RE: 'Unstoppable' Defender OCTA officially unveiled

[Otispunkmeyer]

Was listening to the Smokin' Tire podcast and they had Jamal Hameedi on. He is the guy responsible for this JLR SVO product and had come over from Ford where he'd been involved with the both GTs and the Raptor family of vehicles. So he certainly knows how to get daft stuff like this through and make fun vehicles and this is essentially a JLR Defender Raptor.

Thing is all those Fords, with possible exception of the GTs are big, simple fun. This thing is absolutely packed to the gunwales with tech like the hydraulic suspension that can balance front-back, side-side and across diagonally, air suspension, vibro-acoustic seats etc. They've also packed a Hot V in to an engine bay never designed for it. It'll be a fun vehicle but I bet this is one you'll never want to own outside of a warranty.

Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Thursday 4th July 11:25

[Otispunkmeyer]

Ed Moses said:

Look forward to seeing this at FOS and in 90 spec.

Are they doing a 90 spec one? RE my post above, the guy heading up the project was on the Smokin Tire Podcast and they asked him directly about making a 3 door one. I think he said that they'd have to wait and see what sales were like.

[DonkeyApple]

epom said:

Trusty Steed said:

What can this do, apart from make a loud noise, my D250 HT cant do? Pointless vehicle?

Probably drain its fuel tank in under 10 mins

Which means you're paying a lot more in tax than the D250 peasants, which in turn means you are giving far more money to the government to help tackle the climate emergency, so you're far more environmentally friendly and just an all round better human than the D250 punter. And all while having more fun and being happier. It's all quite logical.

[Rich Boy Spanner]

Trusty Steed said:

What can this do, apart from make a loud noise, my D250 HT cant do? Pointless vehicle?

It might make you smile and have fun.

[unpc]

DonkeyApple said:

Roger Irrelevant said:

And FFS why is it that a single, powerfully built chap driving his Rangie/Defender to his business premises - using precisely 0% of it's off-road capability - is seen as the most natural thing in the world and something to aspire to for any self-respecting PHer, whereas a woman driving her Rangie/Defender to drop the kids off at school - also using precisely 0% of it's off-road capability but at least using more of its seating capacity - is an abomination and emblematic of all that is wrong with the world? Coming out with that sort of crap in 2024 just makes you look like a bitter old divorcee/incel whose life hasn't turned out as well as hoped.

Hate by proxy. The new voluntary underclass anyone can join, so long as one is a white male. Ugly women can have country membership if they bring biscuits and remember their place. As you say, it just helps one spot the string vest, losers in the modern work and social environments as you can't always rely on them being in their traditional roles, locations or wearing their traditional uniforms. They're out there now in all walks of life, hiding in their little closets desperate to come out.

Cars like this are superb for getting misogynists, racists and professional losers to instantly out themselves in any environment.

What's more fun than a life sized Tonia toy? A life sized Tonka toy with an utterly facile V8 and dollop of pointless excess power.

Sure, it'll break down a bit more than a Corolla but that just means it's best to also have other cars.

It's probably not a cure for self loathing or a valid transference therapy.

As the future of silly V8s inexorably heads to its close, one would be a fool to not celebrate their silliness and futility.

Ouch

[jhonn]

Trusty Steed said:

What can this do, apart from make a loud noise, my D250 HT cant do? Pointless vehicle?

Not at all - it's a status symbol, like owning and wearing a complicated, super expensive, ostentatious wristwatch, it broadcasts to the hoi polloi that you've 'made it' - and that you can afford to buy and run it.
Sure - a full-fat RR sends the same message and for the majority of users might make more sense - however this adds a frisson of 'derring-do' and adventurism that the RR lacks.
It'll sell - LR understand human nature and the market place pretty well.

[Glenn63]

Rich Boy Spanner said:

Trusty Steed said:

What can this do, apart from make a loud noise, my D250 HT cant do? Pointless vehicle?

It might make you smile and have fun.

What’s the point in any car with bigger more powerful engines? Might as well just scrap them all and just sell the basic boggo spec engine with different interior specs. Unless, like me, you’d get more pleasure from a V8 than a whimpy D250.

[S600BSB]

When is the EV version coming?

[HedleyOne]

What a waste of engineering effort. Depreciation rate too high. Too big to park. And I might just own an oil well !

[Its Just Adz]

I really like that!

[DP14]

Is that grille meant to be a reference to the Series 3 Stage 1?
Perhaps it's already been mentioned, but I can't be bothered to read about this car.

[nismo48]

PRO5T said:

BikeSausage said:

I apologise for my pedantry in advance……….

Anyway, the bit that made my teeth itch was the lack of alignment with the lower trim where the door meets the rear flank panel. I know it won’t make a blind bit of difference to the driving experience, but on a £158k car, I expect a little more attention to detail.

They all do that sir. It doesn't bother me much on mine but nowt lines up-I like to think of it as intensional to go for the old nailed together in Solihull look.

With a Land Rover when it's only the stereo conking out and the panel gaps misaligning you consider yourself to have a good one!