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The market is becoming flooded with high-end luxury (and high-powered) sport-utilities from the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, but in many books the Range Rover is still tops. The next-generation model is anticipated to head into Bentley territory, but Land Rover's flagship SUV could head up-market even before then.
A test mule of a hot-rodded Range Rover has been spotted undergoing tests, and reports suggest that the vehicle could be hiding a V12 engine underhood. While the vehicle spotted could be an early prototype for the current model's replacement, the possibility remains that the new masters at Tata have already given the green light for a twelve-cylinder version of the existing truck. Either way, the big question is where Land Rover would get a V12. It's doubtful that they'd develop one themselves. BMW designed the current Range Rover to accommodate its V12, but Land Rover stopped using BMW engines a few years ago in favor of Ford-sourced Jaguar units. Jaguar, meanwhile, doesn't make V12s anymore, and even if Ford wanted to kick one in for them, the Blue Oval doesn't have one lying around the parts bin, either. Unless they've been hiding one in the miniscule Nano, the company's new owners at Tata don't have one to offer. The closest relation could be Aston Martin, with which Land Rover used to share space under the Ford PAG umbrella, but that seems a bit of a stretch. With the rumormill churning this fast, who knows, maybe Pontiac will be thrown into the mix?
[Source: PistonHeads]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
British_Rover @ Apr 8th 2008 10:37AM
This has been a rumor for years. First with BMW V12s and then with Aston V12s. I don't really see a V12 going into the Range Rover as the expense necessary to take such an engine up to Land Rover's off-road specs would be excessive.
Avinash machado @ Apr 8th 2008 10:40AM
What about Mercedes? Tata and Mercedes have been partners since the 1950's. Also Daimler has owned a small stake in Tata for a long time.
British_Rover @ Apr 8th 2008 10:48AM
Thinking about it some more I am sure that this is just the new 5.0 Direct injected V8 mostly likely supercharged in a L322 mule for testing purposes.
I just don't see a V12 fitting in there with the AWD. Currently part of the front axle goes through the oil pan of the V8 engine.
DJ @ Apr 8th 2008 10:50AM
Tata would probably source it from inside the Fiat garage. Fiat has been giving Tata technical advice and resources related to the purchase of J/LR. Fiat has access to V12's at Ferrari. In addition, a V12 RR would not compete with anything currently in the Fiat family or under development.
Ian @ Apr 8th 2008 10:57AM
I owned a Range Rover for many years and slowly rebuilt it as all the parts rusted out. Meantime it was a fine family machine and great in winter.
Now there are so many 4WD choices . Does the world really need a V12 RangeRover weighing perhaps 6,000 lbs+ and getting 'orrible gas consumption?
Not me. My present ML will be replaced with a hybrid around 2010 when some very innovative machines are released to consumers.
A V12 RR>>>Yawn.....
CLynch @ Apr 8th 2008 1:11PM
Why?
DJ @ Apr 8th 2008 11:12AM
Actually, the next RR is being designed to be built with aluminum (or as Jeremy Clarkson would say AlOOminEum) and the goal is to cut weight by 20%.
British_ROver @ Apr 8th 2008 12:46PM
What did you do to mostly aluminum Range Rover to make it rust out? I have seen a few rusted out Range Rovers or Range Rovers that were eaten apart by electrolysis but they are mostly early pre-1990 Classics that were seriously abused or abandoned. About a year ago I looked at a 1987 Classic with over 300,000 miles on it that had been left abandoned outside for over ten years. The bumpers, tailgate, floor pans and parts of the frame had rusted through.
The current diesel Range Rover already gets 25.5 mpg combined(19.6 city and 31.2 highway) on the UK cycle so blame California for not having a mid to upper 20s mpg Diesel Range Rover in the states. The current 3.6 liter TDV8 is pretty clean but it is no tier 2 bin 5 clean.
Also as mentioned before the next gen Range Rover is supposed to be aluminum so with a 1,000 plus pounds of weight savings that should get a diesel Range Rover well into the mid 30s highway.
