Highly-Modified Land Rover Defender 90 Owned by Jenson Button Is Up for Auction

Jenson Button has had a stellar Formula 1 career, having been crowned World Champion in 2019. His fans and the general public are used to seeing him driving racing cars, but in his day-to-day life, Button also drives regular cars, like the Land Rover Defender you see here.

Well, this particular Defender is not actually so “regular,” as it features a slew of modifications that make it strongest and more capable than your ordinary Land Rover. Some of the most notable upgrades include a V8 powertrain, uprated suspension, and a revised interior.

This bespoke example started life as a 1988 Land Rover 90, so it precedes the name “Defender,” which only became official in 1990. According to Collecting Cars, which currently has the vehicle up for sale, the Land Rover received an LS3 V8 upgrade in 2015 and a plethora of other improvements around the same time, most of them performed by Urban Automotive, self-described as “bespoke modifiers of luxury automotive brands.”

The rugged, boxy vehicle is now powered by a 6.2-liter Chevrolet Corvette LS3 V8 crate engine producing 430 hp (436 ps) at 5,900 rpm and 425 lb-ft (576 Nm) of torque at 4,600 rpm. Power is sent back to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

It rides on 18-inch by 9-inch Coastline Defender alloy wheels wrapped in 285/60R18 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K02 tires, which make it look wider without spacers. It also enjoys uprated suspension and brakes.

The interior also benefitted from a series of improvements and is now boasting Recaro bucket seats, folding seats in the back, a Puma-style Defender dashboard, air conditioning, electric windows, a more powerful sound system, and more.

The 1988 Land Rover 90 has received a new coat of Velocity Blue paint, with gloss black accents on the roof, the grille, wing vents, and side protection runners.

Seeing the upgrades this pickup truck has received, it’s no wonder it piqued Jenson Button’s attention, who is said to have owned the vehicle for around three years, though we don’t know the exact period.

This highly-modified Defender is up for auction on Collecting Cars and is offered with 4,085 miles (6,574 km) on the clock, which seems to be the mileage registered since the engine swap.