Bookings for the Range Rover Electric have commenced in India from today. Order books are open for Range Rover Electric standard wheelbase in Autobiography and long-wheelbase in SV, SV Ultra and SV Black versions. The company is also accepting bookings for the standard wheelbase Range Rover Electric First Edition.
The Range Rover Electric is Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) second EV after the Jaguar I-Pace. However, unlike the contract-manufactured Jaguar I-Pace, the Range Rover Electric is the first EV to be fully developed and built in-house at JLR.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has launched the Range Rover Sport Twenty Edition at Rs 1.90 crore (ex-showroom, India). This limited-run version borrows inspiration from the original Range Stormer concept showcased at the 2004 Detroit Motor Show, while combining various elements from the Range Rover Sport Autobiography and SV, according to the British luxury automaker. Deliveries of the Range Rover Sport Twenty Edition in India are to start from October 2026.
Sanguinello Orange inspired by the Stormer concept and Vesuvius Orange First Edition.
Features unique ‘TWENTY’ lettering and 23-inch wheels in optional Gloss Black.
Interior gets ‘TWENTY’ branding, Ebony Windsor seats, suede headlining and more.
Twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8 produces 537hp and 750Nm.
Yamaha Motor India has begun evaluating additional manufacturing capacity as it expects its existing 1.5 million unit annual output to be fully utilised within the next two to three years. The Japanese two-wheeler maker operates plants in Surajpur, Uttar Pradesh and Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, with a combined annual capacity of 1.5 million units, and is weighing whether to expand within its current footprint or invest at a new location.
Yamaha India’s 1.5 million unit annual capacity expected to be fully utilised within 2-3 years
Domestic sales up 41 percent to 4.1 lakh units in H1 2026
Annual sales target of 50,000 units set for the newly launched YZF-R2
Yamaha India capacity expansion: Key details
New plant requires 3-4 years of lead time; expansion within existing sites also being considered
Hajime Aota, Chairman of the Yamaha Motor India Group, said the company still has space to expand at its existing facilities, reducing the immediate pressure to acquire new land. The decision on expansion – whether at Surajpur, Kanchipuram or elsewhere – will depend on manufacturing processes, supplier allocation and longer-term domestic and export requirements. “At this moment, we have capability and we have space,” Aota said, while noting that planning for a new greenfield facility typically requires a lead time of three to four years.
Yamaha expects its total volumes (including exports) to exceed 1.1 million units in 2026, with domestic sales up 41 percent to 4.1 lakh units in the first half of the year. The company expects H2 volumes to be higher, supported by festive demand and new product launches. On the YZF-R2, which debuted yesterday at Rs 2.30 lakh, Yamaha has set an annual domestic sales target of 50,000 units.
Aota described India and Indonesia as Yamaha’s two biggest global growth engines, with India offering the stronger long-term growth opportunity. However, he noted that India must continue improving manufacturing productivity and technical capabilities to narrow the gap with Indonesia and expand its role in Yamaha’s global manufacturing network. The company employs approximately 10,000 people across its Indian operations and has invested over Rs 2,000 crore in research, development and manufacturing in India over the past eight to ten years. The quantum of investment required for the next phase of expansion has not been disclosed.
In the analogue age, I planned road trips with paper maps, fluorescent highlighters and dog-eared guidebooks. Lately, however, Uncle Claude and Aunty Gemini have lured me into the world of artificial intelligence. When I asked them to suggest an adventurous drive through south Utah, they both recommended similar itineraries. It was like asking the chef at a dhaba to surprise me with something unusual and being served butter chicken instead. Zion, Bryce Canyon and Arches. Three magnificent National Parks connected by smooth highways and comfortable hotels.
Our search engine for Utah beyond the tourist trail. No signal required.
This route hits Utah’s greatest highlights, featuring soaring cliffs, towering hoodoos and delicate sandstone arches. However, the parks are often so busy that sedans circle overflowing car parks, rather like sharks patiently circling a lifeboat. I wanted roads that filtered out sedans and coaches, demanded preparation and delivered adventure, where the SUV became part of the journey rather than mere transport.
So, I turned my back on the algorithm and went analogue. While ordering the DeLorme Utah Atlas, Amazon suggested Freda J. Ryland’s Utah’s Best Kept Secrets, promising another Utah of mesas, switchbacks, unspoiled canyons, lonely dirt roads beyond the cellular umbrella and skies dark enough to make galaxies glow.
Her book was fuel for wanderlust; an invitation into a hidden Utah for those willing to stray off the tarmac. Though its typesetting suggested a clandestine hand-operated press during the Quit India movement, its content was pure gold. Paired with the DeLorme atlas and offline Gaia GPS, the trio was as dependable as egg, bacon and toast. Freda chose the destination, the atlas found the route, and Gaia confirmed where we were. What followed often felt like driving into a fairy tale.
