RE: Driven: Range Rover Sport Supercharged (2012)

[cayman-black]

Mr2Mike said:

vz-r_dave said:

I think its insane how much power is lost 510HP and 0-60 in 6.2 seconds. Whilst it is not made for the likes of straight line performance If I bought one I wouldnt want to be out done by the likes of a Focus ST.

I suspect 0-60 performance is as much influenced by the 2.5 tonnes kerb weight as by any power loss through the transmission.

Dont worry a ST Focus would not see which way one of these went!

[PascalBuyens]

LHD said:

Err, no.

Go drive a 2.7 TDV6 Sport and report back on your findings.

- Own one for almost 150k miles now. Engine struggles in the standard tune to get it moving.
- Most of the quoted figures of 190bhp are overrated. The tuner I went to said that every engine he did on them, never exceeded 180bhp. Mine was 178 originally.
- Going from 178bhp to 216bhp and 100 Nm up (418 to 518Nm) do make a difference, but it's still not fast. Sometimes getting it moving from standstill is a ... well... quite challenging task
- Lately I'm starting to see an increase in fuel consumption (28mpg until a few months ago, now at 24)
- Maintenance wise I can't complain about the car, only had two major failures: EGR valves at 80k-ish miles and recently the compressor for the air suspension...

Overall, as a daily car, definitely worth it, if you don't mind the image that seems to come with it. I couldn't care less for one

[V8LM]

The S/C 5.0 is wonderful.

[Mr JP]

Is that Mr Creosote on the in car telly? Very fitting!

[HDM]

EK993 said:

We have the choice of a N/A 5ltr V8 in the US -t hey don't do any diesel models here, only SC or non SC. I got the non SC - its a fantastic thing.

Would that happen to be the car park of a large Swiss bank by any chance?

[camel_landy]

jacobjj4 said:

well used to be British...sadly (for us Brits)its Indian now but they are doing a good job.Still the best suv in the world.

I'm not too fussed about who owns it, just as long as it's developed & built here in the UK - British jobs!!

M

[AMArchie]

camel_landy said:

I'm not too fussed about who owns it, just as long as it's developed & built here in the UK - British jobs!!

M

+1

[Budleigh]

joebongo said:

Dress it up however you like but RR have forever blighted the marque in pursuit of profit and the baldy-cap aggressive man/dipst orange mummy with big sunglasses image is now seared into people's minds.

You could cover it with teddy bears and sunflowers and it would still be a s car.

Um, what is this golden pre-lapse pre-Rooney age people are thinking of when they make statements like this? The Classic Range Rover that we all regard as fah-di-dah and classy today, was marketed to the Sloan Ranger/Greed-works/Red braces crowd - the newly affluent middle classes as well as old-money Royal types. The Vogue spec was an attempt to crack a market not far removed from the orange yummy-mummy types of today. And the P38 of unblessed memory was being touted in rap videos within months of its launch.

I think the new models are a tad Bling-bling, but I'm not going to commit hari-kari over it, and neither should you, just because some of the clientele says "blud" instead of "old boy".

[Digga]

Budleigh said:

joebongo said:

Dress it up however you like but RR have forever blighted the marque in pursuit of profit and the baldy-cap aggressive man/dipst orange mummy with big sunglasses image is now seared into people's minds.

You could cover it with teddy bears and sunflowers and it would still be a s car.

Um, what is this golden pre-lapse pre-Rooney age people are thinking of when they make statements like this? The Classic Range Rover that we all regard as fah-di-dah and classy today, was marketed to the Sloan Ranger/Greed-works/Red braces crowd - the newly affluent middle classes as well as old-money Royal types. The Vogue spec was an attempt to crack a market not far removed from the orange yummy-mummy types of today. And the P38 of unblessed memory was being touted in rap videos within months of its launch.

I think the new models are a tad Bling-bling, but I'm not going to commit hari-kari over it, and neither should you, just because some of the clientele says "blud" instead of "old boy".

Well said that man. I mean "Vogue"! The clue was always in the fking name!

I loved my P38 and, when the new FFRR came along, allways felt it had become too big for my purposes - it is larger in every direction before anyone asks. IMHO the RRS did sort of drop into the mantle of the original RR coupe (not perhaps as well as the Stormer concept may have suggested, had it not been dlited) as a raffish, gentleman thug of a car with excellent all-round capabilities.

Seems anyone who slates othe RRS has never owned one, let alone spent appreciable time driving one. I love them and yes, they are a bit bling, but show me a car that hasn't been tarnished by association with footballers, gangsters, builders-done-good and orange people and I'll bet it's a pretty dull one.

[Dan Trent]

Wurls said:

Pistonheads are doing a Dicky Attenborough / Frozen Planet mug job on us. Where's the Rotary Gear knob thingy? This car has the old style stick.

May I refer you to...

