£150,000 DEFENDER

Bond Spectre is expected to be the world’s most expensive Defender when it goes to auction, says Dave Phillips

JUST WHEN you thought Defender prices couldn’t get any sillier, along comes an SVX Concept that appeared in the 2015 James Bond movie Spectre – and is expected to fetch £150,000.

The double cab 110 – one of ten ordered by the movie’s producers from Land Rover’s Special Vehicles and further pumped up by off-road tuning specialists Bowler – goes under the hammer at top auction house Sotherby’s in London on September 6.

When shooting the 24th 007 film, Spectre, Sony Pictures needed a menacing vehicle to be used by members of the Spectre criminal organisation in the Austrian Alps. They turned to JLR’S Special Vehicle Operations to supply ten cars, which were then sent to famed tuner Bowler, who transformed them from regular Santorini Black crew-cab 110s to something worthy of a Bond villain.

The most obvious part of the transformation is the use of huge 37 inch tyres, which are bolted directly onto the wheel rim and are said to greatly improve the ride over a standard Defender. Suspension upgrades include rose joints and Bilstein rally dampers, built to Bowler race specification, while a full roll cage runs both externally and internally. Hidden away are significant engine improvements, with power up from around 120 bhp to 185 bhp and almost 370 lb ft of torque. Recaro seats with four-point harnesses complete the interior transformation, as does a hydraulic handbrake, which had been disconnected prior to private sale.

Described by Sotherby’s as "the ultimate Defender", the Spectre Defender featured in exciting off-road car chases across the Austrian Alps. Not all of the ten vehicles survived the stunts, but this 2014 model escaped unscathed, with just 145 miles on the clock.

But why so expensive? A Sotherby’s expert explained: “Given the way in which some of these cars were used during filming, it is unsurprising that not all survived intact. However, this particular Spectre Defender was used for drive-by filming only, sustaining no damage during filming, and represents a once-in-alifetime opportunity.”

It is road-legal and sold with a range of paperwork documenting filming schedules and the parts used in its construction.