LR Defender to be resurrected?

[lukers]

I saw an article that INEOS are conducting an analysis into the feasibility of resurrecting the LR Defender. Great news for us welders!

 

[rtbcomp]

And the very best of luck to him.

 

[xmetal]

The best of luck to him from me too.

 

[Kent]

I think a deal has now been done on the defender

 

[mechman]

Wonder if he's buying a galvanising plant as well.

 

[ronan]

"the worlds best and most rugged off roader" ? The toyota hilux ?

 

[Kent]

People forget that the landrover was built to be fixed on the farm- it became too complex

 

[Rannsachair]

Fingers crossed, I have run a 52 plate defender as my daily transport since 2005 without issue. Easy to work on and spares are very cheap.

There is no such thing as a bad road, just an inappropriate vehicle:

 

[Ton-up]

Will it be sold here and other 'western' countries? The reaseon it stopped production is because it could not meet any of the safety legislation. Don,t know how they will get around that!

 

[octo0072000]

most likely built in india people will import them as personal imports like the Jap stuff
landrover themselves are going to do total rebuilds on customers cars bet that won't be cheap

 

[gav0994]

Will it be sold here and other 'western' countries? The reaseon it stopped production is because it could not meet any of the safety legislation. Don,t know how they will get around that!

and that it was not cost effective to produce given it was mostly hand built.

Delving into the article reveals that it won't be the defender as it was. He plans to make it look almost identical, but meet all current safety regulations. Even out the EU the defender as it was wouldn't have met any new UK safety regulations - essentially crash performance and pedestrian safety.

 

[CornishPete]

i can't see jaguar/landrover letting someone else have the defender name, shape, or anything else to do with it for that matter, that's built up such a fan base/reputation over the last decades. Surely it would be too much of a rival for what they have planned? I can see a few being produced but only specials, the kind of thing you might see on top gear for 80k, not a real utility vehicle more a fashionable car for the likes of Wayne Rooney or Chris Evans. Not that they have been a real utility vehicle for the last 20 years anyway. Average at most things, poor at everything else yet people still willing to pay 25k for one!+1 for a hilux!

 

[GKQ]

I often wornder why people buy Land Rovers Ieven bought a Ranger Rover once it was rubbish kept it 6 weeks. When I was looking for a 4 x 4 I test drove a Defender. I'm 6'2, it was so uncomfortable to drive, fuel enconomy was terrible and it was slow and noisy. The dealer said 'spares are cheap', my answer 'why I'm I going to need them ? '
Bought a Mits L200 in the end £7k cheaper. I used to do 150k miles a year, towing my trailer ( 2700 kgs ) with fish ( see picture, baby Beluga Sturgeon 1.8m - 50kg)

in it all over europe. Only once did it go into limp home mode turned out to be dirty fuel filter, that's Bulgarian derv for you.
I have a HiLux SR5 3.0Litre now I live here in New Zealand, with decent tires it's great off road. I use it for rolling and harrowing the fields, and it cruises all day on the road for 32mpg. Done 130k in the last 5 years and apart from services and tyres nothing goes wrong ( famous last words ). But every one to their own. Graham

 

[addjunkie]

Mr ineos is quite a buisness man, doing well and is quite brave in what he takes on.

As for the defender, i like them, looked at buying one, all i saw was poor build and rust on 15 grand motors. We now have his and hers pick ups, ( we live a mile from a road). Nissan and a izusu. Didnt like the new hilux, though it was the first i looked at.

What i dont understand from a buisness perspective, is when the utility veichle is such a huge world wide market why landrover have not got a replacment ready to go, theyve known for long enough it wasnt going to be compliant with regs, just seems a great example of bad buisness. Its such a good market even merc are doing a pick up soon.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

The DNO's (electricity suppliers) certainly like them, I saw about 30 brand new SWB chassis cab defenders in the Western Power yard about 18 months ago.

 

[Kent]

Will it be sold here and other 'western' countries? The reaseon it stopped production is because it could not meet any of the safety legislation. Don,t know how they will get around that!

You realise they still make old British Leyland trucks, royal Enfield bikes and such in India? Most British landrovers see no more than a gravel track you could drive in a Fiesta
British farmers buy pick up crew cabs and those that have landrovers have to get cctv guard dogs etc just so someone don't strip them for parts while parked in thier yard.

I don't think the home market comes into this much - just a guess mind but would you? I certainly wouldn't consider it a good buisness plan otherwise

 

[Rannsachair]

Kent got it about right - they overcomplicated it.

The utility market isn't massive, but the 'sports utility' one is - while a few who want a vehicle actually for that purpose will easily cope with foibles, the majority want 'the look' in something that feels like driving a fiesta and aren't bothered in the slightest about how capable it may or may not be.

The older land rovers are very capable (in the right hands) but loading them with fripperies just degraded reliability and put up the cost - money that would have been better spent on the fabric of the vehicle.

The chassis on my 1972 LR is fine - a defender 1/10th of the age is likely to have problems...

Not sure I understand what is overcomplicated on a defender? They are quite a basic and uncomplicated design. Agree that doing away with galvanised body cappings and poor rustproofing of chassis could have been easily fixed, but later doors do not corrode the same. My defender does have ABS/traction control, air con, heated windscreen and seats, now 13 years old and not had a problem with them if that's what is meant by overcomplicated.

I do treat my defender as a hobby, I even keep spare wheel bearings, UJ's, track rod ends and brake pads on the shelf as it goes through them regularly, but to be expected when driving through mud and tree branches.

 

[Rannsachair]

The money they spent putting aircon (what was wrong with bulkhead flaps?), heated screen/seats (jumper and scraper, mtfu), traction control (8 or 10 gears and you can't find one that works?) would have been better spent during manufacturer on a thicker chassis and some galv

I have aircon and bulkhead flaps, problem with them on very hot dry dirt tracks is that you end up with clouds of dust coming in the car and covering everything and you. Does not happen much in Scotland though..... The aircon is best for demisting the car in the winter due to all the water leaks.

The traction control is handy, has got me in and out of some places where a similarly mud tyre shod defender has got stuck, and has not failed to date, unlike the gearbox, front diff and clutch.

My chassis and bulkhead are still good, but am contemplating a stripdown and getting them galvanised as surface rust is starting.

My 6 foot 3" frame finds the landy a comfortable place to be, I hope to keep it for quite some time despite its failings

 

[Shox Dr]

I'm 5'11" and it's cosy in a LR, so respect for the bigger lads.

As for Hilux, bought a rear tub for one? No, they are not cheap, nor easy to source. My lads mate bought one, as he was warned off LRs of a similar age, they failed to tell him you cant buy sod all for them

 

[Rannsachair]

I went to an auction held in a field, I imagine that the only people without traction control were me in my 300 disco and the farmer in his tractor.

Oddly, we were the only 2 to venture down to the bottom of the field who didn't get stuck.

He made a fortune charging people for a tow, and I drove past all manner of more modern stuff from all over the world. Traction control doesn't know you're stuck if all your wheels are moving

It's so much down to the driver. A car of any sort with or without 'driver aids' won't get stuck by itself - it has to be put there.

Personally, I'll keep my 2/4 hi/lo in my series and continue to not get stuck

When offroading where i live tyres seem to have the biggest influence, especially if you drop the pressures down on decent mud terrains for a bigger footprint. As you say if all 4 wheels are turning, traction control does not help. I would prefer to have diff locks on the axles, but the defenders traction control does offer an advantage over just diff lock and lo ratio's.

I still do get stuck, usually up to the bottom of the doors in a bog, then the winch comes out, sad, but part of the fun of running a landy.