SEVEN MODERN SPORTS SUVS GO HEAD TO HEAD IN A DRAG RACE WITH A FERRARI PUROSANGUE - RAD.
In the beginning, cars were either sedans or trucks. Then someone had a bright idea: what if we mashed them together, jacked up the ride height, added four-wheel drive and enough space for a family picnic... inside the car? Enter the world of the Sports Utility Vehicle, a segment born out of necessity, raised by off-roaders, and perfected by marketers. The roots of the SUV go deep into World War II, where the now-iconic Willys Jeep MB was developed for the U.S. Army in 1941. It was rugged, simple, and could go literally anywhere. Soldiers came home wanting something similar for civilian life, and so the Willys CJ-2A (Civilian Jeep) rolled out in 1945. At the same time, Land Rover launched the Series I in 1948, a utility vehicle for farmers and adventurers. Built to survive British weather and African safaris, it was tough, agricultural, and loved for it. These were the OG SUVs, off-road-first machines meant for hard work, not valet parking. As lifestyles changed, so did expectations. People wanted a 4x4 that wasn’t as basic as a garden shed. The Jeep Wagoneer from 1963 was the gamechanger. It combined 4WD with an automatic transmission, plus wood-panelled luxury. It was the first SUV to focus on comfort and capability, setting the template for future generations. By the late ‘70s, SUVs had quietly established themselves as go-anywhere family wagons, but they still weren’t mainstream. The ‘80s saw the rise of the SUV as a lifestyle choice, not just a utility vehicle. Range Rover debuted in the early 80s, and it blended luxury and off-road capability, appealing to a more affluent buyer. There were other SUVs like the Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Cherokee XJ, and the Mitsubishi Pajero. SUVs were getting smaller, more refined, and more versatile, but they were still mostly bought by outdoor types or off-road enthusiasts.
The 1990s were when the SUV went mainstream. Families didn’t want wagons anymore, minivans had a mom-taxi stigma, and SUVs looked tough, felt safe, and were cool. Enter the big guns like the Ford Explorer, the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CR-V, the Mercedes-Benz M-Class (one of the first luxury SUVs), and the BMW X5. The 2000s were when they went from off-roaders to lifestyle luxury, when SUVs shed their utility skin and fully embraced luxury, technology, and performance. This is when SUVs started getting more powerful and much, much faster. This is when we saw the rise of the Porsche Cayenne, Range Rover, Audi Q7, BMW X6 and more. Legacy sports car manufacturers swore they’d never create an SUV, but seeing the worldwide demand seemed to have made them change their minds. Lamborghini released the Urus, and to compete, the regular brands upped the power and spec in their SUVs. Not too long ago, Ferrari also jumped on board with the Purosangue, and many regard this as the best of the SUVs to date. That said, something bigger, better and faster is sure to come along soon. To prove its worth, the chaps from Carwow assembled an array of fast SUVs to race against the almighty 533 kW Purosangue to see if it could be bested. The lineup was properly impressive and included the 544 kW Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo, the 520 kW Aston Martin DBX 707, the 490 kW Lamborghini Urus Performance, the 460 kW BMW X6M, the 467 kW Range Rover Sport SV, the 430 kW Mercedes-AMG G63 and the 386 kW Land Rover Defender. They all have varying weights and transmissions, some are tuned more for comfort and others for performance, but this is still an interesting Carwow drag race.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the Carwow Drag channel as they pit a range of modern, powerful sports SUVs against each other in a heads-up drag race. Our money was on the Urus. How about yours?: Ferrari Purosangue vs Rivals: Ultimate SUV RACE | Carwow Drags
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