Off-grid Utah demands a dependable 4×4. The Tremor waded rivers, shrugged off loose gravel, tenacious clay and steep gradients, and kept going long after the tarmac lost interest.
None of it would have happened without the Ford Expedition Tremor, our fairy godmother. A tad tubby at over two tonnes, it came with a locking rear differential instead of a magic wand. The twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 dispatched highway miles effortlessly. Once the tarmac disappeared, the Tremor earned its keep, shrugging off clay, loose rock, river crossings and deeply rutted tracks with nonchalant competence.
Follow her gaze. A long-gone artist still finds an audience a thousand years on. Utah is peppered with petroglyphs.
We forayed deeper into Utah’s wild, unadulterated beauty, beyond the tourist grid. To secret trails and solitude, to dinosaur tracks in ancient rock and to petroglyphs spanning two millennia, many still a mystery. I couldn’t help wondering if some ancient scribbling was simply the 2 BC equivalent of ‘Vinod loves Veronica’.
The first road to justify Freda’s confidence was Utah Scenic Byway 12, climbing out of Escalante towards Boulder through the folded canyons of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, among the last regions in the contiguous US to be properly surveyed. Past Calf Creek, the road narrowed onto a hogback, a ribbon of blacktop along a ridge, with the ground dropping hundreds of feet on both sides. Red rock canyons fell open left and right, and for a few minutes it felt like driving along the spine of the Earth.
The windscreen became Utah’s widescreen, live streaming breathtaking views with hardly a break. This is Scenic Byway 12 between Escalante and Boulder.
At Boulder, we turned onto the Burr Trail, first beaten into the landscape by cattleman John Burr in the mid 1800s. Soon the road slipped past Long Canyon, colloquially called Singing Canyon because its towering, tapering walls possess the sort of acoustics that could make a bathroom baritone believe he had missed his calling. I sang a few notes and was astonished when the sandstone tuned my discordant tone to the smoothness of Sinatra.
Then the scenery became rather more serious. In 1948, the Atomic Energy Commission arrived looking for uranium, widening the trail and blasting switchbacks that tumble nearly 800 feet in less than a mile into the Waterpocket Fold, a colossal wrinkle in the earth running nearly a hundred miles across southern Utah, its tilted rock exposed in great bands of colour. We descended towards Ticaboo as the Fold surrendered to open desert.
Morning coffee on the tailgate. The Expedition’s roomy interiors meant we could pull up and spend the night wherever we fancied.
We were hoping to camp at Muley Point, but we hadn’t accounted for Utah waylaying us with stupendous scenery, another slot canyon or lonely butte persuading us to stop every few miles. Around sunset, Muley Point was still hours away, so we turned into a secluded canyon and spent the night there, one of the trip’s happiest failures. We dropped the two rear seat rows into a flatbed, laid out a mattress, and slept under a sunroof full of stars and the Milky Way. We had camped at the base of the Henry Mountains, so remote that surveyors called them the Unknown Mountains until 1869.
The next morning, we pushed on to Muley Point through Bears Ears National Monument, named for a pair of buttes that really do resemble a bear’s ears poking above the treeline. An unmarked turn led to Muley Point, where the land simply stops a thousand feet above the San Juan River’s looping canyons, with views stretching to Monument Valley.
Look at the rocks above the Expedition. See anything? Someone did, and named it Lady in the Bathtub. Now try unseeing it. Welcome to the Valley of the Gods, where mesas and buttes come with wonderfully imaginative names.
Our next destination was the Valley of the Gods, the guidebook’s hidden Monument Valley twin. But first came the Moki Dugway, three miles of unpaved switchbacks blasted into Cedar Mesa in 1958 for trucks hauling uranium ore, dropping 1,100 feet at an 11 percent grade. The Tremor accepted the challenge with the calm assurance of a seasoned mountain guide.
At the bottom, a short detour brought us to Goosenecks State Park, where the San Juan River travels almost six miles in meanders to advance barely a mile and a half as the crow flies. From there, we turned into the Valley of the Gods, a dirt road meandering between sandstone monuments, nature’s own sculptures, with eccentric names. One was the Lady in the Bathtub. Had I not known the name, I might have seen only a rock. But once told, there she was, sitting bolt upright at one end of an enormous bath, her hair piled high and her back rather primly straight.
The Shafer Trail looked less like a road and more like a cartographer’s casual squiggle joining the top and bottom of a sandstone cliff. Then we drove it.
