2004

On 26 November 2004, Land Rover released the first photographs of the Range Rover Sport, a new model it planned to show to the public for the first time at the 2005 North American International Auto Show. The Range Rover Sport is a production car development of the Range Stormer concept vehicle the company showcased in the 2004 North American International Auto Show. Though called the Range Rover Sport, it was not merely a new specification within the Range Rover line-up, but rather an entirely new vehicle, based on the Discovery/LR3 chassis. This model was released for sale in late 2005.

2005

Conscious of the need for more power to keep up with the Range Rover's competitors, and reluctant to keep relying on BMW for power plants, Ford presided over the adaptation of engines from Jaguar (also Ford-owned) for Land Rover use. A 4.4 litre, 345 hp version of the Jaguar 4.2 litre V8 was developed and first used in the new 2005 LR3/Discovery 3 model, temporarily giving it more power than the Range Rover. At the 2005 Detroit Motor Show, a major update of the Range Rover was unveiled, with the base model using the LR3/Discovery 3 engine, and a premium model using a supercharged version of the Jaguar 4.2 litre V8 developing 400 horsepower—the same engine slated for the new Range Rover Sport (the RRS model uses a detuned variant making a total of 389BHP), scheduled for introduction about the same time (mid 2005) as the updated Range Rover. Both engines are lightweight aluminum alloy units, with advanced torque-based engine management systems that, together with drive-by-wire throttle control and variable camshaft phasing (on the 4.4 litre version), continually adjust the engine to deliver optimum performance. Both the engines are specially adapted by Land Rover for better low speed torque characteristics (important in off-road driving), the ability to run at the extreme angles encountered off road, improved protection from dust and rocks, and improved sealing needed for wading. This model of the Range Rover was used extensivly in the hit series "The O.C" by Sandy Cohen.