Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic 4.4-litre SDV8
FOR some of life’s achievers enough is never enough and, if they’re offered a practical luxury SUV with genuine sportscar performance, the only response will be: ‘Gimme, gimme, gimme!’
Enter Range Rover’s “most dynamic model”, the Range Rover Sport in its most ‘practical’ company car driver guise fitted of a bonkers-quick V8 turbo diesel.
Boasting 339hp, this oil-burner will blow your green wellies off and have the Labrador’s nose smeared hard against the rear tailgate window as it blasts to 60mph in a hot-hatch- matching 6.5secs.
And, while speed junkies could be opting for the even more powerful 5.0-litre petrol supercharged V8 able to shave another two seconds off that sprint time, the diesel V8 is the model serious mudpluggers and horsebox-pulling members of the country set will buy thanks to its range-topping torque of 740Nm.
Also because, when gently wafting along, the huge car ambles along as docile as your favourite old draught hack with hardly a murmur from the silky quiet 4.4-litre SDV8, as happy to take on the congested mayhem of the city or the rutted and muddied lanes of the countryside.
It also comes loaded with enough gadgets and high tech gizmos to satisfy the most discerning IT geek who could spend months playing with its stunning connectivity package and seemingly infinite app downloads.
This is also a huge beast – something to remember if you plan a late night foray along the narrow lanes of London’s Soho where I managed to reverse into a Porsche sportscar that had stopped so close under the car’s bumper that the parking sensors couldn’t spot it and I couldn’t see it in any of the mirrors!
Naturally, with this level of performance, refinement and equipment, the price tag will not be bargain basement and at £84,350 on the road, the Range Rover Sport SDV8 weighs in at nearly £10k more than its big brother, the Range Rover Vogue.
What is it?
The fastest diesel-powered model in the Range Rover Sport line-up with the most sports capable suspension and brake package thanks to Adaptive Dynamics and 20-inch Brembo front disc callipers. Its huge power and torque output is fed through a slick and quick 8-speed automatic with sport manual paddle shift gearbox.
What’s hot?
- Huge amounts of instant power on demand from the 339hp, 740Nm turbo-charged longitudinal V8 4.4-litre engine delivering a 0-60mph sprint in 6.5sec and a top speed of 140mph.
- A slick and quick 8-speed automatic paddle-shift gearbox is perfectly matched to the car’s enormous performance potential for such a big piece of metal.
- Adaptive Dynamics means the Range Rover doesn’t freak out when a corner arrives as the chassis alters suspension and grip levels to handle bends taken at speed.
