Range Rover Sport SVR prototype headed to Goodwood

High-performance SUVs are fast becoming big business for European automakers, from current offerings like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, BMW X5 M and Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG to upcoming additions from the likes of Bentley, Lamborghini and Maserati. But Land Rover is not about to leave the action all to its competitors. To that end, it's been working on a more powerful, performance-focused version of the newRange Rover Sport, and now it's officially announced its debut.

Now confirmed for unveiling at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, the Range Rover Sport SVR is among the first products of the new Special Operations department at Jaguar Land Rover. It packs the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8 as the model on which it's based, but cranked up to the same 542 horsepower as Jaguar's top-level performance models – the F-Type R Coupe, XJR, XFR-S and XKR-S.

The vehicle will be shown at Lord March's estate in prototype guise, which means it's likely to keep the camouflage for the time being. But you can bet that underneath the disguised bodywork, you'd find more performance upgrades than just the engine to make the SVR "the fastest, most agile and most responsive Land Rover vehicle ever built."

Head on down below for the press release and behind-the-scenes video filmed at the Nürburgring for a closer look.

HIGH PERFORMANCE RANGE ROVER SPORT SVR PROTOTYPE SET TO DEBUT AT THE GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

- New High Performance Range Rover Sport SVR prototype makes debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed
- First appearance of the new high performance SVR designation for future high-performance Land Rover and Jaguar models created by Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations
- 550HP Range Rover Sport SVR prototype will complete the hill course at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 27, 28, and 29
- New film takes a look behind-the-scenes click here
- 500,000 Range Rover Sport vehicles have been produced since 2005. Over 140,000 have been sold in the U.S., the largest Range Rover Sport market in the world

(WHITLEY, U.K.) - June 24, 2014 - The Range Rover Sport SVR will make its public debut at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 27 to 29. The Range Rover Sport SVR will be the first model to wear the new SVR designation, which will be worn by all future high performance models.

A camouflaged prototype of the 550HP Range Rover Sport SVR will give spectators a chance to experience the sights and sounds of the most exhilarating Land Rover vehicle ever produced. It will perform a series of runs up the famous Goodwood Hill course in the 'First Glance' category.

The Range Rover Sport SVR is currently undergoing final testing and will be on sale in 2015. The performance of the SVR will extend the capabilities of the Range Rover Sport, and will be the fastest, most agile and most responsive Land Rover vehicle ever built.

Designed, engineered and built in Britain, the Range Rover Sport SVR exemplifies the engineering integrity; robustness and attention to detail that are hallmarks of today's Land Rover vehicles.

The Range Rover Sport SVR was created by the Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations team. All future SVR models will meet stringent key performance criteria. They will be built alongside existing models and sold through the Land Rover retailer network.

Land Rover redefined the performance SUV sector with the launch of the original Range Rover Sport in 2005, successfully combining sports performance with uncompromised all-terrain capabilities. Over 500,000 Range Rover Sport vehicles have been sold to date.