The SUV was called the Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition. It refers to one of the most important places in the history of Land Rover – the Scottish island of Islay. A total of three dozen such machines will be produced. All will be painted in the style of a 1965 Land Rover Series IIa, the personal vehicle of Spencer Wilks, one of the creators of the iconic SUV.
It is believed that it was on the Scottish Isle of Islay, where the estate of Rover Managing Director Spencer Wilks was located, that the Land Rover name was born. Here, in the Inner Hebrides, the first prototypes of the SUV were tested. The importance of these sites to the history of the company is reflected in the new Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition, the first vintage version of the Defender from the Land Rover Classic division.
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The circulation of the themed SUV will be 30 copies: 17 will be with a short body, 13 with a long one. Each copy will be built on the basis of a donor car produced in 2012-2016. But the engine and transmission will be from the anniversary Classic Defender Works V8. Under the hood of the cars, an atmospheric “eight” 5.0 with a capacity of 405 horsepower and 515 Nm of torque, combined with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, will be prescribed. Up to 60 miles per hour (97 km / h), such a Defender can accelerate in 5.6 seconds.
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Added to this is a recalibrated suspension with different springs and shock absorbers, as well as reinforced brakes. Externally, the Defender Works V8 Islay Edition will resemble Spencer Wilks’ personal car, the 1965 Land Rover Series IIa. The body will be painted in Heritage Gray, the roof and wheels will be painted in limestone color. Complementing the retro look is a Defender Heritage grille and GXC 639C lettering on the left front fender, referring to Wilkes’ car registration number.
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But still, to a greater extent, the connection with the Isle of Islay will manifest itself in the interior decoration. For example, the seats and doors of the Defender will be upholstered in black Windsor leather combined with tweed from the Islay Woollen Mill factory, the colors of which correspond to the basic shades of the local landscape. The tweed will also feature a small pocket for small items in the center armrest, while the platform in its upper part will be made of American walnut and oak from whiskey barrels taken from the Kilchoman distillery. The distillery was founded in 2005 by the granddaughter of Spencer Wilks.
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Oak veneer can also be found in the trunk. And the finish of the same quality is easy to find on the latest Range Rovers. Each buyer of the Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition will be given a bottle of limited-edition whiskey, which is not surprising given the price of the car from 230-245 thousand pounds, or 22.8-24.3 million rubles. The British firm Inverted estimates its electric restomods based on the Range Rover Classic at about the same rate.
How the iconic SUV Land Rover Defender is being remade
