Wednesday 25th June 2014

Range Rover Sport SVR for Goodwood

550hp RRS will be the 'fastest, most agile and most responsive Land Rover ever'

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If you can be dragged away from the Jaguar Project 7 at Goodwood this weekend, there's another supercharged V8 JLR product making its debut. Overpowered SUV haters sharpern your pitchforks - the Range Rover Sport SVR prototype previews next year's road car rival to Cayenne Turbo S, ML63 et al.

Nope, it still looks massive from far away

'SVR' will be the designation for all future JLR flagships (meaning no RRS RS) engineered by Special Vehicle Operations (SVO). So in theory this will continue to the much rumoured 'hardcore' F-Type Coupe and potentially an Evoque also.

Officially the SVR's powertrain details are 'still under wraps', but given it has 550hp we can probably assume it uses the same version of the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 as the XFR-S and F Type R with the ZF eight-speed auto. A 'thrilling soundtrack' and 'impressive pace' is also promised from the SVR.

So when SVO productionises an SVR, what can we expect other than a power surfeit? Land Rover has said all models will have to meet 'stringent key performance criteria' in order to wear the badge. This of course includes the near mandatory Nordschleife testing, which you can see in this video. Tweaks include a stiffer anti-roll system and what must be bigger brakes, though we'd be very surprised if Recaros like that made it past the prototype stage. 'Significant revisions' to the chassis and gearbox have also been incorporated into the SVR upgrades. And a lap time? Not just yet, but it's apparently 'more akin to a sports car than an SUV'.

'Prototype camo' paint option unconfirmed

The relevance of a 550hp SUV that can lap the Nurburgring quite quickly of course remains open to debate, but the popularity appears in no doubt. At least amongst customers that is, if not on PH following the reaction to the Overfinch RRS earlier this week.

Given the SVR goes on sale next year, a motor show debut towards the end of this one seems likely, with LA the obvious choice. With the standard V8 Sport at £81,575, expect the SVR to be approaching £100K.

Nordschleife video here.

 

 

[Source: Autocar]

[WMP]

What a totally pointless, environmentally irresponsible, ghastly, ostentatious automobile that is.

BUT it would be very sad if this kind of ridiculous thing wasn't available.

[anonymous-user]

'fastest, most agile and most responsive Land Rover ever'

Which will be of great benefit on the school run. Just what the world needs, another 4x4 arms race.

[Matt UK]

I'm sure they sell, but I can't think why.

[Clivey]

I just hope it meets LR's other "stringent requirements", I.E. that it can still actually tackle more than just a gravel path without embarrassing itself. That front bumper arrangement looks like a limiting factor.

Stupidly fast Land Rovers should be like a "rationalised" version of this IMO:

[Aids0G]

Looks like quite a machine if a little pointless id still love one!

Landrover should have had it coming off a forest track onto the ring would have looked good!

AG

[Fetchez la vache]

If I had the money to spend on such a huge and overpowered machine, I think I probably would.

[buckline]

Wonderfully pointless. If i had the money i would be making a beeline for it.

[RacerMike]

They never make any sense until you actually have a go in this kind of car. The breadth of ability they all have (Cayenne Turbo S etc) is seriously impressive.

These won't be bought for the school run. It's purely a top end fast 'practical' car for the wealthy individual. Ultimately, it's the same type of customer that buys the RS6.....and for some reason, those kind of cars are loved on PH, whereas things like this and the Cayenne Turbo S get ridiculed as pointless, overweight and horrendous. Bear in mind the aforementioned RS6 weighs over 2 tonnes, has 4wd, 550+ bhp.......

[iloveboost]

WMP said:

What a totally pointless, environmentally irresponsible, ghastly, ostentatious automobile that is.

BUT it would be very sad if this kind of ridiculous thing wasn't available.

Not sad for me because I would never buy one but I know what you mean. If this type of car wasn't around maybe we would 'miss' them?
They do have presence. I mean when I visit London I usually see some nice cars and what type of car stands out the most? The supercars and the SUVs.
Also if there weren't SUVs how would people show they are superior to you?

[Dave G fsi]

So Rover started off in the 1940's by making a Rover for the land, coining the name LAND Rover, then the company that resulted put excessive money and time into making their vehicles sporty road cars....

Maybe we should just call them Rovers....?!

[Otispunkmeyer]

Not going to say its pointless because many things are.... but why do you need a massive lardy 4x4 to act like a sports car?

No matter what they do its not gonna be a sports car. You'd be better off buying one of these with the smallest diesel engine they sell for mooching about in (in comfort) and spend the rest on something with 2 seats, no seat cushions and no roof for hooning.

[Clivey]

Dave G fsi said:

So Rover started off in the 1940's by making a Rover for the land, coining the name LAND Rover, then the company that resulted put excessive money and time into making their vehicles sporty road cars....

Maybe we should just call them Rovers....?!

"Mall Roamers"...?

[Asterix]

'productionises'

Seems it is a real word!

[Phil Dicky]

Totally pointless.....but so want one

[oldtimer2]

Matt UK said:

I'm sure they sell, but I can't think why.

They will sell, in the limited number that will be available, because there is a market for cars that satisfy psychological as well as purely practical needs. That is the basis for all premium priced, luxury products and it is what keeps the manufacturers in business - and, for that matter, keeps this site occupied with punters that like cars that go very fast.

[TheFinners]

I'd love to see Bowler do a slightly more road friendly model, a sort of Defender on steroids that doesn't fall over.

[V8LM]

As a friend put it - a tap-dancing elephant.

Me like very much.

[I WISH]

yonex said:

'fastest, most agile and most responsive Land Rover ever'

Which will be of great benefit on the school run. Just what the world needs, another 4x4 arms race.

If you want fast agile and responsive ........ just buy a car.

[I WISH]

Perhaps a fastback version would be good?

[I WISH]

A two door version would also be "sporty".