The new Defender may be on its way but there’s plenty of life left in the old one, and Land Rover Classic is proving so with a new range of performance and off-roading upgrades inspired by the soughtafter limited-edition Defender Works V8 70th Edition. This is the first time Land Rover Classic has introduced Upgrade Kits suitable for 90 and 110 derivatives built between 1994 and 2016.
The upgrades start with diamond-turned 18in Sawtooth alloy wheels, priced in the UK at £2160 for five. Then there’s the Defender Suspension Upgrade Kit for 2007-on model with revised coil spring rates, dampers, anti-roll bars, links and bushes, starting at £1822.97. The next step up, the Defender Handling Upgrade Kit, adds uprated Works V8 specification brake discs, pads and calipers to the 18-inch Sawtooth alloy wheels and enhanced suspension. That one starts at £9967.37.
The final upgrade is available only on 2.2-litre TDCi models produced from 2012-on: it’s the Defender Classic Works Upgrade Kit which includes all of the wheel, brake and suspension elements listed above in addition to new performance-rated tyres and a 40bhp engine upgrade—making for a total output of 160bhp and 341lb ft of torque, and increasing top speed to 106mph. It also includes bespoke badging on the front wings, an owner’s certificate, vehicle collection, health check and handover with a tour of Land Rover’s Classic Works, UK, or Essen, Germany, facility, where the upgrade is carried-out. The cost is £16,995 when fitted by Land Rover Classic in the UK.
Calum McKechnie, head of Land Rover Classic, said: “In 2018, Land Rover’s 70th Anniversary year, we saw unprecedented demand for the limited-edition Defender Works V8, which brought new levels of handling and performance to this iconic vehicle. Extending the range of fully engineered, tested and approved upgrades offered by Land Rover Classic underlines our commitment to supporting existing Defender owners, as we look forward to the new Defender’s world premiere later this year.”
Images courtesy of Land Rover Classic
