Land Rover is celebrating the James Bond franchise’s 60th anniversary although highlighting the Defender’s off-road prowess. It crafted a a person-off Defender 90 with a 007-impressed livery for Mark Higgins to drive all through the North Wales leg of the 2022 Bowler Defender Problem.
Copying a single of the SUVs that have starred in James Bond flicks in excess of the earlier 6 many years would have been far way too simple. As an alternative, the British firm gave the Defender 90 a just one-of-a-type glimpse characterized by black paint and gold graphics. The sides and the roof aspect a commemorative “007 60” symbol, whilst the names of the a variety of James Bond films seem on the hood and on the rear doorway.
Graphics apart, the Defender is equivalent to the models that are modified by Bowler to take part in the factory-backed 1-make race collection. It gains 18-inch wheels, a redesigned suspension program, modified subframes, a snorkel, additional cooling, a total roll cage, and racing harnesses, amongst other updates. Electrical power arrives from a turbocharged, 2.-liter four-cylinder engine named P300 in Land Rover-speak and tuned to produce 300 horsepower and 295 pound-toes of torque. It spins the four wheels via an 8-velocity automated transmission.
Higgins was the normal selection when the time arrived to find a pilot. Born on the Isle of Man, which is residence to just one of the biggest and most challenging motorcycle races in the globe, he competed in the Planet Rally Championship (WRC) amongst 1990 and 2013 and received the British Rally Championship a few occasions. He has also worked as a stunt driver in 4 James Bond videos: “Quantum of Solace” (2008), “Skyfall” (2012), “Spectre” (2015) and “No Time to Die” (2021). Land Rover’s off-roaders have performed substantial roles in several James Bond movies.
Land Rover’s commemorative Defender will make its level of competition debut this Saturday, March 26.