Just when you thought you couldn't love the OG Defender any more...
Every car buff should own an original Defender at some point. Well, sure. The difficulty is that an original Land-Rover Defender also has distinctly original levels of comfort and everything about it is distinctly agricultural, as it should be. But not the Defender you see here: a T90 TTD soft top by the obsessive Defender rebuilders at Twisted, where they lovingly transform Landies into vehicles you’d actually look forward to driving all day everyday. And this one is just a bit more special than usual.
The basis is a 2016 vintage Defender T90, originally finished in Jaguar Land Rover’s Indus Silver. But that was before Twisted got to work, under the direction, as always, of the company’s founder, Charles Fawcett, whose stated vision is to "elevate Defenders to unprecedented levels of prestige, quality, and mechanical excellence - creating a market where comfort, power, and heritage coexist”.
Aesthetically, it's all very much old-school Defender. The conversion to soft top includes a heavy duty mohair hood, because no one wants to get cold while out shepherding. Split doors and a fold-down screen further reference the 1948 all-utility original without any of the compromise. And the finish? A cool, subtle and distinctly rural Willow Green. Point is that you’ll have to take a good look to see the genius of Twisted at work.
Twisted T90: A rare beast
The company says this is just one of ten Twisted Lightweights ever built, so it’s a rare beast. Under the bonnet, their P6 upgrade means a full 40% more power, the company says, delivered through a manual six-speed gearbox. Suspension by Progressive means better handling and ride, while chunky BF Goodrich mud terrain tyres riding on nicely minimalist 16” Twisted Sport wheels mean you really can go mud-plugging if you want to test out the Landie’s real potential.
You’ll be nice and comfortable. The interior is texture-coated for authentic ruggedness, and furnished for maximum comfort. Seats are saddle-leather trimmed, with Twisted’s signature square quilting. Integrated head unit incorporates satnav to get across the fields without getting lost and there’s a premium eight-speaker sound system. Spare wheel is rear-door mounted and there’s a handy luggage net across the load bay for your Louis Vuitton bags.
Because with Twisted it’s all about the almost obsessive levels of detailing. Front seats are heated, rear recovery loop - even Landies get stuck sometimes - is in easy-to-see orange, fuel cap is billet aluminium, performance exhaust system is in stainless steel. The more you look the better this Twisted Lightweight gets.
So you might call this a restomod Defender. That’s not going to come cheap, just as Savile Row isn’t cheap. You can get a just-about-standard Twisted Defender for around £100,000. Since this is a limited Lightweight example, Twisted’s pricetag of £120,000 seems almost like a bargain, given it’s made-to-measure. You won’t see another one as you embark on your daily farming rounds - or that errand to buy milk at the corner shop, via perhaps the nearest mountain. Essential? Of course.
Next up: One of the rarest Land Rovers ever made.
