The King is dead, long live The King. That’s the message from Land Rover Classic as it reveals its latest, and perhaps ultimate incarnation of the OG Defender.
The Defender Works V8 Trophy is a re-engineered version of the last of the first Defender line, built from 2012-2016, and is one of the ultimate toys to emerge from Land Rover Classic, with a price tag to match – at nearly £200,000 it is ten times the price of a tidy used Defender 90 TD5.
Available in short wheelbase 90 and long wheelbase 110 editions, the Defender Works V8 Trophy is designed to be a monster off-road. All 25 cars will feature a 456bhp, five-litre V8 under the bonnet, mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. This combination was previously fitted to Land Rover Works’ Defender 70th Edition, but now packs an even bigger punch.
Reborn to venture off-the-beaten-track the V8 Trophy’s suspension, steering and brakes have been upgraded. The bodywork has been painted in Eastnor Yellow, a splendid throwback to the days when Land Rovers took on the gruelling Camel Trophy in the most remote parts of the globe. This was a different time, when cigarette sponsorship and forging new paths through virgin rainforest was acceptable.
Adding to the expedition dress code is a winch, external roll cage, roof rack, underbody protection, snorkel air intake, roof-mounted LED spot lamps, and 16-inch Eastnor Yellow wheels shod with all-terrain tyres. The leather-lined interior, complete with Recaro front seats means that adventuring needn’t be a hardship, and the Trophy’s on-board tech is updated with a Land Rover Classic infotainment system to provide connectivity and navigation.
Buyers of the 25 Trophy editions will get three days at Land Rover’s Eastnor Castle off-road centre, where they’ll receive driving tuition and compete against each other for prizes. As if owning one of these £195,000 Land Rovers wasn’t winning enough at life already.
