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New Land Rover Defender Goes Back To Dakar To Support Sébastien Loeb And Nani Roma

The 2021 Dakar Rally is just around the corner and the new Land Rover Defender will be present, sadly not to race but to support the efforts of the Prodrive-backed Bahrain Raid XTreme team, or BRX for short.

A pair of production-spec Defender 110 P400 models will act as support vehicles for the BRX team, who will enter the iconic race with nine-time World Rally champion Sébastien Loeb and two-time Dakar Rally winner Nani Roma.

BRX’s Land Rover Defenders will be driven on the definition of extreme conditions, traversing desert dunes, mud, and rocks, carrying vital supplies and equipment, as well as the team’s crew who will camp, eat, and sleep in them across the Dakar Rally’s 12 stages.

“Land Rover has a unique Dakar pedigree having won the inaugural event in 1979, and the rally remains the ultimate all-terrain endurance test,” said  Finbar McFall, Jaguar Land Rover Customer Experience Director. “While the Defenders won’t be competing, they will have a vital role in supporting the team as they navigate their way across thousands of miles of punishing desert terrain. The fact these vehicles are unmodified is testimony to the intrinsic capability and durability of our legendary 4×4, which has undergone the most demanding engineering test and development programme in our history.”

Land Rover says that the two Defenders are showroom-standard, finished in Indus Silver, and featuring the mild-hybrid 3.0-liter Ingenium straight-six engine with 394 HP (400 PS). The cars are fitted with factory options like the Explorer Pack, which includes the Expedition Roof Rack, Raised Air Intake, wheel arch protection, and the Exterior Side-Mounted Gear Carrier, as well as a deployable roof ladder that provides access to a roof box.

“The crew need to know our support vehicles will be able to carry all of the necessary kit and be relied upon to get to the next service location, whatever the conditions,” said Paul Howorth, Bahrain Raid XTreme Team Principal. “New Defender provides a unique combination of all-terrain performance, rugged practicality, and comfort – a crucial combination for the unpredictable Dakar conditions and after long days behind the wheel.”

“Land Rover has a unique Dakar pedigree having won the inaugural event in 1979, and the rally remains the ultimate all-terrain endurance test,” said  Finbar McFall, Jaguar Land Rover Customer Experience Director. “While the Defenders won’t be competing, they will have a vital role in supporting the team as they navigate their way across thousands of miles of punishing desert terrain. The fact these vehicles are unmodified is testimony to the intrinsic capability and durability of our legendary 4×4, which has undergone the most demanding engineering test and development programme in our history.”

Land Rover says that the two Defenders are showroom-standard, finished in Indus Silver, and featuring the mild-hybrid 3.0-liter Ingenium straight-six engine with 394 HP (400 PS). The cars are fitted with factory options like the Explorer Pack, which includes the Expedition Roof Rack, Raised Air Intake, wheel arch protection, and the Exterior Side-Mounted Gear Carrier, as well as a deployable roof ladder that provides access to a roof box.

“The crew need to know our support vehicles will be able to carry all of the necessary kit and be relied upon to get to the next service location, whatever the conditions,” said Paul Howorth, Bahrain Raid XTreme Team Principal. “New Defender provides a unique combination of all-terrain performance, rugged practicality, and comfort – a crucial combination for the unpredictable Dakar conditions and after long days behind the wheel.”

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Article Credit: Michael Karkafiris
Full Article: https://www.carscoops.com/2020/12/land-rover-defender-goes-back-to-dakar-to-support-sebastien-loeb-and-nani-roma/

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Supercharged 1993 Land Rover Defender Has A 600-HP Heart

It’ll make new Defender drivers envious.

From the outside, it looks like a pristine yet clearly older version of the Land Rover, but the SUV you see here is so much more than that. Some of our favorite restomods and custom cars are those which combine classic looks with modern underpinnings, and that’s exactly what Osprey Custom Cars have done with this 1993 Land Rover Defender 110. Osprey previously shoved a Corvette engine into a restored Defender 110, and the white example here also gets a notable power boost of its own.

Under the hood is a supercharged 6.2-liter LSA V8 with around 600 horsepower and 580 lb-ft of torque. The V8 is paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox. The modifications beneath the skin didn’t end there, of course, as the Landy also boasts a heavy-duty transfer case, heavy-duty front/rear axles, and a galvanized chassis that has been powder-coated in gloss black. Along with MD Terra Firma springs and four-wheel power disc brakes, this Defender is ready to perform both on- and off-road. We wouldn’t want to risk scratching that paintwork, though.

Finished in Land Rover Alaskan White contrasted with a hood and roof in Stornoway Gray, it has a charmingly retro aura about it that can’t be matched by the brand new Defender. It’s just as appealing as Osprey’s 1986 Defender. The Cooper tires are wrapped around 18-inch Sterling rims in a two-tone black/silver combination.

Inside, there is far more luxury on offer than you would have gotten in an original 1993 Defender. There are classy Charcoal leather seats, with both front chairs being heated, along with an Alcantara headliner in the same color.

A seven-inch touchscreen interface brings this Landy in line with other modern SUVs, as does the wireless charging pad and dual USB charging ports. All of that isn’t even an exhaustive list of all the extras that this Defender comes with.

“This truck looks great at the country club or off-road,” said Aaron Richardet, the founder and managing director of Osprey. “It will surprise a lot [of] sports car drivers from a stoplight.”

It’ll surprise your financial manager, too, because this epic Defender’s asking price is $229,950. You could buy more than four brand new Defenders for that price. Then again, there’s nothing else out there quite like Osprey’s creation.

Article Credit: Karl Furlong
Photo Credits: Osprey Custom Cars
Full Article: https://carbuzz.com/news/supercharged-1993-land-rover-defender-has-a-600-hp-heart

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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