The Bowler EXR S. Image: Bowler Motorsport
Bowler Motorsport is best known for building really fast rally vehicles, (loosely) based on Land Rover models. Top Gear’s Richard Hammond proclaimed the Bowler Wildcat made him a “driving god,” even though his leisurely lap around an off-road course was soon decimated by a professional racer.
After two and a half decades of cooperation, Land Rover and Bowler have announced a formal partnership between the companies, with new Bowler vehicles now sporting a “Powered By Land Rover” badge. The first vehicle to get this distinction will be the Bowler EXR S, which also happens to be Bowler’s first road-legal vehicle.
That doesn’t mean the EXR S has gone soft, though. Under the hood lurks a 5.0-liter supercharged V-8, good for around 550 horsepower and capable of propelling the heavy-duty hauler to 100 km/h (62 mph) in only 4.2 seconds. There’s a custom suspension with Bilstein and Eibach components and a Brembo brake system with six-pot calipers up front and four-pot calipers in the rear.
The Bowler EXR S. Image: Bowler Motorsport
Despite this go-anywhere-at-high-speed capability, buyers get a certain degree of luxury, too. The EXR S sports keyless entry and push button start, dual zone climate control, a Pioneer audio system, carbon fiber door panels and even leather trimmed sport seats. Unlike full-blown race cars, there’s even enough room in the hatch for luggage, just in case you and the missus want to cross the Namibian desert for laughs.
The Bowler EXR S will make its public debut at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed. While U.S. sales are unlikely, the EXR S will hit the market in Britain at a price of £155,000, excluding taxes. That works out to be the equivalent of $242,126, which should seem quite reasonable to drug lords and military dictators worldwide.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
