Range Rover Sport V8 supercharged: Arden 520hp Boost With Inside-Out Styling

by: Bechara Aboul-Nasr


English style always had its admirers, especially in the sports and luxury car segments. Certainly, the same is true about German luxury... but, through each type of premium cars, admirers are looking for something different.

British luxury is usually expressed in smooth and warm materials and design. The German one is always expected to instil the additional "made in Germany" perception, one of robustness and durability.

But what about a completely different formula of power, luxury and styling, like... an Anglo-German one this time?

No, it is not a new car company. It is rather the Range Rover Sport (American Ford Motor Co. owns the British Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin brands) power boosted and electronically retuned now with a new inside-out styling kit from the German tuning company, Arden.

The over thirty-years-old tuning company took the 4.2-litre supercharged Range Rover Sport and made it an "Arden Range Rover Sport AR6 Stronger" with 520hp instead of the standard 390hp, and 680Nm of torque, instead of 550Nm. That's a 33.33% and 23.63% boost in power and torque terms respectively.

Where did the boost come from? The "Arden Range Rover Sport AR6 Stronger" got also a... displacement boost, from its original 4.2-litre capacity to 4.8 litres. That's 14.3 percent growth, for those who like comparative measurements.

In driving terms, these figures reduce the British SUV zero-to-100 km/h performance from 7.6 seconds (standard) to 6.1 sec., with a 270 km/h top speed instead of the standard 225 km/h, bearing in mind that such a top speed is rarely achieved for obvious regulatory or safety reasons between the rest of the traffic on motorways.

Anyway, for comparative measurements fans, that's a 19.7% drop on the zero-to-100 km/h chronometer, and a 20% rise for the top speed.

Of course, such power, torque and speed boost goes hand in hand with other corresponding enhancements.

In exterior style and aerodynamic enhancements, the Arden front and rear spoilers blend nicely with the no-less elegant basic design of the Range Rover. What the Arden design adds is a time-resistant touch that will still look modern for years from now, making a resale of the vehicle more attractive.

On top of that, the more imposing appearance doesn't come at the detriment of body proportions or any of the model's functionalities.

To achieve better braking system ventilation, Arden furnishes its front spoilers with air ducts. Ducts are even incorporated into the hood to guarantee better cooling for the increased performance of engine.

With its diffuser look, the rear spoiler features openings to the left and right for the tailpipes of the Arden stainless steel exhaust system.

Additionally, Arden widens the front and rear wings by approximately 4.5 cm. A side skirt trim serves as a visual link between the line which begins at the front and rear spoiler and continues over the widened wings. All parts are manufactured of carbon fibre reinforced composite.

The sidebars are illuminated and highlight the lower edge of the entry door. This eye-catching feature makes it also easier to get in the car or to leave it in the dark.

On the wheels side, 295/30 R22 tyres are fitted to Arden's 10-spoked, 10x22 inch light alloy wheels providing a sporty look the appropriate traction.

In addition, the “airy” look of the wheels allows a glimpse of the powerful brakes, which are also adapted to the increased performance. The high-performance system features 6-piston fixed callipers at the front and 4-piston fixed ones at the rear. These exert their force on the ventilated, perforated brake discs and ensure sustained deceleration.

Beyond the new driving feel and the visual tuning, the ear has its rights too. That's where sound comes into play. The Arden Range Rover Sport AR6 exhaust system abandons its British reserved nature. Now, it notifies the public, in its own ways, about the evolution which took place under the hood.

The Arden engineers have made an exhaust system with a sport catalytic converter. Besides the retuned sound, the high-performance system also has a “big end”, made of four – two twin - tailpipes. Even without the motor running, the new exhaust shows silently that something special has been fitted under the hood. Arden guarantees a high-quality, long-lasting product manufactured completely from corrosion resistant stainless steel.

The Arden AR6 Stronger chassis comes originally with an electronic air suspension system that provides optimum tuning at all times and in every situation. However, the electronic module offers two further driver programs in addition to the standard settings. It can be lowered by 23 mm to improve the handling and to lower the centre of gravity. The sport tuning endows the large luxury SUV with better road holding. On bad roads or country lanes, the vehicle can be raised 25 mm using the off-road setting.

No matter how attractive is the exterior, we all drive and "live"... in our cars, not outside. So for inside, Arden enhances the interior too with various elements. All interior work is carried out in Arden’s own workshop, where saddlers welcome every request, no matter how extraordinary is the challenge.

Leather and Alcantara are custom-tailored in every desired colour and various exotic woods are processed. The experienced Arden team also manufactures chrome-, carbon-, aluminium- and piano-paint applications, depending on customers requests.

How much does it cost? Market-specific prices, shipping costs and other information - or inquiries - about Arden’s tuning program for Jaguar cars and Range Rover SUVs can be obtained directly from the Arden website at www.arden.de.

* Photos and brief specifications can be found at: http://www.motiontrends.com/2006tm/m10/Land_Rover/Range_Rover_Sport.shtml


About The Author

Bechara Aboul-Nasr: Automotive editor and publisher of http://www.motiontrends.com car magazine and media services. Based in Toulouse, France, since Oct. 2000. Previously, automotive editor of Al Hayat International daily newspaper in London, UK (1988-2000).