Tuesday 22nd May 2012

Unofficial Defender concept keeps it simple

JLR is busy on the replacement for the Defender, but so is the mysterious 'Dezyn Smith'

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Recreating an icon has got to be a tough call, so you've got to feel for the Land Rover design team - and you can probably understand why they've taken so long in replacing the evergreen Defender.

But a challenge is clearly something the enigmatic chap labelling himself as simply 'The Dezyn Smith' relishes. Because while the official JLR work on replacing the Defender has so far produced various versions of the DC100 concept, Mr Smith has been working on his own Defender concept since 2010.

And we rather like it. Simple, rugged, chunky, utilitarian. All the things, in short, that a 'proper' Defender ought to be.

"It was a tough one as I didn't see anything wrong with the looks - it just needed a bit of updating," he tells us. "Everyone does it: Porsche, Mustang, Camaro, Mini, Corvette, Jeep, Challenger, all the Golfs, in fact even the Range Rover. So I decided we keep the look but update it."

"As a designer I like to alter the surfacing style - the current Defender has a single rounded shoulder line running across to the back, my concept has a flat-angled chamfer with two shoulder lines fading off at the rear giving it that military wagon look. I also like using very simple forms which are all around us - and no one has used before - like the Jerry can stamp in the back panels; it's only there to add a bit of stiffness to the sheet metal panel, but adds to the look, I reckon."

Having said that, the Dezyn Smith knows the key to car design is working out when to stop: "I wanted a hard square look but with was soft and rounded edges - if we wanted to over-style, we would have done a sports car!"

Crucial to the Dezyn Smith's proposal is rugged mechanical simplicity. His car would have a ladder-frame chassis, a choice of engines and body styles, entirely washable interiors, removable and interchangeable panels (you could take the Jerry can panel off and put a panel with window in, or have a roof with solar cells swapped for a canvas roof).

By being both cheap and chunky the car, hopes the Dezyn Smith, will win back the ground it has lost to Toyota and Nissan over the past few decades. "A Defender doesn't need snorkels, spades and big tyres to be a Defender," he says.

"A proposal has been sent to Land Rover, and they are famous for supporting talent and creativity," says Mr Smith (flattery will get you everywhere). "I hope they support us to take this concept further." So do we, sir. So do we.

[suffolk009]

have they hired the guy who styled the hummer?

[adz13091982]

Looks a little Yank for my liking.

[uncle tez]

Looks like something you would find on ebay made by a guy who had an old ford bronco but really wanted a landy so he made this one. I don't really see why they need to make a new one. Keep the original styling but just update the interior and anything that doesn't work properly. In my experience most of the people who own defenders are the type of people who don't really like change anyway.

Edited by uncle tez on Tuesday 22 May 14:01

[PascalBuyens]

Not a bad effort, IMHO

[Mr Gear]

The advantage Dezyn Smith has over the guys who are actually working on the real thing is he doesn't have to contend with the realities of crash-tests, aerodynamics, production processes and financial constraints. All he has to do is wave a few crayons around to make something that he thinks looks nice.

Car design isn't like that these days.

[Veeayt]

So much better than the previous one. Me likey

[AyBee]

Not a bad effort but think the difference in height between the wings and bonnet needs to be reduced and the lights need to be brought forward a bit

[rhinochopig]

Sorry, but any idiot can do an exterior, the key to the defender replacement's success is the engineering that sits underneath WRT to durability, legislation compliance, design for manufacturing etc. etc.

[uncle tez]

I think it would look better without the jerry can design on the sides.

[jhonn]

It looks 'OK' I guess, it's got a bit of Ford Bronco going on.

It's all very well doing a styling exercise but I'm much more interested if they've given any thoughts to the current Defender weak points, such as the ergonomics and the practicalities of manufacturing it.

[The Danimal]

I think it's great. Ok, the wheel choice is a bit Americano, but as an overall styling concept I think he's nailed it.

[Lee540]

If it aint broken then don't fix it!

Keep the Landrover as it is I say!

[Hellbound]

Please don't show anything else to do with the Defender, official or otherwise. The resulting comments are just not worth reading.

I'm just going to wait until the damn thing goes on sale in 2015.

[Escy]

Some harsh critics on here. Lot's of negativity here. I personally think it looks great.

[Stew2000]

It looks harder than Essex.

[TheRoadWarrior]

Looks like the b'stard love child of a Jeep Cherokee and a fuel container.

DC100 all day long please.

[ljp14]

Mr Gear said:

The advantage Dezyn Smith has over the guys who are actually working on the real thing is he doesn't have to contend with the realities of crash-tests, aerodynamics …

Defenders are aerodynamic?

[The Curn]

Looks awful, particularly the wheels.

Like some sort of 70's or 80's Toyota or American pick up.

[Mr Gear]

ljp14 said:

Defenders are aerodynamic?

Nope, not really.

And that's the problem with creating a new one: making it look like the old one but dragging the aerodynamics kicking and screaming out of the 1940s is no easy task.

EDIT: Which is probably why the designer of this hasn't bothered to try.

[M@1975]

Yep, thought ford Bronco when I saw it too. Stick with what they already have, it works (mostly) and doesn't need fiddling with, as mentioned before, update the interior and that is all it needs.