Few nameplates carry as much weight as the Land Rover Defender. The prototype of the brand’s all-purpose overlanding vehicle was built in 1947, with the concept approved for production later that year. Land Rover debuted the Series 1 generation at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948, characterized by an 80-inch wheelbase, a 1.6-liter petrol engine borrowed from the Rover P3, and a pick-up body style. The Land Rover Series 2 generation arrived in 1958 and is remembered for its visual traits like its classic rounded shoulders and pronounced side sills. Just over a decade later, the headlamps were repositioned to sit on the model’s shoulders to meet safety regulations in foreign markets.
That repositioned-headlamp look became an iconic design retained across every generation of the off-road models that followed, and it lives on in the most modern versions of the Defender nameplate. The Defender 90, 110, and 130 variants have each carried that visual DNA through decades of evolution.
The old Defender is still an icon, and there are several restomodding companies out there that will sell you a revitalized model. But Land Rover is now also getting in on the action, which means you can buy a brand-new old OEM Defender. The Land Rover Classic team is dedicated to developing and building bespoke Land Rover Defenders with a design and style harking back to the automaker’s earliest models. Compared to the current standard Defender 90 and 110, here’s why we think the Classic Defender V8 is cooler.
How They’re Made
Land Rover’s modern Defenders are all built on an assembly line at the Nitra production plant in Slovakia. The process of creating a new Land Rover Classic Defender V8 couldn’t be more different — it’s a long and meticulous one, taking place at the Land Rover Classic facility in Coventry, England. After a customer finalizes their order with all specifications and customization options selected, the Classic Works engineering team begins the build. The first step is sourcing a donor vehicle, typically a Defender model from 2012 to 2016, which is then completely dissected and re-engineered.
Once fully disassembled, the skeleton of the donor Defender — available in 90 and 110 configurations — is equipped with a new engine, suspension system, and all-wheel-drive system. A 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 handles power duties, rated at 405 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. Land Rover’s Defender has a long history with the V8 engine platform, which was first introduced in the Series 3 generation. The latest standard Defender V8 is called the OCTA, which dropped JLR’s famous 5.0-liter supercharged V8 in favor of BMW power.
In more recent renditions, the Defender utilized several variations of its 5.0-liter V8, but that engine is being phased out now that Land Rover has moved to German power. In the Classic, this characterful V8 is paired with an eight-speed automatic, sending power to a permanent 4WD setup.
The Classic Works team employs specially tuned Eibach coil springs and Bilstein shock absorbers, along with retuned anti-roll bars, links, and bushings. Brakes are upgraded as well, with an Alcon four-piston system featuring 335 mm front discs and 300 mm rear discs. Dynamic Stability Control is also part of the package. Once completed, these bespoke hand-built models benefit from the modern technologies found in the firm’s standard road-going vehicles, all wrapped in styling that pays homage to Defenders of the past.
Old-School Styling, Modern Technology
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Styling is central to the Classic Defender V8’s appeal. Land Rover’s latest Defenders are undeniably handsome, but the design language of the earlier models has a timeless following — which is precisely why the Classic Defender isn’t the only retro-flavored model offered by Land Rover’s Classic Works subdivision. The new Classic Defender echoes the founding models of the 1990s with its square haunches, modern LED headlamps flanking an iconic Defender front grille, pronounced fender flares, a two-tone color scheme, and period-correct wheels that reinforce the overall aesthetic.
The interior of the Classic Defender is one of the most compelling aspects of the bespoke model, blending the design of older Defenders with modern amenities woven seamlessly throughout the cabin. Designed to evoke the vintage character of the 1990s Defender, it features a unique steering wheel inspired by older generations and an array of analog dials and switches on the gloss-black center console arranged to echo the original layout. The center console also discreetly incorporates a 3.5-inch touchscreen, satellite navigation, and a DAB radio with Bluetooth functionality. A focal point that showcases the duality between vintage styling and modern engineering is the optional heated Recaro seats.
One area where the Classic Defender V8 surpasses the latest standard Defender is its extensive options list and breadth of customization potential.
Extensive Customization Options
Land Rover Classic Works Defender V8 90 and 110 front three quarter static Land Rover Classic Works
Mirroring the original styling of Defenders that came before, the options and accessories available for the Classic Defender let customers faithfully replicate that look and feel. The Classic Defender can be finished in an array of paint colors ranging from Land Rover’s gloss Heritage palette and the Contemporary palette — each offering more than ten color options — to the Premium and SV Metallic Palette. The roof color can also be changed from a body-color-matched finish to a limestone or black contrast configuration. Two wheel choices are offered: 16-inch Wolf Steel Wheels finished in black or limestone, and 18-inch Sawtooth Wheels.
Three seat options are available for the Classic Defender V8’s interior: Classic front seats, premium heated front seats, and heated Recaro front seats. Two trim categories are offered — MonoTone and DuoTone — each with a handful of colorways. Additional options include changes to the headlamps, bumpers, bonnet lettering, and even a conversion package by Ply Guys that transforms the interior into a livable space for the #vanlife crowd. Roof racks, side steps, electric winches, a bash bar, auxiliary lights, and rubber floor mats round out the accessories list.
A Memento
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Land Rover entering the restomod space is a fascinating move. It makes sense when you consider what other Defender-based restomods command on the market, with some selling for between $250,000 and $300,000. Land Rover could have easily charged a premium as the original OEM, and it has done so before with the Islay Edition.
The Classic Defender V8 By Works Bespoke isn’t cheap, starting at roughly $250,000 and climbing to around $317,000. That’s in line with standard restomod pricing, but what makes it so much more compelling is that it’s built by the company that created the car in the first place. It would be like Chevrolet producing brand-new restomods of the first-generation Corvette.
Compared to what you’d pay for the all-new OCTA, it might seem extravagant — but at least the Classic is virtually guaranteed to hold its value. There’s a finite pool of donor Defenders remaining, and values have skyrocketed since the original Defender went out of production.
The Classic Defender V8 also gives you the opportunity to own a piece of history. Is it as capable as the new car? No, but the brand-new Defender will never be this cool.
