The redesigned Land Rover Defender launched head-first into the most confounding automotive marketplace we’ve seen since the financial crisis of 2008. First delayed by the pandemic itself, and later by its ensuing logistical complications, the short-wheelbase 2021 Defender 90 has finally arrived. Well, sort of. It’s a year late and still virtually impossible to find, but it does officially exist.

Setting aside all of that, though, it’s a great time to be in the market for a 4×4. The Jeep Wrangler is better than it has ever been and the Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender have both (almost) made their triumphant returns to U.S. showrooms. The calendar says 2021, but if you’re into off-roading, you’re partying like it’s 1996.

Mostly, anyway. After all, a lot has changed about the way we build cars in the past quarter-century. The Defender is no longer a body-on-frame truck. It utilizes an aluminum-heavy unibody that Land Rover claims is three times stiffer than the last steel-frame model.

There are comfort and refinement advantages too, but make no mistake, from behind the wheel the Defender is every bit the off-roader its image projects. One of its durability tests involves driving into an 8” curb at 25 miles per hour. Land Rover’s PR folks asked us not to try this, as it’s a bit rough on the wheels and tires, but assured us that the chassis itself would withstand the punishment.

Yes, despite its double-wishbone independent front suspension and multilink rear (with optional air ride, as our tester had), the Defender is still a 4×4 first and foremost, a fact you’ll be reminded of the first time you encounter any sort of surface imperfection. This may sound strange, but Land Rover’s engineers seem to have gone out of their way to preserve the sensation of ruggedness one gets from a traditional, solid-axle truck. Put another way: it drives kind of like a Jeep.

Part of that is down to the 90’s short wheelbase. It’s a full 17 inches shorter than the 110’s, and consequently, like the two-door Wrangler and Bronco, it’s going to have a tougher time dealing with big, jarring bumps. A longer wheelbase allows the car to settle more between the time it takes for the front and rear axles to impact the same obstacle. With a shorter wheelbase, you’re more likely to have both axles trying to sort themselves out from the same impact simultaneously – but not exactly simultaneously. This contributes the choppiness that is often characteristic of short-wheelbase, hard-sprung vehicles.

This is the long way of saying that despite being significantly more sophisticated than either the Wrangler or Bronco (and your author has spent time in both, though admittedly very little in the still-new Ford), if you go in expecting it to glide across broken pavement like a Jaguar F-Pace, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. It’s not nearly as sprightly as the Jaguar with the same engine either, thanks to its extra heft and upright, ground-clearance-friendly posture. It feels like a 4×4, not a highway cruiser.

Where this pays dividends is off pavement. We’ve not had the opportunity to take the Defender 90 off the asphalt just yet (dirt roads in suburban Detroit notwithstanding), but that is where the sawed-off SUV will have the opportunity to shine. The shorter wheelbase improves both turning maneuverability and maximum breakover angles, giving it an advantage on tight trails and taller obstacles. We’re working with Land Rover to get our hands on the D90 with the explicit purpose of taking it off-road; stay tuned for that.

Our tester was a First Edition model with a $66,475 sticker price and only two included options: a tow hitch receiver and a set of off-road tires. The First Edition is based on the P400 X-Dynamic with a 394-horsepower inline-6 (four- and eight-cylinder models are also available). Apart from the unique aesthetic elements, the First Edition also adds electronic air suspension, adaptive dampers and configurable terrain response. That last feature is actually pretty cool, in that it allows you to fine-tune the Defender’s drive mode behavior with far more granularity than is typical.

We spent most of our time cruising around the northern Detroit ‘burbs, where the Defender 90 was most adept at turning heads. Even here in the land of the jaded automobile enthusiast, the D90 still has the smell of forbidden fruit. Cruising around with the fabric top insert rolled back to do a sardine-can-like impression of a soft-top Wrangler, the two-door actually looks a bit ungainly to your author’s eyes.

