Driven: Range Rover 5.0 Autobiography

Garlick bags a top-spec Rangie to satisfy his gratuitious mud-lust

How many cars can you name that will usher a diplomat across a city in kudos-laden comfort, can cross continents regardless of terrain, or can be the personal transport of the lord of the manor (or the villain who controls an entirely different 'manor' altogether)? A car that appeals as much to royalty as it does to the latest lottery winner, a car that is far more capable than most owners dream of, and a car that has been with us since the 1970s and shows no signs of slowing down.

There’s only one car that can do all of this, which is why the Range Rover has become a national treasure and a worldwide success. Like many of us it has gained some weight and become more comfortable over the years, and even a touch more garish some might say. But while the Range Rover Sport gains more and more bolt-on additions, I’m pleased to say that the ‘proper’ Range Rover has escaped with most of its dignity intact.

As you might have guessed by now, I’m quite a fan of Land Rover's finest and when a Supercharged Autobiography arrived at PH Towers I saw fit to sprint to the reception desk to collect the keys and thrust them into my pocket. Well I had a great excuse in that I was running my own 1992 Vogue at the time and I was best placed to sample the latest version…. ahem!

The latest Range Rover offers the same lofty, and rather regal, driving position of my own Rangie and it provokes the same sense of occasion too. You instantly settle into a relaxed driving style and marvel at the delightful dashboard, the way the seats support you in all the right places and the muted burble of the V8 up front. Can the Range Rover still cut it as a luxury car? Oh yes, absolutely, it competes head on with the S-Class, 7-Series, A8 and even the Flying Spur in my opinion. It’s not quite in Rolls-Royce league, but that’s about it.

Over the course of an extended weekend with the Autobiography I travelled up to Derbyshire to stay with some fellow PHers, and on the motorway we were achieving late teens mpg which is about what I expected and is reasonable considering the engine size and vehicle weight. My other half was able to watch TV on the move thanks to the split function screen that enables the passenger to view full screen TV on the move, despite it not being visible to the driver.

While that kept her quiet, I was able to make discreet progress up the motorway as the Range Rover's grille in other peoples' rear view mirrors seemed to make them instantly move over... and no, I wasn't tailigating. If you can afford to keep it in fuel, the Rangie really does consume miles with ridiculous ease but that’s just the beginning really, as it still has that amazing off road ability despite having matured into a drawing room on stilts.

Fortunately, the PHer we visited just happened to know a chap with a farm and asked if we could go and have a play. All very well and good until we reached a steep descent into a very wet clay mess that had another steep incline to get out, which was the point at which I commented on the 20’’ wheels and performance road tyres fitted to this press car. Undaunted and full of faith we raised the suspension, selected low-range and pressed a few other buttons before heading over the top.

With clunks and whirrs coming from underneath as the electronic brain of the four wheel drive system worked its magic, we climbed our way out with ease and headed towards an even muddier section. Needless to say that it coped with that too, a feat made all the more impressive as our rear seat passenger watched digital TV as we ploughed our way through.

The reason for this drive was not really for fun though, but to sample the revisions made to the 2010 Range Rover, which along with a host of subtle interior and exterior changes, has the latest JLR family supercharged V8.

The 5.0 engine now offers 510PS (29% increase) and 625Nm and is lighter than ever. Fuel consumption has also been improved and emissions have been lowered too, but performance is still there by the bucket-load with a top speed of 140mph and a 0-60 time of 5.9 seconds.

This excerpt from the Land Rover blurb explains some of the details: "The new LR-V8 supercharged petrol engine was designed from the outset to deliver class-leading fuel economy and improved low-end torque.

"The LR-V8's new high pressure, spray guided direct injection system optimises combustion while the new variable camshaft timing system and camshaft profile switching all join forces to ensure the engine is optimised for fuel efficiency throughout the range. The supercharged engine is also fitted with a sixth generation, twin-vortex supercharger whose high-helix rotor design improves its thermodynamic efficiency by 16 percent. Faster warm-up thanks to the new cooling system also improves fuel economy as do the low friction design features."

What that technical overview doesn't say is that what the new engine really does is help to create one of the finest cars on the planet. I say ‘one of the finest’ because we are all very different, and it's just my own humble opinion that the 5.0 Supercharged Range Rover is the finest everyday luxury car money can buy.

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dibbers006

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