Thread: Won’t be retro...

Originally Posted by Arapiles

I've no idea how hard or easy those trails are - but the US guys who know the trails were impressed, so that's good enough for me.

You know, if the Defender takes off in the US Land Rover would immediately get the volume they need to engineer the versions we haven't seen - like the twin cabs, the tray back, the 130 wagon .....

If the new Defender shows up somewhere and can do everything that an old Defender can do and more then and only then has it been designed correctly. Unfortunately I can guarantee I could leave that behind I’m five minutes.

Originally Posted by Red90

If the new Defender shows up somewhere and can do everything that an old Defender can do and more then and only then has it been designed correctly. Unfortunately I can guarantee I could leave that behind I’m five minutes.

No I beg to Differ,

If the new Defender is easy to DIY maintain / repair, does not leak when it rains, is reliable and can withstand the punishment the old one could soak up without sensor faults , worn out splines and quirky faults (oil leaks aside) then it has been designed correctly.

Originally Posted by Arapiles

I've no idea how hard or easy those trails are - but the US guys who know the trails were impressed, so that's good enough for me.

You know, if the Defender takes off in the US Land Rover would immediately get the volume they need to engineer the versions we haven't seen - like the twin cabs, the tray back, the 130 wagon .....

Looked at some of the trails they have mentioned

Hells revenge

Fins and things

Golden spike

Poinson spider (including the most dificult section

Needs to check out youtube footage of each, but agree they are not saying they are easy trails.

Also what do most people do to defenders to improve them:

Lifted coils and shocks or full air kit.
Helper airbags when towing
Soundproofing
Better seats with longer rails
Snorkel for wading
Handbrake kicker
Lockers
Auto
Wide arches
Wider stance
Improve aircon (on older models)
More powerful engine or repower current
Upgrade headunit to double din.

Looks like most of the fundamental improvments will be done already from factory on new Defender, it will just be normal, wheels, tyres, bars, sliders, winch, roofrack and drawers, off you go.

I think they will do pretty well on the sales due to it looking like it will appeal to a broader customer base, its capability and how it improves on current defender as above.

Well it won’t be any of those things. It will be very complicated and difficult to work on. And the reliability will be poor. The same as all of their other current models.

More dubia spottings by LRO Dubia

Originally Posted by Red90

Well it won’t be any of those things. It will be very complicated and difficult to work on. And the reliability will be poor. The same as all of their other current models.

We already know it's most of the things i posted above so that really doesn't make any sense.
Lifted coils and shocks or full air kit.(long travel air bags give instant lift, drop on freeway for safety, no castor correction needed)
Helper airbags when towing( no helper bags or air suspension conversion needed, air susp compensates for payload or tow load automatically)
Soundproofing (land rover will do this, cabin will be a nice place to be)
Better seats with longer rails (these will be available from factory in different levels of comfort)
Snorkel for wading (will have minimum 900mm factory up from 500mm current defender no doubt snorkel will be an option maybe when svx comes out)
Handbrake kicker(nothing on floor)
Lockers (front/rear tipped)
Auto (100% seen in spy shots)
Wide arches (seen on pilots)
Wider stance (seen on pilots)
Improve aircon (on older models)
More powerful engine or repower current (nurburgring shows powerful 6)
Upgrade headunit to double din.(spy shots show widescreen double din size)

Agree may be a bit harder to work on, but you will have to work on it less.

In my opinion reliability is actually improving in the later Land Rovers I would take one around Australia any day and would say it would be more reliable than an older Land Rover, more comfortable & safer.

From what I have seen so far Land Rover are smashing it out of the park with the new Defender.

Re tyres, they test with standard tyres to get noise, grip and economy levels on sealed roads. They are probably M + S (mud and snow) tyres.

Front suspension and bash plates visible in this shot