Often discredited for switching to unibody construction, the Defender isn’t all show and no go. Land Rover developed the L663 to be supremely capable off the beaten path in every specification available, but as you’re well aware, the aftermarket can do better than the British automaker.
Enter Iceland-based Arctic Trucks, or better said the off-road specialist’s Russian subsidiary. Based on the family-sized 110 with the mild-hybrid sixer under the hood, the AT35 in the featured clip doesn’t break a sweat on snowy trails in sub-zero weather. As implied, the main difference over the standard model comes in the guise of tires. As opposed to 255/50 by 20s (make that 30.1 inches for the outer diameter), the Land Rover Defender Arctic Trucks AT35 flaunts 315/60 by 20s (34.9 inches).
The 12.4-inch-wide tires are complemented by double-spoke wheels finished in dark gray. Arctic Trucks Russia further sweetens the deal with spacers for the front and rear suspension, updated geometry fore and aft, wheel-arch extensions at every corner of the luxury-oriented sport utility vehicle, anti-corrosion coating, branded mudguards, Artic Trucks bodyside decals, a recalibrated speedometer, and a torque wrench.
This fellow also boasts a ground clearance of 360 millimeters (14.1 inches) as opposed to 290 millimeters (11.4 inches) fully stock. In terms of approach and departure angles, the Russian subsidiary lists 39.1 and 40.1 degrees with coil springs or 38 and 40 degrees with air suspension.
Curb weight estimate? That would be anything between 2,541 and 2,598 kilograms (5,602 to 5,728 pounds), and the turning radius is a little worse as well at 7.5 meters (24.6 feet) compared to 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) unmodified. Arctic Trucks Russia didn’t publish any pricing details for the AT35 package, but don’t expect these modifications to come cheap.
Jaguar Land Rover halted vehicle sales in Russia following the February 24th invasion of Ukraine, which the Russian Federation botched up in grand fashion. The Defender is listed by the configurator in this part of the world, but unsurprisingly, pricing information sadly isn’t available.
Back home in the United Kingdom, the L663 is available from £51,365 or $61,790 at current exchange rates for the Defender 90 Hard Top D250 AWD Automatic MHEV. The longer-wheelbase 110 is £57,290 ($68,925), whereas the 130 can be had for a whopping £73,895 ($89,900).
Over in the United States of America, the Defender kicks off at $53,500 sans destination charge. A 2.0-liter turbo is the standard engine, but the sweet spot in the lineup is the P400 mild-hybrid sixer that produces 395 horsepower. The 90 with this engine is $66,100 at press time, whereas the 110 and 130 with this inline-six retail from $69,300 and $78,300.
Of the 18 models currently available stateside, four feature a supercharged V8 with 518 horsepower on deck. They’re not cheap, though, with starting prices for this engine currently ranging from $107,900 to $118,400.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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