Bowler EXR S
Geplaatst: 28 jun 2012, 10:42
Eigenlijk staat dit in 't verkeerde draadje, want het nieuwste off road monster van Bowler is geschikt gemaakt voor rijplezier op verharde wegen.
Chris Harris test het ontwikkelingsvoertuig van Bowler, de EXR S:
Classic Driver zegt dat 'ie dit weekend op Goodwood wordt gepresenteerd:
For 25 years now, Bowler has taken standard Land Rovers and transformed them into fire-breathing off-road competition cars. This weekend the Derbyshire-based firm will reveal the road-going version of its EXR rally raid car at Goodwood – and it’s given Classic Driver an exclusive peek at the prototype.
If you think the translation from competition machine to street car results in a severe watering-down, the majority of the time you’d be right. But that’s not the case with the Bowler EXR S; it’s quite the opposite, in fact. Due to competition rules which dictate performance ceilings, the competition-spec EXR has its performance limited to 300bhp. Meanwhile, without FIA constraints, the road-going version wrings 550bhp from the JLR-sourced 5.0-litre V8 – the exact figure that Jaguar frees from the matching engine in the XKR-S. The 0-62mph time of 4.2 seconds is also shared with its feline cousin, although the EXR S’s top speed is wisely limited to 155mph.
Billing the EXR S as a road car obviously requires some additions one wouldn’t need on a rally stage, such as climate control, leather seats and in-car entertainment. But Bowler unapologetically confirms it ‘focuses on the driver and the driving experience – not luxury’. The retention of the competition car’s hydroformed chassis and composite bodywork contributes towards similar handling, strength and weight distribution characteristics to its ancestor: the company describes it as ‘a rally car for the road’.
The future certainly looks promising for Bowler; it recently announced that after more than two decades of its work being admired by Land Rover from a distance, the pair has announced an official partnership. This will see Bowler take advantage of greater access to parts and the extensive R&D facilities at Gaydon – in return, Bowler will adorn the EXR variants and future vehicles with ‘Powered by Land Rover’ badging.
The finished version of the EXR S will make its world debut at Goodwood this weekend, with customer vehicles being delivered by the back end of summer. Stick with Classic Driver for a driving report in the near future.
Chris Harris test het ontwikkelingsvoertuig van Bowler, de EXR S:
Classic Driver zegt dat 'ie dit weekend op Goodwood wordt gepresenteerd:
For 25 years now, Bowler has taken standard Land Rovers and transformed them into fire-breathing off-road competition cars. This weekend the Derbyshire-based firm will reveal the road-going version of its EXR rally raid car at Goodwood – and it’s given Classic Driver an exclusive peek at the prototype.
If you think the translation from competition machine to street car results in a severe watering-down, the majority of the time you’d be right. But that’s not the case with the Bowler EXR S; it’s quite the opposite, in fact. Due to competition rules which dictate performance ceilings, the competition-spec EXR has its performance limited to 300bhp. Meanwhile, without FIA constraints, the road-going version wrings 550bhp from the JLR-sourced 5.0-litre V8 – the exact figure that Jaguar frees from the matching engine in the XKR-S. The 0-62mph time of 4.2 seconds is also shared with its feline cousin, although the EXR S’s top speed is wisely limited to 155mph.
Billing the EXR S as a road car obviously requires some additions one wouldn’t need on a rally stage, such as climate control, leather seats and in-car entertainment. But Bowler unapologetically confirms it ‘focuses on the driver and the driving experience – not luxury’. The retention of the competition car’s hydroformed chassis and composite bodywork contributes towards similar handling, strength and weight distribution characteristics to its ancestor: the company describes it as ‘a rally car for the road’.
The future certainly looks promising for Bowler; it recently announced that after more than two decades of its work being admired by Land Rover from a distance, the pair has announced an official partnership. This will see Bowler take advantage of greater access to parts and the extensive R&D facilities at Gaydon – in return, Bowler will adorn the EXR variants and future vehicles with ‘Powered by Land Rover’ badging.
The finished version of the EXR S will make its world debut at Goodwood this weekend, with customer vehicles being delivered by the back end of summer. Stick with Classic Driver for a driving report in the near future.
