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New Range Rover Sport Rides on Modified LR3 Platform
In the luxury sport utility market, nothing quite compares with the resplendent luxury available in a Range Rover. The top-tier Land Rover model, originally developed by BMW which owned the premium SUV division previously, takes quality of interior materials to new levels, with rich planks of real wood, solid aluminum switchgear, thick wool carpeting and sumptuous leather seats and trim.
So why dont more buyers buck up for the near $70K-plus SUV? Well, the price is obviously a stickler with some, as rival luxury sport utilities from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and  | | Land Rover is hoping its upcoming value priced Range Rover Sport will steal performance SUV buyers away from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. (Photo: Land Rover) |
Porsche offer much of the same prestige with nearly as much luxury for a fraction of the entry price, and many offer better on-road performance.
While its BMW-derived 4.4-liter, DOHC, 32-valve V8 makes 282 horsepower at 5,400 rpm and 325 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm, it doesnt come close to matching even the base V8-powered Porsche Cayenne at 340 horsepower. The  | | The Range Rover Sport is not based on the current Range Rover, but rather rides on a modified Land Rover LR3 platform. (Photo: Land Rover) |
Cayenne Turbo delivers 450 horsepower of flagrant excess while a new upgrade boosts output to 500 horsepower. Mercedes-Benz ML55 AMG will now make similar mid-400 numbers when the 2005 edition hits the road, while the top-line X5 4.8is gets at least a respectable 355 horsepower. Heck, even Volkswagen is about to launch a 450 horsepower W12 Touareg, while Audi will be following up in a similarly sporty Q7 and VW owned Lamborghini is making rumblings about a long overdue replacement for its LM002.
What to do? Range Rover has a "quick" fix in mind for the  | | The low riding Sport will boast 390 horsepower, making it the most powerful Land Rover model ever made. (Photo: Land Rover) |
2006 model year, starting with a supercharger strapped to a modified Jaguar-derived 4.2-liter V8. So not to be confused, the Range Rover Sport is not based on the current Range Rover, but rather rides on a modified Land Rover LR3 platform. Available next summer, it will feature unique styling cues, a lower ride height and sport-tuned suspension, plus it will boast 390 horsepower making it the most powerful Land Rover model ever made. Seen as a separate entry, the Sport will be Land Rovers fifth model in its lineup. Also, in addition to the supercharged V8 the Sport will get a normally aspirated V8 as a base model.
The recently introduced Land Rover LR3, a replacement for the Discovery, is expected to boost up the 19 percent slide this Ford Motor-owned  | | The Range Rover Sport has been engineered to be more refined than the current crop of performance sport utility vehicles, ideal for speedy, long-distance travel. (Photo: Land Rover) |
British brand has experienced so far this year, but the less popular than anticipated Freelander is still a drag on the corporate ledger. The sportier Range Rover should increase numbers substantially being that it will be priced between the $44,995 LR3 and $73,085 Range Rover, It should also create a halo effect on the brand which could trickle down to lesser models. The Range Rover Sport will also be a high profit vehicle, a boost to Land Rovers dealer organization.
According to Matthew Taylor, managing director of Land Rover, the Range Rover Sport, loosely taken from the 2-door Range Stormer concept that debuted at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, has been engineered to be more refined than the current crop of performance sport utility vehicles, ideal for speedy, long-distance travel.
Like all Land Rover and Range Rover models, the Sport will be built in Solihull, England.
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