The time? 8mins 14secs.
That’s not just impressive for an SUV, that’s impressive full stop. And even better news is Land Rover’s promise that the Range Rover Sport’s prowess in the mud won’t be compromised; the SVR will retain its two-speed transfer box option, and the 850mm wading depth is the same as the existing Sport.
Mike Cross, Land Rover’s Chief Engineer of Vehicle Integrity, said: ‘The Nürburgring 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.’
The Range Rover Sport SVR made an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (see our previous story here) and will go on sale in 2015. Its uprated 5.0-litre supercharged V8 will deliver 542bhp, 40bhp more than the existing V8.