The New Defender

[rezdiver]

I agree that nobody is going to be lifting a $100k truck, but that's not really the point. If you want to get down some pretty serious trails, your much better off with solid axles. I can't say I've ever heard of anybody building a dedicated wheeler, and opting for a compleatly independent setup. If it came with IFS from the factory, that's almost always the first thing to be thrown in the scrap pile.

But that is exactly the point, the new rover may come with IFS, and we are talking about the new rover. you would have to be pretty filthy rich to buy one and turn it into a dedicated wheeler. solid axle is great for a rock crawler but for an all around good 4x4 it is not a requirement.

[e.prevost94]

Your absulutly right. 99% of them will never pass the city limit signs. It's just 10-15 years from now once everybody moves on, we're going to have to deal with the stuff they're pumping out today. I'm almost tempted to say that wont happen. We'll just have to hold onto the stuff we've got now, and keep them roadworthy. :roll:

[franko]

Check out this post, if you want to see what these new LR4's can do.

do.http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/t ... ry-4-(LR4)

I myself am also coming around to the idea of owning a LR3 in the future. Just seems to make the most sense. You can haul lots of crap seats 7 and will go pretty much anywhere,great for camping and exploring.
Just wish we could get the diesel version over here : (

[skeena river rover]

I wish i could say you are right! But i disagree!

I do have to agree with Russ that the most capable "out of the box" 4x4 on the market currently is the new Range Rover. Unfortunately most of us will never be able to afford a $100K+ vehicle to go bashing around in the bush with, and the vast majority of these vehicles will rarely...if ever be driven off-road.

The Toyota land cruiser is by far more superior than the range rover! Don't get me wrong the range rovers are nice etc but if you talk real 4x4 capabilities it does not even come close to the land cruiser! And that is a 100k truck to.

The other thing about defenders! We do not need a toy defender what we need is THE PUMA DEFENDER HERE IN NORTH AMERICA!
The Puma is quite, strong, luxurious and stylish. That is what we need! Not a toy car that looks like a KIA etc.
They should build the PUMA to North AMerican specs so it is allowed to drive it here legally. I bet they will sell tons of them!
I have driven the PUMA lots In Europe and it is BY FAR THE BEST defender ever build. Maybe not as a 4x4 hard core off road car but the whole package!
I understand that everybody has his own opinion or taste. But if you are replacing the defender it needs to be better not worse.

[Russ]

I didn't think I was being nasty and apologise if I was. I just wanted to be clear that I have to alterior motives in joining this site. I don't expect to sell from it, I honestly like the vehicles and wanted to be a part of the community. I do off road, and I'm a fan of the Rovers now that I've been further exposed to them.

By posting what I did, I only wanted to offer a perspective who has heard the intended direction from the horses mouth so-to-speak. I'm not shooting anyone's opinions down, as I wouldn't want to see the iconic Defender reduced to a family grocery-getter, but I'm just saying I have faith that they'll "do the right thing" by their loyal followers.

Again, apologise if I was offensive in my response. I just didn't want e-prevost94 (or anyone else) to think I was pulling any "crap".

[e.prevost94]

It's acually pretty good to be able to hear from somebody who sells them, and knows the new stuff. Just out of courosity, why don't you have a Rover?

[Dave_F]

Because he knows better...he sells them :D :mrgreen: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Kidding Russ.... :wink:

[Russ]

It's acually pretty good to be able to hear from somebody who sells them, and knows the new stuff. Just out of courosity, why don't you have a Rover?

Because I sort of just "fell" into the sport. I relocated to BC for the better skiing and found the Jeep as a trade in that had been really well cared for. Figured it was a relitively cheap vehicle that would get me where I needed to go in the winter. When I started working as a sales manager at a Chrysler store, someone approached me about the Jeep club's 2009 toy run. Went to that, someone convinced me to disconnect my front sway bar, we did the run to hale (it was only about 30 of us back then), and I was hooked on offroading.

I guess the short answer is that I was exposed to the sport through a Jeep club so here I am. That said, I've been looking at Disco II's but I'm having trouble accepting the fact that the engines "just leak" and there's nothing that can really be done about it.

Edit:
The other thing that holds me back now that I've thought further about it, is that the simplicity of solid axle setups and lack of electronics in the Jeep is nice for trail repairs (much like the Defenders). Problem is that a Defender can run $30,000 from what I've seen online and that's a bit much for me right now to spend on a toy.

[e.prevost94]

If your looking for simplicity, you can't go wrong with a D1. But you do get to love their little quarks. My classic's ignition system likes to through a temper tantrum every now and then, and my driveway, and street is covered with oil. There is just something about a rover that you just don't get with anything else. You could best discribe it as a personality. :)

[Crs]

I agree with the above. I just splurged on a D1 for trailing. :alien: The D1 seems to be the cheapest way into Land Rovering right now and a lot more comfortable than most Defenders on road and not too far behind them offroad.

As for engine leaks, it is very clear that everyone in the club eventually takes out whatever engine the car came with and puts in a 300 TDI. :wink:

[skeena river rover]

Hi Russ,

No worries man! I am not shooting you down etc. It is just nice to talk 4x4 and land rover stuff on this forum! We just have a different view of what would be a nice follow up for the defender. For most guy's that own a defender it is not just owning a car. For me it much more then that! And i think guy's that own a defender, they can share that feeling. So we are very passionate about this subject.




Cheers JEroen

[Arcades]

I know I'm going to be slammed for this, but all the made for purpose vehicles that are engineered, not thrown together in some guys backyard, use ifs. I'm not into hummers ( of the four wheel type), but they are a formidable off road vehicle and engineered for military offroad use...

