Himalaya's 70th Anniversary Defender is two years late

If, rather than spending big bucks on a new Defender, you’d prefer to spend bigger bucks on a modified old one, you have MANY options. Arkonik, Kahn, Twisted… three of many outfits that specialise in taking old Defenders and re-painting, re-trimming and re-engineering their way into a fat paycheque.

Himalaya is another such company, and this is its latest creation: a red Defender 90 soft-top with a whopping great Chevy V8 under the bonnet. Ok the interior’s a bit much – the seats, steering wheel and upholstery are just silly and very un-Defender – but from the outside it’s pretty swish. Sensible(ish) wheels, knobbly tyres, bright LED headlights, front and rear skid plates. Far as these things go, reasonably tasteful.

No Defender needs a 525bhp V8, but this one’s got one anyway. It’s a GM LS3, mated to a modern six-speed automatic gearbox, sending a handy 425lb ft to all four corners. A roll cage makes everything more rigid, and ought to keep you safe even if things go very wrong indeed, while trick Fox shocks mean there isn’t much you can’t drive over/through.

But there’s a problem. Himalaya says it built this Defender to commemorate the model’s 70th birthday – indeed, it’s modelled on Land Rover’s own V8-engined 70th Anniversary Defender.

When was the Defender’s 70th birthday? Two YEARS ago. Bit late to the party, fellas.