- Two British legends of land and sky engage for the first time in an off‑road race
- The All‑New 2014 Range Rover Sport goes head‑to‑head with the legendary Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Fighter in a challenge organized byFortyOneSix.com ahead of this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed
- First off‑road challenge of its kind over the grass airstrip at Goodwood Aerodrome, putting speed, agility and handling of both car and plane to the test
- Race available to view now online at http://fortyonesix.com/
(MAHWAH, N.J) ‑ July 8, 2013 ‑Two supreme examples of British engineering, the All‑New Range Rover Sport and the legendary Supermarine Spitfire, have engaged in a duel to measure their off‑road mastery.
The Range Rover Sport, the fastest production Land Rover to date, representing the latest advances in all‑terrain performance has been pitted against Britain's most famous fighter aircraft in a high‑speed off‑road race along the grass airstrip at the Goodwood Aerodrome in Sussex. Land Rover was invited to take part in the challenge, formulated by Goodwood'sFortyOneSix.comwebsite. It provided a perfect curtain raiser for this weekend's Festival of Speed, where the new Range Rover Sport will be making its UK dynamic debut.
The race ‑ the first of its kind at the airfield ‑ involved a drag race down and back on the grass runway, punctuated by a nimble U‑turn. It was particularly challenging being conducted on the bumpy grass airfield, a surface which is notorious for low traction levels.
The Vickers Supermarine Spitfire fighter lined up for the contest was a 1945‑vintage model, piloted by Matt Jones from the Boultbee Flight Academy. Powered by a 1,750hp Merlin V12 engine, it has a maximum airspeed of 400 mph, and its typical acceleration on take‑off is up to 80mph before the wheels leave the ground, making it a strong contender for victory against the Land Rover.
Mike Cross, Jaguar Land Rover's Chief Vehicle Integrity Engineer, was at the wheel of the All‑New Range Rover Sport, a supercharged V8 model with 510hp on tap. Even though grass is one of the most challenging terrains on which to gain traction, for both acceleration and braking, Cross still managed to clock a top speed of 130 mph before braking for the mid‑race turn.
The turn maneuver was helped by the Range Rover Sport's new Torque Vectoring technology, which contributes to stable and secure cornering.
Cross explained that Land Rover was pleased to take up the challenge, "The team couldn't resist the challenge laid down byFortyOneSix.comand to race such a British icon."
"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."
To find out whether it was classic or cutting‑edge British engineering that won the day, the film and more details can be viewed here: http://fortyonesix.com/.FortyOneSix.com is Goodwood's online magazine and social media website covering news, features and events in the world of motorsport, cars, motorcycles, and aircraft.
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About Land Rover
Land Rover, the British maker of Land Rover and Range Rover sport utility vehicles, is renowned for providing its clientele with some of the most luxurious and capable vehicles in the world. Every Land Rover vehicle is equally at home both on and off road, and in any setting; be it in the heart of the city, or traversing the countryside. Today's Land Rover lineup includes the legendary Defender, LR2 (Freelander 2), LR4 (Discovery 4), Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque. Land Rover designs, engineers, and manufactures their vehicles in the United Kingdom. Land Rover is fully engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with continuous involvement in environmental and community programs. For more information visit the official Land Rover website at http://www.landroverusa.com.
About Jaguar Land Rover
•The United States is one of the leading global markets for both Jaguar and Land Rover
•Jaguar Land Rover employs 25 000 people and sells vehicles in 170 countries around the world
• Jaguar Land Rover has two state of the art engineering and design facilities and three advanced manufacturing plants in the UK
• In the 2012/13 fiscal year,Jaguar Land Rover has reported revenues of $23.8 billion, up 17% year on year ($20.4 billion last year)
•Jaguar Land Rover has test facilities acrossthe USAin the following states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington D.C.
• Headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey in the United States, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC has offices across the USA and Canada. Jaguar Land Rover has offices in the following locations: California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington D.C.
• Jaguar Land Rover is represented by more than 330 independently operated retail outletsin the USA
