Land Rover Defender 90: PH Fleet
Another new custodian for the Twisted Defender and another member of the fan club!
TW14TED is due to return very soon, meaning we will have to squeeze in some off-roading in the not too distant future. With the forecast snow thrown in it could be interesting. Still, Matt has some experience with off-roading Land Rovers now so it will be fine. Maybe.
Evidently the ads lads have been too busy raking in pre-Christmas revenue to write about their experiences... This month we have the views of James Hayward, friend of PH and Haymarket colleague, who used the Defender for our recent Jaguar Sunday Service. Matt has also given it another chance and returned with some positive things to say. Really. Read their thoughts below.
Leading the masses in at Sunday Service
"There's something about raw, no-frills cars that appeal to me. I drove a caged MX-5 with no carpet and bucket seats every day for two years so comparatively speaking the Twisted is pure luxury!
"I drove it to the Jaguar Sunday Service at Gaydon which involved leaving my Jaguar barge at work and using the Twisted for the weekend. First impressions were not all that great if I'm honest; it took a bit of getting used to the agricultural nature of the thing.
"However, after a few miles it started to appeal to my love of 'hardcore' vehicles and by the end of the first day I had began to bond a little with it. It's surprisingly sure footed at motorway speeds and when I stopped at the family home in Oxfordshire the night before the SS it did fit in very well. In fact I parked it outside the local pub and proceeded to spend the next hour talking Land Rovers with enthusiastic farming types...
"I liked it a lot and although I would spend my own £50K elsewhere I really can see the appeal. It would make an excellent tow vehicle for my racing weekends..."
Not here much longer; how to replace it?
"This isn't a sudden about-face on my Defender standpoint. It still isn't my favourite car in the world but now I can see why people love them. Oh heck, I even had a smile on my face driving it recently.
"It's a motoring experience unlike anything else, isn't it? That's what appealed. It tests your skill and driving ability in the same way that a sports car or hot hatch might. You must be aware of how short first gear is, how long the throttle travel is and how awkward the clutch can be. It's a different kind of charm but I have to admit to something being there. It took a little while to understand and I do hate confessing to a mistake but there we are. Probably helped receiving a few positive reactions while driving it too!
"Whether I'll be saying similar after the trek up to Thirsk for returning the car remains to be seen. How's the stereo?"
FACT SHEET
Car: Twisted Land Rover Defender 90
Run by: Everyone!
On fleet since: August 2014
Mileage:About 6,000, we've not seen it for a while!
List price new: £50,265.04 (Price as standard for Land Rover Defender 90 Hard Top XS £27,490. Twisted options as follows: Twisted P6 Performance Upgrade £2,064, Twisted Progressive Suspension £2,544, Twisted by Alcon brake upgrade £3,984, Corris Grey paint to grill, vent and wing mirrors £474, Java Metallic to rear crossmember and mud flap brackets £493.50, raised intake vents and premium side vent £94.80, Twisted oval badges £38.40, gloss black Land Rover bonnet badge £168.60, BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres 265/65 R18 £1,389, Twisted 18-inch White Sport alloys £1,734, crystal headlights with stainless bezels £256.80, LED brake, tail, reverse and fog lights plus indicators £672, Twisted Zinc coated, Java metallic LED front bumper £591, stainless steel A2 exterior fixings £486, front roll hoop in black with light mounts £1,554, tubular rear step and towing bracket £591, Twisted 6mm black coated steering guard £348, black chequer plate top to tubular side rails and stainless fixings £270, Twisted exterior decals and number plates £12.60, privacy glass £474, Recaro leather CS seats and Twisted raised subframe £3,123, 350mm sport steering wheel and shallow Twisted boss £339, centre raised arm rest and grainy leather and silver stitch to cubby box £393, grainy leather and silver stitch to dash tops and grab handle £432, Land Rover oval rear load liner £159.54 and rubber mats £88.80)
Last month at a glance: A new driver for TW14TED and another one for the appreciation society.
Previous reports:
Twisted Defender arrives and there's a scramble for the keys!
Two different drivers, two very different opinions on TW14TED
The Defender is out earning its keep and making some fans
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