Those who find the new Land Rover Defender far too modern and luxurious, can now go to the new and British Ineos for a Grenadier. The comparison between that car and the Defender is no coincidence, because the Grenadier is quite a bit like a primal Defender. According to Ineos, the Land Rover was only a source of inspiration, which, however, is now being lifted onto the podium together with three other sources of inspiration.
The first car from Ineos, originally a British chemical company, was announced in 2017. Creator Jim Ratcliffle reportedly set his sights on the molds and manufacturing facilities of the old Defender. When he couldn’t get one, he decided to design an off-roader himself. According to Ratcliffle, the Grenadier is what the new Defender is no longer: a no-nonsense off-road vehicle. A ladder chassis, rigid axles and a sturdy, yet simple carriage are important ingredients.
That bodywork undeniably shows many similarities with the Defender. Among other things, the characteristic broad shoulders, the extra windows in the optically lying roof and the protruding front wings are clear references to the iconic British off-road executioner.
Although Ratcliffle denies in all ways that the Grenadier is a kind of fake Defender, he does allow the primeval Land Rover a role as a source of inspiration. At the Concours of Elegance at the Hampton Court Palace in London, the new creation will therefore be exhibited together with the very first production Land Rover, which was not yet called Defender. The two Britons are in the company of three other sources of inspiration: a 1980 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40, a 1944 Willys Jeep and a Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
That produces a nice list of iconic off-road vehicles, although the Ineos has yet to earn that title. In any case, the company has taken a very serious approach to the development of the car, involving former employees of Ford, Daimler, Volkswagen, Bentley and Tesla, among others. Magna Steyr will also be involved in the development of the car and Ineos will get its engines, in this case six-cylinders, from BMW’s warehouses. ZF supplies its well-known eight-speed automatic transmission to Ineos Automotive.