Thoughts and musings on the new defender

[Chicken Drumstick]

Wonder who this will be aimed at. If it has the supercharged V8 it must be a £100k kind of vehicle. Not exactly the type of price range most would use for off roading. 

[Escape]

No doubt aimed at the lifestyle crowd/ soccer players that want something different from an AMG G-class, but can't quite afford a tricked out Bentayga. 😄

[deep]

9 hours ago, Escape said:

No doubt aimed at the lifestyle crowd/ soccer players that want something different from an AMG G-class, but can't quite afford a tricked out Bentayga. 😄

Exactly.

 

[ThreePointFive]

On 1/22/2023 at 9:00 AM, ThreePointFive said:

JCB think its worth messing with.

 

 

Sorry if this is taking the threat OT, but it seems JCB really think it's worth messing with.

 

Shame it won't be the answer to our engine conversion dreams but it's got to be better than some of the electrification options. There are clearly some challenges to be addressed that are not fully detailed in this video, particularly the upstream infrastructure but with enough investment in the research, it seems like that's a matter of time. There are so many advantages to this over electric, not just in the end product, I really hope it can be successful.

Lord Bamford seems to have set a strong direction for his company, to the point of putting  its entire future on hydrogen. I don't think he seems like the kind of man that would do that if the problems were not solvable.

Interesting, without mentioning it, he clearly understands what is needed for Britain to have an enduring, leading role in engineering the modern world.

[ThreePointFive]

Hate to be spotterish but wondering if anyone else has noticed a lot of Defenders in working configurations? I've been seeing a 50/50 ratio of the all black tarmac queens and what are clearly working vehicles.

Yesterday a 90 with a colour scheme straight out of the vintage pre-Defender 90 catalogue - powder blue base with white roof and 'van' sides and sign written for a business. Today a black 110 with steel wheels and a hi-vis stripe down the side. Even had those moulded-in roof lights on the front, which I thought I would hate, but not in person. It was towing what looked like a remote controlled digger of some sort, very bizarrre. If it was green I'd have thought it was for IED purposes... The weirdest part was that it was towing at 60. I didn't think anyone knew how to do that these days.

 

It's just weird to see so many that have been bought to do a job after the pricing suggested this would be anything but. Either fleet managers are getting sloppy or there's more to the maths than it might seem.

[Anderzander]

I would think around me it’s probably 50 to 1. It’s a real exception to see one working. 

[landroversforever]

14 minutes ago, ThreePointFive said:

Hate to be spotterish but wondering if anyone else has noticed a lot of Defenders in working configurations? I've been seeing a 50/50 ratio of the all black tarmac queens and what are clearly working vehicles.

Yesterday a 90 with a colour scheme straight out of the vintage pre-Defender 90 catalogue - powder blue base with white roof and 'van' sides and sign written for a business. Today a black 110 with steel wheels and a hi-vis stripe down the side. Even had those moulded-in roof lights on the front, which I thought I would hate, but not in person. It was towing what looked like a remote controlled digger of some sort, very bizarrre. If it was green I'd have thought it was for IED purposes... The weirdest part was that it was towing at 60. I didn't think anyone knew how to do that these days.

 

It's just weird to see so many that have been bought to do a job after the pricing suggested this would be anything but. Either fleet managers are getting sloppy or there's more to the maths than it might seem.

Round here it’s just like D4 usage was. Either towing mini diggers or stuff on flatbed trailers (marquees or fencing stuff) or it’s dropping little Fenton and Beatrice off at a private school.

On that note, there’s a very recognisable private plate I see regularly and in the 13 years I’ve worked where I do it’s been on a D3, couple of D4 and it’s now on a new defender. 

[Chicken Drumstick]

57 minutes ago, ThreePointFive said:

Hate to be spotterish but wondering if anyone else has noticed a lot of Defenders in working configurations? I've been seeing a 50/50 ratio of the all black tarmac queens and what are clearly working vehicles.

Yesterday a 90 with a colour scheme straight out of the vintage pre-Defender 90 catalogue - powder blue base with white roof and 'van' sides and sign written for a business. Today a black 110 with steel wheels and a hi-vis stripe down the side. Even had those moulded-in roof lights on the front, which I thought I would hate, but not in person. It was towing what looked like a remote controlled digger of some sort, very bizarrre. If it was green I'd have thought it was for IED purposes... The weirdest part was that it was towing at 60. I didn't think anyone knew how to do that these days.

 

It's just weird to see so many that have been bought to do a job after the pricing suggested this would be anything but. Either fleet managers are getting sloppy or there's more to the maths than it might seem.

See quite a lot of new Defenders round here. I have seen a couple towing and only one hard top, although it looked clean and shiny. I’d say 90-95% seem to be the lifestyle choice. On average I probably see a new Defender most times I go out. Maybe not quite 1 a day. But probably not far off. 

[Happyoldgit]

4x4 Pickups rule around here. Most new Defenders appear to be non manual working types but some of those I do see may be being used for business, just not in manual type trades. I used to see a green and white roof one on steels regularly but that appears to have done a bunk now. 

[Bowie69]

Being in Wedmore the only new Defenders out and about are the fully murdered out versions with every appendage known to man.

