Twisted - am I wrong to like these?
Discussion
I have a strange calling to getting a Defender, customised to my spec by Twisted. I know we aren't talking performance mods etc, just a pretty good car. I walked past this one today and really like the way you can design the car to your own spec. I have not frequented the LR forum before, but wondered about PH views on Twisted - is this gimmick stuff or overfinch upgrade quality?
A nice truck.
What size are those wheels, 17"?
Twisted are doing well to create a niche for high-spec Defenders but what puzzles me is the effort made on the interior and bling whilst spot-weld dimples are glaringly obvious on the rear flanks.
It reminds me of a UK take on Icon (like a Singer for 4x4s) except that Icon are doing more high-spec stuff to older base vehicles.
100SRV
What size are those wheels, 17"?
Twisted are doing well to create a niche for high-spec Defenders but what puzzles me is the effort made on the interior and bling whilst spot-weld dimples are glaringly obvious on the rear flanks.
It reminds me of a UK take on Icon (like a Singer for 4x4s) except that Icon are doing more high-spec stuff to older base vehicles.
100SRV
Depends what you are wanting. The Defender is an off road truck, a very good one. But trying to hide it with bling won't alter this fact and it'll still drive and handle like an off road truck.
If you are ok with this, then sure go for it. The Twisted stuff is fine, if a little pricey IMO.
If you don't want to drive an off road truck, then they really aren't for you.
BTW - if you want more elbow room, larger cabin and better NVH. Just get yourself a Disco or Range Rover. As they are basically a Defender, just with more elbow room, larger cabin and better NVH.
If you are ok with this, then sure go for it. The Twisted stuff is fine, if a little pricey IMO.
If you don't want to drive an off road truck, then they really aren't for you.
BTW - if you want more elbow room, larger cabin and better NVH. Just get yourself a Disco or Range Rover. As they are basically a Defender, just with more elbow room, larger cabin and better NVH.
Pretty much the same opinion as a Corsa with a 4" exhaust and rubber band tyres for me. But as I get older and more tolerant I accept that people can do what they wish with their cars.
There seems to be some sympathy for them on here, which surprises me, everyone I've discussed them with in the real world thinks 'nob' when they see one.
The Defender is already an much loved icon, less is more when it comes to modifying.
There seems to be some sympathy for them on here, which surprises me, everyone I've discussed them with in the real world thinks 'nob' when they see one.
The Defender is already an much loved icon, less is more when it comes to modifying.
DingDong .... I'm well into my mods, but I like them subtle, looking at your picture of the twisted Defender, its not a million miles from what I have done myself. 
Personally I enjoy the moding process myself, so I would not be telling twisted what I want, I would be doing it myself.
Looking at your picture, it shows some nice wheels, which you could spec yourself and if your not paying someone elses profit, you could get some better ones for the same money. The front grill and light surrounds are £39.95 on eBay, you could buy a spare set and get them sprayed black for aboout £100.00, or even have a go yourself for the price of some wet and dry and some Halfords cans. The snorkel can be bought on eBay for about £150.00 to £200.00, you can black out the windows for a few hundred pounds, then there is the inside.......
Aside from the words, "twisted", I can't see a million miles of difference from mine and I didn't have to pay a twisted prices, having said that, I'd love a snorkle, but just cant justify the people laughing at me because the most off roading I've done is my childrens school playing fields.
If you get a standard Defender, you can spec the hell out of it ......
Personally I enjoy the moding process myself, so I would not be telling twisted what I want, I would be doing it myself.
Looking at your picture, it shows some nice wheels, which you could spec yourself and if your not paying someone elses profit, you could get some better ones for the same money. The front grill and light surrounds are £39.95 on eBay, you could buy a spare set and get them sprayed black for aboout £100.00, or even have a go yourself for the price of some wet and dry and some Halfords cans. The snorkel can be bought on eBay for about £150.00 to £200.00, you can black out the windows for a few hundred pounds, then there is the inside.......
Aside from the words, "twisted", I can't see a million miles of difference from mine and I didn't have to pay a twisted prices, having said that, I'd love a snorkle, but just cant justify the people laughing at me because the most off roading I've done is my childrens school playing fields.
If you get a standard Defender, you can spec the hell out of it ......
