Range Rover SVR on track

Range Rover on a race circuit? Go on then, let's see if this actually works...

Regardless of whether you like what the Range Rover Sport SVR represents or not, there is no denying it's a very accomplished and capable car. The UK road test has already evidenced its range of abilities both on and off-road, meaning there was only one challenge left: the track. Just how good is an SUV supposedly capable of 8min 14sec at you-know-where when faced with apices and braking points?

Not quite cricket, but it is quite fun

Some off-roading first, just to ram the point home a little more. The course at Monticello was actually more demanding than the fairly tame affair in the UK, with large sections submerged and a couple of significant descents. Not exactly Baja, granted, but the SVR is certainly more than good enough off-road.

Tyres washed, low-range disengaged and Dynamic mode selected, the SVR is ready for a track. We're not typically fans of endless configurability on PH but it's difficult not to be impressed by the ability to pack so much under one (panoramic) roof. Of course dedicated 4x4s will have achieved more in the mud and a Caterham would be a more thrilling track prospect, but an SVR's range of talents is undeniably massive. Or so Land Rover says...

Step up to it
Alright, so there isn't some great unravelling of the SVR facade on track; it is a Range Rover that's enjoyable on a circuit. Not amazing, and of course it's hard to be definitive without having tried its rivals. But probably a lot more fun that you would give it credit for.

Perhaps predictably, it's the speed that's most noticeable straight off. The Monticello South Circuit comprises just two miles of tarmac so the straights aren't long but, even so, the big blue Sport feels like it's in braking zones before the previous corner has even finished. Any concerns that a track would dull the SVR's sense of boundless acceleration on the road are allayed in about 30 seconds. It's monstrously fast, the 550hp and 502lb ft chomping through gear ratios and tarmac probably as fast as litres of petrol.

Keeping the mass in check is key

But if the speed is inescapable, then there's another key attribute of the SVR's dynamics that can not be hidden either: the weight. With two adults onboard it must be a 2.5-tonne car and no amount of bespoke rubber, suspension upgrades or Nordschleife testing can entirely disguise that. The LR instructors stress throughout the need to be smooth and measured with inputs, not to rush the car and unsettle the mass. A few missed braking points - a genuine mistake, honest - reveal the SVR doesn't respond well to brutal treatment, lurching towards the apex as you desperately attempt to get the car turned in. That's only reasonable to expect, but it would be intriguing to see how its rivals compare.

Play by the rules
Stick to instruction, keep the SVR within its (admirably high) limits and there is fun to be had. Get greedy with the throttle round one of Monticello's longer corners and it will push, but a lift will tuck the nose back on to line with a surprising level of agility. It rides kerbs brilliantly, grip levels are high and even the brakes stand up to rigorous punishment The middle pedal begins to feel like a stress ball beneath your foot rather quickly which does nothing for confidence but the car continues to haul itself up speedily. How long that would continue beyond the half a dozen or so laps permitted is another question of course...

Oh dammit, it's actually rather enjoyable

On this experience though there's absolutely no reason why an SVR couldn't be used for proper off-roading and a track session in the same day, with an enjoyable road drive between them. The cost of consumables would surely be frightening but, dare it be said, the whole adventure would be rather good fun. That the same endeavour could be undertaken in rivals from BMW, Porsche and Mercedes shouldn't be overlooked, especially given that phenomenal lap time from the Cayenne.

We can't definitively state the SVR is the best of this freakish breed - what a group test that would be - but the track foray simply emphasised the Sport's incredible depth of talent and breadth of ability even further. The world won't like you in a SVR, on the motorway or up a hill or in the paddock. But you'll probably be having too much fun to care.

RANGE ROVER SPORT SVR
Engine: 5,000cc supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed auto, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 550@6,000-6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 501@2,500-5,500rpm
0-62mph: 4.7 seconds
Top speed: 162mph (limited)
Weight: 'From 2,335kg'
MPG: 22.1 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 298g/km
Price: £93,450

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Reavenger

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