[abnormalspirit]

Hear is my friend’s 3 door Defender’s random shoot. It is an amazing car - on and off the road.

[dsr001]

Originally Posted by parambyte

I can’t stop thinking how much it looks like my old Skoda Yeti.

Especially the back end, lot of resemblance. Makes it more capable with respect to departure angles I understand.

[cloudno19]

Congratulations for owning one of my dream cars.

At this point, I can only afford this -

[sramanat]

@mathranik that's a mighty car and congratulations on owning one. I always have the notion that the person who owns doesn't go to the gym and instead works out by lugging around the wheels of the car. Tell me that's how you work out

@cloudno19 did you assemble the model yourself? If so, I'd encourage you to apply to JLR. Way better than the millennium falcon from this

video

.

[cloudno19]

Originally Posted by sramanat

@cloudno19 did you assemble the model yourself? If so, I'd encourage you to apply to JLR. Way better than the millennium falcon from this

Oh yes, that was a joint effort of me and my 9 year old kiddo ofcourse with help from the very detailed assembly manual, it took us 2 days (about 10-12hours in all)

The other day on our way back from VW T-Roc test drive, we (me and my son) just came to a halt right outside Land Rover showroom admiring a green with white rooftop defender (similar to our lego build) for about 15mins. Of course we could have went inside and I am sure we would have been welcomed, but we were supposed to get back home, although we simply didn't realized that we were standing on highway for about 15mins

Someday this or a G63 AMG!!!

[SILVERWOOD]

I would call it the death of the mighty Defender.

Defenders were all about character+ ruggedness and the new defender lacks character.

And as the saying goes ''If character is lost, everything is lost''.

Pic source:Internet.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by SILVERWOOD

And as the saying goes ''If character is lost, everything is lost''.

What kind of character? The bouncy ride, the cramped driver's seat where one has to stick out his elbow to drive, the terrible ergonomics, the rattles, no airbags and crashworthiness? I am sure no one would buy the new Defender if it came with all these baggages and characteristics of the old one.
One can argue that it could mean the simplicity, ease of repair, the imposing looks, the ruggedness etc but I am sure cars can no longer be that simple anymore. They have to meet the safety norms, the fuel efficiency requirements, demands of the modern customers and so on!

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

What kind of character? I am sure cars can no longer be that simple anymore. They have to meet the safety norms, the fuel efficiency requirements, demands of the modern customers and so on

I am sure you being the owner of the LR/ Defender are best to comment, but I tend to agree that they could have done differently with this particular model.

If you look at the G-Wagon from the prior generation, you will notice most of the shortcomings like what you mentioned have been taken care of and how well. No one can say the current generation as anything else but the iconic G-wagon.

I wish they had retained that old boxy shape, the new one despite being different from anything else in their portfolio looks too chubby to me

But it's a sales hit and many guys love it so it works well with the company. And there's another company that's coming up with the classic but modern edition for other guys.

https://www.driving.co.uk/news/busin...d-best-seller/

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

I am sure you being the owner of the LR/ Defender are best to comment, but I tend to agree that they could have done differently with this particular model.

Thank you but sir you are far more qualified than me.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

If you look at the G-Wagon from the prior generation, you will notice most of the shortcomings like what you mentioned have been taken care of and how well. No one can feel the current generation as anything else but the iconic G-wagon.

When I first saw the new Defender I had the same thought as you. I thought if Mercedes could do it with Geländewagen, then why not Land Rover and that too for a shape that had defined them for 70 years. But then the new Defender started growing on me. Meanwhile I got the old Defender and realised even more that Land Rover wanted to do something different. They wanted to target a different customer base. Rural farmers were no longer their target. I think they deliberately wanted to differentiate between the old and new Defender, only keeping the off-roading prowess as constant or getting even better at it.

Also, it is good that the two Defenders are so different, it will keep people interested in the old ones, who really want to get their hands on those awesome looking old machines.

I have invested so much on this one that I want it to appreciate in price. You can call me selfish, but I am happy that the new one is so different

[mathranik]

Originally Posted by AVR

Lovely vehicle you got there! It has an amazing personality on the road!

Jawai is a great place to go in a Defender. I would never want to leave that place if I had the Defender! Our group also did an offroad trip there in January and the terrain is super awesome! Seeing you are also from Ahmedabad, look forward to spotting the Blue sometime soon!

Cheers
Adi

Thank you!

Jawai's charm is in its desolate hills, far from the commercialised Mt Abu & Kumbhalgarh, and offers so much for a quick weekend wildlife + off-road getaway from A'bad. Underrated, and I'm glad its that way.

Originally Posted by cloudno19

Congratulations for owning one of my dream cars.

At this point, I can only afford this -
Attachment 2190518

I have been trying to get my hands on one of these kits in India, but all in vain. Did you pick it up on a trip abroad?

Originally Posted by sramanat

@mathranik that's a mighty car and congratulations on owning one. I always have the notion that the person who owns doesn't go to the gym and instead works out by lugging around the wheels of the car. Tell me that's how you work out

If one doesn't have the access mode on, the climb up into the car gets your biceps and core going!

Originally Posted by SILVERWOOD

I would call it the death of the mighty Defender.

