2015 Range Rover Sport SVR sets SUV Nurburgring lap record

Land Rover

Land Rover claims that the 2015 Range Rover Sport SVR has set a new Nurburgring lap record for the fastest production 4x4, lapping the challenging German track in just 8 minutes and 14 seconds.

First revealed at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed last month, the Range Rover Sport SVR is a super-SUV, Land Rover’s fastest and most powerful production car ever.

Under the SVR’s bonnet is a tuned version of the regular Range Rover Sport V8’s 5.0-litre supercharged engine, tweaked to produce a colossal 550hp – a 40hp increase over the next most powerful model in the range.

The standard 510hp Range Rover Sport V8 can sprint from 0-60mph in 5.0 seconds flat and hit a top speed of 155mph.

With even more power and the same strong four-wheel drive traction off the line, expect the SVR to shave a couple of tenths from the 0-60mph sprint time, which would make it as quick as a Porsche 911.

It’s not just the engine that helped the Range Rover Sport SVR achieve its record-breaking time.

Land Rover

Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division has worked on the chassis, tuning the suspension to improve the car’s handling, grip and agility.

Mike Cross, Jaguar Land Rover chief engineer vehicle integrity, said:

The SVR will go on sale in 2015 priced at just under £100,000

"The Nurburgring is a benchmark for vehicle development and testing, and cars become stronger, more durable and faster over its 13 miles and 70-plus corners.

"We wanted to see whether an SUV could behave like a performance car in this challenging environment. The results are spectacular and the Range Rover Sport SVR has demonstrated outstanding on-road performance capabilities."

The fact that Land Rover spent most of its time developing the SVR around the Nurburgring means claiming the record isn’t that much of a surprise. However, just how quickly it managed to lap the ’ring is.

That 8-minute 14-second time means this 2.3-tonne off-roader is actually one second faster around the same track than a BMW 1 Series M Coupe sports car – a vehicle considered to have one of the sweetest handling rear-drive chassis ever.

Land Rover had a capable base to work from, as the standard Range Rover Sport V8 also holds the record for the fastest production SUV at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Land Rover

The Range Rover Sport SVR will enter production next year, on sale in Land Rover dealerships from 2015 priced at just under £100,000.

Despite its on-track performance the SVR retains all the characteristics you’d expect from a Range Rover – an 850mm wading depth, numerous different off-road traction modes, high and low range gear ratios and plenty of comfort, so you could argue that it will represent good value for money. Sort of…

On Bing: see pictures of the Range Rover Sport SVR
Find out how much a used Range Rover Sport costs on Auto Trader
Read a Range Rover Sport new car review
Read another Land Rover new car review
2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed debut for Range Rover Sport SVR

By Sean Carson, Motoring Research