Inside, it’s more of the same. The materials are better than what you get in a Bronco or Wrangler, to be sure, but at least at the relatively sane price point of the mid-trim model we drove (no Walnut veneer trim or fancy leather steering wheel to be found here), you’re getting a fairly straightforward, no-frills experience. The Defender’s new Pivi Pro infotainment screen dominates the interior aesthetic; just a handful of controls grace the remaining spaces on the dash and console; the large knobs under the Pivi Pro screen are toggled to perform multiple functions.

There are some nods to both heritage and practicality in here as well. Our test model had the included jump seat (another First Edition inclusion), which theoretically gives you a six-passenger configuration. Neither we nor Land Rover explicitly recommends the Defender 90 for those who plan to carry more than one or two passengers at a time, but it’s cool to see nonetheless and it folds away sufficiently to do a reasonable impression of a center console when not in use.

By and large, the new Land Rover Defender lives up to its legacy. It’s decidedly more expensive than the Ford Bronco or Jeep Wrangler, but not so prohibitively costly that you’d hate to take one near a trail for fear of scratching it (looking at you, Mercedes-Benz G-Class). The 90 is the clear choice for the enthusiast who intends to hit the trails and its drawbacks are no more consequential than any other short-wheelbase off-roader’s, provided you’re comfortable getting dirty in a $65,000 British SUV. Hey, it’s still cheaper than a Wrangler 392, right?

^{Article Credit: Byron Hurd
Full Article: https://ph.news.yahoo.com/2021-land-rover-defender-90-123000327.html}

_{The shorter-wheelbase Land Rover Defender 90 joins the Defender lineup for the 2021 model year and gives buyers a smaller option aside from the Defender 110, which shares much of it’s capabilities but is slightly burdened by its bulkier shape and heavier weight. Land Rover}

It’s amazing what a difference two doors and 17 inches can make.

For 2021, Land Rover added a shorter, two-door variant to its resurrected Defender nameplate: the Defender 90. Compared with its more voluminous counterpart—the Defender 110—the shorter version of Britain’s iconic SUV Rover looks, well, adorable. With its natty white roof, perfect proportions, Pangea Green paint and spare tire floating on a side-opening tailgate, the Defender 90 has a different feel than the larger 110.

Even though its classic boxy shape and brilliant details are largely the same, the Defender 90’s box just looks better—and more purposeful. If the four-door Defender 110 is the family-weekend SUV, driven by dutiful parents, the 90 is the one shirking work on a Tuesday to go surfing and coming home mud-sloshed and well after dark.

That’s a bit of a stereotype, of course. The four-door 110 looks sharp and also likes impromptu jaunts that might include skinny-dipping in creeks or streams up to 35.4 inches deep, aided by a water-fording sensor that detects the depth ahead and displays it on the center touchscreen. And aside from the most-extreme situations, the 110 is equally adept off-road versus the Defender 90. That includes identical approach and departure angles (an indicator of its ability to climb steep obstacles without scraping its chin or rear bumper), and a selectable Terrain Response 2 system, which lets the driver choose a mode that optimizes traction depending on terrain.

But there’s just something that makes more sense about a two-door SUV, whether it’s the Defender, newly reborn Ford Bronco or classic Jeep Wrangler. Remarkably, prior to the new Defender 90 and the Bronco that debuted last summer (with a four-door Bronco also available), the Wrangler was the last two-door SUV still standing in America. And that configuration of the Wrangler—whose two-door history traces to the U.S. Army’s Willys-Jeep that helped win WWII—is decisively outsold by its four-door Unlimited version.

Land Rover moved more than 16,000 units of its award-winning, four-door Defender in the U.S. its first year. With the Defender 90 just reaching showrooms, it’s too soon to say what percentage of buyers will go for the smaller, sportier version, Joe Eberhart, president and chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover North America told Forbes Wheels.

“We do know there’s a market for the Defender 90,” Eberhardt says. “They’re people looking for a more-individualistic, expressive type of vehicle; something that stands out from the crowd.”

As Americans have given the cold shoulder to carefree, two-door coupes, from the Chevrolet Camaro to luxury GTs from Europe and Japan, that practical-minded herd also has migrated away from two-door SUVs and pickups.

