New Defender V8 Islay Edition takes the biscuit

Limited run of 30 Works Defenders styled to celebrate Wilks' Series IIa is a £230k restomod sugar-rush

We’ve already had the Land Rover Defender Heritage Edition, of course – and those are worth about a billion pounds now, so bravo if you managed to get one of the 400 made at the end of the original Defender’s life. That car celebrated the first Series I Land Rover, called Huey after its HUE 166 registration plate.

Nevertheless, this just-announced new model - launched to coincide with its maker's 75th anniversary - is described as the first heritage-themed special edition Defender, which, despite the above, still rings true. That's because it’s the first one from Land Rover Classic, rather than the Solihull factory. It’s called the Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition, and the story behind the name goes like this.

At the beginning of Land Rover, Spencer Wilks was managing director of the Rover Car Company. He tested early Land Rovers on his Laggan Estate on the Isle of Islay in the Scottish Hebrides, and it’s there that the Land Rover name was born. Later on, in 1965, Wilks had a Mid Grey Series IIA Land Rover, and that’s where this Islay Edition takes its design inspiration from. It’s finished in Heritage Grey paint with a Limestone roof and matching heavy-duty steelies.

Inside, the Isle of Islay link continues with the trimming. It's a blend of leather and tweed, and the latter comes from the Islay Woollen Mill. No one is pretending it’s a recreation of Wilk’s car, by the way, which back in the Series IIA days would’ve been a car more likely to be transporting the wool rather than wearing it. It also wouldn’t have had a centre cubby, like this car has, and especially not one with a removable walnut tray that incorporates an ‘actual whisky cask barrel oak from Islay’s Kilchoman Distillery’.

Of course, the Islay Edition is created not for farm work but as a plaything for the incredibly well-heeled. That’s why, instead of a little four-cylinder petrol, it has the thumping great 5.0-litre V8 you might recall from the Classic Defender Works series launched back in 2018. As before, the naturally aspirated motor makes 405hp and 380lb ft, and combined with the standard eight-speed ZF automatic, it will get the Defender from 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds. Its brick-shaped body is just as blunt as it always was, though, so even with that level of oomph it’ll still reach only 106mph flat out. Still, would you want to be going any faster in a classic Defender?

Much like the other Works V8 cars, the Islay Edition is not a continuation series. Classic Works is the restoration and re-engineering arm of JLR (it does similar things to old Jaguars, too) and the Islay Editions are based on donor vehicles from a specific period – namely, cars built between 2012 and 2016. Classic Works will produce just 30 of them, so they’ll be exclusive. They will all be hard tops, 17 of which will be 90s along with 13 seven-seat 110s.

The details include classic Land Rover badges and front grille, and ‘GXC 639C’ - the registration number of Wilks’ car - written on the side. Along with the old, there’s plenty of new. As well as the modern V8, the Islay Editions come with modernised suspension and brakes, and LED headlights so you can drive your classic Defender at night and actually see where you’re going. It also has modern mod cons, like a DAB radio, Bluetooth and sat nav.

How much does all this cost? Well, it’s a classic Defender, so it was always going to be a lot. If nothing else, the original Works V8 cars taught Land Rover that £150k was not an unimaginable asking price for its keenest customers - and the Islay Edition is plainly intended as an even more exclusive take on the same concept. Accordingly, we’re talking £230,000 for the 90 and £245,000 for the 110, which is a) obviously a staggering amount for a humble Defender, and yet b) probably right on the money when you consider how much people seem prepared to pay for such things.

Paul Barritt, Director of Land Rover Classic, said: “In 2023, we celebrate 75 years of Land Rover. Spencer Wilks and the Isle of Islay are an important part of our history, and the Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition is a fitting way to help us celebrate a landmark anniversary. It references a special vehicle in our collection, Spencer Wilks’ beautiful Series IIa, and is influenced by the special products and incredible nature of Islay itself. The authenticity, modern engineering, and exquisite execution from our skilled engineers and technicians, make this limited-edition Classic Defender a very special vehicle for our discerning clients looking for the ultimate heritage Land Rover.”