Buying A Classic Range Rover V8 Is One Way To Beat The ULEZ Expansion
There’s no doubting the target market of the Kingsley Cars ULEZ Reborn Range Rover Classic models. The launch comes as London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone expands to more parts of the city, and kind of makes a mockery of the whole low-emission thing.
These classic Range Rovers are fitted with either a 4.0-litre or 4.6-litre fuel-injected V8, producing 220bhp and 270bhp respectively. The engines are said to have been thoroughly reworked and updated, and are linked to a modern ZF auto gearbox. The Borg Warner transfer box has also been rebuilt.
You can add a Fast Road Suspension Kit with stiffer anti-roll bars and a Big Brake Kit with six-pot front brakes and four-pot rears, plus forged aluminium wheels. We can see all of those being useful for lolloping around within the confines of the North Circular.
The firm behind these uprated Range Rovers offers a host of modern technology to bring them into the 21st century (even if most of it costs extra). You can add LED headlights, a reversing camera, variable power steering and a seven-speaker audio system, plus Apple CarPlay, wireless phone charging and ambient lighting. Heated seats are standard for when it’s a little chilly in Piccadilly.
Each one starts off by being stripped to a bare shell. They get repaired, welded and protected against rust during the process, and can be finished in a number of different paint shades.
But while it’s undoubtedly a cool thing, the Kingsley Cars ULEZ Reborn Range Rover Classic is only ULEZ-exempt because it’s too old to be affected by the charge - cars over 40 years old don’t have to pay the £12.50 daily charge to enter Central London anyway. This one’s also £125,000 before you’ve added any modern essentials.
What it does do is highlight the inconsistencies of the ULEZ area. A super-clean diesel from just a few years ago isn’t allowed in without prepayment, but a petrol car that meets the far less strict Euro 4 standard is fine. That means lots of high-performance, high-polluting cars can get in. And so can a V8 Range Rover that does a maximum of 25mpg.