Vintage Two-Doors

But oversized utility wasn’t always the standard. For decades, two-door cars outsold their sedan counterparts, including through the 50s, 60s and 70s. People didn’t mind scooching their way into the back seat, aided in many cases by yacht-sized coupes (think Cadillac Eldorado) with doors the size of ocean rafts. As for 4×4’s of an earlier vintage, two-door models were hugely popular with the outdoors crowd. That adventurous, no-frills bunch included the Toyota “FJ” Land Cruiser—built from 1960 to 1984, now a prized collectible—the first-generation Toyota 4Runner, Chevrolet K5 Blazer, Jeep Cherokee, Nissan Pathfinder, Isuzu Trooper and the pride of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, the International Harvester Scout.

Automakers also rolled out several bite-sized, tall-riding thingamabobs that presaged today’s crossover era. In 1986, Suzuki scored a hit with its funky two-door Samurai, a miniature SUV that was fun on the street and crazy-capable off-road, despite a mere 63-horsepower engine. The Samurai became the fastest-selling Japanese car in U.S. history during its first year, and spawned a Suzuki Sidekick (and General Motor’s Geo Tracker offshoot), before a controversial rollover scandal kneecapped its sales and doomed it.

The original Toyota RAV4 offered a two-door model from 1996 to 2000, and a college-sophomore-friendly convertible in 1998. Oddest of all was the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet.This two-door, convertible version of the popular Murano looked (and drove) like Humpty Dumpty after his great fall. Nissan mercifully pulled the plug in 2014 after three years of tepid sales, but perhaps it had the last laugh. Rolling up today in a CrossCabrio with its top open would draw a crowd of curious bystanders faster than some sports cars.

Nimbler Advantages

The new Defender 90 also is guaranteed to turn heads, but in a good way. I’d already driven the Defender 110 extensively, from a rugged climb up the steep shoulders of Mt. Equinox in Vermont; to hardcore off-roading in the boonies of Maine—including overnight solo camping in the Landy’s optional $4,000, Italian-made rooftop tent. Both models represent a new touchstone for on-road performance in a serious off-road 4×4, thanks in part to an adaptive air suspension and a sophisticated aluminum chassis that Land Rover says is three times as rigid as the best body-on-frame trucks.

Yet on knotted country roads north of Manhattan, the Defender 90 instantly reveals its nimble advantages over its big brother, as is expected from a smaller SUV that weighs as little as 4,550 pounds versus 4,815 for the beefier 110 with the same turbocharged, 296-horsepower four-cylinder engine. That Defender 90 also costs less, starting from $48,050, versus $51,850 for the four-cylinder 110. Naturally, it’s a touch quicker, no matter which of its two engine choices it has. The near-loaded, Defender 90 First Edition I drove (at $66,475) brings a just-right 395 horsepower from a 3.0-liter inline six with one supercharger, one turbocharger and a 48-volt mild hybrid boost.

It romps to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, leaving lesser SUVs in its stylish wake. The range-topping Defender V8s arrive late this year (in both body styles), with the 90 starting from $98,550, or $101,750 for the 110. Those models get 518 horsepower from a supercharged, 5.0-liter V8, the same engine that provides artillery-fire force—with a soundtrack to match—in models like the Jaguar F-Pace SUV, F-Type sports car and Range Rover Sport SVR.

Pleasing Proportions

Whether Defender, Wrangler or Bronco, two-door versions claim an off-road edge as well, even if only a small percentage of owners will maximize that ability. Compact dimensions let them pick their way through narrower trails and tighter turns than their beefier siblings. Shorter wheelbases allow them to surmount taller obstacles without getting “high centered,” or hung up near their middle like a seesaw on its fulcrum.

The best-kept secret of these rough-and-ready SUVs? They’re actually perfect for a certain type of city slicker, as this former two-door Wrangler owner will attest. The new Defender 90 is barely 170 inches long, more than a foot shorter than a compact Honda Civic sedan. (A two-door Wrangler stretches about 167 inches). That lets them squeeze into remarkably tight parking spots. At the same time, they’re tall, well-armored fortresses, perfect for seeing over traffic and fending off unpredictable Uber drivers. These SUV’s also laugh off potholes and other urban obstacles that destroy the tires and wheels of conventional cars.

