2006 Range Rover Sport SC
Land Rover as a brand has evolved drastically since the first production Land Rover was introduced in 1948. Technology and market demand have brought about a new era of Land Rover vehicles. The Range Rover Sport was a catalyst in changing the publics perception of the Land Rover brand. The Range Rover Sport offers immense utility both on and off road, and for the first time in Land Rover history, a Rover can truly hold it’s own in a straight and through a curve. As is the case with any stock vehicle, Land Rover left room for improvement. We decided to explore the performance and customization potential for ourselves resulting in the purchase of a stock Bonatti Gray 2006 Range Rover Supercharged Sport.
The stock Range Rover Sport is an attractive vehicle but, in our opinion, is a bit “soft” aesthetically. A factory HST body kit provided the aggressive, chiseled look we sought. Side skirts, mirrors, and various other external components were painted to match the body color thus enhancing the clean appearance. The factory badging was removed from the hood and rear of the vehicle, only the “Supercharged” badge was spared. The front windows were given a mild tint to balance out the overall atrium color. 22” Redbourne Duke wheels served as the finishing touch of the styling upgrades.
Much to our dissatisfaction, the exhaust note barely notifies the driver that the motor is even turning. Our friends at MagnaFlow sent us one of their beautiful stainless steel exhausts to wake up our Sport. The tone is non-obtrusive under normal driving conditions but provides a fantastically bold melody under throttle. Selecting manual mode reveals a burbling backpressure note that is aurally intoxicating. Finally, there is a hint of the 390HP lurking beneath the hood.
Armed with 390HP and 410LB FT, the Supercharged Sport is no slouch. We still longed for a bit more pull even after freeing up the exhaust. A supercharger underdrive pulley provided just the kick we were looking for. We are looking forward to getting the Sport back onto the dyno to quantify the bump in power. We know from the “seat of the pants feel” that something magical happened.
With increased power comes increased speed. The Supercharged Sport is equipped with Brembo front calipers from the factory. Rear calipers remain the same as the naturally aspirated HSE Sport. Columbia Rovers teamed up with brake legends Wilwood Engineering to develop an exclusive brake package for the 5670 pound Sport. The result, prodigious 6 piston Wilwood calipers at all four corners accompanied by massive 16” rotors. The calipers are so much larger than stock that the Redbourne Duke’s lacked the necessary clearance. A set of Rinspeed C5/1’s were procured to clear the Wilwood calipers. The spoke windows also provide a great view of the beautiful red calipers. Stay tuned for pricing and availability of the exclusive Columbia Rovers/Wilwood Engineering Range Rover Sport big brake package.
