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It looks like 2009 will be a very busy year for Land Rover. Three of the brand’s major models are getting engine, interior and exterior upgrades next year, and our spy shots have reveal the look of one of the most important of them: this is the 2009 Range Rover Sport.
This development mule is in early testing ahead of an anticipated winter 2009 UK launch. It's running a new 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine with a seven-speed automatic gearbox, which will replace the current 4.2-litre V8 motor in t...Read the full article

Hmmm, looks like a big green box of ammo to me... 

I'll have one of each, please.

Looks good. I guess if you can afford to buy one you can afford to pay for it's drinking issues. Supercharged V8 + Heavy right foot can only be good for collecting petrol station vouchers. What's the betting the football club car parks will be full of these though?

So they're meeting European emissions targets by making the engine BIGGER?  Something is seriously wrong with the regulations then.  I can't help but see anyone who drives one of these as being selfish.  If they were to hit me, in my fiesta, I would be a "gonna".  If everyone bought cars with "hard points" at the normal height, the roads would be so much safer.  I'm not a tree hugger, but even I can see producing a car weighing 2.5 tonnes with a 5litre engine, when the ice caps are melting is madness!  If I were in power, i'd put forward legislation to reduce CO2, limit weight and move the "hard points" of all cars to the same height.  People who need high riding 4x4s (e.g. farmers, rural dwellers) would have to prove their "need" before being granted a permit.  Do I sound like Stalin?  I hope not :)

You do sound like Stalin. In fact you sound like Ken Livingston. :P

You do wonder whether Ford's decision to sell one of the world's few specialist 4x4 brands has at least a little to do with the way the green/safety/legislative/public sentiment might be blowing. Difficult to see how you can make a vehicle like a Range Rover more environmentally friendly without sacrificing why people want them in the first place.

I'm not sure - the Ford F150 pickup and a range of other trucks have been their biggest sellers of recent times.

The Range Rover Sport is a hideous chud of a vehicle and designed just to fill a gap between the Discovery and a proper Range Rover, both of which are better looking. Enjoy it by all means if you have more money than taste.

Darth Balls:

I'm not sure - the Ford F150 pickup and a range of other trucks have been their biggest sellers of recent times.

 

Yeah, but its easier to corporately justify a pick up because they do have a utilitarian use, even if a lot of their loadbeds never see a load. Much more tricky to argue for a 5.0 litre, 2.5 tonne, 4x4 family car.

Why is it that LR don't don't sell a Discovery with the V8 diesel?  The Disco is such a practical car but he diesel is too slow and the petrol is just silly.  I don't really know why anyone buys a RR Sport being just a smaller and more expensive Disco.

ACB:

Why is it that LR don't don't sell a Discovery with the V8 diesel?  The Disco is such a practical car but he diesel is too slow and the petrol is just silly.  I don't really know why anyone buys a RR Sport being just a smaller and more expensive Disco.

 
They don't do a petrol engined Discovery anymore, they dropped the petrol V8 about 2 years ago.  It's underpowered 2.7TD is the only engine available and i say underpowered against the weight and aerodynamics of the thing.  I think they should still offer a V8 petrol or diesel on it because, if you want a Range Rover, but 7 full seats are essential then you have to buy a Discovery (no the Overfinch Rangie rear seats aren't realistically an option).

Land Rover told me they won't be adding the V8 diesel to the Discovery.  Now whether they change their mind remains to be seen.
 

Visually it looks no different than the outgoing model. So they have revved up the engine line up and what?

As I have said before, the Sport version does not need the bulk, expense and CO2 rating to be a quick big car. make it rear wheel drive, reduce the weight and therefore reduce the CO2 output and price.

Alternatively, ban these behemoths from the roads.