Mark Greeley: Land Rover Bringing A V8 To Anniversary Edition Defender

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Land Rover Bringing A V8 To Anniversary Edition Defender

Celebrating 70 years Land Rover has announced that they will commemorate the occasion with a 150 max run of V8 Defenders, a first for the model.

The 5-liter V8 is quite an improvement over prior Defenders. Putting out nearly 400hp and 380lb.-ft. of torque the new Defender Works V8’s power is up significantly over the 120hp and 266lb.-ft. of torque the standard Defender had. All this equates to a 5.6-second 0-60 time and one mean Defender.

Via Land Rover:
The V8 powertrain will be fitted to 150 specially-selected and re-engineered Defenders for the 70th Edition, complemented by an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission with sport mode, uprated brakes and handling kit (springs, dampers and anti-roll bars), plus exclusive 18-inch diamond-turned Sawtooth alloy wheels and 265/65 R18 all-terrain tyres.

Eight standard body colours include two satin finishes – contrasting with a Santorini Black roof, wheel arches and front grille – finished with machined aluminium door handles, fuel filler cap and Defender bonnet lettering. A comprehensive lighting upgrade includes bi-LED headlamps.

Full Windsor Leather interior trim covers the dashboard, door panels, headlining and Recaro sports seats. Land Rover Classic’s own Classic Infotainment System is also fitted.

Both 90 and 110 wheelbase Defender Works V8 derivatives will be available to purchase direct from Land Rover Classic, with prices starting from £150,000 for a 90 in the UK.

A select number of upgrades inspired by Defender Works V8 will also be available to purchase soon from Land Rover Classic, including power upgrades for the TDCi diesel engine, high-performance suspension and braking kits.