Thread: 2007 Land Rover Defender Revealed! - Photos and Pics.

Our car is still very new (not even 20k on it), and this new one has nothing really in it that would make me want to trade up. I'll reserve final judgement until I drive one... but that's how I feel at the moment. Even if it was a corker I couldn't justify a change when ours is so new anyway.

Having said that, if I was in the market there is nothing there that would stop me either

Originally Posted by bluetongue

... bugger, that means that there'll be no more possibility of water leaking on your accelerator foot while driving in rain

I would not bet on that - I've got plenty of wet feet ...... and they have NEVER been due to leaks from the vents (one of the passenger's wet feet bits was, so it can happen). My most frequent leak on to feet is along the thread of the bolt holding the windscreen hinge. This must be a high pressure area, and the sealing is woeful - relies on a sealing surface about 1mm wide. I don't know if this has improved in the last twenty years, but as long as the windscreen is separate from the bulkhead (and it must be for some body styles) doing away with the vents won't do away with the possibility of wet feet. And even then I would not bet on it - I think one of my current problems is the gasket on the pedal assembly!
John

I've been trying to think of an argument against this cubic inches thing for a long time, and I think I found a reasonable example of why it's how you use it that matters.

I went to steamfest at sheffield earlier this year where they had tractor pulling. Some of these pulling tractors have 2 monster v8 engines with huge horsepower. 100's of horsepower. They scream, whine and moan down the track pulling the sled. The old diesel tractors in the stock section with maybe 40 hp hook up and just slowly chug down the track without a stress in the world. They also hooked an old steam traction engine up to the sled at one point. official hp is 2 hp I think. It didn't even miss a beat crawling it's way along the track, never even looked stressed.

It's a step backwards in my book. No vents, one less cylinder, inclusion of a dashboard. The only thing I like is the bonnet bulge which could this mean a V8 petrol option at a later date?

Wholly ****!! It's got a tacho!

Personally I think if they grafted a D2 disco interior into a current model Fender that would be a car for me, for life.

I wonder how many comments are from current Defender owners? I see a couple are. I for one am a current fender owner (99MY xTreme), and I am stuck between loving the sparse old fashioned interior, and longing for something just a little more comfy.

Really I should not expect to have the door hinge drip on my foot while I am driving. I should expect to get really cool when I put on the air conditioner, and have it blowing somewhere other than at the back of the steering wheel. I should not have to get underneath each month and check for oil leaks or bolts for tightness. But I do because it’s a Landrover.

I do like the dash – it looks rugged enough. I will miss the vents – I love them. The engine? Dam – I just got used to finding my way around this one.

My father has a transit van with the ford engine back in the UK, and has not had any trouble with it. I asked about oil leeks and he stared at me blankly – apparently new cars don’t leak oil anymore.

I want the TD5 engine left in, and the new dash mounted. I don’t mind the bonnet, and don’t care for fangled colours – my next one will be white.

But all in all would I buy one? Yes of course. Why? Because it is a Landrover, and the alternatives just aren’t there for me.

(Hold on – the 4 door jeep Wrangler unlimited is on its way to Australia next year with the 500nm common rail diesel engine – I may just re-consider that last comment, especially as it’s likely to be $15,000 cheaper.)

I don't have to worry about our fender leaking... it doesn't rain in Queensland!