Thread: Won’t be retro...

Originally Posted by DiscoClax

There is no way that the new Defo is D4-based in any way. The D4 is on a lightly reworked D3 platform which was an older body-on-frame arrangement (itself derived from Explorer during the Ford tenure) which has now been obsoleted by LR (D4 being the last using it), where the new Defo is part of the new architecture underpinning FFRR/D5/RRS/etc. It is an aluminium-intensive monocoque modular platform. Of this there really is no doubt as LR have officially confirmed repeatedly and the myriad of pictures of the pilots confirm.
From an opinion perspective... To me I'd agree that dimensionally it looks to be approximately D4 sized, but with improved 'boxiness' and probably a bit more track (hence the flared guards). The new Defo just couldn't be sold competitively at the old Defo's interior width. LR had to widen it significantly for the new range of customers. Nowadays people want their elbows inside the cab - especially true for 'robustly-framed' Americans which is a key market - and crash requirements drive a degree of greater door thickness which adds to exterior width.

I'm guessing there'd be a fair degree of commonality of componentry with the D5, upper wishbones, maybe lowers (although the bags I think are different) probably diffs, driveshafts, toe rods, tie rods, etc.
You have a far better idea than me but I can't see it being viable to design and build 'orphan' components for a 'new' platform, so....

Anyone have the numbers for the track of the D5?
That might have some clues.

Originally Posted by rick130

Anyone have the numbers for the track of the D5?
That might have some clues.

D5 & RRS:

Track Front	1692mm
Track Rear	1687mm
Wheelbase	2923mm

Originally Posted by rick130

I'm guessing there'd be a fair degree of commonality of componentry with the D5, upper wishbones, maybe lowers (although the bags I think are different) probably diffs, driveshafts, toe rods, tie rods, etc.
You have a far better idea than me but I can't see it being viable to design and build 'orphan' components for a 'new' platform, so....

Anyone have the numbers for the track of the D5?
That might have some clues.

Might it not logically be the first model on the new platform, and hence likely to be mostly all new components except where it really makes sense to keep the old part long term? Rather than simply being the last model based on the old platform?

Same way that, for example, the Rangerover, while clearly inheriting a lot of design solutions from the Series Landrover, had very few common parts.

Watching several of the YouTube clips, I noticed two things:

One vehicle had an exhaust on each side with a single tank between. The other had both exhausts on the left and what appeared to be a single tank on the right. Might one be the hybrid?

One of the reports predicted a base model US price of about US$50k, so maybe that could mean an Aussie price from about $60k.

Just speculation, of course.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Watching several of the YouTube clips, I noticed two things:

One vehicle had an exhaust on each side with a single tank between. The other had both exhausts on the left and what appeared to be a single tank on the right. Might one be the hybrid?

One of the reports predicted a base model US price of about US$50k, so maybe that could mean an Aussie price from about $60k.

Just speculation, of course.

Can you let me know where you are getting such a good exchange rate , I need to get some stuff for work and have to pay in USD.

Cheers Ean

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Might it not logically be the first model on the new platform, and hence likely to be mostly all new components except where it really makes sense to keep the old part long term? Rather than simply being the last model based on the old platform?

Same way that, for example, the Rangerover, while clearly inheriting a lot of design solutions from the Series Landrover, had very few common parts.

Maybe, I was just basing it on what's happened in the past, eg the 90/110 was an entire RRC driveline.
Is the D5 the last of the platform?
I haven't been paying too much attention.

I'm pretty sure they said all new cars from 2020 will be on the new MLA platform, and I assumed that the delay in the new Defender was because it would be the first on the new platform. The long delay would hardly make sense otherwise. If it were based on an existing platform surely it would have been testing well before these pilots appeared.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Maybe a Defender Sport for you?

Yep - that’s what I am thinking (without know the specs yet)