Range Rover Sport SVR
Sur ely, Land Rov er has bent the laws of physics to get its massive new suv mov ing so fast?
The new Range Rover Sport SVR is the fastest and most powerful Land Rover ever made. Created by the marque’s Special Vehicle Operations division, it’s a performance SUV that’s capable of some extraordinary figures.
We’d been told how joyful it is, but nothing prepares you for the assault on your senses the first time you floor the accelerator. When you’re in the carbon tub of an Alfa Romeo 4C, with your backside almost scraping along the road, you expect to go like the clappers; but when you’re sitting high up in a 2.3-tonne tank, surrounded by sumptuous red leather and softtouch plastics, a 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds comes as a surprise.
It catches a lot of other people by surprise as well, especially at traffic lights. And it’s not just the speed of the Range Rover Sport SVR that hits you – this SUV also makes a truly glorious sound. Nestled under the bonnet is a five-litre supercharged V8 lifted from the Jaguar F-Type R. As soon as you press the ignition, the engine bursts into life with violent grumbles and gargles.
Stamp on the accelerator and the SVR takes off, tearing through the eight-speed ZF gearbox towards its top speed of 162mph. And when we say takes off, we mean takes off. That supercharged V8 produces 542bhp and 502 lb ft from 2,500rpm, so despite having 2,335kg to lug around, the SVR is very nimble on its tyres. There’s not much lag in the power delivery either; the engine feels responsive and lively, like it’s constantly ready to stretch its legs and remind you what it’s capable of.
Despite being apocalyptically loud when you want it to be, the two-stage active exhaust isn’t shouty all the time. At low revs, below 3,000rpm, valves close off two of the four exhaust exits. It’s the closest you’ll get to stealth mode with the SVR, and it’s great if you’re devouring motorway miles or don’t want to annoy the neighbours. How is it at chewing up motorway tarmac? It’s great, happily plodding along at whatever speed you dare.
Opinion in the T3 office is divided about the SVR’s appearance – some believe it’ll look most at home on a footballer’s driveway, others think it’s elegant and understated, with enough flair to make it feel special (the latter is probably more correct).
But it’s off-road that the SVR is truly separated from other quick SUVs. (Did you think Land Rover had forgotten its heritage?) The vehicle has a wading depth of 850mm and approach/departure angles only slightly compromised by the sporty trim. That means this Range Rover can cope with muddy fields, slippery hills and fords, where it’s German rivals can only dream to tread.
So it’s perfect, then? Well, not quite. The 5.0-litre V8 is incredibly thirsty, and you’ll probably look like a bit of an idiot driving one just to go shopping/take the kids to school. Despite that, we found an excuse to take this car out every single day; we wanted to be in it all the time.
Rates It’s full of character and ridiculously fast, it looks great, and it’s packed with tech. Oh, and did we mention the sound?
Slates We’ll never be able to afford one. It’s also not the greenest of cars, if you’re worried about saving the planet.
T3 says This car shouldn’t work – it’s totally bonkers – but the SVO team have made a car that’s very easy to fall in love with.