The V8 in question is the supercharged 5.0-litre we all know and love.
Elements of the chassis have been tuned to handle the extra power.
The V8 will be offered on both the 90 and 110.
Introducing Range Rover’ and Land Rover’s supercharged V8 under the Defender’s bonnet raises the legendary off-roader’s profile in every way. As the fastest and most powerful Defender ever, it enters uncharted territory.
2022 Land Rover Defender | Photo: Land Rover
As always, a Land Rover is ready to take on any challenge, and challenger. Thanks to the installation of the 525PS (518 horsepower) supercharged 5.0-litre V8 in the Defender’s engine bay, the impressive truck can now crush the 0-60mph spring in only 4.9 seconds (-100km/h in 5.2 seconds) before hitting a top speed of 149mph. This puts the Defender square in one of its oldest rival’s crosshairs: The Mercedes-Benz G Wagen, more specifically, the AMG version.
In order to handle the extra power and put it to good use, V8 models get bespoke chassis settings such as larger-diameter and solid anti-roll bars, a unique Electronic Active Rear Differential, torque vectoring, and a specific transmission tune.
2022 Land Rover Defender | Photo: Land Rover
The handsome outer shells of both the Defender 90 and 110 gain a number of visual cues. As well, new versions will be introduced such as the Carpathian Edition and an XS Edition which will replace the popular First Edition. A number of other visual accents will be offered on all Defender models including the Bright Pack and Extended Bright Pack.
Finally, the cabin can be fitted, as options, with a larger 11.4-inch touchscreen and with wireless device charging, which features a signal booster for optimized network reception and Wi-Fi signal.
The new V8 Defenders won’t be cheap. Pricing in the UK starts at £98,505 for the 90 and £101,150 OTR for the 110. We’ll know more about Canadian and US pricing in the near future.
2022 Land Rover Defender | Photo: Land Rover
