Thread: 2016 'Defender'

My puma sounds like a Land Rover, the air intake purring, the transfer case shunt, the bolt action gearbox, the constant 4WD heavy duty mechanical driveline. And there's something about the way the aluminium body resonates. Sounds nothing like the nondescript tickytack of a Ranger.

...not sure how they're going to achieve that unique Defender character in an all new model, if it ever eventuates.

Originally Posted by MrLandy

...not sure how they're going to achieve that unique Defender character in an all new model, if it ever eventuates.

The most distinctive 'character' of the Defender results from the design features from 1948 that were chosen to allow rapid progress from proposal to the board in September 1947 to delivery of the first production vehicle in July 1948.

These included the use of an absolute minimum of pressed panels, so that there was no delay in preparing tooling, and assembly by labour intensive methods to avoid capital intensive machinery, using a skilled workforce already in place from wartime munition production.

This resulted in a chassis made from flat plates, stick welded together, and a body almost entirely from flat panels with simple bends spot welded, rivetted or bolted together.

Since then, the amount of labour required has been reduced somewhat by increased use of pressed panels, but this has been offset by increasingly stringent design rules.

However, given that the relative costs of capital and labour are very different in 2016 to 1947, we can be certain that the new design will be designed for assembly with a minimum of labour and maximum automation. In view of this, it is really asking for a lot to expect the 'character' of the Defender to be preserved. With any sort of luck though, it will be just as capable - but this begs the question as to what you mean by 'capable'.

John

I thought the most distinctive character was the ability for water to flow in and out of the cabin. 😁

...what! no more rivets? Maybe they went back to the drawing board to build something designed for longevity. What a miracle that would be in this day and age!

No Defender character = Toyota.

I don't expect it to have the same character, but that does not mean it won't have character.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I don't expect it to have the same character, but that does not mean it won't have character.

John

Agree...

An example - The VN Commodore... Horrible bloated looking things...
"They" (according to the young lads on site) are now cool... And the lads all love the shape, lines and all things that make up its 'character'..

Originally Posted by MrLandy

...what! no more rivets? Maybe they went back to the drawing board to build something designed for longevity. What a miracle that would be in this day and age!

No Defender character = Toyota.

I like my rivets. They're really useful when you want to add or replace something.