![]() ![]() It's also a willing performer, and quieter than the BMW V8 that used to power the Range Rover, but it definitely takes a hind seat to the supercharged version. ![]() It should be noted that the Sport will also be available with the same 300-hp, 4.4-liter Jaguar-based V8 as the recently introduced Land Rover LR3. And like those Jaguars, when you really put your foot into it, the engine responds with a most delicious supercharger whine. ![]() The supercharger adds so much to the engine's low-end pulling power that even moderately aggressive bursts of speed remain eerily calm. The pudgy Sport may indeed weigh 5,670 pounds, but with so much oomph just a stab of the foot away, it feels pretty darn quick. More important is the feeling of endless torque. That's good enough to launch the Sport to 60 miles per hour in just 7.2 seconds. It's powerful (390 horsepower), torquey (410 pound-feet) and smooth enough to rival anything from BMW or Mercedes-Benz. It's basically the same supercharged, 4.2-liter, double-overhead-cam V8 that powers Jaguar's S-Type R, XJR and XKR, which means it's a honey. To back up the look, the Sport offers a supercharged engine. The Sport is Land Rover's answer to the BMW X5 4.8iS and Porsche Cayenne, those SUV-shaped speedsters that think an off-road excursion is hitting a curb at the Nurburgring. That's because we're driving the Range Rover Sport, a lowered, chopped and supercharged beast that's far removed from the company's iconic models like the Defender. After all, even when it was making Discoverys with dismal reliability records and questionable power plants, nobody denied that all Land Rovers were "mudders" above and beyond.īut the SUV we're driving has humongous 275/40R20 low-profile Continentals at all four corners and even if they wear an A/T designation proclaiming their all-terrain ability, they sure look as slick as the performance radials that commonly adorn Porsches. This is, of course, nothing new for a Land Rover product. It's a cold, dreary day and we are in Northern Spain on a steep, narrow farmer's track knee-deep in mud. It also has the class-leading off-road capability you'd expect of a Land Rover. Although the idea of a fast and sporty Land Rover SUV may seem like a contradiction, the 2006 Range Rover Sport has the acceleration and handling dynamics to make it a serious player in the high-performance SUV market. Although its tires, stance and suspension are tuned for life on pavement, the Sport still carries its low-range gearing and the adaptive Terrain Response system first introduced in the LR3. ![]() The Range Rover Sport's fully independent suspension utilizes air springs at each corner, and a new Dynamic Response System automatically adjusts the sway bars for maximum roll control whether you're on-road or off. The supercharged model boosts the horsepower to 390. A V8 borrowed from the Jaguar parts bin channels 300 horsepower through a six-speed automatic transmission in the HSE. The steering and suspension were sharpened for better on-road performance with a variable-ratio and variable-assistance ZF Servotronic steering system and monotube shocks. A shorter wheelbase and a steeply raked rear hatch give the Sport a more dynamic stance. The exterior styling echoes the Range Rover, and the engineers placed much significance on aerodynamics and smooth lines. Even though it shares the Range Rover badge with its luxurious big brother, the Sport is actually a shortened and 450-pound-lighter version of the LR3. A real departure from Land Rover's singular focus on the off-road lifestyle, the Range Rover Sport is the company's first performance SUV. ![]()
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