Land Rover Defender Classic V8 review: more Clarkson’s Farm than Countryfil
However, quarter of a million pounds gets you a lot more than your run-of-the-mill restoration project with a shiny ‘Classic Works’ badge to show off to your mates; the Classic V8 takes things back to the drawing board, while also maintaining almost all of the fundamental elements that give the classic Defender its identity.
Advertisement – Article continues below
First and foremost, let’s clear up exactly what this thing is. We take a look at every component and try to understand whether it can cope with the power increase.”
With this in mind, JLR’s restomod includes a revised driveline with a more robust four-wheel drive system, Bilstein off-road shock absorbers and disc brakes all-round with four-piston Alcon calipers. “Believe it or not, the biggest challenge was a seatbelt bolt,” laughed Foster. “We’ve added new elements to it, such as the corrosion protection we’ve learned over the last 70 years of Land Rover.”
Advertisement – Article continues below
Restarting production of several items has other benefits, too; Classic tells us that it can now fulfill requests from Defender owners that were, until now, unable to source official parts. Defender purists might wince at the idea of diamond-cut alloys, but you can choose either black or white steel wheels – not to mention a plethora of modern and heritage colours, grille designs and countless interior upholstery combinations.
Push the button to open the door – the handle itself is milled out of a single piece of aluminium and feels more like an item of jewellery rather than a functional necessity – clamber inside and despite the veil of leather coating almost every surface, classic Defender drivers will instantly feel at home because very little has been tampered with.
Advertisement – Article continues below
Perhaps the most notable change is that the stereo has been replaced by a new unit which, despite its retro styling, boasts modern conveniences like a touchscreen, DAB radio, sat-nav and Bluetooth. Sadly, unlike Porsche’s rival PCCM system, which is offered for classic models, JLR’s se-tup doesn’t get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto – a disappointing omission, in our view.
Insert the key yes, this quarter-of-a-million-pound bespoke Land Rover doesn’t have a keyless start/stop system and the Classic V8 thunders into life.
