We all know that a Defender works best with a V8. Land Rover knows it, too, with a new version being readied as we speak, likely aimed right at the Mercedes-AMG G63. There's no way that the success of the G-Class as an AMG model, both in this generation and the last, has escaped Land Rover's attention, so expect the new Defender V8 to overdeliver on big-cube charm and muscle car drama.
Because that's the real appeal, right? We could mention the torque and the dependability of a sturdy V8, but it's the noise (especially when the other engine option is more often than not a diesel) that really does it for a Defender. Back in 2018 the 70th Anniversary's 5.0-litre unit was described by Nic as "industrial and industrious, and urges this better, worthier, lovelier Defender ever onwards as you prod lethargically at the lever"; don't be surprised if the latest Defender V8 ups the aural drama even further to complement a current-day Defender experience.
Quite amazingly, Land Rover abandoned V8 power for one of its Defender special editions. The SVX marked 60 years of Land Rover in 2008, yet stuck with Transit diesel power to accompany its beach buggy decapitation. Odd. So for those keen to live the Anniversary Defender life - and who wouldn't be? - but who are unwilling to stump up more than £150k required for a 70th, it's back to the 90s for the closest equivalent.
In anything else, the difference would be night and day. A model from 2018 will feel demonstrably different from its 1998 predecessor. The Defender? Perhaps not so much. It was still fundamentally the same car at the end of its life as it was two decades before it, even if the engine and gearbox were more potent and the chassis tweaked. Point is you're still going to get an authentic Defender V8 experience, with an engine seemingly half the size of the vehicle itself and not all that much room for humans to squeeze in and experience the mayhem.
Now, the premise of a High Mile Club car is to celebrate those automobiles that luxuriate in a six-figure mileage like it's the prime of their vehicular lives. That's probably not the first thought that would come to mind with a 150,000-mile Defender in question.
But this is a pretty special 50th Anniversary Defender, chiefly for the fact that its second owner covered 140,000 miles in it over 20 years. During that time it's been serviced 17 times and was restored in 2014 at a cost of more than £11,000; with one or two choice upgrades as well, it's a Defender that's been used, enjoyed and cherished; a life well lived if you will, and so in theory one with plenty still to give. After all, the Rover V8 will outlast the cockroaches if looked after properly, and what more is there to a Defender than that? The condition certainly speaks of good upkeep, and recent work - a new battery and exhaust in July - means it should be on the button for the next custodian.
Which is rather the point of High Mile Club, in fact. As so many old cars become more collectible, the fear is in driving them and wiping out their value. And while use will have an impact, to not use iconic automobiles as they were intended is arguably a greater loss. When cars like the Defender are in High Mile Club territory, they're never going to be low mileage specials so best get out and use them as intended, safe in the knowledge that great cars - if looked after properly - will remain great cars and collectible to the right people whatever happens. Because mileage is only a number, and there becomes a point where condition is vastly more important. And who wants a mint condition Defender anyway? Nobody has wellies without mud on them. Finally, don't be surprised if V8 Defenders become a talking point once more with the arrival of the new one - even if you are through 160,000 miles by then.
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