Land Rover Defender 70th Anniversary Edition — DubiCars Exotic Car Of The Week

The car market in Dubai is one of the most interesting ones in the world. There is a massive demand for exotic and exclusive cars. However, when it comes to off-road SUVs, it is a little harder to come by an exclusive model and this 1-of-150 Land Rover Defender 70th Anniversary Edition is one of your best chances at finding an exotic off-road SUV.

The Land Rover Defender is one of the best old-school SUVs in the world. It is one of the most iconic vehicles in the world and is a direct continuation of the classic Land Rover Series I, Series II, and Series III. The OG Land Rover Defender was produced between 1983 and 2016 and therefore, the only way you can get one today is via the used car market.

However, this particular Land Rover Defender 70th Anniversary Edition on sale at Al Ain Class Motors is a gem with just over 1,800 kilometres on the odometer. Just 150 of these SUVs exist and it is powered by a massive V8 engine. Read on to know more about this Land Rover Defender.

Land Rover Heritage & Off-Road Roots

To understand the importance of the Defender and how we know the Defender for its off-road capabilities, we would have to take a small walk down history lane. It all began way back in 1947 when Maurice Wilks, the Chief Designer at the Rover Company developed the Series I. It was a basic four-wheel-drive vehicle for working on his farm.

It was put into production by the Rover Company and simply named Land Rover for its off-road abilities. Over the next few decades, alongside producing Series II and Series III, Land Rover was also spun off into a separate entity. Based on the Land Rover Series III, a new SUV was developed with more comfort and relatively modern features. Named the Defender, it was launched in 1983.

Over its production run of over three decades, various iterations and variants of the Defender were launched, powered by a variety of engine types and configurations. However, one characteristic remained standard over the years — impressive off-road ability.

It has come to be known as one of the most capable off-road SUVs in the world. It has a rugged 4WD powertrain with low ratio and a whole industry of aftermarket parts has come into being to kit up Land Rover Defenders thereby making them more capable than ever.

70th Anniversary Edition Exclusivity

2017 marked the completion of 70 years for Land Rover and in January 2018, the British marque introduced the 70th Anniversary Edition of the Defender to mark this impressive milestone. Land Rover announced that only 150 units of the 70th Anniversary edition would be built and it was built by the Land Rover Classic division.

Iconic Design & Styling

The 70th Anniversary Edition Land Rover Defender looks exactly like the old-school Defender and there aren’t any major changes in terms of the design language. Up front, it still gets the iconic grille flanked by circular headlamps, indicators, and parking lights. It even gets the raised bonnet. Move over to the side and it starts becoming obvious that it is a special edition.

Firstly, there’s ‘Defender Works V8’ badging on the fenders and then there are the attractive 18-inch wheels. These wheels are exclusive to the 70th Anniversary Edition and are shod with BFGoodrich all-terrain tyres. At the rear too, the classic Defender design has been retained and the only differentiation comes in the form of a 70th Anniversary badge.

Bare Basics Interior

Not much has changed inside the Land Rover Defender. It retains the classy yet utilitarian and barebones interior that has been around for decades. There’s no room for fancy touchscreens in here. There is a stereo system for your music needs and that’s just it.

Instead, you do get lots of buttons and of course, there are two gear levers, one for the transmission and the other for the 4WD system. Grab handles are plenty in quantity for use during those off-road excursions and there are a few cubbyholes and storage spaces to put your stuff in.

Exclusive ‘Defender Works V8’

Under the bonnet is a naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8 engine borrowed from sister company Jaguar. Given that it is plonked in a Defender 90, the engine and its peripherals take up most of the space under the bonnet. In fact, there are barely a few millimetres of clearance between the bonnet and the engine head cover.

Engine Specs:

5.0-litre Naturally-Aspirated Petrol V8
405hp
515Nm
8-Speed Automatic Transmission
4WD with Low-Ratio
0-100km/h: 5.6 seconds
Top Speed: 170km/h

The Land Rover Defender has always been a legendary SUV and if you ask an off-road enthusiast, a Defender would surely be on the bucket list. With the 70th Anniversary edition though, Land Rover took things to the next level as it is powerful, exclusive, and exotic too. This particular Defender 70th Anniversary Edition on sale at Al Ain Class Motors certainly is one to watch out for.

You can also check out used Land Rover Defender SUVs for sale in the UAE & new Land Rover Defender SUVs for sale in the UAE.