The appeal of a classic Range Rover as a restomod project is easily understood. It’s hard to think of a car as widely loved or as fondly remembered as Spen King’s original; much like the Mini, in fact, it’s just one of those cars that will forever be cool and always be significant. So who wouldn’t want that old-school style and suaveness with an injection of modern capability? Especially as - let's be honest - an original Range Rover will feel kinda slow and rubbish to anyone with experience of, well, almost anything launched since. Already we’ve seen the likes of Kingsley, Overfinch and Inverted take on the Range with an assortment of powertrain options; now it’s time to say hello to the Chieftain.
Available as a pure EV or with a Chevy LT1 6.2 V8 or, as here, a plug-in hybrid, the Chieftain is the work of Jensen International Automotive. Which hopefully sounds familiar, as they’re the folks making the 700hp electrified Interceptor. This Range Rover uses the powertrain - a GM engine and eight-speed auto, then a bespoke battery and motor setup - that is due to go into the Jensen. So call this an early preview of that combination, as well as a drive of what could be the most persuasive take on the Range Rover restomod yet.
That’s not to belittle any previous efforts, of course - there’s just a lot more going on here. This Chieftain is going to California (hence left-hand-drive) and actually the destination is its entire reason for being. The Stateside client in question is conscious, as apparently so many are over there, that driving a combustion engine in Cali city centres is increasingly frowned upon. Or legislated against. But at the same time they also like to visit Vegas on occasion, and don’t want the hassle of charging. Plus this one loves V8s, owning one of the Jensen restomods already. Right now, for them, a plug-in hybrid makes the most sense. So JIA is making one.
It’s easy to see why it would work in the UK as well. We’re perhaps not quite so focused on EV-only urban areas yet, but the tide is only turning one way. Running errands around town on battery power is effortless. It also means the potential for a monstrously powerful Range Rover, while keeping the traditional V8 charm the EV conversions so conspicuously lack. Perhaps new plug-in hybrids can be shown up by EVs in terms of efficiency; in this rarified sector, however, it really could be a best-of-both-worlds scenario.
The electric portion is no token effort either; thanks to a pair of YASA P400RS motors for the front wheels and a CATL 66kWh battery pack, JIA reckons there’s up to 110 miles of zero emissions running possible, or 50 per cent more than a new Range Rover PHEV. From a much bigger battery, yes, and one that does impact rear space, but that’s a useful amount of EV miles. Usefully brisk, too with peak output of 270hp (or continuous of 190hp) meaning the 2,500kg Chieftain is spritely enough even three-up and lugging everything else around. Probably still faster than a standard Classic, in fact. The battery info can be found on a smartly integrated screen in the dash, and the drive modes toggled by a separate switch.
Hybrid mode is where the fun starts, though. Because alongside a bellowing V8 soundtrack is proper performance: JIA claims 60mph in six seconds and the Range certainly feels good for it, scampering away from rest and romping through its eight ratios ravenously. It’s on another planet of performance compared to a standard car, and is hard to go without once experienced. Never has a Corvette engine felt limp, though the Chieftain charm does lessen just a little when using just one of its power sources rather than the combined might of two. It’s wonderfully OTT.
Perhaps the greater achievement is that the PHEV functions so well. Switching between EV and ICE is easily done, there aren’t any untoward noises, and the combination of both engine and motor (electric power for the front axle, V8 for the rear) works cohesively. JIA’s own interface for the transmission takes a bit of getting used to (new software is coming), but perhaps the biggest compliment to pay is how normal such a complex overhaul of a 30-year-old Range Rover has been made to feel. It’s great, moreover, to be able to take a break from the muscle car madness with a few miles on EV.
The Chieftain can just about keep a lid on the performance, too, which is always useful for encouraging you to exploit more of it. Though it’s still clearly an old Range Rover - there’s some wind noise, and some squeaks that were probably there in 1994 - the introduction of independent suspension, rack and pinion steering, some Discovery 3 chassis hardware and proper tyres has had a transformative effect on its ability to tackle a road. Once it's scrabbled away from a start, never does it feel overawed by a combined output in the region of 650hp; you can brake with confidence, turn in with reasonable accuracy and power out imperiously on a rolling tsunami of noise. It’s more than a little entertaining.
The Tractive suspension fitted to this demonstrator (as in a Theon 964 build) must be responsible for some of the impressive dynamic performance; there are five settings in total, and the higher the number the tenser the car. Four worked well when honking around the lanes, with three probably an ideal catch-all compromise. Accept the fact that you’re rolling around in a very square car designed more than half a century ago and it’s possible to cruise along contentedly, the Chieftain tracking straight and tackling imperfections smartly. Nothing will ever surpass the Range Rover driving position, either, for a sense of imperious command. Predictably, this doesn’t mean the Chieftain feels like a new Range, though it’s nice to see how that’s remained a constant for so long. Relatively slender dimensions compared to later versions mean this car is far less stressful to thread down smaller roads. Which is handy given what a Chieftain costs…
There are still temptingly affordable Classics out there; a late one as this could once be picked up for £25k or less. But we all know how extensive and expensive a restoration on something like a Range Rover can be - before even thinking about hybridisation. Don’t forget the bespoke element, too, which must be more expensive than taking donor bits from, say, a biffed Tesla. Nevertheless, £350,000 is an enormous starting sum for anything on four wheels - an example similar to this one is more like £450,000. Easy to understand just being content with a lovely big V8 and a bit less money when presented with a figure of such magnitude.
That being said, nobody is in the restomod market to scrimp and save. To experience the two sides of a plug-in V8 Range Rover, to have it thunder down a B road, then whirr through urban areas, is to pretty much love it. Going without the EV boost and usability after experiencing it could feel quite a downgrade, even allowing for more cramped rear quarters with the bench raised to make battery room. Ditching the V8, in addition, would surely detract too much from the fun factor.
The bandwidth of a much-loved classic has been massively increased, though there’s still enough Range Rover here to give the impression of a sympathetic (and comprehensive) overhaul. It’s something pleasingly different while remaining appreciably familiar. Technically speaking, the Chieftain PHEV is still in development and has some quirks to be ironed out, but the idea - crazy though it may seem - has real validity in the real world. That lucky customer in California has a lot to look forward to - and the Jensen variant should be absolutely wild.
SPECIFICATION | JIA CHIEFTAIN
Engine: 6,162cc V8, plus electric motors and 66kWh battery pack
Transmission: 8-speed automatic (driving rear axle), all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 460 (V8), plus 270 peak motor power
Torque (lb ft): N/A (480lb ft V8)
0-60mph: 6.2 seconds
Top speed: c. 125mph
Weight: c. 2,500kg
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Price: from £350,000
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