Celebrity wheels: Range Rover Sport Supercharged

Who's driving it?

Nobody just yet. That will change soon though, because this brand new flagship for the revised 2010 Range Rover Sport range has just gone on sale. But having put it through its paces recently on a variety of terrain, we can almost guarantee the Supercharged Rangie is about to become the must-have accessory for any celebrity worth their Louis Vuitton mobile phone pouch. Whether you've had your wedding covered by OK! Magazine, or you just loiter in the party section at the back like a Z-list freeloading hanger on, this is the car to put on the never-never.

What's all the fuss about?

When the Range Rover Sport was first previewed as the Range Stormer concept back in 2005, Land Rover instantly had a product on its hands that represented everything supposedly negative about the urban SUV. It looked big, aggressive and thirsty. The production version, therefore, became the scapegoat for a growing anti-SUV movement, culminating in a Greenpeace demonstration at the factory that briefly delayed production before it began. (If only Greenpeace knew what BMWs M Division had up its sleeve for 2009. Ahem.)

But of course, that ultimately helped because it gave the Rangie even more credibility, and the Sport became the ultimate symbol of new money wealth among Britain's swelling celebrity masses. You've watched Katie and Peter, right? Well, this new version has even more of what made the first one so popular: it's outrageously fast, better looking, higher quality and a little more expensive. Want cars in front of you to yield in terror? Buy one of these.

What will it cost me?

The Supercharged version will cost you £61,995 and it only comes in range-topping HSE spec, which endows you with, well, all the kit you'll ever need. Of course, for the majority of customers that's only the start. The Land Rover options list includes televisions for the rear headrests, massive rims, the all-new satnav system with a screen that simultaneously shows different things to the driver and passenger, and a stereo that will wake up all the footballers on your street.

Go further afield and there are a number of aftermarket companies willing and able to transform your Sport into the kind of car that would make Liberace vomit - anything from a new set of wheels to a full exterior and interior overhaul. Kahn Design is the most popular of the pack, though it only does the visual stuff. Go to Overfinch to get your Sport tuned to piston-shattering levels.

Nobody has had a go at tuning the Supercharged version yet though, probably because it's got a new 5.0-litre V8 engine - the same unit found in the new Jaguar XFR that develops a whopping 503bhp. It's capable of pushing the 2.6-tonne Rangie to 60mph in 5.9 seconds. Driving this thing is already like getting a piggyback off Mickey Quinn while he beats Usain Bolt in a 100m sprint - so imagine more power? No thanks.

Is it A-list or Z-list?

A-list all the way. The Range Rover is blindingly quick while being supremely comfortable, and for the 2010 model Land Rover has tangibly improved the quality - almost the entire cabin is new and has gone from being functional to properly luxurious in one step. It's an amazing thing off-road too, although that's largely irrelevant. What matters is that if you drive one of these, you'll look important, feel good and beat most things in a drag race too. The new celebrity king has arrived.

Mark Nichol