The strongest guard in history
Greg King, an engineer at the Land Rover Classic Car Factory, told us the story of the birth of the Land Rover Defender Works V8 Special Edition . It ‘s the most powerful and fastest Land Rover Defender ever built.
Greg King, Project Leader, Guardian Works V8
With the support of a powerful engine and a set of modern technology
The Defender Works V8 is the most powerful Defender yet
2018 was a significant year – the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the first London Olympics and the first Land Rover all celebrated their 70th anniversary this year .
They all reflect the image of British business that was strong and prosperous in the post-war period. Perhaps no other vehicle captures the character of its era quite so well as the Land Rover Defender. A continuation of the earlier Land Rover Series 1 and Series 2, it was a hit when it was launched .
It is no exaggeration to say that Land Rover Defender sells well to every corner of the world today. In 2016, the Defender announced the discontinuation of production, thus announcing the end of an era. Now, on the occasion of the anniversary celebration of the brand, the Land Rover Classic Car Factory also presented the final curtain call for the Defender .
Greg King, Engineer at Land Rover Classic Car Factory, said: ” What is a ‘Defender’ ? The Land Rover Defender Works V8, a model celebrating its 70th anniversary, is the most exquisite interpretation of this. It shows the world what the Defender brand is to Land Rover. Significant. Walking towards this car, you will definitely smile ecstatically.”
Greg King is of course well-founded, and it is he who led the entire engineering team to create such a special Defender-it is a Defender, but it has a powerful performance that has never been seen in the entire Defender family and surging momentum .
Some elements from the 2012 and 2016 Defenders can be vaguely seen on the fully rebuilt and repainted . It is powered by a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine with a maximum output of 405 horsepower . It is also paired with an eight -speed automatic transmission , heavy-duty front and rear differentials, and an automatic torque-biasing center differential.
“Unlike some of the other Defender facelifts on the market, the Works V8 integrates all the electronic aids in one piece, including traction control and stability control . No other Defender has ever done that, ” King said. .It’s also worth mentioning that the Works V8 has passed Land Rover’s rigorous testing.”
For example, one of the tests involved driving two Works V8 prototypes with a trailer from the Land Rover Classic car factory to the scorching Western Sahara for extreme temperature testing with a maximum temperature of 52°C . The result is a Defender Works V8 that performs well with ease, both on-road and off-road.
Typically, a model is handed over to the Land Rover Classic factory 10 years after it has been out of production. For example, they just recently added the Land Rover Freelander to the classic car category. So why are they so quick to modify the Land Rover Defender these days?
Tim Haniger, director of Jaguar Land Rover’s classic car division, replied: “It’s simple, because every Defender is a classic as soon as it comes off the assembly line.”
The Defender Works V8, limited to 150 units , sold out within nine days of its debut .
Don’t be too upset if you don’t get one.
On the basis of Works V8, many Land Rover Defender kits and upgrades will be launched in the future.
The presentation of the Defender Works V8 set the tone for the future development of the Land Rover Classic Car Factory.
As Hanniger puts it: “It’s a Defender at its finest, and it’s still a Land Rover Defender. It shows us how dreams can come true.”
TEXT: NATHANIEL HANDY
PHOTO: PETER GUENZEL
Edit: TING