We slept another night in the car at the base of Rooster Butte, then rolled into urban Moab, our base for exploring the Needles and Island in the Sky districts of Canyonlands National Park, including the strange geological puzzle of Upheaval Dome. The highlight, though, was driving the Shafer Trail.
From the top, it was hard to believe vehicles drove down what looked like a pencil sketch etched onto a sandstone cliff. The trail began as a foot route, widened for cattle by rancher John “Sog” Shafer, then again in the 1950s for the uranium trucks that shaped the Burr Trail and Moki Dugway.
The Needles, Canyonlands – a forest of red and white banded sandstone spires, stained by iron and carved improbably thin by water patiently working through every crack.
The Expedition tipped over the edge, and we were committed. The Tremor crept down in low range, engine barely above idle, brakes doing quiet, constant work as gravel skittered from under the tyres. Every switchback flung the door mirror out over open air, nothing but red rock and sky where the road should have been, and my stomach dropped a beat before the front wheels found the turn. The cabin stayed eerily composed, no lurch, no scrabble for grip, while everything outside the glass insisted we should be afraid. At the bottom, the Colorado River came into view, and I exhaled properly for the first time in twenty minutes.
The warning isn’t for broken roads, but for deep clay bogs that require the torque and traction of a 4×4 to escape.
The final road I want to tell you about is the 80-mile loop through Cathedral Valley. According to Ms Ryland, this was Capitol Reef at its most remote – towering monoliths, strange badlands and perfect seclusion. At the entrance, a sign minced no words: ‘Road Impassable for Most Vehicles. Travel at Your Own Risk’.
The dirt road climbs through the Bentonite Hills, bands of grey, purple and blue-green clay laid down eighty million years ago in an ancient inland sea, eroded into slopes that look lunar. Beyond them, the land opens onto a high bench where the Temples of the Sun and Moon stand, solitary honey-coloured monoliths like remnants of cathedrals of a long-lost civilisation.
What struck me most, standing before the Temple of the Sun, was how closely its silhouette echoed the thirteenth-century Temple of the Sun I knew well – still standing tall in Konark, Orissa. That was shaped by human hands wielding hammers and chisels, whereas this one by wind and water.
In the Cathedral Valley at The Temple of the Sun. Eighty million years in the making; no chisel required.
Most visitors run the Cathedral Valley Loop clockwise, meeting the Fremont River crossing at the start. We’d gone the other way, so it arrived at the very end, just short of Highway 24. Torrid brown water gushed across our path. Not crossing would mean backtracking 80 miles.
I waded in first to check for stone underfoot rather than clay, reading whether the current had strong opinions about being crossed. Satisfied, I waved the Tremor forward, and my partner drove it straight through, water climbing the doors. Then crossed again to pick me up, and once more just for fun, proof this was a vehicle built to encourage this kind of tomfoolery.
After Cathedral Valley, the long drive back to ordinary life began, the odometer past 1,300 miles. Looking back on those twelve days, I’m glad I chose the path not well trodden, as Robert Frost once suggested, in a digital age where it’s easiest to let the machines pick the route.
A badly printed, albeit meticulously researched book, an atlas, and a Ford that never once flinched had taken us somewhere far better than any algorithm would have dared suggest. Rather than a destination ticked off, Utah became one truly experienced, and that made all the difference.
The essentials
Self-sufficiency matters: A little preparation separates adventure from discomfort.
Water: Carry more than you think you need. We kept 20 litres in the Expedition.
Provisions: Stock up on energy bars, trail mix, fruit, chocolate, canned food, instant noodles, jerky and coffee. A camping stove is invaluable for hot meals in the middle of nowhere.
Fuel: Fill up whenever you can. Distances are vast and stations scarce.
Navigation: Download offline maps and carry a paper atlas. The DeLorme Utah Atlas and Gaia GPS worked well.
Clothing: Hot days, cold nights. Pack a warm layer and a sleeping bag.
Footwear: Sturdy hiking shoes.
Sun protection: A wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and lip balm.
Vehicle: A high-clearance 4WD.
In-car essentials: First-aid kit, head torch, tyre gauge, air compressor and puncture repair kit.
Allow extra time. Utah ambushes you with one view after another, and the best memories happen at unplanned stops.
The Range Rover Sport EV has been a long time coming. After what feels like an eternity of teasers and test mules, the electric Range Rovers will finally be launched globally in September this year and should arrive in Indian showrooms around March 2027. Look at the car and you may wonder what took the company so long, because this appears to be just the regular Range Rover Sport. That, as it turns out, is entirely the point.
