THE quickest Range Rover to date has been unveiled by Land Rover at the Geneva Motor Show - and in a nod to the original it comes with a two-door body.

Almost 50 years after the first Range Rover made its debut - and 75 years after the first Land Rover appeared - the Range Rover SV Coupe is being released as a limited edition model.

Hand-made by Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations team, the exclusive coupe will be priced from £240,000.

Just 999 examples will be produced for global consumption.

Powered by a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 powertrain developing 565ps it is the fastest ever full size Range Rover with a 0 to 60 acceleration time of just five seconds and a top speed of to 165mph.

Fuel economy is rated at 19.2mpg with emissions of 341g/km.

The SV Coupe took pride of place on the Land Rover stand in Geneva where John Edwards, Land Rover Special Operations managing director said: "The introduction of the new SV Coupe brings a new level of individual expression to the Range Rover portfolio and builds on the success of Special Vehicle Operations' existing bespoke Range Rover programme.

"Feedback from SV clients who have already seen the vehicle in confidential commissioning sessions has been overwhelmingly positive."

SV Coupe customers can choose from four front-to-rear contrast interior colourways, or a range of single-tone interior colours. Both are complemented by a choice of three elegant wood veneers.

Optional paint finishes include what Land Rover describes as Liquesence, which brings a sensational liquid metal finish to Range Rover for the first time.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover's chief design officer, said: "The Range Rover SV Coupe is a celebration of the Range Rover bloodline. With a dramatic two-door silhouette, this breath-taking four seat coupé alludes to its unique heritage whilst being thoroughly modern and contemporary. Beautifully realised, superbly engineered, the Range Rover SV Coupe delivers the most distinguished, luxurious and exclusive Range Rover ever built."

With the exception of the bonnet and lower tailgate, all of the two-door Range Rover SV Coupe's aluminium exterior panels are new, as are the front and rear bumpers.

A new two-part grille features metallic rear mesh overlaid with bright chrome front mesh and a silver metal surround, while chrome/black knurled Range Rover bonnet and tailgate script is handcrafted in the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter.

Chrome metal side vents with metallic mesh and silver metal surrounds complement frameless doors with power close functionality and chrome embellished body colour door handles.

Pixel-laser LED headlights with 144 LEDs and four laser diodes provide five times higher luminance than standard LED lights on Laser Supplementary High Beam - offering a range of more than 500 metres.

With permanent four-wheel drive, a two-speed transfer box and an active locking rear differential the car's go-anywhere credentials are assisted by Terrain Response 2 featuring Dynamic, Eco, Comfort, Grass Gravel Snow, Mud and Ruts, Sand and Rock Crawl programmes.

The SV Coupe's ride height is lowered by 8mm over the standard Range Rover and automatically lowers by 15mm at cruising speeds of 65mph or above to enhance stability and minimise fuel consumption.

Four alloy wheel options from 21-inch to 23-inch include two new forged wheels - the 23-inch wheel, a two-tone silver polished six split-spoke design with 275/40 R23 all-terrain tyres, is a first for Range Rover.