ROME – Who among us would ever spend $94,500 on a 1988 Land Rover Defender? It depends on the Defender. If, for example, in the last three years it had belonged to Jenson Button, things would already take a different turn. And if we add to this the (unique) peculiarity that under the bonnet the normal 3.5 liter Rover does not vibrate but a 6.2 liter LS3 V8 with 430 HP usually supplied with the Corvette C6, the situation changes radically.
With a death-defying auction organized by Collection Cars of Los Angeles, the Formula One champion’s Defender 90 thus ended up in the hands of a new owner, an American collector who keeps several marvels on four wheels in his garage.
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The installation of the 6.2-liter V8 – whose power is managed through a modern six-speed automatic transmission – was created by Urban Automotive thanks also to an engine compartment which fortunately was already large enough to house the original engine. Currently registered in Montana, the miracle Land Rover scores 4,085 miles, a value that refers to the distance traveled by the engine and gearbox conversion.
The update dates back to 2015 and includes the improved chassis with HD shock towers, FOX performance shocks, HD powder-coated anti-roll bars, new end links and steering rods. The color has also been changed to Velocity Blue, with a contrasting gloss black for the roof, grille, headlamp bezels, vents, side guards and door handles, while the cabin It features black leather front Recaro bucket seats with blue piping and blue contrast stitching and Puma-style folding rear seats, plus the more contemporary Puma Defender dashboard and a bespoke center console with storage.
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There is no shortage of electric windows, heated windshield and rear window, air conditioning and even enhanced Pioneer stereo speakers complete with a Pioneer TS-WX120A amplified subwoofer system with which the former owner, as well as ace of the steering wheel, loved to listen to music at full volume.