British_Rover @ Apr 8th 2008 12:48PM
Oops forgot the link
http://www.landrover.co.uk/gb/en/Vehicles/New_Range_Rover/Specifications/Range_rover_engines_and_performance.htm
Ian @ Apr 8th 2008 1:53PM
Well Yes it was a RR 1990 vintage which I kept for 8 years and had full dealer servicing by RR in NY and NJ. It performed great as a vehicle, except for poor heating....I never solved that, but parts rusted out like 3 gas tanks etc. etc. etc. Basically anything non aluminum (aluminium to UKers) rusted out! I was still sorry to part with it after 107K miles. Man that car could corner fast....
Diesel variants are a non starter in the USA as that fuel carries a pump price of around 30% more than premium gasoline.
Newer versions of the RR are so much more Sloanies than the go anywhere narrow tire vehicle upon which it is based. I see little point in paying the price premium RR wants these days. 15 years ago there was basically nothing to touch them, now even GM has a vast SUV hybrid getting 20 mpg (average) from a US gallon as well. Sure not quite the social status symbol, but I never bought a vehicle for anything other than it's inate performance capabilities.
By 2010 GM is indicating some of their crossover, of good size, will have newer hybrid technologies which will allow for room, performance and 22/32+ mpg (US). I might pair this with a EVolt, or a Pontiac G8 GT. This type of pairing excites me so much more than a potential V12 Range Rover. With the savings I could install solar panels on my house as well and be near electricity grid free:)
My how times have changed! Maybe I could also add a nicely restored Jensen Interceptor (had one of these for 15 years). I used to get 12 mpg outa that.
JZeke @ Apr 8th 2008 11:09AM
"The next-generation model is anticipated to head into Bentley territory"
Last I knew, the top Bentleys (Brooklands, Azure, Arnage) all still use massive twin turbo V8s. For Rangie to play in Bentley land its not about the cylinder count, but overall power. With the last gen Porsche Cayenne Turbo S churning 520bhp, its not unreasonable to think the next gen Range wont have some massive (500+ hp) engine package...
Whats the Jag XFR supposed to have?
Alex @ Apr 8th 2008 11:54AM
"Whats the Jag XFR supposed to have?"
Supercharged 5.0L V8 with direct injection.
WB233629 @ Apr 8th 2008 12:00PM
If the RR is going 100+ in basic form, does that mean that the RRS is going to move upmarket and take the place of the current RR? Around me there are a million aspiring soccer moms in RRS who couldn't make the jump to a RR and there are even more soccer mom's who have RR and could never make the jump to a $150,000K SUV. I don't see the logic here in trying to play in such a small market when the current US market for 70-100K trucks seems to be doing just fine.
nastinupe @ Apr 8th 2008 12:01PM
It seems like LR is headed in the wrong direction.
What about creating a hybrid system to get better gas mileage? They need to make the RR get 25-30 MPG.
What about making more reliable vehicles?
What about making an all electric RR?
trevor2k @ Apr 8th 2008 2:46PM
They are heading in that direction. Look at the LRX concept and also the LANDe concept.
Rover isn't going to just go throw in a battery pack and a generator and proclaim to the gods "BEHOLD, a Hybrid!". Rover is working on new technologies that will actually make a difference in this class of vehicles. Instead of spending millions to slap-on a battery pack and a generator, and improve mileage by 3-4mpg, they are working on tech that will make a major difference in fuel economy and move the segment into the 25-35 range.
Mattias @ Apr 8th 2008 12:02PM
Yeah, just drop in the Peugeot V12 HDi which is basically two Lion V6s. This diesel has enough torque for overweight SUVs.
_Jon @ Apr 8th 2008 12:27PM
It's not a 12.
It's a boosted 8.
At this point in the "sale" all of this is still Ford technology.
New people haven't even gotten access to the design files yet.
Everyone - *everyone* - that was working with J/LR was told to continue with everything they had been working on.
In corporate terms, the ink isn't even dry yet.
It will be 2-4 months - yes, months - before the engineers and IT people begin taking the reigns.
You have no idea how glacially slow things can move here until you've been here a few decades...
k1llallh1pp1es @ Apr 8th 2008 12:36PM
V12 RR? Isn't that the new Project Kahn Range Rover Cosworth that's been in development?
Jvijil @ Apr 8th 2008 1:58PM
why would they build that.... just make a hybrid or something that will boost fuel economy
Hike15 @ Apr 8th 2008 4:54PM
im sure they r saving a hybrid or deisel for the next gen RR because of the pesky weight issue completely making added economy useless