Under the familiar skin sit 300 patents’ worth of tech, a new 800V electrical architecture, two 326hp motors and a 118.5kWh battery, all validated over 60,000 hours of testing, the most for any Range Rover yet. The motors are Land Rover’s own design, developed in-house because nothing off the shelf could deliver the kind of instant, finely controlled torque the brand demanded for serious off-roading. The only real giveaways on the outside are a grille with narrower air slots and a new set of alloys with a more aero design, in keeping with the EV theme. Land Rover deliberately didn’t tamper with the styling because customers were clear – don’t change it, just make it better.
The new architecture, motors and battery have gone through 60,000 hours of testing.
So, is it better? A specially curated lap of the Goodwood circuit, complete with gravel stages and some party tricks, was our chance to find out.
Range Rover Sport Electric Prototype: performance, ride and handling
Set off, and the first impression is of eerie silence. All you can hear is the blower working overtime on a hot Goodwood day. Even when the tarmac ends and the gravel begins, the Sport EV feels like a magic carpet, gliding along on a pillow of velvet. The ride quality is absolutely exceptional, better even than the standard car’s, and that’s saying something.
When you want a quick turn of pace, the combined 550hp and 850Nm don’t leave you wanting. Engage launch control, and the Sport EV catapults forward hard enough to be a genuine shock, though the delivery is measured rather than manic. There is, however, a hint of torque steer from the front axle under hard acceleration, a slight tug at the wheel that reminds you how much force is being exerted. The brakes on our prototype also felt a bit grabby, with a sharp initial bite. Land Rover engineers admit this isn’t the final calibration and say production cars will have a more progressive pedal feel.
The Sport EV feels like a magic carpet, gliding along on a pillow of velvet.
Then came the fun exercises, laid out to prove that this plush, polished and uber-refined Range Rover can do things no owner would ever dare attempt. The Sport EV climbed a staircase – a cheeky nod to the brand’s world record 999-step climb – and we even drove it through the fuselage of an Airbus. Silly? Absolutely. But it showcased what makes an electric drivetrain so effective off road. Torque arrives instantly from zero rpm and builds with perfect linearity, and because the electronics can meter out drive to each motor with such precision, there’s no need for the old hardware of locking diffs and low-range gearboxes. Raise the suspension to off-road height, let the cameras and hill descent control do their thing, and the car simply walks over obstacles. The single-pedal mode is something the engineers have finally nailed too, and it works seamlessly alongside hill descent control when needed.
The big surprise is how tidily this near 2.8-tonne SUV handles. Flick the wheel suddenly, and you can feel the mass move, but otherwise, it stays impressively planted through corners, helped by a centre of gravity that sits a significant 73mm lower than in the combustion car. Range Rovers have always had a top-heavy feel when pushed; this one doesn’t.
Questions remain. A real-world range of 531km is promised, but given the bluff shape and sheer size of this flagship EV, that figure could prove optimistic if driven briskly. Some owners may have liked the convenience of a frunk in their EV, which is absent, and packaging the rear motor has killed off any seven-seat option. Then again, these are misses most owners may not miss at all.
Prototype badging aside, there’s little to separate this from the combustion-engined Sport.
Pricing isn’t announced yet, but expect it to sit above the locally assembled combustion equivalents. More importantly, on this evidence, it will set a new benchmark for luxury for the brand. The electric Range Rover Sport doesn’t reinvent the formula, but it quietly perfects it.
SUVs powered by V8 engines are becoming rarer by the day. Downsizing, electrification, ever‑tightening emissions regulations – the V8 is fading. Yet here we are in 2026, with Land Rover offering not one but two V8s. On the same model! Calls for a mini celebration, doesn’t it? And something of a journey of discovery. So how, and why, does the Defender come powered by two distinctly different V8s? Are they different enough to co-exist? Do their specifications tell a story? And are they fundamentally different from behind the wheel? Answers to these and more in this fascinating tale of two V8s.
Individual identity
The Octa looks much more menacing than the regular Defender.
Job number one: telling them apart. Which is relatively easy when you have the two sitting cheek by jowl. But out on their own, with no reference and no back-and-forth visual comparison, it’s more difficult.
Now, most of us – at least those of us who admire the Defender – know the Octa. A bold move from Land Rover, it comes with BMW’s 4.4‑litre twin‑turbo S68 under the louvered bonnet. That, and its linked suspension, which make the Octa super stable over rough ground. Not only does it get the V8 from BMW’s sledgehammer M5, the Octa, like all good performance cars, wears its intent on the outside. A wider stance, flared wheel arches, square exhaust tips and a stance that screams ‘Defender on steroids’. Most of the visual enhancements are also functional, but it also looks wide-shouldered and bulked up without going over the top… a job well done. And then, of course, there is the Octa badge, both on the grille and behind the ‘C’ pillar.
