Old Range Rovers are eternal. They simply won’t let go of their lifeline, and Kingsley Cars seem to have discovered this secret and come up with the ULEZ Reborn Range Rover Classic. Watson thinks it’s like ‘Big Ben’ since it carries a classic bit of British design, and lately, it’s had a revamp.
Apart from being a big part of British history, the 1981 Range Rover is exempt from road taxes and emissions since it is over 40 years old. Fortunately, the engine under the hood isn’t as old.
While based on the old Range Rover V8, Kingsley has wholly changed it with new internals. There are three variations, a 4.0-liter, 4.6-liter, and a 5.0-liter V8 available. Watson’s test unit is a 4.6-liter V8.
It punches out 270 HP and 416 Nm of torque and drives all four wheels via a 4-speed ZF automatic gearbox.
The classic Range Rover is in immaculate condition on the exterior. There’s an odd Kingsley badging on the rear and a foreign bumper slightly different from the conventional type, a notable visual addition that separates it from a regular classic.
It might look old, but this Kingsley Range Rover doesn’t come cheap. It’s about as much as it would cost to buy a top-spec modern version of the same at £125,000.
The interior is obviously new. It’s still the basic Range Rover design but with a new extended leather covering. It also comes with an aftermarket infotainment system with navigation, a wireless charging pad, and Apple CarPlay.
There are a few things to hate, though. It’s still a classic Range Rover, and therefore, lacks anti-lock brakes or an anti-siphoning fuel device, the electric windows also go down at different speeds, and there's a blind spot caused by the front door window frame.
Behind the wheel, the first thing you'll notice is excellent visibility. There’s an enticing noticeable V8 engine noise from the cabin. The suspension is also much better on this than on a regular classic Range Rover that would be bouncy and shaky.
Compared to an old Range Rover, the Kingsley Cars version is obedient and requires less steering input or correction. Based on Watson's test, it completed the 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 9.73 seconds and the quarter-mile in 17.38 seconds.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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