Land Rover’s Defender lives on

THE LIMITED-EDITION VERSION WILL CERTAINLY BECOME A COLLECTOR’S ITEM The Works V8 is the most powerful and fastest version created.

Land Rover has announced a limited-edition high-performance version of the iconic Defender, with up to 150 V8-powered examples re-engineered to celebrate the Land Rover marque’s 70th anniversary in 2018.

The Defender Works V8 pays homage to the early high-powered engines in both the Series III Stage 1 V8 from 1979 and subsequent Defenders, including the 50th Anniversary Edition, which are highly sought after by enthusiasts and collectors today.

Defender Works V8 is the most powerful and fastest version that Land Rover has ever created. The 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol V8 powertrain produced 298 kW and 515 Nm of torque (the standard Defender delivered 90 kW and 360 Nm). The Defender Works V8 will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.6sec, while top speed is increased to 170 km/h.

Tim Hannig, Jaguar Land Rover Classic Director, said: “It’s fitting that we’ve been able to release the full potential of the iconic Defender, whose much-loved shape remains synonymous with Land Rover, 70 years since it was seen in public for the first time.

“The idea of reintroducing a V8 Defender was something we were discussing as far back as 2014, when we were still building the Defender in Solihull. We knew the demand was there for a powerful and fast Defender; the Land Rover authenticity is the ultimate finishing touch for discerning clients purchasing these collector’s edition Defenders.”

All enquiries should be directed to: info@classic.landrover. co.uk / +44 (0) 203 601 1255 / www. landrover.com/explore-land-rover/reborn.html

Defender Works V8 is available in the United Kingdom and Middle East and North Africa markets on a personal import basis.

European market availability is also on an individual import basis, subject to rules on importation of vehicle conversions.

V8 powertrains in the Land Rover Defender and its production predecessors started with the Series III Stage 1 V8 of 1979. The carburetted 3.5-litre Rover V8 produced 90bhp.

The Land Rover One Ten from 1983, and Ninety from 1984, used the same 3.5-litre Rover V8 engine as the Series III Stage 1 V8, but in 113bhp form, uprated to 135bhp from 1987.

For North American Specification (NAS) Defender 90s and 110s only, from 1992, a 182bhp fuel-injected 3.9-litre version of the Rover V8 was fitted, along with a fourspeed automatic transmission.

In 1998, the fuel-injected 190bhp 4.0-litre V8 from the second-generation Range Rover was fitted to a limited run of 50th Anniversary Defender 90s, with a four-speed automatic transmission.

5.0-litre naturally-aspirated 2018 Defender Works V8 is the first official V8-powered Land Rover Defender to be introduced since 1998.