Jessica Hawkins, one of the world’s leading female stunt drivers, has starred in the dramatic global premiere of the New Range Rover Sport. Jessica completed a challenging ascent of the 193m Kárahnjúkar Dam – the biggest of its kind in the world – against a torrent of water flowing at 750 tonnes per minute, and after conquering Icelandic volcanic landscape, rock climbs and flooded tunnels.
In the 25th Bond film No Time To Die, she drives the Land Rover Defender for the spectacular stunt chase scene – testament to the months of intensive training undertaken ahead of filming and her skills as a precision driver. Jess also currently races in the W Series.
“The power of the water surging down the spillway was breath-taking from the side of the valley. Driving into it knowing that a 90-metre drop was waiting behind me at the bottom of the slope, if things went wrong, made this the most challenging drive I’ve ever undertaken. Despite the steep slope and rushing water, New Range Rover Sport made it look easy. Its traction, composure and commanding visibility inspired so much confidence I was able to enjoy the whole experience,” said Stunt Driver Jessica Hawkins.
The spillway climb was the final obstacle on the drive from the valley floor to the summit of the dam, taking in a flooded riverbed, long steep tunnels and then 40-degree rocky dam wall itself. The 294m stretch of spillway had water furiously cascading down its 90-metere drop to provide the ultimate test of traction and driver confidence.
The third generation of Land Rover’s luxury performance SUV is the most desirable, technologically advanced and capable yet, mixing an imposing road presence with instinctive driving responses using the most advanced combination of chassis technologies ever fitted to a Land Rover.
New Range Rover Sport is based on Land Rover’s advanced, flexible Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA-Flex), which provides the perfect foundations for its superior dynamics and peerless refinement. Its line-up of powerful and efficient powertrains includes two six-cylinder extended range Electric Hybrid plug-ins, which provide a pure-electric driving range of up to 125km and CO2 emissions as low as 37g/km1.
The new 390kW (530PS) V8 Twin Turbo2 provides sports car performance, with 0-100km/h in as little as 4.5 seconds with Dynamic Launch engaged. Customers can also choose from powerful and efficient mild hybrid petrol2 and diesel Ingenium engines, while pure-electric propulsion will be available in 2024, as Land Rover continues its electrification journey.
New Range Rover Sport’s reductive design extends to its all-new interior. Featuring a new cockpit-like interpretation of the trademark Range Rover Command Driving Position, the latest convenience and driver assistance technologies and finest materials combine to ensure every drive is an experience to savour.
Dynamic Response Pro is a 48-volt electronic active roll control system, capable of applying up to 1,400Nm of torque across each axle, for a confidence-inspiring driving experience and new levels of body control and cornering composure, while All-Wheel Steering helps achieve unrivalled agility and manoeuvrability at low speeds, with superior stability at high speeds.
Dynamic Air Suspension introduces switchable-volume air springs for the first time and is fitted to every New Range Rover Sport. The intelligent system enhances the bandwidth of the suspension by varying the pressure within the airbags to deliver traditional Range Rover comfort with the dynamic handling expected from the Range Rover Sport. To optimise responses, the vehicle monitors the road ahead using eHorizon navigation data to pre-emptively prime the vehicle for upcoming bends.
The award-winning Pivi Pro infotainment features a high resolution floating 13.1-inch haptic touchscreen positioned at the centre of the modernist dashboard. Controlling everything from navigation to media and vehicle settings, it learns the user’s habits and intelligently personalises the onboard experience, becoming a truly intuitive personal assistant.
New Range Rover Sport is the most dynamically capable version of Land Rover’s luxury performance SUV and the most competent away from paved roads, using the latest Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (iAWD) and integrating Land Rover’s latest all-terrain innovations and technologies to ensure its breadth of dynamic capability.
Adaptive Off-Road Cruise Control makes its debut on New Range Rover Sport and helps drivers navigate tricky terrain by maintaining steady progress according to the ground conditions. Drivers can select one of four comfort settings and the system intelligently adjusts the speed, allowing the driver to focus on steering the vehicle.
New Range Rover Sport will be exclusively produced at the Solihull Manufacturing Facility in the UK, the historic home of Range Rover production, alongside New Range Rover. It is available to order now. Go and configure yours here.
Photographs by Jaguar Land Rover.