Modified Range Rover Classic V12 - Land Rover Owner International Magazine
Seeing a Range Rover Classic still on the road is something special. Hearing this particular Range Rover Classic pull up for the first time you expect the burble of the 3. 9-litre V8. Then you hear a waffling throb from the twin exhausts. The V12 badge residing on the tailgate gives something of a clue – but what is it. Peeling back the clamshell bonnet on Kito Brielmaier’s Range Rover reveals it to be a V12 (as you might expect). In 2008, Kito bought a 1991 Range Rover County Classic with a 3. 9 V8. The vehicle was primarily used for towing so, when he experienced a few near-miss accidents – especially on highway sliproads – the quest for more power accelerated in the... Working as a bespoke engine tuner specialising in BMWs, Kito finally settled on a 1993 BMW V12 with 40,000 miles on the clock, procured from Japan. So how do you shoehorn a BMW V12 into a Range Rover. The Range Rover’s ZF HP22 automatic gearbox continues to harness the power but the Borg Warner transfer case was upgraded for a Land Rover LT230. Getting the V12 to work with the Range Rover transmission involved a lot of head-scratching. A custom carrier was built to mount the BMW 180amp alternator and the Range Rover power steering pump was fitted using a modified BMW pulley. The BMW engine controls and electronic throttle control were ditched and an EPSpro (EFI Source) engine computer replaced the three BMW engine computers. Source: www.lro.com
