Thread: Defender 2007 : What did you want?

An extra couple of inches would not create any problems, but six inches changes it from a handy width that comfortably fits most tracks to one where you have to worry about width. Then of course there is the extra mass needed to retain the same strength with the added width and length - you are looking at something about the same width as the 6x6 Perentie. There are advantages to it, certainly, but you move into a different class of vehicle.

But the whole question is academic - as I said in my earlier post - given the need for retooling and testing the new body, chassis and running gear, there never was any chance that it would happen before the major redesign. Which may well end up wider (although I doubt 6"), possibly longer, but probably a lot roomier due to a much more sophisticated design that no longer has most of the special features of the Defender.
John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

An extra couple of inches would not create any problems, but six inches changes it from a handy width that comfortably fits most tracks to one where you have to worry about width. Then of course there is the extra mass needed to retain the same strength with the added width and length - you are looking at something about the same width as the 6x6 Perentie. There are advantages to it, certainly, but you move into a different class of vehicle.

But the whole question is academic - as I said in my earlier post - given the need for retooling and testing the new body, chassis and running gear, there never was any chance that it would happen before the major redesign. Which may well end up wider (although I doubt 6"), possibly longer, but probably a lot roomier due to a much more sophisticated design that no longer has most of the special features of the Defender.
John

I'm with "Uninformed". Make the bloody thing big enough to fit in comfortably. More body width and length,more rearwards seat movement, a decent height adjustment on the seats (I modified my County to 2'' further back and 1 1/4" higher), lift the body2-3" off the rails to shrink the trans. hump. Add 6-8" to the wheelbase and "Uninformed's" 6" to the track. Shift the handbrake to a centre position or alongside the seat on the RH now we've got some room for it. Still won't be a big car, just about HZ Holden in length & wheelbase.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

I'm with "Uninformed". Make the bloody thing big enough to fit in comfortably. More body width and length,more rearwards seat movement, a decent height adjustment on the seats (I modified my County to 2'' further back and 1 1/4" higher), lift the body2-3" off the rails to shrink the trans. hump. Add 6-8" to the wheelbase and "Uninformed's" 6" to the track. Shift the handbrake to a centre position or alongside the seat on the RH now we've got some room for it. Still won't be a big car, just about HZ Holden in length & wheelbase.

Maybe - but it is never going to happen before the major redesign. To widen the body would require a redesign of most body panels and all the chassis outriggers.

I must be smaller than some - I demodified my County to bring the seat height back to standard! I am a little below 6ft, but not much.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Maybe - but it is never going to happen before the major redesign. To widen the body would require a redesign of most body panels and all the chassis outriggers.

I must be smaller than some - I demodified my County to bring the seat height back to standard! I am a little below 6ft, but not much.

Remember how GM-H made the VL into the VN Commodore by splitting it down the middle and widening it. Good thinking by some cunning manufacturing engineers. Plus not a lot of money involved.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

Remember how GM-H made the VL into the VN Commodore by splitting it down the middle and widening it. Good thinking by some cunning manufacturing engineers. Plus not a lot of money involved.

Yes and it took two models after that to get it looking right.

Originally Posted by RR5L

Yes and it took two models after that to get it looking right.

Who gives a phuque about the looks. This is a Land Rover, a bush vehicle, not a pony club & GPS car. Flat sided, square, high & wide, like a Lockyer Valley farmer's daughter. And just as hard working.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

Remember how GM-H made the VL into the VN Commodore by splitting it down the middle and widening it. Good thinking by some cunning manufacturing engineers. Plus not a lot of money involved.

Yes, or for that matter the "wide bodied" Camry. But in both cases we are talking about cars that are made in very large numbers compared to the Defender, and are of conventional construction - not separate chassis, bolt together, and only one or two body styles. It certainly could be done - this is basically what was done for the 6x6 Perentie, but this involved only one body being redesigned (plus the new ambulance body, which had to be done anyway) where doing this to the Defender would mean redesigning short, long, cab, wagon, double cab, soft top, some accessories, upsetting all the vehicle modifier and accessory companies who would have to redesign a lot of their bits. If there was a long future in the vehicle it might have happened, but as I said, in the current circumstances it was never going to happen. And if they had done so, it would have meant throwing away over twenty years of mostly compatible parts, which would have been a major change in philosophy for the Defender. This will happen, but only when the major change is made.

i thought the title of this thread was" what did I want"

what i said is what i want, not what i think they might do!

JDNSW, i think you may be taking the width thing to strongly. arn't patrols and crusiers wider than defenders, and on top of that most have more offset than a landrover rim.

the beauty of making it 3 inches wider each side is you can still run a small offset wheel, which protects disc brakes and is better on bearings etc.

i'm 6-2", i consider this to be an average height these days. my mates 15 year old son is 6-3" and 93kg, take a look around people are getting bigger.

i think they could easily use alot of the exsisting panels

things like new roof,bonnet, rear door and bulkhead would be needed but i think they should keep the basic shape just wider

the overall lenght should stay as is but by moving the rear axle back this will be better for towing and load carying, allow the drivetrain to be moved back, for better weight balance, and still have an exceptable propshaft angle. moving the front axle forward allows for better approach angle and stops larger tyres rubbing on the bulkhead at compression

i wouldn't lift the body for the transmisson tunnel to be reduced. the low cog of defenders is what makes them stable off road.

imo they don't need to copy or try and follow or even keep up with toyota and nissan.... they need to lead them and take them in the direction the true functional working LR should have gone from 1989.

army, mining, forestry, construction, farming and may others would make up enough sales, prove there product, and sell their other makes eg disco, freelander etc

cheers, serg