Won’t be retro...

For decades the series/defender didnt really compromise for improved onroad ability. It was purposeful, simply made to carry a ton of **** anywhere. That's what made it iconic.

If the new one cant fit 16" wheels there is a good chance it will be a peice of **** SUV, a pretend workhorse compromised for urban lifestyles. It will still be purposeful, made to carry the family at speed with a higher percieved level of safety and comfort. But it won't be iconic.

If it ends up a soulless shadow of the icon, serving the urban masses, offering nothing special or unique - no one will wave!

But who knows? Take it away blackrangie

Is this a 4X4 or just another SUV? ...16’s are better in every off-bitumen situation including sand. There’s nothing wrong with 16’s on road either.

The notion that all new 4x4 vehicles need large diameter wheels and that it’s not a ‘modern’ vehicle if it has 16’s is simply wrong.

It’s simple. If it only comes with 18’s - 20’s it’s primary market is as a bitumen driving SUV like all other current model Land Rovers. ...which IMO means it’s not a Defender.

I think you blokes are writing off 18s too quickly. With the smaller profile compromise does come some advantage and that’s bigger brakes and the TR traction advantage.

I haven’t tried my 18s across a Gibber plain (it’s hard to find 18” tyre with decent LR or LI), but otherwise the 18s with TR have been excellent. My L322 is now 12 yrs old, and TR has improved as I experienced in my sister’s 2015 D4.

Also I did try my then 110 across a Gibber plain with 235/85/16s and shredded 3 tyres going from Daly Waters to Top Springs and on to Timber Creek. So 16s have advantages but do fail.

Our y62 patrol comes with 18's only, and tyre that is just shy of a 33", and easily accepts a 35" tyre with no suspension mods needed. So what was it you were saying about 18's only being for bitumen??

Vern the problem is that LR on say D5 with 18's I thought have far less than 33 as standard. As such you get less rubber and ability to air down compared to 18 running 33 OD. Also we are limited by how much we can legally go up. I hate to say it but the new Rubicon 33 stock tyre on 16 inch rims shows Jeep know and are sticking to proper offroad set ups...

Cheers

You can drive off road on 18s, just as you can drive on road with 16’s.

But taller narrower 16’s are better off road, just as low profile wider tyres are better on road.

There is a clear design priority difference.

Tyre size (side wall height etc..) would be more important than rim size would it not?

JL Rubicon is effectively 32.5" on a 17" rim. LT285/70R17 BFG KO2. Exactly the same as a Ranger Raptor... Rubicon has run 17s for years. JK was "only" 255/75R17 (narrower 32").
Sidewall height is vastly more important than rim diameter. LR have gone up a tyre diameter with the latest platform group to 790mm/31". Maybe the new Defo will go even further? The Defo has always had the biggest dia tyres of the range as far as I can recall. I have 31.5" tyres on my 18s (L320). About the same dia on 16s on the D1. Both seem to me to be pretty good on all surfaces so far... a darn sight better than the 29.5" tyres on 22" rims the L320 came with...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vern

Ok, so the patrol 18 vs the old defender 16, the patrol has a taller sidewall, only by 10mm. It's also wider by 30mm.
So basically it's not the rim size that matters here, it's the size of the rubber.

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As I say, IMO - Tall narrow tyres are better off road. Tyres wider are better on road.

Table below shows Defender tyres are slightly taller overall and side walls are 27mm taller.

	265/65-18	235/85-16
Width inches (mm)	10.43 (265)	9.25 (235)
Circum. inches (mm)	99.16 (2518.61)	99.68 (2531.81)
Sidewall Height inches (mm)	6.78 (172.25)	7.86 (199.75)
Revolutions per mile (km)	638.98 (397.04)	635.65 (394.97)

It is of course possible to have 20 inch wheels with 70 series tyres - you just need plenty of clearance in the guards.

FYI, the Y62's 18 inch wheel/tyre combo is one of the biggest I've seen on anything short of a truck.