Limited-run Land Rover Defender Trophy Edition unveiled
Just 220 examples will be built to honour past Camel Trophy Land Rovers, all of which have been reserved for the North American market
Land Rover has built a new special edition version of the Defender, which pays tribute to the company’s iconic Camel Trophy expedition vehicles.
It’s called the Defender Trophy Edition, and it features a host of styling tweaks inspired by the classic off-road challenge cars that competed between 1980 and 2000.
The cars are finished with a yellow base coat, as per original Camel Trophy cars. However, the original competition cars featured a Camel logo on all of the racer’s doors.
Land Rover couldn’t use the cigarette company’s branding for legal reasons, so to get around the issue, the British brand has designed a cunning new logo for this special-edition Defender, which (if you squint) looks a bit like the Camel logo found on the later racers.
Other off-road add-ons include an expedition roof rack, a front bash plate, mud flaps, rubber floor mats, an integrated air compressor and a deployable ladder that allows access to the car’s roof. Buyers can also specify a winch as an optional extra.
The Defender Trophy Edition is based on Land Rover’s X-Dynamic SE specification and is powered by the brand’s P400 turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six mild-hybrid petrol engine, which produces 395bhp and 550Nm of torque.
Power goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox; Land Rover claims a 0-62mph time of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 129mph.
Sadly, the Land Rover Defender Trophy Edition will only be sold in North America in a limited production run of 220 examples. Prices start from $90,000 (around £64,000).
As part of the purchase, Land Rover will run an exclusive off-road adventure for 90 Defender Trophy buyers, with slots available on a first-come first-served basis.
The event will be held at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, and will give buyers the chance to find the limits of their new cars, with guidance from expert off-road drivers.
The winner of the US event (as determined by a judging panel) will then be invited over to the UK to compete in the Land Rover Trophy Competition at Eastnor Castle in early 2022.
Now read about the limited edition Land Rover Defender Works V8 Trophy…