The purpose of an SUV is not to outperform a supercar. But that’s exactly what happened when the new Range Rover Sport SVR took on a fearsome mountain road in China.
Land Rover’s performance SUV has smashed the record for negotiating the 99 corners of the famous Tianmen Road. Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver Ho-Pin Tung was behind the wheel for this achievement.
The standard production Range Rover Sport SVR set a new unofficial record of 9 minutes 51 seconds. Its average speed at the 11.3km ascent was 68.8km/h (42.8mph). The SUV beat the previous best of 10 minutes 31 seconds. And this time was et by a Ferrari 458 Italia supercar in 2016.
With 575PS available from its enhanced V8 supercharged engine, the new Range Rover Sport SVR is the fastest ever Land Rover. It can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds (0-60mph in only 4.3 seconds). The top speed is 280km/h (174mph). The new performance flagship features bold design revisions and increased use of lightweight materials to enhance performance, handling and agility.
Coupled with changes to the chassis, the new SVR delivers more dynamic responses without compromising traditional Range Rover comfort. The engineers at SVO focused on controlling pitch under heavy acceleration and braking, and changes to the damping hardware have improved turn-in, mid-corner grip and body control.
Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s Ho-Pin Tung said:
“I am used to the high speeds of racing but this was even more demanding. Maintaining concentration was the biggest challenge as the road twists and turns constantly, with huge drop-offs to the side. The consequences of getting it wrong would have been really serious. So I focused on establishing a rhythm and the Range Rover Sport SVR made this easy – it may be an SUV but it has the performance and agility of a supercar and can take you to places a supercar can only dream of.”
Inside, new lightweight SVR Performance seats provide superior support and traditional Range Rover luxury with Windsor leather, an embossed SVR logo and a choice of four colour combinations.
The record-breaking ascent is the latest challenge which Range Rover Sport completed. Last month the PHEV model made the dizzying climb to the iconic Heaven’s Gate natural rock arch at the road’s summit. The PHEV made its debut in a race against two-time open-water swimming world champion Keri-anne Payne and endurance athlete Ross Edgley in Devon, UK.
Geneva Motor Show: Jaguar Land Rover reveal the world’s first full-size luxury SUV coupé – a seductive limited-edition two-door Range Rover. No more than 999 SV Coupé models will be hand-crafted by Special Vehicle Operations #Geneva pic.twitter.com/1O4bv9hdly
— Jaguar Land Rover (@JLR_News) March 6, 2018
