Classic Land Rover V-8 Trophy is a sure-fire winner
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 V-8 Trophy is a re-engineered version of the last of the first Defender line, built from 2012–2016, and is available in short-wheelbase 90 and long-wheelbase 110 editions. Designed to be monsters off-road, 25 cars will be built with a 456-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 under the hood, mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. This combination was previously fitted to Land Rover Works’ Defender 70th Edition, but now it packs an even bigger punch.
Reborn to go seriously off-the-beaten-track the V-8 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 grueling 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 full-blown expedition look 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 tires. The sumptuous leather 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 center, where they’ll receive driving tuition and compete against each other for prizes. As if owning one of these $270,000 Land Rovers wasn’t winning enough at life already.
