Land Rover Defender V8
Land Rover has unveiled the new Defender V8, the fastest, most powerful model ever, as the ultimate expression of the toughest 4×4 of the brand – also recalling the rich heritage of eightcylinder Land Rovers dating back to the 1970s. Its introduction follows shortly after Jaguar Land Rover disclosed plans to go electric by 2039 – adding six pure electric variants to its lineup within the next five years – meaning this could also be the last V8 in the iconic Defender range …
Prior to the V8s reveal, the new Defender was also named Supreme Winner of the Women’s World Car of the Year 2021 awards, the first time a Land Rover has won the top prize at the awards and the latest in a series of international honours for the Defender.
Powered by JLRS 5.0litre V8 supercharged petrol engine that produces 386 kw of power and 625 Nm of torque, and drives through an eightspeed auto transmission, giving the V8 90 derivative (it is also available in the 110 model) a claimed 0100 km/h sprint time of 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 240 km/h.
The formidable new models build on decades of Land Rover V8 heritage – spanning the original Series III Stage One V8 built from 1979 until 1985, North American Specification (NAS) models of the Nineties and the recent powerful Defender Works V8.
The V8 petrol engine is not the only introduction. A new XS Edition (replacing the First Edition) and exclusive Carpathian Edition, new design packs, and an optional larger 11.4inch Pivi Pro infotainment touchscreen is now available. The exclusive Carpathian Edition is based on the Defender V8 and represents the ultimate expression of Defender design, performance and capability, while the XS Edition replaces the hugely successful First Edition.
The local introduction of the Defender V8 and XS Edition is expected toward the end of this year and pricing for the V8 and XS models will be confirmed closer to time of launch.