Remember the Land Rover Discovery SVX? It was the Special Vehicle Operations version of the Discovery SUV, equipped with all-terrain tires, some sweet orange trim, and most importantly, a 517-horsepower supercharged V8 engine. Originally unveiled at the Berlin Auto Show in 2017, it was set to go on sale sometime last year. First it was delayed without explanation. Now, we find out that it's done for good.
A Land Rover spokesperson confirmed to us today that the company's supercharged V8 engine, used in everything from the Range Rover to the F-Type, will not be making its way to the Discovery platform. That means the proposed SVX won't go into production, at least not in the form we expected it. This news comes just a few weeks after the company announced it was abandoning plans to build a two-door Range Rover, focusing resources on future products instead.
As sad as this news is, it doesn't come as much of a surprise for the troubled Jaguar-Land Rover brand. The automaker cut 4500 jobs last month to reduce spending, and posted a substantial $4.4-billion quarterly loss for the end of 2018. Projects like the Discovery SVX take a lot of R&D to get right, and often don't create a return on investment. For those wondering whether this will affect the fate of the 550-horsepower V-8-powered F-Pace SVR, don't worry—that vehicle is continuing on as planned.
via Autocar
Brian Silvestro is Hearst Autos' former lead deputy editor for rankings content. He spent over seven years as a staff writer for Road & Track Magazine where he contributed car reviews, industry interviews, and more. He has a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
