Offered for a brief period in the United States, the Land Rover Defender isn’t exactly a stunner in the performance department. Swapping the original powerplant for American muscle, however, provides an interesting twist to the British model’s capabilities off the beaten track.
Meet Honey Badger, an Anglo-American brawler designed and constructed by the fellows at East Coast Defender. Under the hood, you will find 6.2 liters of fire-breathing V8. An LS3 tuned to produce 430 horsepower, the eight-cylinder plant puts the power down to the wheels with the help of one of the best manuals out there: Borg-Warner’s T56.
The Florida-based shop has put its mark on the exhaust as well, now coming in the form of a Borla-designed system. On the driving dynamics front, the Honey Badger prides itself on a limited-slip differential and a beefier transfer case. To ensure the worst case scenario never happens when the going gets off-road, the brake and fuel lines are made of steel.
Complementing the off-road capability of the Landie is a set of BF Goodrich All Terrain K02 tires, which are wrapped around 18-inch rims. A closer look further reveals modified front and rear bumpers, all in the name of better approach and departure angles. For added visual fascination, the lighting system is all-LED both up front and rear.
Opening the door isn’t a chore in this particular Defender, but an invitation based on how nice the Corbeau leather seats are. A roll cage is present as well for safety purposes, whereas the JBL stereo is there for the music lover in you. And now, do have a guess how much this thing costs.
I’m afraid you’re looking at a vehicle costing just shy of $160,000 including the donor Land Rover Defender. It’s a preposterous amount when compared to the likes of the Mercedes-AMG G63 ($141,400), but then again, it has that X factor that one can definitely put his or her finger on. And that, in itself, makes the Honey Badger worth it.
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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