High-performance Jaguar and Land Rover models from all three divisions of JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations unit (SVAutobiography, SVX, and SVR) come together for the first time on North American soil.
The L.A. Auto Show is the last big auto show of 2017. Jaguar Land Rover and its SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) division are pulling out all the stops and ending the year with a bang.
In addition to vehicles from its regular portfolio, JLR showed off its SVO-engineered high-performance cars and SUVs the night before the start of the L.A. Auto Show with a special preview in downtown Los Angeles. For the first time in North America, models from SVO’s SVAutobiography, SVX, and SVR lines shared the same space. They were also used as photo backdrops for model David Gandy and Carpool Karaoke star and late night TV host James Corden. Now those vehicles are on display for everyone to see at the show itself.
SVO brought a 2018 Range Rover SVAutobiography as an example of what SVAutobiography models represent: ultimate luxury. The long-wheelbase Range Rover features nearly four feet of rear legroom, reclining and massaging back seats, and rear doors that close with the push of a button. A refrigerated drink compartment, and a 557-horsepower supercharged 5.0-liter V8 are also included.
SVR models are all about high performance, whether that’s on or off the road. The restyled, 575-horsepower 2018 Range Rover Sport SVR and 2018 Jaguar F-TYPE SVR are on display as embodiments of that focus. Of course, no showcase of modern super Jags would be complete without the blisteringly fast XE SV Project 8, so JLR made sure to give it some room, as well.
SVO’s SVX division is dedicated to extreme capability. For the first model to wear the badge, SVO picked the Discovery, an already impressive performer in the rough. The Discovery SVX takes the base vehicle’s capabilities to the next level with more aggressive tires, greater wheel articulation, auxiliary lighting, a winch, and increased power. That’s 518 hp and 461 lb-ft, to be exact, from a supercharged 5.0-liter V8.
If you can’t make it to the big show, don’t worry. We’ll be sharing plenty of photos from it with you soon.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
