Q Oh my giddy aunt. How’d they do that?
Simples. Stuff in JLR’s naturally aspirated 5.0 V8 and demand it delivers 400bhp at 6,000rpm, alongside 380lb ft of torque at 5,000rpm. To access that, there’s an eight-speed ZF automatic, a two-speed transfer box, and, of course, all-wheel drive. The suspension is a live beam axle with coil springs and Panhard rod and anti-roll bar on the front with a live axle, coil springs, A-frame trail arms and anti-roll bar on the back. And to stop, the front brakes are 335mm discs with 300mm on the back and four-piston callipers all round. Footwear is 265/65/R18s all terrains, of course.
Q Sounds like a plan, but why – and why now?
It might look as modern as the Sealed Knot, but this is a slick marketing exercise. While the world continues to hold its breath for the all-new replacement, JLR must have decided the gap is getting dangerously wide (until 2020, apparently), so it needs to do something to remind brand fans that the whole Defendering thing still exists.
Q And how do they do it?
These aren’t production-line cars. JLR has assigned the project to Jaguar Land Rover Classic, the subsection of JLR that specialises in reworking past models. It’s a limited run of just 150, and the price will depend on the spec of the donor vehicle, though you’ll not see change from £90,000 for the shorter 90 wheelbase version. You can contact [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 3601 1255 for more information. But if that’s a bit too much, there is at least this lovely video to feast on… your thoughts, as ever, are appreciated: is this a 4x4 to die for or an idea best left buried?
