autoevolution
 

Single Cab Land Rover Defender Looks Virtually Ready for a 2024 Tacoma TRD PreRunner Brawl

Tracing its heritage from the Land Rover Series I, II, and III, the Defender off-roader has been a staple of the 4x4 world for decades alongside other legendary nameplates such as Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Land Cruiser, or Mercedes-Benz G-Class. The modern version, L663, has almost all the attributes to become an icon on its own – bar one.
Land Rover Defender Single Cab rendering by jlord8 58 photos
Photo: jlord8 / Instagram
Land Rover Defender Single Cab rendering by jlord8Land Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover DefenderLand Rover Defender
And no, that's not about reliability – as the term has become truly relative in today's electronic world. Can anyone dare to assume that the original L316 Land Rover Defender presented in 1983 would be more reliable than its contemporary successor if it had the same amount of electronics on board? While we ponder that thought, let us discuss the attribute this current generation needs to feel complete – or at least akin to its predecessor.

Well, that would have to do with the lack of a workhorse version. Right now, the L316 and L663 Defenders mirror each other in terms of compact three-door 90, mid-size 110, and even full-size long-wheelbase five-door 130 body styles. But the original series was not just an off-road focused SUV but also a capable 4WD pickup truck! Sure, Land Rover may want to avoid associating the reinvented Defender with the workhorse body style because they push into the luxury stratosphere as hard as possible. And we have the MSRPs to prove that.

Over in the United States, even the cheapest Defender 90 starts well above the $50k threshold ($56,400, to be more precise), and the base Defender 130 kicks off above $69k without destination and other fees. Plus, if you want to splash out, the top Defender 90 V8 Carpathian Edition is $115,300, the corresponding flagship Defender 110 is $118,600, and even the top Defender 130 V8 starts from $116,600. So, you see, the Defender is certainly not what it used to be – for better or worse, which depends entirely on your POV.

However, some people do not see this stuff in black and white – or even gray. A few don't even dream of the same universe as ours. Such is the case with the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. And there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have another Defender example from Jim, the virtual artist known as jlord8 on social media. Mesmerized by the arrival of so many mid-size pickup truck novelties for the American market – like the recent 2024 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor plus 2024 Toyota Tacoma- he abandoned his ongoing vintage CGI car series for a moment or two.

Just recently, he envisioned a sporty Toyota GR Tacoma, but now he's back in the Defender pickup mood, which in the past led him on roads untraveled with stuff like a slammed widebody L316 Defender 'Sport Truck' that hid a Corvette E-Ray surprise under its vintage attire or an L663 'Single Cab Dually' that looked like the British answer to ultimate heavy-duty trucks like the posh GMC Sierra HD Denali!

Now, though, he is a bit tamer than before and quickly created a Defender Single Cab that could join the mid-size party to battle-dance the bejesus out of the 2024 Tacoma (TRD PreRunner) and Ranger, plus the Frontier, Ridgeline, Colorado, Canyon, or Gladiator! So, how do we feel about a Defender 110 Single Cab – does it merit our CGI hall pass or not?


If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)

Editor's note: Gallery includes official images of Land Rover Defender.

About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories