Prefer the old Defender to the new one? You need to get your hands on a re-engineered Defender Works V8 Trophy built by Land Rover Classic…
If you missed out on an old-school Defender before production finished in 2016, and you don’t think the high-tech all-new Defender is up to the task of worldwide overlanding, never fear; you can now get your hands on a Defender Works V8 Trophy, based on the original Defender but refurbished by Land Rover Classic.
You’ll need at least £195,000 ($350,000) for one of the 25 examples of the exclusive Defender Works V8 Trophy, but the purchase price includes an invitation to compete in an exclusive three-day adventure at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, England – the spiritual home of Land Rover all-terrain training, testing and development. This event will be the first time Works V8 Trophy customers will get to drive their new Defenders.
The Works V8 Trophy will be available in both 90 and 110 Station Wagon variants, all finished in unique Eastnor Yellow paintwork with Narvik Black details. Oh, and they will all pack a 5.0L petrol V8 engine (making a claimed 298kW of power at 6000rpm and 515Nm of torque at 5000rpm) mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.
The Works V8 Trophy is based on the re-engineered 2012-2016 Defender Works V8 developed by Land Rover Classic and, as well as the new powertrain, it features upgraded suspension, steering and braking components, a winch, a multi-point expedition cage, a roof rack, underbody protection, a raised air intake, LED headlights and driving lights, and mud-terrain tyres. It also scores a Heritage front grille, unique Land Rover Trophy badging and event-participation graphics personalised to each customer.
The interior package is a bit fancier than that of Defenders of old, too, with Recaro sports seats, full black Windsor leather upholstery, contrast yellow stitching and a bespoke Land Rover Trophy clock face by Elliot Brown. It also gets an infotainment system with integrated navigation and mobile connectivity.
At the three-day adventure at Eastnor Castle, Works V8 Trophy customers will make their first marks by adding their names and country flags to their vehicles. They will then embark on a range of challenges inspired by famous global adventures and competitions spanning more than seven decades of Land Rover production. Think Camel Trophy (but without the ciggy sponsorship) and G4 Challenge.
As we said, with only 25 examples available worldwide, you’d better get in quick if you want to nab a slice of Land Rover history in the making. You can make enquiries with Land Rover Classic.
Here’s a short promo video for the three-day Works V8 Trophy adventure at Eastnor Castle:
