Land Rover’s Bold New Defenders Unlock Classic Double-Cab Utility

The British automaker is expanding its Works Bespoke services to accommodate pickups, too.

Rear side view of a two-tone blue and green Land Rover pickup with white roll cage and spare tire mounted inside the bed.

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Published 3 hours ago

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Land Rover might have discontinued OG Defender production back in 2016, but the British automaker isn’t done with its ruggedly iconic 4×4.

After the brand put the model out to pasture, the Classic division has kept the torch burning by offering V8-powered ‘remastered’ examples through the Works Bespoke service.

When we last checked in, the program had benefited from some sweet OCTA-sourced colorways. Impactful as they are, though, they still can’t compare to what LR is making available this go ‘round.

Four-door Land Rover Defender with a chameleon paint finish and white roll cage in a studio setting. — The Works Bespoke program has formally added the 110 double-cab pickup to its body style options for V8 Classic commissions.

The double-cab returns

That’s because among the latest additions to Works Bespoke is a 110 double-cab pickup option. When Land Rover began offering its Classic Defender V8s, it was not only a limited edition effort but also strictly of the station wagon variety.

Four green and purple Land Rover Defender SUVs with white roof frames lined up on a white surface. — One buyer commissioned all four of these head-turning Defender customs.

As such, it’s only bound to make the brand’s factory refreshed Classics more enticing. After all, between the unique looks and the added utility, Ineos builds the Quartermaster for good reason.

Granted, Land Rover previously resurrected another favorite in the Defender 90 soft-top. Moreover, the new truck is also accompanied by an additional two-seat hard-top configuration.

Close-up of a green metallic off-road vehicle's front wheel and fender with a "Works V8" badge. — The color-changing paint treatment doesn’t stop at the sheet metal.

All the same, the double-cab’s return to the option sheet makes for as bold an entrance as any. Land Rover officially announced the body style alongside a quartet of commissions all adorned in the same matching iridescent Spectral Green finish.

Assuming the color-shifting hue on the sheet metal alone wasn’t eye-catching enough, the buyer also had the treatment applied to the wheels, badging and some interior accents. It offers a stark contrast to the white cage.

Front view of a green and purple Land Rover Defender with a white roof against a plain background. — The white cage and roof accents provide a stark contrast to the purples and greens of the Spectral Green finish.

In any event, thankfully, you don’t need to be a fan of the looks to appreciate what goes into these Land Rover Classic Defender V8 commissions.

Cream leather Land Rover car seats with diamond stitching and black accents inside a vehicle. — The interiors are brighter still.

Each a true display of mechanical sympathy, they’re all models built between 2012 and 2016 that have been carefully stripped, upgraded and rebuilt to the buyer’s wishes by a team of master technicians.

As part of the treatment, they each benefit from a 405-horsepower V8, And, in keeping with the more potent powerplant, Land Rover fits key upgrades like Bilstein dampers, Eibach springs and Alcon brakes.

Toward that end, beyond the body styles discussed above, the Works Bespoke service has also announced an interior addition in a new 9-inch infotainment unit. Despite being nearly three times larger than the option originally offered on these V8 Classics, it looks tidy, and it unlocks wireless connectivity like Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth.

Green off-road vehicle with white roll cage and spare tire in the truck bed. — Even if the looks are a little loud, the mechanical sympathy for old-school rides is commendable.

When you add to that some expanded roof paint options, fresh color choices for the heavy‑duty Wolf-style wheels and a new shadowy Trophy Pack that brings blacked-out trim, it makes for a pretty robust expansion of Land Rover’s Defender Classic catalog, all things considered.

Availability and pricing

Of course, if you’re already familiar with Land Rover’s Defender V8s, you’ll know these don’t come cheap.

While specific pricing isn’t available for the new body styles, the Defender 90 starts at £190,000 (~$250,000). The larger 110 brings the base price higher still.

If you’d like to learn more or arrange a commission for yourself, you can head to the JLR Classic website.

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

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