A new twist on the old Defender

The Mercedes-AMG G 63 is a brawny, pricey chariot dripping with retro-laced cachet, but it’s become almost a cliché these days.

So how about a Land Rover Defender stuffed with a 321kW 6.2-litre Chevy LS3 V8?

Now we’re talking…

Among the quirky attractions at the Geneva motor show were Twisted Automotive’s ultra-premium versions of the slab-sided Landy, with offerings ranging in price from £67,000 ($A126,005) to a dizzying £165,000 ($A308,760).

And that’s before shipping and taxes are factored into the equation. Figure on doubling these prices to land a car in Australia and register it here. Phew!

It makes a top-of-the-line Range Rover seem cheap, but there is method to the madness. Since production ended in January 2016, the venerable Defender has become something of a cult hero and resale values are starting to soar as we await the reveal of an all-new model this year.

Yorkshire-based Twisted Automotive saw a potential niche in the making well before the boxy, olde-worlde off-roader was axed and company founder Charles Fawcett placed an order for 240 new Defenders in 2015.

This foresight has provided Twisted Automotive with a generous inventory of mint donor cars, which the firm converts into high-end bespoke modified vehicles – along the lines of the Mini Remastered we recently reported on.

Rather than continuously rolling them out, Twisted creates and releases its offerings in batches, with each one themed around a particular genre of the Landy – Series 1, Series 2, Series 2A, Lightweight, Classic Series 3 and Stage One V8.

The Twisted mantra is to highlight some of the Defender’s classic design cues, while improving the driving experience via uprated powertrains, brakes and suspension.

The interior is also revamped via comprehensive soundproofing, Recaro bucket seats, a premium sound system, plus (in some versions) lashings of the same quality leather you’d find in a Bentley.

“Each of those series pays a subtle nod to what Land Rover did in the 1960s and ’70s. They will have certain bits on them to highlight what changed throughout the Defender’s history,” Twisted Automotive spokesman James Ayre told carsales.com.au at the Geneva show.

“For example, the Series 2A is offered only in the 110 (110-inch wheelbase) derivative… there’s no 90. There will be just 10 units. The next series will be the Lightweight – they’ll all be soft-top and painted in Willow Green. There’ll be 10 of them as well,” said Ayre.

One of the benefits of progress is that the aftermarket components on offer today are vastly superior to whatever was available in 1948, or even 1998, for that matter.

Twisted’s custom Defenders ride on bespoke Eibach springs and anti-roll bars, while the Bilstein dampers have also been custom valved for this application.

We haven’t driven any Twisted-prepped vehicles, but we’re guessing they’re far less ponderous than the standard vehicle ever was.

Meanwhile, in-cabin refinement is said to benefit from a comprehensive soundproofing upgrade that entails stripping out the vehicle and stuffing it with foam. This alone is said to take 90 hours of labour.

Twisted Defenders are equipped with one of two engines. The lesser (by far) of these is the trusty 2.2-litre turbo-diesel that featured in the Defender from 2011-16.

But the one that has us licking our lips is the Stage One V8, which packs a Chevy Corvette-sourced 6.2-litre LS3 V8 that endows the boxy Brit with a 321kW/575Nm wallop.

Despite the engine transplant, the rest of the vehicle remains faithful to the original with its hip stripe, three front seats, Land Rover side steps and orange indicator repeaters, says Ayre.

“These are all things that keep it classic and subtle, but you’ve obviously got that big lump of power up front.”

Ayre says the company has the perfect credentials to build the vehicles it does as Defenders are all it works on.

“We have only ever worked with the Defender and as a result we know it inside and out, we understand its DNA. What makes it great; and where its weaknesses lie,” he says.

“If a customer comes to me and says, ‘I’m looking for a Defender’, my first question would be, do you want petrol or diesel? If you want a petrol, the options are either Stage One V8, or pick a series and we can put the V8 in it for you.”

“Another big part of the business is conversion work, so you could bring your Defender in to us and we can re-engineer it to pretty much whatever you want,” Ayre says.

“However, the core focus for now is our classic series of vehicles, of which there are 45 left. Once you put a deposit down on one of these, you are essentially confirming a build slot and we then start building it to your specifications.”