Extra rugged Land Rover Defender 110: with BMW V8?

Land Rover is working on a more rugged version of the Defender 110 to rival cars like the Mercedes-AMG G63 4×4². We have already seen a packed test version of the Defender make its rounds on the Nürburgring, but in the close-up photos that we present to you today we may see something new. The exhaust system is different from that of the previously spotted copy, which could indicate that the extra high Defender does not have Jaguar Land Rover’s own V8, but BMW’s V8 under its hood.

Now there is also a ‘regular’ Defender with V8, but that car is based on the shorter 90 version and now seems to be joined by a longer and more ruggedly decorated variant. The wheel arch extensions that we saw on previous photos are no longer there, but the thick all-terrain tires are still present. We also see a different exhaust system, with pipes that stick straight out from under the Defender instead of pointing downwards. On the existing V8 Defender, with the well-known 5-liter supercharged V8, the pipes also point downwards, but not those of the now spotted test mule.

For a definite answer about which block will be in the roughened Defender, we have to wait until the unveiling. We do not expect a Defender that is just as crazy as the said Mercedes, because we see a relatively normal wheel suspension under the test mule. We also detect little news in the rest of the car, which could indicate that the V8 Defender 110 will be on the market before the facelift of the Defender. On the other hand, test work with an ‘old’ coach as a jacket of new technology for after a facelift is also not excluded. Earlier we also spotted an extra long Defender 130 with V8, but without extra fat tires.

This exhaust system could well be part of a BMW powertrain.