19 highway.
 |
An eight-speed automatic is the only transmission choice.
Shifts are said to be 50 percent quicker than the regular Range Rover Sport’s,
and the transmission offers rev-matched downshifts. Even if you leave it in
drive, it’s smart enough to hold gears while cornering, too. Land Rover claims
it will achieve 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, roughly a half-second quicker than it
touts for a regular-strength Sport Supercharged. We managed a 4.6-second run to 60 mph in the non-SVR model, so we
should be able to hustle the SVR to 60 in about 4.1 seconds. Top speed is
governed at 162 mph. To put that performance in perspective, the
first-generation Range Rover hit 60 in 13.2 seconds and topped out at 95 mph.
Here’s another number that you might not expect from such a
vehicle: 8:14, as in “eight minutes and 14 seconds.” That’s the SVR’s reported lap time of the 12.9-mile
Nürburgring Nordschleife, which, according to Land Rover, makes it the quickest
production SUV ever to circle the Green Hell. To achieve such a feat, the SVR
offers stiffer rear-subframe bushings and optional summer tires on 22-inch
wheels. The rest of the chassis remains closely related to the regular Sport
Supercharged, but it has been thoroughly recalibrated. The magnetorheological
shocks, active roll control, brake-based torque vectoring, air suspension, and
limited-slip differential are all retuned for maximum performance.
What’s most surprising about the SVR is that Land Rover
hasn’t completely eviscerated the SVR’s off-road ability. A four-wheel-drive
system with a low-range transfer case remains in place to facilitate rock
crawling, the center differential remains lockable, all-season tires are
standard, the adjustable air suspension offers up to 9.3 inches of ground
clearance, and wheel travel remains the same as that of the standard version.
Even the active roll-control system reverts to the normal Range Rover Sport
program should you decide that you’d rather be on trails than on a track.
Retaining all of this off-road gear likely means an eye-watering 5500-pound
curb weight despite the SVR’s aluminum structure.
To make sure the SVR appeals to the eye, it gets a new
front-end treatment with a unique bumper that increases airflow to the
intercoolers and the 15-inch front brake rotors, which are pinched by
six-piston calipers. A deeper chin spoiler reduces lift and is removable to
allow the SVR to go off-road. At the tail end, the SVR gets its own bumper with
four exhaust outlets.
Those four pipes are the terminus of a new, larger-diameter
exhaust system that features electronically controlled valves that open and
close in response to engine load and rpm. Judging by the audio on the video of the SVR at the ’Ring, it sounds just like a Jaguar F-type—not
too surprising considering the SVR and the F-type share their supercharged
V-8s. We’ve yet to drive the SVR, but judging by what we know so far, it might
just steal a few sales away from Porsche and its
Cayenne Turbo.
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