Range Rover Sport V8 Supercharged Autobiography 2011

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $168,300
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Body styling package $11,335; rear seat entertainment $4100; sunroof $3170; metallic paint $1800; 20-inch alloys $1000; tow bar $530
Crash rating: TBC
Fuel: 98 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 15.9
CO2 emissions (g/km): 374
Also consider: Audi Q7 6.0TDI; BMW X6 M; Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG; Porsche Cayenne Turbo

Cachet, brand snobbery, esteem... Call it what you will and the Range Rover Sport has it. Add a potent supercharged V8 to the mix and it's little wonder this pumped-up braggin' wagon commands respect where ever you dare to take it.

On test this week, the urban-oriented limited-edition Autobiography version of the extroverted Range Rover Sport V8 Supercharged (or SC for short) adds a host of stylish body extensions, acres of cow hide and a deposit of detail to the 'standard' package -- even if it does limit the car's capabilities offroad.

With the optional Body Style Package, as fitted to our test car, the Sport's offroad geometry stands at 34.6-degrees approach; 25.0-degrees break over and 29.0-degrees departure, with ground clearance of 227mm and a 700mm wading depth.

Indoors, a 'ye olde worlde' leather-clad interior blends seamlessly with its modern amenities, especially the brushed-alloy detail which punctuates those spaces usually occupied with timber veneer.  The high-quality finish throughout is both practical and simplistic in arrangement, resonating well with the car's no-nonsense origins. The added highlights the contrasting rawhide affords the interior are another pleasant point of interest in the otherwise familiar cabin.

Proportionally however, the Sport V8 SC is not as generous as its outward form would have you believe. Taller drivers may find the range of accommodation somewhat limiting, especially when optioned with a tilt/slide sunroof. Up back, seating is best described as cosy three-up, even if the seats themselves are exceedingly comfortable.

The rear seats fold flat to extend the Sport V8 SC's carrying capacity to 2013 litres and is, of course, split-fold. The load space is accessible via a split glass/metal tailgate, the latter of which slightly-built buyers may find heavy of action. With the seats in place, and to window height, Sport can accommodate a generous 958 litres of cargo.

On the downside, Bluetooth audio streaming is not offered as standard fit, though Bluetooth telephony is standard. This is a shame considering how good the stereo is, and an updated software package for the in-console iPhone/Pod connector isn't standard either (sorry iPhone4 users).

The satellite navigation, too, is leisurely in providing directions and the push-button starter slow to react. The captain's-chair-style armrests hinder access to the seatbelt buckle and the offroad selector, even if it is a comfortable inclusion on longer trips.

Here, the level of refinement is quite indicative of the price tag, wind noise is nonexistent in spite of the car's boxy shape. On coarse-chip roads some tyre hum is evident, though with hoops of this diameter and profile, that's to be expected.

Where it counts -- and in truth where the added coin really comes into the equation -- the big Rangie's all-aluminium 5.0-litre V8 is force fed by a twin-intercooled Eaton supercharger, endowing the Sport V8 SC with 375kW/625Nm. In spite of its 2.5 tonne tare weight, the figures are enough to accelerate the big brute from 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds, and on to a v.max of 225km/h. 

The surge from the lights is impressive, the drama and spectacle of such a large SUV racing so quickly to the speed limit is something that doesn't go unnoticed by other motorists, either -- no doubt some of this attention is put down to that hearty eight-cylinder growl. Power delivery is smoother than I recall of the previous model; gearshifts admirably less brutish with the possible exception of second to first in Sport/manual mode (first is geared quite low, obviously to cater to offroad aspirations).

On road, the Sport V8 SC is composed and, relative to its size, light of foot. The suspension copes well with smaller surface imperfections, though the combination of a firmer ride and low-profile rubber can scuttle compliance. Point it at an apex, however, and it's quickly evident why this is the case. Body roll is negligible, an impressive achievement considering the car's high centre of gravity, with front/rear balance maintained well into more aggressive manoeuvres where it will (eventually) understeer, and sooner in the wet.

To that effect, steering response is efficient enough. At higher road speeds, however, the added assistance detracts slightly from the already-limited feedback on offer. Here, too, a hint of rack rattle is evident when pushed over choppy twists and turns.

The Sport V8 SC's Brembo calipers grip 360mm discs up front and 350mm at the rear to provide ample stopping power. Pedal feel is millimetre perfect; modulation unexpected but nonetheless welcome in a vehicle of such immense volume.

Despite its imposing performance, the Sport V8 SC is still capable of achieving relatively decent fuel economy. The combined average consumption figure is 14.9L/100km with a CO2 output of 348g/km. On test, we achieved low 18s.

If you like your SUVs big, brutish and bling-full, look no further. The supercharged Rangie Autobiography is a capable and cocky performer with that limited-run cred certain to prove a talking point for years to come. And although its offroad prowess has been somewhat restricted, we're not sure too many buyers will mind.

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