Want an Old Defender With a New V-8 Engine? Call Up Land Rover's Bespoke Division
You can get the classic Land Rover Defender body in either 90 or 110 guise modernized with a new V-8 engine.
Land Rover has been throwing burly V-8 engines into its classic Defender line of off-road trucks sporadically since the late 1970s, and the new Defender is regularly available with a V-8. But those old V-8s hardly stack up to a modern engine, hence the inspiration for this new machine blending a classic Defender body with some of that new V-8 flavor. This new restomod featuring a modern engine isn't some third-party deal, either—it comes from the Land Rover Classic Works Bespoke division. Here's what you get, and what it'll cost ya.
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Donor Defenders
Land Rover's Classic Works Bespoke division will only touch donor "old" Defenders from the 2012 to 2016 model years of production, since they're likely seemingly new enough to hopefully not require a complete teardown and overhaul, even though that's pretty close to what they get anyway. Both 90 and 110 body styles, so two- and four-door models, are included in the project.
Defender V-8 Upgrade
All work is done by hand, and the old trucks are introduced to a new naturally-aspirated Land Rover V-8 that's good for 405 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque, which is more than the old V-8 classic Defenders ever made. Power is shifted through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and sent through all four wheels for all-wheel drive capability.
Classic Defender Customization
Complete customization is offered with a full catalog of interior and exterior options through a digital Land Rover Classic configurator tool, and there's always help from the specialist teams at Classic Works in Coventry, UK and Essen, Germany. Paint can be sample matched to anything, or buyers can choose from existing Land Rover Heritage, Contemporary, Premium or SV Metallic palettes. There's also buyer's choice of a Heritage, Standard or Adventure grille for the nose, and the scripting and trim accessories can be finished in either a Silver or Black detail package.
Classic Defender V-8 Wheels
Buyers can also choose between black or Limestone colored 16‑inch Wolf wheels or optional 18‑inch Sawtooth alloys. Available exterior accessories include side steps, a roof rack, an expedition cage, a ladder, an off-road winch, classic‑style roof‑mounted spotlights, or a full roof‑mounted LED light bar.
Defender V-8 Interior Upgrades
The classic Defender interior is slightly updated with better owner-chosen materials and a modern-looking shifter. The seats, trims, doors, roof lining, and dashboard are finished in one of five monotone or eight duotone leather options. There's also a Recaro seating option, or a Premium seating setup available over the standard sitters. Digital radio and modern navigation are controlled through a 3.5-inch touchscreen in the dashboard.
Defender V-8 Camper
Customization options go even further with an optional Adventure Pack that includes a roof‑mounted tent and ladder, or a Ply Guys Camper Conversion that transforms the interior into a suitable living/camping space (MT has requested specific images, which were not provided, of this configuration and will update if we get them). All vehicles also get four-piston Alcon brakes and an upgraded suspension kit with Eibach coil springs, anti-roll bars, and Bilstein dampers.
Classic Defender V-8 Restomod Pricing
Pricing for the smallest restomod Defender V-8 begins at $250,766, but climbs to $262,644 for the five-seater station wagon, or $269,243 for. the seven‑seat 110 station wagon version, all priced before fees and delivery costs or further customization. The new restomods will debut at the Goodwood Revival event in early September if you want to see them up close.
Justin Westbrook eventually began writing about new cars in college after starting an obsessive action movie blog. That developed into a career covering news, reviews, motorsports, and a further obsession with car culture and the next-gen technology and design styles that are underway, transforming the automotive industry as we know it.
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