If Jaguar or Land Rover wants to take one of their models to the next level, they call the Special Vehicle Operations division. Similar to BMW's M Division or Mercedes-AMG, JLR's SVO team is responsible for building the company's fastest and most track-capable models but it is also capable of building ultra-luxury creations.

SVO's work spans across two different brands with both luxury and sporting themes. Sportier models from SVO wear the SVR badge while more luxury-oriented cars receive the SVAutobiography name. These SVO-tuned models are now entering their fifth year in production and JLR says the demand has never been higher.

SVO sales totaled 9,500 SV-branded vehicles globally in the 2019/2020 fiscal year. That's a year-over-year increase of 64 percent. Clearly customers love the SVO-fettled Jaguar and Land Rover models. Of the seven available SV-branded cars, JLR says the 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR is the most popular. It features a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine producing 575 horsepower that's also shared with the 2020 Jaguar F-Pace SVR. JLR also builds a softer, 550-hp version of this same engine found in the Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition and Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic.

"Despite a challenging sales environment for the automotive industry as a whole, we're delighted that the demand for Jaguar and Land Rover SV products continues to grow strongly, just five years after the division was first launched," said Michael van der Sande, Managing Director of JLR SVO. "We currently have our broadest-ever range of models offering enhanced performance and luxury, each with its own distinctive personality that resonates with our customers."

With demand for its SVO models rapidly increasing, JLR has expanded its SV Specialist Centers to 100 retailer sites globally. "We've focused on satisfying demand for existing SV vehicles, while simultaneously expanding into new sectors with models such as the Jaguar F-Pace SVR, which instantly became our second highest-volume vehicle," said Mark Turner, Commercial Director of JLR SVO. "Developing the SV presence in the global Jaguar Land Rover retail network and on social media, in conjunction with SV Bespoke, is also having a positive effect on our business."

The SVO SV Bespoke department, which creates custom paint and interior commissions, has also noticed a 20 percent growth in orders from customers. We expect SVO's momentum to continue with even more new models, including a rumored V8-powered Land Rover Defender.