Classic Land Rover Defender Revived As V8-Powered Factory Restomod

- Restomod Defender V8 based on donor cars produced between 2012 and 2016
- Powered by a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8
- Gets upgraded suspension, brakes and more modern equipment
JLR Classic, the classic vehicle restoration division, has officially introduced customisation options for the Classic Land Rover Defender V8. Undertaken by the division’s Bespoke Works team based out of Coventry, UK or Essen, Germany, owners of the classic Defender can upgrade their vehicles with more modern tech, updated powertrains and bespoke finish options for the interior and exterior to personalise the vehicle.
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Restomod Defender V8 offered in 90 and 110 body styles.
The bespoke service is offered for both the Defender 90 and 110 and involves sprucing up donor vehicles to the specifications of the customer. Land Rover Classic says that its team of specialists utilise donor vehicles produced between 2012 and 2016 which are then ‘fully remastered from the ground up.’
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Starting with the mechanicals, the Defender V8 by Bespoke Works gets a revamped suspension set-up with Bilstein dampers along with Eibach coil springs and anti-roll bars. The brakes too are upgraded with four-piston Alcon brakes paired with 335 mm discs up front and 300 mm discs at the rear. As the name suggests, there is a V8 engine under the hood. Each restomod is fitted out with JLR’s 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 pushing out 400 bhp and 515 Nm. The unit is paired with a 8-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive.
Buyers can option from a range of classic and bespoke colours paired with either 16-inch Wolf wheels (pictured here) or 18-inch alloys.
Moving to the body shell, buyers can spec the Classic Defender 110 in a range of colours offered by the company or create bespoke colour options. The factory offered colours include a range of classic period correct colours such as Balmoral Green and Marine Blue to SV Metallic paint finishes such as Sunset Bronze and Sunrise Copper. Further customisation comes in the form of a choice of front grille designs, bonnet scripts, and colour finishes for the door handles and trim pieces, a roof rack, an expedition cage, roof-mounted spotlights, an LED light bar, a winch and more. The Defender V8 by Classic Works also gets LED headlamps as standard.
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Cabin blends classic design with more modern amenities such as satellite navigation and Bluetooth connectivity.
Rounding out the looks are a choice of 16-inch Wolf wheels or 18-inch Sawtooth alloys.
On the inside, the works project combines the classic Defender interior with more modern amenities. The seats, doors, dashboard and roof lining is finished in leather in a choice of single or dual-tone colours. Buyers can choose between comfort or Recaro seats up front. The Defender V8 also benefits from a more modern audio system integrated into the centre console. The unit features a small 3.5-inch touchscreen and offers satellite navigation and Bluetooth connectivity.
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Recaro seats are offered as an option.
The Classic Defender V8 will make its public debut at the 2024 Goodwood Revival in September.
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