Limited to just 150 examples, the Defender Works V8 is the result of Land Rover's in-house Classic division, and aside from being offered in both short wheelbase 90 and long wheelbase 110 bodystyles, it also rates as the most powerful and fastest Defender ever made.
Paying homage to Land Rover's first V8 models, the Works drops the regular Defender's Ford Duratorq sourced 2.2 TDCI engine for Jaguar-Land Rover's long serving 5.0-litre V8 that develops 298 kW and 515 Nm of torque.
The first V8 powered Defender to go on sale since the earlier Rover powered 3.9-litre model at the turn of the century, the unit is paired to a ZF sourced eight-speed automatic with Sport mode, and according to Land Rover, will complete the 0-100 km/h dash in a mere 5.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 171 km/h.
Setting itself apart from a normal Defender, the Works' exterior comes finished in a choice of eight colours including two satin hues with a contrasting Santorini Black roof, machined aluminium door handles, special Defender bonnet lettering, black grille and wheel arches, bi-LED headlights and 18-inch diamond cut Sawtooth alloy wheels shod with 265/65 all-terrain rubber.
Notable changes underneath the Works' skin are upgraded brakes, dampers, springs and anti-roll bars, while full Windsor leather on the dashboard, door panels and headliner, Recaro sport seats and a bespoke Land Rover Classic infotainment system with satellite navigation sounds off the interior.
Available directly from Land Rover Classic in the UK, the Defender Works V8 will only sold in select markets with pricing in its home country kicking off at an eye-watering £150 000 (R2 542 103) for the 90 model.
