Originally Posted by
frantic
Marks and 1 or 2 others do engine swaps, but they also do them for LR;) , in the U.K you have dozens of large groups doing both petrol and larger diesel conversions to defenders , D1 and 2. Then throw in the 100's of shops who will flash the td5, tdci2.4 or 2.2, will do bigger turbo's on the tdi, all for around 25,000 sales in the U.K.
You are ignoring the RATIO of modified/converted LR defenders compared to the Jap/seppo's. If I went around the LR show in august, how many of the TD5's would be stock? Mine has an EGR blank, no cat/flow exhaust and silicon hoses, my plans are for a flash tune , intercooler, and boost box when $$$ let me.
The stupid thing is the number of people in the U.K, home of $2.70 + fuel putting in bigger higher consumption engines/mods yet LR still ignore the demand.
Every other manufacturer has far more go from either larger engines or more tech(all tick options), VW-125-132kw and 400+ NM same load, Ford/mazda 147kw td5 and 470nm with the same ****** gearbox as a defender, jeep unlimited 2.8 has similar output at 147kw and 460nm in a live coil axle 4x4.
There is an old political saying that applies here, if one person voices their complaint, there are 10 who will vote the same way, same applies here, if there is one who is willing to buy a new defender and modify/change the engine for more power/drop in an auto, there would be 10+ sales if LR provided that option themselves.