Defenders were all about character+ ruggedness and the new defender lacks character.

And as the saying goes ''If character is lost, everything is lost''.

Pic source:Internet.

Respect your opinion here - but at the same time, I for one am glad that the aforementioned 'character' was lost in the evolution of Defender. Having wanted to own the Defender for a while, a lot of new-gen buyers wouldn't put that kind of money down on a cramped jalopy with an extremely limited real-life usage. Ruggedness is definitely aspirational, but one that could be satiated with a Thar or Gurkha . For a cool INR 1 Cr, I would expect a lot more car, and not just macho-sprinkled character.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Thank you but sir you are far more qualified than me.



When I first saw the new Defender I had the same thought as you. I thought if Mercedes could do it with Geländewagen, then why not Land Rover and that too for a shape that had defined them for 70 years. But then the new Defender started growing on me. Meanwhile I got the old Defender and realised even more that Land Rover wanted to do something different. They wanted to target a different customer base. Rural farmers were no longer their target. I think they deliberately wanted to differentiate between the old and new Defender, only keeping the off-roading prowess as constant or getting even better at it.

Also, it is good that the two Defenders are so different, it will keep people interested in the old ones, who really want to get their hands on those awesome looking old machines.

I have invested so much on this one that I want it to appreciate in price. You can call me selfish, but I am happy that the new one is so different

Attachment 2191521

Word! Apples to apples, G-Wagen and Defender had a different persona to retain, over their evolution, and it was easier for the former. As for Defender, if anything, it has become all the more capable as an off-roader, with better departure angles, better ground clearance, et al. And, with the numerous accessory options, it can be made to look the way one desires.

Sorry to sound fan-boyish, but hey - the car's unbelievably awesome, and has made me an LR convert. (For now! I am totally aware of the horror service and reliability stories. Fingers crossed on that.)

[cloudno19]

Originally Posted by mathranik

I have been trying to get my hands on one of these kits in India, but all in vain. Did you pick it up on a trip abroad?

I got it from amazon around Nov 20 for a discounted cost of around 27k, but I should say that it was available for few days in Dec 20 around 17k as well.
This is still listed on amazon-https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07P2GQDQ6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CQTN9PKCVNSG18CTWKAD

If you are really interested, I suggest you pick one while they are still not discontinued officially as prices easily tend to reach 80k-90k once they are officially discontinued by Lego. Just checkout the prices for Porsche 911 GTR RS and Bugatti Chiron now these products were listed around 30k-35k couple of years back.

[Venkatesh]

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

V8 petrol is on the horizon too

Land Rover India had launched the Defender 90 and 110 variants powered by a V8 engine at a starting price of Rs 1.82 crore. Officially listed on company website .

The Defender with V8 engine has been launched in both the standard and Carpathian Edition variants of the SUV.



Carpathian Edition exclusively comes with a combination of Carpathian Grey paint and Satin Protective film, along with a Black contrast tail door and contrast bonnet.

The Defender V8 gets :

- V8 logo
- 22-inch alloy wheels
- Quad-tip exhausts
- Ebony Windsor black leather upholstery, Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel
- New curved centre 11.4-inch touchscreen inside the cabin.



The SUV is powered by a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine which produces 525 hp and 625 Nm. The all-wheel drive SUV's engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The Defender 90 can sprint from 0 to 100 kmph in 5.2 seconds and comes with a top speed of 240 kmph.

Source

[PapaBravo]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Meanwhile I got the old Defender and realised even more that Land Rover wanted to do something different. They wanted to target a different customer base. Rural farmers were no longer their target. I think they deliberately wanted to differentiate between the old and new Defender, only keeping the off-roading prowess as constant or getting even better at it.

I can slightly relate to this. We bought a less legendary (than the defender) Honda City VTEC in 2018. It had those classic looks, free revving engine that could do 100 in the second gear etc. But soon realised that it makes some compromises. It lacks safety, has basic interiors (they were path breaking in 2001) & some more. Always felt more comfortable in taking the Duster AWD to the highway. I was faster in the Duster as well, thanks to the diesel torque.

So, I would agree with you that cars have to change with time especially when the comer needs are changing with time as well.

Also, let us knot forget the classic Defender was also a successor of Series III which had its own character at that time.

[Venkatesh]

Land Rover's SV Bespoke division has revealed the Defender V8 Bond Edition to mark the off-roader’s appearance in the forthcoming 007 film No Time to Die.



Based on the Defender V8 version, the Bond Edition features a number of bespoke styling details.



- 22in black alloy wheels and blue brake calipers, it features a Defender 007 badge on the rear.



- A unique puddle-light design.



- Bond-themed start-up animation for the touchscreen infotainment system.



- Special treadplates



Limited to 300 examples worldwide, the special edition is available in both the three-door 90 and five-door 110 forms.

Just 15 of the 300 examples -
90 variants - Five and
110 variants - Ten will be sold in the UK.

Source

[Venkatesh]

The Land Rover Defender V8 Bond Edition. Created by Land Rover SV Bespoke to celebrate Defender’s role in the new 007 film, No Time To Die.

https://youtu.be/DstNptnfN7g