Revolting things.

[Retroanaconda]

Quite a few working ones round the highlands, usually towing a digger or similar. Pleasingly the blinged out ones do seem to be the minority. When I was in London last week I did see lots of black blingy ones, but I also saw a similar number of old ones in a similar style as well as G wagons etc. which is no surprise.

They’re a capable and comfortable vehicle, particularly for towing when compared to most pickups, so it makes sense. Good residuals will help the business case for a commercial user, which is about whole life cost rather than outright purchase price. 

[Escape]

I'd say I see about 5 per week, most look more or less standard, with just a few options/gimmicks. Most seem to be used for the school or work run, not as working vehicles. I did come across a black-on-black blinged out one with huge rims sporting 305s, so obviously not a working vehicle in the sense of some old Defenders. But is was towing a 3-axle trailer and had stickers for an interior cleaning and decoration company, so probably was on the job. I'd say it replaced a Cayenne or such as a tow car, with the off road abilities being totally irrelevant.

[deep]

I wouldn't see one every day, and I frequently drive 2-300 miles in a day.  Then I'll see two or three in short succession.  Most look like family cars, quite a few seem image-focused (with either a show of accessories or too much dreary black) and a few are definitely being used as off road vehicles or to haul all the toys for an adventure holiday.  If any of those are being used as commercial vehicles, it's very hard to tell!  Actually, since the recent cyclone turned so many of our roads to porridge, every car looks like an off-road vehicle in this neighbourhood...

[L19MUD]

On 3/5/2023 at 7:03 PM, ThreePointFive said:

Sorry if this is taking the threat OT, but it seems JCB really think it's worth messing with.

 

Shame it won't be the answer to our engine conversion dreams but it's got to be better than some of the electrification options. There are clearly some challenges to be addressed that are not fully detailed in this video, particularly the upstream infrastructure but with enough investment in the research, it seems like that's a matter of time. There are so many advantages to this over electric, not just in the end product, I really hope it can be successful.

Lord Bamford seems to have set a strong direction for his company, to the point of putting  its entire future on hydrogen. I don't think he seems like the kind of man that would do that if the problems were not solvable.

Interesting, without mentioning it, he clearly understands what is needed for Britain to have an enduring, leading role in engineering the modern world.

Just watched the Harrys farm on this as per the link. Well worth watching. Very very interesting

[Snagger]

You’ll never see one used as a working vehicle in this part of the world.  Half of them here are fully blacked out like a drug dealer’s car, the others are either white or that metallic olive breen, almost all with heavily tinted windows or blacked out(black windows is restricted to locals, expats not permitted).  None of them venture into the wadis or desert - they are strictly mall and JBR cruisers.

[Peaklander]

I saw one on Monday, towing a livestock trailer back from Bakewell market. Most though are solo and clean.

[Anderzander]

3 hours ago, Peaklander said:

I saw one on Monday, towing a livestock trailer back from Bakewell market. Most though are solo and clean.

Mmmm 😋 Bakewell Pudding 

[Naks]

The infamous Moegatle hill

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrAxj-egz6D/

 

[Naks]

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/this-week-in-autocar/autocar-magazine-26-july-sale-now

[quote="J77"]According to CEO Adrien Mardell it will arrive in 2027 on the EV only EMA platform, built at the new UK factory, likely to be called Defender Sport. Just an Autocar image so don’t expect it to be like this though they have said it will be boxy.[/quote]

 

Edited July 27, 2023 by Naks

[western]

DC100 resurrected 🤔

[deep]

7 hours ago, western said:

DC100 resurrected 🤔

I liked the DC100 - except there was nothing baby about it.  I understand the concept vehicles were built on Range Rover Sport platforms.

[deep]

8 hours ago, Naks said:

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/this-week-in-autocar/autocar-magazine-26-july-sale-now

[quote="J77"]According to CEO Adrien Mardell it will arrive in 2027 on the EV only EMA platform, built at the new UK factory, likely to be called Defender Sport. Just an Autocar image so don’t expect it to be like this though they have said it will be boxy.[/quote]

 

Will this replace the Freelander/Discovery Sport line?  The range overlaps so much these days!  I like this artist rendition, though you could bet your fortune it will have smaller wheels, sigh.

[landroversforever]

I doubt it. But whilst we all see the overlaps, there are lots of new people that will buy into the brand.

[Chicken Drumstick]

1 hour ago, deep said:

Will this replace the Freelander/Discovery Sport line?  The range overlaps so much these days!  I like this artist rendition, though you could bet your fortune it will have smaller wheels, sigh.

What Freelander line? Sadly JLR seem to have abandoned that one. Which is odd, as you'd think they would want some presence in that segment. Clearly they only want richer folks as customers these days though.  

[landroversforever]

12 hours ago, Chicken Drumstick said:

What Freelander line? Sadly JLR seem to have abandoned that one. Which is odd, as you'd think they would want some presence in that segment. Clearly they only want richer folks as customers these days though.  

Yeah, never understood that. It was such an obvious one to get people into the brand and then aspire to move on to a disco etc. I know several people that started in FL1/FL2 and then moved on to discoveries.