HEAD2HEAD - RANGE ROVER VELAR SVAUTOBIOGRAPHY vs JAGUAR F-PACE SVR

Well, it wasn’t Q who phoned us, but when we got a call from Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division we couldn’t help but feel a little bit like our favourite gentleman spy. In fact, it was SVO who created the bright orange C-X75 concept for Spectre.

In case you haven’t heard of SVO yet: At Special Vehicle Operations’ 20,000-square-metre state-of-the-art facility a passionate team pushes the boundaries of performance, luxury and capability. Here, limited run collectors’ editions and high-specification vehicles are created and offered with bespoke personalization with a wide range of interior trim, leather and paint options, meeting and exceeding the expectations of even the most discerning customer.

SVO asked us to drive their fraternal twins, the Jaguar FPace SVR and the Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition (and yes, that is the full name). They both share the same core mechanical package and the same supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine, yet they are very differ

ent. The SVR was created with speed and dynamic in mind, while the Velar amplifies comfort and style.

By the way - Ford, which has been building this engine since 1996, will be closing the factory in September 2020. Who knows, maybe these twins will become a collector’s edition?

So, which is our favourite ‘Special Ops’ car? Robbie and Olaf accepted the invite and went Head2Head with the twins.

JAGUAR F-PACE SVR

So I picked the ‘Jag.’ Of course, I did. I knew Lord Robbie would prefer the sofa-cushioned Range Rover for when he drives to his estate in the countryside. No, sir. That’s not for me. If I have to pick an SUV I want the best of both worlds, and that is exactly what the SVR offers. In one striking package.

I mean, just look at it! This is how a proper Jag needs to look! 21- or the optional 22-inch wheels, hood vents, side vents, big air intakes up front and rear diffusers, framed by four 95-mm exhaust tips. And that is only the outside - the interior is even better. Sports seats that you would expect in a German or Italian sportscar, tailored in the finest Windsor leather and combined with some great carbon fibre trim. The pistol-type electronic shifter looks and feels great, and there are aluminum paddle shifters to get you through the eight speed automatic. As for your electronic toys – not a problem, the SVR comes as standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as 4G WiFi for up to eight devices. Look up and thanks to the huge sliding panoramic roof only the sky is the limit. And then you press the START button ...

Adrenaline, here you come! Zero to a hundred is done in little more than 4 seconds and framed by some great crackles and pops from the exhaust, you can reach a top speed of 283 km/h. All of that with your whole family in tow (ok, in that case maybe don’t go too wild...) or the new big-screen TV and monster-loudspeakers for your man-cave in the trunk. Now we are talking! Plus – starting at C$92,000 the SVR actually safes you almost $7,000 compared to the Velar. And as we know, Robbie does not like saving ...

There you go. That’s why I say the Jaguar is the better Special Ops SUV. I win.

RANGE ROVER VELAR SVAUTOBIOGRAPHY DYNAMIC EDITION

I picked the car with a name so long that you have to walk a full lap around it just to read it, which turns out to be a good thing because boy is this car a looker. Hence why it won the 2019 World Car Design of the Year (World Car Awards) and the even more prestigious MotorTrend SUV of the year 2019 title. Oh, right - 2020 Car of the Year (WhatCar.com), too. A winner.

If you are wondering what it is about this car that makes it look so good, well let me burst your “Car design 101” cherry bubble for you. Concept car designers like to draw certain features in their design knowing they will never see the light of day, knowing it is these tricks of the trade that make the designs look awesome, and make you click that “like” button. There are many of these tricks but one is to draw an ultra low roof line. This makes any car look super awesome, but in reality it’s just never a practical design feature. But for this car, designer Massimo Frascella was adamant that the roof line would stay. As a result the Velar has the lowest roof line in the brand’s history. Kudos to Land Rover for actually producing this design and screw you, click bait.

You love the exterior? Just wait until you step off your tongue and get in the car. No need to worry about the drool, those 20 way heated and cooled massage seats are made from Windsor leather. 20 ways! just think about that, I bet you cannot even dream up 20 ways in which you wants to adjust the seats.

So if I didn’t win this one by now I could just mention that this is the fastest Land Rover ever made, utilizing a Supercharged V-8 producing 550-HP, 0-100 in 4.5 seconds which must be way faster than the F-pace as I beat Olaf several times on the track ... but he also doesn’t know how to drive. Anyway - the winner is ... the Velar. And myself, as per usual.

Engine: Supercharged 5.0L DOHC V8 | Power: 550 hp @ 6,500 rpm; 502 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500 rpm | Transmission: Eight-speed automatic. | 0-100km/h: 4.3s | Top Speed: 283km/h |Fuel Economy: 14.5 city/ 11.0 hwy

Engine: Supercharged 5.0L DOHC V8 | Power: 550 hp @ 6,500 rpm; 502 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500 rpm | Transmission: Eight-speed automatic. | 0-100km/h: 4.5s | Top Speed: 274km/h | Fuel Economy: 15.2 city/ 11.5 hwy