Land Rover

Land Rover unveiled a trio of trucks at the New York International Auto Show. On the surface, Land Rover has made only minor tweaks to its lineup of familiar, well-performing luxury SUVs. There are some interesting bells and whistles, however, like the 2010 Range Rover’s new LED headlights and virtual dashboard, a 12-inch LCD monitor that displays different info, depending on what driving mode you’re in.

 

But the real story — and possibly the real mystery — is under the hood. The new Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Land Rover LR4 (a follow-up to the LR3) all come with 375 horsepower 5-liter V8 engines. But if that’s not enough power, supercharged versions of the Range Rover and Sport can develop 510 horses and 461 lb-ft of torque.

 

So what does someone in a Range Rover do with 510 horsepower? Anything he wants, according to Land Rover. Product manager Andrew Polsinelli admits that there’s rarely any reason for that much speed. "We don’t do land speed records, we don’t claim 170 mph top speeds," he says. "It’s about having reserves of power, when you need it." If you’re passing someone on a mountain road, a burst of speed makes sense. For off-road driving, horsepower really only applies to driving on sand, but the combination of low-range gearing and 461 lb-ft can haul you out of ditches or over boulders.

 

The Range Rover has other tricks up its well-appointed sleeve, like a Sand Launch feature for improved traction on beaches, and tighter brake control while in the Rock Crawl setting. And for drivers who are completely honest with themselves about what 510 ponies are for, the supercharged Range Rover Sport comes with paddle shifters — a first for Land Rover -- for those who feel the need for speed and a desire to play Formula 1 racer on the highway. All of the new engines provide improved fuel efficiency, and although Land Rover will release all three vehicles with V6 diesel engines this year, there are no plans to bring those versions to the United States. Too bad.