Good advice, thanks Maverick. Keep it subtle, although I quite like the snorkel, as floods wrecked one of my cars here in Yorkshire at a roundabout last year. If i go down the new Defender route this year, I will probably just mod it myself. In black though
MaverickV12 said:
DingDong .... I'm well into my mods, but I like them subtle, looking at your picture of the twisted Defender, its not a million miles from what I have done myself.
Personally I enjoy the moding process myself, so I would not be telling twisted what I want, I would be doing it myself.
Looking at your picture, it shows some nice wheels, which you could spec yourself and if your not paying someone elses profit, you could get some better ones for the same money. The front grill and light surrounds are £39.95 on eBay, you could buy a spare set and get them sprayed black for aboout £100.00, or even have a go yourself for the price of some wet and dry and some Halfords cans. The snorkel can be bought on eBay for about £150.00 to £200.00, you can black out the windows for a few hundred pounds, then there is the inside.......
Aside from the words, "twisted", I can't see a million miles of difference from mine and I didn't have to pay a twisted prices, having said that, I'd love a snorkle, but just cant justify the people laughing at me because the most off roading I've done is my childrens school playing fields.
If you get a standard Defender, you can spec the hell out of it ......
Personally I enjoy the moding process myself, so I would not be telling twisted what I want, I would be doing it myself.
Looking at your picture, it shows some nice wheels, which you could spec yourself and if your not paying someone elses profit, you could get some better ones for the same money. The front grill and light surrounds are £39.95 on eBay, you could buy a spare set and get them sprayed black for aboout £100.00, or even have a go yourself for the price of some wet and dry and some Halfords cans. The snorkel can be bought on eBay for about £150.00 to £200.00, you can black out the windows for a few hundred pounds, then there is the inside.......
Aside from the words, "twisted", I can't see a million miles of difference from mine and I didn't have to pay a twisted prices, having said that, I'd love a snorkle, but just cant justify the people laughing at me because the most off roading I've done is my childrens school playing fields.
If you get a standard Defender, you can spec the hell out of it ......
I am liking the defenders as well, however the Kahn models as per the below link:
http://www.kahndesign.com/automobiles/automobiles_...
My only worry is doing 25 miles each way on the motorway from home to the office and back daily.
Does anyone use one of these as a daily drive?
http://www.kahndesign.com/automobiles/automobiles_...
My only worry is doing 25 miles each way on the motorway from home to the office and back daily.
Does anyone use one of these as a daily drive?
dafydd2008 said:
Does anyone use one of these as a daily drive?
The Khan looks bril, the interior looks stunning, I'm not sure its my cup of tea, but I certainly would not rip the seats out. I am guessing that the interior costs the same amount as a new Defender, I also wonder if its a little, "too busy", sometimes companies work so hard on trying to get, "a look", that sometimes they overengineer..... The problem is in order to get cost effective ABS/TC/AC and convenience/cold weather pack, you need to get an XS. If you are paying for an XS, you also get 1/2 leather seats which it looks like they thrown out to replace them with some £2.5k bucket seats, you also get SVX wheels which it looks like they take off as well.
I use mine daily, but to be fair.... what I have read is that the Defender now is as driver friendly as they have ever been. (I have not driven older ones, so I can't comment) My wife drives a Voyager and the Defender is a brilliant, but its still a horse and cart compared to the Voyager.
I raised my seat by 75mm and this revolutionised my driving postion, there is room for my arm by the side of the glass and not by the side of the door. I also put a smaller steering wheel on, this all added to make it a nice(r) drive. I'm not sure I would like to drive an older Defender on a day by day basis....... BUT ......... its what you get used to and to be honest, if I was buying a car for comfort, the Defender would be low down on my list.
....... when all else fails ..... think of the depreciation your losing ......
..... with the Defender, its hardly anything and in some cases the damn things are being sold for more .....Edited by MaverickV12 on Tuesday 2nd July 21:41
dafydd2008 said:
I am liking the defenders as well, however the Kahn models as per the below link:
http://www.kahndesign.com/automobiles/automobiles_...
My only worry is doing 25 miles each way on the motorway from home to the office and back daily.
Does anyone use one of these as a daily drive?
Not too keen personally. http://www.kahndesign.com/automobiles/automobiles_...
My only worry is doing 25 miles each way on the motorway from home to the office and back daily.
Does anyone use one of these as a daily drive?
