FORD may own Land Rover but it was BMW that created the greatest Range Rover ever – the outgoing Mk3. Superb design inside and out and thorough engineering (using the iconic X5 as a base) ensured that. Obviously Ford wasn’t going to keep buying up expensive BMW engines for its SUV range-topper, so in go the highly-impressive (and more powerful) V8 units Jaguar developed for the fantastic XJ range (gutsier diesels have to wait until 2007). Suitably fettled and updated with a new gearbox, more comfort and refinement and a small but noticeable facelift, the Range Rover is here and ready to take on what Porsche, VW, Mercedes and, yes, BMW throw at it.
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Range Rover Mk3
Released: August 2002
Ended: July 2005
Family Tree: Range RoverBMW got the outgoing Range Rover pretty much spot-on after the slightly anonymous and not-very-competitive P38 model from 1995-2002. Using the X5 SUV as a base, it built was essentially an ‘X7’ - a larger and more luxurious on-road monocoque-body 4WD with serious off-road credentials. Two engines were offered here from its August ’02 launch – a 130kW/390Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel in the base SE and mid-range HSE, and a version of the 4.4-litre V8 also found in top-end BMWs. For the RR HSE and range-topping Vogue it produced 210kW/440Nm - both mated to a five-speed automatic.
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