Even before the big migration to a modern unibody design, the Land Rover Defender was a very cool vehicle. One of the longest-lasting 4x4s on the planet comes with the timeless boxy design that appeals to every type of enthusiast, except maybe the drift crowd.
Not excepting those limitations, artist Thiagod3sign gives us the low-down with this unique makeover he calls the "Monark". Unless we're mistaken, that's what Ares design calls its Defender body kit.
The one we see here seems to belong more to the world of drifting than off-roading, with Pandem-style fender flairs and other striking aero elements. But it stays close enough to the original design to mess with your head.
So can you make a drift truck out of the old Defender? Yes and no. We've seen enough similar conversions to know that it's possible to pull off the look, but very little will be left of the original vehicle.
First, the original chassis and engine are completely scrapped. A tubular steel chassis is then constructed in the shape of the Land Rover. The Defender's body is just for show after that. The custom chassis also allows the "easy" installation of racing suspension in place of the old axles.
The best engine for drifting has lots of power, probably at least 500 hp. But considering the Defender body is very heavy, we'd suggest starting with aound 700 ponies. The best thing for this job is probably some kind of LS with a dog-leg gearbox conversion.
We could only find one Land Rover drift machine. It doesn't have a custom chassis or an American engine. Instead, it's just lowered and uses a modified Rover V8. We like that it's green, but as you'll see in the video at the bottom of the story, going sideways is difficult on a short wheelbase 90 Series with not that much power.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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