GAYDON, England - Remember the Range Stormer, the high-performance concept car that Land Rover displayed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit two years ago? This is as close as you'll get to a production version: the Range Rover Sport HST.
The Range Stormer was a kind of SUV/sports car crossover, with gullwing doors and a lowered roofline. It was intended to optimize on-road performance while maintaining the Range Rover's off-road ability.
The Range Rover Sport HST uses the standard bodyshell of the Range Rover Sport but adds a body kit "inspired" by the Stormer concept car, together with the top-of-the-range Sport's 390-horsepower supercharged V8 engine that powers the car from zero to 60 mph in just over seven seconds.
"The HST allows a Range Rover Sport customer to drive the closest thing there is to the radical Range Stormer," said Land Rover U.K. Managing Director John Edwards. Additional equipment also includes an electric sunroof, an electronic active locking rear differential and privacy glass. The interior is distinguished by hand-polished oak trim.
The exterior design also includes new flush-fitting front and rear bumpers and a new, larger open-mouth grille. The front lower air intake is deeper, and new front foglamps are mounted in the spoiler.
The lower doors and the lower rear trunk are body-colored, making the body sides appear deeper and accentuating the vehicle's road-hugging qualities. A new tail spoiler is also fitted, and the special rectangular tailpipes are close to those used on the Range Stormer. Further visual impact is provided by the 20-inch Stormer alloy wheels and chromed aluminium side vents.
The U.K. price is the equivalent of $109,000, but no date has been set for sales in the United States, says Land Rover.
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