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Pirelli Develops Special Tire For Land Rover Defender

It’s claimed to offer more grip with less road noise.

Pirelli leads the way in advancing tire technology, creating bespoke rubber for the all-electric Taycan as well as for the Ford F-150 and even for newcomers Rivian. Now the Italian manufacturer has partnered with Land Rover to produce a special tire just for the new Defender. Pirelli says that the new tires offer best-in-class rolling resistance, which is always a benefit when you’re trying to make vehicles as efficient as possible. Considering how notoriously old-school the last Defender was for so long, any advancement made in reducing emissions from the new Defender will always be welcome. But is the new rubber any good?

Pirelli says that its new Scorpion Zero All Season ultra high performance tire is “designed to deliver excellent levels of comfort and safety” and reduces noise while providing maximum performance throughout any season, whether the road surface is dry or wet. New materials were used for the structure and compounds of the tire, and to ensure optimal performance, Land Rover tested the new tires “both uphill at a constant speed as well as sideways across the slope in order to assess lateral grip on wet grass.”

A new shoulder design and a double tread block help improve traction on mud, grass, and snow – something that Landy enthusiasts will surely appreciate.

To ensure that the tires are truly capable in all conditions, a series of laboratory tests were followed by an outdoor program that consisted of tests in the UK’s Malvern Hills, where the tires were tested on 66 miles of varied terrain. Following this, snow and ice testing took place in northern Sweden. Land Rover’s Gaydon facility in England was then used to test soft handling and comfort while high speed and wet handling testing took place at the Nurburgring and at the Applus and Idiada facility in Spain. Pirelli’s own Vizzola test track was also made use of. If that doesn’t sound like comprehensive testing, we don’t know what does.

Article Credit: Sebastian Cenizo
Photo Credits: Pirelli
Full Article: https://carbuzz.com/news/pirelli-develops-special-tire-for-land-rover-defender



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Land Rover Defender Upgraded With 650-HP Camaro ZL1 Engine

0-62 mph in this custom off-roader takes just 5.9 seconds.

Florida-based ECD Automotive Design produces some of the best handcrafted Land Rover Defender rebuilds on the market. Back in the summer, the US specialist teamed up with Electric Classic Cars to build the first Tesla-powered Land Rover in the world. Now, ECD has unveiled its latest Defender project, boasting unique styling and higher performance.

Dubbed Project Langeti, the custom Land Rover Defender is finished in utilitarian Keswick Green with Nara Bronze accents. This camo coloring makes the custom off-roader look far more rugged than the new Land Rover Defender. Its performance is also on another level.

Under the hood, you’ll find a supercharged LT4 paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission – the same engine that powers the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 producing 650 horsepower and 630 lb-ft of torque. This enables the custom off-roader to accelerate from 0-62 mph in just 5.9 seconds, giving the Defender sports car levels of performance. Upgraded Brembo brakes with custom Nara Bronze calipers also provide more substantial stopping power for the high-performance off-roader.

Other modifications include air ride suspension and 18-inch wheels also finished in Nara Bronze for a smoother ride. A Nara Bronze roof, rear ladder, and a sport exhaust system with black dual exhaust tips add to the utilitarian theme.

A Kahn Design bumper, classic swing away wheel carrier, and mesh grille finished in Nara Bronze help Project Langeti stand out in the crowded Defender restomod scene. “Every detail has been considered on this build. Langeti is a truly stunning example of the new ECD Signature build range and I believe one of the best Defenders available worldwide,” said the company’s co-founder Tom Humble.

Inside, the interior matches the exterior color theme with chocolate brown leather applied to the front Recaro Orthoped seats and throughout the cabin. Retro touches such as the simple stitch design, and wood-rim steering wheel combine with modern upgrades such as a new sound system, back-up camera, blind-spot assistance, keyless entry, and power locks and windows.