As for using them. Remember they are an off road truck and will drive like one
That said 1000's use this type of vehicle daily. My brother commutes in his 1988 90 daily. It's no worse than using an Elise, MGF, MGB type of thing. If you wouldn't commute in a sports car, then a Defender is not going to do it for you.
Tall and/or big people may struggle with interior space. And if you want more elbow room - get a Discovery 1/2. :-)
Gazzab said:
Khan is just so wrong as a brand. I couldn't do it.
D2 is no alternative. I have one for occaisional duties but its got no athestic or emotive upsides. It's just a good truck.
Disco 1 or RRC would be the way to go. Very similar under the body to a Defender. The only reason they feel different is NVH, comfort, interior space and interior styling. But they address ALL of the issues normally associated with the Defender.D2 is no alternative. I have one for occaisional duties but its got no athestic or emotive upsides. It's just a good truck.
I think the reason I went for the Defender is that I wanted a 4x4 and to be able to tow anything, as well as carry most stuff and some people. There is a huge array of cars on the road that can do this, faster, cheaper and in more comfort...... but for me the Defender was a choice because of its iconic status, I've always wanted one, and not forgetting the depreciation. I saw one the other day almost 3 years old with low mileage, they were asking the same as a new one (almost). I've had the RR and D2, and they were good, more than good, they bere very good the RR was just stunning and still remains one of the best cars I have ever driven. But I bought the 2005 RR 4.2 Supercharge new (Ahh - new) after 4 years I traded it in, and the loss was monumental, which was not helped by being in the middle of this depression.......
I bought the Defender because, "I wanted to', and so far I have not regretted it .......
I bought the Defender because, "I wanted to', and so far I have not regretted it .......
vpr said:
Again people saying buy a RR or a Disco. They're different tools.
You either get the whole Defender thing or you don't
For me it had to be a Defender, I wouldn't want a RR or Disco as a gift.
I've owned all of them. In fact I own two and half Land Rover's at present.You either get the whole Defender thing or you don't
For me it had to be a Defender, I wouldn't want a RR or Disco as a gift.
If you are happy with a Defender, then that's fine. If however you moan about a Defender due to elbow room, seating room, interior space, wind noise, NVH or anything remotely similar. Then you are only deluding yourself by not wanting an RRC or Disco 1.
The main chassis on all of them is very similar in design and identical in construction.
They share the same axles and suspension.
Engines are used across all of them, as are the gear boxes and to an extent the transfer boxes too.
Disco rolling chassis:
Defender rolling chassis:
I'm with 300bhp on this.
There's a reason that the Discovery is knows as "the thinking mans defender"
I've had all 3 and have preferred the classic by far, especially for long distance travel. I don't think it can be said that I don't get "the defender thing" having only owned Land Rover products for the past 16 years, I also found the ride on a 90 too choppy for motorway use, a 110 works better.
On a different note I saw a Kahn 90 in Nottingham yesterday.
There's a reason that the Discovery is knows as "the thinking mans defender"
I've had all 3 and have preferred the classic by far, especially for long distance travel. I don't think it can be said that I don't get "the defender thing" having only owned Land Rover products for the past 16 years, I also found the ride on a 90 too choppy for motorway use, a 110 works better.
On a different note I saw a Kahn 90 in Nottingham yesterday.
In Twisted's defence (and others I'm sure) the suspension is very well sorted especially on the latest Twisted's (2013)
Though mine is a 110 the suspension/ride is superb...no choppiness.
The thing is that the Defender crosses so many social/class borders from the skint and scrumpies to the Gentry and all in between so nobody should pigeon hole any users and call them "nobs" or whatever.
All I've ever had with mine is thumbs up and people wanting to talk and admire at fuel stops or wherever. Certainly all the other Defender users wave as per normal so I don't see any one being derogatory or similar.
I love it for what it is and what I've bought and paid for.
Though mine is a 110 the suspension/ride is superb...no choppiness.
The thing is that the Defender crosses so many social/class borders from the skint and scrumpies to the Gentry and all in between so nobody should pigeon hole any users and call them "nobs" or whatever.
All I've ever had with mine is thumbs up and people wanting to talk and admire at fuel stops or wherever. Certainly all the other Defender users wave as per normal so I don't see any one being derogatory or similar.
I love it for what it is and what I've bought and paid for.
Gassing Station | Land Rover | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff