- Retro Automotive built a custom Land Rover Defender 90 for Lando Norris.
- The off-roader comes without a roof, and sports a McLaren-inspired color combination.
- Cool features include a removable Marshall speaker and a portable pizza oven at the back.
The original Land Rover Defender remains a darling for bespoke builders, and this topless creation by UK-based Retro Automotive is no slouch. Commissioned by F1 driver Lando Norris for when he’s not tearing up the track in his McLaren Formula 1 car, it serves as his less furious, albeit still flashy, daily driver.
The project started with a comprehensive restoration of a Land Rover Defender 90, which took 1,000 hours to complete. Interestingly, Norris wanted his off-roader to be completely roofless, leaving the cabin fully exposed for an open-air driving experience. The model also has wider fenders and modern LED lighting units, as you would expect from a build of this caliber.
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The exterior is painted in a unique pearlescent mix of Nardo Grey, with black metal accents and black 18-inch alloy wheels shod in grippy BF Goodrich rubber. Apparently, the inspiration for the paint job came from McLaren supercars.
The interior is covered in Muirhead Egyptian Blue leather, featuring a quilted pattern for the seats and rear benches. The latter have been extended so they can fit more occupants. On the technology front, the Defender remains spartan but gained a Pioneer head unit with Apple CarPlay, mated to a removable Marshall Kilburn II cubby speaker that sounds perfect for the beach.
Retro Automotive
The name of its famous owner has been 3D-printed on metal plaques. Photos show a picnic setup on the back, even featuring a portable pizza oven by Ooni between the rear benches. Having an oven certainly suits the character of the build, allowing Lando to enjoy a hot slice of pizza in the wilderness, or on the beach.
The underpinnings of the Land Rover Defender have also been upgraded, with an adjustable air suspension and bigger brakes. Under the hood lies a 3.9-liter V8 engine, paired with a manual transmission and transfer box rebuilt by Hobsons Industries.
Retro Automotive has already delivered the Defender to the F1 driver’s home in Monaco. The company, originally established in 2018 in Yorkshire, builds only 15 vehicles per year, and each one is tailored to the customer’s preferences. Delivery usually takes six months, with the owner getting regular updates during the process of their Land Rover build.
