Hi all

As per previous comments I'm uncertain about my 2013 SDV8 and am trying to "improve" it for my own tastes and a better pick up when accelerating is one such improvement but she I spoke to Superchips at length on Friday they advised against it saying that the 2 they tested for their own moderate remap broke, the inlet manifold is plastic and cracked under a small boost increase so they refuse to offer a tune for the V8 but do offer one for the V6.

They said the inlet manifold is at its max and tuning will give reliability issues, anyone looked at or have a tuned SDV8?

If this is intact true then that's the final nail in L405 ownership for me?

Thanks

Carl[/quote]

Just because land rover made the inlet plenum just within tolerance it doesn't mean its crap. They just did what they needed to do.

My mate has tuned his focus rs ip to 450 bhp now, on its first stage map he had to change the inlet plenum on that as it split under the increased boost.

Now the list goes on, he's spending money after money on it trying to keep up.

Give it time, maybe some one will manufacture a new plenum for it, depends on the demand i suppose.

Steve You remind me of a young me, not much younger mind, perhaps even a little older!

Plenty of people doing SDV8 remaps.

Re the last remap thread though - you aren't going to turn it into a Cayenne Turbo and I suspect trying to will be a frustrating waste of time.

I wasn't suggesting the current inlet is crap, it was a comment to indicate that if I cant improve the throttle response at slow speeds and from stand still it will almost certainly end with me selling because it doesn't suit me personally. It was suggested a software update from LR may be available to drop it into 1st but its not so I thought a remap and have reconsidered that after talking to Superchips.

I appreciate its not a Cayenne Turbo and never will be, I love the looks and a lot of the driving experience I just wish it was a little livelier and a had a setting to flatten the ride a bit more, then it really would be a great car for me. If I could have afforded the 5.0 I would have bought that one without hesitation, that may be part of my frustration.

Sorry to keep moaning

Speak with DMS, extra 70hp, and 3-4mpg. Subjectively feels like a different vehicle and more than quick enough to put the frightners on regular metal  '14.5 SDV8 Nara Bronze for sale
'17 BMW 740e Msport Individual on order
'17 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 6.4 Hemi on order
'16 Bentley Continental GT V8S Mulliner Driving Spec
'07 Alfa 159 3.2 Q4
'05 Mini Cooper R50
'95 Volvo 850R modified to 400hp
'89 Jaguar TWR ed XJ-S V12 Convertible

carlos50 wrote:

Speak with DMS, extra 70hp, and 3-4mpg. Subjectively feels like a different vehicle and more than quick enough to put the frightners on regular metal

I really think this is just an LR added characteristic.

My other car, a f10 5 series BMW has the ZF 8 speed gearbox which I believe is very similar to the L405 8 speed, has very minimal lag. Despite it being only a lowly 520d, it actually feels a fair bit quicker than the L405.

My previous 2 RRS's both had poor throttle response. However I feel it is even worse on the L405, very sluggish to pull away. So I now pretty much the flappy paddles when moving off as I feel this helps a fair bit. 2014 SDV8 Autobiography

Gone: 2012 RRS SDV6 HSE, 2007 RRS TDV6 HSE

A good friend of mine used to work for JLR on engine and drivetrain programming. The "problem" with modern cars is that they need to employ a lot of tricks to meet emission regulations while meeting driveability standards etc. That results in all kinds of lag and seemingly strange behaviour to ensure the engine exhaust meets the regulations while also trying to keep the car very smooth to drive.

I bet that if you reprogram the engine and gearbox ECUs, the cars can become a lot more "fun" to drive but won't meet the emission regulations etc.

Carlos, I'm sorry to hear your experience with the L405. Years ago a friend of mine picked me up in a Cayenne Turbo S and I remember the riding experience very very well. Unfortunately I can not compare it to the L405 yet but I can imagine it is not as "sportscarlike" as the Cayenne. I was flabbergasted by the way that handled and accelerated !!! It sounds like you went into the L405 expecting it to be close to the Cayenne but obviously it is not close enough. I know how disappointing it can be if that happens as it happened to me as well with a few cars and bikes over time.

I'm sure there will be people around (like Pete Bell) that are working on or already have a more "sporty" upgrade for the SDV8 and I hope that you find something that makes the L405 more to your liking.

Range Rovers are a breed as unique as Porsches and although the Cayenne is not my favourite car, it would be my second choice if I couldn't find a decent Range Rover (actually I would have gotten one in Nigeria if I hadn't found my 4.2 SC at the time).

I still think Range Rovers are a lot nicer car, looks, shape, size and abilities but I also recognize the Cayenne is brilliant at its strong points, handling, power, technical refinement and the cabin is quite cool as well (yes I do like a lot of buttons ).

