I am fully geeked out on this:
Check out the so subtle matte black on gloss black “60†graphic on the door.
Great pics here:
http://www.seriouswheels.com/cars/2008/top-2008-Land-Rover-Defender-SVX.htm
MD
Yes! The Defender is my all time favorite Land Rover (aside from the Series 1)
Really love that matte/gloss graphic, too. I hope it’s paint and not vinyl decal.
I’ve always been a Land Rover fan myself, but am still partial to the Series 1 machines. The dad of a friend in high school had one, and we thrashed it mercilessly.
Short of an extended intake snorkel, nothing screams Land Rover more than a spare tire mounted on the hood. … . mmm, bonnet; the interior spare tire position is straight out of the Series 1.
I was a bit surprised that some hint of the recessed grill’s DNA did not mutate into the Defender; it was so characteristic of LRs. The headlamp/clearance/TS lamp treatment, as well as the large radius at the leading edge of the front fender is a nice carryover.
The “exoskeletal” rollover structure details are outstanding.
Old FJ40,60 series Toyota Land Cruisers never had quite the same “presence.”
Love the graphic treatment, curious about the bulged hood and the jury’s out on the lamps- I see where they were going but it might be a bit too plasticky for my taste.
I just got a SIII a few months ago that I’ve been working on. Looks much like the truck LMO posted. The recessed grill didn’t make it into more modern designs because they physically couldn’t fit a V8 into the engine bay- the design of these is driven purely by the function, yet is still very charismatic . I love defenders/series because their design has remained so consistent and simple over 50 years. How often are a good percentage of the parts on a 60s era vehicle interchangeable on its modern day equivalent. I’m not a big car guy, but the Land Rover defender does it for me, I love looking out the window and staring at mine. Some of my truck is primer black, and if I didn’t love the Rover Light Green, I would be all over black on black.
Love the mandrel bent steel exo-frame.
I have always wanted one of these!!! Nice to see they are coming back.
Nothing does, but have you seen the icon project:
Defender 90 is one of my all time favorite cars. Picture perfect proportion and stance. Very cool update.
icon … now that’s kinda cool; not sure what I’d do with 350hp but I’m sure I could sort it out eventually.
A far cry from the ‘48 Willy’s Jeep that I had when I was sixteen; all 135 cu. in. and 60 h.p. of it. I used to drive it down the highway with the windshield folded down onto the hood, with my legs wrapped around the steering column and resting on the windshield (it had a hand throttle). Gas tank under the driver’s seat, no doors, no seat belts. . . . ha-hahaha, seatbelts!!! We don need no stinkin’ seat belts. … . …
A buddy out here in California is making a pretty good living restoring them back to WWII military trim; he did three last year.
Cool, does he have a website?
Nope, no website.
Richard is strictly old school; word of mouth only. He doesn’t even photographically document his projects. But he does keep an outstanding written log-book (bound composition notebooks) of dates, billable time (by .25 hours), materials, postage and shipping, phone calls made, and difficulties encountered for every vehicle. He also keeps client concerns, and his replies, logged. If you told him you thought you wanted that differential rebuilt, he’d tell you the date you talked about it. A self-taught businessman that never even finished high school.
He’s so damned organized… . I hate his guts; as in r-e-a-l-l-y hate his guts. 
So he doesn’t even Twitter then?
Twitter? ahhh … . . no.
Next to a cell phone, I think the highest technologically advanced piece of equipment I’ve ever seen in his shop is a HVLP spray gun (and he probably would not even have that if not for the California EPA Nazis).