The 423 kW 5,0-litre supercharged V8 Range Rover Sport SVR has bested the record time set by a Ferrari 458 Italia up the gruelling Tianmen Mountain Pass in the Chinese province of Hunan. Billed as one of the most treacherous roads in the world, Ferrari set its record time of 10 minutes and 31 seconds over this course in 2016.
The 10,3 km-long pass is made up of 99 corners, many of them of the hairpin variety. The new record time of 9 minutes and 51 seconds was set with LMP2 Le Mans winner Ho-Ping Tung behind the wheel.
Tung said: “I am used to the high speeds of racing, but this was even more demanding. Maintaining concentration was the biggest challenge, as the road twists and turns constantly with huge drop-offs to the side. The consequences of getting it wrong would have been really serious, so I focused on establishing a rhythm.”
An unofficial record it may be, but Range Rover’s R2,1-million SUV will nevertheless enjoy its bragging rights.
Watch the video below:
