By the third generation, the Range Rover had shed its rugged roots and reinvented itself as a luxury fashion accessory. These days, the once trailblazing SUV is more likely to be spotted outside trendy Pilates studios or matcha bars in Kensington than tackling the Scottish Highlands. And although Land Rover has endowed the fifth generation with genuine off-road ability, it rarely ever gets the chance to show what it’s capable of.

The smallest member of the Range Rover family, the compact crossover Evoque built with style-conscious city dwellers in mind, was never intended to come into contact with rocks or mud. Accordingly, the base versions are offered with front-wheel drive only. All the more striking, then, is this brutal Milner LRM-1, set to go under the hammer with Iconic Auctioneers on February 21. Calling it an "Evoque on steroids" would be a serious understatement.

Beneath the custom-made shell, which mimics the design of the first-generation crossover built between 2011 and 2018, lies a spaceframe and genuine racing hardware. Milner’s LRM-1 is a no-compromise rally raid beast that shares virtually nothing with the production model. This particular example, built by the renowned British Land Rover specialist Simmonites in collaboration with "Milner Off Road", is brand new and has yet to prove its abilities in competition.

You probably wouldn’t guess it, but the name Evoque has a genuine history in motorsport. Back in 2013, the British private team Excite Rally Raid Team entered the Dakar Rally with the radically modified Desert Warrior 3. The effort didn’t exactly meet with overwhelming success, yet it did evoke memories of the early years of the Dakar, when countless first-generation Range Rovers lined up at the start.

The Desert Warrior 3 was powered by a 3.0‑liter straight‑six diesel from BMW’s parts bin, producing around 275 horsepower. Numbers like that wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow among the engineers behind the LRM‑1 Comp Safari Rally. Stuffed in its rear is a 6.2‑liter LS3 V8 from General Motors, sending 525 horsepower to all four wheels through a five‑speed Tremec TK600 gearbox. Limited-slip differentials at both the front and rear help optimize the traction.

To ensure the off-road racer can tackle even the tallest dunes and biggest jumps with ease, Simmonites fitted it with a coilover suspension offering extremely long travel. There’s also a stainless-steel exhaust system, a heavy-duty braking setup and, last but not least, that brutal exterior.

The wedge-shaped SUV looks aggressive even at a standstill, thanks to its massive 20-inch wheels sourced from Land Rover’s regular lineup and its compact, muscular silhouette. The large roof-wide air intake and oversized mud flaps add even more off road-attitude.

For all its wild looks and powertrain, the Milner LRM‑1 can not only be registered with Motorsport UK but also be made road‑legal in Britain. According to the auction house’s estimate, it’s expected to fetch between €74,747 and €86,247. That’s about the same price as a well‑equipped Evoque plug‑in hybrid — with which the school run would be nowhere near as much of a spectacle.

VIEW CAR