Here are five quite mad old Land Rover Defenders

By topgear, 30 March 2020
1. The Land Rover Defender rally car
1. The Land Rover Defender rally car

The idea of slinging a Land Rover Defender pick-up around some muddy woodland is perhaps not so outlandish. If you’re a farmer late for market day, perhaps. But when said Defender has been modified by Bowler to go racing with a 440bhp Jaguar F-Type V6 in its nose, the results are rather more alarming. And a bit crashy.

2. The Qt Wildcat
2. The Qt Wildcat

Off road parts suppliers bought out the Wildcat brand from Bowler and set about honing the Dakar-spec Defender road-going racecar, and what manifested was perhaps the most evil spawn of Defender yet…

3. The Kahn Flying Huntsman 6x6 Pick-up
3. The Kahn Flying Huntsman 6x6 Pick-up

…though Kahn Design might argue against that. The Flying Huntsman 6x6 pick-up was an attempt to offer a British riposte to the Mercedes-AMG G63 6x6. We’ve not seen orders flying in from the British Army thus far, but it’s likely to turn heads in Knightsbridge, which is half the battle won.

4. The Kahn (again) 6x6 cabrio
4. The Kahn (again) 6x6 cabrio

So why stop there? Why not add a convertible roof element, as per the Mercedes-Maybach G-Class Laundalet? 

5. The amphibious ‘Floating Ninety’ Defender
5. The amphibious ‘Floating Ninety’ Defender

Not all mad’n’bad Defenders have to be wantonly aggressive and macho, mind. The ‘Floating Ninety’ is a pontoon-festooned classic that’s as happy wading into a Scottish loch as it is traversing the shoreline trails. Just don’t expect to keep your feet dry – it leaks a bit…