Land Rover Launches Factory-Refreshed Classic V-8 Defenders

Land Rover lovers can now order an as-new Classic V-8 Defender built by the company’s Works Bespoke arm.

Available in three-door 90 and five-door 110 wheelbase versions, each is fitted with a 405-hp five-liter V-8 engine, mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. Alcon brakes and Eibach coil springs with Bilstein dampers are installed to update the driving experience further.

Donor vehicles are sourced in the form of the final 2012-2016 model, so should be in decent shape to begin with, but are nonetheless subject to a ground-up restoration. After that the new powertrain is installed and the car finished to the buyer’s specification from a massive variety of paint, trim and equipment options.

“With Works Bespoke, we are giving clients the opportunity to create their perfect Classic Defender V8, a vehicle that will suit their exact lifestyle,” explains Paul Barritt, Director of Land Rover Classic. “Every vehicle is lovingly crafted, with creativity the only limit when it comes to personalising each vehicle to the owner’s desired specification. From start to finish, clients of Works Bespoke will be given an experience like no other, creating their ultimate Classic Defender V-8.”

For the exterior there’s a selection of Heritage, Contemporary, Premium and SV Metallic palettes, plus a paint-to-sample option. Owners can plump for a contrasting roof color, and there are three different grilles available; Heritage, Standard and Adventure, with the door handles, fixing and Defender logo offered in silver or black.

Wheels come in 16-inch Wolf or 18-inch Sawtooth designs, and other exterior customization pieces include side steps, roof rack, expedition cage, ladder, winch, a roof tent, and roof lights. On that topic the Defender’s original lights are replaced with LED items in two styles.

Inside there are optional Recaro sports front seats, while the whole cabin gets a luxurious leather treatment in five monotone and eight duotone colorways. The infotainment system is upgraded with a 3.5-inch touch-screen driven system. There’s even a full Ply Guys Camper Conversion available for the most adventurous

Prices start at around $250,000 plus taxes for the 90 Station Wagon, rising to almost $270,000 for a seven-seater 110, but start to tinker with the online configurator and it’s very easy to imagine adding significantly to those numbers.