The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
The ultimate Defender
Land Rover’s £150k V8 version of iconic off-roader
Heads were held in hands all over Scotland when Land Rover said it was ceasing production of the Defender.
The iconic off-roader went out of production two years ago, a victim of changing times and tightening emissions regulations.
An all-new Defender is due out next year but it will be a different beast altogether. It’s likely to look more modern, it’ll sit on an aluminium chassis, and it’s bound to have more technology onboard.
It will, in short, be a lot of things the outgoing model isn’t. The Defender’s body shape hasn’t changed in seven decades and that’s what’s going to end.
Before that happens, however, the original Defender’s getting one last hurrah – and what a swan song it is.
Land Rover has announced a limited edition Defender Works V8 to mark the 70th anniversary of the very first Defender.
Only 150 examples will be built, each with prices starting at an eye-watering £150,000 – that’s £45,000 more than a Range Rover V8 Autobiography.
Under the bonnet lies a 5.0-litre V8 engine putting out 400bhp. Given that the old Defender had a 120bhp four-cylinder diesel, that’s quite a hike in power.
Performance is almost ridiculously brisk for a vehicle designed to wade through rivers and scramble up muddy embankments.
It takes just 5.6 seconds to sprint from 0-62mph, which is incredible for such a boxy car. Top speed is electronically limited to 106mph and it’s fitted with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Both short-wheelbase 90 and long-wheelbase 110 versions of the Works V8 will be available. Alongside the new engine, there’s bigger brakes, better springs, dampers and anti-roll bars, and 18in alloys and all-terrain tyres.
Eight body colours are available, including two satin finishes, with a contrasting black roof, wheel arches and front grille. The door handles, fuel filler cap and bonnet lettering are all finished in machined aluminium, and the headlights are now LED.