The diesel now gets the Jag-style rotary gear selector and the latest eight-speed gearbox, the petrol sticking with the familiar six-speeder and manly conventional shifter.

...in the story.

Though, to be honest, I was a little surprised when it turned up with a grrrt big regular selector and only six gears! Diesel only for the rotary one and eight-speeder it seems.

[mercfunder]

joebongo said:

Dress it up however you like but RR have forever blighted the marque in pursuit of profit and the baldy-cap aggressive man/dipst orange mummy with big sunglasses image is now seared into people's minds.

You could cover it with teddy bears and sunflowers and it would still be a s car.

And that in a nutshell is the problem, a great car ruined by the image it has become associated with.

[Cassius81]

I will go on the record and say that I'm generally more of a fan of the FFRR - ideally a 4.4TDV8 VSE (don't like the Autobiog). However, recently I've been looking to trade up to a more practical car, most likely a 4X4, and am increasingly coming to appreciate the latest RRS. FFRR is too large and pricey for me.

I think the image the RRS portrays is largely dependent on spec, colour, wheels and whether or not they have been in any way modified. If you go dark grey/blue/green, sensible wheels, black interior, standard HSE spec (no mods) I think they actually look pretty tasteful compared to something like a Q7 or X5. Plus they can do off-road, should you want to...(which I occasionally would)

[Trommel]

Cassius81 said:

I think the image the RRS portrays is largely dependent on spec, colour, wheels and whether or not they have been in any way modified

Absolutely, despite Land Rover's own efforts otherwise.

Edited by Trommel on Friday 6th January 10:28

[Digga]

Trommel said:

Cassius81 said:

I think the image the RRS portrays is largely dependent on spec, colour, wheels and whether or not they have been in any way modified

Absolutely, despite Land Rover's own efforts otherwise.

And you're right about the price differential Cassius81.

If you want a nice, used, low mileage RRS TDV8 (albeit 'only' the 3.6) then you can find them for £40k ish, whereas a similar vintage TDV8 FFRR is well over £50k and up as far as £60k. It's not in the same budget by any stretch of the imagination.

[Dagnut]

Ultimate getaway car

[matfitzpatrick]

I test drove a 2.7 V6 diesel RRS some time ago and it just felt lacking with regard to 'get up and go', particularly as, if I remember right, it sat in the top tax bracket and wasnt that much more frugal than the 4.2 S/C V8 model so didnt seem to have much of an advantage. I went with an X5 35D M Sport in the end, which was quicker, better on fuel on 'only' £245 or thereabouts on road tax rather than £400 odd.

I would still like to scratch the RRS itch though at some point, but again the diesel is still in the top tax bracket and when paying over £400 per year in road tax I want something that I feel is worth paying it for, so would prefer the 5.0 S/C model.... Its a shame they dont stick the 4.4 V8 diesel in them, but I did read somewhere that they cant fit it in for some reason... I think it has something to do with the RRS not actually being a RR chassis but derived from a Disco or Freelander instead?

[Digga]

matfitzpatrick said:

Its a shame they dont stick the 4.4 V8 diesel in them, but I did read somewhere that they cant fit it in for some reason... I think it has something to do with the RRS not actually being a RR chassis but derived from a Disco or Freelander instead?

RRS is simply a Disco chassis, with shorter wheelbase & rear overhang. If they can whack the 3.6 TDV8 in the 4.4 would surely fit too.

IMHO the only failing of the RRS, compared to both the Disco and the FFRR is the stty hatchback tailgate. If, like me, you're not averse to getting your boots muddy (and don't want the inside of the car to look like a pig sty) it's very nice to have a clean(sih) dry(ish) lowe tailgate to sit on while you swap muddy boots & clobber.

[camel_landy]

IIRC - The 4.4 is too tall to fit... Mind you, there's probably some influence from the sales & marketing guys too i.e. "If you want the 4.4, you need to buy the FFRR... Sir..."

As for the 'Image'; IMHO - A lot of it comes down to the colour & spec that you choose and how much you 'bling' it up. 'Tonga Green' & 'Buckingham Blue' blends in quite nicely but 'Santorini Black', 'Alpine White' or 'Zermatt Silver', especially with extra 'bling', does make you stand out.

M

[cayman-black]

Mine is Fuji white with black and tan leather. It does stand out. Hey but what a beautiful car. IMO.

[Aids0G]

It is a shame many people have an image of the RRS in their mind of it being a rappers car, regretably there are some terrible looking ones out there that have been ruined by huge wheels body kits etc.... however what they really are are terribly good all round cars that have a huge spread of abilites from blasting along b roads embarisng sports cars that are just to hard to push to towing a 3 ton trailer across a muddy field.

Familys 08 TdV8 HSE in green with a huge fixed tow Bar on the back looks almost as un gansgster as it is possible to be, also makes a fantastic noise.........