Land Rover Takes on the Aftermarket With Resto-Modded Classic Defender V8 Soft Top

The original Land Rover Defender just won’t die. The company is fighting back against the aftermarket by releasing another updated version of the boxy off-roader that’s decked out with modern features such as a 5.0-liter V-8. The catch is that the Classic Defender V8 Soft Top costs as much as many Italian supercars.

Like the Classic V8 Defender announced in 2024, the V8 Soft Top starts with a donor vehicle built between 2012 and 2016. Land Rover then performs what sounds like a ground-up, frame-off restoration. The lights, the wheels, and the upholstery are updated, and technicians add a cloth soft top that’s available in Black, Sand, Dark Khaki, or Navy. Extra tie-down points on both sides help secure the top at highway speeds.

Buyers can work directly with Land Rover to configure a one-of-a-kind Defender. They can choose from a palette of 49 colors or take the more expensive match-to-sample route. The list of wheel choices include the 18-inch Sawtooth design (pictured) or the more old-school-looking 16-inch Wolf design. The interior is available in five single-tone colors and eight two-tone color combinations, while a bikini top, an on-board wine cooler (we can’t make this up), and a surfboard rack are found on the list of options. The sky is the limit, with one notable exception: The V8 Soft Top is exclusively available as a short-wheelbase 90.

Power comes from a modern, 5.0-liter V-8 rated at 405 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. It spins the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission linked to a familiar shifter that looks a little out of place on the center console. Land Rover quotes a brisk zero to 60 mph time of 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 106 mph. For context, the last versions of the Defender took nearly 15 seconds to reach 60 mph.

Four-piston calipers on both axles should keep the extra power in check, though the V8 Soft Top retains the recirculating ball steering system. Land Rover points out that it updated the suspension system with revised spring rates, Eibach roll bars, and Bilstein dampers. The result should be a more sure-footed ride.

Pricing for the Land Rover Classic Defender V8 Soft Top starts at £195,000 excluding taxes and options, a figure that represents nearly $260,000 at the current conversion rate. That’s about what you can expect to pay for a new Ferrari Roma, and it makes the resto-modded Defender over twice as expensive as a base Range Rover. However, something tells us the supercar-like price tag isn’t going to deter buyers. And, as a bonus, the V8 Soft Top is covered by a factory-backed one-year warranty plan with unlimited mileage.