New Defender announced

[Chris Scott]

BBC News - Land Rover confirms new version of its Defender model

Ch

[joova]

Thanks for posting.

Looks more like a Freelander in the picture on the BBC website. Shapes are definitely heading into the 21st Century though, now you just need to hope that it will get some quality diesel engines as well...

[*Touring Ted*]

Looks like another plastic chelsea tractor....

And as it has be to cheaper and won't be sold to the military, you just know it is going to be plastic and full of electronics...

Sad times....

[Walkabout]

2015! Wow, I can't wait.

The last time I saw the UK military close up they had lots of LRs in all sorts of configurations, so, subject to the MoD procurement rules, I can't see why they won't continue to buy LR in the future.

In the meantime, the French Gendarmie have a number running about in their bit of the Alps and the Italian armed forces have shed loads of them, both their army and the Caribinieri. The Italians used LR extensively in the Balkans.

[misterpaul]

"Land Rover insists its next Defender will be a rugged workhorse, having ruled out moving it upmarket as a luxurious car that simply looks butch on the outside," says BBC business reporter Jorn Madslien.

is this guy looking at the same picture? it doesn't look much like a rugged workhorse to me.

[Redboots]

Originally Posted by misterpaul

is this guy looking at the same picture? it doesn't look much like a rugged workhorse to me.

He probably means for a drug dealer, silly

John

[moggy 1968]

landrover nearly lost the MOD contract when the 'Wolf' was designed.
They didn't win it because they had the best or most suitable or capable vehicle. they won it because it was politically unacceptable for them to lose it, at that time.
I agree with the above comments. that is not a workhorse vehicle in the pictures, it's a chelsea tractor.

[backofbeyond]

There's a discussion over on the Adventure Bike Rider site about the new Defender entitled "Have they lost their collective minds?" Most posters, even those waving a Union Jack whilst typing, seem to think they have.

[ilesmark]

Why doesn't TATA just keep making the Defender as is but shift production to India? Can't think of a vehicle made these days that's more suitable for being built by hand.

[eightpot]

Originally Posted by ilesmark

Why doesn't TATA just keep making the Defender as is but shift production to India? Can't think of a vehicle made these days that's more suitable for being built by hand.

That's ridiculous -no way an Indian manufacturer would be able to build a Defender correctly.
For a start they use metric, so panel gaps would be in mm not inches.

[Walkabout]

Originally Posted by moggy 1968

landrover nearly lost the MOD contract when the 'Wolf' was designed.
They didn't win it because they had the best or most suitable or capable vehicle. they won it because it was politically unacceptable for them to lose it, at that time.
I agree with the above comments. that is not a workhorse vehicle in the pictures, it's a chelsea tractor.

Yep, very true, which makes me think that LR will continue to win the future contracts for political reasons, assuming that they continue to be sourced from the UK (or at least appear to be via the marketing).
But the Wolf worked great and was a speedy vehicle around the highways of the Balkans
In contrast, the Fwd Control LR for towing guns was a disaster. Most unfit for purpose.

Perhaps by 2015 the Defender will be the chelsea tractor and LR will be producing a "Willys Jeep" for the military market which, in fact, is rather small, especially for modern day factory production rates.

There again, following the political issues of years ago about Westland helicopters Vs the USA product and the possible tightening of procurement rules at the British MoD, the Brit military could end up driving Hummers (HumVee).

[ilesmark]

Originally Posted by eightpot

That's ridiculous -no way an Indian manufacturer would be able to build a Defender correctly.
For a start they use metric, so panel gaps would be in mm not inches.

Well hullo - it's a Landrover Defender we're talking about here, not an Audi A8. A car that can be fixed with a hammer in the field, not one that has to be hooked up to a computer in a laboratory by someone in a white coat just to change a headlight bulb. Am sure a few uneven / wider than average panel gaps wont matter.

[twenty4seven]

If you believe wikipedia

The Defender is to be replaced by the Ocelot with the MOD ordering 200 of them.

[Starbeck]

After years of avoiding Land Rovers because of the dodgy build quality and unreliability I bought a new Defender eight weeks ago. Very pleased with it so far, build quality is'nt as good as the Ford and Jeep 4x4's I've used in the past (for my business, up in the dales) but it is robust and definately fit for purpose. The Ford diesel "Puma" motor is returning about 31mpg so it's doing better than the LWB Wrangler I've just traded in.
I think that, if Land Rover and their new masters, can produce a new Defender that resembles an old Defender, is still fit for purpose i.e. work and is reliable and cheap to run then they'll be onto a winner.
If they make a new Defender that just looks like a cheaper Freelander, D4 or RRS (like the press-release photo) then they won't be bought as working vehicles. Not by me anyway. If anyone wants to buy something like that just to ride around town, fine, let them get on with it. It's their money.

p.s. speaking of reliability, I've just sold the uber-reliable GS12 and bought a new Ducati M1100evo, am I feckin' bonkers?

[eightpot]

Originally Posted by ilesmark

Well hullo - it's a Landrover Defender we're talking about here, not an Audi A8. A car that can be fixed with a hammer in the field, not one that has to be hooked up to a computer in a laboratory by someone in a white coat just to change a headlight bulb. Am sure a few uneven / wider than average panel gaps wont matter.

Think you misread my post there buddy

If anyone else built Defenders and get the gaps right, 90's will become 88's again