The market for premium all-electric SUVs is continuing to swell and with BMW, Mercedes, and Audi already selling multiple, the folks over at Jaguar Land Rover simply had to respond. In addition to working on an electric version of the full-sized Range Rover, the smaller Range Rover Velar is getting an electric overhaul and it’s already being tested on the Nurburgring.

This prototype may be covered in camouflage, but it’s clear that the overall shape of the Velar EV will be similar to the existing ICE-powered model. Given that the current model is already quite good-looking, Land Rover (wisely) chose not to mess with its design too much.

As such, the front end looks very familiar, complete with thin headlights and blacked-out areas where the front grille and air intakes sit on the combustion Velar.

Read: The Electric Range Rover Is Getting A Little Brother

It’s unclear whether Land Rover will make any major changes to the SUV’s front end. Since electric vehicles don’t need an engine to cool, a traditional grille and large air intakes are largely unnecessary, yet the prototype suggests a grille of some sort will remain, likely a solid black panel. At the center sits a small forward-facing camera, used by the vehicle’s safety and driver-assist systems.

There’s also some interesting stuff going on with the rear half of the prototype. There are some lumps and bumps around the C- and D-pillars, but we expect a more refined rear for the production model.

Powertrain Predictions

Little is known about the EV’s powertrain. We know the larger Range Rover EV will have a massive 117 kWh battery pack, but that’s far too big for the smaller Velar. Instead, something in the range of 85 – 100 kWh seems more likely.

It’s also safe to assume it’ll utilize two electric motors in order to sport all-wheel drive. There’s even a possibility it could out-muscle the current SVAutobiography Dynamic, which uses a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 and has 542 hp and 502 lb-ft (681 Nm).

Baldauf

It’s been less than a month after the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X crushed the Ford Mustang GTD’s lap time at the Nurburgring, but it hasn’t taken the Blue Oval long to one-up its rival. However, rather than attempting a new record for the GTD, Ford took to the ‘Ring with its wild Transit SuperVan 4.2, setting a time that puts some supercars to shame, including the ZR1X.

Ford says it was inspired by a famous segment from Top Gear when taking the SuperVan 4.2 to Green Hell. In the show’s fifth season, Sabine Schmitz coached Jeremy Clarkson around the circuit in a Jaguar S-Type Diesel, attempting to set a sub-10-minute lap time.

She later proclaimed she’d be able to lap the circuit in less than 10 minutes in a Ford Transit, and in Top Gear’s sixth season, recorded an impressive time of 10:08.

Read: Mustang GTD Shatters Its Own ‘Ring Record by Over 5 Seconds

While the SuperVan 4.2 may have ‘Transit’ in its name, it shares nothing in common with the road-going model. With Romain Dumas behind the wheel, who recently took out top honors at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with the F-150 Lightning Supertruck, the SuperVan 4.2 set a best time of 6:48.393.

Where Does The SuperVan Rank?

This places it ninth among non-road-legal prototypes that have lapped the circuit, although it’s well behind the VW ID.R in terms of outright EV records, which lapped the track in just 6:05.336 back in 2019.

More importantly, the SuperVan 4.2’s time edged out the Corvette ZR1X’s best time of 6:49.275 and the standard Corvette ZR1 with its 6:50.763. It is also quicker than the Mustang GTD that put in a 6:52.072 time.

The Ford has also managed to outperform some other impressive supercars, such as the Lamborghini Huracan Performante, Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, and Porsche 918 Spyder.

Admittedly, this doesn’t mean much as this is a bespoke one-off that has three electric motors and delivers 1,400 hp. It was also running on slick tires during its Nurburgring run. So no, no one will ever be able to helm anything close to it whether on road or track since it’s an one-off created by Ford just for fun – and grabbing headlines.

Ford SuperVan 4.2 at Bathurst

Despite getting a facelift earlier this year, the formerly dominant Model Y has seen demand sagging, but Tesla has some tricks up its sleeve to help grab buyers’ attention. One is a Performance variant, something absent from the electric crossover’s lineup since the spring. Another is a basic entry-level trim. And then there’s this: the long-wheelbase Model Y L.

The L is already on sale in China and is due to make its European debut later this year. It gains around 6 inches (150 mm) of wheelbase over the 113.8 inches (2,890 mm) on the current Model Y that is used to add a third row of seats, most likely in a 2+2+2 configuration.

Related: This Could Be The Fastest Model Y Ever But Tesla Won’t Tell You

Although both US and European Model Ys were previously available with the option of a third row, it was pretty cramped as the wheelbase was the same and the feature wasn’t offered on the facelifted ‘Juniper’. Bringing a third row back, only this time with extra legroom, should improve the take-up rate and is vital in Europe, because the Model X was recently discontinued in the region.

The overall shape of the L is very similar to the stock Model Y’s, but the L’s stretch is evident in the shape of the rear door. On the SWB variant the wheelarch cuts a big chunk out of the door, but on the L the shutline is almost in front of the wheel. From the B pillar forward, however, the two Model Ys will be identical, both featuring the new LED light bar and slim headlights that arrived with the February facelift.

There’s another little L giveaway, though, one that you’ll spot even if you don’t get a look at the longer profile. And it’s a detail that looks like it ought to be fitted to the range-topping Model Y Performance that’s also due to launch later this year. Instead of a flat spoiler jutting out from below the rear window on the hatch, the L gets a ducktail spoiler worthy of an entry in a BMW tuner’s catalog.

Perhaps the L’s subtly different shape demands more stability at high speeds, not that it’s any speedier than the regular Model Y. In fact, due to a slight increase in curb weight it should, in theory, be fractionally slower than the dual-motor, AWD short-wheelbase model, which Tesla says can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.8 seconds.

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