Range Rover gave us a look at the inside of its exclusive SV Coupe ahead of its 2018 Geneva motor show debut. Now that the covers are off, we can behold its exterior, and it’s still a bit of a brain-bender. With big doors and big rear flanks behind them, it looks at first glance more like a digital rendering than the sort of thing that will be rolling around certain very wealthy (and no doubt very well-paved) enclaves.
But it is real, and it isn’t just a cobbled-together job patched up with lead filler. It gets almost entirely unique sheetmetal, with only the hood and lower tailgate carrying over from the four-door.
Land Rover calls this “the world’s first full-size luxury SUV coupe,” and it may well be correct in that. There is historical precedent for this limited-edition offering, though; the first Range Rovers were offered with two doors (or three doors, depending on what you consider the rear hatch) from the very start. You couldn’t even get an officially produced four-door Rangie until 1981. Earlier four-doors were actually conversions produced by coachbuilders, including Switzerland’s enigmatic Monteverdi.
Thing is, two-door Range Rovers were discontinued in 1994, after the rugged SUVs started gaining interior niceties but before they completed their transformation into full-on terrain-crushing luxury cruisers. So if they want to say this is the first of its breed, we’ll give it to ’em.
But if the “luxury” thing didn’t tip you off to the fact that this is in no way a return to Range Rover’s relatively utilitarian roots, we’ll point you to the exclusivity and price. Land Rover will build no more than 999 of these curious, cushy beasts. Plus, they’ll start at $295,000. Yow!
For that, you do get that supercharged 5.0-liter V8 and its corresponding 557 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, a 0-60 mph time of just five seconds and a 165 mph top speed. Range Rover says it’s its fastest full-size production SUV to date.
You get comfort — the coupe’s quilted leather-packed interior can be had in a variety of color combinations, including a couple of dramatic front/rear light/dark contrasting seat color options. A very nice wood veneer-covered console flows from the front to the rear of the truck. We’re not sure exactly who the rear seats are intended for, as the long-wheelbase Range Rovers seems like the more obvious choice for chauffeuring duty, but they’ll be cosy back there.
And you get presence. 197.4 inches, it’s actually a hair longer than the four-door, 196.8-inch version. Four wheel options are available, including 21- and 22-inch rims, but if you really want to stand out you can jump on the 23-inchers (another first for Range Rover).
We’d ask why this thing exists, but we know the inevitable answer is going to be “why not?” “because they know 999 people will splash out for one” or some combination of the two. We’d love to know who buys these things and how they get used. If you see one in the wild, let us know — especially if it’s putting its 10.4 inches of ground clearance to good use.
Graham Kozak
– Graham Kozak drove a 1951 Packard 200 sedan in high school because he wanted something that would be easy to find in a parking lot. He thinks all the things they’re doing with fuel injection and seatbelts these days are pretty nifty too.
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