Range Rover arrives in Sardinia. If you’ve ever visited Gallura, you must have noticed the dual identity of this region in Sardinia. On one side, there’s the maritime spirit, featuring its emerald-green coastline, villas reminiscent of a thousand and one nights, and bays that become filled with yachts and sailing boats during the summer months, representing luxury and exclusivity.
On the other hand, there’s the terrestrial aspect, with its granite rock mountains shaped by the wind, and forests of oaks and cork oaks, making it a rough and wild terrain, difficult to access and filled with adventures. These two identities embody the essence of the two brands under the Jaguar Land Rover group: Range Rover and Defender, both of which find their natural home in this territory. (Check out all our posts about Range Rover, here)
Range Rover: luxury and exclusivity at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda
For five years, Range Rover has been the sponsor of one of the world’s most prestigious and exclusive yacht clubs, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Besides being the yacht club’s official ‘tender’, providing members and guests with a courtesy car and test drive service, this year, Range Rover is also the official title sponsor of the J/24 European Championship, one of the most anticipated regattas of the 2024 class season, featuring nearly 50 entrants from 21 nations, totaling around 200 sailors at sea.
Right at the entrance to the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda stands a Range Rover Sport SV, the most powerful Range ever produced. This super SUV boasts a twin turbo V8 mild-hybrid engine delivering 635 hp and 750 Nm of torque, allowing it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds. While its aggressive exterior, carbon-fiber details, and the sound of the exhaust immediately highlight the car’s sporty character, the experience inside is truly unparalleled.
Performance, luxury, and British elegance converge in a vehicle that could be deemed definitive. Among various onboard features, the Range Rover Sport SV is the first production car to integrate a tactile audio system. Within the front seats are devices that allow passengers to physically experience sound through vibrations that, according to data, could influence heart rate variability (HRV), helping to alleviate anxiety or enhance cognitive responses.
Defender House: an oasis of Modern Luxury and Sustainability for Defender customers
Just off the coast and winding through the streets of Porto Cervo, you arrive at a truly magnificent location. For the second consecutive year, Defender House is the villa that overlooks the Maddalena Archipelago, housing the second brand of the JLR Group. It serves as an oasis of modern luxury, featuring a modernist design and sustainability, seamlessly integrated into a natural landscape of wind-sculpted rocks and Mediterranean flora. Access is exclusive to owners of the group’s vehicles.
The Defender Club is an exclusive club that offers access to a diverse range of curated experiences, both indoors and outdoors, in Sardinia and beyond. At Defender House, activities include yoga sessions by the pool in partnership with Technogym and cooking classes that teach the art of Sebadas Mucadores, led by master chef Luca Floris from Nuoro. Luca is among the few capable of crafting Filindeu (Fili di Dio), an ancient pasta from Nuoro. His seadas are not merely desserts but intricate works of art, fan-shaped and beautifully decorated. Today, Luca trains star chefs worldwide and has made appearances on various national and international television shows.
Range Rover: adrenaline-fueled adventures and extreme challenges at Defender Park
Speaking of Defender, it’s impossible not to engage fans in high-octane off-road driving experiences along adventurous routes through the forests of the Gallura hinterland, crossing rivers and navigating dirt tracks. This is where Defender’s commitment to sustainability shines through. In addition to investing in the electrification of its vehicles (launching in 2025) and promoting the use of environmentally friendly materials, such as natural fibers from wool and linen instead of leather, Defender is also restoring off-road routes that had been overgrown with vegetation.
This initiative ensures access along dirt roads that are useful for not only hikers and cyclists but also for emergency vehicles and local residents. The real challenge, epitomizing the motto ’embrace the impossible,’ is located in Luogosanto. Here, Defender, along with a team of Land Rover Experience instructors, has created a dynamic technical driving area within a disused granite quarry, where participants can test and learn how to conquer any obstacles. Inside Defender Park, there is a suspension bridge that allows tackling a 15-meter ascent and descent with a 35° gradient.
A pure adrenaline rush, after which you can unwind in a sophisticated lounge that juts over a natural pond, created between the walls of the quarry, where a delightful picnic awaits to complete this unforgettable Defender outdoor experience.