When Land Rover launched the ‘Range Rover Sport’ in 2005, it was an overnight success. Blending the firm’s legendary off-road and all-terrain technology with a more road-focussed drive and high levels of luxury, it’s no wonder the RRS remains a best-seller to this day.y0anRFwvrDZnjxRvdTfVikQtnFQdQ6nLIM3AUCKk.jpeg62.07 KB
The History
This particular model was originally owned by Land Rover themselves, being a manager’s car. The current owner purchased it in 2008 and has owned it ever since. It’s been a beloved family vehicle, being garaged and meticulously maintained, as evidenced by the extensive service record that comes with the car.
The MOT runs to April 2022 and every previous MOT certificate is included, which confirms the below average mileage and gives real confidence in the car’s provenance and originality. As can be seen from the MOTs and service history, the car has only averaged a couple of thousand miles per year for the last few years. This is the primary reason for sale, as the owner now has a new vehicle and doesn’t want to see this fine car go unused.
Unlike many daily-driven cars, the owner has kept an extensive paperwork file. So as well as all of the original handbooks and the V5, the car also comes with every MOT certificate from new and a large number of receipts detailing servicing and maintenance.
The service record is complete, with 11 stamps from new to 128,670 miles (March 2020), all from either Land Rover main dealers or specialist independents.
In HST specification, the Range Rover Sport offers all many of luxuries and extras for the discerning buyer. In this model, the dark-grey carpets are contrasted with light-grey genuine Land Rover rubber mats. With the black perforated leather seats and silver-trimmed, modern style dashboard, the interior has a clean, high-end feel.
All of the seats, the dash, carpets, switchgear and door cards are in very good condition. The leather, in particular, is in extremely good condition for a 15 year old car.
Even the boot area and headlining, so often a weak spot in cars of this age, are in excellent condition. Clearly it has been very well cared for internally.
The owner assures us that all of the car’s features work perfectly, except for the built-in Sat-Nav, as the DVD-based system is now out of date. Other than that, the feature list of the vehicle is extensive and includes:
Twin TV/DVD screens in the rear cabin, with remote control
Electric, heated memory seats in the front, with adjustable arm rests
It doesn’t take long when examining this car to realise that it really has been cherished by its owner. The lovely Zermatt Silver paintwork is very glossy and has been kept well, while the external trim is very clean and tidy, with only a few age-related marks. The original 20-inch nine spoke "Stormer" wheels are likewise in very good condition.
This combination lends the car a classy, almost subtle look. In short, the car is externally in very good overall condition, with some wear evident, but much more than you’d expect for a car of this age.
All of the body panels are straight and well gapped, with no evidence we could see of any damage. Underneath, the usual Land Rover surface corrosion is present, but should clean up well. At the rear, the owner replaced the rear light with units from the later face-lifted model after one of the original units was broken.
You can see evidence of how well the bodywork has been cared for by looking at the door-shuts and split-tailgate, usually areas that receive little attention and can suffer from damage. Here they are immaculate and completely free from corrosion or signs of wear.
Overall, this Range Rover Sport has clearly been loved and looked after very well. With a little attention to the underside, it will soon be back to tip-top condition.4vNv30KRh26h5EfozF4Hfp3Spn0EQDqaypurZP31.jpeg61.42 KB
The Mechanics
Mechanically, the car benefits from Ford’s 3.6-litre “Lion” Turbo-diesel V8, mated to a ZF automatic transmission. It’s a robust and smooth drivetrain that offers brilliant cruising ability and all the power you could reasonably want from a car of this size. With 268bhp and 472 lb-ft on tap, 0-62mph is dispatched in just 8.6 seconds, with a 130mph top speed.
Stopping isn’t a worry either, as the vehicle is fitted as standard with a Brembo braking system that was refreshed just 4,000 miles ago.
Considering the maintenance and service record of this vehicle, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the engine and gearbox sound great and look to be in excellent condition. We’re assured by the owner that the car drives very well and is extremely comfortable and smooth. They also tell us that the iconic air suspension and terrain response systems all work as they should.
Looking through the car’s paperwork file, we can see that, besides standard servicing, the following major works have been carried out over the last few years:
2014 – New front suspension arms
2015 – New front lower arms
2017 – New alternator, new rear brakes, new front antiroll bar bushes and subframe bolts
2019 – New front pads and discs, new brake pipes front and rear, new air suspension compressor, new NSF air strut assembly
It’s easy to see why the Range Rover Sport has been such a success. It combines the luxury and go-anywhere ability of a standard Range Rover with a more purposeful, road-focussed stance. This model benefits from a classy specification, the Zermatt Silver has a really nice light blue hue to it, and in combination with the perforated black leather presents very well indeed.
The 3.6 TDV8 / ZF auto drivetrain is definitely the one to have too – offering all the power you could reasonably want, a massive 3.5t towing capacity with a braked trailer, and the ability to cruise in ultimate comfort across any continent you point it at. Combined with Land Rover’s terrain response system and that wonderful air suspension, it makes it a perfect luxury cruiser, limousine or practical “do everything” daily.
When you have an owner that has taken such great care of the vehicle too – evidenced by the full service history and bundles of maintenance receipts – it only inspires confidence.
We’re not sure where else you can get this level of technology, comfort, all-round ability and effortless power. If you want a car that’s been maintained to the highest standards, that will zip you across Europe in ultimate comfort, while loaded down with luggage, towing a horse trailer, still have the ability to clamber up a muddy hill at the end of it all, and still scrub up well enough to park outside a posh hotel that night, well… this is the car for you. It is, quite literally, all the car you’ll ever reasonably need.
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