2025 Land Rover Defender Classic V8 Soft Top

• Land Rover Classic revives the Defender Soft Top with a 405 hp V8

• Hand-built, highly customizable, and priced from £195,000

• Modernized suspension and brakes meet old-school charm

The Defender Everyone Remembers — Now With a V8

Land Rover Classic’s latest project feels more like a passion play than a product launch. The 2025 Land Rover Defender Classic V8 Soft Top channels the rugged charm of the original NAS 90 but drops in a 5.0-liter V8 pushing 405 horsepower and 515 Nm of torque. That’s backed by an eight-speed ZF auto — and yes, it’ll move when you ask it to.

It's only available in the short-wheelbase Defender 90 format, and that’s the right call. Proportions are tidy, stance is confident, and the whole thing looks ready to climb a hillside or pull up at a beach house without blinking.

Familiar Look, Sharper Moves

This isn’t a resto-mod slapped together for Instagram likes. Underneath the old-school sheet metal, the suspension’s been retuned — Eibach anti-roll bars, Bilstein dampers, new spring rates. Brakes are upsized too: 335mm discs up front, 300mm rear, all clamped by beefy 4-piston Alcon calipers.

It rides better. It stops better. It still looks like the box it came in — and that’s the point.

Built to Order, Not for Everyone

Customization runs deep here. From grille styles and badging to wheel choices — 16-inch steelies or 18-inch alloys — everything's been considered. Inside, you’ve got five single-tone and eight two-tone leather options. Think navy, burgundy, rich tan — pick your vibe.

And for the crowd that lives a little... differently? There are add-ons like wine coolers and surfboard mounts. Because why not.

You’ll Need Deep Pockets — And a Bit of Patience

Each one’s hand-built by Land Rover Classic in Coventry or Essen. It’s a full rebuild, not just a cosmetic refresh. And that’s reflected in the price: starting at £195,000, plus whatever extras you dream up. You do get a one-year unlimited mileage warranty, though.

Will most folks ever see one in the wild? Probably not. But for a few lucky buyers, the Defender is back — familiar in all the right ways, evolved where it matters.

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