For many Range Rover enthusiasts, working with a rebuild specialist to get an old vehicle back on the road and out into the wilds is a dream, indulging your hobby while enjoying the fruits of this work. But it may also offer an answer to Britain’s crumbling roads.

Restoration is not just about fixing the old damage. It is also about getting something that not only looks fantastic, but can deal with the new rigours that it may encounter every day.

This is no longer just what you may come across when off-roading in rough terrain. The state of Britain’s highways has been the scourge of motorists for several years. But Land Rovers and Range Rovers may be better equipped than most vehicles to handle them.

How Well Can Range Rovers Handle Potholes?

This point was recently highlighted by Evo Magazine columnist Stuart Gallagher, who related how his Range Rover Sport had survived a very unpleasant encounter with a large pothole hidden in a puddle.

Despite a 45-50 mph impact that hurt his shoulder, the writer found that his Range Rover had been left untouched. He described the incident as “something that would wipe out an ordinary car”.

While Range Rovers are increasingly geared for on-road rather than off-road use, they retain so much of the robustness that Land Rovers are renowned for that it makes them ideal for a situation where the tarmac surfaces are barely any better than many off-road locations.

The latest RAC data on potholes highlights how bad the situation is at present:

·       There are over a million potholes in the UK

·       2025 saw 43 call-outs due to pothole damage per day, over 26,000 in total

·       The 2025 tally was higher than in 2024, although the worst year this decade was 2021 (over 31,000)

·       This figure has risen further, with 225 call-outs per day in February this year

A key fact noted by the RAC was how potholes can be more dangerous when hidden in puddles, a major problem during what was a wet February.

The recent heatwave may have brought rather different conditions, but when the rain comes again, your revamped Range Rover may have a much better chance of surviving unscathed if it hits a hidden pothole.