RANGE ROVER P38

About the Range Rover P38

The P38 was the first Range Rover designed from the ground up as a luxury vehicle, and it showed — in both the opulence and the electrical gremlins. The GEMS-managed 4.6-liter V8 was smooth and powerful. The BECM body computer was ambitious and unreliable. Electronic air suspension replaced the coils and gave the P38 the ability to raise and lower itself at the push of a button — when it worked. BMW owned Land Rover during the P38 era, and German engineering influence crept in through the build quality and the diesel engine option. The 2.5 DSE turbodiesel was the sensible choice. The 4.6 HSE was the indulgent one. Both leaked from the same places. The P38 is the Range Rover that enthusiasts either love unconditionally or refuse to own. There is no middle ground.