Test drive: Land Rover Defender
Fox News Autos Editor Gary Gastelu gets down and dirty with the all-new Land Rover Defender
Hey, movie heroes and villains, your new SUV is here.
(Land Rover)
Land Rover is adding a powerful V8 engine to the options list for its recently rebooted Defender.
(Land Rover)
The supercharged 5.0-liter V8 is rated at 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque and will be available in both the two-door Defender 90 and four-door Defender 110 models starting this summer.
(Land Rover)
Both will be the most powerful Defenders ever made and the 90 will be able to accelerate to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 149 mph, according to Land Rover. Hot-rodded Defenders have a long resume in action films, including the upcoming Bond flick "No Time to Die," so this one might as well be from central casting.
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The V8 models also come with 22-inch wheels and a uniquely programmed Dynamic setting for its Terrain Response system that tunes the drivetrain, stability control and air suspension system to maximize its performance and handling on paved and loose flat surfaces.
(Land Rover)
Comparted to its closest rivals, the Defender V8 outguns the new V8-powered 470 hp Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, but falls short of the Mercedes-AMG G63's 577 hp rating.
Pricing hasn't yet been announced for the Defender V8, but 296 hp four-cylinder models start at $47,450 and 395 hp 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder equipped models at $59,150.