AN UNCOMPROMISING

back to basics 4X4 planned by Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have a BMW engine at its heart.

Codenamed Projekt Grenadier — after the London pub in which the idea was conceived — Ineos Automotive’s off-roader aims to recapture the rufty-tufty spirit of the original Land Rover Defender, which ceased production in 2016. Between 25,000 and 30,000 Grenadiers a year are expected to be built when production starts in 2020. They will be stripped of most entertainment fripperies, lacking carpet but capable of being hosed down after a muddy romp and priced from £30,000 to £50,000.

Sir Jim (left) worth an estimated £21 billion, has secured the partnership with BMW to supply a range of TwinPower turbo engines.

For details, see projektgrenadier.com