Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
One might think that after the unveiling of the V8 derivative two years ago, Land Rover would be done with expanding the family of the latest-gen Defender. But they’d be wrong, you see, because there is an even hotter and more off-road-oriented variant in the making.
Supposedly dubbed the Land Rover Defender SVX, or maybe the SVR, or the V8 SVX/V8 SVR, this hairy-chested off-roader will throw a punch at the Mercedes-AMG G 63 4x4², with improved driving credentials on arduous tracks, special touches inside and out, and beneath the skin, and what appears to be the V8 engine under the hood.
Spied resting on the back of a trailer, supposedly on its way to Europe’s frozen north for cold-weather testing, this prototype had its body wrapped in trippy vinyl stickers, with a few extra artificial add-ons at the front, meant to hide the design of the new bumper. The grille appears to be a bit smaller than the one of the Defender V8, and the wheel arches fatter.
The presence of four tailpipes, part of the exhaust system that our spy photographers claim to have been made of titanium, is a clear indicator that we are looking at the V8 engine. If that’s the case, then it is the same supercharged 5.0-liter unit powering the Defender V8, where the thrust is rated at 625 Nm (461 lb-ft) and the output at 525 ps (518 hp/386 kW). The punchy model takes a little over 5 seconds from zero to 100 kph (0-62 mph), and its top speed is set at 240 kph (149 mph).
Some underbody protection is visible in the pictures taken by our spies, which will keep the engine and gearbox safe when driving on arduous tracks. The prototype had BFGoodrich T/A tires wrapped around the simple wheels, which measure 20 inches at both axles. And speaking of the axles, one thing’s certain, Land Rover hasn’t developed a taste for portal ones, so the Defender SVX (name unconfirmed) will fall behind its main rival, the Mercedes-AMG G 63 4x4², in this category.
Still, if the latest rumors are correct, then it will be very capable off the beaten path, with some believing that the British automaker has involved Bowler in the development process, after making them their in-house specialists a little over four years ago. We should find out all the juicy details about it when the wraps will come off, and that might happen either before the end of the year or in early 2024. Meanwhile, there are few tuning companies out there that will make your Defender both punchier and more off-road-focused if you don’t want to wait for JLR to launch the SVX derivative, if that is indeed its name.
Spied resting on the back of a trailer, supposedly on its way to Europe’s frozen north for cold-weather testing, this prototype had its body wrapped in trippy vinyl stickers, with a few extra artificial add-ons at the front, meant to hide the design of the new bumper. The grille appears to be a bit smaller than the one of the Defender V8, and the wheel arches fatter.
The presence of four tailpipes, part of the exhaust system that our spy photographers claim to have been made of titanium, is a clear indicator that we are looking at the V8 engine. If that’s the case, then it is the same supercharged 5.0-liter unit powering the Defender V8, where the thrust is rated at 625 Nm (461 lb-ft) and the output at 525 ps (518 hp/386 kW). The punchy model takes a little over 5 seconds from zero to 100 kph (0-62 mph), and its top speed is set at 240 kph (149 mph).
Some underbody protection is visible in the pictures taken by our spies, which will keep the engine and gearbox safe when driving on arduous tracks. The prototype had BFGoodrich T/A tires wrapped around the simple wheels, which measure 20 inches at both axles. And speaking of the axles, one thing’s certain, Land Rover hasn’t developed a taste for portal ones, so the Defender SVX (name unconfirmed) will fall behind its main rival, the Mercedes-AMG G 63 4x4², in this category.
Still, if the latest rumors are correct, then it will be very capable off the beaten path, with some believing that the British automaker has involved Bowler in the development process, after making them their in-house specialists a little over four years ago. We should find out all the juicy details about it when the wraps will come off, and that might happen either before the end of the year or in early 2024. Meanwhile, there are few tuning companies out there that will make your Defender both punchier and more off-road-focused if you don’t want to wait for JLR to launch the SVX derivative, if that is indeed its name.
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