Land Rover is entering the high-performance off-road craze with the Defender V8!
High-performance off-road trucks have been on the rise in the past five years, with American brands Ford, Ram, and Jeep coming out with powerful vehicles such as the 700HP F-150 Raptor R, the 702HP 1500 TRX, and the 470HP V8 Wrangler Rubicon 392. However, Land Rover also wants to join the party with a buffed-up model of its own, the 2022 Defender V8, powered by a supercharged 5.0L V8 producing 518 HP and 461 lb-ft of torque.
The V8 is a detuned version of the unit in the Range Rover SVR and the Jaguar F-type R and available for both two-door and four-door options. Such a powerful mill will allow the two-door V8 to reach 60 mph from a standstill in only 4.9 seconds, with a rated top speed of 149 mph. Not bad, right?
The new V8 arrangement in the Defender prompted Land Rover to upgrade the chassis, increasing the weight by 600-700 pounds. Specifically, engineers installed bigger springs, tuned damper rates, and fitted bigger anti-roll bars. The V8 Defender will also come equipped with an active electronic rear slip differential and a yaw controller as standard. Although the V8 is the highlight here, standard drivetrain options like the turbocharged four-cylinder and the inline-six 3.0L are still available.
The Defender V8’s cabin features a new Alcantara-covered steering wheel, unique black leather seats, and chrome paddles. Also new for the 2022 model is an optional 11.3-inch curved touchscreen infotainment display with standard wireless charging. Three color options are available with the 2022 Defender: Carpathian Gray, Yulong White, and Santorini Black. Land Rover also offers a special Carpathian edition in Grey paint, with special V8 badging and black accents all over.
Various design packs are also available for the 2022 Land Rover Defender, starting with the Bright Pack that adds chrome details to the skid plate and grille bar. Meanwhile, the Extended Bright Pack includes silver cladding for the lower body and wheel arches.
If chrome ain’t your cup of tea, the Extended Black Pack adds gloss black inserts instead. Optional 20-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires are also available, with the standard wheels being 22-inches. Land Rover hasn’t announced pricing for the Defender V8 yet, but it should cost between $80,000-$100,000.
Gallery