Turn on the flames :)

[BOlson]

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you ( for the most part ) on the bit about hummers ( 4 wheel kind ;D ) . aside from the portal gears and wheels ( hutchinson ) they are made out of the most low bidder junk ever

the 6.5 diesel / 3/4 ton pickup drivetrain 100,000 and they're done

the AMC model 20 gear sets ( same as the weakest cj7 diff or a matador ) absolute junk

3/4 ton chevy ball joints top and bottom ( 4 little bolts and they're off )

the 28 spline CV joints and 19mm axle shafts...... snappy snap

HMMWV's are designed to be driven by 18 year olds and left behind in war zones

Hummers are for driving around looking for a wide enough parking spot

full floating solid axles are where it's at

[Crs]

I'm not sure about Hummers off road unless you're on a wide open prairie.

I was fortunate once at an auto show in the mid-90s to sample some 4x4s: the 'new' lwb Range Rover, the 'new' NAS D90 and a Hummer H1. The Hummer seemed to provide the comfort of the D90 at the price of the RRLWB. I also had trouble maneuvering the H1 along the street from the parking lot to the off road course due to its extreme width. When I see one of our Defenders or Discos squeeze between trees, rock or go through tank traps. There is no question of a Hummer would actually fitting on most of these trails. I believe the US forces have refrained from deploying Hummers to Europe because they just don't fit on the roads.

[e.prevost94]

I'd have to say that the 6.5 in those hummers are pretty good. My buddy has a 6.5 turbo in his 2500, and it has 400,000 KM's on it, and runs like the day it was new. It is pretty bad for ball joints, but the axles seem pretty solid. Did you just have a bad experience with GM or something?

[BOlson]

My buddy Rick had one and it was the biggest POS ( leaked oil bad and had some "eye" in the pump that kept going out )
that being said he has a Duramax now and he's happy with it

I actually have some surplus hummer portals and CV's at home and the CV's are tiny ( minivans are bigger )
it's just when people look to "off road IFS " they bring up the Hummer and while they look big and brawny there is a lot of junk in there

nothing wrong with 14 bolt gm axles though that I agree with, those are an upgrade in almost anything

[rezdiver]

My buddy Rick had one and it was the biggest POS ( leaked oil bad and had some "eye" in the pump that kept going out )
that being said he has a Duramax now and he's happy with it

I actually have some surplus hummer portals and CV's at home and the CV's are tiny ( minivans are bigger )
it's just when people look to "off road IFS " they bring up the Hummer and while they look big and brawny there is a lot of junk in there

nothing wrong with 14 bolt gm axles though that I agree with, those are an upgrade in almost anything

compared to the solid leak free landrover engines which never have headgasket or liner issues, bulletproof unbreakable rover axles and leakfree swivels, high mounted steering linkages, trouble free electronics. :P

[Dave_F]

OK...back to the DC100.

Just read the January Issue of Land Rover Monthly were it states from Gerry McGovern that the DC100 will NOT be the Defender replacement...so there you go...you can all relax at least until April where there is rumours that is when the New Defender replacement will be unveiled.

I get the mags electronically as it only costs $3.99 as opposed to $15.99 at the local magazine shop.

[e.prevost94]

Well that's a relief. I'm sure they realize if they screw up, they'll lose a lot of their client base.

[Russ]

That's what I was trying to say above. They know this is a big deal and are trying really hard not to screw it up.

[skeena river rover]

pfff now i can sleep again. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[Landlover]

Quite the heated topic I see...

I'm a Land Rover guy through and through, I love my Series III 109 but I just bought a brand new 2012 Jeep Rubicon short wheel base. It is the ONLY new vehicle on the market with solid axles, lockers front and rear and an electronic sway bar disconnect. If the Defender was here I'd probably have bought that but other than the Jeep logo on the front the Rubicon is the closest thing to a Defender we can get (New). I mean how many other vehicles can you fold down the windshield, pull off the doors and the roof and hit the trails!

As mentioned by some others I do love the simplicity of my Rover when on the trail if I need to fix anything but purchasing a new truck I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that nothing electrical goes on the trail. Mechanical I can handle, electrical and I'm screwed. My Series III diesel doesn't need an alternator to run and that has saved me twice!!

This new "Defender" should be built in the traditional sense like the Wrangler has, Jeep has updated and modified the wrangler more often than LR has modified the Defender, but kept the core of a 4x4 utility vehicle. I think most people are worried about the new '"Defender" because of the radically different Evoque.

[skeena river rover]

Yep you are right. THat is what it should be. I owned a unlimited sahara. Loved it, but it is not a defender so i sold it and got a 300 tdi. Sounds crazy to trade a 2009 for a 1997 defender. But i have no regrets! I love it and the ride is great. But i agree, if they would change the defender it should come closer like the wrangler. You can see it is a jeep from miles away and it is completely refined and much better then the old wrangler.

[Skookumchuck]

I didn't think I was being nasty and apologise if I was. I just wanted to be clear that I have to alterior motives in joining this site. I don't expect to sell from it, I honestly like the vehicles and wanted to be a part of the community. I do off road, and I'm a fan of the Rovers now that I've been further exposed to them.

By posting what I did, I only wanted to offer a perspective who has heard the intended direction from the horses mouth so-to-speak. I'm not shooting anyone's opinions down, as I wouldn't want to see the iconic Defender reduced to a family grocery-getter, but I'm just saying I have faith that they'll "do the right thing" by their loyal followers.

Again, apologise if I was offensive in my response. I just didn't want e-prevost94 (or anyone else) to think I was pulling any "crap".

No appology needed we welcome your opinion the same as everyone else. I hope LR keep the spirit of the Defender alive in a new version I wish it was available in NA but we cn only hope. That all being said my 68 2II 109 is always going to be driven down the FSR's like it was built for. :lol: