V-8 Land Rover Defender reported back
When the last-generation Land Rover Defender left us a few years ago, it went out with a bang, a special edition featuring a thundering V-8. We thought we’d never see the Defender again, but we were wrong — and now we’re seeing the return of the V-8 engine as well.
According to Autocar, an undisguised Defender has been prowling around Jaguar Land Rover’s research facility wearing “Prototype
Vehicle” stickers, usually reserved for testing mules. The only changes visible are a quad exhaust system, which JLR usually reserves for V-8-powered vehicles.
The rumours of a V-8 Land Rover have been circulating for a while, and all Land Rover can say is “We are unable to comment on the specific nature of these programs.”
Autocar has secured registration data for a V-8 Land Rover. The engine is a 5.0-litre AJV8, the same one used in the Range Rover Sport
SVR and the Range Rover Velar Svautobiography. However, the AJV8 is likely just a placeholder for the production engine.
For the production version, JLR will tap its alliance with BMW, and use its twin-turbocharged 4.4-L V-8 for the new vehicle. The engine is capable of providing the horsepower to compete with Land Rover’s alleged benchmark, the Mercedes-benz G-class.
The V-8 Defender could sell for more than £100,000 ($175,000 here) as the top-spec Defender already tops £75,000 ($131,000). The vehicle likely will make its debut in late 2021.