L: The Defender V8 gets more traditional rounded exhausts; R: The Octa’s quad rectangular exhaust tips stand out.
The Defender V8, which gets Jaguar’s AJ133 engine, is much stealthier and less in your face. From the outside, it looks like a regular Defender. No V8 badge, no identifying features, nothing. In fact, look at it from the front or the side, and it’s almost impossible to tell. You can, however, tell from the rear. The horizontally placed quad round exhausts stick out at the rear and clearly tell you this is something special. Otherwise, this is a regular Defender – attractive and full of visual appeal, but not something that stands out as something special. Could this be the Defender’s best‑kept secret?
Supercharged slayer
Defender V8 gets ‘supercharged’ written on the cover.
From behind the wheel, the differences are stark. The AJ133 engine is a familiar friend, earlier seen in many a Jaguar and Range Rover. In this Defender, it produces 425hp, with a large Roots-type supercharger adding some refined whine to the exhaust note. The sound that dominates, however, is a silky-smooth but unmistakable V8 ‘woofle’. Rev the engine even slightly, and a meaty growl emerges with crisp burbles on the overrun. It’s not AMG loud, nowhere near, or as raucous either, but the sound of the honey-smooth V8 is pure theatre and just gets me grinning. Why does it sound so clear and clean? There’s no turbo muffling the exhaust note, of course, and no turbo lag either. Which also explains the immediacy of the throttle responses.
In fact, tap the pedal even from idle, and the Defender V8 shoots forward, the crankshaft-driven supercharger pumping air into the engine instantly. This makes the Defender V8 feel light on its feet, and what’s even more charming is that it pulls cleanly in the mid-range, the engine spinning freely and enthusiastically towards the top. This is addictive, and long pulls to the redline are just so much fun. If you value thoroughbred engine characteristics over everything else, this engine will delight you.
Supercharger makes for instant low-end response from the AJ V8.
Now, putting so much performance into a dedicated off-roader may seem futile. But what Land Rover has done is make the Defender fundamentally sound. It’s not a ladder frame, for one, so when you drive around corners, it manages to do it in a neat and tidy manner. And that’s despite the additional weighty hardware like bulky differentials, stout driveshafts, and a robust transfer case, all needed for serious off-roading and not just slippery conditions.
So it comes as something of a surprise that the Defender V8, with its light steering and neat and tidy driving manners, can handle the performance without any fuss. It speaks volumes about how well Land Rover has engineered this platform and given it both loads of on-road capability as well as bona fide off-road chops.
The AJ-V8-powered Defender is not as effective a performance machine as the Octa.
Try and use all the performance all the time, and that feeling of composure slowly fades. You start feeling the bulk, you want more stability and confidence from the brakes, and the gearbox feels slow and laid back. And what’s this, no paddle shifters? Huh?
All pumped up
The Defender Octa amps it up to another level. Bold, brash and devastatingly effective when its full potential is unleashed, it is an all new type of animal. Initial impressions, however, immediately tell you the V8 is turbocharged. Squeeze the throttle, and the responses are initially laid back. This is especially true in comparison to the supercharged V8.
Both engines are brilliant, but both are also very distinct in the manner in which they make power.
Once past the initial softness in the throttle, however, it surges forward with relentless force, a flood of torque unleashed from the turbos spooling up. And that’s even if you haven’t pinned the throttle. A few more purposeful prods of the throttle, and the massive gulf in performance between the two Defenders is soon apparent. It’s not the 0-100kph or even the 0-150kph times, it’s just the massive surge you feel in raw thrust when you feed in the throttle.
The BMW‑sourced 4.4‑litre twin‑turbo V8 is a technological powerhouse and one of the most technically complex engines around. With 635hp and up to 800Nm in launch mode, it transforms the Defender into something approaching a super off-roader. And where the Jaguar engine is all about response, this BMW one, in contrast, is all about mid‑range and top-end muscle. In fact, knock back a few gears on the quick gearbox, plant your foot, and the Defender Octa charges forward with such ferocity that you’ll question the need for anything faster.
Where the BMW engine also differs is in the soundtrack. At low revs, the turbos and cross-bank exhaust system muffle and mute the V8’s natural exuberance and growl. But while the engine sounds are muffled at low revs, they soon build into a deep, muscular roar as the revs climb. Clearly not as sweet or as sonorous as the Jaguar V8, but well in line with the heady performance the Octa delivers.
Octa badge (and BMW part number) tell the BMW V8-powered Defender apart.