“The Defender really does lend itself to an urban environment,” Eberhardt says.

Tricky Entry and Exit

For all their pleasing proportions and performance advantages, the two-door handicap remains. Relatively scrawny cargo space and a trickier back seat equals horrible ingress and egress. Climbing out of them requires a younger man’s dexterity to avoid tripping over the sill and landing teeth first on the pavement.

The two-door Defender makes things easier, including a button on front seats that powers them forward for easier (but still clumsy) access. Once aboard, however, headroom is vast enough for NBA forwards, and legroom is ample.

The bigger tradeoff is that the 17 inches of lost length (versus the 110) is virtually all in the cargo hold. The 110 more than doubles the 90’s cargo space behind the second row, with 34.6 cubic feet versus 15.6. The 110 also offers a child-sized pair of third-row seats for seven-passenger capability. The 90 does provide an optional jump seat (also available on the 110) that converts front buckets into a handy three-row bench, for six-passenger capability. Yet for families with twin strollers and mountains of gear, the 110 is the logical play.

Stuart Schorr, JLR North America’s communications chief, rightly notes that prospects will know which club they belong to: “When I take certain people for a ride in the 90, they say, ‘I would definitely get this one [because] I’m not looking for a practical solution; I’m buying it because it’s cool, and I like it.’”

_{Article Credit: Lawrence Ulrich
Full Article: https://www.forbes.com/wheels/features/why-land-rover-nailed-the-defender-90/}

People buy distressed furniture brand new, so what’s the difference?

While many classic Land Rover owners strive to rid their vehicles of rust, Heritage Customs is offering pre-rusted side vents and hood accents for the brand new 2021 Defender. These finely aged accessories are possible thanks to the aftermarket brand’s revolutionary metal-binding technology.

The new metallurgy process lets Heritage paint all types of metal on both the interior and exterior of its full Valiance and Vintage aftermarket models. It can spray a thin layer of aluminum, brass, bronze, titanium, zinc, or even gold. The sprayed-on metal will hold its shape and even flex, and the company says the finish will last for up to 20 years. Following the initial spray, the studio can brush, polish, sand, or in this case, even oxidize (rust) the material.

“Of course the effect of the rusty exterior elements can also be applied to the wheels or interior jewelry,” said Heritage Customs co-founder Jan-Pieter Kroezen. “The combination of all elements and materials generate a commanding and bold look for this Heritage Customs Valiance.” Car designer and co-founder of Heritage Customs Niels van Roij added, “We can then halt corrosion at any desired moment: sealing the metal will stop the wear.”

This isn’t the first time that we’ve covered rusty bits for newer vehicles. The difference is that Porsche’s interpretation of the idea was an April fool’s joke while these Land Rover components are quite the opposite.

PHOTO GALLERY

^{Article Credit: Matthew Crisara
Full Article: https://www.motor1.com/news/506741/pre-rusted-parts-land-rover/}

Vehicle Specifications

1993 Land Rover Defender 130 LHD Double Cab with original 3.5 V8 engine and Holly Performance carburetor, 149K Km (93K miles).

Solid rust free chassis and bulkhead, clean and updated interior, all body panels are in great condition, very well preserved and restored D130! The V8 engine was reconditioned and clutch replaced. Previous owner restored the vehicle in late 2018, replaced all doors, added power windows, entertainment system with back-up camera, updated interior, headliner and dash.

Awesome off-road rig, already comes with a custom heavy duty steel brush guard bumper and winch, wing guards, rock sliders, steel wheels with TSL Bugger Super Swamper tires, lift kit and roof rack with side ladders.

This Defender 130 has been restored under previous ownership with off-road suspension modifications and it is ready for any adventures you’ve been planning. Would make a great daily driver, but we would recommend suspension, wheels and tires upgrades to accommodate for city and highway driving.

MAKE: Land Rover
MODEL: Defender 130
YEAR: 1993
COLOR: Grey
MILEAGE: 93K miles (149K Km)
PRICE: Soon @ Auction

1993 Land Rover Defender 130 LHD 3.5 V8