Not many cars have such a rich history as the Land Rover Defender. It begun its journey as the British version of the Willy's Jeep for military purposes way back in the 1940s, before it became hugely popular among motor enthusiasts for its remarkable off-road capability. It then underwent various transitions from extended wheelbase cars, all the way to ambulance applications. All this happened over a 68 year period. Then unfortunately, Land Rover ceased its production in 2016.
But this year 2018 marks Land Rover 70th anniversary. Thus the company decided to celebrate it by releasing a special edition model. It is going to be called the Land Rover Defender Works. It would be a limited-run off-roader which is inspired by the V8 Series III Stage 1 from 1979, which also brought about the highly coveted 50th Anniversary model. Performance would be guaranteed by a 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine that produces 399bhp and 380lb-ft of torque.
This might not sound groundbreaking, but according to Land Rover, the Defender Works is the most powerful car the company has ever made. Transmission would be sent to all-four wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, which would propel the off-roader from 0-60mph in race track like 5.6secs.
More features include the special model getting full Windsor Leather trim that covers the Recaro sports seats, door panels and dashboard. An infotainment system with sat-nav comes as standard, with Android Auto and Apple Car Play included.
Customers can also make purchasing choices from eight regular and two satin body colours, while a satin black roof and wheel arches come as standard. Bi-LED headlights also come as standard, same with exclusive 18ins diamond-cut alloy wheels.
According to Tim Hannig, Jaguar Land Rover Classic chief, "The idea of reintroducing a V8 Defender was something we were discussing as far back as 2014. We knew the demand was there for a powerful and fast Defender. The Land Rover authenticity is the ultimate finishing touch for discerning clients purchasing these collector’s edition Defenders.”
As usual you can expect this model to be highly exclusive. Reports say that only about a 150 models are expected to be produced, with each having a price tag of about 150,000 pounds each. However, Land Rover would graciously sell individual parts that can be retrofitted to already existing Defenders which might not be on the Works edition.
Also, an all-new version of the Defender is also in the works and is expected to arrive in 2019. These are certainly good times for the Lovers of the British Company.