Land Rover->ke46 unveiled the new-generation Range Rover Sport earlier this year at the 2013 New York Auto Show. Back then, everyone believed that this was all the new Range Rover->ke469 lineup had to offer, but today a series of spy shots proved us wrong.

Our spy photographers have caught a very mysterious Range Rover Sport just outside the Nürburgring->ke999. Why do we think this is no ordinary Range Rover Sport? Well, the answer is quite simple: it wears a new front bumper with bigger air intakes. All these changes are a clear indication that under the hood there is something more powerful than the current 510-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 supercharged engine.

What we cannot tell for sure is what name this new version will wear, but "Range Rover Sport R" sounds like the perfect choice for an even more powerful Range Rover Sport.

We will keep you post it with more details on this mysterious model as soon as we will find out more!

Click past the jump to read more about the standard Range Rover Sport

2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport R

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport R
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About the standard Range Rover Sport

The new Range Rover Sport is offered with a choice of four different engines, including two gasoline units and two diesel units. The base version is offered with a 3.0-liter V-6 supercharged engine that delivers a total of 340 horsepower, while the top version gets a 5.0-liter V-8 supercharged engine with 510 horsepower.

Diesel fans can choose between a 258-horsepower TDV6 and a 292-horsepower SDV6.

In the U.S. market, the Range Rover Sport is priced at $63,495.

Competition

Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

The Turbo S trim level has officially returned to the Cayenne lineup for the 2013 model year and it is likely the closest competitor to the Range Rover Sport R. The Cayenne is already a sexy machine, but the extra ponies definitely push it over the top. At 550 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, the Turbo S variant can hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and to a top speed of 175 mph.

On the inside, the Turbo S Cayenne is equally sexy with its exclusive leather interior and the carbon interior package. Additionally, it includes a 14-speaker Bose audio system with 585 watts and a 200-watt subwoofer. The 2013 Cayenne Turbo S comes in at $146,000 and we figure this will line up nicely with what Land Rover will ask for the RR Sport R. Unfortunately, the Turbo S has been discontinued before and it may not even make it until the RR Sport R rolls onto the market.

BMW X6 M

We know all about the 2013 X6 M, but we are still uncertain with what will come by time the Range Rover Sport R hits the market. For the 2013 model year, BMW updated the X6 M’s look very slightly, adding in LED taillights and headlights, and a few cosmetic changes.

Even is BMW does release a new-generation X6 M, the model will likely carry over the same 4.4-liter V-8 engine with 555 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. This is enough to rocket this massive crossover to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds. While the X6 M definitely wins out in styling with its coupe-like look, the Range Rove Sport R will have a much more useful cargo hull.

Spy Shots

When viewed from the front, the new Sport R version looks nearly identical to the current Range Rover Sport, except of course the new front bumper with larger air intakes to help cool that beastly engine a little more efficiently.

Everything else remains unchanged, including the slim lights, rearward-sloping grille and more sculpted corners.

Around the backside, it looks like the new Sport R brings no major updates. From what we can see, it features the same elements as the Range Rover Sport, including: redesigned taillights with twin lines, the same bumper and the same exhaust system with one end pipe on each side.