2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR | Why Buy?

– Detroit, Michigan 

The very idea that one can mix a sports car’s ability with a hard-core off-roader’s operational envelope, is silly. And while it’s easy to label the Range Rover Sport SVR “silly” for just that reason, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also point out just how wonderful this kind of frivolity can be.

Stuffing 550 horsepower, produced from a sonorous 5.0-liter V8, into this rakish, brutal, SUV profile is downright mean. But the SVR treatment has undeniable appeal, as I found on the first open stretch of road. Not only does a dip into the throttle rocket this big vehicle forward with a rapidity that belies its market segment, but it remains composed and entertaining even when the tarmac gets twisty.

And, of course, it’s still a Range Rover. Which means that, even though I didn’t do much off-roading in this sexy red hunk of metal, the option for getting muddy, but not getting stuck, is always on the table.

Most Why Buy? reviews – there’s a new one every week, if you haven’t noticed – focus on vehicles that real people can afford to put in the driveway. But you’ll forgive us the occasional six-figure indulgence, when the vehicle at issue is this much fun to talk about. Enjoy.

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