The Range Racer

[anonymous-user]

charlie-5mkmt said:

Fermit and Sexy Sarah said:

A £300 remap should see you to 450+bhp, would you entertain the power route, as well as 'adding in' lightness?

Interesting stuff! We certainly plan on exploring some power upgrades once we run out of things to unbolt.... We have seen some Jag XKRs (same engine) with power knocking on the door of 500bph.

we will need some of that to achieve our ultimate dream goal.....to de-throne the Range Rover Sport SVR at the ring!

As with the SVR, chargecooling is terrible on these engines (both the 42 and the 133). If you fit a smaller s/c pulley to get the boost up, all you do it cook things. A single rolling road type pull will show more power on the first run, but on track used hard you'll just wreck it and go no faster.

[charlie-5mkmt]

itsallyellow said:

Yes road legal and capable of off road racing with a few minor changes.

Build thread was on here not so long ago

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=17...

Mike

THIS IS EPIC! Just had a quick look though it, love what you have done. we will certainly let you know when we are heading back to the track (hopefully it wont be too far away).

[McSam]

Max_Torque said:

As with the SVR, chargecooling is terrible on these engines (both the 42 and the 133). If you fit a smaller s/c pulley to get the boost up, all you do it cook things. A single rolling road type pull will show more power on the first run, but on track used hard you'll just wreck it and go no faster.

I presume there's a puny air-to-air charge cooler hiding somewhere in poor airflow, could be an easy problem to solve with aftermarket parts and liberties taken with the front apertures?

[warch]

I love how everyone has gone full Clarkson with suggestions for MOR POWWWAH! when reducing weight and improving the chassis should be the focus (as in fact the OP has suggested).

I don't think I'd remove the 4x4 system, what's the point? You may as well start with something else. Decent body control will improve the handling and braking exponentially, would a conversion to steel suspension achieve this or can you modify the air setup?

It's a great project, and I look forward to seeing how it progresses.

[anonymous-user]

McSam said:

Max_Torque said:

As with the SVR, chargecooling is terrible on these engines (both the 42 and the 133). If you fit a smaller s/c pulley to get the boost up, all you do it cook things. A single rolling road type pull will show more power on the first run, but on track used hard you'll just wreck it and go no faster.

I presume there's a puny air-to-air charge cooler hiding somewhere in poor airflow, could be an easy problem to solve with aftermarket parts and liberties taken with the front apertures?

System is air-water-air, and the engine mounted exchangers are small (not too big a problem) and get massively upheated by the engine heat itself (ie end up trying to reject some of the heat from the primary coolant system...) The LTR is small and not really capable of sustained rejection. Biggest problem is the silly low s/c efficiency, which means poor spark efficiency, and hence more boost and more airflow to make power, both of which mean yet more heat!. EBP is also fairly high for this engine, so gains could definitely be made there.

[charlie-5mkmt]

Lowering...

Had a successful day today, and achieved all the lowering we could dream of.

In standard form the car has 4 height heights

Access = -40mm = Lifts to standard above 30mph
Speed lowered = -20 (i think) = only happens after going over 60mph for a set amount of time
Standard
off road = +60mm = lowers to standard over 30mph

We found some adjustable height sensor links online that trick the car into thinking its higher than it is.



Adjusted these to 5mm shorter which results in aprox 35mm drop in all ride height conditions...result!

So are new heights are (deltas from standard height out of the factory)

Access = -75mm
Standard = -35mm
Off road = +5mm

Now just the problem of stoping the car lifting and lowering by itself when going over speed thresholds! Tried disconnecting the fuse but it didnt stop it, but the relay in the book worked a treat! We can now set the height we want, pull the relay, and hey presto! It stays how it is! My intent is to link this relay to a switch on the dash soon so we can do it quickly whenever required!



So we can now simply drive to the track in off road mode with the relay disconnected (in ultimate comfort), then switch the relay back on, drop the car to access then switch it back off again, and we are track ready! (a little like a budget ford GT40)


So whats it like in this new -75mm access mode?
COMPLETELY different! Well its now sitting on its spring aids so its super stiff compared to what it was before. Roll has almost completely disappeared (due to the stiffness and lower CoG) but its clearly now massively under damped, very bouncy over bumps. And the understeer is much more obvious now! Likely just because its a lot more confidence inspiring into corners.

Anyway, all in all im really happy with how it is, didn't expect the amount of roll reduction its given!

