I had been looking forward to road testing the Range Rover SVR for some time. Having come out of the recently formed SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) arm of Jaguar Land Rover, on the surface it looks like a top spec Range Rover Sport, with an inflamed body, large alloys and exhaust pipes that would normally be seen on an American truck.
Instantly, many of you may be taking a disliking to its urbanite look-at-me appearance, but don’t be rash with your judgement, as with the SVR it’s under the bonnet that things start to get properly exciting. JLR have essentially taken the already-fast 5-litre V8 and fine-tuned it to produce a whopping 543bhp, an extremely impressive 0-62mph of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 162mph – not bad considering it weighs roughly the same as a small cottage. It really does feel quick, proper quick. And wait until you hear the noise… with every thump of the throttle the V8 bellows a rude grumble that can’t fail but stir your inner kid, time and time again. The handling is impressive, too, given its size and is more akin to that of a Jaguar sports saloon – a comfy cruiser or garish sporter, depending on which side of the bed you got out of that morning.
So, why buy this car? Assuming that money is no object and you’re not worried about the fuel bills – which, given that the SVR does a not-so-green 22 miles to the gallon, will be fairly aggresive – then this car is a lot of fun both on the road and off it. It certainly won’t sulk at the sight of mud – should one ever stray from the city – and therefore bucolic practicality boxes are still ticked, as we have become so accustomed to with Range Rovers over the years.
The best part of all, though, is that unlike a standard Range Rover Sport, not many people will own an SVR, meaning that you are buying a slice of exclusivity as well as 543 brutish horses and a lavish interior. And that, in my view, is worth paying a premium for.
Specs:
Price: £93,450
Engine: 5000cc V8
Power: 543bhp
0-65mph: 4.7 seconds
Top speed: 162mph
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