With the production of the iconic Defender ending in 2016, one would assume that the British carmaker closed once and for all this important chapter in its history books, but apparently we were wrong.
For its 70th anniversary, Land Rover decided to re-engineer 150 Defenders as a proper birthday present – and the highlight hides under the bonnet.
In order to create the most special factory-built Defender, Land Rover borrowed Jaguar’s 5.0-liter V8 complete with its modern eight-speed automatic transmission. Forget the puny numbers of old turbodiesel versions; this Defender is now making 405PS (399hp) and 515Nm (380lb-ft) of torque. And that’s without the supercharger that goes with this engine in, say, the F-Type.
The ladder chassis is fitted with better brakes, bespoke suspension and 18-inch alloy wheels in order for the Defender Works V8 to become slightly less terrifying and more exciting to drive. This is, after all, an off-roader still having live axles front and rear.
The 0-60mph (0-96km/h) sprint comes in 5.6 seconds while top speed is limited to 106mph (170km/h) because of the tires fitted. Land Rover has already sold out the entire run of the Defender Works V8, despite costing a rather hefty £150,000 ($212k in current exchange rates) in the UK.
Is it as good as it sounds in theory? Let’s watch what Auto Express has to say in their video review.