2007 Defender Styling

[N*A*M]

What do you guys think of this?

http://www.motortrend.com/future/spied/ ... index.html

[ShinyDiscoBalls]

I like the styling... but not the engine options... who really wants a french turbo diesel engine?

[stuee]

I like the styling also, the engines seem better than TD5 currently available.

but is expected to be a bit softer for the fun-seeking, less-affluent members of the youth market

Don't like the sounds of that. Does it mean landrover is going to a full soft-roader line-up?

[uninformed]

they will never do it right BUT by the sounds of it, it will still have a chassis and not monocoque body/chassis. the new ford/peugot engines are ment to be pretty good. though they will be tech. ie electrics

[Hardtop_110]

Jesus!!!

Yhat thing is awful!!!

I thought Ford would fuck things up sooner or later.

[Pup]

the link not working for anyone else? been trying to get to it all night but it saying page cant be found

[N*A*M]

Sketchpad: Land Rover Defender
The best defense is a good offense

By Editors of Motor Trend
Photography by Mark Stehrenberger
Motor Trend, July 2004

The Defender, absent from this market since after the 1997 model year, returns to the United States in 2007 as a 2008 model. It retains its image as the purest, most committed sport/utility in Land Rover's lineup, although a smaller, more basic model reportedly is in the works for introduction a year later.

Land Rover is keen on cultivating the no-nonsense image of the Defender, which evokes the original postwar model made famous by the film "Born Free" and by the United Nations peacekeeping forces (before the Toyota Land Cruiser grabbed that market). The new model will remain functional and classic in design, but is expected to be a bit softer for the fun-seeking, less-affluent members of the youth market.

Now under Ford Motor Co.'s wings, the next Defender will be built with a new, modern body design on a steel frame. Short-wheelbase, long-wheelbase, and soft-top versions are in the works, although not all might be bound for North America. Gasoline engines will come from Ford: a direct-injection four with variable timing, a 3.0-liter Duratec V-6, and for the U.S. only, a 3.8-liter V-6. Peugeot will supply a 2.7-liter turbodiesel V-6 for Europe.

[Pup]

that looks like SHITE, trust ford to go and farck up something which hasnt been changed in decades, it looks more like a ford escape than anything else, the defender look has been around for ages, if it aint broke dont fix it!!!!!!!!!!

[Thor]

i like it actually. bout time they updated somewhat at least .
who wants to pay the current $$ which over the last decade has not gone anywhere near the R&D Dept.

[RUFF]

Looks like someone ran into the back of it in a Disco real fast.

[GURU]

G'day all,

I like it too, infact I would be happy if ford was to build it like in the pictures, but the pictures are probably more defender looking than what the real release vehicle will be. It seems to be a trend, nice artist pic and then they change it abit more and it looks totally different.

I just hope that red one is 100" with dyna diffs (I heard that ford struck a deal to fit them in the new disco, anyone else know??) and a nice V6 turbo diesel (even better if it was mechanically injected but that EVER going to happen). paint it green and I would get one
I can dream atleast

NB: that front bar better be metal ....

[ISUZUROVER]

I just hope that red one is 100" with dyna diffs (I heard that ford struck a deal to fit them in the new disco, anyone else know??)

Do you mean Dana diffs? Or Dyna diffs as in toyota Dyna truck?

I don't mind the shape but it would need to have a strong chassis like the current one, an aluminium body, and strong solid axles front and rear (Dana 60's would be best but 30 spline Dana 44's would be acceptable). Somehow I doubt all of this will be fitted.

[lowbox]

That looks like a Freelander to me, looks like a nice soft roader but I think 110's may turn into collectors items because that thing ain't no Defender!

[GURU]

Yes I meant Dana diffs, I must have been a tired when i typed that

[Bodge]

Queer Eye for the Defender Guy

[RUFF]

Dana Diffs have been used by Rover for years so its only natural to continue using them. The salisbury is a Dana as are the diffs fitted to P38 Rangies.