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Article Credit: Martin Bigg
Photo Credits: ECD Automotive Design
Full Article: https://carbuzz.com/news/land-rover-defender-upgraded-with-650-hp-camaro-zl1-engine

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Land Rover Defender annexes TopGear.com Car of the Year plum

MANILA: Land Rover takes pride in the Defender’s Car of the Year recognition from the TopGear.com Awards 2020.

The Land Rover Defender stood out among all vehicles that were released this year with its remarkable resilience. This tough sports utility vehicle had undergone more than 60,000 procedures of the Land Rover’s Extreme Event Test to ensure a superior and high-quality performance.

“It’s an absolute honor for us to receive Top Gear‘s Car of the Year award for our New Defender. Right from the start of creating this vehicle with a blank sheet of paper, we were obsessed about respecting its heritage and keeping its true authenticity, as well as ensuring it is completely fitting for today’s ever-evolving world. We have worked tirelessly to deliver a vehicle that has incredible off-road capability, as well as on-road poise and drivability. Additionally, we have ensured that the New Defender is completely connected, with our new Electrical Vehicle Architecture (EVA2), Pivi Pro infotainment system and software over the air (SOTA) updates to continually enhance the Defender operating system,” Jaguar Land Rover Product Engineering Executive Director Nick Rogers said. “We are especially proud of this recognition from Top Gear, which is a testament to the dedication of our JLR Family who have created a vehicle that we believe is truly worthy of the Defender name.”

Top Gear Magazine Editor Jack Rix extended his congratulations to the British car company. According to him, “Car of the Year is an accolade won by only the very best of the best. We recognize that replacing an icon is an unenviable task, and one Land Rover rightly took its time to get right. We’ve now driven one across the Namibian desert — and in properly harsh environments, like the M25 — in both 110 and 90 forms, with every engine under the bonnet and it just performs brilliantly everywhere. There’s an argument that because it costs a bit more it won’t be used properly by the farming and rural community, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be… It’s the toughest, most capable off-roader we’ve ever tested, but one that’s a refined, well-equipped family car around town.”

Aside from the top title, the SUV also bagged the Unstoppable Force award. To attest the Defender’s unbeatable power, Top Gear and Land Rover had set up a test in Warwickshire, England wherein three Defender 110 units were hung from a crane.

Top Gear Presenter Tom Ford explained, “We wanted to prove that Land Rover’s new Defender really does live up to the hype and had to test it in typical Top Gear fashion. What better way to let me loose with a 150 [metric ton], three Defenders, and a rope?”

The Land Rover Defender has continuously proven its excellence with the numerous awards that it had received within this year. Apart from the commendation by Top Gear, it was also recognized as Motortrend’s 2021 SUV of the year, Autocar’s Best SUV 2020, and Parker’s Best Off-roader.

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Article Credit: Hazel Nicole Carreon
Photo Credits: Land Rover
Full Article: https://www.zigwheels.ph/car-news/land-rover-defender-annexes-topgear-com-car-of-the-year-plum



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Jeremy Clarkson Reviews 2020 Land Rover Defender, Prefers the Ford Ranger Raptor

When Land Rover approached Jeremy Clarkson to review the all-new Defender, the 60-year-old journalist and presenter was determined to dislike the luxurious SUV with unibody construction. But as it often happens to J.C., his assumption was eventually turned upside down.

Writing for The Sunday Times, the tallest of the three amigos on The Grand Tour“was never a fan of the old Defender.” Jeremy Clarkson isn’t particularly smitten by the die-hard fans who prefer the body-on-frame model and the Land Rover Series, and I totally see where he’s coming from.

Take, for instance, the Wrangler. Over the course of four generations, Jeep didn’t change the essentials, but did improve the breed in ways that actually make sense. A more comfortable driving position, better steering, improved ride quality, even a plug-in hybrid; Jeep did all that but didn’t dare switch from a body-on-frame 4×4 to a luxed-up sport utility vehicle.

