The new Range Rover Sport is not only a good off-roader, it's also wicked fast as it just set a new Pike's Peak record.
While some may have been concerned that Land Rover has been giving up some of its heralded off-road mojo lately in favor of making its models more luxurious, perhaps it’s time to put some of those fears to rest - at least in the speed department. The UK-based automaker has just announced that its 2014 Range Rover Sport has just set a new record at Pikes Peak, setting a new hill climb record time for a production SUV of 12 minutes and 35.61 seconds.
Traveling at an average speed of 59.17 mph, the Range Rover Sport completed the 12.42 mile-long course faster than other standard production SUV. The Pikes Peak course itself is composed of 156 corners as it ascends beyond the treeline from 9,390 feet above sea level to 14,110 feet.
That altitude is so high that the air contains only 58 percent of the oxygen it does at sea level which diminishes engine performance. Additionally, driver Paul Dallenbach had to deal with the effects of what less oxygen does to one’s physical and mental performance, a major factor when considering how dangerous the Pikes Peak course is. The Range Rover Sport itself is equipped with a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 that pumps out 510 horsepower and the only modification allowed for Pikes Peak was the fitment of a roll cage and harness seatbelts to meet safety requirements.
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