Lets hope you can get the L405 to your liking and if not, it will be sad to lose a lot of money to buy something else but unfortunately life is too short to be driving boring cars  MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

I sold my L405 last week, waiting to take delivery of a 2013 ML63 AMG.

I expected a softer ride but if mine isn't faulty as per dealer comments then I don't feel it moved away from an L322 5.0 S/C to justify the price. Its pitch and role are very obvious and I felt myself being moved around in most driving conditions.

I agree about the look, its my favourite of them all, but the drive spoilt it so I've gone the other way, mega drive and slight compromise on looks.

I cant afford the L405 5.0 S/C yet and had craved that vehicle in the future bit I'm not sure now, will see how the AMG goes I guess.

Thanks

Sounds like the L405 was wasted on you in any case  Now: BMW 640d M Sport, Alpine White
Gone: Range Rover 4.4 V8 Vogue, Zambezi Silver, Charcoal Oxford Leather
Also: Mk1 Audi TT 1.8T Quattro, Brilliant Black
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No not at all, I did expect it to be a different drive to my Porsche but didn't expect it to be so heavily biased towards comfort only, I though adaptive dynamics / dynamic response or whatever its called would help flatten it out as and when required and had read reviews saying the SDV8 pulled like a train but in reality the suspension is still far too soft, doesn't flatten out in corners and the lag is shockingly obvious.

I drive mainly country lane / b roads etc so perhaps it was the wrong choice, Id hoped for a happy medium and got only comfort / relaxed driving.

I do regret the sale because i love its looks but just feel that lag is too much and the suspension needs a series of user adjustable settings to allow a choice to stiffen the car up, I know the Sport has that but IMO its no where near as nice to look at.

Perhaps if LR had supported me more with my complainants I could have stayed with it a bit longer but they didn't, and the reality of why I sold every other RR hit home, so I had to leave the brand (again).

I realise the ML63 is a stark contrast but I've had the Cayenne Turbo 3 times over and the AMG is next best in line. I thought about a Sport 5.0 but decided against it after being dismissed by LR, whereas Mercedes couldn't do enough to help, and I mean help not secure my business.

The AMG line of vehicles are stunning right now, and the ML63 will be a good mix for me, with the choice to soften the ride somewhat, the RR could learn from that I believe.

Think an ML is a very one-dimensional car in comparison with an L405. AMG V8 surely the only saving grace.

Agreed, would never consider it outside of the AMG.

I am genuinely gutted the 405 isn't more driver focussed, I think an option to change the damping rate and less lag would really make a case for it being a great car for me, until it lets me down and I need to deal with the idiots at the dealership and customer service ofcourse

Carlos,

having followed your threads I'm not surprised that your off to pastures new. It was inevitable from the very first post. You are very lucky to be able to move from car to car so regularly and drop the money that involves.

When comparing the vehicles you cycle through there is a heavy bias towards sporty handling and higher performance and that is something which the majority of L405 owners are not really interested in. Given also that the LR brand has been built around class leading off-road capability DNA then it is unlikely L405 will ever meet your needs as it will always be compromised.

If you want driving focus then put a MK1 MX5 in your garage too, very little compares to the balance, fun and feedback that provides.

The dealers do vary and I've had to give mine a good talking to in the past. They are a world apart from how they were four years ago let alone 20 years but still have work to do.

I'm lucky in that I have a 5.0 L405. I had two SDV8s and agree that they are a bit lazy when pulling away. That said it is actually quite difficult to do the same in the 5.0 but for the complete opposite reason. The more performance bias detects you pushing the accelerator a little more out of a junction and drops a gear and ...whoosh. As for the ride and cornering the difference is undetectable from the previous SDV8 (on 22s).

I wish you luck with the ML63 and expect to see you back again! Enjoyed the debates and hope you enjoy the Merc' experience. 2019 D5 HSE Lux SDV6 Indus
55 D3 SE
98 MX5 1.8 RS
gone 17 older variants of FFRR

Oh I love these posts....they give us peasants in the 3.6 tdv8 some hope that whilst our cars are £50k less in value, they do in fact put smiles on faces. I am not speculating for a fight here but a trend for 500BHP 4wd's stikes of Clarkson when he tested the M5 Touring and E63AMG Estate....

Alderley Edge's residents may disagree with me here but if you want a large car with 500bhp and have £40-£70k to throw at a car, an Audi S8/BMW M6 GT/Merc 63AMG (any class) could fit the bill a bit more ?

Enjoy the Merc....we'll see you back here in 2016 with an S/C  Is this where I put the car details and a bit about myself ?........