Why the 2017 Range Rover Sport's Spoiler Was Tested at 80mph in Reverse

When Land Rover gave the Range Rover Sport a refresh in 2017, one of the key design changes was a more pronounced rear spoiler. But while it was primarily a styling update, there was a very practical reason behind it being tested to withstand speeds of 80mph—in reverse!

Now, before you get excited, no, the Range Rover Sport can’t actually drive that fast backwards. The real reason for this unusual test lies in how new Land Rovers are transported. Many vehicles are shipped on open train carriages, and sometimes they’re loaded facing the wrong way. If the spoiler couldn’t handle the high-speed airflow while being transported in reverse, Land Rover would have ended up with trainloads of damaged vehicles.

To avoid that, engineers made sure the spoiler was tough enough to withstand the forces of high-speed travel—whether going forwards on the road or backwards on a train!

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12th Mar 2025 Tony