Photo: Ares Design
An Italian coachbuilder and tuner that can modify the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette into a barchetta-like supercar with a flat-plane crankshaft, Ares Design has recently improved the Land Rover Defender into a rugged luxobarge. Not the all-new Defender with a unibody construction, but the body-on-frame model that was unfortunately discontinued five years ago.
Painted in gloss black and augmented by carbon-fiber bits and bobs, the Spec 1.2 in the following video “retains the timeless appeal” of the donor vehicle “but takes it to new levels of luxury and modernity.” Highlights include a panoramic roof, large rear windows, five-spoke wheels, Cooper Discoverer STT Pro extreme all-season tires, and full-LED exterior lights.
Tricked out with flared fenders, the widebody SUV is also rocking side-exiting pipes for the exhaust system, serious-looking protection for the drivetrain, heavy-duty axle shafts and CV joints, AP Racing six-piston brake calipers, and electronically adjustable suspension. Obviously enough, no Defender would be complete without a tailgate-mounted spare wheel.
A 35-millimeter (1.4-inch) suspension lift kit, heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals, and powder-coated step rails also need to be mentioned, along with a free-breathing engine based on the venerable Rover V8 offered from 1960 to 2006. Bored out from 4.5 to 4.7 liters, the eight-cylinder mill features a bespoke exhaust manifold, low-restriction catalytic converters, a bypass valve for a suitably tuneful soundtrack, larger injectors, gas-flowed heads, and hotter cams for 282 horsepower.
Torque isn’t too shabby either at 325 pound-feet (440 Nm), and all that suck-squeeze-bang-blow is channeled to the part-time 4WD system by a six-speed automatic transmission. Ares Design hasn’t mentioned anything about the price or options, but I’m guessing that €220,000 would be a good starting point given the plushness of the interior. In American currency, make that approximately $267,260 at current exchange rates.
If you’re interested in getting a Spec 1.2 of your own, bear in mind that each build takes in the ballpark of three months from start to finish.
Tricked out with flared fenders, the widebody SUV is also rocking side-exiting pipes for the exhaust system, serious-looking protection for the drivetrain, heavy-duty axle shafts and CV joints, AP Racing six-piston brake calipers, and electronically adjustable suspension. Obviously enough, no Defender would be complete without a tailgate-mounted spare wheel.
A 35-millimeter (1.4-inch) suspension lift kit, heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals, and powder-coated step rails also need to be mentioned, along with a free-breathing engine based on the venerable Rover V8 offered from 1960 to 2006. Bored out from 4.5 to 4.7 liters, the eight-cylinder mill features a bespoke exhaust manifold, low-restriction catalytic converters, a bypass valve for a suitably tuneful soundtrack, larger injectors, gas-flowed heads, and hotter cams for 282 horsepower.
Torque isn’t too shabby either at 325 pound-feet (440 Nm), and all that suck-squeeze-bang-blow is channeled to the part-time 4WD system by a six-speed automatic transmission. Ares Design hasn’t mentioned anything about the price or options, but I’m guessing that €220,000 would be a good starting point given the plushness of the interior. In American currency, make that approximately $267,260 at current exchange rates.
If you’re interested in getting a Spec 1.2 of your own, bear in mind that each build takes in the ballpark of three months from start to finish.
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