Defender

Make
Land Rover
Segment
SUV

Since the all-new Land Rover Defender was unveiled, we've seen a resurgence of high-quality restomods designed to celebrate the original Defender's legacy. This latest custom Defender by Land Rover restoration specialist Himalya pays homage to the iconic off-roader's recent 70th anniversary, combining classic styling with significantly improved performance and modern tech.

"Over its seven decades of existence, the Defender has unequivocally become one of the best trucks ever made with a design that collectors all over the world have appreciated driving on and off-road," said Himalaya President Greg Shondel. "As the Defender celebrates seventy years of existence, Himalaya wanted to craft a custom truck that pays homage to Land Rover's 70th anniversary Defender design while also minimizing some of the compromises to performance and comfort when it comes to classic restorations.

Under the hood of the custom Defender is a General Motors-sourced LS3 V8 engine from a Chevrolet Corvette that produces 525 horsepower and 425 lb.ft of torque at 4,600 RPM in this application. For comparison, the Land Rover Defender Works V8 that was built to celebrate the off-roader's 70th anniversary in 2018 used a 5.0-liter, naturally-aspirated gasoline V8 rated at 400 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque.

Complementing the powertrain is a modern six-speed automatic transmission, while Fox shocks, as well as front and rear skid plates improve the handling.

Himalaya's special-edition truck also rides on 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich A/T KO2 all-terrain tires. Inside, the commemorative custom Defender is loaded with modern technology you wouldn't find in the original model including a touch screen with Bluetooth, USB, and HDMI support, high intensity LED markers, as well as new comfort features such as heated seats and heat-reducing window tints.

Pricing is only available on request, but expect this custom Defender to be considerably more expensive than the all-new version, which starts at $49,900.