[daddylonglegs]

It is about time somebody addressed the diff issue. I think Rover is the only company in the world to still use spiral bevel diffs on anything. Even the Russians went over to Hypoid a decade ago. Spiral Bevel was an obsolete design 50 years ago.
Bill.

[RUFF]

Sorry i realised later today that the P38 doesnt run the Dana.

[brendo]

OMFG!!!! Thats the biggest pile sh*t i have ever scene

[Craig E]

Ahhhhh NO. Its a Hummer wannabe. Stay with the typical shape, just update the interior to make it semi comfortable and give some legroom.

[daddylonglegs]

They may as well killoff the defender series. Rover have destroyed any credibility that the working LandRover range may have still had with the last Defender rehash, update, stuffup !!!.
bill.

[landy_man]

too true Bill.... the Defender Extreme(ly badly built) does not even have a Sals. rear anymore.... It's only redeeming feature
Mine was an absolute pile of sh1t and I will never buy a new Solihull product again

[GRIMACE]

its a shame to see what was a good vehicle fade away

The rangie was killed long ago, know the disco is goin all out independant and no centre diff lock and the last standing bull has been shot dead..... why ow why has land rover gone down this path

[landy_man]

why ow why has land rover gone down this path

it all boils down to the ALMIGHTY DOLLAR and that entails selling the car in the USA... which means airbags and more modern styling and better ergonomics

[daddylonglegs]

Yeah, I wouldn't put too much blame on Ford or Bmw either. The market sector that the RangeRover and Disco appeal to, meant that developement was always going to head in the direction it has, but the rot began to set in with Defenders with the introduction of the 300TDi.
ie, smaller cv's, closely spaced wheel bearings, shorter halshaft and drive flange splines, smaller propshaft universals, pissweak clutch release forks,
poorer control over the manufacturing quality on the LT230 T/case.
Poor corrosion protection of all the steel body/chassis components, removal of most of the stiffening ribs and braces on the roof panel ,sides and other bodywork, downgraded material quality on even the already pissweak Rover diffs, Need I go on? and all this happened under Rover ownership, before BMW or Ford.
Bill.

[uninformed]

landrover, that is the landrover ie. s11, s111 and the 90/110/defender has always sufered at the hands of others. in the 70's when the british leyland group was formed, all the products turning a profit subsidized the ones turning a loss. this ment no funds for R&D. so thats why they fell way behind the times and could never catch up. they basic concept is very good as is seen buy the varying customers. As the vehilce stands stock and for what the design is ment for i.e only 750-16 tyres, etc, it isn't to bad. there must be a large market place for this type of vehicle with the ability for it to have air bags ,etc, for N.A. but a lower tech version for other countries. surely these vehicles still don't have to be hand built and they can improve on the idea with some details taken from the fact that it hasn't changed for so long and we all have the same problems with them. any ideas what we can do about it. theres no point bitching to one another if the nobs at ford/rover don't hear about it.

serg

[daddylonglegs]

Serg, I don't buy the excuse about being starved for funds as the reason for degrading the design of mechanical componentry. Once a particular component design has been in production, axles, spindles propshafts etc, it costs far more money to redesign and downgrade those components than just continuing production of the old design. A small universal joint for example, doesn't cost any less to make than a larger one. The Rover company has always had more than it's fair share of incompetent engineers in my opinion, but there is something a bit sinister about the way they stuffed the Defender range.
Bill.

[DaveG]

Given that many people think the Defender has lost some of its edge over recent years, which do you reckon the best year models are?

[DaveG]

Given that many people think the Defender has lost some of its edge over recent years, which do you reckon the best year models are?

[daddylonglegs]

In my opinion and many others who know landRovers well, The 1985 110 with the Isuzu 4bd1 desel engine and LT95 4 speed gearbox is the best. Buy a good one ,Fit Maxidrive or Macnightmara strengthened front end components and difflocks, a bullbar ,full rollcage and electronic rust proofing ,maintain it well and you will have one of the safest, most capable, durable and longest lasting 4x4's built.
Bill.