The Octa also sits higher off the ground, thanks to its Tenneco‑Monroe 6D suspension system. This clever setup links all four dampers, acting like a virtual anti‑roll bar. The result is uncanny composure as the Octa just smothers broken roads. Drive over a poorly paved surface, and you initially feel there’s something not right. The layer of insulation between the road and you is so thick, you feel almost nothing. No big movements, no being tossed around, no big thuds. And then, what really is a game changer is that the Octa stays relatively flat when you hurl it into a corner, the tall SUV staying composed and relaxed while off-road-centric tyres howl away in protest. And it isn’t just well composed in corners, there’s very little pitching either, so you fly down poorly paved and broken sections like you are riding a hovercraft-like stable platform.
This technical marvel allows the two‑and‑a‑half‑tonne off‑roader to feel agile and secure, furthering the impression that the Octa is a Defender on steroids. Also of note, this genuinely feels like two SUVs in one – a real off-roader and the other a bona fide performance SUV that can carry real speed and put power down even on gravel, dirt tracks and unpaved sections.
Defenders of the faith
So why two V8s? The answer lies in the regulations. The AJ V8 cannot meet upcoming Euro 7 norms, but India doesn’t yet enforce equivalent standards. And that allows JLR to continue offering it here. The BMW V8 future‑proofs the Defender and has created an all-new type of performance off-roader with the Octa.
These performance off-roaders are so accomplished on road, they genuinely are multi-role SUVs.
It’s also a clever product strategy. The AJ V8-powered Defender starts at Rs 1.40 crore, offering V8 thrills at a much more affordable price. The more capable Defender Octa, on the other hand, starts at a much loftier Rs 2.62 crore. One has the traditional feel of a V8, smooth, refined and powerful; the other is a bona fide performance icon, with brutal power delivery and a massive ability to carry speed over just about any surface.
Two distinct flavours, two distinct price points, one model line.
The Defender’s dual‑V8 strategy is nothing short of remarkable. In a world where eight‑cylinders are disappearing, Land Rover offers buyers a choice between a supercharged and a turbocharged V8. Together, they make the Defender unique. And that makes this one of the most fascinating chapters in the Defender story. Take a bow, Land Rover.
Bits, bolts, and burbles
BMW’s S68 is an ‘M’ engine that displaces 4.4 litres. It uses an aluminium block and heads, and a cross-plane crankshaft. The bore and stroke dimensions (89mm × 88.3mm) are typically BMW – square. The engine revs to 7,200rpm, and the DOHC valvetrain gets an electrically actuated VANOS system for faster, more precise camshaft phasing. The hot vee twin-turbo layout is designed to reduce turbo lag, and the cross-bank exhaust manifold merges pulses to optimise turbine efficiency. This sacrifices some of the traditional V8 burble but sharpens response. To handle the extra loads, a high-capacity oil pump with an external oil cooler ensures consistent pressure under high lateral loads, while a multi-stage cooling circuit stabilises temperatures during track use. The S68 also integrates a 48V mild-hybrid system that provides a 9kW and 200Nm of torque fill.
Defender V8 fact file
110 P425*
Octa
Price
Rs 1.40 crore
Rs 2.62 crore
Kerb weight
2,434kg
2,585kg
Engine
5,000cc supercharged V8
4,395cc twin-turbo V8
Bore and stroke
92.5mm x 93.0mm
89mm x 88.3mm
Compression ratio
9.5
10.5
Power
425hp at 6600rpm
635hp at 7000rpm
Torque
550Nm from 1800-5000rpm
750Nm from 1800-5855rpm
Claimed 0-100kph time
5.8sec
4.0sec
Maximum speed
191kph
250kph
*The supercharged-V8 Defender variants are temporarily unavailable for purchase in India, but they’re expected to return soon.
The Jaguar AJ V8 is a family of aluminium V8s produced from 1996 onwards. Offered in naturally aspirated and supercharged forms, it was Jaguar’s flagship petrol engine, engineered to combine refinement with strong performance. Evolving through three generations, the aluminium block and heads kept weight down to around 205-215kg, and it used chain driven camshafts, later evolving to double roller chains for greater durability. Supercharged “R” variants like the one in the Defender pushed outputs to 450hp, giving cars like the XJR and XKR formidable pace at the time. By 2009, the Gen III AJ V8 expanded to 5.0 litres (94 × 92mm bore and stroke), introduced direct fuel injection, and raised compression to 11.5:1. Power on the supercharged versions could exceed 500hp, and this 450hp version, with a bit of digital massaging, could also be made to increase in power.
BMW India is set to expand its entry-level SUV range with the X1 Long Wheelbase (LWB) on Friday, August 21. As the name suggests, the X1 LWB is an elongated version of the X1 and the ICE-powered equivalent to the iX1 LWB, which has been a hot seller for BMW here. Ahead of the X1 LWB’s India launch, here’s all you can expect from the stretched SUV.
What is the estimated price of the BMW X1 LWB?
