Defender

Make
Land Rover
Segment
SUV

With deliveries of the new 2020 Land Rover Defender starting this year, restomods of the classic Defender, which has been out of production since 2016, are becoming increasingly popular. Recently, Arkonik showed off its stunning 1985 Land Rover Defender restomod, but that's just one example.

Osprey Custom Cars based in Wilmington, North Carolina, is offering its own take on the classic Defender by building two new stunning replicas of the 1995 Land Rover Defender 90 from the ground up. Osprey claims these replicas can rival the new 2020 Land Rover Defender, and we can see why.

"We've built these 1995 Defender 90s from the ground up with all the finest components and finishes", said Aaron Richardet, owner and founder. "This includes a GM LS engine, automatic transmission, custom paint, and much, much more. Theses trucks look good at the country club or at an off road campsite."

One is finished in Santorini Black, while the other is painted in Nautical Blue, but both are powered by a General Motors 5.3-liter LS V8 that produces 325 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque, which is sent through a six speed automatic transmission.

Each Defender replica also features a galvanized chassis that's powder-coated in black, rebuilt front and rear axles, custom front and rear drive shafts, a custom exhaust system, and 16-inch "Sawtooth" alloy wheels wrapped in Kumho Road venture tires.

To modernize the exterior, Osprey has upgraded the front grill and headlight surrounds and added an aluminum skid plate, stainless hardware, a rear step bumper, a canvas soft top, and LED headlights. Inside, the black Defender is fitted with black leather seats, while the blue Defender gets black and grey leather seats. Both feature a VDO Gauges-spec instrument cluster, cubby-box center console, and LED ambient lighting.

Osprey is charging $119,000 for each custom Defender - that's around $69,000 more than the base-spec 2020 Land Rover Defender.