If you love the old-gen Defender, then Land Rover has a gift for you. The company has reintroduced the Classic Defender with a V8 engine through its custom branch called the Works Bespoke programme. Check out below what makes the Land Rover Classic Defender V8 so special.

Meanwhile, you can also find the best used Land Rover cars at Cars24 UAE.

Also read: 2026 Kia Seltos unveiled, UAE launch next year?

What is special about the Land Rover Classic Defender V8?

The rebirth of the old-school Defender has brought smiles to every SUV enthusiast’s face. Land Rover’s in-house custom branch, called Land Rover Classic, has reintroduced the Classic Defender with three body styles and eight exterior colours via its Bespoke Works programme.

It is based on the vehicles sourced from the 2012-2016 production batch. The custom branch then strips the complete car, builds it with the custom colours and the V8 engine sourced from the current Defender Octa model.

The Classic Defender is available in 90 Station Wagon, 110 Station Wagon, and 90 Soft Top variants. All of these are V8-powered.

Speaking of the exterior colours, the customers can opt between the Petra Copper, Faroe Green, Sargasso Blue, Navrik Black, and Patagonia White options. Meanwhile, the interiors are made out of Ultrafabrics PU leather, which is a sustainable method of making modern luxury interiors.

The other Octa-inspired updates include the satin black finishes on the interior, optional heated Recaro race seats, and three cabin themes: Khaki Green, Light Cloud and Lunar. Customers can also get the leather upholstery, which includes the Burnt-Sienna aniline and Ebony colours.

Engine specs of the Classic Defender V8

Powering the Classic Defender V8 is the Defender Octa-sourced 5.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine. This powerhouse develops 400 bhp of peak power. It is mated to the 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox, which is also used on the Defender Octa.

While its performance figures have not tested yet, we believe that the V8 power is more than enough to excite every car enthusiast. On the suspension front, the Classic Defender V8 gets the reworked dampers, anti-roll bars, and custom springs.

For improved safety, the Classic Defender V8 gets the 335 mm front and 300 mm rear disc brakes with 4-piston callipers.

When will it launch in the UAE?

The company has started accepting pre-bookings for the Classic Defender V8. You can connect to your nearest Land Rover dealership and place an order for your Classic Defender. The delivery time depends on the customisation options.

Cars24 UAE says

The Land Rover Classic Defender has been specially designed for Defender lovers. It drapes the classic, old-school design of the iconic Defender that crossed the Amazon forest, whilst it gets a modern and powerful machinery underneath that is sourced from the latest-gen model.