Jaguar Land Rover had pulled the wraps off a special edition Range Rover Sport HST. The new model comes with an all-new 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six mild-hybrid engine, as well as a range of exclusive interior and exterior trim. On sale now, the HST is priced from 拢81,250. The 3.0-litre straight-six turbo engine, which generates 394bhp and 550Nm of torque, is assisted by an electrically-driven compressor via a 48V mild-hybrid system. Thanks to the mild hybrid system, Jaguar Land Rover claims the Sport HST can deliver economy figures of 30.5mpg and emissions ratings of 213g/km of CO2. The system can also recover energy using regenerative braking and store it in the battery for later use by the electric motor, such as when pulling away from a standing start. The new powertrain is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and an all-wheel-drive system. Like the standard Range Rover Sport, the HST comes with adjustable air springs, active dampers and Land Rover鈥檚 鈥淭errain Response 2鈥?system, which 鈥渞eads鈥?the terrain being driven across and adjusts the chassis and drivetrain accordingly. Outside, the special edition Range Rover Sport gets one of two alloy wheel designs, a choice of paint colours, red brake calipers, bespoke badging and carbon fibre trim for the bonnet, front grille, side vents and tailgate. The interior of the HST is treated to a set of 16-way adjustable front seats, satin chrome shift paddles, unique badging on the fascia and a suede-trimmed steering wheel and gear lever. In addition, buyers get a range of driver assistance technology including adaptive cruise control and high speed emergency braking.
We鈥檇 do without this car鈥檚 optional 鈥榮ports shifter鈥? which has succeeded only in making the manual gearshift feel uncomfortably heavy. Despite its lack of cylinders there鈥檚 real character to the Turbo鈥檚 engine, even though Porsche has softened, smoothed and massaged the power delivery of this new direct-injection motor. You get a real sense of it filling its lungs and then there鈥檚 this terrific, dragon-like roar as it exhales, which is quite different to any other 911 in character and delivery. In my mind the 911 Turbo has always been the supreme Jekyll and Hyde character: happy to mooch or do the motorway thing, yet uniquely visceral and hot-headed when roused. There鈥檚 no denying it鈥檚 quicker than ever as a result, but there鈥檚 now a degree of remoteness and isolation from the process of making the Turbo go quickly. The numb and slightly glassy steering doesn鈥檛 help either, for it separates you further from the action, as if to suggest the Turbo simply requires you to sit still and shut up.
There remains something undeniably awesome about this surreal, almost disdainful delivery, but it鈥檚 impossible not to conclude that after the R8 Spyder the Turbo Cabriolet feels like a supremely quick fairground ride. Swapping into the Jaguar is a huge culture shock. The auto 鈥檅ox has an intuitive sense of what gear you want, not to mention a satisfying ability to execute rev-perfect throttle-blip downshifts, so the XKR is a keen and responsive partner. Using the steering wheel paddles brings another level of control, and when used in conjunction with Sport and Dynamic modes the Jag really comes alive. Up on the challenging moorland section of the test route, the XKR鈥檚 poise pays dividends, soaking up the punishment without being deflected from its trajectory, and carrying great speed without ever feeling ragged. What鈥檚 really impressive is its ability to maintain its composure, yet also display tight body control and sweet progression. With such power and torque and only the rear wheels to transmit it to the tarmac, traction can be at a premium in the Jag if you get back on the gas early.
But far from feeling untidy, or spinning an inside wheel, the XKR (complete with electronic 鈥榙iff鈥? shifts seamlessly into the most natural oversteer. Not a big-armfuls-of-lock showboating powerslide, but a poised, balanced and exploitable stance that needs subtle correction and feels brilliant. The brakes, though unimpressive when viewed through the spokes of the 20in rims, work extremely well. There鈥檚 slightly more initial pedal travel than in the Audi or Porsche, but for road use the feel and progression are first rate. The last piece of this puzzle is the California. A softcore sports car that moves Ferrari into previously uncharted territory, it is a real departure for the Maranello brand, and consequently very hard to pigeonhole. With a high-revving, 453bhp, 358lb ft, naturally aspirated V8, it is the least potent car here. The California鈥檚 exterior is bulky and rather awkwardly proportioned, but the interior is a real event. Pale cream might not be the most practical colour, but there鈥檚 no denying that the soft leather, strikingly designed instruments and adventurous cockpit architecture make it a special place to sit.
V8 starts with a flat-plane blare much like that of a 430 or 458, while a stab of the throttle reveals razor response. The steering is light and quick-witted, as is the modern tradition at Maranello, and this is matched to an equally keen front end. An array of rim-mounted shift-lights completes the picture. At low speeds the California delivers on Ferrari鈥檚 promise of a supple, less demanding open-air GT, and on gently curving sections of the A5 it flows with an easy, relaxed style. There鈥檚 not a huge amount of feedback or connection through the steering wheel, but you simply learn to trust in the grip from the P Zeros and soon settle into the Cali鈥檚 refreshing take on Ferrari motoring. There鈥檚 a surprising amount of body roll though, and as our speed increases there鈥檚 a growing sense that the rear end in particular is under-damped. This lack of body control manifests itself in other ways, most obviously through compressions, when assorted bits of underfloor aerodynamic addenda noisily grind themselves into plasticky swarf on the coarse Welsh tarmac. That none of the other cars skimmed the road shows the softness of the Cali鈥檚 chassis set-up.