What's the news?
The fastest-ever production Land Rover, the Range Rover Sport SVR, has been revealed without camouflage for the first time ahead of its debut at the Pebble Beach show this month - first deliveries are expected in Q1 2015.
Exterior
Like the standard Sport, the SVR has an all-aluminium monocoque that provides a strong, stiff and lightweight structure as a basis for a performance model. The SVR runs on 21-inch alloys with 275/45 R21 all-season tyres as standard, but also will have the option of unique 22-inch wheels with handling-focused 295/40 R22 Continental SportContact 5 tyres. Meanwhile, exterior enhancements lower down on the SVR boost both cooling and aerodynamic efficiency, while also making the RRS look suitably mean.
Interior
Very little revealed about the interior as yet, although as the Range Rover Sport's cabin is pretty spectacular anyway, that's no bad thing. It is said to have a bespoke finish, which presumably means some SVR-specific bits of trim, but you can't have failed to notice the glorious bucket seats in the front; they're definitely only for the SVR and not only do they look sublime, they also of course help hold you in place when cornering hard.
Mechanicals
There will be a whole segment of the population who will abhor the very idea of a supposed 'performance' SUV, but you really can't help but like a big machine such as this with a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine, here making 550hp and 680Nm. Those are increases of 40hp and 56Nm over the current range-topping Sport, and the specification should be familiar to you if you're a Jaguar fan - it's the same motor as used in the XFR-S, XJR and F-Type R Coupé.
This magnificent engine puts its punch to all four corners via a ZF 8HP70 eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine also exhales via a two-stage active exhaust with electronically controlled valves, which is claimed to give the RRS SVR a 'racecar-inspired soundtrack' at higher revs, without compromising cruising comfort by shrieking at you constantly on a trailing throttle. Oh, and having mentioned the permanent all-wheel drive, as this is a Rangie it is supposed to be good off-road. Therefore it has a two-speed transfer case and a low-range gearbox option for demanding terrain.
The SVR's air suspension has been upgraded to cope with the handling demands, while the aluminium componentry used is fully independent, with double wishbones up front and a multi-link arrangement at rear. Wheel travel is said to be class-leading (260mm front, 272mm rear), while wheel articulation of 546mm is possible for the toughest conditions. The SVR can wade the same 850mm deep water as a regular Sport and can also lug around 3,000kg-worth of trailer.
Anything else?
All of the above gives the Range Rover Sport acceleration of 0-96km/h in just 4.5 seconds (no 0-100km/h time was quoted as yet) and an electronically-limited 261km/h top speed. Of course, we already know it can lap the Nordschleife in 8m 14s...
John Edwards, managing director of Land Rover's Special Operations, said: "The Range Rover Sport SVR is a natural progression beyond the core vehicle's outstanding on- and off-road capabilities and leading-edge design. Its exhilarating performance will satisfy a particularly demanding customer set. The Range Rover Sport SVR is truly the world's most capable performance SUV."