ATL Automotive DRIVE - Volume 2, Issue 6

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DRIVEN TO ANOTHER LEVEL

It’s described as a series of the “most punishing drives to be found on earth”: a 14,110 feet mountain climb, a race between land and sky and speed crossing of a vast desert. Even with a rich history for making the world’s best 4x4 vehicles polished with luxury, Land Rover didn’t want the world to simply take its word for it. To launch the all-new Range Rover Sport, dubbed the most dynamic SUV yet, the company went to extremes to prove it. Agile and responsive, the company pushed the Sport to unimaginable limits in the Driven Challenges, setting records and going places where others wouldn’t dare. Added to these challenges was an invitation to race an aeroplane. Pikes Peak Hill Climb Record In June 2013, the all-new Range Rover Sport established the record for a production-standard Sport Utility Vehicle and broke the long standing record for any kind of productionstandard vehicle on the Pikes Pike International Hill Climb course, venue of the spectacular annual competition known as ‘The Race to the Clouds’.

Range Rover Sport the Fastest Production SUV

The Range Rover Sport rose to the challenge of the 12.42-mile asphalt course, powering its way from a standing start, in just 12 minutes 35.61 seconds – at an average speed of 59.17 mph (95.23 kph) on a snaking road that clings to the edge of the mountain with precipitous drops on one side and unyielding rock faces on the other. The record was independently timed and sanctioned by PPIHC (Pikes Peak International Hill Climb), organisers of the annual competition at the Colorado venue. The Pikes Peak course goes through 156 corners as it ascends beyond the treeline from 9,390 feet (2,860m) above sea level to 14,110 feet (4,300m). At that altitude the air contains only 58% of the oxygen it does at sea level, diminishing engine performance and blunting human physical and mental performance. Racing the Spitfire Two British legends of land and sky exploded down a grassy runway at the

Goodwood Aerodrome in Sussex, England in July 2013 – the Range Rover Sport and the Spitfire; the most famous fighter aircraft. It was an invitation to a challenge that Land Rover couldn’t resist. The race served as a scintillating curtain raiser to the Festival of Speed where the Sport would make its UK dynamic debut. The defiant Range Rover Sport was on a mission to beat the mighty Spitfire to the finish. The Sport led from the start until the Spitfire took off, but at the U turn, the Sport regained the advantage helped by the new Torque Vectoring technology, which contributes to stable and secure cornering by applying appropriate braking to the inside wheels. CR-V Starting Price Monthly Payment: $57,900 20% Duty $76,520 Full Duty

Mike Cross, Jaguar Land Rover’s Chief Vehicle Integrity Engineer, was at the wheel of the all-new Range Rover Sport. Even though grass is one of the most challenging terrains on which to gain traction, for both acceleration and breaking, Cross still managed to clock a top speed of 130 mph before braking for the mid-race turn. “It’s always difficult to find traction from a standing start on grass, but the Range Rover Sport made a great launch off the line. I was surprised by how bumpy the course was as I accelerated up to 130mph, and of course the other extreme challenge is to brake in time for the turn-around, but the car felt composed throughout the whole run,” Cross explained.

Accord Starting Price Monthly Payment: $64,492 20% Duty $77,879 Full Duty

The result was an ultra-close finish across the line, with the Sport just nosing ahead of the Spitfire. Beaten! Conquering the Arabian Desert The Sport claimed the record for crossing Arabia’s Empty Quarter in November 2013. The Empty Quarter of the Arabian Peninsula is one of the harshest terrains on the planet. Spanning 250,000 square miles, it’s the largest sand desert in the world, with temperatures regularly exceeding 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Add a few scorpions and camel spiders to the mix and one would think the Land Rover team has got to be crazy! Going in untested, the Land Rover team was confident that its best SUV yet could make it across quickly equipped with a 5.0 litre LR-V8 engine, the new Terrain Response® 2, which automatically adapts to the terrain. Combine that with an all-new four corner air suspension system and the car produces dynamic handling that can easily handle any off-road task. Starting at Wadi Adda Wasir in Saudi Arabia, the land rover team set out across the vast desert and emerged at the border with the United Arab Emirates just in time for the Dubai motor show. The 527-mile journey took 10 hours and 22 minutes, setting a new world record. Following the challenge, lead driver Moi Torrallardona said “It was a good experience. It’s not empty, definitely. It’s full of things; rocks, dunes, ditches, canyons. There’s everything in there. It was very rough and the car handled perfectly. The car is fantastic.” Land Rover has proved that the Sport can handle just about anything, setting the benchmark to challenge any who may dare venturing places where it has conquered, setting records and making history.

Fit Starting Price Monthly Payment: $35,743 20% Duty $44, 976 Full Duty

Civic Starting Price Monthly Payment: $46,242 20% Duty $56,433 Full Duty

XF Starting Price Monthly Payment: $109,639 20% Duty $121,106 Full Duty

F-TYPE Starting Price Monthly Payment: $247,271 20% Duty $280,172 Full Duty

Tiguan Starting Price Monthly Payment: $59,100 20% Duty $74,200 Full Duty A3 Sportback Starting Price Monthly Payment: $53,605 20% Duty $83,290 Full Duty

Q5 Starting Price Monthly Payment: $89,390 20% Duty $138,798 Full Duty Evoque Starting Price Monthly Payment: $90,810 20% Duty $106,791 Full Duty

Q3 Starting Price Monthly Payment: $74,480 20% Duty $95,915 Full Duty

A7 Starting Price Monthly Payment: $160,057 20% Duty $201,452 Full Duty

Range Rover Sport Starting Price Monthly Payment: $252,648 20% Duty $289,412 Full Duty

Discovery 4 Starting Price Monthly Payment: $146,751 20% Duty $184,574 Full Duty

AMAROK Starting Price Monthly Payment: $47,800 20% Duty $59,900 Full Duty

Polo Starting Price Monthly Payment: $36,990 20% Duty $45,400 Full Duty

Jetta Starting Price Monthly Payment: $49,400 20% Duty $60,600 Full Duty

Freelander 2 Starting Price Monthly Payment: $88,947 20% Duty $105,958 Full Duty

Monthly payments are based on lowest bank rates

Go Anywhere! The all new Range Rover Sport is engineered with a 3 litre diesel engine or 3 litre petrol engine and seven seats for the first time. Land Rover’s record-breaking SUV also comes with 258 horse power and 600 newton metres of torque. The diesel moves from 0 - 60 miles per hour in 7.1 seconds, while the 3 litre petrol moves from 0 – 60 miles per hour in 6.9 seconds with 340 horse power, 450 newton metres of torque. We can state unequivocally that there’s nothing else quite like it on the road or anywhere else. Schedule your test drive today.


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