Plans are underway for a remodeled Range Rover Sport that will use the lighter, aluminum frame used on the 2013 Range Rover. A reduction in weight will presumably make the new Range Rover Sport faster, but there are also discussions that point to the development of an entire line of Range Rover performance vehicles.
Talk of a performance family of Range Rovers first began to surface shortly after the release of the Range Rover Evoque. It appears that this idea has expanded to potentially include the Range Rover Sport, as well. Land Rover’s Chief of Chassis Systems, David Waide believes there is great opportunity in the performance-minded SUV marketplace:
“It’s one of the areas which the business can expand. You’ve seen this with Jaguar and its XKR-S edition. They’ve done very well with the R-S model … so there’s the ability to do those sorts of things with Land Rover product.”
Waide goes on to explain that the goal of the Range Rover performance line would be to offer enhanced performance without compromising road manners and daily drivability. Citing Jaguar’s current XKR-S sport coupe as an example of the sport/comfort relationship Waide notes, “If you compare [the XKR-S] with the Porsche equivalents it’s not as sporty; it’s as quick, it sounds fantastic, but it’s also more comfortable. It’s got a balance between GT product and ultimate sports car.”
We will stay tuned for more Range Rover performance updates as they become available!
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