Range Rover Sport SVR sets Nürburgring SUV lap record

The battle of the Nürburgring lap times turns to SUVs, with Britain's Land Rover firing the first salvo

Range-Rover-Sport-SVR-Nurburgring-SUV-lap-recordA Range Rover Sport SVR has lapped the Nürburgring Nordchleife in 8 minutes 14 seconds, which Land Rover claims is a new SUV record.

The 550hp 5.0-litre V8 model set the record in completely standard production spec, confirms the British firm, in the hands of a Land Rover development driver.

Vehicle integrity chief engineer Mike Cross, who may or may not have been that driver, said Land Rover “wanted to see whether an SUV could be handle like a performance car.

“The results are spectacular and the Range Rover Sport SVR has demonstrated outstanding on-road performance capabilities.”

After filming the SVR at the Ring back in May, Cross revealed the team returned there this month to carry out further testing on the 13-mile, 70-corner course, setting the 8:14 SUV lap record while it was there.

It means the Range Rover Sport SVR is faster than hot SUV luminaries such as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, BMW X6 M and Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG. The latest rumoured hot lap is by the Porsche Macan Turbo, with moles claiming an 8:15 lap time…

Remarkably, it’s not compromised off-road either, promises Land Rover: the all-terrain abilities are retained, and it still has a twin-speed transfer case for high- or low-range gear ratios… it even has the same heady 850mm wading depth as other Range Rover Sport, which really is amazing.

It’s still some way off, though. Land Rover says showroom deliveries will begin in 2015.

Related Articles

Richard Aucock
Richard Aucockhttps://www.richardaucock.co.uk/
Richard is director at Motoring Research. He has been with us since 2001, and has been a motoring journalist even longer. He won the IMCO Motoring Writer of the Future Award in 1996 and the acclaimed Sir William Lyons Award in 1998. Both awards are run by the Guild of Motoring Writers and Richard is currently vice chair of the world's largest organisation for automotive media professionals. Richard is also a juror for World Car Awards and the UK juror for the AUTOBEST awards.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Peugeot 208 E-GTI combines hot hatch heritage with EV power

The GTI badge is back on Peugeot hot hatchback, four decades after the launch of the iconic 205. And this E-GTI is electric.

Caterham Seven 310 Encore is the end of a Ford-powered era

Limited to 25 examples, the Caterham Seven 310 Encore celebrates an engine used in the British sports car for almost two decades.

Porsche 963 RSP is a true Le Mans racer for the road

Built especially for Roger S. Penske, the one-off 963 RSP is a bespoke, road-legal version of Porsche’s Le Mans racing car.

New Aston Martin Valkyrie LM is the ultimate track day hypercar

Just 10 examples of the Aston Martin Valkyrie LM will be made, powered by the same Cosworth V12 engine as the Le Mans racer.