Land Rover, by comparison, abandoned the good ol’ ladder frame even though it wasn’t necessary. Even Ford tapped into the Wrangler’s segment with the pickup truck-based Bronco because there’s a lot of money to be made in this market. As for the all-new Defender, well, Richard Hammond believes that Land Rover should’ve named it Discovery and call it a day.

Turning our attention back to Clarkson, he’s most impressed by the interior, technological trickery, and off-road capability of the short-wheelbase model he reviewed. The “pointlessly visible screw heads” on the door cards are not to his liking, and the price tag left him baffled at 62,000 pounds sterling. A well-equipped spec with a six-pot engine soars past 80,000 pounds sterling, and that’s a big no-no because it’s full-size Range Rover territory.

“Excuse me, but if I want a vehicle to cart around bales of straw and sheep — and I do, by the way — why would I spend £50,000-plus on a Defender?” Clarkson further wrote for The Sunday Driving Times that his tester was bonging hysterically at him when maneuvering near blades of grass, and I’m pretty lost for words about that. An off-roader is scared of grass, really?

Two more problems Jeremy has highlighted are the wind noise on the motorway and “the sort of constant diagonal pitching motion.” The verdict? Well, J.C. likes the brand-new Defender, but he “can’t see the point of it.”

He says the Range Rover is a much better alternative for well-to-do people who commute every weekend to a nice estate in the British countryside, though surprisingly enough, Jeremy Clarkson would pick a very different type of vehicle to call his own. Instead of the Defender, J.C. would rather have the “cheaper, more tax-efficient, and more practical Ford Ranger Raptor.”

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Article Credit: Mircea Panait
Full Article: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/jeremy-clarkson-reviews-2020-land-rover-defender-prefers-the-ford-ranger-raptor-152435.html

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Tiff Needell Reviews 2020 Land Rover Defender On and Off the Road

After Richard Hammond had a go in the all-new Defender, Tiff Needell is much obliged to give his thoughts on that very same Defender. Seriously, just check the license plates! But as opposed to Richard’s criticism, Tiff defends the unibody sport utility vehicle for an understandable reason.

Speaking of body-on-frame models of old, our protagonist remembers how much he hated driving the Defender on the road for “more than a dozen or so miles.” Land Rover Defenders from that era definitely aren’t luxurious, and the ride quality isn’t comparable to the air suspension of the newcomer.

Once in the driver’s seat, Needell can’t escape the feeling that he’s in something different from the previous generation of the Defender and the Land Rover Series from days long gone. The heritage design elements such as the exposed screw heads and chunky grab handles “are just token gestures,” though. Make no mistake about it, “this car is all about luxury.”

As far as the driving experience is concerned, “this is nothing like the Defender of old. This is an enjoyable family SUV.” Right after that line, Tiff corrects himself by adding “sorry Land Rover, four by four.” Reading between the lines, the people behind the Defender wanted the Defender to appeal to a much wider audience than the body-on-frame model. Given the high starting price of the newcomer, profit margins had a huge say as well.

At 43,625 pounds sterling for the short-wheelbase version with the mild-hybrid and twin-turbo diesel Ingenium engine, there’s no denying Land Rover is gunning for different customers. Compare that price to 23,100 pounds sterling for the body-on-frame Defender in 2016, and you can clearly tell how much has changed in such a short amount of time. But does it surprise you? Lest we forget, demand for SUVs is at an all-time high.

Tiff also takes the newcomer off-road, worrying about the fancy wheels, but the Landie does a good job in this scenario without breaking a sweat. As for the verdict, Mr. Needell gives the Defender his blessing.

Still, something’s been bugging me about the whole review. As one YouTuber puts it in the comments section, “is this a car review or an advertorial?”

Article Credit: Mircea Panait
Full Article: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/tiff-needell-reviews-2020-land-rover-defender-on-and-off-the-road-152379.html#