The X1 LWB is anticipated to command a slight premium over the vanilla X1, which is priced in the Rs 50.9 lakh-52.9 lakh range. We expect pricing for the X1 LWB to land under Rs 55 lakh, which would represent good value considering the SUV has no direct rivals in the Indian market at the moment.
How much longer is the BMW X1 LWB over the standard X1?
Measuring 4,616mm long, the X1 LWB sees a 116mm bump in overall length compared to the regular X1 – 108mm of that added length has gone into the wheelbase. The X1 LWB is also 11mm taller at 1,641mm, while width remains identical to the X1. Elsewhere, the X1 LWB looks exactly the same as its shorter counterpart, with swept-back LED headlamps, large kidney grilles, 18-inch alloy wheels, a dual-ridge roof spoiler, sharp-looking LED tail-lamps, and an M Sport cosmetic package fitted as standard.
How is the rear seat comfort of the BMW X1 LWB?
Expectedly, the increased wheelbase of the X1 LWB yields significantly more horizontal space for rear-seat occupants – BMW claims 109mm of extra knee room. The rear seat base has also been extended by 15mm, and cushioning has been enhanced too. In our X1 LWB review, we noted that the lengthened seat base improves thigh support, and the seating position is very good as well.
You can recline the backrest by a couple of degrees for an even more relaxed angle. However, while the added legroom frees up a bit more space for the middle passenger, the high centre tunnel makes the X1 LWB’s rear bench best suited for two occupants only. Boot space is rated at 540 litres, which is larger than X1’s 476-litre bay.
Which features does the BMW X1 LWB get?
Aside from the bump in rear space, the X1 LWB’s interior is no different to that of the standard X1. This means you get features like a 10.7-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, powered front seats, a fixed panoramic glass roof, ambient lighting, a 360-degree camera, auto park assist, connected car tech, a digital key, ADAS, a wireless charging pad, and more.
Which engine options does the BMW X1 LWB offer?
The X1 LWB will launch solely in sDrive18Li guise, which refers to a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engine developing 156hp (up 20hp over the X1) and 230Nm. This is routed to the front wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, and in our testing, the X1 LWB achieved a 0-100kph time of 9.58 seconds. Unlike the standard X1, the LWB will not be offered with a diesel engine.
BMW has also tweaked the X1 LWB’s suspension to deliver better ride comfort. The setup is quiet in operation and feels absorbent, with a hint of firmness coming through only when you’re keenly paying attention.
Lamborghini has teased the upcoming Revuelto SV, which is due for its global debut on August 14, 2026, at the Monterey Car Week. This comes just a week after the brand released images of a camouflaged test mule of its V12 supercar belting around Hockenheimring in Germany. Upon its arrival, the Revuelto SV will become the latest in the line of Lamborghini’s SV line-up that includes the erstwhile Aventador SV. The ‘SV’ stands for Super Veloce, which roughly translates to ‘Super Speed’.
Exterior features more aggressive intakes and specialised aero
Interior to come with version-specific detailing and trim
Hybrid powertrain to offer more power
Lamborghini Revuelto SV: What we know so far
Exterior
Lamborghini’s latest teaser shows the front bumper of the Revuelto SV in greater detail.
Much of the Revuelto SV’s performance enhancement measures on the outside over the standard model are quite discernible. The fascia looks even sportier as the heavily revised bumper features new carbon-fibre elements plus a larger and more aggressive front splitter and intakes.
Test mule of the Lamborghini Revuelto SV at Hockenheimring, Germany.
Lamborghini has also added a large fixed wing at the back, while a specially designed underbody and active flaps are also likely additions to enhance the Revuelto SV’s aerodynamic performance on the track. Similarly, lightweight carbon-fibre wheels and race-spec brakes are expected to be part of the package as well, along with unique paint options and exterior detailing exclusive to the SV.
Interior
Test mule of the Lamborghini Revuelto SV at Hockenheimring, Germany.
The first teaser campaign from the brand provides us a glimpse into the Lamborghini Revuelto SV’s interior. Noticeable in the interior image is a heavy-duty roll cage, exposed metal surfaces and a bare-bones rear-cabin section. Other details that are visible here include a leather & carbon fibre-trimmed steering wheel with a red centre marker and carbon-fibre shift paddles. The bucket seats are also likely to be carbon-fibre units, whilst the shrouding for the digital driver’s display uses the same weight-saving material. The Revuelto SV’s interior could feature plenty of Alcantara/suede, depending on how a customer specs it. One can also expect to see ‘SV’ branding and other edition-specific detailing on this interior.
