Land Rover can’t let go of the previous Defender. The English king of blubber will also be briefly resuscitated in 2021. Land Rover Classics will build 25 copies of the Defender Works V8 Trophy.
Saying goodbye does not exist. At least, not if your name is Land Rover. The previous generation was finally taken out of production at the beginning of 2016, but that did not stop Land Rover from building 150 editions of the angular all-rounder in 2017. They were not just any Defenders, the Defender Works V8 baptized copies each got a 405 hp and 515 Nm strong V8 in their nose. Land Rover Classics now brings back that mighty final incarnation of the previous Defender.
Land Rover Defender
Land Rover Classics is converting 25 units of the last series of Defenders produced between 2012 and 2016 into Defender Works V8 Trophy. It concerns both the short 90 and the long 110 flavors. The greatest pleasure is of course the 405 hp and 515 Nm powerful 5.0 V8 that Land Rover Classics gives the machine, but there is more. The eight-cylinder is linked to a modern eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF and to give the monster a somewhat responsible character, things like the brakes and the chassis are upgraded.
Land Rover Classics chooses to paint all 25 Defender Works V8 Trophy in the color Eastnor Yellow. The cars are on 16-inch light alloy in the same color. The wheel arch edges, just like the bonnet and rear door, are finished in Navrik Black. Land Rover Classics couldn’t resist adding a touch of modernity to the Defender. Thus, the headlights are equipped with LED technology. The Defenders Works V8 Trophy all get the classic Heritage grille and of course richly decorated with badges. Camel smoking enthusiasts, and possibly animal lovers, may be slightly disappointed to learn that the Trophy editions will have to do without Camel labels. Land Rover Classics does, however, hang the Defender Works V8 Trophy full of things like a sweetheart, an external safety cage, a large roof rack, protective plates for the bottom, a ‘snorkel’ and special off-road tires. The interior is not forgotten either, Land Rover Classics folds Recaro sports seats with yellow stitching and a special clock in the Defenders. The infotainment system that Land Rover Classics installs enables navigation and connectivity with your smartphone, among other things.
Anyone who buys one of the 25 Defenders Works V8 Trophy can join Land Rover on a three-day trek on the estate of Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, the place where Land Rover puts its models through rigorous testing, among other things. The starting price of all this beauty? In the United Kingdom, you spend at least £ 195,000, more than € 220,000, for the 90 variant.