Page 73 - SHARP Summer 2024

interlinked dampers, and pitch control software.
Other high-tech features include all-wheel steering, brake-activated
torque vectoring, an active locking rear differential, and an optional Brembo carbon-ceramic brake system with eight-piston front calipers — each the size of a small barbecue. The limited-production model we tested, the Range Rover Sport SV Edition One, was also fitted with the world’s first 23-inch carbon-fibre wheel package. These save up to 76 kilograms in weight and help sharpen the handling. They also look magnificent.
Yet, despite having full confidence in Range Rover’s engineering, driving the Sport SV on an undulating, intimidating, high-speed racetrack still requires a leap of faith. For example, when powering down the Algarve International Circuit’s nearly one-kilometre start/finish straight, you can wait until the 150-metre board before lighting those barbecues and heading into turn one. Some courage (or, perhaps, senselessness) is helpful when exploring the true capabilities of this SUV.
But even with just four flat-out laps, it’s clear that the Range Rover Sport SV is a different kind of animal. To see what this machine can really do, however, we must bring in a ringer. Enter chief engineer Matt Becker, formerly of Aston Martin and Lotus, to play the part of chauffeur. Becker drives the SV as if it’s a scale model.
He tosses it into the final corner with glee, fishtails it through, and then hammers it down the straight.
The forcefulness of the acceleration is so immense that, from the passenger seat, I can barely wrench my head sideways to see what speed Becker has hit before the turn. He’s not even utilizing the full braking power — instead choosing to drift the gigantic Sport SV through the corner and well into the run-off area. The last time I saw someone perform this trick on this track, it was former Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) champion Bernd Schneider, piloting a barely road-legal AMG sports car.
Another half-lap and the thrill ride is over — but Becker has proven beyond doubt that the SV is, against all odds, a genuine track monster and a bold assault for a brand that is better known for its off-road credentials. Of course, it’s not the first high-performance SUV the company has produced, but it’s easily the best. Here’s the rub, though: all 600 examples of the Edition One are already spoken for, so our only choice is to mark time until the 2025 models hit showrooms. But good, high-horsepower things come to those who wait.
SPECS
ENGINE: 4.4-LITRE TWIN-TURBO V8 POWER: 626 HP
PRICE: $236,555
DRIVES
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