2015 Range Rover Sport SVR Is the Fastest SUV Around the Nurburgring

Considering that this high-riding performance SUV that also offers a tad of British luxury is a car that weighs the better part of 2 tonnes, that lap time is downright incredible. This lap time was set by a Land Rover test driver in a standard production version of the 2015 Range Rover Sport SVR, not a souped up prototype fitted with ultra grippy slick tires.

Created by the Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations skunkworks division, the RRS SVR has been honed on the demanding Nurburgring Nordschleife, as the circuit's challenging layout represents the ultimate test for high performance vehicles. The Range Rover Sport SVR is powered by a 550 horsepower 5-liter supercharged V8 engine mated to an automatic gearbox tuned for very quick shifts.

If the current supercharged Range Rover Sport can get from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds, the SVR is certain to hit the same speed at a much quicker pace, trimming at least 3 or 4 tenths of a second. Despite the get-up-and-go performance, Land Rover tells that no compromises were made to the off-road capable transfer case, maintaining a 33.5-inch water wading depth. Let's hope that the suspension hasn't been hardened too much because that would be a problem if someone will use the SVR as a daily driver.

Speaking about the record lap time, Mike Cross, Chief Engineer of Vehicle Integrity, declared that "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 and the Range Rover Sport SVR has demonstrated outstanding on-road performance capabilities."