Its also worth noting that i really wouldn't recommend this amount of ride height reduction! We have lost half the suspension travel in bump, if you were driving like this all the time you will brake something. We have convinced ourselves its "OK" because we can still drive around at a normal height height on the roads, and we shouldn't be hitting too many speed bumps or pot holes on track when its in access mode!

[mudnomad]

charlie-5mkmt said:

And the understeer is much more obvious now!

Pretty easy to help with some negative camber on the front?

[anonymous-user]

I cannot believe how much this cost, it’s fantastic. Betting the interior weighs a fair amount, just junking the standard seats for some Tillett type kit would pop off a fair amount? Does anything in the JLR bolt straight on, uprights, callipers etc? Sunroof and glass obvious to lose and you could even make it a ute and have the back open, cage the whole thing? How low and wide could you go with bubble arches

This has the makings of an epic car

[Nunga]

Seems there is a lot of love for inappropriately-used British beef. I can imagine it might hurt stripping it bare but you’d recoup most of the purchase costs doing so, if not more. Lightweight body panels would be ridiculous; I would be amazed if there was a market for that at all. You’d be better off attacking parts of the car with a hole saw, like inner door skins and so on, to take weight out.

The rebadging has sold it for me; dedication to a cause right there.

[anonymous-user]

I'm enjoying the irony in having a lowered off roader than now probably can't use the kerbs whilst on track..... ;-)

[FiveInline]

Awesome project! Can’t wait the outcome of this!
I’ll follow this thread!
Any plans to fit a rollcage in it?

[JGTTDI]

This is just brilliant. Can't believe you bought it so cheap. Interested to see how far you take this. The wheels and lowering really suit it.

[Fermit and Sexy Sarah]

Nunga said:

Lightweight body panels would be ridiculous; I would be amazed if there was a market for that at all. You’d be better off attacking parts of the car with a hole saw, like inner door skins and so on, to take weight out.

I was more thinking finding someone with a 3D printer, if doing panels in thin plastic were possible on these? And your hole-saw idea is spot on, OP take note of that one. Also change the steering wheel for a mega lightweight one. I bet the RR airbagged electric button fest one must weigh 15kg!

Edited by Fermit and Sexy Sarah on Sunday 6th January 20:47

[ALawson]

You guys need to read the Noble thread where the owner makes his own CF replacement panels.

Looks like the makings of an epic thread.

[ChevronB19]

charlie-5mkmt said:

Roman Moroni said:

Can you get slicks that'll fit?

Sadly we cant find any in SUV tyre sizes. But if anythings going to change that, its this thread right? lets hope dunlop are reading!

Think your best bet for slicks would be HP Tyres, they’d definitely know.

I know you and your team know far more than I ever will, but it looks like a lot of negative camber at the rear in your photo above? Is it meant to be like that? (Not intended as a criticism by any means, a genuine question)

[Peanut Gallery]

Sounds epic!!

There was a thread on here a while ago about an old jag that was being tracked and it ate brake pads like mad, might be an idea to read that if your brakes get a bit too warm.

And Yes, you are barking mad!! Enjoy!

[Jonesy1972]

Fantastically bonkers and the sort of build I love to read. Bookmarked and I am looking forward to seeing how far you can take this. Good luck!

Jonesy

[helix402]

ChevronB19 said:

Think your best bet for slicks would be HP Tyres, they’d definitely know.

I know you and your team know far more than I ever will, but it looks like a lot of negative camber at the rear in your photo above? Is it meant to be like that? (Not intended as a criticism by any means, a genuine question)

Extra rear camber will be due to the lowering.

[paulwirral]

Your not the first to do this , although you maybe the first in this country . About 35 years ago I remember looking through the window of a lowered and stripped out blue phase one 2 door Range Rover sat on big wheels and road tyres in the arse end of Newcastle, it was on foreign plates , but I can remember thinking why ?
It looked great because it was different .
I hate to be the one to point it out but there's a thread on a programme called goblin works , they took a land rover and stripped it , lowered it , lightened it , made it 2 wheel drive , and got roundly savaged on here for doing it . I thought it looked ok because it was different , I sign up completely to the philosophy of doing because you can .
Your doing it to enjoy yourselves, don't lose sight of that , I'm sure you'll have a great laugh along the way

[Nunga]

I keep forgetting 3D printing is becoming a relatively affordable avenue of manufacture. Perhaps not compared to a £4k Rangie, but certainly within the realms of reality when coupled with easily at-hand CAD. Still seems over the top but where there’s a will there’s a way.