Friday 23rd October 2009

Next Defender To Be Confirmed By 2013

61 years of mud-plugging draws to an end for hardiest Landy

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Land Rover remains committed to replacing the Defender in its line-up, and will have to define its replacement in the next three years. It told Australian website GoAuto News that modern safety and emissions laws are making the rugged Defender untenable, and the car's current exclusion from the US market on safety grounds is a big problem.

The move has been expected for a while, so we're not particularly surprised to hear this. A replacement for the Defender has long been mooted, with several concepts in recent years, and Land Rover sources have been talking about having something ready for 2012-2013.

Apparently it will use either the platform from the current Range Rover Sport and LR4, (which doesn't fill us with confidence for its mud-plugging ability, but Land Rover insists that the new car will be just as able in the rough stuff), or a significantly more advanced version of a ladder-framed vehicle. Replacing the Defender will be a tall order either way, but more importantly today the story is a great opportunity to show you some fabulous pictures from the car's illustrious past.

The Defender name only got attached to the car in 1990, but the basic design has its roots in the Land Rover Series 1, launched in 1948. Amazingly little has changed in the six-and-a-bit decades that has passed since then, and the modern day Defender is still a recognisable evolution of its forefathers. The same basic formula has survived through the Series I, II, IIa and III, the 90 and 110, right though to the Defender that you can still buy today.

 

[don logan]

I had an ex airport police SWB when I was 12 and suddenly I have the horn for a newish one!

[Madness60]

Finally, good riddance to an entirely over rated piece of st

[SirTainly]

Madness60 said:

Finally, good riddance to an entirely over rated piece of st

Not sure if you've owned one or not from that comment.

[rhinochopig]

Madness60 said:

Finally, good riddance to an entirely over rated piece of st

They used to be very good reliable vehicles - my old SIII Lightweight, for example, did 60 miles up the motorway with the stat stuck shut on the rad - the oil cooler was sufficient to keep the engine cool. Sadly they didn't move with the times.

[Madness60]

Nope never owned one and never would but had to drive lots of different versions all over the place and hated every second of it!

[al1991]

That's a shame, but I thought that it was it for Land Rovers but at least they're going to replace it. I imagine they'll lose loads of hardcore Landy fans but gain more Chelsea types. Not a good thing in my opinion.

[Bill]

Madness60 said:

Nope never owned one and never would but had to drive lots of different versions all over the place and hated every second of it!

:shrugs:I love them and consider them one of the coolest cars ever.[/fanboy]

More seriously, like them or not, they are iconic and it seems a shame that the Defender has been killed by pedestrian safety regs when they're designed to go places there are very few pedestrians.

[rhinochopig]

It'll be interesting what replaces them in applications like - military; field maintenance; mountain rescue; coastguard; etc.

There aren't a lot of vehicles that are practical (i.e. not massive) and can still fit a stretcher in the back.

[BLUETHUNDER]

My 50th Defender nearly three years owned. Never ever let me down. Been totally reliable and loved every minute of it

[elster]

Madness60 said:

Finally, good riddance to an entirely over rated piece of st

What is an alternative?

[BLUETHUNDER]

rhinochopig said:

It'll be interesting what replaces them in applications like - military; field maintenance; mountain rescue; coastguard; etc.

There aren't a lot of vehicles that are practical (i.e. not massive) and can still fit a stretcher in the back.

The thing is the military have been moving slowly away from Landrover over the years. The last big order from the military was back in 1996 for the Wolf. Since then there has been no big orders. The m.o.d have reverted to having the existing fleet refurbished by Hobsons and Ricardo eng.

[k-ink]

Japanese seem to be the reliable route to go these days

[rhinochopig]

BLUETHUNDER said:

rhinochopig said:

It'll be interesting what replaces them in applications like - military; field maintenance; mountain rescue; coastguard; etc.

There aren't a lot of vehicles that are practical (i.e. not massive) and can still fit a stretcher in the back.

The thing is the military have been moving slowly away from Landrover over the years. The last big order from the military was back in 1996 for the Wolf. Since then there has been no big orders. The m.o.d have reverted to having the existing fleet refurbished by Hobsons and Ricardo eng.

There is still a market for a light utility 4x4. Afghanistan / Iraq has somewhat skewed procurement needs.

I guess if they do need a replacement in the future there's always Pinsgauer[sp?]

[Newromancer]

[Maxymillion]

BLUETHUNDER said:

My 50th Defender nearly three years owned. Never ever let me down. Been totally reliable and loved every minute of it

That is fabulous.

[thehardman07]

My father had one back in the eighties. I remember one Sunday returning from our weekly visit to my gran's, my father decided to see what it was made of and took the river route instead! I still remember me and my sister screaming in the back as the water seeped in and my father behind the wheel laughing like a madman! Probably in disbelief at how capable this thing was. Oh, and the following Saturday we went to a wedding in it all ribboned up and no one batted an eyelid. Two absolute extremes, but how many vehicles could do both so effortlessly?

[scoinsy]

why there one of the best 4x4 money can buy and what is the alternative a suzuki sj

elster said:

Madness60 said:

Finally, good riddance to an entirely over rated piece of st

What is an alternative?

[BLUETHUNDER]

rhinochopig said:

BLUETHUNDER said:

rhinochopig said:

It'll be interesting what replaces them in applications like - military; field maintenance; mountain rescue; coastguard; etc.

There aren't a lot of vehicles that are practical (i.e. not massive) and can still fit a stretcher in the back.

The thing is the military have been moving slowly away from Landrover over the years. The last big order from the military was back in 1996 for the Wolf. Since then there has been no big orders. The m.o.d have reverted to having the existing fleet refurbished by Hobsons and Ricardo eng.

There is still a market for a light utility 4x4. Afghanistan / Iraq has somewhat skewed procurement needs.

I guess if they do need a replacement in the future there's always Pinsgauer[sp?]

Agreed. But the military were moving away before those conflicts. The m.o.d now are procuring more specialist vehicles for different roles. I think one of the final nails in the coffin was the phasing out of the 110 DPV used by the SAS. No LR product filled the role vacated by it.

[mister.t]

It's a shame but I just won't sell mine!

No it's not the best car to drive, nor is it cheap to run (as you may well guess!), or is it the last word in comfort or speed, but everytime I drive it, I can't help but smile - Not many cars nowadays do that to me!

[samuelellis]

I will buy myself a defnder at some point

Still relelber my dads old series 3 - yes it was rubbish and slow but it fired every time and got us places other cars could not