2011 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged

The 2011 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged is the latest iteration of the company’s most famous sport utility vehicle. The Supercharged model is sold along with a naturally aspirated version of its V8 5.0-liter. Although it is not as beautiful as the Range Rover Sport or the Jaguar XKR which are both powered by the same engine, it has the same incredible power and in addition, it can carry more cargo and will offer more room for the people in the car.

Back in 2002, the Range Rover received a significant update and since then, the British manufacturer refined and tweaked the model several times in order to keep it fresh in the eyes of potential customers that were willing to pay a six-figure price tag for a massive SUV. Last year, the model received an important overhaul, including the introduction of the powerful V8 5.0-liter. This power unit is available for other models from Jaguar and Land Rover. For next year, the car has been tweaked again, this time in a more gentle matter and in those areas where it matters the most to us.

The trademark of the Range Rover exterior was and still is the boxy appearance. Of course, the 2011 still looks just about the same: heavy and expensive, nothing wrong with that in our opinion. Looking at it from far away you will not notice many differences in comparison with the outgoing model but giving it a more attentive look, you will notice the few subtle curves in the slight hood creases. The car now rides on imposing 20-inch, 10-spoke aluminum rims. With this facelift, the Range Rover benefits from new headlamps as well as a set of LED taillights.

Despite the exterior of the car maintains the same traditional line we are all accustomed to, the interior is moving towards the 21^st century with its tech-laden cabin. For those of you that enjoy the look and feel of metal, you should be happy to know that it was used for the pedals, shifter as well as other locations. The interior is available in a bundle of color variations and materials, like Ivory-colored elegant leather seats, Arabica Oxford hides and others as well that will suit various tastes and preferences.

Thanks to the high seating position of the Range Rover we all are accustomed to, the level of visibility is one of the best in its class. The Recaro power-adjustable front seats are not only very comfortable but very capable as well. In addition, the seats can be heated or cooled, for ultimate comfort, worthy of a car that costs more than $100,000. For those of you that are considering turning on the cooling fans of the seats, you should know that the noise level is audible, but that is the price to pay for luxury. In the back, the seats are also heated and can accommodate people over six-feet tall.

One of the most important optional features of the 2011 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged is the powerful HarmanKardon audio system that offers 1200 watts of pure surround sound through the 19 speakers. With the 2010 facelift, Land Rover removed the classic analogue gauges for the new 12.3-inch TFT – Thin Film Transistor screen. These new modern digital gauges can easily be read during the day and will allow the drive to change various car settings. They look excellent during nighttime driving, offering a very hi-tech look.

The powerful V8 5.0-liter is linked to the new 6-speed automatic gearbox that is capable of sending the massive 510 hp and the 461 pound-feet of torque through all four wheels. The peak torque is available from 2,500 rpm through 5,500 rpm. This massive 5,900 pounds SUV needs only about 6 seconds to reach 60 mph from 0, which is quite impressive.

The air suspension of the car is one of the most versatile units that ever equipped an SUV. On the standard side of the ledger, the driver can raise or lower the car’s ride from its normal height of 9.1 inches. The off-road mode of the air suspension will increase the ground clearance by two inches, reaching 11.1. The Terrain Response offers the following modes: rock crawl, mud & ruts, sand, grass & gravel & snow plus the standard road setting. The entire system will control the SUV’s throttle response, engine speed and braking.

The average fuel economy for this sport utility vehicle monster is 12 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway, according to Environmental Protection Agency. The new modern 6-speed automatic gearbox does a perfect job of channeling the massive power to the wheels, especially in the Sport mode, where the gear changes are done very fast, without affecting the inhabitants of the car. For efficient and safe braking, the engineers at Land Rover equipped the 2011 Range Rover with 15-inch front rotors with 6-piston calipers and 14.4-inch discs for the wheels in the back.

The question is: does the 2011 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged deserve its $103,000 price tag? Some may say yes, while other may disagree. Some of its most important rivals in the same price segment are the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG and the BMW X5 M. All these have a massive powerful V8 power unit that is capable of outputting around 500 hp and a similar level of features. From all of these cars, the Range Rover is the slowest and the heaviest, but at the same time, it offers more room in the interior.

Source: AutoBlog.com

Post tags: Tags: Land Rover, Range Rover, supercharged