Powertrain and performance
Powering the Lamborghini Revuelto SV will be the familiar 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12, along with three electric motors and a compact lithium-ion battery pack. Lamborghini is likely to have reworked the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission for quicker shifts, and the combined output from the hybrid powertrain is expected to go up as well.
Test mule of the Lamborghini Revuelto SV at Hockenheimring, Germany.
Lamborghini recently set a lap record of 1:41.6 at the Hockenheimring track, with the brand claiming this to be the fastest lap ever recorded at this facility by a production car. The standard Revuelto offers 1,015hp and 725Nm of torque, allowing it to hit a top speed of over 350kph and accelerate from 0-100kph in a claimed 2.5 seconds. The SV is likely to be even faster, with retuned suspension and sharper steering also expected for improved handling on the track.
While bulldozers usually come to one’s mind when the JCB brand is mentioned, in a new development, the British engineering giant has set a new world land speed record for a hydrogen-powered combustion vehicle. Performing the record-breaking feat was JCB’s in-house-developed Hydromax speedster, which achieved an average top speed of 653.90kph, with Andy Green behind the wheel. The record was set at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA.
Hydromax outputs a combined 1622hp from two 4.8-litre hydrogen combustion engines
The vehicle is 9.75 metres long and features a steel frame chassis
For Andy Green, this marks his third world record, with previous feats including the world land speed record for a diesel-powered car through a JCB Dieselmax 20 years ago in 2006. Before that was a world land speed record with the sound barrier-breaking Thrust SSC in 1997.
JCB hydrogen combustion world land speed record: Additional details
On its first run, the Hydromax recorded an average speed of 644.74kph, while it achieved 663.26kph on its second run. The average speed of the two runs was 653.90kph, helping it beat the record that was previously set by the BMW H2R in 2004, which achieved a speed of 298.53kph. At its average top speed, JCB says that the Hydromax is the fastest hydrogen-powered vehicle of any kind in history.
JCB Hydromax: What’s underneath it?
The 9.75-metre-long speedster uses two hydrogen-powered engines with a total capacity of 9.6 litres. The engines produce a combined power output of 1622hp and come with a single-stage motorsport turbocharger to deal with the high altitude of the Bonneville Salt Flats. Additionally, it utilises spark plugs designed for a Le Mans car.
The engines are laid on the sides of the car chassis, with one driving the front axle and the other the rear axle, while both are paired to a 6-speed sequential gearbox each. The company stated that the clutches used for the gearboxes were taken from a JCB digger, since motorsport-spec clutches weren’t designed to handle the loads of a speed-record car.
The Hydromax is built on a steel-frame chassis, while the driver sits in a carbon fibre monocoque sub-chassis. The windscreen is sculpted to mitigate drag, while the hydrogen tank sits behind the carbon fibre sub-chassis. Sculpted channels under the nose of the Hydromax are designed to channel salt from the car’s underbody to reduce drag.
For the Hydromax, JCB commissioned an all-new tyre that grows at high speeds, due to which the front wheel arches had to be redesigned and enlarged. Instead of a cooling inlet to reduce engine temperature, it utilises two tanks of ice, with 250kg required for each run. It was claimed that on the full record run, the Hydromax would consume just over 2kg of hydrogen and produce 18 litres of water.
N Chandrasekaran has resigned as chairman of Tata Sons but will continue in the role until the end of his current term in February, according to a source familiar with the matter, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The development comes months after Tata Sons deferred a decision on Chandrasekaran’s reappointment amid differences with Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata over the future governance of the conglomerate.
Why Chandrasekaran Is Stepping Down: Tata Trusts Rift Explained
Tata Sons is the holding company of the Tata Group and oversees more than 30 companies, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Motors and Air India. Tata Trusts, the group’s philanthropic arm, owns a 66 per cent stake in Tata Sons.
In February, Tata Sons postponed a decision on extending Chandrasekaran’s tenure after Noel Tata opposed the move, Reuters reported at the time. According to a source cited by Reuters, Noel Tata had sought several conditions, including a commitment that Tata Sons would never be listed. Chandrasekaran was unwilling to make such a commitment, the source said.
The two sides have also disagreed over board representation, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
What This Means for Tata Motors, TCS and Air India
Tata Sons did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while Chandrasekaran could not be reached for comment.
Chandrasekaran joined the Tata Group in 1987 and became CEO of TCS in 2009. He was appointed as the chairman of Tata Sons in February 2017 and his second 5-year tenure will come to an end on February 20, 2027.
The leadership uncertainty comes as the Tata Group faces challenges across several businesses. Reuters has reported that Air India has come under regulatory scrutiny following a fatal crash, while TCS has faced pricing pressure. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has also been dealing with the impact of a cyberattack that disrupted production and affected Britain’s economic output.
