The Range Rover SV Coupe, revealed at this year’s Geneva International Motor Show, is billed as the fastest and most exclusive car ever launched by the Solihull firm. With prices starting from £240,000, it’s certainly the most expensive.
Developed by the company’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) bespoke division, just 999 will be made, each using a custom three-door bodyshell and 565bhp supercharged V8.
We inspected it during a secret reveal in Paris. Although it appears smaller than the full-size Range Rover, the dimensions are similar. Only the roof height is fractionally lower.
It harks back to the original 1970s Range Rover, which was only offered as a three-door. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Land Rover developed a Range Rover with back doors. But it’s not a retro recreation, insisted design director Gerry McGovern. “We respect the past, but we’re not going to be harnessed by it.”
That’s why the ultra-luxurious machine is offered with 23-inch alloy wheels (the largest-ever on a Range Rover), and optional two-done paint for the wrap-around ‘Contour Graphic’. The car’s most distinctive feature is its sleek, tapering windows and gloss black pillars, giving a ‘floating roof’ effect.
Inside, this quarter-million-pound Range Rover is awash with diamond-quilted leather and wood veneer. Controls have a frosted aluminium finish. The amount of space is “comparable to private jets and yachts”.
It seats four. The rear seats are as indulgent as the front chairs. They are uniquely trimmed in a contrast leather colour to those in the front. Although they might find it a bit awkward to get in, adults will enjoy plentiful space once they’re there. A 23-speaker Meridian audio system and 10-inch touchscreen are standard.
The monstrous engine gives it coupe performance to back up its Range Rover SV Coupe name. 0-62mph takes 5.3 seconds, and it will reach 165mph flat-out. The eight-speed automatic sends drive to all four wheels and, if you dare, you can off-road it, even wading through 900mm of water.
Back on road, an 8mm lower ride height and “more driver-focused edge” gives it sharper handling: “This is a meticulously honed vehicle that’s designed for SV clients who love driving,” SVO director Mark Stanton told us.
It’s virtually endlessly customisable, too. There is a choice of 100 paint colours just for starters. None of the 999-run total are likely to look the same. Luckily, Land Rover will dedicate an SV designer to help each Range Rover SV Coupe hone their perfect machine – a process that takes two to three hours, using custom-built configuration software.
“This isn’t a vehicle for the shy,” said McGovern at the car’s reveal. And at £240,000, it’s not one for the parsimonious, either. Not that it’s stopping buyers queuing up to place orders. An insider revealed to us some clients have already placed pre-orders for Range Rover SV Coupes whose price tag exceeds £300,000.
When first deliveries begin in autumn 2018, prepare to be impressed.
