One of motoring’s greatest challenges has begun – and Auto Express has joined me in the action! Together, we have teamed up with Land Rover to help redesign the legendary Defender.
Alongside the original Mini and VW Beetle, the Defender is one of the most recognised vehicles on the planet, having barely changed since it was launched back in 1948.
However, while new versions of the MINI and Beetle have been launched, Land Rover’s workhorse has remained virtually unaltered – until now! The company’s advanced design expert, Olli LeGrice, and fellow stylist Florian Dobe turned our ideas for an all-new Defender into the computerised images you see on this page.
Top priority was to make sure that the car appealed to as many people as the current model. As I live in Herefordshire, along with many traditional Defender drivers, I wanted a pick-up version for farmers.
A model for owners who wouldn’t often go off-road was also a priority. The stylists loved the challenge. “Any car designer would die for the chance to recreate a classic like the Defender,” said Olli.
Our design is one of at least seven competing for the green light for production, as boss Carl Peter Forster makes replacing the 4x4 a priority. “The Defender is a key part of the Land Rover DNA,” he said. “We have to capture its essence in a modern day-version.”
The man with the daunting task of assessing what that means is company design chief Gerry McGovern. Speaking at the Geneva show, he told Auto Express: “Replacing the Defender is one of the ultimate design challenges. We are dealing with one of the few authentic icons. It stirs up incredible passion.
“We will have to take some traditional customers out of their comfort zone, remove the nostalgia from the issue and focus on what a new-generation Defender is all about.”
He continued: “There is no point recreating an antique. This has to be a modern, relevant vehicle. It doesn’t have to look anything like the current model!”
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