The all-new 2023 Range Rover Sport has just come out and based on what we’re seeing with the regular Range Rover, it’s going to be great. Every premium automaker now offers a performance-oriented 4×4 with sexy styling. However, the RR Sport is a household name known for its powerful 5.0-liter supercharged V8.
Only that 5.0-liter supercharged V8 may not be available, as the 2023 Range Rover Sport SVR will most likely be powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo from BMW. It’s called the N63 and it was traded between the Germans and Brits as part of an electrified powertrain partnership in 2019.
Don’t believe us? Land Rover already uses this 4.4-liter in the new Range Rover. The P530 model is thusly named because it makes 530 PS, 523 hp which is the same as your average M50i model from BMW M Performance.
However, what we have here is the new 2023 Range Rover Sport SVR, which is the pure performance model. It can’t possibly use the 523 horsepower engine because that would make it less powerful than its predecessor. Of course, BMW has more powerful versions available.
The X5 M and X6 M, which are direct rivals to the Range Rover models, offer 600 hp and 563 pound-feet normally, but output goes up to 617 hp with the Competition package.
Why the supercharged 5.0-liter is gone
Emissions regulations or fuel-efficiency targets only partially explain why Land Rover is getting rid of its iconic superchargers. After all, the LR Defender’s 5.0 is still going strong.
The real problem is actually lack of performance. While turbochargers use exhaust gasses to spin and add power, superchargers require mechanical force from the engine. Thus, the 567 hp (575 PS) of a Range Rover Sport from 2018 is near the maximum of what the 5.0-liter can do in a production car.
So what next? Well, the Range Rover Sport SVR almost certainly will use the 4.4-liter V8. It just depends whether that’s the N63 or the higher performance S63 like true M models use. Either way, it will be faster because the P530 already does 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and matches the old SVR.
A possible scenario is that Land Rover uses the basic S63 with its own exhaust and tune, perhaps even new turbos. Toyota also famously used a BMW engine, the 3.0-liter powering the Supra, but it’s got a different tune to the Z4, even though they’re assembled at the same factory. Aston Martin also put its own tune on the AMG V8 in the Vantage.
But then again, even if the SVR makes 600 horsepower, it’s not really a problem for BMW. The Bavarians are already developing an even faster plug-in hybrid version of the system with about 750 hp, which is going into the XM, but could trickle down to the X5/X6.
SVR looks for 2023
This rendering from the website Kolesa is based on the regular RR Sport revealed last month, only it enlarges the air intakes just like we’ve seen in spy photos online. It’s a handsome-looking thing with a minimalist design compared to what we’ve seen since 2005.
You might not have noticed this, but the hood has strong indents, and it’s probably going to be offered in carbon fiber, just like the trim around the air vents. The new Sport already offers carbon trim for the wheels, which can go up to 23 inches in diameter.
From the side and rear, this 2023 Sport model is as smooth as the Velar. However, the SVR does have to add bolder exhaust tips, a diffuser, and a trunk spoiler. This is a key difference from the normal Range Rover, which has no visible exhaust tips. And on the inside, the Sport SVR is a carbon-clad sports rival to the RS Q8 and X6 M, so expect 4 individual seats.
Standard equipment on the Sport SVR should include the electronic limited-slip differential from the Storm Handling Pack and rear-wheel steering.
