Before ya fawkin' say it I DID search :flipoff2:

Been hearing rumors of the Defender being re-introduced in the US. Anything to this?

If so, think there is any chance of them also selling 110's?
(A guy can dream, can't he?)

who knows anymore... there have been so many rumors flying around about that in the past years that (to me anyways) they have lost all meaning. i will believe it when i see one on the showroom floor at my local dealership.

Dream on, Dream on. The current generation Defender bodystyle will NEVER come over here again. Simply too expensive to retrofit airbags to make it worthwhile. Now the next Gen. might make it one day. But it will not likely be the same trucks we know and love.

Billster

Did you try snopes.com?:flipoff2:

-Jeff

08 model year boys.... that was the last word I had from a LRNA guy.

j

Originally posted by redrangie
08 model year boys.... that was the last word I had from a LRNA guy.

j

OK, let your cat out of the bag. Who was it and when. Last word I heard at G4 was that Defender was dead for the US.

I'll try and get the skinny next week.

Originally posted by Serious One


OK, let your cat out of the bag. Who was it and when. Last word I heard at G4 was that Defender was dead for the US.

I'll try and get the skinny next week.

My cat is always out. At least whenever I want to use it.

That was last year, and he was the factory rep.

j

Bill is right, we will NEVER see the current generation Defender back in the States. With the next gen, well, it depends on when and if they get around to building one.

Before graduation/work, I interned for a year and a half at the agency that handled North American advertising for Land Rover. We were never told much, but were told this timeline (in model year, not actual year):

2002: Freelander
2003: Range Rover
2005: Disco III
2006: Range Rover "Sport", Defender II

The Defender II was to be built on the same platform as the Disco III, which was NOT to be a Ford platform. The Freelander was going to share platforms with a smaller Volvo SUV.

Of course, then people started noticing that the economy wasn't great anymore. Ford was investing HUGE into the new Explorer, Expedition, and F-Series, and Land Rover and Jaguar production got pushed back. The new Jag XJ was supposed to be out this year. And where has the poor F-Type gone?

There are rumors that LR will build two variants of the Defender - one for military/utility use (read as not to be sold to the US) and another for the consumer market.

But I've also heard that the new Defender is ten years away.

Personally I think that LR has lost a sense of its true self, and gone too "uppity", much like the Japanese sports cars did in the early '90's, especially the 300ZX and the RX7. They are focusing so hard on luxury/handling that they are losing touch with their one true point of differentiation from, say, Lincoln Navigators. I hate to say it, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them offer an AWD, no low-range Discovery when the next variant comes out. The overwhelming likelihood that the next Defender will be IFS, at least the version sold here, given LR's recent design direction, makes me very, very sad.

Sorry for the rant...I get all riled up when I start thinking about Land Rover's current product direction.

Last i heard was that the only Defender to return to the U.S. is going to resemble the Freelander (hope not). Anyway, it seems that LR is leaning more towards the Ind. Suspension. What the Hell is the world coming to??

Brad

My .02 cents.

If you want a utilitarian Defender in the US you're gonna have to do one of three things.

1. build it

2. build it

3. sneak it in (and then re-build it)

Join the club, boys, Cruiserheads have been bemoaning the departure of REAL Land Cruisers from these shores for about 6 years and TRULY UTILITARIAN Land Cruisers for 20 years!

Like you guys, we're doomed to fixing/modifying old trucks and/or skirting around importation laws to bring in gray market vehicles and/or components....

I subscribe to all four LR magazines and the consensus seems to be that LR doesn't even know if the Defender model will go on beyond 2007-2008, and there doesn't seem to be any indication of a NA-version Defender prior to that. Hope it's not IFS, but it seems likely, the days of the truly utilitarian, Third World-spec 4x4's are waning fast.

Originally posted by FrankenRover
Dream on, Dream on. The current generation Defender bodystyle will NEVER come over here again. Simply too expensive to retrofit airbags to make it worthwhile

I call B.S. on this statement.
How can it be any more expensive to rig air bags onto a L.R. versus any other vehicle which has had them added?

It isn't that difficult to put a whole different steering column into any vehicle, so that isn't the problem. That only leaves adding one in front of the passenger seat - so what's the big deal??

There has got to be more to it than this.... :confused:

Originally posted by 0ILBURNER


I call B.S. on this statement.
How can it be any more expensive to rig air bags onto a L.R. versus any other vehicle which has had them added?

It isn't that difficult to put a whole different steering column into any vehicle, so that isn't the problem. That only leaves adding one in front of the passenger seat - so what's the big deal??

There has got to be more to it than this.... :confused:

The bukhead is unable to withstand the rigors of supporting the air bags and the front of the vehicle. Supposedly, to retro-fit airbags will require a completely redesigned bulkhead and front-end arrangement. It's not just the steering column.

Peace,
Paul

did you guys hear about Mikey, from the Life Cereal Commercials? He ate Poprocks and drank a coke...his stomach exploded!!!!

:flipoff2:

http://www.calumet.yorku.ca/sosc2311/animated%20review/2/props/blah.gif:flipoff2:

Just like Mikey and the poprock mishap, the D returning is Urban legend ;)

Where is a moderator when you need one?

Originally posted by PTSchram
Where is a moderator when you need one?

??

Here's your new defender for the US.

To think anything else is coming in is not very realistic.

Defender is belly-up and DEAD.

Fawk never seen that pic, that sucks. Oh, And cant say if the D will be back or not. I have seen some prototype photos, but who knows if they will make it here.

Originally posted by PTSchram
Where is a moderator when you need one?

:rolleyes:

Anybody have the story on that pic? Somehow, I don't think a snorkel will help there. :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

-John

Back when I was an intern on the Land Rover account, I was looking through a CD-ROM of some sorts on the L322. They had some section on the development phase, and on the background wallpaper had concept sketches of what could only be a new D-90.

I can one up you Matt, I have seen actual pics of the prototype.

Yes, but I have the concept sketch saved on my computer :flipoff2:

Originally posted by Rover Addiction
Anybody have the story on that pic? Somehow, I don't think a snorkel will help there. :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

-John

I know the story, but have sworn ($50) not to tell.

-Jeff

so you're saying we have to come up with more than $50?

Well I have driven the prototype for the new 90 and i have pictures of me in it :flipoff2: :flipoff2: As for that wrecked 90 - it looks like what happened to my first series about 2 weeks after I bought it.

-Ike

Ike:
Is the prototype you were in the same one that Sam got pics of last October when he was in Solihull? He said they wouldn't even discuss NAS models.

Peace,
Paul

What's the deal with all these guys saying they have pic's of these prototypes but nobody is willing to share??

Where's the LOVE, man??? :confused:

I havent seen sams pics, have you?
-Ike

Originally posted by Leafsprung
I havent seen sams pics, have you?
-Ike

Not yet, but I'm wearing the factory uniform jacket he stole while there. I'm not sure they let him out of the plant with the camera/film. He wandered in unescorted and until he was observed taking pictures, he hadn't attracted any attention. He was asked to leave shortly thereafter:) . Wearing a Land Rover polo shirt got him far.

His 110 comes out of the paint shop later this week or early next-then it's over to mine for differential work.

Peace,
Paul

DAYYYUM!!!

Now I want to hear the whole story from Sam!

DAM SAM! Where are the pics!!!:flipoff2:

Well-since the kid is in trouble with the law again, I'll be spending more time in Sam's company.

I'll see what he says about pics.

Peace,
Paul