New Range Rover Sport SV Carbon breaks cover
Flagship model is all about 'lightweight performance' - not to mention an even heftier asking price
The prospect of ‘ultra-lightweight detailing’ on a Range Rover Sport SV might make about as much sense as using titanium bolts on the Seawise Giant, but the model has a proud relationship with visible composite - who could forget the carbon bonnet that adorned so many SVRs? And if you go the whole hog with the option list - i.e. spec the 23-inch Carbon Fibre Wheels - you will apparently end up with a 635hp SV that’s 76kg lighter than standard. So there’s that.
Mostly, of course, the new SV Carbon is about rounding out the Range Rover Sport lineup with a range-topper. You might recall that the SV was initially a limited-run first edition thing; well, no longer - there is now a regular version (starting at £139,995), the Black we talked about last month (£154,975), and now the Carbon, priced from £165,045, which will make its global debut at Monterey next week (where else, eh?).
In a nutshell, the newcomer is about ‘the ultimate expression of lightweight performance’, which means you get a Forged Carbon Exterior Pack, including surrounding the Active Quad Exhausts, and a Twill Carbon finish, with its more distinctive diagonal weave pattern. The exposed carbon fibre bonnet, repeat buyers will be delighted to hear, is also an option, as are the carbon ceramic brakes. There is also a choice of four colours in addition to the usual SV palette.
Inside, similarly, there are four interior themes for your perforated leather seats— or you can go cow-free and have them in JLR’s perforated Ultrafabric. Either way, chrome detailing extends to the seatbacks and dashboard, or you can have more Twill Carbon if you prefer. Mechanically speaking, the V8-powered SV Carbon is identical, which makes it punchy enough to compare favourably with pretty much any SUV you can think of. The flagship model is available to order now.
Special editions can be called all sorts. The RRS SV 'Keir'. The RRS SV 'Growler'. The RRS SV 'Noisy/Noisier
'. Or gone more traditionally, the RRS SV 'R'.But, they've called it 'Carbon' to suggest effective use of Carbon Fibre. Even better, they've actually given it some carbon tat to justify the standard price hike for a limited edition, and as long as you go the whole hog and spec the no doubt frightfully expensive carbon wheels, it save as much weight as the Powerfully Built Target Owner would lose after 12 months on Ozempic, so it can't be called a fraud.
But.......MASSIVE BUT......the sheer genuine of it being the 'Carbon' edition comes from the rate it which it will trigger and incense PH'ers, tree-huggers, anti-SUV ignoramuses (who want to kill everything with fire) and hopefully the French. The sound of keyboards being struck furiously at the words 'Carbon Fibre', 'Lightweight' and 'Range Rover' appearing alongside each other is as deafening as the carbon fibre surrounding quad pipes at full 'ASBO values open' volume.
The ranting on PH alone will be better than any PR and assure every possible target customer will know about the car's existence, even better, all the specific aspects that drive the basis of such frothing and moaning will also largely be the reasons WHY the target customers will want to stump up an extra £20-40k to buy one.
I raise my Carbon Fibre glass to the geniuses that chose this name.
I do think that with all the Carbon and Black editions it is perhaps time to do something a bit different, maybe a chrome edition festooned with chrome, or perhaps elements other than carbon, Helium edition could be even lighter, Caesium Edition, fine until it rains etc ?
Its so British that what seem like swathes of people wish JLR bad luck.
Special editions can be called all sorts. The RRS SV 'Keir'. The RRS SV 'Growler'. The RRS SV 'Noisy/Noisier
'. Or gone more traditionally, the RRS SV 'R'.But, they've called it 'Carbon' to suggest effective use of Carbon Fibre. Even better, they've actually given it some carbon tat to justify the standard price hike for a limited edition, and as long as you go the whole hog and spec the no doubt frightfully expensive carbon wheels, it save as much weight as the Powerfully Built Target Owner would lose after 12 months on Ozempic, so it can't be called a fraud.
But.......MASSIVE BUT......the sheer genuine of it being the 'Carbon' edition comes from the rate it which it will trigger and incense PH'ers, tree-huggers, anti-SUV ignoramuses (who want to kill everything with fire) and hopefully the French. The sound of keyboards being struck furiously at the words 'Carbon Fibre', 'Lightweight' and 'Range Rover' appearing alongside each other is as deafening as the carbon fibre surrounding quad pipes at full 'ASBO values open' volume.
The ranting on PH alone will be better than any PR and assure every possible target customer will know about the car's existence, even better, all the specific aspects that drive the basis of such frothing and moaning will also largely be the reasons WHY the target customers will want to stump up an extra £20-40k to buy one.
I raise my Carbon Fibre glass to the geniuses that chose this name.
The Balenciaga brand also trade on some brand watchers knowing that the owner has spent a LOT of money.
Buyers don't want everyone to know they spent £11 k on a jacket.
Just a few - that can appreciate their taste and money.
Same principle in all consumer products. getting furious or frothing about a carbon makeover is only going to affect people who do not understand capitalism at all.
For my part, whatever merits this thing undoubtedly has, I'm just enjoying "ultimate expression of lightweight performance" as a descriptor for it. Get outta here BAC Mono!
Btw I understand there’s a very convincing carbon wrap these days (I know it’s been around for a while but this is better) which would make more sense on something like a diffuser or lower spoiler than actual CF.
RR have an excellent piece of graphic design as a logo which highlights their floating roof, a key element of their brand design language. I find it a bit strange that they then default to a black roof which negates this feature?
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