Defender Classic V8, a 2012-2016 Defender rebuilt by hand around a 5.0-litre V8, can now be commissioned in Australia for the first time.
Orders go through local Land Rover retailers as a kind of special factory order. Each donor car starts life as an original Solihull-built Defender. Sourced by Defender Classic specialists, the 2012-2016 Land Rover is then stripped and rebuilt from the ground up, taking hundreds of hours per car.
It’s priced from £209,000 GBP plus delivery and local taxes. That’s an awful lot of money for a Defender that left Solihull at least a decade ago, but nobody commissioning one will be checking the change. Think of it as having a resto-mod done locally, if you happened to live in the UK, except this is as good as a factory original car.
It’s a very different car to the current Defender, whether that’s the Vertex or the OCTA that push-started a 406mph hydrogen record car. This one keeps the old shape that classic car lovers adore, and adds a great deal more hustle under the bonnet.
Defender Classic V8 Keeps Its Beam Axles
The engine is a genuine naturally aspirated 298kW/515Nm Land Rover 5.0-litre V8. It is mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic with a pistol-shifter selector, and drives all 4 wheels through a two-speed transfer box. Defender Classic estimates 0-100km/h in around 5.9 seconds for the 90, but that’s far faster than I’d care to go in an old Landie, refreshed or not.
Above: Aion V Luxury Shows Legacy Brands How to Make Cars
#GACAionV, #GAC, #EVReview, #ToyotaRAV4, #GayCarBoys
Help Support Gay Car Boys Subscribe to our Youtube Channel by SMASHING THE BUTTON ABOVE
ABOVE: Defender Classic V8
V8 Defenders go back to the Series III Stage 1 V8 of 1979, which had a 90bhp 3.5-litre Rover V8. The last official one before this was a limited run of 50th Anniversary Defender 90s in 1998, with a lustier 190bhp 4.0L.
After that, there wasn’t an official V8 Defender again until the first Defender Classic V8 in 2018. Named editions from Islay to Churchill followed.
The chassis hasn’t gone all soft and modern, oh no. We still get live beam axles at both ends and recirculating ball steering, but the suspension gets Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers. Brakes get a makeover with Alcon four-pistons adding some stop to all that extra go.
Personally, I’d rather have modern steering and suspension, and I’d go electric while I was at it. A channel I follow is Electric Classic Cars, run by Richard “Moggy” Morgan in Wales. His team now builds its own electric skateboard chassis for classic Defender bodies, with a modern steering rack and independent suspension on all four corners. In his road test, he says the rack makes it feel more precise on the road, and the turning circle is a lot better than a standard Defender’s.
Bridge of Weir Leather and a 4.8″ Screen
Works Bespoke, the programme Defender Classic launched in August 2024, is where big bucks get spent. Any exterior colour from the Heritage or Extended palettes can be had. There’s also a match-to-sample service, so a client can bring a dog, a mistress, or a swatch from the yacht and have the Defender painted to suit. Let’s hope the missus doesn’t find out.
16″ Wolf steel rims in Black or Limestone add a touch of verisimilitude, but 18″ Sawtooth alloys bring bling galore. LED headlights are standard, with Heritage or Crystal Lighting Packs optional. Other accessories include everything from side steps and a roof rack to an expedition cage and a winch. This is the real deal that has a great sense of explorer-cum-bushbasher.
Luscious leather covers the dashboard, seats, door panels, and roof lining in 5 monotone colour schemes such as Ebony and Deep Garnet, or 8 duotones. An extended Bridge of Weir leather palette goes further still, venturing into Range Rover territory. Premium seats are optional, and selected models can have Recaros.
Shockingly, the standard touchscreen is a paltry 4.8″ for 200 grand. At least it has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but the 9″ screen in a custom fascia is optional, for clients who expect their phone’s maps to be bigger than a postage stamp. A reversing camera with its own lens washer is optional too. At this price one might expect those to be thrown in gratis. Remember ladies and gents, this is a near $400,000 AUD conversion.
For something less polished, the Explorer Pack fits a Ply Guys camper conversion in the back, a roof-mounted tent box, and a ladder option. The hand-stitched roof lining gets to go bush after all.
Clients spec their car through an online configurator, with one-to-one help from Classic Works specialists in Coventry and Essen, Germany. The 90 Station Wagon, 90 Soft Top, and 110 Station Wagon are available now, with more body styles to follow. See our Works Bespoke Soft Top story for more detail on the open-top car.
Dominic Elms, Director of Defender Classic, said Works Bespoke clients are “commissioning highly individual vehicles tailored to their personal tastes and lifestyles”. He added that as the programme expands into new markets, the team looks forward to “helping new clients bring their vision to life”.
Anyone who’d rather not wait for a build can buy a Sunset Gold 90 Soft Top that’s ready for immediate sale.
Defender Classic V8
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price | From £209,000 plus delivery and local taxes |
| Donor vehicles | Original Solihull-built 2012-2016 Defenders |
| Body styles | 90 Station Wagon, 90 Soft Top, 110 Station Wagon |
| Engine | 5.0-litre (4,999cc) naturally aspirated petrol V8 (EU5) |
| Power/torque | 298kW (405PS) @ 6,000rpm/515Nm @ 5,000rpm |
| Transmission | Eight-speed ZF automatic, pistol-shifter selector |
| Drive | All-wheel drive, two-speed transfer box, torque-biasing centre diff |
| 0-100km/h | 5.9 seconds (90), 6.1 seconds (110), estimated |
| Top speed | 170km/h |
| Brakes | Alcon four-piston, 335mm front and 300mm rear discs |
| Suspension | Live beam axles, Eibach springs and anti-roll bars, Bilstein dampers |
| Wheels | 16″ heavy-duty steel, mud-terrain tyres |
| Touchscreen | 4.8″ standard, 9″ optional |
Above: AutolinkR AI Box and wireless Carplay Stream while you wait
#AutoLinkrPro, #AutoLinkr, #WirelessCarPlay, #Ottocast, #GayCarBoys
Help Support Gay Car Boys Subscribe to our Youtube Channel by SMASHING THE BUTTON ABOVE
More Land Rover Stories
- Defender OCTA Had 300m to Push a 406mph Record Car
- Range Rover GT Is Land Rover’s Late Coupe-SUV Play
- Defender Vertex Adds Tougher Look Without Losing Off-Road Cred
Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
Leave a Reply